Citrus Macroptera Research Articles

Optimizing Citrus macroptera peel essential oil for bread preservation: Characterization and microbial inhibition

Optimizing Citrus macroptera peel essential oil for bread preservation: Characterization and microbial inhibition

Effect of biofertilizers and humic acid on vegetative growth parameters in Sat Kara (Citrus macroptera) under soil media conditions

Effect of biofertilizers and humic acid on vegetative growth parameters in Sat Kara (Citrus macroptera) under soil media conditions

Chemical profiling of endangered Citrus macroptera leaf extracts and evaluation of its cytotoxic activity

The main component of drug production and formulation, with minimal to no adverse effects, is plant-based medicine. Citrus macroptera is an endangered species of North-Eastern India and has a diverse array of pharmaceutical applications owing to the presence of several bioactive compounds. The study aimed to evaluate the presence of bioactive metabolites, antioxidants, and cytotoxic mechanisms of the in vitro and ex-vitro leaf extracts of C.macroptera. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) profiling was performed using the ethanolic leaf extracts. Methanolic and aqueous extracts were profiled using High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). Moreover, the cytotoxicity of the methanolic leaf extracts was assessed using the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test against SH-SY5Y, human neuroblastoma cell lines. GC-MS analysis revealed the existence of numerous pharmacologically significant components such as esters, hydrocarbons, fatty alcohols, and ester compounds. The presence of flavonoids and stigmasterol was exhibited by the HPTLC profile. The in-situ HPTLC analysis revealed white fluorescence after derivatization under white light that explicitly confirms the antioxidant potential of the extracts and can serve as a lead source of natural antioxidants. The cytotoxic efficacy of the extracts was observed in a concentration-dependent manner. However, the in vitro leaf extract displayed better suppressive effects against the SH-SY5Y cells with a 24-h IC50 of 167.71?g/mL compared to the ex-vitro leaf extract. Further, a comprehensive study is necessary to identify the cytotoxic compounds and their mode of action. The outcome of our investigation provides empirical evidence that phytoconstituents present in the leaf extracts of C. macroptera can be used as an effective pharmaceutical agent to combat several diseases.

Essential oils extracted from Citrus macroptera and Homalomena aromatica (Spreng.) Schott. exhibit repellent activities against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Background & objectives: Mosquitoes alone transmit diseases to around 700 million individuals annually, killing approximately 0.7 million people every year worldwide. Considering the potential health risks linked with synthetic repellents, it has become vital to identify eco-friendly, natural repellents for mosquito control as well as to understand the underlying mechanism for mosquito repellent activity. To address this, objectives were set to extract essential oils from Citrus macroptera peel and Homalomena aromatica (Spreng.) Schott. rhizomes, evaluate their mosquito repellent activity against Aedes aegypti, and further explore their mosquito odorant receptor inhibition potential. Methods: The oils were extracted using Clevenger’s apparatus, and properties like specific gravity, refractive index, and boiling point were evaluated and characterised using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Aedes aegypti mosquito eggs collected from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dibrugarh, were reared in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Laboratory, to obtain adult Aedes aegypti mosquitoes for the mosquito repellent activity evaluation of the essential oils using the Human Bait technique’. Molecular docking studies were performed for the oil components against mosquito odorant binding proteins. Further, toxicity studies of these two oils were evaluated against human dermal fibroblast adult (HDFa) cells. Results: The results revealed the presence of limonene (86.76%) and linalool (52.35%), respectively, in Citrus macroptera and Homalomena aromatica oils. It was found that the combination of the oils in a ratio of 1:1 showed mosquito repellent activity for up to 6.33 ± 0.23 h. Molecular docking studies showed the presence of major oil components having mosquito odorant receptor blocking potential comparable to N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), indicating a rationale for extended mosquito repellent action. Further, both of these oils were found to be non-cytotoxic against HDFa cells after 24 h. Interpretation & conclusion: The encouraging mosquito repellent activity of these two oils as compared to synthetic mosquito repellent DEET might pave the way for the development of novel herbal mosquito repellent formulations containing these essential oils.

