Snakebite wounds frequently develop secondary bacterial infections, especially with severe local tissue damage. While antivenom effectively addresses systemic complications, it has limited efficacy against local tissue damage. Traditional healers apply medicinal plant pastes to snakebite wounds, but scientific validation of these remedies remains limited. The present study aimed to scientifically validate the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of traditional anti-ophidic plants from Barpeta district, Assam, India. Aqueous and methanolic extracts of 25 traditional medicinal plants were evaluated for their antibacterial potencies against common bacterial pathogens found in snakebite wounds. Methanolic extracts of Impatiens balsamina flowers (MEIBF) and Phyllanthus urinaria leaves (MEPUL) showed significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with the MIC values of 625 μg/mL and 1250 μg/mL, respectively. Time-kill assay revealed dose-dependent and time-dependent bactericidal effect of the extracts, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the membrane-damaging potential of the extracts on the bacterial pathogen. Both extracts exhibited prominent antioxidant properties in DPPH and FRAP assays. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the extracts using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) followed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) yielded bioactive fractions, viz., MEIBF-P6 and MEPUL-P3, which demonstrated superior anti-staphylococcal properties compared to the crude extracts with the MIC values of 125 μg/mL and 250 μg/mL, respectively. HR-LCMS analysis identified potential bioactive compounds including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, and terpenoids, in the bioactive fractions. Thus, the present study scientifically validates the traditional use of I. balsamina flowers and P. urinaria leaves in treating snakebite wounds, supporting their potential therapeutic applications in managing secondary bacterial infections associated with snakebite envenomation.

This study investigated anti-pancreatic lipase compounds from Clausena cambodiana leaves and their anti-hyperlipidemic effects in a rat model. Through bioassay-guided isolation, two alkaloids with pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity were obtained. Using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, their chemical structures were determined to be mahanine and 8-hydroxymahanimbine, which were corroborated by comparison with published data. These substances showed IC₅₀ values against pancreatic lipase of 25.66 and 48.69 µg/mL, respectively. The ethanol extract contains mahanine at concentrations between 35% and 38% w/w and 8-hydroxymahanimbine at levels between 9% and 11% w/w, according to HPLC examination. The lipid-lowering potential of a standardized C. cambodiana leaf extract (CE), which contains quantifiable levels of both alkaloids, was evaluated in Wistar rats with hyperlipidemia triggered by a high-fat diet (HFD). Daily monitoring was conducted for body weight, along with food and water consumption. Changes in body weight, relative fat weight, lipid profiles, and histological evaluations of kidney and pancreatic tissues were used to assess the effectiveness of the treatment after 28 days. Furthermore, acute toxicity of CE was determined in albino Wistar rats of both sexes. The HFD group showed significant increases in body weight, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL levels. In contrast, CE treatment mitigated these alterations, although it did not affect relative fat weight. CE also improved liver histology and reduced adipocyte size. There were no signs of acute toxicity at a maximum dose (2000 mg/kg). These results imply that CE might have therapeutic value in the treatment of hyperlipidemia.

Artemisia judaica subsp. sahariensis is a medicinal plant with limited information available on the chemical composition and bioactivity of its essential oil. In this study, the essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC–MS, which identified 34 compounds representing 81.56% of the total composition. The dominant constituents were piperitone (43.91%) and eugenol (11.24%). The oil demonstrated strong antioxidant potential with an IC₅₀ value of 40 ± 0.25 µg/mL compared with 2.48 ± 0.09 µg/mL for ascorbic acid. Antibacterial evaluation showed pronounced activity against Staphylococcus aureus, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 7.37 µg/mL for the ATCC strain and 29.49 µg/mL for a pathogenic isolate. In silico docking analysis further revealed that piperitone and eugenol interact favorably with the ClfA protein of S. aureus, with binding affinities comparable to the reference inhibitor allantodapsone, and key hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic interactions were identified. These results indicate that the essential oil of A. judaica subsp. sahariensis is a promising source of bioactive molecules with significant antioxidant and antibacterial properties, supporting further in vitro and in vivo investigations.

This review evaluated the clinical potential of Gum Arabic (GA) as a natural therapeutic agent for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, digestive health, weight management, and other medical applications. Forty clinical trials were extracted from multiple bibliographic databases. Clinical evidence highlights the efficacy of GA in improving metabolic markers, such as body mass index, visceral fat, and systolic blood pressure, in individuals with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. It also reduces inflammation, as indicated by the lower C-reactive protein levels in patients with sickle cell anemia. GA has been shown to improve stool consistency and elevate symptoms of diarrhea, fecal incontinence, and constipation. Further studies have also proven its efficacy in oral diseases, wound management, and stoma care, where its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties are useful. In addition to its well-documented prebiotic effects, more studies are needed regarding its influence on cognitive performance, cholesterol levels, and nutrient absorption. GA has great potential as an alternative dietary fiber and is a functional food ingredient that exhibits therapeutic action. However, further research is needed to standardize dosages, investigate long-term safety across diverse populations, and optimize its application for broader clinical use.

Nasal congestion is caused by inflammation in the inner lining of the nose and occurs more frequently during the common cold. In North-East India, garlic-mustard oil macerate (GMM) is put in the nasal orifice to reduce nasal congestion which may be due to its anti-inflammatory properties. The primary focus of this work was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory properties of optimized GMM on human leukaemia monocytic cell line (THP-1) along with 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of GMM on human embryonic kidney (HEK) and THP-1 cell lines was investigated as well. Furthermore, a molecular docking analysis was performed on well-established pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the context of DPPH scavenging activity, it was observed that the lipophilic component of GMM exhibited significantly greater DPPH scavenging activity as compared to both the hydrophilic component and the control consisting of mustard oil. Molecular docking established that sinigrin, vinyl dithiin, ajoene, and allicin had the lowest binding energy (expressed in kcal/mol) when interacting with most of the target protein receptors, more specifically COX-2, IL-6, IL-8, TNF α, and IL-1β. Administering GMM causes substantial decrease in the expression level of the stated pro-inflammatory cytokines in the THP-1 monocyte cell line stimulated with the LPS.

