A STUDY ON ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTI-AGING PROPERTIES OF FEW MEDICINAL PLANTS

Objective: The present study was undertaken to appraise the antioxidant and antiaging properties of some important medicinal plants like Syzygium cumini L. (Jamun, the Indian Blackberry), Tinospora cordifolia L. (Giloy) and Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (Methi).Methods: The methanolic extracts of these plants were prepared, incubated with Pheochromocytoma (PC-12) cells and total antioxidant potential of these plants was determined by 2, 2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay. Lipid peroxidation assay was also performed to compare the free radical generating potential of these plants. Lipofuscin estimation was done in methanolic extracts of these plants to check which extract can reduce the lipofuscin accumulation in cells which is an anti-aging parameter.Results: The highest inhibition of DPPH radical and ferric reducing ability (FRAP assay) was observed in methanolic extract of Syzygium cumini leaves followed by Trigonella foenum-graecum leaves and lowest inhibition was shown by Tinospora cordifolia leaf extracts. Lipid peroxidation assay done by determining the amount of Malondialdehyde(MDA) formed and highest levels of MDA was produced by Tinospora cordifolia leaf extracts followed by Trigonella foenum-graecum leaf extracts and lowest values were obtained were from Syzygium cumini leaf extracts. The anti-aging parameter which is a determination of lipofuscin pigments in PC-12 cells treated with methanolic extracts of different plants was also examined. Highest accumulation of lipofuscin pigment was observed in cells treated with Tinospora cordifolia leaf extracts followed by Trigonella foenum-graecum leaf extracts and lowest values were obtained were from Syzygium cumini leaf extracts.Conclusion: The results of these findings revealed that the plants which have highest antioxidant potential could be a potent source of anti-aging drugs.Â

Biodiversity and the Indian judiciary: tracing the trajectory

The Covid-19 narrative spotlights the necessity to conserve biological diversity (biodiversity) including ecosystems and wildlife. Biodiversity problems are global, and associated governance issues range beyond geographical and spatial boundaries. The globalisation and internationalisation of biodiversity concerns have resulted in the emergence of biodiversity legal frameworks designed to conserve and sustainably use our planet’s biological resources. As an “organic and evolving discipline,” biodiversity laws are increasingly important and affect the Earth’s natural systems that support human life. The article analyses the judicial space that makes, interprets and enforces laws that conserve and support the sustainable use of biodiversity. The proactive, creative judiciary, acting as amicus environment, has produced a major shift in the Indian environmental landscape. The use of public interest litigation (PIL) in both environmental and biodiversity matters is welcomed by the senior judiciary (Supreme Court and High Courts) and also by the specialised environmental tribunal, National Green Tribunal (NGT). The terminological reach of the popular descriptive words, environment, nature and ecology, on occasions including biodiversity, introduced matters litigated in the courts and tribunal. The combination of legal, scientific, and technical expertise in the three judicial fora recognize and consider conservation and protection of biodiversity as an inextricable part of life. The article follows the chronological path of biodiversity litigation, i.e. pre 1992–2002; then 2002–2010 and finally 2010–2020 and examines significant aspects of the three decades of biodiversity litigation

Impact of IRS: Four-years of entomological surveillance of the Indian Visceral Leishmaniases elimination programme