HPLC profiling and anti-inflammatory potential of Citrus macroptera leaves along with in silico analysis

BackgroundCitrus macroptera (Family-Rutaceae), is a scarce medicinal plant that has much therapeutic importance and is also reported to possess various medicinal components. Regarding the uses and the compounds, selected pharmacological tests on its leaves were conducted along with HPLC and in silico analysis. MethodsHPLC analysis of polyphenolic compounds was conducted using sixteen standards. In both qualitative and quantitative ways, antioxidant tests were conducted. The total contents of different antioxidant components were also measured. Free radicals from 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide, and superoxide radicals were scavenged along with FeCl3 reduction. To measure analgesic effects, acetic acid-induced writhing and tail immersion tests were experimented. Formalin-induced paw edema and Brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia methods were followed to evaluate anti-inflammatory and antipyretic potentialities, respectively. Finally, molecular docking and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) analysis of reported compounds were carried out. ResultsC. macroptera leaves showed the presence of eight polyphenols from HPLC analysis. The measured contents of phenols, tannins, flavonoids, and antioxidant capacities were noteworthy. The extract scavenged the obtained free radicals from the oxidants and also showed good FeCl3-reducing capabilities. In the case of pharmacological assays, it showed a considerable analgesic effect by reducing writhing impulse and elongating tail withdrawal time. Over the period of time, this extract significantly lessened the paw edema and elevated body temperature which revealed good anti-inflammatory and antipyretic outcomes, respectively. With the findings and from in silico analysis, we suppose six molecules to be treated as new leads. ConclusionOur experiment expressed that C. macroptera leaves are abundant with antioxidants and it also revealed nice anti-inflammatory potentialities.

Study on morphological characterization of Citrus macroptera Mont collected from garo hills district Meghalaya, India

The work was undertaken to study the variability in Citrus macroptera from five Garo hills district. Many important horticultural plant species, viz. Citrus are known to have originated from this region. Citrus macroptera Mont. is one of the endangered, semi-wild species which have found to exist in various parts of NE region, including Meghalaya. Thirty accession of Citrus macroptera from five different districts of Garo Hills, Meghalaya were collected to study its variability in quantity and quality parameters. In the study significant to highly significant differences were observed among the genotypes. The analysis of variance for different parameters such as tree height, tree girth, leaf length, leaf width, fruit width, fruit length, fruit weight, number of fruit segment, rind thickness, number of seeds per segment, seed length, and seed width varied significantly among accession. Variability among accession collected from different location shows the great scope for genetically potential genotypes for cultivation and also for their exploitation in plant breeding programme.

Nutritional Composition and Antioxidant Properties of the Wild Edible Fruits of Tripura, Northeast India

Fruits that are rich in nutrients and have antioxidant properties are essentially required for human health. These fruits are quite demanding to use pharmaceutically to produce natural drugs. Tripura, a Northeast state of India, is abundant in wild edible fruits, the nutritional values of which have not yet been fully explored. The nutrient composition and antioxidant properties of 06 (six) wild edible fruits viz. Wild orange (Citrus macroptera), Chinese lard (Hodgsonia macrocarpa Cogn.), Madhabilata (Stixis suaveolens Roxb. Pierre), Wild small black Jamun (Syzygium assamicum), Indian coffee plum (Flacourtia jangomas Lour. Raeusch), and Gamboge (Garcinia gummi-gutta (L.) Robs) were explored and are reported in this paper. All the observations were statistically analyzed and properly presented here. The study reveals that wild orange (220.75 mg/100 g) and Indian coffee plum (223.25 mg/100 g) are vitamin C-rich fruits. Madhabilata has high protein content (0.744%), whereas Gamboge yields an energetic fruit (124.92 Kcal/100 g). The energy parameter has a good correlation with ash (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.68), TSS (r = 0.62), and protein (r = 0.83). Nutrient minerals (mg/100 g), in general, are found quite high in wild orange (Na, 170.4; K, 55.40; Mg, 61.53; Zn, 6.85; Cu, 6.25). There is a good correlation between Na and K (r = 0.58). Antioxidant activity (81.15 μmol/g) and metal chelating capacity (MCC) (39.45 mg/mL) are high in wild orange, and they have an excellent correlation (r = 0.97). It has quite a high value of total phenolic content (TPC) (303.89 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid content (TFC) (36.78 mg QE/g) as well. TPC and TFC have good correlations with antioxidant parameters (r = 0.81 with TPC and 0.86 with TFC). Chloride (4.35 mg/100 g), nitrate (0.639 μg/100 g), and As(III) (0.27 mg/100 g) contents are found high in Indian coffee plum, Madhabilata, and Wild black Jamun, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that total sugar, zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu) are the important indicators to be given emphasis while studying the nutritional value of these minor fruits. Moreover, the results would provide a baseline database for the nutrient profile of these fruits as well as enhance awareness among the masses regarding the value of the fruit, which enhances and conserves the biodiversity of the forest area of Tripura.

