Impact of Dysphania ambrosioides L. extract on the selected quality characteristics of orange-acerola sorbets

ABSTRACT: The present research work was undertaken to find out the phytotoxic effects of different concentrations of aqueous extracts of leaves, stems and root of milkweed (Calotropis procera) in the Agronomic Research Area of Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan during 2013-14 and 2014-15. The treatments consisted of different concentrations of aqueous leaf, stem and root extracts (10, 20, 30 and 40%) of milkweed, which were compared with tap water (control). The results showed that the reduction of all studied parameters, including weeds, growth and yield of wheat was proportional to the concentration of aqueous extracts of milkweed in use. The level of inhibition was concentration-dependent as inhibition increased with an increase in the concentration of aqueous extracts of all three plant parts of milkweed. Therefore, application of maximum concentration (40%) of aqueous leaf, stem and root extracts correspondingly reduced all the studied parameters. On the basis of the findings, it is concluded that the Calotropis procera should be removed near the cultivating wheat fields because it contains some phytotoxic substances, which may be leached out by the roots and cause serious losses to the growers and crop species.

A Petri dish assay was carried out for screening different concentrations of aqueous extracts of fresh and dry leaves of Eucalyptus citriodora on germination and seedling growth of wild oat weed (Avena fatua). Seed germination, root and shoot length of wild oat exhibited different degrees of inhibition according to the concentration of the aqueous extract. Maximum inhibitions of germination percentage, root and shoot length were recorded when using 25% fresh leaf extract. Based on this preliminary work (Petri dish assay), studies were conducted under greenhouse conditions at the National Research Center, Egypt, in the two winter seasons of 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 to evaluate the effects of foliar and soil treatments of aqueous extracts of Eucalyptus citriodora fresh and dry leaves on wild oat weed as well as on the growth and flowering of amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybridum), compared with the recommended dose of the herbicide tralkoxydim. Amaryllis fresh and dry weights as well as flowering increased significantly when treated with the previous extracts, especially the fresh leaf extract. However, the fresh and dry weights of wild oat were significantly reduced by the aqueous extracts, either fresh or dry, indicating phytotoxic effects. Tralkoxydim caused complete inhibition of wild oat as compared with the control. The studies involved estimation of the endogenous contents of total phenols in weed. With all the treatments, the inhibitory effects on weeds were correlated with accumulation of the internal contents of total phenols, compared to their respective controls. The amount of phenols correlated well with the weed's growth performance. This study establishes the effect of the aqueous extracts on the weed wild oat, associated with amaryllis, which may serve as a tool in establishing their herbicidal potential.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an extract of Thymus vulgaris (thyme) on the growth of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and the adhesion of this bacterium to human buccal epithelial cells. Different concentrations of an aqueous extract of thyme were prepared and the effects investigated on growth of S. mutans. Furthermore, the effect of these extracts on adhesion of S. mutans to buccal epithelial cells was also investigated and compared with the effects of chlorhexidine digluconate. The data revealed that exposure of S. mutans to thyme extract showed a time and concentration-dependent decrease in bacterial viability. The greatest effect was observed when S. mutans had been exposed to 20% thyme extract for a period of 48 h which resulted in 96% inhibition of bacterial growth. Furthermore, the adhesion of S. mutans to buccal epithelial cells was also reduced when either buccal epithelial cells or S. mutans had been pre-incubated with different concentrations of aqueous thyme extracts (83-98% and 75-89% inhibition respectively). There was also greater reduction in the adherence of bacterial cells to buccal epithelial cells after mouth rinsing with 20% aqueous thyme extract compared to rinsing with chlorhexidine digluconate (45% and 89% inhibition of bacterial adhesion respectively). The diminished adherence of S. mutans to buccal epithelial cells after exposure to various concentrations of aqueous thyme extract as well as the antimicrobial properties of this plant may have clinical relevance.

