Bioactive Extracts Research Articles

Comparative Efficacy of Bio Active Plant Extracts and Insecticides against Cereal Leaf Beetle (Oulema melanopus L.) Infesting Oats in North Kashmir, India

Experiment was carried out at farmers field near the Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura, Kashmir, India during 2021-22 to evaluate efficacy of various insecticides and botanicals against cereal leaf beetle Oulema melanopus (L.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) infesting Rabi Oats (Avena sativa L.) in North Kashmir. Among plant extracts and insecticides evaluated against O. melanopus, Abamectin proved to be most effective in causing huge mortality to grub population with decreasing number of grub were recorded as (24, 21.3, 8.3, 1.6 and 1 %) after 2,4,6,8 and 10 days of spray, respectively during 2021 followed by Thiamethoxam (32.6, 15.3, 8, 0.3%) after 2, 4, 6, 8 ad 10 days of spray. Same trend of results was observed in 2022 and the pooled data. Among tested botanicals viz. neem and Artimesia; Artimesia was effective in declining the grub population with (44, 42, 41, 39 and 37%) after 2, 4, 6,8 and 10 days after spray. Severe infestation has been observed at maturity of crop and keeping in view the use as fodder to cattle it is necessary to inculcate the use of locally available botanicals for better health of cattle during the dearth period of fodder in Kashmir valley. Overall, the marginal farmers might be saved from any untoward by utilization of the bioactive plant extracts in management of this notorious pest.

Antiproliferative and Apoptotic Effects of Murici (Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth and verbascifolia (L.) DC) and Taperebá (Spondias mombin L.) Extracts in Human Prostate Cell Line (PC-3).

The present study aimed to evaluate the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of extracts obtained from the murici (Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth and verbascifolia (L.) DC) and taperebá (Spondias mombin L.) pulps, on cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis on human prostate cell line (PC-3). Four extract was produced from the pulps: murici aqueous extract (MA), taperebá aqueous extract (TA), murici ethanolic extract (ME) and taperebá ethanolic extract (TE). In the present study, the analysis of cell viability, cell cycle and apoptosis analyze were performed using the MTT method and flow cytometry. The results showed that murici and taperebá extracts proved to be inhibitors of cell growth, modulation of cell cycle promoters and capable of enhancing the death in prostate carcinoma cells PC-3; suggesting a regulatory effect in prostate cell line, depending on type of extract and dosage used. These results open a series of perspectives on the use of these bioactive extracts in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer.

Role of infrared-assisted extraction of antioxidant phytochemicals in enhancing antimicrobial activity of Phaeodactylumtricornutum

Microalgae are a sustainable source of highly bioactive and nutritious biomolecules such as polyphenols, and carotenoids. The efficiency of a novel infrared (IR) technology in terms of optimization of phytochemical (phenolic compounds, chlorophylls and carotenoids) recovery from P. tricornutum was studied using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Optimized antioxidant activity (870 ± 22 μg TE/mL) and phenolic compound concentration (562 ± 7 mg GAE/100 g DM) were obtained using IR at 33 °C for 12 min at pH 7. In addition, chlorophyll A (26.54 ± 2.78 mg/100 g DM) and carotenoids (9.61 ± 0.40 mg/100 g DM) were recovered at the simultaneous optimal IR conditions: 56 °C, 36 min, pH 9.5. Compared to conventional aqueous extraction, IR enhanced by 10.06% the recovery of phenolic compounds and ameliorated their biological activities by 36.24% for DPPH, 17.24% for CUPRAC, 14.50% for TEAC, and 4.60% for FRAP. Finally, IR bioactive extracts also exhibited antibacterial effects against S. aureus. In conclusion, the richness of P. tricornutum in phytochemicals makes it a valuable alternative food source. IR technology proved to be an efficient method for the recovery of high-added value compounds from microalgae. Antioxidant and pigment-rich microalgae extracts can be used as dietary supplements.

Identification, validation and quantification of thymoquinone in conjunction with assessment of bioactive possessions and GC-MS profiling of pharmaceutically valuable crop Nigella (Nigella sativa L.) varieties.

