Activity Of Various Parts Research Articles

Antimicrobial Activity of Different Parts of <i>Prosopis cineraria</i>

Objective: The Antimicrobial activity is the potential to inhibit the growth of microbes such as bacteria and fungi. The present study was carried out to investigate the antimicrobial activity present in the leaves, stem and pods of <i>Prosopis cineraria</i>. Methods: The Agar well diffusion method was used to test the antimicrobial activity of various parts of <i>Prosopis cineraria</i>. Four fungal and four bacterial strains were used as test microbes. Results: The study was revealed that all the three parts of the plant <i>Prosopis cineraria</i> showed the inhibitory zone against the microorganisms. The highest zone of inhibition was showed by P. cineraria pods against <i>P. funiculosum</i> (16±0.92 mm) and by P. cineraria leaves against <i>S. griseus</i> (20±1.10mm). Conclusion: The antimicrobial activity found in the various parts of the plant may be due to the presence of secondary metabolites isolated from the plant such as flavonoids and steroids.

Evaluation of Proteolytic Activity of Some Euphorbian Garden Plants

Evaluation of Proteolytic Activity of Some Euphorbian Garden Plants

Assessment of the hunting of mammals using local ecological knowledge: an example from the Brazilian semiarid region

The hunting of wild animals remains a common activity in various parts of the world, especially in rural communities with poor socioeconomic conditions. To investigate patterns of mammal hunting, this study adopted a rural community located in semiarid Brazil as a model to test whether variables such as perceived abundance, activity period (day or night) and animal biomass could influence the consumption potential of mammal taxa. For this study, a checklist/interview technique using 32 photographs of mammals recorded in the region and two photographs of species that did not occur in the region, which acted as “control” species, was used, in addition to other visual stimuli and free lists. All species presented in the photographs, with the exception of the “control” species, were recognized as occurring in the region. Fourteen species were cited as being those most hunted locally. The species cited as most hunted had an average perceived abundance higher than the group of the least-hunted species. However, there was no significant relationship between hunting of a species and its locally perceived abundance. No significant difference in hunting pressure between diurnal and nocturnal species was found, nor was a relationship between animal biomass and hunting pressure observed. Our findings suggest that perceived abundance is an important factor for choosing a resource fauna, but other factors such as intended use, meat flavor and vulnerability to hunting, among others, may influence the potential use of a species.

57. Intrathecal Administration of AAV/GALC Vectors in Juvenile Twitcher Mice Improves Survival and Is Enhanced by Bone Marrow Transplant

Globoid cell Leukodystrophy (GLD) or Krabbe disease is a rapidly progressing, neurodegenerative disease caused by the deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme Galactocerebrosidase (GALC). The pathological characteristics include presence of globoid cells and decreased myelin. In its severe infantile form, the symptoms appear within the first 6 months of life and complete loss of GALC function is fatal by 2-3 years old. The murine model of infantile GLD, the twitcher mouse, has been used to evaluate potential therapeutic approaches for GLD. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) provides modest benefit in presymptomatic patients and mice indicating a slowdown in the progression of the disease, but no complete cure. Neonatal gene transfer experiments using viral vectors also has shown some limited success in extending the survival of the twitcher mice. The translatability of neonatal therapy in mice to human has met with difficulties as the stage of the disease in human and mice differ due to the difference in their gestation periods. So there is a need for testing out later stage interventions for GLD treatment. In the present study, we compare multiple vector designs along with a combination treatment of AAV plus bone marrow transplant (BMT) in juvenile twitcher mice. Initially, three single stranded (ss) AAV serotypes, two natural and one engineered (with oligodendrocyte tropism), were packaged with a codon-optimized murine GALC gene driven by the beta actin promoter. The vectors were delivered via a lumbar intrathecal route for global CNS distribution on post-natal day (PND) 10-11, at a dose of 2×1011 vg per mouse. The results show a significant extension of life span of the twitcher mice for all three serotypes (AAV9, AAVrh10, and AAV-Olig001) when compared to control cohorts. The treatment produced similar survival benefit regardless of which capsid was used. The rAAV gene transfer facilitates GALC biodistribution and detectable enzymatic activity throughout the CNS as well as in sciatic nerve and liver. When combined with BMT from syngeneic wild type mice, there was significant improvement in survival and enzymatic activity over either treatment alone. Immunohistochemical analysis of the brain and spinal cord showed reduced inflammation and pathology. Additionally, we have also tested a novel self-complementary (sc) AAV vector with a minimal synthetic promoter, which would mediate a weaker overall level of GALC expression but express in more cells. Preliminary results indicate that this vector design provides a survival advantage over the ssAAV vector designs. In summary, we demonstrate that lumbar intrathecal delivery of rAAV/mGALCopt can significantly enhance the life span of twitcher mice treated at juvenile stage (PND10-11) and BMT synergizes with this treatment to further improve the survival. This effect is mediated by increased GALC activity in various parts of the nervous system as well as by the reduction in neuro-inflammation. Together, these studies detail a therapeutic approach for GLD in mice which is feasible and relevant for human translation.

