Ocimum Americanum Research Articles

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Ocimum canum and their anti-bacterial activity

Green synthesis of nanoparticles is an important area in the field of nanotechnology, which has cost effective and environment friendly benefit over physical and chemical methods. The present study aims at preparation of silver nanoparticles through green route using leaves of Ocimum canum Sims, a widely distributed medicinal herb. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by SEM and XRD. The spherical and rod like morphological shapes were proven by SEM techniques. Crystallographic structure was confirmed by XRD and average particle size of synthesized silver nanoparticles was calculated which was found to be of 15.72 nm. The antibacterial activity of these prepared silver nanoparticles against pathogenic bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) has shown the highest ZOI of 2.45 cm at 30 ppm.

Conventional Genetic Improvement Methods in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: A Review

The collection of medicinal and aromatic plants from the wild has been declining during the last decade; therefore it is necessary to develop highly productive cultivars, combined with appropriate cultivation and intensive agricultural techniques. Majority of the improved cultivars of medicinal and aromatic plants under cultivation have been created by conventional selection methods including individual, mass or special selection methods. Furthermore, outstanding results have been reported through hybridization and mutation. Highly productive cultivars of Mentha spicata, Ocimum americanum and Salvia officinalis have been developed through selection. Improved strains of Cymbopogon flexuosus, Melissa officinalis, Solanum laciniatum and Thymus vulagaris through intraspecific crossing resulting in changes in their active agents have been developed. Mutation breeding using physical and chemical mutagens have been successfully employed in Jasminum grandiflorum and Mentha arvensis. Hybrids of Thymus vulgaris and Artemisia annua have been developed through hybridization. According to Directorate of medicinal and aromatic plants research (DMAPR), twenty five new improved varieties of medicinal plants of fourteen species and seven varieties of aromatic plants of six species have been developed under different research institutes and Agricultural Universities in the country. Thus, improved cultivars with useful characters, resistance to biotic and abiotic stress, increased yield and early maturity have been developed through different conventional genetic improvement methods. Also hybrids with increased productivity, wider adaptability, wider application and better resistance to environmental factors have been produced through hybridization.

Green fabrication, characterization of silver nanoparticles using aqueous leaf extract of Ocimum americanum (Hoary Basil) and investigation of its in vitro antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer and photocatalytic reduction

Green fabrications of metallic nanoparticles are rapidly developing the research era, due to their broad spectrum of applications in the field of biomedical sciences. In the present study, the green fabrication of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has been demonstrated by a highly stable, biocompatible, and environmental friendly aqueous leaf extract of Ocimum americanum for their antibacterial, anticancerous, and photocatalytic dye degradation efficiency. The synthesized AgNPs were confirmed by UV–Visible spectroscopy, which indicates the surface plasmon resonance λmax band at 435 nm. The FE-SEM and HR-TEM micrographs showed spherical shaped AgNPs, and EDX analysis confirmed the crystalline purity of green fabricated AgNPs. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) technique indicated the presence of active functional groups such as O‒H, C˭C, C‒H, C‒N involved in the reduction and surface capping agent of green fabricated AgNPs. The XRD analysis of synthesized AgNPs showed the face-centered cubic (fcc) crystalline structure. The DLS measurement showed average particle size of distribution was 48.25 nm and Zeta potential value at −20.2 mV revealed high stability of fabricated AgNPs. Further, the synthesized AgNPs has exhibited potential antibacterial activity against pathogenic Gram +ve and Gram −ve bacteria and in-vitro antioxidant activity assessed by DPPH, H2O2 and reducing power assays. The in-vitro cytotoxic effects of fabricated AgNPs against A549 lung cancer cells displayed apoptotic cell death confirmed by fluorescent staining techniques and the cellular apoptotic induction of G0/G1 cell cycle arrest confirmed with the flow cytometry analysis. On the other hand, the AgNPs exhibited efficient photocatalytic dye degradation of eosin yellow (EY) under sunlight and UV-irradiation method. The AgNPs did not lyse the hemoglobin from human red blood cells and showed its biocompatibility on human cells. Herein, the present study proves an effective, economical, and multifunctional AgNPs for improved therapeutic and catalytic applications.

