Aqueous Soluble Fractions Research Articles

Antioxidant, membrane stabilizing and thrombolytic potentials of the leaves of erythrina fusca lour

Erythrina fusca (Family: Fabaceae) is famous for many traditional healing. In the present study, the leaves of E. fusca were collected, dried, powdered and then extracted with methanol. It was further partitioned into n-hexane, dichloromethane and aqueous soluble fractions. All the extracts were subjected to antioxidant, membrane stabilizing and thrombolytic assays. In case of free radical scavenging assay, the aqueous soluble fraction showed highest scavenging activity. In ferric reducing anti-oxidant power assay, the dicholoromethane extract showed highest reduction of ferric ion in a dose dependent manner. In total antioxidant assay, the methanol extract and dichloromethane extract showed stronger capacity as antioxidant. During the determination of total phenolic and flavonoid contents, the methanol extract and dichloromethane soluble fraction showed higher contents of phenolics and flavonoids, respectively. The erythrocyte membrane stabilizing assay revealed the capacities of methanol extract and its aqueous fraction to stabilize the RBC membrane in both hypotonic solution- and heat- induced hemolytic conditions. However, the clot lysis ability of the E. fusca leaf extracts was not so prominent. Bangladesh J. Bot. 53(3): 439-445, 2024 (September)

Pharmacological Profile Analysis of a Vegetable Crop Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Linn.) Seeds

The seeds of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Linn.) can be utilized as both a conventional and multifunctional dietary constituent. In this study the antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic effects of various fractions such as petroleum ether soluble fraction (PESF), chloroform soluble fraction (CFSF), dichloromethane soluble fraction (DCMSF), and aqueous soluble fraction (AQF) were obtained from crude extract (CE) of the C. maxima seeds were assessed by using 1,1-Diphenyl-2- Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, disc diffusion technique, and brine shrimp lethality bioassay respectively. The results showed that all the fractions have remarkable antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic activities. The study revealed that both the AQF and PESF and the CF confirmed significant antioxidant properties. The antibacterial activity of different fractions against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was examined to determine their significant effect. PESF and CFSF fractions exhibited substantial inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacteria, particularly Bacillus cereus. Bacillus subtilis exhibited significant susceptibility to both CFSF and AQF. Salmonella typhi and Shigella dysenteriae exhibited significant susceptibility to PESF and CFSF, while Escherichia coli was the Gram-negative bacterium most effectively inhibited by CFSF. The IC50 values revealed that the DCMSF exhibited the highest inhibitory activity, followed by other fractions. The new study emphasizes the significance of pumpkin seeds in terms of their pharmacological and biological properties, which may encourage more research on the potential benefits of this plant for human health. Jagannath University Journal of Life and Earth Sciences, 9(1): 7-18, 2023 (June)

Chemico-pharmacological evaluation of the methanolic leaf extract of Catharanthus ovalis: GC-MS/MS, in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches.

Introduction: Natural plant-based medicines have gained popularity recently as a major source of inventive, risk-free, and more potent secondary bioactive compounds with medicinal potential. Catharanthus ovalis is a perennial shrub containing various indole alkaloids cultivated extensively for local medical purposes. Methods: This research is conducted to identify the phytocompounds present in the leaves of C. ovalis and its central and peripheral analgesic, thrombolytic, and membrane-stabilizing activities through tail immersion, acetic acid-induced writhing, human blood clot lysis, and erythrocyte lysis by heat and hypotonic solution methods, respectively. Results and discussion: A total of 39 compounds were identified using GC-MS/MS techniques, including hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester (56.749%), methyl stearate (29.782%), carvacrol and its TBDMS derivative (12.586%), and 9-octadecenoic acid, methyl ester, (E)-] (9.297%) presented in high quantity. The highest tail immersion latency was observed for the 600mg/kg extract of C. ovalis crude extract. Both 400 and 600mg/kg doses of C. ovalis crude extract exhibited prominent peripheral analgesic activity. The maximum thrombolytic effect was observed by DCM soluble fraction extract by inhibiting 54.87% of the clot. However, the aqueous-soluble fraction of this extract manifested an excellent membrane-stabilizing effect by showing 73.98% and 87.51% hemolysis against heat- and hypotonic-induced hemolysis, respectively. Some of the compounds were identified as active agents against different receptors related to these diseases, which supported the findings of in vitro and in vivo tests. Conclusion: Further investigation needs to be conducted to specify and identify the exact mechanism of action of these compounds.