미더덕껍질(Styela clava tunic, SCT)은 항염증 복합체, 창상필름, 골재생 유도 등을 포함한 다양한 의학적인 치료영역에 이용 되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 미더덕껍질 열수추출물(aqueous extract of Styela clava tunic, AE-SCT)의 <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX>에 의해 유발된 세포사멸의 보호 효과를 알아보기 위하여 세포 활성도의 변화에 관련된 요인을 측정하였다. 그 결과, AE-SCT는 3.3 mg/g의 플라보노이드와 32.3 mg/g의 페놀화합물을 포함하고 있었으며, HepG2 세포주에 독성을 유발하지 않았다. 또한, <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX> 처리 후 AE-SCT를 처리하는 실험에서 AE-SCT는 <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX>에 의해 유발된 세포사멸을 개선하는 효과를 나타내지 않았다. 그러나, <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX> 처리전에 AE-SCT를 사전 처리하는 예방효과 실험에서, 세포생존율은 <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX>만 처리한 그룹에 비하여 AE-SCT를 처리한 그룹에서 유의적으로 증가하였으며, 특히 AE-SCT를 <TEX>$50{\mu}g/ml$</TEX> 처리한 농도에서 가장 높았다. 또한, FACS분석과 DAPI 염색에서도 사멸 세포의 수는 <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX>만 처리한 그룹에 비하여 AE-SCT를 처리한 그룹에서 유의적으로 감소하였다. 더불어, <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX>의 처리에 의해 유도된 Bax/Bcl-2 발현비율은 AE-SCT처리에 의해 농도의존적으로 감소되었다. 이러한 연구 결과는 AE-SCT가 <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX>에 의해 유발된 세포사멸을 예방하는 우수한 효과를 가지고 있음을 제시하고 있어 향후 다양한 항산화 제품 개발을 위한 기초자료로 사용될 수 있을 것으로 사료된다. Styela Clava tunic (SCT) has found some applications in many areas of medical treatment including as an anti-inflammatory compound, a wound healing film, in guided bone regeneration, and as a food additive. The protective effect of SCT aqueous extract (AE-SCT) on cell death induced by <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX> treatment was investigated by measuring the changes in cell viability in HepG2 cells after AE-SCT treatment. High concentrations of antioxidant compounds including flavonoids (3.3 mg/g) and phenolics (32.3 mg/g) were detected in AE-SCT but no significant cytotoxicity was observed in HepG2 cells treated with AE-SCT. The viability of HepG2 cells was also not changed by treatment with different concentrations of AE-SCT after <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX> treatment. However, cell viability was significantly increased in cells treated with three different concentrations of AE-SCT before <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX> treatment. The greatest increase in cell viability was observed in the group treated with <TEX>$50{\mu}g/ml$</TEX> AE-SCT, when compared with vehicle-treated group. FACS and DAPI staining analysis indicated that the decrease in number of dead cells was dependent on the concentration of AE-SCT. Alterations in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio after <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX> treatment were significantly restored by treatment with different concentrations of AE-SCT. These results indicate that AE-SCT, which contains high levels of antioxidants, may protect cells against death induced by <TEX>$H_2O_2$</TEX> treatment.

In vitro efficacy of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Paecilomyces lilacinus and Trichoderma longibrachiatum was assessed in the egg hatching inhibition (EHI) and larval development inhibition (LDI) of Haemonchus contortus. For the EHI assessment, after 48 h of incubation with different concentrations of aqueous and ethanolic extracts, it was quantified blastomeres, embryonated eggs, and larvae of first stage. For the LDI assessment, a quantitative coculture adapted method was used. After seven days of feces incubation with different concentrations of aqueous extract of fungi, the infective larvae were collected and quantified, obtaining the number of developed larvae per feces gram. The aqueous extract of P. lilacinus at 1.96 mg mL-1and the ethanolic extract of T. longibrachiatum at 1.90 mg mL-1 completely inhibited the egg hatching. In the LDI, the aqueous extract of T. longibrachiatum at 1.90 mg mL-1 showed efficacy of 92.88%. These fungi extracts showed potential to inhibition of the H. contortus cycle.&nbsp; Key words: Paecilomyces lilacinus, Trichoderma longibrachiatum, alternative control, sheep breeding, gastrointestinal nematodes.