Essential Oil Compositions and Antimicrobial Activities of Various Parts of Litsea cubeba from Taiwan

The essential oils of leaves, fruits, flowers, stems and twigs of Litsea cubeba were extracted by hydrodistillation. A total of 53, 50, 76, 94 and 90 compounds were identified from the leaf, fruit, flower, stem and twig oils, respectively, and their yields were 13.9 ± 0.09, 4.0 ± 0.03, 10.4 ± 0.05, 0.09 ± 0.01 and 0.4 ± 0.02 mL/100 g of the oven-dried (o.d.) materials, respectively. The main component in the leaf, flower and twig oils was 1,8-cineole, whereas in the fruit oil it was citral, and in the stem oil limonene, citronellal, and citronellol. When tested for their antibacterial activities using the paper disc diffusion method, oils from all parts showed excellent activities, particularly the fruit oil. When the oils were infused onto filter paper and tested for their antimicrobial paper capability according to the JIS L 1902 method, the fruit oil exhibited excellent antimicrobial activities. Citral was deemed the main cause of the antimicrobial activity. With the multiplicity of contagious diseases and their prevalence in hospitals, these essential oils present a potentially good choice as antibacterial agents. We think that the essential oils of this species are capable of multipurpose applications.

On the sentience of fish

Key’s (2016) target article, “Why fish do not feel pain,” is based on a moralistic fallacy where conclusions about natural conditions are drawn not from research and experiments, but from subjective moral views on how things should be. Moreover, the neurobiological findings purporting to show that fish do not feel pain are insufficient for drawing this conclusion. Pentti O. A. Haikonen pentti.haikonen@pp.inet.fi is Adjunct Professor at University of Illinois at Springfield. He is the author of Consciousness and Robot Sentience: Singapore: World Scientific (2012); Robot Brains; circuits and systems for conscious machines: UK: Wiley (2007); and The Cognitive Approach to Conscious Machines: UK: Imprint Academic (2003). https://www.youtube.com/user/PenHaiko The moralistic fallacy is a faulty form of reasoning where conclusions about natural conditions are drawn not from research and experiment, but from subjective moral views on how things ought to be. A well-known example is the denial of the heliocentric model. “The earth cannot orbit the sun, because this would undermine religion and morals.” It should be clear that in this day and age there is no place for this kind of reasoning in scientific research even when the moral conclusions are valid. Unfortunately, Key’s (2016) target article, “Why fish do not feel pain,” is based on precisely such reasoning, beginning with a description of the problems that might arise for the fishing industry and the economy in general were it to be shown that fish can feel pain. Key then notes that it would accordingly be very important to show that this is not the case, and then goes on to review some selected neurobiological findings and interprets them as showing that fish do not have the necessary brain structures for feeling pain. Even if we set the fallacy aside, does Key’s line of argument demonstrate that fish cannot feel pain? I am not convinced. He notes that pain is generated by neural processing in the brain and identifies the brain regions that according to him are necessary to feel pain. This list of painrelated brain regions is based on experiments showing neural activity in certain brain regions have been found to be correlated with pain. These areas include prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, somatosensory areas SI and SII and the insular cortex. These (and possibly other) brain areas are active during pain, but not selectively so, as they are also active at other times. Key also cites reports where high-frequency EEG gamma oscillations in discrete cortical Animal Sentience 2016.014: Commentary on Key on Fish Pain 2 regions are associated with feeling pain and