Chemical Profiling and Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, Cytotoxic, Analgesic, and Antidiarrheal Activities from the Seeds of Commonly Available Red Grape (Vitis vinifera L.).

The current study aimed to conduct a phytochemical screening of commonly known fruit red grape (Vitis vinifera L.) seed methanolic extract through gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify the bioactive compounds responsible for its health benefits and evaluate the pharmacological potentialities of the extract and its fractions against oxidation, inflammation, pain, and diarrhea. The in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic characteristics of methanolic extracts and various solvent fractions of V. vinifera were evaluated using the DPPH free radical scavenging assay, membrane stabilizing, and brine shrimp lethality bioassay. Furthermore, the study assessed the effects of crude extracts (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg of body weight) on pain relief and reduction of diarrhea in animals using methods such as tail immersion, the acetic acid-induced writhing technique, and a diarrheal mouse model induced with castor oil. A total of 73 phytoconstituents were predominantly found in the seed extract based on the GC-MS analysis. Among the identified compounds, 9-octadecenamide (13.7%), and (9E,11E)-octadeca-9,11-dienoate (11.07%) are most abundant. Several notable constituents, such as gamma-sitosterol, stigmasterol, paromomycin, 4,6-cholestadienol, gamma-tocotrienol, 24-Propylidenecholest-5-en-3beta-ol, and alpha-tocopherol acetate, are also present. The methanolic extract of V. vinifera seed and its different solvent fractions showed promising antioxidant properties (IC50 = 1.19-17.42 µg/mL) compared to the standard antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (IC50 = 20.46 µg/mL). Aqueous soluble fraction exerted inhibition of nearly 50% heat-induced hemolysis compared to the standard acetylsalicylic acid (42%). Besides, all the tested doses (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg bw) of the crude extract showed significant (P < .05) analgesic and antidiarrheal effects. The current findings endorsed the health benefits of V. vinifera by revealing potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antidiarrheal effects. Nevertheless, further in-depth analysis of the plant's chemical constituents and pharmacological effects on health is warranted for novel drug discovery from V. vinifera.

Chemico-pharmacological and computational studies of Ophiorrhiza fasciculata D. Don and Psychotria silhetensis Hook. f. focusing cytotoxic, thrombolytic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties

The current study sought to examine the pharmacological potentials of crude methanolic extracts of Ophiorrhiza fasciculata and Psychotria silhetensis, as well as their various solvent fractionates, with a focus on cytotoxic, thrombolytic, membrane stabilizing, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities via in vitro and in silico approaches. The extensive chromatographic and spectroscopic analyses confirmed and characterized two compounds as (±)-licarin B (1) and stigmasterol (2) from O. fasciculata and P. silhetensis, respectively. Petroleum ether soluble fraction of O. fasciculata and the aqueous soluble fraction of P. silhetensis showed the lowest 50% lethal concentrations (1.41 and 1.94 μg/mL, respectively) in brine shrimp bioassay. Likewise, petroleum ether soluble fraction of O. fasciculata and aqueous soluble fraction of P. silhetensis showed the highest thrombolytic activity with 46.66% and 50.10% lyses of the clot, respectively. The methanol and dichloromethane soluble fractions of O. fasciculata reduced erythrocyte hemolysis by 64.03% and 37.08%, respectively, under hypotonic and heat-induced conditions, compared to 81.97% and 42.12% for standard acetylsalicylic acid. In antioxidant activity test, aqueous soluble fraction O. fasciculata (IC50 = 7.22 μg/mL) revealed promising antioxidant potentialities in comparison to standard butylated hydroxytoluene (IC50 = 21.20 μg/mL). In antibacterial screening, chloroform, and dichloromethane soluble fractions of P. silhetensis showed a mild antibacterial activity compared with the standard drug ciprofloxacin. Additionally, the molecular docking study corroborated the current in vitro findings, and the isolated two constituents had higher binding affinities toward epidermal growth factor receptor, tissue plasminogen activator, vFLIP-IKK gamma stapled peptide dimer, glutathione reductase, and dihydrofolate reductase enzyme than their corresponding standard drugs. In addition, the both isolated compounds exerted favorable pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) and toxicological profiles with drug-like qualities in computational-based ADMET and drug likeliness analyses. The current research suggests that both plants have potential as a natural treatment for treating thrombosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. However, more thorough research is required to thoroughly screen for phytochemicals and pinpoint the precise mechanisms of action of the bioactive metabolites derived from these plants against a broad range of molecular targets.

