Bark Parts Research Articles

Pharmacognostical study of stem and bark of bauhinia vahlii (wight & arn)

Bauhinia is known by its medicinal effect in the body system as because it is used in many disease for their initial treatment with no such sevier side effect. This research based on the testing of the plant Bauhinia vahlii and its wide analysis. Plant was collected mainly from threeregions of India Uttarakhand (Pithoragarh, Kathgodam, Gathiya). Stem and Bark part of the plant is taken for research. The research elaborates transverse and longitudinal section of this plant. Research include analysis and testing of the plant with addition of it chromatography by the HPTLC. The complete research done by study of steam and bark of the plant Bauhinia vahlii. The result obtain by the research in the constituents of steam and bark clearly shows all the characterization and positive approach towards the health benefit of it. As traditionally it is seen to usage of its leaf in the covering of some edible sweets like singauri because of its extraordinary pharmaceutical benefits which seems in the result came by this research. This creeper like medicinal plant with structurally wide leaf is widely grows in the hilly areas of Uttarakhand by itself.

Assessment of nutritional contents of different parts of moringa plant from selected districts of Oromia, Ethiopia

Moringa plants are among high-value trees and belong to the Moringaceae family, consisting of 13 species and highly distributed in Africa and southern Asia. It is multi-purpose tree with medicinal, nutritional, industrial and socio-economic values. Preliminary information indicates that the human dietary usage of the edible parts of these species is limited. Assessment of the nutritional quality of different moringa parts was not well documented in Oromia. Hence, the aim of this activity is to assess the nutritional qualities of different parts of moringa collected from different districts of Oromia. Sample collection was done from Bako from West Showa, Bishoftu from East Showa, Dalo Mena and Goro from Bale Zone, of Oromia representing mid and low land agro-ecologies of the region. Three to four sampling PAs were used from each district. Different parts of Moringa, namely, leaf, pod, bark, seed and flower were collected from the four districts at least in triplicate. The collected samples were made to dry at room temperature, milled with coffee miller, and passed through a 1 mm standard sieve. The prepared samples were analyzed for proximate and mineral compositions using standard methodologies. The result obtained indicated that leaf is rich in nutrients Ca, Na, Mn and Zn. Moringa flower is rich in nutrients like Zn and Mn, and second in K composition next to pod. The pod is also rich in K and Zn, while the fat and CP contents are high in the seed part of moringa. Generally, Higher % CP, K and P were found from the Bishoftu collection, while Mg, Ca and K were higher for the collection from DM. Bark is poor in protein content compared to other parts of the plant. However, Ca, Mg and Zn are double the optimum composition of plant material. Finally, it is possible to use different moringa parts for food fortification, where determination for antioxidant and nutritional composition analysis is mandatory, as well as future research directions. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 14(1): 62-69, June 2024

CHARACTERIZATION OF EXTRACTIVE COMPOSITION IN THE WOOD AND BARK OF CAJUPUTI (MELALEUCA CAJUPUTI SUBSP. CAJUPUTI POWELL.) GROWN IN GUNUNGKIDUL, INDONESIA

The aim of this study was to analyze the extractive composition of the wood and bark of cajuput (M. cajuputi subsp. cajuputi) to consider the end use material according to the characteristics of the its extractives. Results showed that the extractives properties of M. cajuputi, i.e. the contents of n-hexane, methanol, hot water extractives and total phenolic content (TPC), flavonoid content (TFC) and total polysaccharides (TSP) were 0.84 to 1.05%, 1.00 to 1.03% and 1.43 to 1.46%, and 19.2 to 38.7 and 23.2 to 27.3 mg GAE/g dried extract, 11.8 to 16.0 and 7.55 to 14.0 mg QE/g dried extract and 79.3 to 102.8 and 148.8 to 165.9 mg Glu/g dried extract, respectively. Bark had higher extractive levels than wood. In addition, TPC and TSP in the bark were greater than in the wood parts, whereas the reverse trend was found in TFC. The relatively high contents of TPC and TFC in the wood and bark suggest that their potential antioxidant properties. Based on the GC-MS analysis, the high content of sterols-steroids (31.4%) and triterpenoids (21.9%) in the bark part will have potential in the field of pharmacology.

Unveiling the phytochemical profiles, selective bioactivity potential, and molecular docking study of bioactive compounds with target proteins using optimized bark extracts of Grewia asiatica L.

