ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITES AND PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF METHANOL EXTRACT OF LEAVES OF ARTOCARPUS HETEROPHYLLUS LAM

Objective: The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the phytochemical constituents, free radical scavenging activities and antioxidant properties of the methanol extract of leaves of Artocarpus heterophyllus. Methods: The phytochemicals in the methanol extract of leaves of A. heterophyllus were determined qualitatively and quantitatively using standard methods. The antioxidant activities were carried out by DPPH free radical scavenging assay, OH• radical scavenging assay, NO• radical scavenging assay, Fe3+reducing power assay and phosphomolybdenum reduction assay methods. Results: The methanol extract of leaves of A. heterophyllus showed good radical scavenging activities and reducing power activities which were found to increase with the increasing concentration of the extract. The study indicated that the presence of the major phytochemicals viz. flavonoids and phenols in the methanol extract of leaves of A. heterophyllus were 86.75 mg/g and 524.86 mg/g, respectively. Conclusion: The present study revealed that the methanol extract of leaves of A. heterophyllus showed significant antioxidant activities as well as phenolic content

Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of ethanol fruit extract of Cherry Plum - Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.

Foods that have disease-preventing potential are designated as functional foods. Functional foods are foods that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. A large number of antioxidants, both nutritive and nonnutritive, occur in foods. The potency of antioxidants present in foods in vivo will depend not only on their levels in the foods but also on their bioavailability, that is, the extent to which the active forms of antioxidants are released from the food and absorbed through the gut. Most of phytochemicals, components of food, beverages, and herbal products are often reported in literature as “nutraceutical”, emphasizing their health promoting properties, including the prevention and treatment of pathologies like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neural disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease. Phytochemicals are virtually present in all the fruits, vegetables, pulses/legumes and grains which are commonly consumed, so it is quite easy to incorporate them in our daily diet. Current research studies were carried out for evaluating the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of ripe fruits of ethanol extract of Prunus cerasifera. Antioxidant activities such as DPPH˙ radical, Superoxide (O2.-) radical, ABTS●+ radical cation, phosphomolybdenum reduction and Fe3+ reduction were carried out for ripe fruits of ethanol extract of Prunus cerasifera. The maximum DPPH˙ radical and Superoxide (O2.-) radical scavenging activities were 82.11±0.42% and 46.26±0.28% at 120 µg/mL concentration and the IC50 values were 45.40 µg/mL and 129.70 µg/mL concentrations respectively. The maximum ABTS●+ radical cation scavenging activity was 88.64±0.43% at 30 µg/mL concentration and the IC50 value was 10.09 µg/mL concentration respectively. The maximum Mo6+ reduction and Fe3+ reduction were 86.29±0.29% and 79.82±0.20% at 120 µg/mL concentration and the RC50 values were 20.45 µg/mL and 24.21 µg/mL concentrations respectively. The antibacterial activity of ripe fruits of ethanol extract of Prunus cerasifera showed maximum zone of inhibition of 20 mm for Bacillus subtilis at 500 µg/mL concentration.  Keywords: Antioxidant, Superoxide (O2.-) radical, ABTS●+ radical cation, Fe3+ reduction and phenolic compounds

OPTIMIZATION OF LIPASE PRODUCTION FROM DIFFERENT AGROINDUSTRIAL WASTES BY MARINE ACTINOMYCETES

Objective: To identify the production of extracellular lipase by solid state fermentation (SSF) using coconut cake and groundnut cake using thermophilic strain of marine actinomycetes. Methods: From the isolated strains of marine actinomycetes a comparative study has been evaluated on different intends such as pH, temperature, carbon sources, nitrogen sources and additive sources were optimized for maximum yield. Results: Five different pH was used from 5 to 9 and on the other hand 3 different temperatures were maintained, sucrose, fructose and dextrose were used as carbon sources while urea, peptone and Ammonium nitrate was used as nitrogen sources similarly Tween 20 was used as additive sources. On comparing coconut oil cake and groundnut oil cake for all these different intends, there was maximum extracellular lipase specific activity was obtained in groundnut oil cake

Comparative Study of Antioxidant Activities and GC-MS Analysis of Aqueous and Ethanol Fruit Pulp Extract of (Green Kiwi Fruit) Actinidia deliciosa (A.Chev.) C.F. Liang & A.R. Ferguson