Plants have been pivotal in traditional and modern medicine globally, with historical evidence supporting their therapeutic applications. Nigella (Nigella sativa L.) is an annual herbaceous plant of the Ranunculaceae family and is cultivated in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Western and Central Asia. The medicinal use of plants dates back thousands of years, documented in ancient writings from various civilizations. Alkaloids, phenolics, saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, anthraquinones, and tannins found in plants exhibit antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, and antidiabetic activities. This study specifically examines the pharmacological potential of Nigella sativa L., emphasizing thymoquinone-a compound with diverse nutraceutical benefits. The extraction, characterization, and quantification of thymoquinone, alongside other physicochemical parameters, were carried out using ethanol through Soxhlet extraction procedures on five nigella varieties. HPLC analysis was performed to determine the maximum accumulation of thymoquinone in the released variety of the plant and the chemical composition of the seed oil isolated from Nigella sativa L., varieties utilized in the study was determined through GC-MS analysis. The research revealed that the Ajmer nigella-20 variety stands out, exhibiting elevated levels of thymoquinone (0.20 ± 0.07%), antioxidants (76.18 ± 1.78%), and substantial quantities of total phenols (31.85 ± 0.97 mg GAEg-1 seed) and flavonoids (8.150 ± 0.360 mg QE 100 g-1 seed) compared to other varieties. The GC-MS profiling showed the presence of 11 major compounds in the studied varieties, with p-cymene, longifolene, and myristic acid identified as the major chemical compounds present in the oil. The observed variations among Nigella varieties indicate the Ajmer nigella-20 variety as particularly promising for thymoquinone and bioactive compound extraction. This study underscores Nigella's potential as a source of pharmacologically active compounds, highlighting the need for further exploration in therapeutic applications.

Protease hydrolysed brewers’ spent grain bioactive extracts for applications in human health

About 39 million tons of Brewer’s spent grain (BSG), the main by-product of beer manufacturing, are produced annually and is used for low value applications. To valorise this rich bioresource, the present work entails bioprocessing of BSG with various proteases (Novozymes) at two different concentrations (4% and 9%) to solubilise protein, carbohydrate and polyphenols from the grain and evaluate its effect on gut and brain health. The results show the highest (p < 0.05) FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) based antioxidant activity was obtained for Pro 5 (4%: 108.10 ± 4.17 µmole Trolox Equivalence (TE)/g protein, 18.06 ± 0.70 µmole TE/g d.w., which was 3.6 times higher than untreated control extracts. The highest DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activity was obtained for the same extract (Pro 5 at 4%: 0.118 ± 0.006 µg AAE/mg d.w., 9%: 0.110 ± 0.006 µg AAE/mg d.w). Proximate composition showed this extract to contain the highest concentration of proteins at 21.66% ± 2.71, and color analysis showed the same Pro 5 (4%) extract to be the darkest (L*53.73) indicating the possible presence of dark polyphenols. Anticancer screening showed Control and Pro 1 to possess cytotoxic effect against colon cancer cells with IC50 of 3.2 and 13.91 mg/mL, respectively. No significant activity was noted against the brain cancer cell line. Thus anti-colon cancer activity of BSG extracts highlights its potential in gut health. The observed bioactivity resulted from a combination of peptides, carbohydrates and polyphenolic compounds in the extract and warrants further characterisation for targeted nutraceutical applications.Graphical abstract

Eco-Friendly Extraction: A green approach to maximizing bioactive extraction from pumpkin (Curcubita moschata L.)

The research focused on optimizing the accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) of carotenoids and polyphenols from pumpkin powder. The study optimized accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) of carotenoids and polyphenols from pumpkin powder. Using a mix of standard score (SS) and artificial neural network (ANN) methods, the extraction process was fine-tuned. The ANN model assessed extraction parameters' significance, achieving high predictability for total carotenoid content (TCC), total phenolic content (TPC), and free radical scavenging capacity (DPPH and ABTS methods). The analysis highlighted the most effective extraction at 50 % concentration, 120 °C temperature, 5 min duration, and 2 cycles, yielding high carotenoid and phenolic content (TCC 571.49 µg/g, TPC 7.85 mg GAE/g). HPLC-DAD profiles of the optimized ASE extract confirmed major carotenoids and phenolic compounds. Strong correlations were found between bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity, emphasizing potential health benefits.

