In-silico molecular docking analysis of some plant derived molecules for anti-inflammatory inhibitory activity

Herbs are essential resources for drug discovery. However, numerous challenges stand in front of the scientific community to discover novel drugs from herbs. To explore the validation behind the precious knowledge of traditional medicine, we focused on achieving virtual screening to detect the potential medicines from the herbs.  Five bioactive compounds from known anti-inflammatory medicinal plants were examined through molecular docking against  cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS), using AutoDock 4.2. The docking of selected ligands with COX-2 showed the binding energy varying from -6.15 Kcal/mol to ‑11.24 Kcal/mol. The docking energies of identified ligands with iNOS were generated ranges from -3.85kcal/mol to -6.99 kcal/mol.  Among the tested ligands, it was noted that 6 urs-12-en-24-oic acid showed the best binding energy than other compounds with the lowest binding energy and highest binding affinity with both anti-inflammatory target proteins COX-2 and iNOS. The in silico study validates the potential phytochemical compound of the medicinal herb that contribute to anti-inflammatory activity with low toxicity and minimal side effects

Genetic variability among _Coleus sp_ studied by RAPD banding pattern analysis

Genetic improvement of the medicinal plants depends upon the existence, nature and extent of the genetic variability available for manipulation. Genetic analysis with RAPD markers has been extensively used to determine genetic diversity among _Coleus sp_ and to identify the best quality for human consumption for its medicinal purpose. The objectives of the present study were to assess molecular variation among _C.amboinicus_, _C.aromaticus_ and _C.forskohlii_. and to determine the level of genetic similarity among them. We performed random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis on three strains of _Coleus sp_. Random primers were used for the PCR. Electrophoresis on denaturing acrylamide gels improved RAPD reproducibility and increased the band number. The primer OPW 6 and OPW 7 gave reproducible results and the band profiles

Bioremediation of heavy metals using an endophytic bacterium Paenibacillus sp. RM isolated from the roots of Tridax procumbens

The aim of the present study was to assess the bioremediation potential of endophytic bacteria isolated from roots of Tridax procumbens plant. Five bacterial endophytes were isolated and subsequently tested for minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) against different heavy metals. Amongst the five isolates, strain RM exhibited the highest resistance to copper (750 mg/l), followed by zinc (500 mg/l), lead (450 mg/l), and arsenic (400 mg/l). Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence suggested that strain RM was a member of genus Paneibacillus. Strain RM also had the capacity to produce secondary metabolites, indole acetic acid, siderophores, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, and biosurfactant and solubilize phosphate. The growth kinetics of strain RM was altered slightly in the presence of metal stress. Temperature and pH influenced the metal removal rate. The results suggest that strain RM can survive under the high concentration of heavy metals and has been identified as a potential candidate for application in bioremediation of heavy metals in contaminated environments

Sunroot mediated synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles and evaluation of its antibacterial and rat splenocyte cytotoxic effects

Adithan Aravinthan,1,* Muthusamy Govarthanan,2,3,* Kandasamy Selvam,4 Loganathan Praburaman,2,3 Thangasamy Selvankumar,3 Rangachari Balamurugan,1 Seralathan Kamala-Kannan,2 Jong-Hoon Kim1 1College of Veterinary Medicine, Biosafety Research Institute, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, South Korea; 2Division of Biotechnology, Advanced Institute of Environment and Bioscience, College of Environmental and Bioresource Sciences, Chonbuk National University, Iksan, South Korea; 3PG and Research Department of Biotechnology, Mahendra Arts and Science College, Kalippatti, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India; 4Centre for Biotechnology, Muthayammal College of Arts and Science, Rasipuram, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: A rapid, green phytosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the aqueous extract of Helianthus tuberosus (sunroot tuber) was reported in this study. The morphology of the AgNPs was determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the presence of AgNPs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed that biomolecules in the tuber extract were involved in the reduction and capping of AgNPs. The energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis of the AgNPs, using an energy range of 2–4 keV, confirmed the presence of elemental silver without any contamination. Further, the synthesized AgNPs were evaluated against phytopathogens such as Ralstonia solanacearum and Xanthomonas axonopodis. The AgNPs (1–4 mM) extensively reduced the growth rate of the phytopathogens. In addition, the cytotoxic effect of the synthesized AgNPs was analyzed using rat splenocytes. The cell viability was decreased according to the increasing concentration of AgNPs and 67% of cell death was observed at 100 µg/mL. Keywords: cytotoxicity, Helianthus tuberosus, nanobiotechnology, phytosynthesis, splenocyte