The genus name Actinidia refers the Greek word aktinos (rays), which refers to the styles of the female flower, which radiate from the center and resemble the spokes of a wheel. China is the native origin of Kiwi fruit, therefore, it is national fruit of China. It is indigenous to the mountainous regions of southwestern and central china. It is mainly cultivated in Central Europe (New Zealand, Chile, Turkey, Portugal, Italy, Greece, France and Japan), United States and China. The fruits, stems and roots are used as diuretic, febrifuge and sedative. They are used in the treatment of stones in the urinary tract, rheumatoid arthralgia, cancers of the liver and oesophagus. The study aims to evaluate the antioxidant activities and GC-MS analysis of aqueous and ethanol fruit pulp extracts of Actinidia deliciosa. The antioxidant assays such as DPPH˙ radical, Superoxide (O2.‑) radical, ABTS●+ radical cation scavenging activities, phoshomolybdenum reduction and Fe3+ reduction activities were carried out for aqueous and ethanol fruit pulp extracts. The maximum ABTS●+ radical cation scavenging activity for aqueous extract was 84.79±0.46% and ethanol extract was 79.51±0.45% at 30 µg/mL concentration and the IC50 for aqueous extract and ethanol extract was 10.62 and 15.20 μg/mL concentration respectively. The maximum phosphomolybdenum reduction was 92.09±0.28% for aqueous extract and 82.07±0.16% at 120 µg/mL concentration and the RC50 for aqueous extract and ethanol extract was 13.09 and 20.02 μg/mL concentration respectively. GC-MS analysis of aqueous fruit pulp extract showed different active compounds such as Nonanal, Flavone, Phytol with retention time 16.82, 19.92 and 26.73. Also, the GC-MS analysis of ethanol fruit pulp extract possessed various phytocompounds such as Lithic acid, Oleic acid and Vitamin D with retention time 16.15, 18.9 and 20.28. These compounds exhibit antioxidant, hypocholestrolemic, antimicrobial and anticancer activities. Keywords: Actinidiaceae, DPPH˙ radical, Superoxide (O2.‑) radical, ABTS•+ radical cation, Lithic acid, Oleic acid, Phenols

Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Activities of Fresh Aqueous Pink Petals of Indian Lotus-Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.

The genus Nelumbo is endowed with a number of medicinally important activities antidiabetic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancerous, antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-obesity properties. Furthermore, Nelumbo nucifera flowers are served as healthy beverages to treat hypertension, cancer, diarrhea, fever, weakness, infection and body heat imbalance. It has been widely used in folk medicine for the treatment of various inflammatory and infectious diseases. Current research studies were carried out for evaluating the antioxidant, antidiabetic and antibacterial activities of fresh aqueous pink petals of Nelumbo nucifera. Antioxidant activities such as DPPH˙ radical, Superoxide (O2.-) radical, ABTS●+ radical cation, phosphomolybdenum reduction and Fe3+ reduction were carried out for fresh aqueous pink petals of Nelumbo nucifera. The maximum DPPH˙ radical scavenging activity was 88.33±0.47% at 300 µg/mL concentration and the IC50 value was 131.68 µg/mL concentration. The maximum superoxide (O2.-) radical scavenging activity was 86.76±0.31% at 120 µg/mL concentration and the IC50 value was 21.31 µg/mL concentration. The maximum ABTS●+ radical cation scavenging activity was 69.55±0.26% at 30 µg/mL concentration and the IC50 value was 10.82 µg/mL concentration respectively. The maximum Mo6+ reduction was 84.54±0.21% at 45 µg/mL concentration and the RC50 value of Mo6+ reduction was 25.79 µg/mL concentration. The maximum Fe3+ reduction was 56.00±0.38% at 300 µg/mL concentration and the RC50 value of Fe3+ reduction was 177.30 µg/mL concentration respectively. The maximum alpha amylase enzyme inhibition was 66.37±0.10% at 300 µg/mL concentration and the IC50 value was 63.84 µg/mL concentration respectively. The antibacterial activity of fresh aqueous pink petals of Nelumbo nucifera showed maximum zone of inhibition of 14 mm for B. subtilis and minimum zone of inhibition of 10 mm for E. coli at 375 µg/mL concentration.  Keywords: Antioxidant, Superoxide (O2.-) radical, ABTS●+ radical cation, Fe3+ reduction and alpha-amylase

Antioxidant Activities and GCMS Analysis of Anacardium occidentale L. Fruits

Anacardium occidentale belongs to the family Anacardiaceae is a tropical evergreen tree with spreading branches which are supported by aerial roots that go down into the soil to form the 'props'. The milky latex is applied externally for treating pains in rheumatism and in lumbago. The infusion of the bark is used against dysentery, diarrhoea and diabetes. The study aims to evaluate the antioxidant activities and GC-MS analysis of ethanol and aqueous fruit extracts of Anacardium occidentale. The antioxidant assays such as DPPH˙ radical, Superoxide (O2.‑) radical, ABTS●+ radical cation scavenging activities, phoshomolybdenum reduction and Fe3+ reduction activities were carried out for ethanol and aqueous fruit extracts. The maximum DPPH˙ radical scavenging activity for ethanol extract was 93.33±0.23 at 120 µg/mL concentration and the IC50 was 38.29 μg/mL concentration. The maximum superoxide (O2.‑) radical scavenging activity was 75±0.25 at 120 µg/mL concentration and the IC50 was 38.52 μg/mL concentration for ethanol extract. The maximum ABTS●+ radical cation scavenging activity for ethanol extract was 82.57±0.37 at 30 µg/mL concentration and the IC50 was 11.13 μg/mL concentration. The maximum phosphomolybdenum reduction was 92.94±0.19 at 120 µg/mL concentration and the RC50 was 17.75 μg/mL concentration for ethanol extract. The maximum Fe3+ reduction for ethanol extract was 75.99±0.31 at 120 µg/mL concentration and the RC50 was 40.48 μg/mL concentration. GC-MS analysis showed different ester derivative compounds present in the ethanol fruit extract of Anacardium occidentale exhibiting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial activities. Keywords: Anacardium occidentale, DPPH˙ radical, Superoxide (O2.‑) radical, ABTS●+ radical cation GC-MS analysis

Antioxidant, Antibacterial Activities and GC-MS Analysis of Fresh Rose Petals Aqueous Extract of Rosa damascena Mill L.