Phytochemical and Biological Investigation of an Indigenous Plant of Bangladesh, Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr.: Drug Discovery from Nature.

Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr. (Family: Asteraceae) is a tropical Asian medicinal plant found in Thailand, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. It has long been utilized to treat a variety of health concerns in numerous countries around the world, such as renal discomfort, constipation, diabetes mellitus, rheumatism, and hypertension. The chemical investigation resulted in the isolation and characterization of six compounds from the methanol (MeOH) extract of the leaves of Gynura procumbens, which were identified as phytol (1), lupeol (2), stigmasterol (3), friedelanol acetate (4), β-amyrin (5), and a mixture of stigmasterol and β-sitosterol (6). In-depth investigations of the high-resolution 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopic data from the isolated compounds, along with comparisons to previously published data, were used to clarify their structures. Among these, the occurrence of Compounds 1 and 4 in this plant are reported for the first time. The crude methanolic extract (CME) and its different partitionates, i.e., petroleum ether (PESF), chloroform (CSF), ethyl acetate (EASF), and aqueous (AQSF) soluble fractions, were subjected to antioxidant, cytotoxic, thrombolytic, and anti-diabetic activities. In a DPPH free radical scavenging assay, EASF showed the maximum activity, with an IC50 value of 10.78 µg/mL. On the other hand, CSF displayed the highest cytotoxic effect with an LC50 value of 1.94 µg/mL compared to 0.464 µg/mL for vincristine sulphate. In a thrombolytic assay, the crude methanolic extract exhibited the highest activity (63.77%) compared to standard streptokinase (70.78%). During the assay for anti-diabetic activity, the PESF showed 70.37% of glucose-lowering activity, where standard glibenclamide showed 63.24% of glucose-reducing activity.

Catalytic hydrothermal deoxygenation of sugarcane bagasse for energy dense bio-oil and aqueous fraction acidogenesis for biohydrogen production

The study focuses on the effective conversion of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) by catalytic deoxygenation using various alkali and metal-based catalysts under N2 pressure employing water as solvent. The specific influence of catalyst over bio-crude yields (bio-oil and aqueous fraction) including energy recovery ratio was explored. The optimum catalytic condition (Ru/C) resulted in ∼ 70% of bio-crude and 28% of bio-oil with an improved HHV (31.6 MJ/kg) having 11.6% of aliphatic/aromatic hydrocarbons (C10–C20) which can be further upgraded to drop-in fuels. The biocrude composed of 44% of aqueous soluble organic fraction (HTL-AF). Further, the carbon-rich HTL-AF was valorized through acidogenic fermentation to yield biohydrogen (Bio-H2). The maximum bio-H2 production of 201 mL/g of TOC conversion (K2CO3 catalyst) was observed with 7.7 g/L of VFA. The SCB was valorized in a biorefinery design with the production of fuels and chemical intermediates in a circular chemistry approach.

Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, Antimicrobial and Thrombolytic Activities of Eclipta alba L. Growing in Bangladesh

Eclipta alba L. (Family: Asteraceae) is an evergreen herb of ethnomedicinal significance in the Indian subcontinent. The present study was carried out to determine the in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and thrombolytic activities of n-hexane, chloroform and aqueous soluble fractions of ethanol crude extract of E. alba whole plant. Preliminary phytochemical screening was performed by qualitative tests which revealed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, glycosides, tannins, flavonoids, saponins and amides in E. alba. During the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging assay, the aqueous soluble fraction of E. alba at a dose of 100 μg/ml showed maximum 87.5% inhibition in scavenging the DPPH radical with IC50 value of 7.86 μg/ml. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by egg albumin denaturation technique and RBC membrane stabilizing method. In both experiments, all the test samples of E. alba showed a concentration-dependent anti-inflammatory potential while the aqueous soluble fraction at the dose of 500 μg/ml demonstrated the maximum 90.12% inhibition of egg albumin denaturation and 78.42% inhibition of RBC membrane hemolysis against hypotonic solution. Antimicrobial sensitivity was evaluated by disc diffusion assay against several bacterial and fungal species. All the test samples at a concentration of 500 μg/disc exhibited noticeable antibacterial (zone of inhibition = 11-23 mm) and antifungal (zone of inhibition = 10-21 mm) activities when compared to the respective standard drug. The aqueous soluble fraction showed maximum activity against Lactobacillus casai (zone of inhibition = 23 mm). During antifungal test, the maximum activity was exhibited by the n-hexane fraction against Pityrosporum ovale (zone of inhibition = 21 mm). During in vitro thrombolytic assay, the aqueous soluble fraction revealed 56.84% lysis of blood clot, as compared to the standard streptokinase (84.60%). The results of our study suggest that E. alba can be considered for further investigation in order to discover the pharmacologically active natural products. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 26(1): 20-27, 2023 (January)