Facile Synthesis of Graphene–Metal Nanocomposites with Tephrosia Purpurea for Anticancer and Antimicrobial Activity

The research is focused on screening various bioactive extracts from Tephrosia purpurea plant leaf for the onward synthesis of nanomaterial and formation of Grephene-Ag nanocomposite for their biological applications. The aerial parts of this plant are comprised of primary and secondary metabolites. Its latex contains many important compounds such as Phenolics, Flavonides, and Terpenes, etc. Tephrosia purpurea is used as a traditional medicine to cure different problems of the digestive and respiratory tract. The aerial parts of this plant show immense antifungal and antimicrobial pursuits. Silver nanoparticles were synthesized from methanol extract of aerial parts of the Tephrosia Purpurea. These nanoparticles were reacted with lab synthesized Graphene to form Plant-Silver-Graphene nanocomposites. The characterization of plant extract, extract-mediated Ag-nanoparticles, and graphene-metal nanocomposites was carried out by different techniques like FTIR, UV, EDX &amp; SEM. FTIR &amp; UV spectra peaks were found in the ranges already reported. EDX analysis shows the percentage of the elements matching the reported data. SEM shows similar ranges of nanoparticle sizes as found in the research papers. Moreover, anticancer activities of plant-Ag-graphene nanocomposites were done &amp; comparison was made with parent materials. The results were remarkable as plant-Ag-graphene nanocomposites showed better anticancer activities than the nanoparticles and plant extract.

Novel bioactive extract from yarrow obtained by the supercritical antisolvent-assisted technique inhibits lipid metabolism in colorectal cancer.

Background: Altered lipid metabolism in cancer is associated to dissemination and prognosis. Bioactive compounds naturally occurring in Achillea millefolium L. (yarrow) have been reported to exert antitumour activities. Food biotechnology may provide on-demand mixtures of bioactive compounds with complementary activities in cancer treatment. Methods: Supercritical-antisolvent-precipitation (SAS) has been applied to fractionate the bioactive compounds from an Ultrasound-Assisted-Extraction yarrow extract resulting in two extracts with distinct polarity, yarrow-precipitate-(PP) and yarrow-separator-(Sep). Total phenolic content and relevant essential oils have been characterized. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activities have been compared. Moreover, the effect on the inhibition of colorectal cancer cells' bioenergetics has been evaluated. Results: Yarrow-PP exerted the highest antioxidant activity, even higher than the complete UAE-yarrow extract, meanwhile yarrow-Sep showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity, even higher than the complete UAE-yarrow extract. Interestingly, yarrow-Sep inhibited key lipid metabolic targets in CRC cells extensively shown to be implicated in cancer dissemination and prognosis -SREBF1, FASN, ABCA1 and HMGCR- and epithelial to mesenchymal targets-CDH1, ATP1B1, CDH2 and Vimentin-augmenting cell adhesion. Conclusions: In summary, SAS technology has been applied to provide a novel combination of bioactive compounds, yarrow-Sep, which merits further research to be proposed as a potential complementary nutraceutical in the treatment of CRC.

Chemical Profiling and Biological Activities on Nepalese Medicinal Plant Extracts and Isolation of Active Fraction of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis.

The importance of medicinal plants for the treatment of different diseases is high from the aspects of the pharmaceutical industry and traditional healers. The present study involves nine different medicinal plants, namely, Neolamarckia cadamba, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Pogostemon benghalensis, Equisetum debile, Litsea monopetala, Spilanthes uliginosa, Desmostachya bipinnata, Mallotus philippensis, and Phoenix humilis, collected from Chitwan district of Nepal for biochemical analysis followed by the isolation of active plant fractions from the bioactive plant extract. The methanolic extracts of roots, barks, seeds, seed cover, and the other aerial parts of plants were used for the phytochemical analysis and biological activities. The DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging assay was adopted to evaluate the antioxidant activity. Antibacterial activity was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method. The antidiabetic activity was studied by the α-amylase enzyme inhibition assay. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in extracts of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis followed by Mallotus philippensis (seed cover), Pogostemon benghalensis, Litsea monopetala, Phoenix humilis, and Neolamarckia cadamba with IC50 values of 27.38 ± 1.35, 32.08 ± 2.81, 32.75 ± 2.13, 33.82 ± 1.07, 40.14 ± 0.93, and 50.44 ± 3.75 µg/mL, respectively. The highest antidiabetic activity was observed in extracts of Phoenix humilis followed by Desmostachya bipinnata and Pogostemon benghalensis with IC50 values of 95.69 ± 6.97, 99.24 ± 12.6, and 106.3 ± 12.89 µg/mL, respectively. The mild α-amylase enzyme inhibition was found in extracts of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Spilanthes uliginosa Swartz, Litsea monopetala, and Equisetum debile showing IC50 values of 110.4 ± 7.78, 115.98 ± 10.24, 149.83 ± 8.3, and 196.45 ± 6.04 µg/mL, whereas Mallotus Philippensis (seed cover), Mallotus philippensis (seed), and Desmostachya bipinnata showed weak α-amylase inhibition with IC50 values of 208.87 ± 1.76, 215.41 ± 2.09, and 238.89 ± 9.27 µg/mL, respectively. The extract of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis showed high zones of inhibition against S. aureus (ATCC 25923) and E. coli (ATCC 25922) of ZOI 26 and 22 mm, respectively. The chemical constituents isolated from the active plant Nyctanthes arbor-tristis were subjected to GCMS analysis where the major chemical compounds were 11,14,17-eicosatrienoic acid and methyl ester. These results support the partial scientific validation for the traditional uses of these medicinal plants in the treatment of diabetes and infectious diseases by the people living in different communities of Chitwan, Nepal.