BACKGROUND In 2005, Bangladesh, India and Nepal agreed to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis (VL) as a public health problem. The approach to this was through improved case detection and treatment, and controlling transmission by the sand fly vector Phlebotomus argentipes, with indoor residual spraying (IRS) of insecticide. Initially, India applied DDT with stirrup pumps for IRS, however, this did not reduce transmission. After 2015 onwards, the pyrethroid alpha-cypermethrin was applied with compression pumps, and entomological surveillance was initiated in 2016. METHODS Eight sentinel sites were established in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. IRS coverage was monitored by household survey, quality of insecticide application was measured by HPLC, presence and abundance of the VL vector was monitored by CDC light traps, insecticide resistance was measured with WHO diagnostic assays and case incidence was determined from the VL case register KAMIS. RESULTS Complete treatment of houses with IRS increased across all sites from 57% in 2016 to 70% of houses in 2019, rising to >80% if partial house IRS coverage is included (except West Bengal). The quality of insecticide application has improved compared to previous studies, average doses of insecticide on filters papers ranged from 1.52 times the target dose of 25mg/m2 alpha-cypermethrin in 2019 to 1.67 times in 2018. Resistance to DDT has continued to increase, but the vector was not resistant to carbamates, organophosphates or pyrethroids. The annual and seasonal abundance of P. argentipes declined between 2016 to 2019 with an overall infection rate of 0.03%. This was associated with a decline in VL incidence for the blocks represented by the sentinel sites from 1.16 per 10,000 population in 2016 to 0.51 per 10,000 in 2019. CONCLUSION Through effective case detection and management reducing the infection reservoirs for P. argentipes in the human population combined with IRS keeping P. argentipes abundance and infectivity low has reduced VL transmission. This combination of effective case management and vector control has now brought India within reach of the VL elimination targets

Uttarakhand: A State Rich in Plant Fibers

A diverse range of natural fibers is produced in many countries providing an important source of income for farmers and local communities. With the UN declaring 2009 as the Year of Natural Fibres, for the state of Uttarakhand the development comes as a fillip to its efforts toward promoting the use of natural fibers. Some of the commercially important natural fibers found in Uttarakhand are obtained from Sisal, Agave, Bhimal, Hemp, Jute, and Nettle. This review article describes some of the fiber-yielding plants of North West Himalayas with special reference to Uttarakhand. Many of the natural fibers described have been traditionally used by the rural communities; some of the traditional processing techniques employed have been described along with other natural fiber plant species that have the potential to provide alternative employment opportunities. This review article aims to compile the record of fiber-yielding plants of Uttarakhand, which will lead to increase the contribution of fiber-yielding plants in the rural economy and ecosystem of the state for achieving sustainable socioeconomic development

Radiative MHD compressible Couette flow in a parallel channel with a naturally permeable wall

The paper pertains to investigations of thermal radiation effects on dissipative MHD Couette flow of a viscous compressible Newtonian heat- generating fluid in a parallel plate channel whose one wall is stationary and naturally permeable. Saffman’ slip condition is used at the clear fluid-porous interface. The fluid is considered to be optically thick and the radiative heat flux in the energy equation is assumed to follow Rossel and approximation. The momentum and energy equations have closed form solutions. The effects of various parameters on thermal regime are analyzed through graphs and tables

Decision on Bt-Brinjal: Issues of Legal Certainty

The recent decision of the government of India to impose a moratorium on the release of Bt-Brinjal has been hailed by civil society and scientists alike as a victory for transparency and has demonstrated that the government is responsive to societal demands. This decision is also important since it could set a precedent within environmental regulation with reference to technologies with significant environmental risks. However, the decision also reflects a clear departure from procedure and its legal basis is tenuous and therefore the risk of it being reversed remains. This establishes a clear case for ensuring legal certainty in environmental regulations especially in the case of technologies with significant risks attached to it

Oscillatory Flow in a Vertical Channel Filled with Porous Medium with Radiation and Dissipation

The present discussion is an analytical study of the oscillatory flow of a viscous incompressible Newtonian fluid in an infinite vertical parallel plate channel filled with porous medium. It is assumed that the flow is fully developed and the fluid is dissipative, gray, absorbing-emitting radiation and non-scattering. The radiative heat flux in the energy equation follows Rosseland approximation. It is considered that both the plates are stationary and temperature of one of the plates oscillates about a non-zero mean temperature. Approximate solutions to the coupled non-linear partial differential equations governing the flow have been found using the double perturbation technique. The effects of various parameters on the transient velocity, the transient temperature, the amplitude and phase of the skin friction and the rate of heat transfer have been analysed and shown in the form of graphs and tables

of the National Academy of Sciences. Photo courtesy of the family of William Arnold.

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