In Vitro Safety Assessment of the Effect of Five Medicinal Plants on Human Peripheral Lymphocytes

Purpose: To evaluate, using ethnomedical data approach, five Indian plants used in traditional medicine for cancer and other diseases for their safety and cytotoxic activity on human lymphocytes.Methods: The antiproliferative effect of the 50, 100 and 200 ìg/ml aqueous extracts of five plants (leaves of Phyllanthus niruri, Coleus aromaticus, Azadirachta indica and Camellia sinensis, and driedfruit rind of Garcinia indica) were evaluated in vitro using trypan blue dye exclusion and clonogenic assay methods on two cell lines - Balb/c 3T3 mouse fibroblasts and human peripheral lymphocytes.Results: Among the five plants used traditionally to treat cancer and other infections, two of them (A. indica and C. aromaticus) exhibited cytotoxic effects on lymphocytes. Two other plants (G. indica and P.niruri) exhibited pronounced cytotoxic effects. Another plant (Camellia sinensis) exhibitedcytostimulatory effect (> 50 % cell proliferation). For the plants that are traditionally used in anticancer therapy, there was a correlation between the reported use of these plants and their cytotoxic activity onlymphocytes.Conclusion: The plant extracts of the leaves of P. niruri, C, aromaticus and A. indica, and the dried fruit rind of G. indica are cytotoxic to lymphocytes and this lends some credence to their traditional use for cancer treatment. However, green tea (C. sinensis) is cytostimulatory and safe for consumption

Effects of biofertilizer containing N-fixer, P and K solubilizers and AM fungi on maize growth: A greenhouse trial.

An in vitro study was undertaken to evaluate the compatibility of indigenous plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) with commonly used inorganic and organic sources of fertilizers in tea plantations. The nitrogenous, phosphatic and potash fertilizers used for this study were urea, rock phosphate and muriate of potash, respectively. The organic sources of fertilizers neem cake, composted coir pith and vermicompost were also used. PGPRs such as nitrogen fixer; Azospirillum lipoferum, Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB); Pseudomonas putida, Potassium Solubilizing Bacteria (KSB); Burkholderia cepacia and Pseudomonas putida were used for compatibility study. Results were indicated that PGPRs preferred the coir pith and they proved their higher colony establishment in the formulation except Azospirillum spp. that preferred vermicompost for their establishment. The optimum dose of neem cake powder

Effect of NPK fertilization on productivity and oil yield of groundnut+ sunflower intercropping system under irrigated condition.

A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2005 at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to find out the effect of nutrient management practices on the productivity in intercropping system considering the crop combination and proportion of groundnut+ sunflower intercropping system (3: 1 ratio) under irrigated conditions under replacement series. Treatments consisted of recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) to main crop alone, both main and intercrop separately, 50% reduction in RDF to intercrop and spilt application of nitrogen to intercrop and no fertilizer application to entire system. Results revealed that the growth, yield attributes and oil content of groundnut and the intercrop sunflower were improved when groundnut (17: 34: 54 kg ha-1) and sunflower (40: 20: 20 kg ha-1) were supplied with their recommended dose of NPK and split application of nitrogen as 50% basal and 50% as top dressing

Influence of NPK fertilization on productivity and oil yield of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus) in intercropping systems under irrigation

A field experiment has been conducted at garden lands (Vertic ustochrept) of Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during Kharif (June to October) season of 2004 to ascertain the optimum nutrient requirement for groundmutsunflower intercropping system under irrigated conditions with replacement series to enhance the productivity of groundmuttsunflower inter cropping system. Groundnut was raised as main crop and sunflower was planted as intercrop with 3: 1 ratio. There were ten treatments viz., control (T.), 100% Recommended Dose of Fertilizers (RDF) to main and inter crops (T,), 100% RDF to main cropt no fertilizer to intercrop (T), 100% RDF to main crop-100% RDF to intercrop (T,), 100% RDF to main crop-50% RDF of intercrop (T,), T-50% RDF to intercrop as basal-50% N to intercrop as top dress (T,), T-50% N to intercrop as basal (T,), T,+ 100% PK of

In Vitro Safety Assessment of the Effect of Five Medicinal Plants on Human Peripheral Lymphocytes

Purpose: To evaluate, using ethnomedical data approach, five Indian plants used in traditional medicine for cancer and other diseases for their safety and cytotoxic activity on human lymphocytes. Methods: The antiproliferative effect of the 50, 100 and 200 µg/ml aqueous extracts of five plants (leaves of Phyllanthus niruri, Coleus aromaticus, Azadirachta indica and Camellia sinensis, and dried fruit rind of Garcinia indica) were evaluated in vitro using trypan blue dye exclusion and clonogenic assay methods on two cell lines -Balb/c 3T3 mouse fibroblasts and human peripheral lymphocytes. Results: Among the five plants used traditionally to treat cancer and other infections, two of them (A. indica and C. aromaticus) exhibited cytotoxic effects on lymphocytes. Two other plants (G. indica and P. niruri) exhibited pronounced cytotoxic effects. Another plant (Camellia sinensis) exhibited cytostimulatory effect (> 50 % cell proliferation). For the plants that are traditionally used in anticancer therapy, there was a correlation between the reported use of these plants and their cytotoxic activity on lymphocytes. Conclusion: The plant extracts of the leaves of P. niruri, C, aromaticus and A. indica, and the dried fruit rind of G. indica are cytotoxic to lymphocytes and this lends some credence to their traditional use for cancer treatment. However, green tea (C. sinensis) is cytostimulatory and safe for consumption