. Rice and wheat are the traditional food for Chinese people, as well as the main crop candidates for space bioregenerative life support systems. Recycling of inedible parts of rice and wheat is an important issue concerning the system. In order to determine whether the mixed-substrate of rice and wheat’s inedible parts is suitable for plant cultivation, soil-like substrate made from rice and wheat was tested in an aqueous extract germination experiment. The effects of different concentrations of aqueous extract on seed vigor, seedling growth and development situations and the physiological and biochemical characteristics of wheat, lettuce and pumpkin were studied, and the presence and degrees of allelopathic effects were analyzed. The test results show that this type of soil-like substrate can exert different degrees of allelopathic effect on wheat and lettuce; this allelopathic effect is related to the concentration of soil-like substrate aqueous extract. With the increase of extract concentration, the seed germination, root length and shoot fresh weight of wheat decreased; and every concentration of aqueous extract showed significant inhibition on the root length and root fresh weight of lettuce. However, this type of soil-like substrate showed few effect on the growth of pumpkin seedlings. Content changes of chlorophyll and endogenous hormones in wheat and lettuce seedlings, and the chemical compositions of soil-like substrate were measured. Besides, the mechanism of allelopathic effect was analyzed.

In the current research, we produced green, cost-effective, eco-friendly silver nanoparticles using a single-step approach. Plants are considered highly desirable systems for nanoparticle synthesis because they possess a variety of secondary metabolites with significant reduction potential. In the current research, the dried leaf extract of Rubus fruticosus was utilized as a capping and reducing agent for the fabrication of silver nanoparticles, to prepare reliable biogenic silver nanoparticles and subsequently to investigate their potential against some common phytopathogens. The prepared silver nanoparticles were exploited to quantify the total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic content (TPC) and DPPH-based antioxidant activity. Different concentrations of aqueous extracts of plant leaves and silver nitrate (AgNO3) were reacted, and the color change of the reactant mixture confirmed the formation of Rubus fruticosus leaf-mediated silver nanoparticles (RFL-AgNPs). A series of characterization techniques such as UV-vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and X-ray diffraction revealed the successful synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The surface plasmon resonance peak appeared at 449 nm. XRD analysis demonstrated the crystalline nature, EDX confirmed the purity, and TEM demonstrated that the nanoparticles are mostly spherical in form. Furthermore, the biosynthesized nanoparticles were screened for in vitro antibacterial activity, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic and flavonoid content. The nanoparticles were used in different concentrations alone and in combination with plant extracts to inhibit Erwinia caratovora and Ralstonia solanacearum. In high-throughput assays used to inhibit these plant pathogens, the nanoparticles were highly toxic against bacterial pathogens. This study can be exploited for planta assays against phytopathogens utilizing the same formulations for nanoparticle synthesis and to develop potent antibacterial agents to combat plant diseases.

Clotting of blood is the vital processes and a perplexing interaction of various mechanisms of circulatory system due of failure of which is sometimes considered as a concern within the circulatory system causing acute myocardial or cerebral infarction which might cause demise. Sida acuta burm. f (Malvaceae) is abundantly growing small perennial shrub utilized by natives for diuretic, anthelmintic, calmative and wound healing properties, and are utilized in treating disorders like blood, bile, liver, nervous, urinary diseases and rheumatism. The present study was intended to evaluate the blood clot dissolving potential of Sida acuta leaf aqueous extract in vitro. The plant material as leaves were locally collected and subjected to phytochemical extraction with distilled water. The preliminary phytochemical tests total phenolic content was estimated by Folin-Ciocalteu’s method. In vitro thrombolytic activity of 3 different concentrations of aqueous extract was estimated on goat blood clot compared to the activity of streptokinase. The aqueous extract of S. acuta leaves are reported to be rich in alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids and glycosides while the total phenolic content was estimated to be 17.48 % in extract which are mostly responsible for any pharmacological activity. Compared to the thrombolytic activity of standard streptokinase which was 73 %, the aqueous leaf extract of S. acuta displayed considerable blood clot dissolving activity at concentration 10 mg/100µl, 5.0 mg/100µl, and 2.5 mg/100µl as 41 %, 34 % and 12 % respectively. This property of plant extract is promising which could be could be exploited in development of new biopharmaceutical and therapeutic agents after stringent further physiological compatibility and in vivo pharmacological studies.&#x0D; Keywords: Sida acuta, phytochemical extract, thrombolytic activity, streptokinase

In this work were determining the total phenolic content, total flavonoids and antioxidant capacity in formulations of red fruit juice supplemented with different concentrations of aqueous extract of Brazilian green propolis. And, also was investigate the formulation sensory acceptance by volunteers’ consumers. The addition of propolis to red fruit juice increased the content of total phenolic compounds and flavonoids, enhanced the antioxidant activity of the final product as assessed by radical scavenging DPPH and ABTS and FRAP methods, and no negative effect on consumer taste. All red fruit juice formulations containing propolis presented significant results through overall acceptability test and were approved in relation to purchase intent by the volunteer consumers. Formulation F3 (6.1 mg.mL-1) showed the best results. The antioxidant activity increment was proportional to the concentration of aqueous green propolis extracts added to the juice. The positive purchase intention reached up 64.75% of participants' acceptance. A new, sugar-free drink with pleasurable sensory and functional properties, combined with health benefits, has been obtained.

