Studies on antibacterial activity of methanolic plant extracts

The antimicrobial activity of methanolic extracts was screened against 3 gram positive and 3 gram negative bacteria using agar well diffusion method.  80 µl of test extract was suspended in the wells. A control well is loaded with equal amount of the solvent i.e. methanol. The plates were then incubated at 37ºC for 24-48 hours. After proper incubation the plates around the extract impregnated wells and this clear zone of growth inhibition was measured in terms of diameter (mm). The inhibition zone is the mean of the three replicates, excluding the well diameter. The (-) sign indicates no activity. Only the aqueous extracts of A. nilotica (leaf and stem) and L. inermis (leaves) were found inhibitory to some of the organisms tested i.e. Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiela pneumoniae and Salmonella typhimurium. Salmonella typhimurium was only inhibited by aqueous extracts of L. inermis (leaves) whereas the rest of the aqueous extracts were found to be inactive against all the test organisms. The maximum activity was shown by aqueous extracts of L. inermis (leaf) against Staphylococcus  aureus that is 1.9 mm diameter of inhibition zone and the minimum was observed in the case of aqueous extracts of Pergularia daemia (stem) i.e. 0.6 mm diameter of inhibition zone against Bacillus subtilis . Salmonella epidermidis was found to most resistance to aqueous extracts of the plant followed by Salmonella typhimurium.Keywords- antimicrobial activity; methanolic extract

Effect of Eugenol in presence and absence of nutrients (glucose and Xylose) on H+ATPase of C. albicans.

candida albicans is an Opportunistic human pathogen causes both superficial and life threatening mycoses fatal for immuno comprised patients. Many essential oils of spices possess antimycotic properties. The electrochemical gradient generated by PM-H+ATPase of C. albicans drives nutrient transport. H+ ATPase is associated with yeast to hyphal transition, later form being more pathogenic. It is thus important to identify spice extracts which apart from having low MIC also have a profound effect on H+ ATPase. With this in view we have investigated Eugenol alone and along with nutrients (xylose and glucose) on H+ ATPase functioning through H+ extrusion measurement. The antifungal activity of Eugenol alone and along with nutrients (xylose and glucose)was investigated by studying their effect on PM-ATPase mediated H+-Extrusion activity (H+ efflux) and growth of C. albicans (Disc diffusion and MIC).Eugenol inhibited the H+ ATPase as observed by H+ efflux monitored for 30 min. The oil has clear inhibitory effect on H+ efflux in the concentration range of 500µg/ml to 2000µg/ml. Eugenol has an inhibitory effect on growth and H+-Extrusion of H+ ATPase of C. albicans. Both glucose and xylose along with Eugenol have inhibitory effect on Candida growth but no such effect has been observed on H+-ATPase pump of the fungus. Eugenol has a potential to be exploited as future antifungal drug to target plasma membrane H+ ATPase of C. albicans and other pathogenic microbes

Comparative bacterial degradation and detoxification of model and kraft lignin from pulp paper wastewater and its metabolites

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Effect of Eugenol in presence and absence of nutrients (glucose and Xylose) on H+ATPase of C. albicans.

candida albicans is an Opportunistic human pathogen causes both superficial and life threatening mycoses fatal for immuno comprised patients. Many essential oils of spices possess antimycotic properties. The electrochemical gradient generated by PM-H+ATPase of C. albicans drives nutrient transport. H+ ATPase is associated with yeast to hyphal transition, later form being more pathogenic. It is thus important to identify spice extracts which apart from having low MIC also have a profound effect on H+ ATPase. With this in view we have investigated Eugenol alone and along with nutrients (xylose and glucose) on H+ ATPase functioning through H+ extrusion measurement. The antifungal activity of Eugenol alone and along with nutrients (xylose and glucose)was investigated by studying their effect on PM-ATPase mediated H+-Extrusion activity (H+ efflux) and growth of C. albicans (Disc diffusion and MIC).Eugenol inhibited the H+ ATPase as observed by H+ efflux monitored for 30 min. The oil has clear inhibitory effect on H+ efflux in the concentration range of 500µg/ml to 2000µg/ml. Eugenol has an inhibitory effect on growth and H+-Extrusion of H+ ATPase of C. albicans. Both glucose and xylose along with Eugenol have inhibitory effect on Candida growth but no such effect has been observed on H+-ATPase pump of the fungus. Eugenol has a potential to be exploited as future antifungal drug to target plasma membrane H+ ATPase of C. albicans and other pathogenic microbes

Ethanol-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Albino Rats

The goal of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of aqueous extract of Camellia sinensis or green tea extract (AQGTE) in chronic ethanol-induced albino rats. All animals were divided into 4 groups in the study for a 5-week duration. 50% ethanol was given orally to the rats with two doses (5 mg/kg bw and 10 mg/kg bw) of AQGTE. Ethanol administration caused a significant increase in the levels of plasma and serum enzymatic markers, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and nonenzymatic markers (cholesterol and triglycerides), lipid peroxidation contents, malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and decreased the activities of total proteins, albumin, and cellular antioxidant defense enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD). The elevation and reduction in these biochemical enzymes caused the damage in hepatocytes histologically due to the high production of ROS, which retards the antioxidant defense capacity of cell. AQGTE was capable of recovering the level of these markers and the damaged hepatocytes to their normal structures. These results support the suggestion that AQGTE was able to enhance hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects in vivo against ethanol-induced toxicity

Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze Extract Ameliorates Chronic Ethanol-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Albino Rats

The goal of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of aqueous extract of Camellia sinensis or green tea extract (AQGTE) in chronic ethanol-induced albino rats. All animals were divided into 4 groups in the study for a 5-week duration. 50% ethanol was given orally to the rats with two doses (5 mg/kg bw and 10 mg/kg bw) of AQGTE. Ethanol administration caused a significant increase in the levels of plasma and serum enzymatic markers, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and nonenzymatic markers (cholesterol and triglycerides), lipid peroxidation contents, malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and decreased the activities of total proteins, albumin, and cellular antioxidant defense enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD). The elevation and reduction in these biochemical enzymes caused the damage in hepatocytes histologically due to the high production of ROS, which retards the antioxidant defense capacity of cell. AQGTE was capable of recovering the level of these markers and the damaged hepatocytes to their normal structures. These results support the suggestion that AQGTE was able to enhance hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects in vivo against ethanol-induced toxicity