Crude Plant Extracts Research Articles

In vitro Antibacterial Evaluation of Four Selected Medicinal Plants against Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Bovine Mastitis in Mieso District West Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Background: Bovine mastitis is a major disease mostly caused by bacterial infection and associated with losses in the global dairy industry. Since mastitis-causing bacterial developing multidrug resistance to conventional antibiotics, there is an admirable supplementary study on medicinal plants to use them as an alternative therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity and phytochemical screening of four selected medicinal plants against Staphylococcus aureus. Methods: An experimental study was done to evaluate the antibacterial activity of crude methanolic extracts of four traditionally used medicinal plants against S. aureus. Standard phytochemical screening tests were conducted to detect the bioactive principle of plants. Agar well diffusion assay was used to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of crude methanolic plant extract. The broth dilution method was also used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of plant extracts. Results: The percentage yields obtained from the root of Clerodandrum myricoides, Kalanchoe densiflora, Kalanchoe marmorata and leaf of Kalanchoe marmorata and Datura stramonium were 22.6%, 37.2%, 51.6%, 32.3% and 50.7%, respectively. Phytochemical screening tests revealed the presence of secondary metabolites such as tannins, phenols, and steroids in all plant extract, except in D. stramonium, while others like alkaloids, flavonoids, quinones, and saponins were fairly detected in all samples. The agar well diffusion results showed significant (p < 0.05) differences in the mean zone of inhibition (ZOI) between each plant at different concentrations with significant potency comparable to gentamicin. C. myricoides and D. stramonium revealed the broadest spectrum of action yielding the highest ZOI (27.0 ± 0.58 mm), whereas K. marmorata leaf showed less activity with the lowest ZOI (22.3 ± 0.33 mm). The broth dilution method indicated that the MIC value of plant extracts against S. aureus ranged between 3.90 and 7.80 mg/ml while its corresponding MBC value ranged between 7.80 and 15.6 mg/ml. According to the MIC/MBC ratio, all tested plants (except K. densiflora) against standard S. aureus while C. myricoides and D. stramonium against clinical S. aureus isolate were determined to be bactericidal. Conclusion: This finding confirmed that all tested plants had a potential anti-staphylococcal effect. Thus, further study on in vivo experiments and cytotoxicity analyses must be conducted to suggest these plants as alternative mastitis treatments.

Simple template-based reverse transcription-recombinase polymerase amplification assay for routine diagnosis of citrus tristeza virus.

This study reports a simple template-based reverse transcription-polymerase amplification assay (ST-RT-RPA) for detection of citrus tristeza virus (CTV) from crude plant extract lysed in NaOH:EDTA (1:1) without the need of tedious RNA isolation. The developed assay showed versatility in its usage as amplification can be performed at wide temperature range (14°C to 42°C) and incubation time (4 to 32min), although the best conditions were 38°C for 30min. The developed ST-RT-RPA assay could detect the CTV up to 10-8 dilution of crude plant extract of NaOH:EDTA and up to 0.01 fg µl-1 of RNA of CTV-infected plant tissues and 0.001 ag µl-1 of plasmid DNA containing viral insert, thus exhibiting sufficient sensitivity. ST-RT-RPA assay showed high specificity without any cross-reaction with other citrus pathogens (Indian citrus ringspot virus, citrus yellow mosaic virus, citrus yellow vein clearing virus, and Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus) and was more sensitive in detection of CTV infection in field samples as compared to standard reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with later showing false negative in 7.92% of samples tested after 1 week of sampling. The developed ST-RT-RPA assay used minimally processed crude plant extract as template, tolerant to sample degradation in transit and storage, while it can be easily performed at wide temperatures and could be adopted in resource-poor setup.

Efficacy of Aloe secundiflora crude plant extract against Candida albicans and Penicillium marneffei

Abstract
 Medicinal plants have been used in production of various drugs singly or in combination and even as principal raw material for the production of other conventional medicines. There are a number of Aloe species that grow wildly in Kenya. Ten mature leaves of Aloe secundiflora were collected and the crude plant extract was obtained and prepared according to Waihenya et al., 2003. It was then tested for antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Penicillium marneffei. In- vitro studies on the efficacy of crude extracts of A. secundiflora on C.albicans and P. marneffei were conducted. The results of the study revealed considerable zones of inhibition of Candida albicans growth caused by Aloe secundiflora crude plant extract on Sabouraoud agar. There was also growth inhibition of the Penicillium marneffei which is known to cause infections in immunosuppressed hosts and in non-AIDS patients with hematological malignancies and those receiving immunosuppressive therapy. Our results suggests that, the extract can be used to prevent the aflatoxins caused by Aspergillus species and the superficial mycosis that result from fungal infection and probably any other kind of mycoses. Further studies are required starting with experimental models to establish the in-vivo activity of the crude extract, the active ingredient, dosage and safety of A.secundiflora, before recommending it for clinical use.
 