Antimicrobial activity of peels and physicochemical properties of juice prepared from indigenous citrus fruits of Sylhet region, Bangladesh

Scientists are indeed fascinated by the pharmacologically important chemicals found in medicinal plants. Citrus fruits possess several curing agents for the prevention of diseases. Therefore, experiments were carried out to test the antibacterial activity of methanolic extracts of peels from various locally available citrus fruits such as citron (Citrus medica), satkora (Citrus macroptera) and adajamir (Citrus assamensis) against Bacillus spp. and E. coli using the disc diffusion method. Different physicochemical characteristics of fruit juice were also determined. Methanolic extract of satkora peel had the highest antibacterial activity of 2.2 and 2.6 cm while adajamir had the lowest antibacterial activity of 1.7 and 2.1 cm as ZOI against Bacillus spp. and E. coli, respectively. In the case of pH and total soluble solids (TSS), the three citrus varieties showed a small variation where satkora showed the highest total phenolic content (TPC), vitamin C content, and antioxidant activity than the others. Citrus fruits can be exploited as antibacterial and antioxidant ingredients in food and nutraceuticals, according to the findings of this study.

Synthesis, characterizations, and RSM analysis of Citrus macroptera peel derived biochar for textile dye treatment

Textile wastewater discharging to the surface water body is a great concern because it contains different pollutants such as dyes, organics, surfactants, inorganic salt and heavy metals. An effective low-cost treatment technology has not been developed yet. The objective of this study was to develop a low-cost biochar adsorbent from was from a novel Citrus macroptera peels (CMPs) using a conventional slow pyrolysis process and applied it for the treatment of methylene blue dye in an aqueous solution. The chemical functionalities, surface textures, and crystallinity of the synthesized biochar were characterized by Fourier Transform-Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) analysis, and X-ray powder Diffraction (XRD), respectively. Different functional groups such as -COOH, OH, and R-OH, randomized porous structures with tunnel-like cracks were confirmed from the FTIR and FESEM, respectively. Typical non-linear disordered 3D carbon structure was predicted from the XRD. Response surface methodology (RSM) was performed with the central composite design (CCD) technique, and analytical tuning of the process variables, e.g., pH, contact time, and methylene blue concentration, was also carried out to validate the RSM optimization. The adsorption isotherms and kinetics were investigated, where isotherm and kinetics followed Langmuir and pseudo 2nd order models. RSM results at pH 8 showed 85% of dye removal within 75 min of contact time. According to the Langmuir isotherm model, the maximum adsorption capacity, qm was 139.7 mg/g, which aligned with the experimental value. The present work shows that the low-cost CMPs-derived biochar has the potential for dye removal from industrial effluents.

In-silico studies on wild orange (Citrus macroptera Mont.) compounds against COVID-19 pro-inflammation targets

One-fifth of COVID-19 patients suffer a severe course of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) infection; however, the specific causes remain unclear. Despite numerous papers that have been flooded in different scientific journals clear clinical picture of COVID-19 aftermath persists to remain fuzzy. The survivors of severe COVID-19infection having defeated the virus are just the starting of an uncharted recovery path. Currently, there is no drug available that is safe to consume to combat this pandemic. However, researchers still struggling to find specific therapeutic solutions. The present study employed an in silico approach to assessing the inhibitory potential of the phytochemicals obtained from GC-MS analysis of Citrus macroptera against inflammatory proteins like COX-2, NMDAR and VCAM-1 which remains in a hyperactive state even after a patient is fully cured of this deadly mRNA virus. An extensive molecular docking investigation of the phyto-compounds at the active binding pockets of the inflammatory proteins revealed the promising inhibitory potential of the phytochemicals. Reasonable physicochemical attributes of the compounds following Lipinski’s rule of five, VEBER and PAINS analysis further established them as potential therapeutic candidates against aforesaid inflammatory proteins. MM-GBSA binding free energy estimation revealed that Limonene was the most promising candidate displaying the highest binding efficacy with the concerned VCAM-1 protein included in the present analysis. An interesting finding is the phytochemicals exhibited better binding energy scores with the concerned COX-2, VCAM-1 and NMDA receptor proteins than the conventional drugs that are specifically targeted against them. Our in silico results suggest that all the natural phyto-compounds derived from C. macroptera could be employed in Post covid inflammation complexities after appropriate pre-clinical and clinical trials for further scientific validation. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