Using essential oils to control diseases in strawberries and peaches

Strawberry and peach crops are of great economic and social importance, mainly due to the added value and income generation for small and medium producers in different regions of Brazil. Some fungal diseases can compromise the final profitability of production, such as those caused by Colletotrichum sp., Botrytis cinerea and Monilinia fructicola fungi. The control of these pathogens mainly occurs through fungicides, which has been generating concern for consumers, as well as biological imbalance and environmental contamination. The need for new alternatives for disease control has been leading to more research being conducted on essential oils. Our scientific questions were based on a compilation of experiments which revealed the efficiency of essential oils in disease control. With the purpose of evaluating the fungicidal activity of Aloysia citriodora, Cymbopogon winterianus, Lippia alba and Ocimum americanum essential oils on the control of fungi, such as Colletotrichum sp., Botrytis cinerea and Monilinia fructicola in vitro and in the post-harvest of fruits, this work was developed at the Federal University of Santa Maria, Frederico Westphalen county (Rio Grande do Sul state), Brazil, from 2016 to 2018. The following evaluations were done: (i) characterization of essential oil doses in vitro for controlling Colletotrichum sp., Botrytis cinerea and Monilinia fructicola fungi, and (ii) determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (Ω, mL/L) of essential oils in post-harvest of strawberries and peaches. All essential oils have high fungicidal activity in vitro experiments. The A. citriodora, L. alba and O. americanum essential oils had a satisfactory effect for post-harvest controlling of Colletotrichum sp. C. winterianus and O. americanum. The essential oils promoted satisfactory post-harvest control of Botrytis cinerea in strawberries. All essential oils have high fungitoxicity against Monilinia fructicola in vitro and post-harvest, highlighting the greater efficiency of A. citriodora essential oil in peaches. The essential oils present high fungitoxicity for controlling diseases in strawberries and peaches, presenting high potential performance for formulating commercial fungicide.

Understanding the Browning Reactions in Sweet Basil

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is a well-characterized enzyme that is conserved across plant species and is responsible for catalyzing the rapid polymerization of o-quinones that results in tissue browning. As these oxidation reactions result in significant reductions in food crop commercial viability, nutritional content, and general desirability, an opportunity exists to improve a variety of crops via genetic regulation of PPO expression. The main objective of this project was to clone the DNA sequence of genes encoding PPO. Using mRNA as a template to synthesize DNA, two putative PPO sequences were cloned from Ocimum basilicum and Ocimum americanum, two basil species of commercial relevance. A secondary objective of this project was to insert a cloned PPO sequence into an RNAi vector for the purpose of making transgenic basil plants with reduced PPO expression. A hairpin RNAi construct was successfully developed to reduce the expression of both PPO genes as their DNA sequences were highly homologous. The next step for this project will depend on the development of transformation and regeneration protocols for these species, which have proven to be difficult. Once the RNAi PPO constructs are introduced into basil cells and successfully regenerated into plants, reduced browning of basil leaf tissue when it is wounded or cut is expected.

Eco-Friendly Approach to Control Mosquitos (A. stephensi, C. quinquefasciatus, and A. aegypti) Using Silver Nanoparticle

The available controlling agents for mosquito vectors are chemical insecticides and the frequent usage of these insecticides creating resistance among mosquito vectors and environmental pollutions. Thus, the study was designed to synthesize and characterize the Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) through a methanol leaf extract of Ocimum canum and find the larvicidal prospective of the AgNPs on the 4th instar larvae of Anopheles stephensi, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Aedes aegypti. The obtained outcomes show that the methanol leaf extract of O. canum was effectively reduced the silver ions and produce constant silver nanoparticles. It was characterized and confirmed by various scientific techniques such as UV-vis spectrum, XRD, SEM, FT-IR and EDaX. Various concentrations (10, 50, 150, 200, and 250 ppm) of characterized nanoparticles were tested for larvicidal activity. The premier larval death was observed at 24 h of treatment on A. aegypti with LC50= 17.03 ppm, followed by C. quinquefasciatus with LC50= 14.89 ppm of methanol extract of O. canum and no death was noticed on A. stephensi. The LD90 value for A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus were 24.18 & 20.65 ppm respectively. Hence, the Ag nanoparticles produced from methanol leaf extract of O. canum retains efficiency to control A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus. Thus, it might support partially to replace the chemical insecticide which used against these vectors and might contribute to reduce environmental pollution.