Comparison of Antimicrobial and Membrane Stabilizing Properties of Leaf and Stem Extracts of Derris scandens (Roxb.) Benth. (Family: Fabaceae)

Derris scandens (Roxb.) Benth. (Family: Fabaceae), a recognized medicinal plant colloquially known as ‘Kalilata’ in Bangladesh, has been traditionally used as analgesic in Thailand. This study was intended to evaluate and compare the antimicrobial and membrane stabilizing potentials among the methanol extracts of D. scandens leaf and stem, and their fractionates. The stem and leaves of the plant were extracted by methanol separately and fractioned into aqueous, dicholoromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate and n-hexane soluble fractions. They were tested for antimicrobial activity by using the agar-well diffusion method where ciprofloxacin and fluconazole were used as references. The highest antimicrobial activity was observed against a Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) by the DCM soluble fraction of the leaf and stem extracts with 20 mm and 15 mm zones of inhibition, respectively. The n-hexane soluble fraction of methanol extract of stem revealed weak to moderate antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. The ethyl acetate soluble fractionates of methanol extracts of leaf and stem showed similar antifungal property against Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a zone of inhibition of 12 mm. The membrane stabilizing potential of the extractives was estimated based on the prevention of hemolysis of RBC prompted by hypotonic solution as well as heat. The n-hexane and DCM soluble fractions of both extracts showed around 75% inhibition of hypotonic solution- and heatinduced hemolysis. All in all, the extracts and several fractionates showed moderate antimicrobial and membrane stabilizing properties and further investigations are warranted to find out active phytoconstituents responsible for these properties. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 26(1): 67-72, 2023 (January)

In vitro and in vivo Pharmacological Studies of Leaves of Staurogyne argentea Wall.

Staurogyne argentea Wall. (Family: Acanthaceae) is an important medicinal plant that has many traditional uses in tribal areas of Bangladesh. The current study emphasizes the pharmacological investigations of n-hexane, chloroform and aqueous soluble fractions of ethanol extract of leaves of S. argentea to justify the traditional uses of this plant species in Bangladesh. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of S. argentea was confirmed by inhibition of egg albumin denaturation and erythrocyte membrane stabilizing methods. In both experiments, the aqueous fraction at concentration of 160 μg/ml exhibited significant inhibition of egg albumin denaturation by 76.91% with IC50 value of 24.22 μg/ml compared to standard Diclofenac-Na. In membrane stabilization assay, the aqueous fraction showed prominent anti-inflammatory activity by protecting the human erythrocyte membrane against hypotonic solution induced lysis. In addition, among all the aqueous fraction at 100 μg/ml also showed maximum antioxidant potential via the inhibition of DPPH scavenging by 75.05% (IC50= 42.92 μg/ml). The test materials were subjected to evaluate for the anti-diabetic activity by both in vitro starch iodine method as well as by oral glucose tolerance test in Swiss albino mice. In both experiments, the aqueous fraction showed maximum blood glucose lowering activity which is comparable to standard glibenclamide. The chloroform fraction (Conc. 500 mg/kg bw) exhibited moderate inhibition of both acetic acid-induced writhing reflex and yeast-induced pyrexia in mice. During sedative activity screening, different solvent fractions produced mild to moderate activity in comparison with standard diazepam. These findings revealed that S. argentea is a valuable source of bioactive compounds with diverge pharmacological actions, which validates its use in Bangladesh folk medicinal practices. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 26(1): 89-98, 2023 (January)

ScreeningofDodonaea Viscosa Linn (Sapindaceae) for Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Activities