APPLICATION OF SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINE FOR CLASS IMBALANCE LEARNING TO PREDICT ANTICANCER COMPOUNDS OF MEDICINAL PLANTS IN WEST SULAWESI

Indonesian medicinal plants, such as turmeric and soursop, have shown promising anticancer properties through their bioactive compounds, like curcumin and extracts from soursop. Despite many extensive studies on medicinal plants in Indonesia, research revealing the activity of natural products in West Sulawesi is still limited, and the studies focus mainly on ethnobotanical research. In this work, we propose a machine-learning approach to predict the anticancer activity of compounds in medicinal plants in West Sulawesi by leveraging high throughput-screening data, especially molecular information from a public database. We applied Support Vector Machine (SVM) with five sampling techniques to address data imbalance. We also evaluated the performance in selecting the best combination in handling class imbalance learning in our dataset. The result shows that undersampling and ADSYN methods can improve the prediction of anticancer activity. Based on the two methods of balancing data, we have ten potential anticancer compounds from three medicinal plants in West Sulawesi.&#x0D;

Optimizing Extract Preparation from Laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) Leaves Using a Pulsed Electric Field

This study explores the bioactive compound extraction from laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) leaves using a pulsed electric field (PEF) as a standalone extraction technique. The primary parameters impacting the extraction process were optimized through response surface methodology. Specifically, solvent composition (ethanol and water mixtures) and liquid-to-solid ratio, along with other key PEF conditions (i.e., electric field intensity, pulse period, and pulse length) were examined. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated through DPPH and FRAP assays, whereas total polyphenol content was also measured. A comparison was also made between the extracts produced with and without PEF. The results showed that after 30 min of extraction, the best parameters were a pulse period of 355 μs, a pulse duration of 55 μs, and an electric field intensity of 0.6 kV/cm. A liquid-to-solid ratio of 10 mL/g was chosen, whereas the best solvent was determined to be 25% (v/v) ethanol/water mixture. The PEF-treated extract contained 77% more polyphenols compared to the untreated sample. In addition, PEF-treated samples had a rise of up to 288% for certain individual polyphenols. Correlation analyses also revealed interesting trends among bioactive compounds and the antioxidant capacity of the extracts. The effect of the investigated parameters on polyphenol recovery was demonstrated, indicating that comparable investigations should consider these parameters to optimize polyphenol extraction yield. Regarding green and non-thermal standalone techniques, PEF outshines other extraction techniques as it could also be used as a sustainable way to swiftly generate health-promoting extracts from medicinal plants.