​Nutritional Value and Anti-nutritional Factor’s Analyses of Five Indigenous Spices used by the Karbi Group of Assam, India

Background: Uses of indigenous herbs and spices have become ubiquitous on modern culinary systems. But to date literatures on nutritional aspects of these group of plants are limited. Therefore the present study was done to evaluate the nutritional and anti-nutritional compositions of five indigenous spices commonly used in Karbi cuisines. The present study will help identify long forgotten multifunctional food resources which was previously neglected due to its low quantity in use. Methods: The nutritional compositions were determined according to procedures established by Association of official Analytical chemists 1990 and the anti-nutritive factors of the samples were determined according to the procedure described in the reported scientific publications. Result: The results showed appreciable amount of nutrients in Citrus macroptera Montrouz., Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers., Ocimum citriodorum Vis., Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton. and Zanthoxylum armatum DC. The energy value of these five spices showed remarkable values, with the highest value observed in Ocimum citriodorum Vis. (354.08 Kcal) and lowest in Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. (108.67 Kcal). The moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fats, total carbohydrate and crude fibre content of the studied spices vary from 0.85-7.45%, 3.30-14.25%, 1.85-25.30%, 1.80-43.09%, 7.03-32.32% and 1.39-72.55% in range respectively. The vitamin C content was estimated highest in Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton. (34 mg/100 g) and lowest in Citrus macroptera Montrouz. (22 mg/100g). The phytate (17.22-18.85 mg/100 g), oxalate (10.15-12.42 mg/100 g), tannin (9.45-11.61 mg/100 g) and saponin (8.82-10.55 mg/100 g) contents were very low and hence these spices are less toxic for human consumptions.

Optimization of substrate composition for pectinase production from Satkara (Citrus macroptera) peel using Aspergillus niger-ATCC 1640 in solid-state fermentation

Pectinase is an enzyme having a broad industrial and commercial application. However, higher production costs may be the major constraint for the wide-scale application of pectinase. Therefore, researchers are trying to reduce the pectinase production cost for subsequent application in the industrial processes by using a unique substrate and optimizing the fermentation medium components and process conditions. The main purpose of the current study was to optimize medium composition for pectinase production using Aspergillus niger-ATCC 1640 in the solid-state fermentation.The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was performed to evaluate the effects of variables, specifically the concentrations of Satkara peel, urea, (NH4)2PO4, NH4NO3, KH2PO4, ZnSO4, and MgSO4.7H2O on pectinase production in the solid substrate. Firstly, a two-factorial design, Plackett-Burman design (PBD) was applied to screen the variables that significantly influenced the pectinase production. After finding the critical variables, 15 experimental runs were carried out using a Box-Behnken design (BBD) to derive a statistical model for optimizing the concentrations of the selected variables.The PBD model revealed that Satkara peel, urea, and (NH4)2SO4 significantly affected the pectinase production. RSM results indicated that the predicted response for pectinase production was in good agreement with experimental data (R2 = 0.9836). Under the optimized condition of Satkara peel (8.4 g/L), urea (0.5 g/L), and (NH4)2SO4 (2.7 g/L), the pectinase activity was predicted to be 0.6178 μmol/mL. In the present study, the experimental pectinase production achieved 0.6045 μmol/mL. The study revealed that optimization through RSM could improve the pectinase production from Satkara peel.

Citrus macroptera induces apoptosis via death receptor and mitochondrial mediated pathway as prooxidant in human non-small cell lung cancer cells

The role of plant-based prooxidants as the selective anticancer agents is of a great promise. Citrus macroptera commonly known as “Satkara”, is an important herbal and medicinal plant native to Southeast Asia. Its fruit is used in cooking different kinds of meat and pickle preparation for extra flavour and as folk medicine. In this study, the antiproliferative effect of ethyl acetate extract of C. macroptera peel (CPEA) was demonstrated on human non-small cell lung cancer cells through prooxidant induced apoptosis. Fatty acids, eight coumarins (three furanocoumarins) and one triterpenoid were identified from the CPEA through rigorous spectroscopic (UV, 1H and 13C NMR) and spectrometric (GC-MS, LC-ESI-HRMS) studies. Cytotoxicity, apoptotic rates, expression of apoptosis related genes, caspases activity and oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) damage in A549 cells were evaluated. MTT and flow cytometry analysis confirmed inhibition of A549 cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner with early apoptosis. qRT-PCR studies showed CPEA significantly upregulated p53, Bax, FasL, FADD and Bid mRNA expression levels and lowered Cdk1 and Bcl-2 compared to control. Caspase −9, −8 and −3 were also activated in cells treated by CPEA in both real-time and colorimetric/flurometric analysis. These results indicate that C. macroptera extract acts as prooxidant and induces cell death targeting both mitochondrial-and death receptor pathways of apoptosis in A549 cells.