The crude ethanol extract of DodonaeaviscosaLinn (Sapindaceae) was partitioned into chloroform, aqueous, ethyl acetate, methanoland n-hexane soluble fractions. The extract and five fractions were tested against the larvae of Artemiasaline[Brine Shrimp Lethality Test (BST)]. The aqueous and methanol extracts were found to exhibited remarkable toxicity on brine shrimp larva at LC50value of 0.1326 and 62.5 μg/ml, while no activity recorded in the ethanol, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane fractions LC50value &gt;1000 μg/ml. The crude ethanol extract and five solvent fractions were tested for antimicrobial activity using agar diffusion method and the results revealed the zone of inhibition 15.0 mm at 10,000μg/ml was exhibited by the aqueous soluble fraction of the leaves of Dodonaeaviscosaagainst S. typhi. Meanwhile, methanol and ethanol fractions of Dodonaeaviscosaexhibited zone of growth inhibition 15mm and 30mm against S. aureus, at 10,000μg/ml.

Toxicity and growth characteristics of epiphytic dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus silvae in Japan

The genus Gambierdiscus is a marine benthic/epiphytic dinoflagellate that has been investigated worldwide as the causative agent of ciguatera poisoning (CP). In Japan, CP occurs mainly in the subtropical region and sporadically in the temperate region. To understand the mechanism of CP outbreaks in the coastal regions, identifying the species of Gambierdiscus occurring in the regions and determining their toxicity and growth characteristics, such as growth responses to temperature, salinity, and light intensity, are important. Recently, the occurrence of G. silvae in the Japanese temperate and subtropical regions has been revealed through metabarcoding. However, the toxicity and growth characteristics of G. silvae have not yet been investigated. In this study, three strains of Gambierdiscus were isolated from a depth of 30 m in subtropical waters in Japan and were identified as Gambierdiscus silvae based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic positions. A dichloromethane soluble fraction (DSF) and aqueous methanol soluble fraction (MSF) of the three strains showed high mouse toxicity by intraperitoneal injection, but only the DSF of the three strains showed toxicity by gavage. All strains grew in the range of 17.5–30 °C and salinity range of 25–40, and grew well at 25 °C and salinity 30. The optimal light intensity for growth of the strains was 42.0–83.0 μmol photons/m2/s. These results suggest that G. silvae has the potential to be widely distributed from temperate to subtropical/ regions and in shallow to deep coastal waters of Japan. Understanding the growth characteristics of this species would be useful in predicting the occurrence of this species in Japanese coastal waters. Finally, the results obtained in this study suggest that G. silvae showing high toxicity is one of the causative agents of CP in Japan, and knowledge of this species would be useful in understanding the mechanism of CP outbreaks in Japan.

Comparative Assessment of Free Radical Scavenging, Membrane Stabilizing and Thrombolytic Potentials Of Two Amaranthus Species of Bangladesh

Amaranthus lividus and Amaranthus tricolor were evaluated for their primary free radical scavenging, membrane stabilizing and thrombolytic potentials. The methanol crude extracts of these two species were partitioned into petroleum ether, dichloromethane and aqueous soluble fractions. Antioxidant potential of the extracts was evaluated through DPPH and H2O2 free radical scavenging assays, where the aqueous soluble fraction of A. lividus exhibited the highest activity (p &lt; 0.05). Besides, the maximum level of total phenolics was quantified in the aqueous fraction of A. lividus. Higher level (p &lt; 0.05) of flavonoids (&gt; 70 mg of QE/g of extract) were measured in the aqueous, dichloromethane and crude methanol extracts of A. lividus. The membrane stabilizing (anti-inflammatory) potential of the extracts was studied by measuring the inhibition of hemolysis of RBC induced by hypotonic solution and heat. Considering the conditions of both assays, the aqueous extract of A. lividus showed potent membrane stabilizing activity (p &lt; 0.05) indicating their primary antiinflammatory potential. Very mild thrombolytic activity was noticed for both plants compared to the standard. Furthermore, existence of some major phytochemicals, like alkaloids, steroids, triterpenes and quinones were also observed at various levels. This is the first time report of the comparative assessment of the above mentioned plant extracts so far. Bangladesh J. Bot. 51(1): 139-145, 2022 (March)

Assessment of Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Cytotoxicity and Thrombolytic Potential of Erythrina fusca Lour Grown in Bangladesh