The current study aimed to explore the phytochemicals, estimate the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer potentials of polyphenol enriched methanolic bark extract of Grewia asiatica (PEMGa), and perform molecular docking studies with identified phytocompounds. Here, we utilized response surface methodology (RSM) with a Box Behnken design (BBD) to enhance the phenolic content of the methanolic extract from G. asiatica bark by optimizing three crucial parameters like extraction time (h), temperature of extraction (°C), and solvent ratio (% v/v of methanol: water). Phytochemical quantification of PEMGa illustrated that the bark part contains a good amount of therapeutically potent phytochemical groups like phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins. Additionally, through HPLC analysis, eight compounds belonging to the phenolic and flavonoid groups have been quantified from PEMGa. By GC-MS (Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) analysis of PEMGa, eleven phytochemicals were identified. Moreover, employing in-vitro bioactivity studies, PEMGa has unveiled its remarkable potential as an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer agent. During the in-silico molecular docking study, out of eleven phytocompounds identified by the GC-MS study, three compounds, namely, γ-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol, formed the most stable docked complex with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant target proteins. The present study provides justification for the bark part of G. asiatica as a rich source of potent phytochemicals, and its potential against oxidative stresses, inflammations, cancer, and microbial infections.

Acute toxicity profile of crude methanolic stem bark extract of Parkia biglobosa in West African Dwarf (WAD) goats

Despite the high demand for herbal medicines for treatment of health disorder, there are still concerns associated with not only their use, but their safety. This study was aimed at providing information on the potential toxicity profile of the stem bark extracts of P. biglobosa in goats. For this purpose, the stem bark parts of P. biglobosa were collected and processed. The acute toxicity, biochemical and histopathological analysis in goats were determined. The results of phytochemical constituents revealed the presence of alkaloids, anthraquinones, cardiac glycosides, glycosides, oils, phlobatannins, reducing sugar, saponins and tannins (condensed and hydrolysable). The results of acute toxicity studies showed no mortality with up to 5000 mg/ kg of the body weight. The blood collected revealed that, CMSBE has no significant (p>0.05) effect on biochemical parameters of WAD goats. However, there were slight changes in glucose concentration, cholesterol and triglyceride level, though they were no statistically significant (p>0.05). The extracts did not also have deleterious effect on morphology of the tissues observed during histopathology. The study has scientifically established that, stem bark extract of P. biglobosa have LD50 that is greater than 5,000 mg/kg and it can be inferred that the plant might have a wide margin of safety typical of treatment of some diseases. It is therefore recommended that despite the non-toxicity as demonstrated in this present study, detailed toxic and pharmacological effects of the extracts of P. biglobosa stem bark in other animals should be investigated.

Characterization of sago tree parts from Sentani, Papua, Indonesia for biomass energy utilization

Biomass derived from organic waste in industrial processes is an effective method to mitigate the negative impacts of agricultural waste materials. In Sentani, Papua, one such potential biomass source is sago tree waste. This study characterized the waste from the bark, middle, and inner parts of the sago tree to evaluate its biomass energy potential. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) analysis of the complete sample revealed that oxygen, carbon, and silicon were the primary elements, with carbon content ranging from 30.75 % to 38.87 %. This indicates that all parts of the sago plant have the potential to be used as biomass fuel. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results showed that the inner section of the sago had the lowest moisture content at approximately 13.3 %, followed by the outer part at 42 % and the bark at 55 %. The inner section had the highest lignin content, approximately 37 %, and exhibited the slowest thermal degradation in the differential thermal analysis (DTA) profile. The outer and bark parts of the sago were more reactive in stage II of the DTA profile, suggesting a higher concentration of cellulose and hemicellulose compared to lignin, making them suitable for gasification and pyrolysis. The heating value of sago bark was determined to be 12.85 MJ/kg (adb). These findings underscore the potential of sago waste as a renewable energy source, particularly in remote areas.