Ethnobotanical Study Of Medicinal Plants In The Fight Against Buruli Ulcer In The Maritime Region Of Togo

Background: In Togo, few data are available on the traditional treatment of Buruli ulcer, so this study aim to inventory and identify the plants and recipes included in the herbal medicines in the maritime region where this disease is more common. Method: The methodology was based on ethnobotanical semi-structural individual interviews of 16 traditional healers in the maritime region. The Data were collected and analyzed in Microsoft excel 2013. Results: 10 of the traditional healers were male and the average age of all the respondents was 42.31 ± 4.24 years. A total of 27 plant species belonging to 20 families were identified. The most represented families were: Caesalpinaceae with 3 species, Euphorbiaceae, Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Sapindaceae and Annonaceae with 2 species each. In the preparation methods, the decoction is the most used (37%), followed by the black powdered incorporated in an ointment (24%), the maceration (15%), the infusion (12%), the spraying (6%) and poultices (6%). These modes of preparation, were administered mainly externally by massage, disinfection of the lesion and orally. The most used parts of the plants were leaves (48%), roots (21%), and bark (10%). The species with the highest frequency of use were Blighia sapida KD Koenig, Amaranthus spinosus L, Ocimum canum Sims, Piliostigma thonningii (Schum.) Milne-Redh, Aloe verra L, Anacardium occidentale L, Paullinia pinnata L and Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A.Rich. Conclusion: By highlighting these plant species of interest, this study has an applicability in therapeutic innovation. It can contribute to the chemical, pharmacological and clinical evaluations of their molecules leading to development of phytomedicines to produce new drugs to strengthen the already existing therapeutic arsenal.

Biochemical and anti-inflammatory effect of Ocimum americanum Linn. extracts on gentamicin- and cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats

Biochemical and anti-inflammatory effect of Ocimum americanum Linn. extracts on gentamicin- and cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats

Acaricidal activity of three plants extracts from the central region of Burkina Faso on adult <I>Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus</I> cattle ticks

the most important and harmful tick species in the livestock sector in Burkina Faso today. This tick has developed resistance to most classes of synthetic acaricides. The objective of this work is to assess the efficiency of plant extracts on this tick to find an alternative. Thus, the acaricidal activity of hydroethanolic and hexanic extracts of Ocimum americanum .L, Ocimum gratissimum .L and Laggera oloptera (DC) Adams was evaluated on adults of this tick by the adult immersion method. The mortality, the inhibition of the laying, the hatching rate, and the effectiveness of each extract have been evaluated with concentrations at 100 mg/mL and at 200 mg/mL, respectively. The best mortality rate was 56%, with the hydroethanolic extract of L. oloptera at 200 mg / mL. The hydroethanolic extract of O. gratissimum was most effective with the best rates of egg inhibition and hatching rates at 200 mg / mL. The results of this study could be used for the development of new bio-acaricide formulations to fight against the tick R. (Boophilus) microplus effectively.Keywords: Ticks, O. gratissimum, O. americanum, Laggera oloptera, phytochemical screening

Eco friendly synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles using aqueous Ocimum americanum L. leaf extracts and their antimicrobial, anti-proliferative and photocatalytic activities

Bio-synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles was accomplished with Ocimum americanum L leaf extracts. The morphology, optical and functional properties of synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, UV–Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, and FE-SEM with EDAX respectively. The aqueous extracts of these nanoparticles were evaluated for its antimicrobial activities against Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella paratyphi, Klebseilla pnemoniae, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger using an agar well method. The antiproliferative activity was analyzed by MTT assay. Photocatalytic analysis against methylene blue dye was investigated. The biosynthesized TiO2 nanoparticles was analyzed by SEM with an average size of the particle was 25 nm. The synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles were exhibited excellent antimicrobial and antiproliferation activities against selected pathogens and human skin cancer cell line (431) respectively and expression of admirable photocatalytic activity with reduction of 91.1%. Based on the above studies, it is concluded that these nanoparticles are eco-friendly, inexpensive and pollution free material which can be applied for multifaceted environmental applications.