Juncus decipiens, a member of the Juncaceae family, has long been utilized in Chinese medicine for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial characteristics. However, its significance in skin depigmentation is mostly unknown. This work evaluated the antioxidant and anti-melanogenic properties of Juncus decipiens root and stem extracts, as well as metabolomic profiling using LC-QTOF-MS. A total of 27 metabolites were tentatively identified, primarily flavonoids, phenolics, and lipid derivatives. Multivariate analysis and VIP scoring found seven main compounds that are most likely to be responsible for the reported bioactivities. Enrichment and pathway analysis indicated different metabolite distributions in root and stem tissues. These data suggest that Juncus decipiens is a good candidate for treating skin hyperpigmentation using natural products.

Worldwide, lung cancer stands as the primary cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most prevalent form of lung cancer. Chemotherapy regimens based on cisplatin (DDP) have been the treatment of choice for NSCLC. In order to enhance NSCLC treatment, it is necessary to decrease the toxicity of DDP. Here we demonstrated that berberine (BBR) synergistically increased cisplatin-mediated NSCLC H1299 cell death, while exhibiting much lower toxicity towards normal human cells. Addition of BBR significantly enhanced the phosphatidylserine externalization, mitochondrial membrane depolarization and caspase-3 activity of DDP in H1299 cells. The phosphorylation of p38 MAPK was significantly increased in the group that received both BBR and DDP, in comparison to the group that received BBR and DDP alone. Further analysis demonstrates that modulation of p38 MAPK signaling pathway increases the sensitizing effect of BBR on the cytotoxicity of DDP in H1299 cells. Collectively, these findings suggest that berberine enhances cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in NSCLC H1299 cells through the modulation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

Dillapiole is a highly active phenylpropanoid which exhibits remarkable antifungal, insecticidal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. This study aimed at determining in vitro antifungal activities of pure dillapiole against 20 fungi of economic interest, namely, Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, A. nomiae, A. aculeatus, Penicillium digitatum, P. expansum, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Agroathelia rolfsii, S. minor, Fusarium graminearum, Myrothecium verrucaria, Corynespora cassiicola, Colletotrichum musae, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Bipolaris oryzae, Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria carthami, Rhizoctonia solani, Rhizopus stolonifer and Macrophomina faseolina. Antifungal activities were evaluated by the disk diffusion method (DDM); doses of dillapiole ranged between 0.05 µg/mL and 0.4 µg/mL. The concentration of 0.3 µg/mL inhibited mycelial growth of 15 fungal strains completely while the concentration of 0.4 µg/mL inhibited 100% of growth of all strains under investigation. In addition, in silico and in vivo herbicidal activities of dillapiole were assessed against Arabidopsis thaliana by targeting 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) and by post-emergence assays, respectively. Mortality rates of dillapiole in A. thaliana (ecotype Col-0) in greenhouse conditions were 80.2 % and 29.1 % after 24 h and 48 h, respectively. These new in vitro and in silico findings reinforce the antifungal potential and suggest the good phytotoxic activity of dillapiole

This study aimed to identify the allelopathic constituents of Cuscuta chinensis and evaluate their effects on weed germination and growth. Extracts were prepared from stems and seeds using petroleum ether, n-butanol, ethyl acetate, ethanol, methanol, and aqueous solvents. Among these, the n-butanol and ethyl acetate extracts exhibited the most potent inhibitory effects, significantly reducing germination rates of chicory from 95.6±1.9 % to 0% ± 0.0 and 4.4% ± 7.7, and alfalfa from 71.1±15.8 % to 6.7% ± 0.0. The ethanol extract also showed notable inhibition, reducing ryegrass germination from 96.7±3.3 % to 11.1% ± 3.9 at 4 mg/mL. Root and shoot lengths were similarly decreased across all extracts, with the n-butanol and ethyl acetate extracts leading to reductions of up to 80%. HPLC analysis detected caffeic acid, hydrocinnamic acid, cinnamic acid, p-coumaric acid, kaempferol, and quercetin as the key allelochemicals, particularly effective at higher concentrations. These findings suggest that C. chinensis possesses strong allelopathic potential, which could be further explored for natural weed management strategies.

The compound “punarnavine”, originally classified as an alkaloid isolated from Boerhavia diffusa, has been widely cited for its pharmacological properties. However, from 1935 to 2020, several studies incorrectly identified punarnavine as structurally similar to lunamarine, a quinolone alkaloid, and its molecular formula was not consistent with its reported structure. Thus, there is a need to thoroughly reconsider the molecular formula and structure of ‘punarnavine’ to address the uncertainties surrounding its structure, and to precisely convey its structural perspectives. Our reinvestigation reveals that punarnavine is not a single, well-defined alkaloid, but a mixture of non-alkaloidal compounds. To resolve these discrepancies, we conducted an in-depth analysis using preparative HPLC to isolate the compound from Boerhavia diffusa roots, followed by characterization with UV, IR, MS, and NMR spectroscopy. Our results identified methyl ferulate (MF) as the major bioactive constituent in the BA-4 fraction. Additionally, both MF and the BA-4 fraction significantly inhibited nitric oxide (NO) release in RAW264.7 cells, demonstrating their potential as bioactive compounds. This study corrects the misidentification of punarnavine and underscores the importance of accurate chemical authentication in natural product research.