Process optimization, multi-gene genetic programming modeling and reliability assessment of bioactive extracts recovery from Phyllantus emblica

This study investigates the feasibility of extracting bioactive antioxidants from Phyllantus emblica leaves using a combination of ethanol-water mixture (0-100%) and heat-assisted extraction technology (HAE-T). Operating temperature (30-50°C), solid-to-liquid ratio (1:20-1:60 g/mL), and extraction time (45-180 min) were varied to determine their effects on extract total phenolic content (TPC), yield (EY), and antioxidant activity (AA). The Box-Behnken experimental design (BBD) within response surface methodology (RSM) was employed, with multi-objective process optimization using the desirability function algorithm to find the optimal process variables for maximizing TPC, EY, and AA simultaneously. The extraction process was modeled using BBD-RSM and multi-gene genetic programming (MGGP) algorithm, with model reliability assessed via Monte Carlo simulation. HPLC characterization identified betulinic acid, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ellagic acid, and ferulic acid as bioactive constituents in the extract. The study found that a 50% ethanol solution yielded the best extraction efficiency. The optimal process parameters for maximum EY (21.6565%), TPC (67.116 mg GAE/g), and AA (3.68583 µM AAE/g) were determined as OT of 41.61°C, S:L of 1:60 g/mL, and ET of 180 min. Both BBD-RSM and MGGP-based models satisfactorily predicted the observed process responses, with BBD-RSM models showing slightly better performance. Reliability analysis indicated high certainty in the predictions, with BBD-RSM models achieving 99.985% certainty for TPC, 97.569% for EY, and 98.661% for AA values.

Discovery of bioactive natural products of microbial origin as inhibitors of the PD-1/PD-L1 protein-protein interaction

The PD-1/PD-L1 protein-protein interaction (PPI) controls an adaptive immune resistance mechanism exerted by tumor cells to evade immune responses. The large-molecule nature of current commercial monoclonal antibodies against this PPI hampers their effectiveness by limiting tumor penetration and inducing severe immune-related side effects. Synthetic small-molecule inhibitors may overcome such limitations and have demonstrated promising clinical translation, but their design is challenging. Microbial natural products (NPs) are a source of small molecules with vast chemical diversity that have proved anti-tumoral activities, but which immunotherapeutic properties as PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors had remained uncharacterized so far. Here, we have developed the first cell-based PD-1/PD-L1 blockade reporter assay to screen NPs libraries. In this study, 6000 microbial extracts of maximum biosynthetic diversity were screened. A secondary metabolite called alpha-cyclopiazonic acid (α-CPA) of a bioactive fungal extract was confirmed as a new PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor with low micromolar range in the cellular assay and in an additional cell-free competitive assay. Thermal denaturation experiments with PD-1 confirmed that the mechanism of inhibition is based on its stabilization upon binding to α-CPA. The identification of α-CPA as a novel PD-1 stabilizer proves the unprecedented resolution of this methodology at capturing specific PD-1/PD-L1 PPI inhibitors from chemically diverse NP libraries.

Preparation and characterization of biodegradable food packaging films using lemon peel pectin and chitosan incorporated with neem leaf extract and its application on apricot fruit

The present study aims to develop and characterize biodegradable packaging films from lemon peel-derived pectin and chitosan incorporated with a bioactive extract from neem leaves. The films (PCNE) contained varying concentrations of neem leaf extract and were comprehensively assessed for their physical, optical, mechanical, and antimicrobial attributes. The thickness, moisture content, water solubility, and water vapor permeability of the biodegradable packaging films increased with the increasing concentration of neem leaf extract. Comparatively, the tensile strength of the films decreased by 42.05 % compared to the control film. The Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) confirmed that the resultant blended pectin-chitosan films showed a uniform structure without cracks. Furthermore, the analysis targeting Staphylococcus aureus and Aspergillus niger indicated that the films had potent antimicrobial activity. Based on these results, the optimum films were selected and subsequently applied on apricot fruits to increase their shelf life at ambient temperature. The findings, after examining factors such as colour, firmness, total soluble solids, shrinkage, weight loss, and appearance, concluded that the apricots coated by PCNE-5 had the most delayed signs of spoilage and increased their shelf life by 50 %. The results showed the potential applicability of lemon peel pectin-chitosan-neem leaf extract blend films in biodegradable food packaging.

Supercritical extraction of betalains from the peel of different pitaya species.