interpreted as possibly encoding pain. From these data he concludes that since the cortex is both necessary and sufficient for the feeling of pain in humans, it is reasonable to infer that fish do not feel pain because their brains lack many of the neuroanatomical features he views as necessary for pain. This reasoning has serious shortcomings. Key makes the implicit assumption that the neural processes that generate pain require rather large resources and brain areas. Obviously pain is in the brain and obviously pain-related activity in various parts (if not all) of the brain including the cortex can be detected by various methods. But these findings do not show that the activity detected during pain is actually generating the feeling of pain. These regions are also active during pain-free conditions; it is hence possible that these various regions just produce cognitive processing (Haikonen 2003, 2012) and other responses to pain whereas the actual feeling of pain is generated elsewhere and by other means. The neural mechanism that actually generates the feeling of pain is not yet known; thus, we do not know whether it is a simple one that can fit into the diminutive fish brain or a complex one calling for large cortical resources. The fact that we do not currently understand pain does not imply that it requires great neural complexity. The conclusion that the brain regions identified by Key are necessary for feeling pain is hence premature. The comparison of the fish brain and the human brain fails, as does Key’s ultimate conclusion that fish do not feel pain because their brain lacks the required neuroanatomical features of the human brain.

Pharmacological potentials of Premna integrifolia L.

Premna integrifolia Linn. (Verbenaceae) is an important constituent of the formulation of ten roots of herbs known as Daśamūla and is widely used for treating various ailments in the Indian system of medicine. Aim of this review is to provide comprehensive information on the pharmacological activities of various parts of P. integrifolia. All the relevant universally accepted electronic databases were searched with respect to the terms “Agnimanthā”, “Headache tree”, “Premna integrifolia”, “Premna obtusifolia”, “Premna serratifolia” including Indian classical texts, pharmacopoeias, Ayurvedic books, journals, etc., for information without specific timeline. Complete information of the plant has been collected manually since the year 1964 and has been arranged chronologically. The collected data reflects that many ethno-medicinal claims have been confirmed through the modern in-vitro and in-vivo pharmacological studies using different extracts and their isolates of P. integrifolia. The isolation of active constituents, their biological actions, clinical safety and validation of traditional uses of P. integrifolia could provide leads for further scientific research. The information collected here will be useful to set-up research protocols for modern drugs and Ayurvedic formulation development.

Phytochemistry and medicinal values of Glue berry(Cordia dichotoma G. Forst)

This review highlights pharmaceutical profile of Cordia dichotoma G. Forst which is an important edible medicinal plant, belonging to family Boraginaceae. In this paper the phytochemistry, general medicinal uses and pharmacological activities of various parts of the plant have been reviewed. The plant is rich in diverse phytochemicals including flavonoids, glycosides, alkaloids, terpenes and sterols, carbohydrates and proteins. Cordia dichotoma seeds possess α-amyrins, betulin, octacosanol, lupeol, β-sitosterol, taxifolin-3’, 5-dirhamnoside and hesperitin-7-rhamnoside. The pharmacological properties of C. dichotoma include anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant activity, wound healing, anti-helminthic, antiulcer, anticancer. Other health benefits are also discussed. The seed kernels of Cordia dichotoma contain high proportion of fatty oils and proteins having potential as cattle feed.