The current study was conducted to assess the antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxicity and thrombolytic potential of the leaves and stem bark of Erythrina fusca Lour grown in Bangladesh. For the assessment of antioxidant properties, DPPH scavenging and phosphomolybdenum assays were used. In the DPPH free radical scavenging assay, the chloroform soluble fraction of a methanol extract of leaves of E. fusca exhibited the highest free radical scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 5.5 ± 0.60 μg/ml, while the reference standard (ascorbic acid) showed an IC50 value of 5.8 ± 0.18 μg/ml. All the test samples and the standard BHT demonstrated good linear relationship in the phosphomolybdenum assay. It was observed that the test samples contained considerable number of bioactive compounds including total phenolics in the aqueous soluble fraction of the leaves giving the highest 94.02 ± 1.004 GAE/100g of dried sample. All test samples exhibited moderate antimicrobial activity against 13 Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains and 3 fungi, where the chloroform soluble fraction of the stem bark demonstrated the highest inhibition of growth with zone of inhibition of 19.3 ± 0.21 mm against Bacillus cereus. All the test samples displayed cytotoxic activity against brine shrimp nauplii having significant LC50 and LC90 values. The chloroform soluble materials demonstrated highest lethality with LC50 value of 1.55 ± 0.30 μg/ml and LC90 65.68 ± 0.23 μg/ml. On the other hand, the carbon tetrachloride soluble fraction of the stem bark showed the highest clot lysis (22.75 ± 0.59%) as compared to that (66.77 ± 0.61%) revealed by reference standard, streptokinase. The findings of this study revealed that the leaves and stem bark of E. fusca growing in Bangladesh possesses bioactive compounds but further studies are required to purify and identify them. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 25(1): 1-8, 2022 (January)

Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, thrombolytic, and cytotoxic activities of Gynura nepalensis DC. and isolation of its steroid constituents

The study was aimed at phytochemical profiling of Gynura nepalensis DC. as well as assessment of possible antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, thrombolytic, and cytotoxic activities of its fractions named hexane (HSF), dichloromethane (DCMSF), ethyl acetate (EASF) and aqueous (AQSF) soluble fractions through in vitro assays. Chromatographic fractionation and purification followed by 1H NMR spectral analysis afforded two sterols named β-sitosterol and stigmasterol, which appears to be a first-time reporting from the species. In the free radical scavenging assay, both DCMSF and EASF exhibited prominent antioxidant activities which was further reinforced by their comparatively greater phenolic content. In membrane stabilizing test, prominent inhibitions of hemolysis as exerted by EASF, AQSF, and DCMSF, were evident of their significant anti-inflammatory activities, compared to aspirin. With respect to streptokinase, HSF and DCMSF demonstrated moderate thrombolytic properties, whereas in the cytotoxicity study, only HSF illustrated prominent cytotoxic properties. In conclusion, the results are suggestive of the presence of bioactive molecules within the fractions capable of exerting potent pharmacological activities.

Carbonaceous DBP (THMs and HAAs) formation during Cl2 and ClO2 treatment of aqueous soluble fractions of soil derived natural organic matter

Organic content from composite soil samples was isolated, fractionated into hydrophilic, hydrophobic and transphilic constituents and their potential for disinfection byproduct formation during Cl2 and ClO2 treatment was evaluated.

Isolation and Characterization of Antimicrobial Compound from Stem Bark of Traditional Medicinal Plant Sonneratia apetala: Evaluation of their antimicrobial, Cytotoxic and Antioxidant Properties

Sonneratia apetala (S. apetala) (Lythraceae) has been investigated for the isolation and characterization of antimicrobial compounds and evaluation of their biological activities. The chloroform extract of the stem bark and different partitionate of the chloroform extracts i.e. Petroleum ether soluble fraction (PESF), Ethyl acetate soluble fraction(EASF), Methanol soluble fraction(MSF) and aqueous soluble fractions (ASF) were subjected to different chromatographic techniques to isolate secondary metabolites. Successive chromatographic separation and purification yielded a total of two compounds identified and characterized as Taraxerone(1) and 5,8-dihydroxy- 6-methoxy-4,9-dioxo-1,3,4,9-tetrahydronaphthol[2,3-c]furan-1-yl acetate (2) by extensive proton NMR spectrum (1H-NMRspectrum) analysis. The different partitionate like PESF, EASF, MESF and ASF were subjected to screen their antimicrobial properties against some selected Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and fungi, brine shrimp lethality and antioxidant activities. The maximum zone of inhibition of chloroform extract was found against Pseudomonas sp. (16mm). All fractions showed more activity against Gram negative bacteria then Gram positive bacteria. In the brine shrimp lethality bioassay, among all extracts, the petroleum ether and ethyl acetate soluble fraction showed significant lethality having the LC50 value of 7.72 μg/ml. The antioxidant activity was evaluated in terms of determination of free radical scavenging activity (DPPH assay). Among all the extracts of S. apetala the highest free radical scavenging activity showed by (Methanol soluble fraction) MESF with IC50 value 18.0 μg/ml.&#x0D; Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 38, Number 1, June 2021, pp 1-5