Ocimum americanum and Lippia alba essential oils as anaesthetics for Nile tilapia: Induction, recovery of apparent unconsciousness and sensory analysis of fillets

In Brazil, humane slaughter regulations do not include fish, and hypothermia or immersion in ice water is used in most fish slaughterhouses for pre-slaughter handling. Such a method is not considered humanitarian as it does not induce an immediate loss of consciousness and fish show aversive behaviour when immersed in a water and ice mixture. This study aimed to assess the times for induction and recovery using Ocimum americanum and Lippia alba essential oils as anaesthetics in Nile tilapia, and their influence on the flavour and aroma of fillets. For the anaesthetic evaluation, Nile tilapia (224.05 ± 67.56 g, 22.10 ± 2.41 cm) were divided into four groups (40 fish/group): ethanol (ET), 2-phenoxyethanol (PE), Ocimum americanum (OA) and Lippia alba (LA), all at 500 μL/L. The times taken to reach total loss of equilibrium, anaesthesia and consciousness recovery were recorded using a stopwatch. Blood was collected from the caudal vein after 0, 1, 4, 8 and 24 h of anaesthesia for the analysis of glucose, lactate and cortisol. For the sensory analysis, fillets from fish exposed to essentials oils and hypothermia at pre-slaughter were evaluated by 122 untrained assessors to determine differences in the aroma and flavour attributes. The induction of deep anaesthesia (stage 4) was faster in the OA group (mean ± standard error of mean SEM) (126.8 ± 4.9 s), than the PE (152.3 ± 6.6 s) and LA groups (169.7 ± 10.9 s) (p < .01). A total of 91.7% (110/120) of the fish showed VOR (Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex) as the first behavioural response during consciousness recovery after anaesthesia. The levels of glucose (mmol/L) were similar amongst the groups at each time. The lactate levels (mmol/L) were higher at 0 h of sampling in LA (2.0 ± 0.2) than in ET (1.4 ± 0.8) (p < .05) and the cortisol levels (ng/mL) at 0 h were higher in ET (150.3 ± 55.3) than in OA (33.9 ± 9.7). Fillets prepared from Nile tilapia anesthetized using OA essential oil received higher sensory scores (1.5 ± 0.1) than fillets from both the Lippia alba (1.0 ± 0.1) and control groups (0.7 ± 0.1). OA and LA essential oils at 500 μL/L were effective in inducing deep anaesthesia with unconsciousness duration of 126 s, allowing time for bleeding. Anaesthesia with Ocimum americanum and Lippia alba essential oils may be indicated as an alternative to hypothermia for the pre-slaughter handling of fish in Brazil.

Extraction of essential oil from methyl cinnamate basil (Ocimum canum Sims) with high yield in a short time using enzyme pretreatment.

This research was carried out to evaluate the effect of viscozyme pre-treatment followed by hydrodistillation (E-HD) on extraction yield, extraction time and quality of methyl cinnamate basil (O. canum) oil. The viscozyme, as a multienzyme acting on cell wall, was used at different concentrations (0.5% and 1%, v/w) for 30, 60 and 90min at 50 °C and pH 5 before hydrodistillation (HD). Oxygenated monoterpenes/monoterpene hydrocarbons ratio was used as a quality index for the obtained essential oil. Enzymatic pretreatment at 1% enzyme concentration for 90min followed by HD increased yield of essential oil by 44.5% with high quality index and decreased HD time from 180 to 30min. Thirty-nine volatile compounds, comprising > 99% of the essential oil were identified and quantified by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrum (GC-MS). The major components of essential oil were (E)-methyl cinnamate, camphor, trans-β-caryophyllene and 1,8-cineole. Results confirm the effectiveness of the enzyme pretreatment, which enhance extraction of O. canum essential oil in a short time, with a high quality.