Biological and Phytopharmacological Descriptions of Litchi Chinensis.

Plants remain a vital source of drugs and at present, much emphasis is given to nutraceuticals. Herbal medicines have been the basis of treatment and cure for various diseases and physiological conditions in the traditional methods practiced such as ayurveda and homeopathy. Litchi chinensis belongs to the Sapindaceae family and is well-known in the Indian traditional system for its traditional uses. The parts of the plant used are leaves, flowers, fruits, seed, pulp, and pericarp. All parts of the plant are rich sources of phytochemicals––epicatechin; procyanidin A2 and procyanidin B2; leucocyanidin; cyanidin glycoside, malvidin glycoside, and saponins; butylated hydroxytoluene; isolariciresinol; kaempferol; rutin; and stigmasterol. In the present review, we explore the lychee's description, traditional medicinal uses, and phytoconstituents, and investigate the pharmacological activities in various parts of the lychee to show its importance in ethanopharmacology. This is so that this review can serve as a ready-to-use material for further research on the plant.

Phytochemical and Pharmacological proper ties of Giloy-A miracle vine Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers ex Hook. F. &amp; Thoms

Herbal medicinal plants are very important as source of many health care products and new pharmaceuticals. Because of having none or a few side effects, herbal medicines have been the main stay of the world population mainly in developing countries for primary healthcare because of better cultural acceptability and compatibility with human body. Presently multiple drug resistance has developed due to the indiscriminate use of commercial antimicrobial drugs commonly used in the treatment of infectious diseases. This review highlights pharmaceutical prof ile of Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers ex Hook. F. & Thoms which is commonly known as Giloy or Gudichi. It is a large glabrous, deciduous climber belonging to family Menispermaceae and is a potential source of nutritive minerals for human beings. In this manuscript, the phytochemistry, medicinal uses and pharmacological activities of various parts of the plant have been reviewed. The plant is rich source of diverse phytochemicals. It has been reported to possess strong antimicrobial and antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, anticancer and antitoxic properties. It is also useful in cardiovascular, liver and mental disorders and urinary calculi, uraemia as well as for increasing body resistance against various other ailments.

Pentecostalism in Finland: the precarious beginning

The article presents the arrival of the Pentecostal movement into Finland. It is argued that a totally incorrect picture of the early years of Pentecostalism in Finland is conveyed if it is limited to the activities which took place in Helsinki in 1911–12 and the movement that emerged from there, as previous research has done. Without the earlier revival in Ostrobothnia and other activities in various parts of the country, the Pentecostal movement would not have been as successful as it was at the beginning of the 1910s. Barratt’s visit to Ostrobothnia meant that new life was breathed into the dormant spiritual movement. In other places, the Pentecostal revival could connect to other kinds of preparatory activities. This is one of the factors explaining why Barratt achieved such a great success and Pentecostalism was received so positively in the early 1910s.

Antidermatophytic Activity of Mikania micrantha Kunth: An Invasive Weed.