Phytochemical and Hepatoprotective Activity of Prosopis juliflora Barks on Different Models

Liver injury is a common disorder where natural remedies are practiced from ancient time from plant source which shows alternative treatment in a safe manner. The Hepatoprotective activity of methanolic extract of Prosopis juiliflora bark part was taken for evaluation in screening. The model chosen for the study is carbon tetrachloride (0.1ml/kg) and the standard drug silymarin of 20mg/kg was used for the study for 21 days. The hepatoprotective effect of the methanolic extract against the carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in wistar rats has been demonstrated by the substantial and severe reduction of enzymes in the serum.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy and antibacterial activity of stem bark of Terminalia glaucescens on some multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria

Frequent antimicrobial resistance of bacterial pathogens has led to a search for plant origin to synthesize new drugs. Hence, the antibacterial potential of the stem bark part of Terminalia glaucescens plant needs to ascertain. The 162 pure bacteria isolated from the patient’s clinical samples were confirmed using standard procedures to be Escherichia coli (65), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (52), and Klebsiella pneumonia (45). The isolates were tested against seven commonly available antibiotics and the extracts. The identified bark of T. glaucescens was prepared for qualitative analysis using standard methods and also analyzed quantitatively using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). Alkaloid, saponin, flavonoid, steroids, tannin, terpenoid, and phenol were identified. The GC-MS analysis revealed 13 bioactive constituents with Neophytadiene, Squalene, 3, 7, 11, 15-Tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol and 9-eicosyne as active components. Antibiogram study revealed that most isolates, especially E. coli and P. aeruginosa, were 100% resistant to more than two antibiotics. The antibacterial activity of the stem bark of T. glaucescens was reflected by inhibition zones, ranging from 5.5 mm to 12.5 mm; Escherichia coli had the highest zone of inhibition (12.5 mm). The presence of phytochemicals and bioactive components in this stem bark suggests its effectiveness in treating infections and producing pharmaceutical products.

Investigation of the inhibition effect of pitaya (hylocereus guatemalensis) bark extracts on some metabolic enzymes

Pitaya is a tropical and subtropical plant with various uses. In this study, the maceration method obtained acetone, ethanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, and methanol from the bark parts of pitaya fruit. The in vitro effects of fruit peel extracts on the critical metabolic enzyme activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), human carbonic anhydrase (hCA I and hCA II), and α-glycosidase, were investigated. Pitaya bark ethanol (PBE) (IC50: 20.16±0.22 µg/mL, r2:0.9694) for AChE and Pitaya bark acetone (PBA) (IC50:42.10±1.045 µg/mL, r2:0.9807) extract for BChE showed the most potent inhibition effect. Pitaya bark ethyl acetate (PBEA) extract showed the most potent inhibitory effect for hCA I and hCA II (IC50:53.51±2.22 µg/mL, r2:0.9562 and IC50:26.29±0.34 µg/mL, r2:0.9966), respectively. In addition, PBEA showed the most potent inhibition effect on α-glycosidase enzyme (IC50: 24.54±1.80 µg/mL, r2:0.9199). According to the results, the extracts can be effectively used treatment of diseases such as glaucoma, epilepsy, type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Fuel Properties of Slab Wastes from Sengon Sawmills: A Case Study in Sleman and Wonosobo Regencies

Sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria (L.) Nielsen) is a fast-growing and versatile species that has been established in community forests. Many sawmills utilize sengon wood as a raw material which generates wastes in the form of sawdust and slab consisting of a mixture of bark and wood. Those wastes are widely used by communities and home industries as fuel. The objective of this study was to characterize the energy properties of slab wastes from sengon sawmills in Wonosobo dan Sleman Regencies. The results showed that the calorific value and fuelwood value index (FVI) ranges were 4,089 to 4,749 cal/g and 2.71 to 18.74, respectively. The values of density ranged from 0.23 to 0.94 g/cm3. The proximate analysis showed that the values of moisture and ash contents ranged from 13.90 to 20.03% and from 0.30 to 4.59%, respectively, whereas volatile matter and fixed carbon contents ranged from 75.84 to 88.94% and from 10.23 to 20.62%, respectively. In general, the slab samples from Wonosobo gave higher values in fixed carbon content and FVI but smaller values in density, moisture content, volatile matter content, and ash content than those of the samples in Sleman. The bark part showed higher amounts in density, moisture content, fixed carbon content, and ash content but lower in volatile matter content, calorific value, and FVI than the wood part. Based on the wood consumption, sawmill recovery, calorific value, and dry weight biomass value, the potential annual energy from slab wastes in Sleman and Wonosobo reached 1,374 × 1013 cal (equivalent to 1,525,222 L of kerosene) and 1.521 × 1014 cal (equivalent to 16,884,016 L of kerosene), respectively.