Pitaya is a fruit with high consumer acceptance and health benefits. Pitaya peel is a waste product with potential in the food industry, as an antioxidant enrichment and natural colouring. Therefore, there is an interest in recovering its constituents and searching for pitaya species with greater potential. This work aimed to obtain bioactive extracts from the dried peel of pitaya fruits of the species Selenicereus monacanthus (Lem.), S. costaricensis W. and S. undatus H. using supercritical fluids at different pressures (100, 250 and 400 bar) and ethanol-water 15% v/v or ethanol 100% as co-solvents. The extraction yield, antioxidant activity, colour and total betalain content were evaluated. The extract obtained from S. monacanthus showed the highest extraction yield (49.6 g kg-1), followed by S. costaricensis (27.5 g kg-1) and S. undatus (17.7 g kg-1) at 400 bar and 35 °C using ethanol 15%, v/v. The antioxidant capacity was strongly influenced by pressure, favouring the obtaining of betalain-rich extracts at higher pressures, especially in the species S. costaricensis (0.6 g kg-1) and S. monacanthus (0.3 g kg-1). To improve the extraction of S. undatus (the most cultivated species), the procedure of subsequential extractions was applied. This procedure considerably increased the extraction yield, antioxidant activity and total content of betalains. The use of ethanol 100% provided more bioactive fractions and achieved a good separation of betalains. The supercritical extraction method can overcome the challenge of efficiently extracting compounds from pitaya peel, due to the presence of bioactive compounds of great polarity. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Development of the Antioxidant Property of Seagrass Extract-Based Hydrogel for Dental Application.

Background Seagrass is rich in antioxidants, which can help neutralize harmful free radicals in the oral cavity. Free radicals can contribute to oxidative stress, inflammation, and various oral health issues. Incorporating seagrass extract into a hydrogel can enhance its antioxidant capacity, providing a protective effect for oral tissues. The hydrogel, composed of a biocompatible base, ensures that the material is well-tolerated by oral tissue. This is crucial for any dental application to avoid adverse reactions. Aim This work aimed to develop an antioxidant hydrogel that incorporates seagrass extract, with a specific emphasis on its possible use in dentistry. Methods A seagrass sample was collected, and its bioactive compounds were extracted through the utilization of methanol, and subsequent filtration was done. The resulting seagrass filtrate was then integrated into a hydrogel, which was synthesized using polyacrylamide and sodium alginate. Antioxidant hydrogel underwent testing for antioxidant activity through both the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay and the 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay. Besides, the hydrogel functional groups were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, while its crystalline structure was examined using X-ray diffraction analysis. Conclusion Seagrass extract provides inherent antioxidant properties, and incorporating this bioactive extract into the hydrogel imparts antioxidant features. The hydrogel's controlled-release property ensures both safety and efficiency. Antioxidant hydrogel for dental applications holds the potential to improve oral health.

Nutrient conditions influence allelopathic capabilities of Ludwigia adscendens and other tropical macrophytes against Microcystis aeruginosa

Abstract Macrophytes may release allelochemicals that suppress competing phytoplankton, although it is unclear how their effectiveness could be influenced by environmental nutrient conditions. To approach this, we conducted a series of bioassays against the bloom‐forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa using extracts and exudates from potentially allelopathic macrophytes under varying nutrient conditions. We screened six different tropical macrophytes and identified antialgal effects in both extracts and exudates of Ludwigia adscendens, Persicaria barbata, Pontederia crassipes and Vallisneria spiralis. Growth assays indicated that extract inhibitory effectiveness decreased as nutrient concentration increased from 5% to 50% strength. Focusing on the potent antialgal extract of L. adscendens, we determined that its inhibitory effects were enhanced by specifically reducing the availability of either micronutrient or bicarbonate availability, indicating a role of these nutrients in protecting algal cells from allelochemicals. Bioactivity‐guided fractionation and ultra‐performance liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry analyses of L. adscendens extract indicated that ellagitannins were the major constituent of bioactive extract fractions, suggesting an antialgal mechanism common to other tannic compounds. Novel allelopathic alkaloids and terpenoid compounds also were described, although their mechanisms of action are unknown. Our findings provide evidence that the availability of carbon and micronutrients to cyanobacteria could influence the effects of macrophyte allelochemicals. This interaction between the nutrient environment and allelochemical sensitivity of cyanobacteria can be substantial, and studies or applications involving allelopathic interactions between macrophytes and phytoplankton should consider this.