Context:The incidence of dermatophytosis has risen dramatically in recent years. Limited availability of side-effect free drugs has led to a search for new antidermatophytic agents.Objective:The objective was to investigate antidermatophytic activity and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity (protease inhibition assay) of whole plant (aerial parts only) of Mikania micrantha.Materials and Methods:The dried and powdered aerial parts of M. micrantha were extracted separately with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol. Antidermatophytic activity was determined by agar tube dilution method against Epidermophyton floccosum var. nigricans, Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum and Trichophyton rubrum. The activities of various parts of the plant – flowers, leaves and stem were separately analyzed using their ethyl acetate extract. Fungicidal efficacy and trypsin inhibiting activity of the whole plant, flowers and leaves were also analyzed using the ethyl acetate extracts.Statistical Analysis Used:For trypsin inhibition assay results are expressed as mean ± standard division. For antidermatophytic assay, the significance of the difference between control and test was analyzed statistically using Fisher's exact test.Results:Ethyl acetate extract of M. micrantha exhibited excellent antidermatophytic activity, followed by petroleum ether and methanolic extracts. Ethyl acetate extracts of whole plant, flowers, leaves and stem completely inhibited the growth of dermatophytes at the tested concentration of 2 mg/mL. Furthermore, ethyl acetate extracts of whole plant, leaves and flowers were fungicidal, and the percentages of trypsin inhibition exhibited were 33.73 ± 0.306, 39.0 ± 0.505 and 35.53 ± 0.503, respectively.Conclusions:Since M. micrantha possesses antidermatophytic as well as anti-inflammatory activities, the plant is an excellent candidate for the development of new medicaments against dermatophytoses in traditional as well as modern medicine.

Systemic evaluation of antibacterial activity of Anacardium occidentale

Background: Evaluation of antibacterial activity of different parts of two varieties of Anacardium occidentale L. tree {red fruited variety (RFV) and yellow fruited variety (YFV)}, namely, the fruit, leaf, stem bark and root extracts on human pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Eschericjia coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Salmonella typhi, Proteus mirabilis and Klebsella spp) was carried out in vitro. Materials and Methods: Phytochemical screening and preparation of the extracts was by standard methods. Antibacterial activity was measured by the agar diffusion methods, which ascertained the diameter of inhibition halos around wells after 24 h incubation at 37°C. Results: Alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, HCN, phenols and anthocyanin were present in leaf and stem bark extracts of the RFV and YFV. HCN was absent in the fruit and root of both varieties. Aqueous fruit extract of the RFV did not exhibit antibacterial effect on P. aeroginosa, S. typhi, P. mirabilis and Klebsella spp. Likewise, ethanolic fruit extract of the RFV did not inhibit bacterial activity of S. typhi and P. mirabilis, whereas S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeroginosa and Klebsella spp were inhibited by ethanolic red fruit extract in the following corresponding order: E. coli = 65.11% &gt; P. aeroginosa = 64.30% &gt; S. aureus = 53.01% &gt; Klebsella spp = 46.76%. The zone of inhibition (ZOI) of aqueous leaf extract of the RFV was between 10.50 ± 0.05 mm and 14.50 ± 0.01 mm halos. Generally, antibacterial activities of aqueous and ethanolic stem bark, leaf and root extracts of the RFV and YFV were identical. Conclusion: The results offered precise reference information on comparative antibacterial activities of various parts of A. occidentale L. tree for possible optimum exploitation and usage.

Influence of Isoamylase Supplementation on Performance and α-Amylase Activities of Broilers Fed Maize-Soybean Meal Diets

An experiment was conducted to study the influence of isoamylase supplementation to maize-soybean diets on productive performance and amylase activities of broilers from 1 to 42 d of age.The results showed that different dose of isoamylase（300g/T,600 g/T,900 g/T, containing 3000IU of isoamylase/g）in the maize - soybean meal diet significantly affected the performance of broilers within 1-42 days. Within 1-21 days , the average daily gain(ADG) of experimental groups( experiment I (E I) experiment II (E II) experiment III (E III) ) improved by 3.2% -10.32%(P&gt;0.05) compared with the control groups(negative control(NC) and positive control(PC)), average daily feed intake(ADFI) improved by 0.63%-7.43%(P&gt;0.05), while feed conversion ratio decreased by 0.55%-4.43%(P&gt;0.05); Within 21-42 days , the ADG of experimental groups decreased by 1.38%-4.84% and ADFI by 11.89%-15.58% (P&lt;0.05), feed conversion ratio by 5.41%-7.54% compared with that in the NC group; Within 1-42 days , the ADG of experimental groups improved by 0.54%-4.06%(P&gt;0.05), while ADFI decreased by 0.75%-11.83% (P&lt;0.05), and feed conversion ratio by 3.97%-7.52% (P&gt;0.05) compared with those in the negative control. Isoamylase supplementation influenced amylase activity of various parts of the chyme in digestive tract and the tissues of small intestine and pancreas. 21 d, the amylase activity in experimental groups improved by 4.67%-79.29%(P&lt;0.05) compared with PC, α-amylase activity in the majority experimental groups were lower than PC group, but the difference was not significant(P&gt;0.05).

ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF VARIOUS PARTS OF Punica Granatum: A REVIEW

Punica granutam is popularly known as pomegranate (Anar). It is a member of Punicaceae The pomegranate, Punica granatum L., which can be found throughout the Mediterranean region, in Southeast Asia, California and Arizona in USA was in ancient times referred as possessing powers of fertility, abundance and good luck (fruit). The different parts used as raw drugs include root, stem, flower, fruit, twigs exudates and modified plant organs. For centuries, the leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds of this plant have been used to treat various diseases. Pomegranate is rich in bioactive compounds, mainly polyphenols and anthocyanins, with known health benefits, due to its high antioxidant capacity.The aim of this present review is to throw light on the antioxidant activity of various parts of pomegranate.

Bioactivity comparison of extracts from various parts of common and tartary buckwheats: evaluation of the antioxidant- and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activities

BackgroundBuckwheat flour and buckwheat sprouts possess antioxidant properties, and previous studies have reported on buckwheat flour displaying an inhibitory activity for angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE). Information is lacking on the bioactivity of other parts of the buckwheat, such as the seed hulls and plant stalks. This study investigates the ACE inhibitory activity and antioxidant activity of various parts of 2 types of buckwheat, namely, common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) and tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn).ResultsThe extract of common hulls extracted using 50% (v/v)-ethanol solvent presented a remarkable inhibitory activity. The value of IC50 is 30 μg ml-1. The extracts of both common and tartary hulls extracted using 50% (v/v)-ethanol solvent demonstrated an antioxidant activity that is superior to that of other extracts.ConclusionThis study determined that the ethanolic extract of the hulls of common buckwheat presented more favorable antioxidant and ACE inhibitory abilities. However, the correlation of antioxidant activity and ACE inhibitory activity for all 18 types of extracts is low. The ACE inhibitory activity could have been caused by a synergistic effect of flavonoids or from other unidentified components in the extracts. The ethanolic extract of common hulls demonstrated remarkable ACE inhibitory activity and is worthy of further animal study.

Antioxidant Activity of Various Parts of Cinnamomum cassia Extracted with Different Extraction Methods

The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant activities of various parts (barks, buds, and leaves) of Cinnamomum cassia extracted with ethanol and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). For the antioxidant activity comparison, IC50 values ofthe SFE and ethanol extracts in the DPPH scavenging assay were 0.562–10.090 mg/mL and 0.072–0.208 mg/mL, and the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) values were 6.789–58.335 mmole Trolox/g and 133.039–335.779 mmole Trolox/g, respectively. In addition, the total flavonoid contents were 0.031–1.916 g/ 100 g dry weight of materials (DW) and 2.030–3.348 g/ 100 g DW, and the total phenolic contents were 0.151–2.018 g/ 100 g DW and 6.313–9.534 g/ 100 g DW in the SFE and ethanol extracts, respectively. Based on the results, the ethanol extracts of Cinnamon barks have potential value as an antioxidant substitute and this study also provide a better technique to extract the natural antioxidant substances from C. cassia.