Intensification of water extraction of non-fruit parts of sea buckthorn (Hippóphaë rhamnóides)

The healing properties of extracts from sea buckthorn fruits have been confirmed by numerous studies, however, the infertile parts remaining after harvesting or after pruning young trees also contain valuable components. Leaves, bark, shoots and woody parts of sea buckthorn are very promising raw materials for the extraction of biologically active substances. The introduction of non-waste technologies, issues of resource conservation, the search for rational ways to isolate valuable components from the non-fruit part of sea buckthorn determined the relevance of this study. The choice of the optimal method for the extraction of non-fruit parts of sea buckthorn is aimed at accelerating heat and mass transfer processes and increasing the rate of diffusion extraction of biologically active substances. The paper reflects the results of experimental studies of traditional aqueous extraction of non-fruit parts of sea buckthorn, namely leaves, bark, shoots and wood, and the results of intensification of extraction by preliminary freezing of the feedstock. The influence of the raw material freezing rate on the size of the formed ice crystals is analyzed. It has been established that at a freezing rate of 0.1-1 cm/ h, large ice crystals form in the intercellular space of plant raw materials, causing mechanical damage to cellular structures and contributing to better leaching of biologically active substances, which is confirmed by experimental studies.

Evaluation of Total Phenolic, Flavonoid Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Different Parts of Averrhoa carambola L.

Averrhoa carambola L. belonging to the Oxalidaceae family has fruits with attractive star shape. Total phenolic and flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity of various parts of A. carambola have been studied to explore active extracts for novel antioxidant compounds. Methanol extract of bark contained the highest amount of phenolic constituent (125 mg GAE/g of dry extract). However, hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts contained the maximum number of flavonoids and were 45, 92 and 72 mg QE/g of dry extract, respectively. Since the bark possessed the highest antioxidant capacity, it contained more phenolic compounds than other extracts of fruits and leaves. Total antioxidant capacity of hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts of bark were 62, 117 and 151 mg AAE/g of dry extract, respectively. The results recommend that the bark part can be a good source of phenolic compounds as it showed the highest antioxidant capacity. The fruit and leave parts are also rich sources of antioxidant compounds. Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 21(2): 147-151, 2022 (December)

Improving biogas production from different parts of spruce tree using leading pretreatments

Spruce is the most resistant type of lignocellulosic material to anaerobic digestion. Different parts of spruce tree, i.e., leaves, wood, branches, bark, fruit, and mixtures of these parts, were pretreated using the leading pretreatments, i.e., concentrated phosphoric acid, dilute sulfuric acid, and ethanolic organosolv pretreatment, to improve biogas production. The pretreatment effects on methane yield from both solid and liquid fractions of the pretreatments were evaluated. Different parts of the tree showed different behaviors. The maximum methane yields from the pretreated solids were obtained after phosphoric acid pretreatment, which yielded methane yields of 211.7 and 225.5 mL per g volatile solids (VS) of pretreated spruce leaves and mixture, respectively. The improvements were related to opened-up structure, crystallinity reduction, and delignification. Sulfuric acid pretreatment improved biomethane yield from liquids, but not solids. Moreover, organosolv pretreatment improved the yield from solids, but not wood, bark, and the mixture. The maximum methane production yield was 245.3 NmL CH4/gVS which was obtained from the organosolv liquor of spruce leaves. The highest overall methane production (252.9 L per Kg) was gained from the whole solid and liquid fractions from organosolv pretreatment of leaves. This methane yield corresponded to 2.4-fold improvement compared to that of the untreated leaves (107 NmL CH4/gVS). Thus, leaves and branches are less recalcitrant parts and do not need severe pretreatment, while bark and wood are the most recalcitrant parts and required severe pretreatment like concentrated phosphoric acid. Moreover, the mixture of all parts also required severe pretreatment for efficient biogas production.

Influence of abiotic factors on phytochemical diversity of Anacardiumoccidentale L.

To understand the influence of environmental factors on the metabolic diversity of phytochemical compounds from extracts of leaves and bark of Anacardium occidentale, collected in two different geographic areas, ultra-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry were used, as well as the composition of physicochemical properties of both soils at the collection site (“Lavras da Mangabeira” and “Crato”). It was possible to observe physicochemical differences between the soils of the two collection areas and some similarities. Both present granulometry with a sandy texture, with high values of total sand, with acid pH, and variation in porosity rates. The micronutrients with the highest accumulation in the soil, with emphasis on the predominance of P (Phosphorus) and Al (Aluminium) mainly in the 20–40 cm layer in Crato. Thirty-three phytochemical compounds were identified in the leaf and bark extracts, of which 28 were present in the leaves and 20 in the bark part. Of this total, 13 were present in at least one of the parts of the plant (leaf or bark), and most were present in both Crato and Lavras da Mangabeira, presenting mainly phenolic acids, flavonoids and tannins in all extracts evaluated. Both extracts showed similarities between the groups of compounds. Taken together, this study may be relevant to assess environmental influences on the production of secondary metabolites.