The hawthorn Crataegus mexicana is a traditional Mexican fruit with properties that make this fruit useful for the treatment of many ailments, including diseases of the respiratory and urinary tract. This paper reports the antioxidant capacity of the n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, acetone, ethanol and methanol extracts of C. mexicana. Samples were evaluated for total phenolic and carotenoid contents, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, the inhibition of the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) and the neutralization of the cation-radical 2,2´-azino-bis(3ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS). The total phenolic content was 2.65 ± 0.23 mg of gallic acid equivalents per gram, and the carotenoid content was 26.4 ± 0.02 µg/g in dry hawthorn skin. The most active extract in scavenging DPPH radicals and inhibiting TBARS formation was the acetone extract, with activities of 21.9 ± 0.15 and 13.27 ± 0.70%, respectively, at 10 mg/L. The extracts were compared for activity against ascorbic acid, caffeic acid, α- tocopherol and quercetin. The acetone extract was the most active, with an IC50 value of 15.2 mg/L in DPPH and 17.7 mg/L in TBARS. A high correlation was observed between the results for TBARS and DPPH. These results demonstrate the potential nutritional and antioxidant value of this Mexican fruit.

Macroalgae can directly restrict the growth of various phytoplankton species by releasing allelopathic compounds; therefore, considerable attention should be paid to the allelopathic potential of these organisms against harmful and bloom-forming cyanobacteria. The main aim of this study was to demonstrate for the first time the allelopathic activity of Ulva intestinalis on the growth, the fluorescence parameters: the maximum PSII quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm) and the effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII), the chlorophyll a (Chl a) and carotenoid (Car) content, and the microcystin-LR (MC-LR) and phenol content of three bloom-forming cyanobacteria, Aphanizomenon sp., Nodularia spumigena, and Nostoc sp. We found both negative and positive allelopathic effects of U. intestinalis on tested cyanobacteria. The study clearly showed that the addition of the filtrate of U. intestinalis significantly inhibited growth, decreased pigment content and Fv/Fm and ΦPSII values of N. spumigena and Nostoc sp., and stimulated Aphanizomenon sp. The addition of different concentrations of aqueous extract also stimulated the cyanobacterial growth. It was also shown that the addition of extract obtained from U. intestinalis caused a significant decrease in the MC-LR content in Nostoc sp. cells. Moreover, it the phenol content in N. spumigena cells was increased. On the other hand, the cell-specific phenol content for Aphanizomenon sp. decreased due to the addition of the filtrate. In this work, we demonstrated that the allelopathic effect of U. intestinalis depends on the target species’ identity as well as the type of allelopathic method used. The study of the allelopathic Baltic macroalgae may help to identify their possible role as a significant biological factor influencing harmful cyanobacterial blooms in brackish ecosystems.

Effects of foliage extracts of goat weed, Ageratum conyzoides (Family: Asteraceae) on feeding, oviposition and egg hatchability of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella were assessed under standard laboratory conditions. Bioassays using aqueous, methanol and hexane crude extracts were conducted in no-choice and choice conditions. The larval feeding on 0.5% hexane extract treated leaf surface reduced to more than half relative to control in the choice condition; however, complete inhibition of feeding was recorded at 2% and higher concentration of extract. In no-choice bioassays, the larval feeding consistently decreased with increasing concentration of the hexane extract. Larval feeding on methanol extract treated leaves was also significantly reduced, although in the concentration dependent manner in both choice and no-choice bioassays. Likewise, the aqueous extract also reduced larval feeding at 3%, 4% and 5% concentrations of extracts in both no-choice and choice bioassays. The Antifeedant Index (AFI) for hexane extract was 100 at 2% concentration, while AFI values were 78.4 and 41.5 for 5% concentration of methanol and aqueous extracts, respectively. The egg laying on the leaf surface treated with hexane and methanol extracts was significantly reduced in the concentration dependent manner, as compared to the control in both choice and no-choice bioassays. However, the aqueous extract did not affect egg laying. The egg hatchability was completely inhibited at higher concentrations of the hexane extract, but not at any concentration of the methanol and aqueous extracts. The oviposition Deterrent Index values for the hexane and methanol extracts were statistically similar, however. These results indicate that the crude hexane and methanol extracts of A. conyzoides foliage could potentially be used for the management of diamondback moth.