Biogenic Synthesis and Catalytic Efficacy of Silver Nanoparticles Based on Peel Extracts of Citrus macroptera Fruit.

Biogenically synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNP) increase the fascination over chemical ones due to their facile and green synthetic process. This study reports the development of an eco-friendly and cost-effective synthesis of AgNPs using an aqueous extract of Citrus macroptera fruit peel, an agricultural waste, as a sole agent with both reducing and capping abilities. The formation of AgNPs was verified by the surface plasmon resonance peak at 426 nm in the UV–vis spectrum, X-ray diffraction pattern, and transmission electron micrography images. The AgNPs obtained under the optimized conditions consist of face-centered cubic crystals and spherical morphology with an average size of 11 nm. The AgNPs are coated with phytochemicals in the C. macroptera fruit peel extract and are stably dispersible due to their negatively charged nature. The AgNPs effectively catalyzed the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol and the degradation of methyl orange and methylene blue in the presence of sodium borohydride. This method employing a fruit peel extract is facile, efficient, eco-friendly, and cost-effective and has potential for industrial green fabrication of AgNPs.

In vitro propagation and antioxidant properties of hatkora (Citrus macroptera) from North-East India

In vitro propagation and antioxidant properties of hatkora (Citrus macroptera) from North-East India

Isolation and characterization of naringinase enzyme and its application in debittering of Pomelo juice ( Citrus grandis ): A comparative study with macroporous resin

The naringinase enzyme was isolated from Citrus macroptera peel and pomace using Aspergillus niger for immobilization and debittering of juice. A comparative study of the effect of debittering using immobilized enzyme and resin on the physicochemical and phytochemical properties of the juice were carried out. The optimum hydrolytic conditions and Michaelis constant for an immobilized enzyme were observed at pH 4, 70℃, and 16.75 μg/ml, respectively. Adsorption of naringin onto resin followed pseudo‐first‐order with a regression coefficient of 0.92. Naringin content was reduced up to 73.28% in 4 min by resin and 79.76% in 120 min by the enzyme. We reutilized resin and immobilized enzyme effectively to debitter the juice up to seven cycles. Treatment for less than 2 min and 90–120 min using resin and enzyme, respectively, could retain the sizable amount of bioactive components in juice and immobilization retained 62% enzymatic activity during 2 months of storage at 4°C. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Pomelo being a rich source of bioactive nutrients faces slow commercialization due to immediate bitterness (naringin), thus in the present study, Citrus macroptera waste including peel and pomace was efficiently utilized to produce naringinase enzyme for the debittering of pomelo juice. Also, adsorption kinetics of naringin using macroporous resin is presented, which will further help in the selection of optimum time and dose for the removal of naringin from the juice. More importantly, their effect on juice composition helped in the selection of the potential candidate for the industrial purpose with negligible or minimum loss of nutrients.

Genetic Diversity Analysis, Population Structure and Gene-flow Estimates among Citrus Macroptera Mont. Collections from Garo Hills, Meghalaya using SPAR Approach

North East India is extremely rich in natural resources and is a biodiversity hotspot. Many plant species, including Citrus are known to have originated from this region. Citus macroptera Mont. is a wild, endangered species which have been found to exist naturally in various parts of this region, including Meghalaya. To access the genetic variability among genotypes and their phylogeny, 30 genotypes of wild C. macroptera Mont. were collected from Garo Hills of Meghalaya. Single primer based DNA markers viz. RAPD, ISSR, DAMD were utilized to ascertain genetic diversity. The percentage polymorphic bands for RAPD, ISSR, DAMD were found to be 97.71%, 94.67% and 100% respectively. ISSR showed the highest values for both RP (7.67) and MI (5.03) highlighting its efficacy in determining genetic variations. A concatenated approach, Single Primer Amplification Reaction (SPAR) was also followed to assess their genetic diversity. Dendogram generated from SPAR data showed that the South-West Garo Hills population is the most recently evolved amongst all others while West Garo Hills collections retain an ancestral position in the evolutionary time-frame. Population genetics parametres such as Gene flow (Nm) and the diversity among populations (GST) were found to be 1.9894 and 0.2009 respectively. Gene flow estimates (Nm>1) suggests appreciable gene flow in the populations. AMOVA data further supported this with high percentage of variations (92%) within populations whereas variations among populations were about 8% only. Shannon’s information index (I) values and Nei’s gene diversity (h) varied between 0.303-0.423and 0.201-0.285 respectively. The use of SPAR method yields a clear and concise picture of the underlying genetic variabilities, and a detailed and comprehensive data analysis will help conceive efficient and sustainable conservation strategies for this important plant.