A Study on HPTLC Quantification for Quality Control of Myricetin a Nutraceutical from Different Plant Parts of Myrica esculenta Linn

The present study was performed to report the quantification of myricetin present in different extracts (i.e. ethanol, methanol, petroleum ether, chloroform and aqueous extract) of root, leaf, bark, stem and seed of Myrica esculenta using TLC densitometric method. Densitometric scanning was performed at 366 nm for the determination and quantitation of standard compounds. The compact spots were achieved at Rf 0.67 corresponding to myricetin. The content of myricetin present in different solvent extracts of M. esculenta was 0.2159 ± 0.002% w/w, 0.3139 ± 0.003% w/w, 0.0184 ± 0.004% w/w, 0.0139 ± 0.003% w/w and 0.2120 ± 0.005% w/w in ethanolic, methanolic, petroleum ether, chloroform and aqueous extract of M. esculenta stem, stem, bark, leaf and leaf plant parts, respectively. The highest myricetin content was found in the order of methanolic stem extract>ethanolic stem extract>aqueous leaf extract>petroleum ether bark extract>chloroform leaf extract of M. esculenta. The developed HPTLC method was a precise, simple, convenient and accurate for screening of large number of active compounds present in various solvent extracts. Thus, the study concluded that the developed HPTLC method for quantification of myricetin can be used for a routine quality check and analysis of any formulation and composition containing M. esculenta.

Co-relational study on embelin content in wild and cultivated non fruit plant parts of Embelia tsjeriam-cottam A. DC.

Embelin, one of significant bio-active benzoquinone compound, acts as active principle in fruits of Embelia species and has significant role as a potent source for several formulations. Aim of current research study was to estimate the variation in embelin content different non fruit parts of Embelia tsjeriam-cottam (leaf, stem bark and roots) from both wild and cultivated sources. This was achieved by using spectroscopic method and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis method, after purification through column chromatography (CC) and preparative thin layer chromatography technique (PTLC). In case of spectrophotometric analysis, wild Embelia tsjeriam-cottam plants showed embelin content in between 1.14-1.96% dry wt. and the cultivated plants 0.92-1.70% dry wt. Similarly in case of HPLC analysis, wild E. tsjeriam-cottam plants possessed embelin content in a range of 0.033-0.098% dry wt. and cultivated plants yielded embelin in between 0.021-0.071% dry wt. In both cases, amongst all the selected non fruit plant parts, the chloroform extracted root samples possessed highest and the methanol extracted leaf samples yielded lowest embelin content. When comparison was done between the wild and cultivated plant parts in terms of embelin content, wild plants were ascertained to be highly potent than the cultivated plants and root samples possessed highest embelin content followed by stem bark and leaf parts.

In-vitro Antioxidant and DPP-IV Enzyme Assay of Ethyl Acetate Extract of Enicostemma littorale

Background: Pharmacological treatments for diabetes are based on increasing insulin availability and improving insulin sensitivity. Today, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) -based therapies aim to control glucose through DPP-4 inhibitors. DPP-4 is a transmembrane glycoprotein belonging to the prolyl oligopeptidase family, with the specificity of eliminating the X-Pro or X-Ala dipeptides from the N-terminal end of the polypeptides. The effect of GLP-1 in stimulating the release of glucose-dependent insulin from pancreatic islets inhibits inappropriate glucagon release after meals and slow gastric emptying promotes intestinal permeability.
 Study Design: The current study investigated the inhibitory activity of DPP-4 along with the antioxidant activity of Enicostemma littorale extract. 
 Place and Duration of Study: The present study was conducted at Anurag University, Hyderabad between June-2021 to Sept-2021.
 Methodology: The extracts tested for a range of activities such as hydroxyl radical scavenging activity test, In-vitro DPP-IV enzyme test activity test, DPPH free radical scavenging.
 Results: The extract shows dose-dependent DPPH and hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging activity. In in-vitro DPP-IV enzyme assay activity, Enicostemma littorale ethyl acetate extract showed greater inhibitory activity of DPP-IV compared to vildagliptin with IC50 values ​​of 165.64μg/ml, respectively. Vildagliptin, based on the reference standard for DPP-IV inhibitor activity, has an IC50 value of 57.44 μg/ml. According to the in-vitro analysis, the Enicostemma littorale extract has a strong inhibitory activity of DPP-IV.
 Conclusion: We concluded that the Enicostemma littorale will be a better source for further development as new antidiabetic drugs. To the best of our knowledge, there is no report and study on the bark part of this species.