Moral decision-making, ToM, empathy and the default mode network

Automatic intuitions and deliberate reasoning, sourcing internal representations of our personal norms and values, contribute to our beliefs of what is right and wrong. We used fMRI to directly compare moral (M) and non-moral (NM) decision-making processes using scenarios requiring conscious deliberation, whereby the main character declared an intention to take a course of action. Furthermore, we examined the relationship between BOLD signal, associated with M>NM decision-making, and moral judgment competence, psychopathy, and empathy. We observed greater activity in various parts of Theory of Mind, empathy and default mode networks during M>NM decision-making. There was a trend for high scores on primary psychopathy to correlate with decreased M>NM BOLD activation in an area extending from dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to medial prefrontal cortex. We suggest that moral decision-making entails a greater degree of internally directed processing, such as self-referential mental processing and the representation of intentions and feelings, than non-moral decision-making.

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF VARIOUS PARTS OFCINNAMOMUM CASSIAEXTRACTED WITH DIFFERENT EXTRACTION METHODS

The aim of this study is to compare the antibacterial activities of various parts (barks, buds and leaves) of Cinnamomum cassia extracted with ethanol and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). The results obtained from the disk diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) demonstrated that the SFE extracts of buds displayed significant antibacterial activity against the drug resistance pathogens, with MIC range between 0.3 and 0.7 mg/mL. Following the spectrophotometer analysis, (E)-cinnamaldehyde, O-methoxycinnamaldehyde, coumarin and eucalyptol were evidenced to be the major antimicrobial components in the SFE extracts. The antimicrobial mechanism was also investigated. The results suggested that the active components possess bactericide activity and interact on the cell membranes. In conclusion, the SFE extracts of buds have the potential value as an antibiotic substitute based on the in vitro antimicrobial assay. In addition, this study also provides a best SFE extraction condition to obtain high purity and yield of bioactive substances from C. cassia. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Cinnamon has been used as a preservative and for medicinal purposes for a long time in the East. The present study investigates the antibacterial activity of the alcohol and supercritical fluid extracts prepared from Cinnamomum cassia against the clinical antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Following the bioassays including minimum inhibitory concentration determination, synergistic effect, time-killing curve, scanning electron microscopy observation and spectrophotometric analysis, the results identify the chemical constituents and provide a method to isolate the highly purified active components from the extracts. The chemical components (E)-cinnamaldehyde, O-methoxycinnamaldehyde, coumarin and eucalyptol of C. cassia extracts exhibited antibacterial activities against different clinical isolates. These extracts of C. cassia could be developed as a natural disinfectant for treatment with nosocomial pathogens and could control antibiotic-resistant bacterium.

Role of Ocimum basilicum L. in prevention of ischemia and reperfusion-induced cerebral damage, and motor dysfunctions in mice brain

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe genus Ocimum (Lamiaceae) has a long history of use as culinary and medicinal herbs. Many species are used for their antioxidant and neuroprotective activity in various parts of the world. Ocimum basilicum Linn. has been used traditionally for the treatment of anxiety, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, headaches, nerve pain, as anticonvulsant and anti-inflammatory, and used in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. Aim of the studyThe present study is designed to investigate the effect of ethyl acetate extract of Ocimum basilicum leaves on ischemia and reperfusion-induced cerebral damage, and motor dysfunctions in mice. Materials and methodsGlobal cerebral ischemia was induced by bilateral carotid artery occlusion for 15min followed by reperfusion for 24h. Cerebral infarct size was measured using triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. The concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH) content was determined by colorimetric assay. Short-term memory was evaluated using elevated plus-maze. Inclined beam walking was employed to assess motor coordination. Bilateral carotid artery occlusion followed by reperfusion produced significant increase in cerebral infarct size and lipid peroxidation (TBARS), and reduced GSH content, and impaired short-term memory and motor coordination. ResultsPre-treatment with standardized ethyl acetate extract of Ocimum basilicum (100 and 200mg/kg, p.o.) markedly reduced cerebral infarct size and lipid peroxidation, restored GSH content, and attenuated impairment in short-term memory and motor coordination. ConclusionThe results of the study suggest that Ocimum basilicum could be useful clinically in the prevention of stroke.