Studies on phytochemical and antibacterial activity of methanol, ethanol and acetone extracts of Grewia orientalis leaves

Three solvent extracts (methanol, ethanol and acetone) of Grewia orientalis leaves were screened for potential antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus substilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Bacillus thuringienis. The agar disk diffusion method using filter paper disks was used to study the antibacterial activity of Grewia orientalis leaf extracts against 6 microbial strains. All the three extracts did not exert any inhibitory action on Bacillus thuringienis. The highest antibacterial potentials were observed for the acetone extract, followed by methanol and ethanol extracts. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the plant extracts were ranging from 50 to 250 μg/ml. The preliminary phytochemical screening of extracts was carried out for major phytochemical derivatives in Grewia orientalis

Elucidating the Neuroprotective Role of PPARs in Parkinson’s Disease: A Neoteric and Prospective Target

One of the utmost frequently emerging neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson’s disease (PD) must be comprehended through the forfeit of dopamine (DA)-generating nerve cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SN-PC). The etiology and pathogenesis underlying the emergence of PD is still obscure. However, expanding corroboration encourages the involvement of genetic and environmental factors in the etiology of PD. The destruction of numerous cellular components, namely oxidative stress, ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) dysfunction, autophagy-lysosome system dysfunction, neuroinflammation and programmed cell death, and mitochondrial dysfunction partake in the pathogenesis of PD. Present-day pharmacotherapy can alleviate the manifestations, but no therapy has been demonstrated to cease disease progression. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are ligand-directed transcription factors pertaining to the class of nuclear hormone receptors (NHR), and are implicated in the modulation of mitochondrial operation, inflammation, wound healing, redox equilibrium, and metabolism of blood sugar and lipids. Numerous PPAR agonists have been recognized to safeguard nerve cells from oxidative destruction, inflammation, and programmed cell death in PD and other neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, various investigations suggest that regular administration of PPAR-activating non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (ibuprofen, indomethacin), and leukotriene receptor antagonists (montelukast) were related to the de-escalated evolution of neurodegenerative diseases. The present review elucidates the emerging evidence enlightening the neuroprotective outcomes of PPAR agonists in in vivo and in vitro models experiencing PD. Existing articles up to the present were procured through PubMed, MEDLINE, etc., utilizing specific keywords spotlighted in this review. Furthermore, the authors aim to provide insight into the neuroprotective actions of PPAR agonists by outlining the pharmacological mechanism. As a conclusion, PPAR agonists exhibit neuroprotection through modulating the expression of a group of genes implicated in cellular survival pathways, and may be a propitious target in the therapy of incapacitating neurodegenerative diseases like PD

In Vitro Phytochemical Screening, Cytotoxicity Studies of <i>Curcuma longa</i> Extracts with Isolation and Characterisation of Their Isolated Compounds

The Curcuma longa plant is endowed with multiple traditional and therapeutic utilities and is here explored for its phytochemical constituents and cytotoxic potential. Turmeric rhizomes were extracted from three different solvents and screened for the presence of different phytochemical constituents, observation of which indicated that the polar solvents favoured extraction of greater versatile phytochemical constituents. These extracts were investigated for their cytotoxic potential by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay on three different of cell lines including SCC-29B (oral cancer cell line), DU-145 (prostate cancer cell line) and the Vero cell line (healthy cell line/non-cancerous cell line). This assay was performed by taking three extracts from isolated curcuminoids and a pure bioactive compound bisdemethoxycurcumin (BD). Bisdemethoxycurcumin was isolated from curcuminoids and purified by column and thin-layer chromatography, and its structural characterisation was performed with different spectroscopic techniques such as FTIR, NMR (1H Proton and 13C Carbon-NMR) and LC-MS. Amongst the extracts, the ethanolic extracts exhibited stronger cytotoxic potential against the oral cancer cell line (SCC-29B) with an IC50value of 11.27 μg/mL, and that this was too low of a cytotoxicity against the Vero cell line. Although, curcuminoids have also shown a comparable cytotoxic potential against SCC-29B (IC50 value 16.79 μg/mL), it was not as potent against the ethanolic extract, and it was even found to be cytotoxic against healthy cell lines at a very low dose. While considering the isolated compound, bisdemethoxycurcumin, it also possessed a cytotoxic potential against the prostate cancer cell line (DU-145) (IC50 value of 93.28 μg/mL), but was quite safe for the healthy cell line in comparison to doxorubicin

Applications of Adductomics in Chemically Induced Adverse Outcomes and Major Emphasis on DNA Adductomics: A Pathbreaking Tool in Biomedical Research

Adductomics novel and emerging discipline in the toxicological research emphasizes on adducts formed by reactive chemical agents with biological molecules in living organisms. Development in analytical methods propelled the application and utility of adductomics in interdisciplinary sciences. This review endeavors to add a new dimension where comprehensive insights into diverse applications of adductomics in addressing some of society’s pressing challenges are provided. Also focuses on diverse applications of adductomics include: forecasting risk of chronic diseases triggered by reactive agents and predicting carcinogenesis induced by tobacco smoking; assessing chemical agents’ toxicity and supplementing genotoxicity studies; designing personalized medication and precision treatment in cancer chemotherapy; appraising environmental quality or extent of pollution using biological systems; crafting tools and techniques for diagnosis of diseases and detecting food contaminants; furnishing exposure profile of the individual to electrophiles; and assisting regulatory agencies in risk assessment of reactive chemical agents. Characterizing adducts that are present in extremely low concentrations is an exigent task and more over absence of dedicated database to identify adducts is further exacerbating the problem of adduct diagnosis. In addition, there is scope of improvement in sample preparation methods and data processing software and algorithms for accurate assessment of adducts