Impact of Environment on Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Response to Acetone Extract of Gnidia kaussiana Meisn (Thymeleaceae) and Ocimum canum Sims (Lamiaceae) Botanical Insecticides

The response of pests to the effects of a botanical insecticide can vary spatially and temporally. To test whether efficacy of botanicals differed spatially, the insecticidal efficacy of Gnidia kaussiana and Ocimum canum against Callosobruchus maculatus was investigated in two different agro-ecological zones of Cameroon, i.e. Maroua and Ngaoundéré (sudano-sahelian and sudano-guinean zones, respectively). Experiments were, therefore, conducted to determine the insect mortality, progeny production, grain damage and weight loss in cowpea. G. kaussiana was more effective against C. maculatus in Maroua (LD50 = 0.12 g/kg at 6th day of exposure) than in Ngaoundéré (LD50 = 4.35 g/kg at 6th day of exposure). Moreover, it was more toxic than O. canum extract and neem seed oil (reference), irrespective to the agro-ecological zones. Overall, the performance of O. canum did not vary significantly between the two zones, and was slightly more active (LD50 = 4.66 g/kg) than the reference insecticide neem seed oil (LD50 = 4.89 g/kg) in Ngaoundéré in contrast to the results recoded in Maroua (LD50 = 1.44 g/kg and 2.60 g/kg, respectively for neem seed oil and O. canum at 6 days post exposure). In view of the above, there were some discrepancies in extract performance between Maroua and Ngaoundéré. Thus, the establishment of dose rates of insecticidal products formulated from G. kaussiana must be specific to an environment in contrast to those from O. canum.

Bio-insecticide potential of three aromatic plants of Burkina Faso (&lt;I&gt;Ocimum americanum L., Cymbopogon schoenanthus L. and Hyptis suaveolens&lt;/I&gt; Poit.) and their importance in cowpea seed conservation

Cowpea is an important source of food and income for the populations of sub-Saharan Africa in general and particularly in West Africa. However, farmers face storage and conservation problems. During storage in granaries, cowpea seeds are attacked by insects causing decreased grain weight and quality and sometimes a loss of germination capacity. Traditionally, farmers have used aromatic plants to limit insect damage. The aim of the present study is to test the insecticidal potential of three aromatic plants (Ocimum americanum L., Cymbopogon schoenanthus L. and Hyptis suaveolens Poit.). Cowpea seeds were mixed with increasing amounts of powder from each of the three plants and stored in plastic boxes for 10 month. The results showed that the number of defective seeds varied according to the treatment. O. americanum was the most efficient; the smallest effective dose of powder was 12%. For C. schoenanthus and H. suaveolens, the smallest effective doses were 16% and 18% respectively. With such treatments, no defective seeds and no live or dead weevils were found. Considering all treatments, the cowpea average loss recorded was 6.92 g for O. americanum, 29.46 g for C. schoenanthus and 36.40 g for H. suaveolens. The average loss recorded in the control was 82.23 g. The powders of the three plants had virtually no effect on the seed germination rate after storage. Storage of cowpeas can be considerably improved using all three aromatic species, but O. americanum was the most efficient.&#x0D; Keywords: Africa, insect damage, cowpea, storage, aromatic plants, powder.

Potential Fatty Acid as Antibacterial Agent Against Oral Bacteria of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguinis from Basil (Ocimum americanum): In vitro and In silico Studies.

Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguinis are Gram-positive bacteria that cause dental caries. MurA enzyme acts as a catalyst in the formation of peptidoglycan in bacterial cell walls, making it ideal as an antibacterial target. Basil (Ocimum americanum) is an edible plant that is diverse and has been used as a herbal medicine for a long time. It has been reported that basil has a pharmacological effect as well as antibacterial activity. The purpose of this study was to identify antibacterial compounds in O. americanum and analyze their inhibition activity on MurA enzyme. Fresh leaves from O. americanum were extracted with n-hexane and purified by a combination of column chromatography on normal and reverse phases together with in vitro bioactivity assay against S. mutans ATCC 25175 and S. sanguinis ATCC 10556, respectively, while in silico molecular docking simulation of lauric acid (1) was conducted using PyRx 0.8. The structure determination of antibacterial compound by spectroscopic methods resulted in an active compound lauric acid (1). The in vitro evaluation of antibacterial activity in compound 1 showed Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) values of 78.13 and 156.3 ppm and 1250 and 2500 ppm against S. sanguinis and S. mutans, respectively. Further analysis and in silico evaluation determined lauric acid (1) as MurA Enzyme inhibitor. Lauric acid (1) showed a binding affinity of -5.2 Kcal/mol, which was higher than fosfomycin. Lauric acid showed the potential as a new natural antibacterial agent through MurA inhibition in bacterial cell wall biosynthesis.

Quantification of total protein content from some traditionally used edible plant leaves: A comparative study

Protein is an important primary metabolite of our living systems. There are several studies based upon analysing the different, individual protein sources from various plant species are still on searching mode. On parallel with this context, traditionally edible plants has been proven to be an enriched source of protein based nutrition and largely utilized by most of the ethnic communities for their survival. The primary objective of the current research investigation is to estimate the total protein content from 33 traditionally used edible plant leaves categorized in trees, shrubs and herbs and to draw a comparative conclusion that which plant leaf contains better protein concentration. The protein content was estimated by UV-Vis spectrophotometric technique using the conventional Lowry’s method. Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) was used as standard reagent against which unknown protein concentration of plants had been estimated. All the proteins were extracted by using phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). From the results, it has been found that under tree category, Psidium guajava shows the highest (98.51 mg BSA Equivalent/ g of Fresh Weight) and Dillenia indica shows the lowest (13.73 mg BSAE/ g of FW) amount of protein content. In case of shrubs, Justicia adhatoda showed the maximum (86.37 mg BSAE/ g of FW) and Ocimum canum shows the minimum (10.59 mg BSAE/ g of FW) amount of protein content. Among the herbs, red Amaranthus viridis contains highest (97.43 BSAE/ g of FW) and Marsilea quadrifolia contains the lowest (15.04 mg BSAE/ g of FW) content of protein. The study results showed that Psidium guajava contains highest amount of protein among all the 33 plants. The study findings conclude that the protein content obtained from the leaves of different plant categories varies in their quantity and further supports the fact that plant leaves can be used as a potential source of nutrient consumption in near future.

Role of Non-cultivated Flowering Plants in Conservation of Pollinators

A study was conducted to emphasize the importance of non-cultivated plants/weeds in North Bangalore, Karnataka from October 2014 to March 2015 in three locations. The pollinators were collected using sweep net method on cultivated and non-cultivated flowering plants. A total of 22 non-cultivated plant species and 11 cultivated plant species were observed on which 85 and 56 pollinator species were collected respectively belonging to the four families (Apidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae and Scoliidae) of Hymenoptera and two families (Syrphidae and Bombyliidae) of Diptera. It is found that association of pollinators were more towards non-cultivated plants than cultivated plants. Among cultivated flowering plants, Ocimum americanum was highly attractive followed by Field bean and Lavandula angustifolia. Among non-cultivated flowering plants, Alternanthera sessilis was highly attractive on which majority were Dipterans followed by Leucas aspera and Hyptis suaveolens indicating the importance of non-cultivated flowering plants/weeds in conservation of pollinators.