Effect of structural features of plant biomass as a dewatering aid for digested sludge from a wastewater treatment plant

Large amounts of plant biomass are produced by public work projects. This plant biomass was evaluated as an aid for the dewatering of sludge from a sewage treatment plant. The relationships were investigated between the different structural types of plant biomass (grass clippings, pruned branches of Japanese black pine, and bamboo powder) and their dewaterability potential in digested sludge. Microscopic observations revealed that grass fibrous materials and Japanese black pine needles had hollow structures. However, xylem, bark parts of Japanese black pine, and bamboo culms exhibited woody cell structures. The difference in water retention value of grass clippings after filtration and centrifugation was higher than that of Japanese pine and bamboo, indicating that the water present within the pores of grass fibrous materials could be easily removed. Plant biomass was captured inside the floc when digested sludge was mixed with plant biomass and flocculation was performed by adding a flocculant. The addition of grass clippings exhibited better dewaterability compared with both Japanese black pine and bamboo. The grass fibrous materials used as a dewatering aid effectively improved the dewaterability of the digested sludge because the water in a sludge floc may be drained from within the grass fibrous materials.

In vitro Anti-inflammatory Activity of Endemic Artocarpus nobilis Thw Found in Sri Lanka

Aims: To investigate in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of aqueous, methanol, dichloromethane, and hexane extracts of Artocarpus nobilis Thw. leaves and stem bark using heat-induced protein denaturation test (egg albumin denaturation).
 Methodology: About 500 g of each matured, fully expanded leaves and stem bark of Artocarpus nobilis were collected, washed and air-dried. Leaves and stem bark parts were grounded to obtain a fine powder material. The extractions were obtained using the decoction extraction method. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using the heat-induced egg albumin denaturation method. Diclofenac sodium was used as the positive control.
 Results: Results showed that Diclofenac sodium exhibited an IC50 value of 243.4 µg/mL and methanolic stem bark extract had an IC50 Value of 249.8 µg/mL) for heat-induced egg albumin protein denaturation test. R² and P values for aqueous, methanol, dichloromethane, and hexane extracts indicated that there was a strong, statistically significant correlation (P<0.01) between concentration and percentage inhibition for all extracts of A. nobilis Thw. However, methanol stem bark extract demonstrated the highest efficacy and potency with similar activity observed for the positive control Diclofenac sodium.
 Conclusion: Methanol stem bark extract of Artocarpus nobilis Thw. have marked in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. Further studies are necessary to determine the mechanism and the active constituents responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity of the plant parts of Artocarpus nobilis Thw.

Antibacterial Activity of Endemic Artocarpus nobilis Thw Found in Sri Lanka

Aims: To evaluate antibacterial activity of aqueous, methanol, dichloromethane, and hexane extracts of Artocarpus nobilis Thw. leaves and stem bark against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus using agar well diffusion method.
 Methodology: Matured fully expanded leaves and stem bark parts of Artocarpus nobilis were collected, air-dried, and grounded. The extraction was obtained using a decoction extraction method. Antibacterial activity was performed against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC® 25923TM) and Escherichia coli (ATCC® 25922TM) using agar well diffusion method and gentamicin was used as a positive control. The whole experiment was done in triplicates and the diameter of the inhibition zone (in mm) was measured and recorded.
 Results: Results showed that aqueous bark extract (EC50 4.286 mg/mL) showed the highest efficacy and potency against E. coli while methanol bark extract (EC50 4.427 mg/mL) showed the highest efficacy and potency against S. aureus. R² and P values for aqueous, methanol, dichloromethane, and hexane extracts indicated that there was a strong, statistically significant correlation (P ≤ 0.05) between concentration and zone of inhibition for all extracts of A. nobilis against E. coli and S. aureus.
 Conclusion: This study showed that aqueous and methanol bark extracts of Artocarpus nobilis have marked in vitro dose-dependent antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus respectively. Further studies are necessary to ascertain the mechanism and the active constituents responsible for the antibacterial activity of the of plant parts of Artocarpus nobilis.