Green synthesis, structural analysis and anticancer activity of dihydropyrimidinone derivatives.

In this study, for the first time, we have used Citrus macroptera juice to synthesize dihydropyrimidine (DHPM) derivatives via the Biginelli reaction, which showed better yield, shorter reaction time, and did not require an organic solvent for the reaction. A series of DHPM derivatives were synthesized, and characterized, and structural analysis was achieved through SCXRD & Hirshfeld surface analysis. We observed that these synthesized dihydropyrimidine (DHPM) derivatives showed C–H⋯π, C–H⋯O, C–H⋯N, C–H⋯C, lone pair⋯π, π⋯π, etc. interactions. We also performed in silico studies for their inhibitory activities against human kinesin Eg5 enzyme, and the cytotoxic activity of the synthesized compounds was carried out against A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells. In silico analysis demonstrated that compounds with a chloro-group at the 3- or 4-position in the substituted ring of DHPM showed higher binding affinity for the human kinesin Eg5 enzyme (−7.9 kcal mol−1) than the standard drug monastrol (−7.8 kcal mol−1). Furthermore, in vitro cellular studies revealed that compounds with a chloro-group at the 3- or 4-position in the substituted ring of DHPM induced significant cell death in human A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells. This result indicates that a deactivating group (chlorine) at the 3- or 4-position in the substituted ring of DHPM might be a promising anticancer drug candidate for treating different types of cancers, particularly cancer of the lung.

Green Synthesis of Iron Nanoparticles for Investigation of Biofilm Inhibition Property

AbstractGreen metal nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as efficient biofilm inhibitors.Citrus macroptera(CM) fruit extract mediated iron (Fe) NPs,i. e., CM‐FeNPs were thus synthesized for studying biofilm inhibition property. The shape (spherical), size (12 nm), and crystallinity (α‐Fe0bcc) of the CM‐FeNPs were confirmed by studying mainly Transmission Electron microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray Diffractometer (X‐RD) tools. The particles inhibit biofilm growth of a bacteriaPseudomonas aeruginosa(P. aeruginosa) by inhibiting the functions of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and virulence factors to ∼80 %. Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM) images of the bacteria in presence of the CM‐FeNPs (4600 nM) in combination with azithromycin (AZI) evidence the inhibition of biofilm growth >80 %. Molecular docking studies support experimental findings and result significant negative binding energies (e. g., isoplatydesmine/LasR: −8.25 kcal/mole, isoplatydesmine/MvfR: −7.56 kcal/mole) from bioactive molecules/biofilm proteins interactions. Thus, CM‐FeNPs could be considered as potential biofilm inhibitors, and as an alternative to antibiotic drugs.

Molecular detection of “Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus” causing HLB in Manipur and correlation of its incidence with elevation

Surveys were conducted in some citrus-growing parts of Manipur, Northeast India for recording the incidence of “Huanglongbing” (HLB) symptoms. The purpose of this study was to confirm the presence of HLB in citrus orchards in different geographical locations of Manipur and to correlate the disease incidence with variation in elevation of the region. The presence of “Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus” was detected in ten regions in Manipur using PCR with species-specific primers for “Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus.” A total of 128 (19.6%) of 653 samples were positive for “Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus.” The incidence was found to be highest (30.0 to 45.7%) in the lower elevation (700–1200 m above sea level) and was found to be least (5.0 to 10.0%) in higher elevation (1200–1500 m above sea level). HLB was detected in citrus species, viz., Citrus maxima, Citrus jambhiri, Citrus macroptera, Citrus medica, and Citrus reticulata. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA amplicon fragment and their phylogenetic analysis showed that these sequences clustered together with other “Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus” sequences from the rest of the world. Our results revealed the widespread occurrence of HLB in all economically important citrus species of Manipur as well as significant variation in the incidence of HLB across different elevations. The present scenario in Manipur calls for effective disease management strategies. Extension programs should be conducted to create awareness of HLB among the citrus growers to reduce the spread of HLB and preserve the citrus cultivation in this Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot region.