Phytochemical Measurements and Anti-microbial Evaluation of Neem Seed Extract

Background: The plants can introduce a wide range of phytochemical components which are considered as secondary metabolites. As antioxidants, phytochemicals prevent cell damages which are usually caused by free radicals especially those which are associated with heart disease and cancer. Neem seed has high potential of phytochemicals which is used as traditional medicinal. This study aimed to evaluate bioactive and phytochemical extract of Neem seed. Methods: The antimicrobial activities and bioactive compounds of Neem seed extracted with distilled water were investigated in this study. Bioactive components of Neem seed were examined by agar well diffusion method. Results: Tannins, quinones and phenols were the highest phytochemical in Neem seed bioactive extract. Anthocyanin, terpenoids, saponins and glycosides were in medium levels. Also, alkaloids and flavonoids were in low level. At the lowest concentration of bioactive (10 mg/mL), Bacillus subtilis (G+) was the best controllable compared to others. The optimum concentration of the selected pathogenic species was 55 mg/mL at which the Salmonella typhimurium (G-) was highly controllable. Staphylococcus aureus (G+), Bacillus subtilis (G+), and Escherichia coli (G-) were 40 mm, 38 mm and 34 mm, respectively. Conclusion: Tannin and phenol were the highest phytochemical concentration in the Neem seed. In general the Neem seed extract seems to be antioxidants and antimicrobials with effective control area.

Cadmium as a male reproductive toxicant and natural and non-natural ways to tackle it: a review.

Cadmium (Cd) is a naturally occurring environmental pollutant, a toxic substance that causes oxidative stress. According to epidemiological studies, the data suggested that environmental and occupational Cd exposure may be related to several diseases and severe testicular damage. However, studies are going on to explore the mechanism of Cd-induced male reproductive toxicity and its treatment strategies. Currently, researchers are focusing on naturally occurring bioactive compounds, plant extracts, and biochemical, which have better efficacy, less toxicity, and high bioavailability. This review focuses on the mechanistic effect of Cd on testicular toxicity and different categories of compounds having a beneficial impact on Cd-induced male reproductive toxicity. Some potent bioactive antioxidants are quercetin, caffeic acid phenethyl ester, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, curcumin, and silymarin. In comparison, plant extracts are Costus afer leafmethanol extract, methanol root extract of Carpolobia lutea, red carrot methanolic extract, Panax ginseng extract, and biochemicals including melatonin, progesterone, glutamine, L-carnitine, and selenium. Advanced and more detailed studies are needed on these compounds to explore their mechanism in attenuating Cd-induced testicular toxicity and can be potential therapeutics in the future.

Enrichment of Whole-Grain Breads with Food-Grade Extracted Apple Pomace Bioactives Enhanced Their Anti-Inflammatory, Antithrombotic and Anti-Oxidant Functional Properties.

Apple pomace (AP) is a bio-waste product of apples that is co-produced as a by-product during apples' processing for making apple-based products, mainly apple juice, cider and vinegar. AP is a rich source of several bioactives that can be valorized as ingredients for developing novel functional foods, supplements and nutraceuticals. Within the present study, food-grade extracts from AP with different tannin contents were found to contain bioactive polar lipids (PLs), phenolics and carotenoids with strong anti-oxidant, antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory properties. The extract from the low-in-tannins AP showed stronger anti-inflammatory potency in human platelets against the potent thrombo-inflammatory mediator platelet-activating factor (PAF), while it also exhibited considerable anti-platelet effects against the standard platelet agonist, adenosine diphosphate (ADP). The infusion of 0.5-1.0 g of this bioactive AP extract as functional ingredients for whole-grain bread-making resulted in the production of novel bio-functional bread products with stronger anti-oxidant, antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory potency against both PAF and ADP in human platelets, compared to the standard non-infused control breads. Structural analysis by LCMS showed that the PL-bioactives from all these sources (AP and the bio-functional breads) are rich in bioactive unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), especially in the omega-9 oleic acid (OA; 18:1n9), the omega-3 alpha linolenic acid (ALA; 18:n3) and the omega-6 linoleic acid (LA; 18:2n6), which further supports their strong anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic properties. All food-grade extracted AP including that infused with AP-bioactives novel functional breads showed higher hydrophilic, lipophilic and total phenolic content, as well as total carotenoid content, and subsequently stronger antioxidant capacity. These results showed the potential of appropriately valorizing AP-extracts in developing novel bio-functional bakery products, as well as in other health-promoting applications. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to fully elucidate and/or validate the anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic and antioxidant potential of novel bio-functional products across the food and cosmetic sectors when infused with these AP bioactives.