Evaluation of in vitro antibacterial and in vivo cytotoxic activities of Bangladeshi Coffea benghalensis B Heyne ex Schult. roots

This study was designed to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial and in vivo cytotoxic activity of the roots of Bangladeshi Coffea benghalensis B Heyne ex Schult. (Family: Rubiaceae), locally known as bonnyo kofee native to the regions of Sylhet and Chittagong in Bangladesh. The finely crushed coarse powder was extracted with methanol and solvent-solvent partitioning was done to obtain n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous soluble fractions. The crude methanol extract along with it’s four soluble fractions were then evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial and in vivo cytotoxic activities. The disc diffusion method was used to evaluate the antibacterial activity at a concentration of 200 and 400 μg/disc. All the soluble fractions and the crude methanolic extract did not demonstrate any zone of inhibition. In case of brine shrimp lethality bioassay, all the test samples exhibited cytotoxic activity against brine shrimp nauplii having remarkable LC50 and LC90 values. The n-hexane soluble materials demonstrated highest lethality with LC50 value of 6.84 ± 0.87 μg/ml and LC90 59.86 ± 0.83 μg/ml in contrast to the standard vincristine sulphate. Further investigations are necessary to evaluate the antibacterial activity. These findings indicates that the roots of the plant contains cytotoxic bioactive compounds but advanced research is necessary to elucidate the cytotoxic bioactive compounds. Other techniques are also required to assess the antibacterial activity of the plant.

In vitro and In vivo Investigations Provide New Insights into Bioactivities of Blumea clarkei Hook.f. Leaves

As there is a resurgence of interest in plants as promising sources of new active pharmaceutical constituents, the present study has been designed to establish the preliminary biological activities of Blumea clarkei Hook.f. leaves. Here, the crude methanol extract of the leaves along with its organic and aqueous soluble fractions were subjected to different in vitro and in vivo assays. The ethyl acetate soluble fraction exhibited the highest total phenolic content (71.59 mg of GAE/gm of extract) and DPPH free radical scavenging (IC50 value 19.25 μg/ml) whereas another polar fraction; the aqueous soluble extractive showed the maximum cytotoxicity (LC50 value of 18.60 μg/ml) in the brine shrimp lethality assay. In membrane stabilizing activity evaluation, the inhibition of hypotonic solution and heat induced hemolysis were revealed maximum by the DCM (30.64%) and aqueous soluble fraction (39.15%), respectively while the crude methanol extract exhibited the highest thrombolytic potential (30.47% clot lysis). The central analgesic activity of the crude extract significantly increased the latent response time in tail-immersion method (p&lt;0.001) at doses 200 and 400 mg/kg of body weight after 90 minutes of administration when compared to the control group. In acetic acid-induced writhing method, the plant extract showed prominent peripheral analgesia (p&lt;0.001) with 47.54% and 65.57% inhibition at 200- and 400-mg/kg of body weight, respectively. In addition, a dose dependent hypoglycemic and antidiarrheal activities were also observed by the crude extract. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 24(2): 149-158, 2021

In vitro cytotoxic and membrane stabilizing activities of Alternanthera versicolor L.

The crude methanolic extract of leaves of Alternanthera versicolor L. as well as their pet-ether, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform and aqueous soluble fractions were tested to investigate the membrane stabilizing and cytotoxic activity. Among all extractives, dichloromethane soluble fraction (DCMSF) of crude extract of leaves of Alternanthera versicolor L. exhibited lowest cytotoxicity effect with LC50 value 30.63 µg/ml. From investigation results it can also be seen that mortality increased gradually with an increase in concentration of the test samples and maximum mortalities took place at the highest concentration of 400µg/ml. In addition, aqueous soluble fraction (AQSF) shows highest % inhibition of hypotonic solution induces hemolysis of erythrocyte membrane and dichloromethane soluble fraction (DCMSF) shows highest % inhibition of heat induces hemolysis of erythrocyte membrane. Therefore, considering the potential bioactivity, the plant can further be studied extensively to find out their unexplored efficacy and to rationalize their uses of traditional medicine.