A rose (Rosa damascena) is a woody perennial plant of the genus Rosa within the family Rosaceae. The leaves of the plant are alternate to each other on the stem. Best known for its ornamental values, most of the rose plants are deciduous except a few from the South East Asia that are evergreen. The aggregate fruit of the rose is a pot-like structure containing the seeds in it called the rose hip. The sharp objects along the stem of a rose plant are outgrowths of the epidermis called as prickles. The flowers to prepare a drink which acts as an energy stimulant, blood tonic and also works in case of digestive irregularities. The extract of rose plant especially act as an antidepressant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, antiinflammatory, digestive stimulant, kidney tonic and menstrual regulator. The maximum DPPH˙ radical and superoxide (O2˙-) radical scavenging activities of fresh rose petals aqueous extract were 52.84±0.20% and 89.36±0.31% at 120 µg/mL concentration. The IC50 values of DPPH˙ radical and superoxide (O2˙-) radical scavenging activities were 113.55 µg/mL and 40.62 µg/mL concentration respectively. The maximum Mo6+ reduction and Fe3+ reduction of fresh rose petals aqueous extract were 82.52±0.13% and 81.54±0.42% at 120 µg/mL concentration and the RC50 values of Mo6+ reduction and Fe3+ reduction were 46.67 µg/mL 32.25 µg/mL concentration respectively. The fresh aqueous extract of Rosa damascena possessed active molecules such as E,E-6,8-Tridecadien-2-ol, acetate, 8-Carbethoxy-1-methyl-1,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydropyrrolo [2,3-b]azepin-4-one-3-carboxylic acid and 9-Octadecynoic acid, methyl ester exhibiting antioxidant, antimicrobial activities. Keywords: Rosa damascena, Antioxidant, Free radical, DPPH˙, Antibacterial activity, GC-MS

Chemical composition of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seeds and its supplemental effect on Indian women with metabolic syndrome

his study aimed to investigate the effect of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seed supplementation on the anthropometric measurements, biochemical parameters, and blood pressure (BP) of Indian women with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Initially, in vitro antioxidant activities of pumpkin seeds extract were assessed using standard methods. In vitro alpha-amylase, alphaglucosidase, and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibition effects, along with glucose uptake assay using 3T3-L1 cell lines were performed to determine the antidiabetic effects of the seeds extract. Fatty acids and phytoconstituents were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Indian women aged 30–50 years, having MetS were assigned either to intervention (n = 21) or control (n = 21) group on a random basis. Participants in the intervention group received 5 g of pumpkin seeds for 60 days. Participants in both intervention and control were advised to follow certain dietary guidelines throughout the study. Pumpkin seeds extract exhibited not only strong reducing power but also scavenged DPPH and ABTSd+ free radicals with low IC 50 values. Pumpkin seeds inhibited alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase, and DPP-IV enzymes at varying concentrations with IC 50 values of 138, 22, and 246 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, glucose uptake was enhanced by 213% at 300 ng/mL on the 3T3-L1 cell line. GC–MS analysis showed the presence of propyl piperidine, flavone, oleic acid, and methyl esters of fatty acids in the seed extract. On comparing the changes in mean reduction/ increment in the anthropometric measurements as well as biochemical parameters and BP between the groups, significant difference (P = 0.012) was observed only for fasting plasma glucose. Findings of the present study highlight the role of pumpkin seeds as a cost-effective adjunct in treating MetS

Potential of Wild relatives in Sorghum Improvement through Molecular Approaches

Wild relatives of crops play a key role in the development of high performing cultivars. Of the 22 species comprising the highly variable genus, Sorghum, only one, S. bicolor, is commercially cultivated for food, feed, and bioenergy production. Profitable utilization of wild species however, demands an interdisciplinary, multi-pronged approach to increase the probability of achieving the desired genetic improvement. In the past, plant breeders selected breeding material based on morphological characteristics that were readily observable and co-inherited with the desired traits. However, a combination of morphological and molecular analyses on large samples and smaller samples, respectively, would maximize both information and usefulness. Molecular diversity data can potentially bridge conservation and use when employed as a tool for mining germplasm collections for genomic regions associated with adaptive or agronomically-important traits (i.e., genes that have been important in adaptation to local environments or are associated with phenotypes selected by farmers or breeders. For sorghum, which is constrained by over 40 diseases and 150 insect pests, host plant resistance offers an effective, economical and environment friendly method of pest/pathogen control since it does not involve any additional investments by the resource poor farmers..