CAMELLIA SINENSIS (L.) O. KUNTZE AND ITS BENEFICIAL SOIL MICROFLORA

Since time immemorial, humans have been using leaves of tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.) O. Kuntze as medicinal beverage. Till date, one cannot determine the extent to which it can benefit us both medicinally as well as economically. Therefore, looking at the popularity of tea in global market, studying and collecting information on chemical compounds of tea leaves becomes important to develop well informed strategies for expanding and enhancing the utilization of these chemicals in beverage and food industry. In order for tea plant to produce quality products, it need to be healthy and this can be achieved only when the place where it grows provide necessary elements required by the plant at the right time. So, in addition to factors like season, climate and physiochemical properties of soil, it is necessary to give importance to soil microbes as well for they are an important part of biogeochemical cycles of the earth and also possess many abilities like degradation of synthetic chemicals, promoting plant growth, solubilise nutrients, fixes nitrogen, enzyme degradation, control of pests and diseases.Keywords: Camellia sinensis, Physiochemical, Microbes, Biogeochemical

SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITIES AND PHENOLIC CONTENTS OF TEA LEAF EXTRACTS

Objectives: The objective of the study was to estimate the seasonal variations in the antioxidant capacities, total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and tannin content (TC) of tea leaf extracts from two different plantation sites. Methods: Samples were collected from two tea gardens in Tuli and Ungma situated at N 26°39’19.3 E 094°39’22.7 and N 26°17’30.6 E 094°28’29.2, respectively, under the Mokokchung district of Nagaland, India. TPC, TFC, and TC from sample extracts were determined using Folin–Ciocalteu reagent, aluminum chloride colorimetric, and Folin–Ciocalteu assay. Apart from these, antioxidant capacities were analyzed using ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Results: The concentrations of total polyphenol, flavonoid, and tannin varied from 552.029±8.079 to 305.647±1.744 mg gallic acid equivalent/g, 238.770±0.508–148.457±1.653 mg catechin equivalent/g, and 26.453±0.485–20.173±0.173 mg tannic acid equivalent/g, respectively. FRAP and DPPH assay displayed value ranging from 2.564±0.023 to 1.074±0.023 mmol Fe(II) equivalent/g and 3.612±0.053–2.076±0.028 mmol Trolox equivalent/g. Significant seasonal variations in concentrations of these compounds were observed and a positive correlation between antioxidant capacities and phenolics of tea leaf extracts was established. Conclusion: Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) has been regarded as a plant of immense medicinal and therapeutic value since time immemorial. The tea leaf extracts analyzed in this study gave high TPC, TFC, and TC, as well as high antioxidant activity in terms of DPPH and FRAP value. Studying such properties in tea leaves contributes more to our understandings of health benefit potentials in tea leaves and the quality of tea leaves on the basis of seasons and sites where they are planted

GCMS BASED METABOLIC PROFILING OF ESSENTIAL OIL OF CITRUS MACROPTERA MONTRUZ. LEAVES AND PEEL, ASSESSMENT OF IN VITROANTIOXIDANT AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY

Objective: The present investigation was designed for Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) based metabolite profiling of Citrus macroptera Montruz. Leaves and peel oils followed by assessment of in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.Methods: Essential oil was extracted from leaves and peels of Citrus macroptera Montruz. The oil samples were subjected to GCMS analysis using Shimadzu GCMS-QP2010 equiped with an AOC-2oi auto-injector and AOC-2os autosampler units. In vitro antioxidant activities were evaluated using DPPH radical scavenging, reducing power and nitric oxide reducing method. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using protease inhibitory assay, heat induced haemolysis and albumin denaturation assay.Results: Both the peels and leaves of Citrus macroptera Montruz. Yielded good amount of essential oil. 57 compounds each were identified from leaves as well as peel of C. macroptera. 10 common compounds have been detected in both the oil samples. Peels oil showed IC50 at 118.07 µg/ml and that of leaves showed IC50 at 252.93 µg/ml in DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assay. In reducing assay, peel and leaves oil showed IC50 at 122.5 µg/ml and 208.24 µg/ml. In albumin denaturation, the peels showed IC50 at 73.91 µg/ml and that of leaves showed IC50 at 87.48 µg/ml.Conclusion: The oil yield denotes peel as better source of volatile oil than leaves. Essential oil of peel showed more anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity than that of leaves essential oil

Influence of biotic and abiotic elicitors on accumulation of hyoscyamine and scopolamine in root cultures of<i> Datura metel</i> L.<b></b>

317-322 Leaf-derived root cultures of Datura metel L., established on B5 medium containing 1.2 µM IAA, were employed to study the influence of biotic (Aspergillus niger, Alternaria sp., Fusarium monoliforme and yeast extract) and abiotic (salicylic acid, AlCl3, CaCl2, NaCl and Na2SO4) elicitors on the growth and production of hyoscyamine and scopolamine, the medicinally important tropane alkaloids. The hyoscyamine and scopolamine contents in control root cultures were 1.39 mg/g dw and 0.069 mg/g dw, respectively. The highest hyoscyamine (4.35 mg/g dw) and scopolamine (0.28 mg/g dw) accumulation was obtained in cultures treated with 500 μM salicylic acid, followed by treatment with 0.75 g L-1 yeast extract (3.17 mg/g dw hyoscyamine & 0.16 mg/g dw scopolamine) and 250 μM AlCl3 (2.49 mg/g dw hyoscyamine and 0.11 mg/g dw scopolamine). </smarttagtype