Green way biosynthesis: Characterization, antimicrobial and anticancer activity of ZnO nanoparticles

Since prehistoric times, medicinal plants have been discovered and used in traditional practices. Indian traditional medicine uses leaves of Ocimum americanum to treat malaria, diarrhea, bronchitis, dermal diseases, fertility, cancer, diabetes, fungal and microbial infections. It also exhibits analgesic, cardioprotective, antispasmodic and adaptogenic functions. In the recent decades, Zinc oxide (ZnO) nano materials have been a popular metal oxide in biomedical applications especially, in the field of anticancer and antimicrobial therapies due to their unique advantages and hence have received much recognition in the pharma sector. Therefore in the mentioned study, ZnO nanomaterials were produced by O. americanum leaf extracts primarily via eco- friendly method. The presence of synthesized ZnO nanoparticles was proven by diverse spectroscopic techniques. The antimicrobial efficiency of synthesized ZnO nanoparticles show potential activity against Gram +ve (Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens), Gram-negative (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella Paratyphi) bacteria and fungi (Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger) when evaluated by agar well method. Anti -proliferative activity was read at a concentration of 31.2 μg against human skin cancer cell lines (A431) by MTT assay. The cell cycle study, apoptosis assay of cells by flow cytometry and DNA fragmentation analysis proved prominent DNA fragmentation and promoted apoptosis by increasing membrane permeability. Thus Zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized through O. americanum have proven to be promising pharmaceutical agents, those could serve as alternatives for antibiotics and chemotherapeutic elements if specifically tailored further.

Extraction of phenolic compounds from basil (Ocimum americanum L.) leaves with pretreatment using pulsed electric field (PEF)

The study was conducted to determine the role of the pulsed electric field (PEF) as a pretreatment on the extraction of phenolic compounds from basil (Ocimum americanum, L.) leaves. The research used Randomized Block Design (RBD) with two factors, factor 1: exposure time (10, 15, and 20 seconds) and factor 2: voltage (1000, 1500, and 2000 Volts). Extraction was done by maceration using 80% ethanol at 50°C. The results showed that PEF treatment had a significant effect on total phenolic compounds (TPC) and antioxidant activity (IC50) of basil extract. The best treatment at exposure time of 10 seconds and a voltage of 1500 Volts obtains TPC of 260.50 mg GAE/g and IC50 of 35.96 ppm. Whereas the untreated sample (without PEF pre-treatment) obtains TPC of 175.75 mg GAE/g and IC50 of 116.25 ppm. The data showed that PEF treatment before the extraction of basil leaves increased TPC by 1.5 times and antioxidant activity by 3.2 times. FTIR spectra showed that PEF pre-treatment increases absorption or decreases transmittance, which indicates the increase of extract concentration. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging showed that PEF treatment causes pore formation on the cell membrane, which might facilitate the release of phenolic compounds.

PLANTS IN FAMILY LAMIACEAE USED MEDICINALLY IN THE HOMOEOPATHIC SYSTEM FOUND IN THE NILGIRIS DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU, INDIA

Objective: The objective of the present study was to survey and document homeopathic medicinal plants in Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu, India.&#x0D; Methods: To collect homeopathic plants of Lamiaceae in the Nilgiris District, we undertook various field trips during the year 2018–2019. The plants collected were pressed, poisoned, mounted, and stitched on herbarium sheets and deposited at the Centre of Medicinal Plants Research in Homoeopathy herbarium (Acronym SMPRGH).&#x0D; Results: The present study deals with both wild and cultivated species of 15 genera belonging to 24 species of Lamiaceae family members reported in the Nilgiris District. Reported homeopathy plants such as Aloysia citriodora Palau, Lavandula officinalis Chaix., Leonurus cardiaca L., Leucas aspera (Willd.) Link., Mentha piperita L., Mentha spicata L., Melissa officinalis L., Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze, Ocimum americanum L., Ocimum basilicum L., Ocimum gratissimum L., Ocimum tenuiflorum L., Origanum majorana L., Origanum vulgare L., Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton, Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng, Plectranthus barbatus Andrews, Plectranthus fruticosus L’Her., Prunella vulgaris L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Salvia officinalis L., Salvia verbenaca L., Thymus vulgaris L., and Thymus serpyllum L., the present article gives the scientific name, synonym, homeopathic drug name, original author citation, English name, phenology, short description, and part of plant used for preparing homoeopathic medicine, whether indigenous or exotic and uses are given.&#x0D; Conclusion: Reported 24 homoeopathic medicinal plants are used in homoeopathic medicinal system to treat various diseases, and also present study reveals the importance of conservation and sustainable utilization.