Bidens pilosa L. é uma espécie invasora que possui um elevado grau de agressividade em meio as plantas cultivadas, sendo hospedeira de pragas e doenças. A indústria de cosmético a emprega para estimular a renovação celular e o clareamento de manchas por possuir ação anti envelhecimento e pró-colágeno. A jurema preta, espécie presente na Caatinga, é bastante utilizada por seus efeitos terapêuticos, porém é capaz de causar alelopatia em outras espécies. O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar o efeito alelopático de diferentes concentrações de extrato aquoso de folíolos frescos de jurema preta sobre o desempenho germinativo de sementes de picão preto. Foi adotado o delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos – concentrações do extrato aquoso (testemunha – água destilada; 25; 50; 75; e 100%) e quatro repetições de 25 sementes. Foram avaliados os seguintes parâmetros de germinação: porcentagem; tempo médio; índice e coeficiente de velocidade. Constatou-se a influência positiva das diferentes concentrações, principalmente a de 75%, do extrato aquoso dos folíolos de jurema preta sobre as sementes de picão preto, sendo que estas germinaram mais rápido e em maior porcentagem em relação ao uso exclusivo de água destilada. Para o uso alternativo de herbicidas no controle de B. pilosa L. o extrato de M. tenuiflora não é indicado, mas visando atender as indústrias farmacêutica e cosmecêutica por plantas de B. pilosa L., o extrato pode ser utilizado por favorecer a germinação e consequentemente a formação de mudas.

ABSTRACTIn this study, different concentrations of aqueous extracts (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% w/v) from roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) calyces were incorporated in formulations of soft-serve ice cream as functional additives. The roselle-flavored ice cream was evaluated for physico-chemical properties (color, viscosity, pH, total solids, total titratable acidity, meltdown rate, overrun) and descriptive sensory properties. High concentration of roselle extracts had an effect on the colour of ice cream as shown by an increase (0–1.50) in redness (+a*-values) whilst the lightness (L*-values) of the ice cream decreased (80.30–64.20). As the concentration of roselle extracts increased in the formulation, the meltdown rate of the ice cream also increased from 0.74 to 2.33 g/min whilst a gradual decrease in viscosity (238.3 to 242.3 cP) was observed compared to the control (246 cP). The overrun progressively increased (14.01–33.49%) as the concentration of roselle extracts increased. The pH and total soluble solids significantly decreased (6.8–6.3 and 35.5–25.6°Brix, respectively) at higher concentrations of roselle extracts whilst total titratable acidity increased (0.16–1.5 g of malic acid per 100 g). The results of this study suggest that the ice cream sample with 5% roselle extract has a potential as a functional ice cream since it exhibited high overrun, low meltdown, desirable viscosity, high total solids and light color intensity. This ice cream was described by sensory panel as cream white, sweet and milky with vanilla flavor. The ice cream could be acceptable as consumers are familiar with its descriptive sensory properties.

An experiment was conducted to observe the inhibitory effects of the leaf extracts derived from Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth. on germination and growth behavior of some popular agricultural crops (receptor) of Bangladesh. Experiments were set on sterilized petridishes with a photoperiod of 24 h at room temperature of 27-30℃. The effects of the different concentrations of aqueous extracts were compared to distil water (control.). The aqueous extracts of leaf caused significant inhibitory effect on germination, root and shoot elongation and development of lateral roots of receptor plants. Bioassays indicated that the inhibitory effect was proportional to the concentrations of the extracts and higher concentration (50%-l00%) had the stronger inhibitory effect whereas the lower concentration (l0%-25%) showed stimulatory effect in some cases. The study also revealed that, inhibitory effect was much pronounced in root and lateral root development rather than germination and shoot growth.