 Keywords: Aloe secundiflora, Immunosuppressed hosts, Crude extract, Candida albicans, Penicillium marneffei

The Anti-Candida and the Cytotoxic Activity of Aloe Vera Gel Extracts

Purpose: The research paper studies the in vitro anti-candida activity and cytotoxic effects of Aloe vera (Linn) leaves extract against melanoma and normal cell lines. Subjects and Methods: The traditional Soxhlet apparatus was used to prepare the crude plant extract using organic solvents. The agar well diffusion method was used to explore the in vitro anti-candida, and the MTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxic activity. Results: With IC50 values of 250 g/ml and more than 1000 g/ml, respectively, crude extract demonstrated anti-Candida activity against Candida ((kefyr, glabrata, and albicans) in varying potencies and cytotoxic effect in B16 cell line and vero cell line. Conclusions: This study unequivocally establishes that the crude extract of Aloe vera leaves with bioactive metabolites is capable of supplying high-quality biological material for anti-Candida and anti-cancer therapeutic programs.

Effect of crude extracts of sumac plant in inhibition of growth and adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Coli. E isolated clinically from patients with acute UTI

تم في هذه الدراسة قياس فعالية نوعين من مستخلصات نبات السماق )المائي الحار والكحولي الحار( كمضادات حيوية على نوعين من البكتريا المعزولة سريرياً وهي بكترياaeruginosa Pseudomonas وبكتريا Coli. E باستخدام طريقة الحفر باأل گار ومقارنة النتائج مع قرص المضاد الحيوي لـ Tet

Genetic engineering approaches to study of the opines of natural GMOs

A few dozen naturally transgenic plants have been described to date [1]. Many of them contain DNA-sequences homologous to opine biosynthesis genes. Chemically, opines fall into two major structural classes: secondary amine derivatives and sugar-phosphodiesters [2]. The concentration of these molecules in the crude plant extract of nGMOs could be less than 1 pmol, which makes it difficult to study them. However, structure clarification of plant opines reveal their function in plants. The aim of our work is the development of protocol for large scale production, purification and definition of the chemical structure of plant opines.
 The approach includes amplification of full-length opine synthase gene by PCR and cloning it using pENTR/D-TOPO Cloning Kit (Thermo Fisher) according to its manual; subcloning in pDest527 using LR Clonase II Plus enzyme (Thermo Fisher) according to its manual; transformation NiCo21(DE3) chemically competent E. coli cells with obtained recombinant plasmids. After the confirmation of transgenic nature, the E. coli cells should be grown on medium with ampicillin 100 mg/l to an optical density at 600 nm 0.50.6. Then an equal volume of LB medium with 1 mM isopropylthio--galactoside (IPTG) should be added for induction opine synthesis. In case of synthesis of sugar-phosphodiesters, cultural media should also contain 0.02 M arabinose, glucose, and sucrose, respectively. Cells are cultivated during 4 hours for induction of opine synthesis. After that cells are pelleted by centrifugation for 10 minutes at 5000 rpm/min. The original strain and cells grown on the medium without IPTG are used as controls.
 The cells are extracted with 80% methanol. The culture liquids are evaporated and redissolved in 80% methanol. The opines are separated by normal-phase chromatography using a CHROMABOND Flash BT. Thin-layer chromatography is used to analyze the fractions, and to confirm the component opines-like compounds. High-resolution mass spectra are recorded on a Bruker micrOTOF 10223 mass spectrometer (electrospray ionization), eluent 80% MeOH. The 31P NMR spectra are acquired on a Bruker Avance 400 spectrometer (400, 100, and 162 MHz, respectively). The 1H spectra are analyzed in D2O, with residual solvent signals (7.26 ppm for 1H nuclei) as the internal reference. The 31P NMR is measured relative to H3PO4.
 The one phosphoric acid residue in the opine structure was confirmed by NMR spectroscopy.
 We applied this method to characterize agrocinopine A-like compound in Nicotiana and propose it to produce opine-like plant compounds for further biochemical analysis.
 This research was funded the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation in accordance with the agreement No. 075-15-2022-322.
 This work was partially carried out using equipments of the Saint Petersburg State University Chemical Analysis and Materials Research Centre.

Phytochemical profiling, salt impurities removal and in vitro antibacterial evaluation of Calotropis procera twig, leaf and flower extracts

• Hexane, dichloromethane and methanol leaf, twig, and flower extracts of Malaysian Calotropis procera (CP) have been studied first time against 10 Gram-positive and 9 Gram-negative bacteria, and methanolic extracts were found to be potent. • Different in vitro antibacterial methods were carried out and Bacillus sp. , Staphylococcus spp. Klebsiella pneumoniae and proteus vulgaris were found to be sensitives against extracts. • An easy, low-cost, and efficient trituration method was developed for the purification of crude extracts from salt impurities and it has removed salts and other undissolved impurities (approximately 38%). This purification strategy is very important prior to any biological activities especially antimicrobial. • Trituration method was found to be suitable for removing salts and undissolved impurities from crude extracts of plants growing near coastal and high salt concentration regions. • A new HPLC method was developed for the separation of constituents of methanolic C. procera extract and it shows the presence of different types of metabolites. Calotropis procera (family Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant that is useful against microbial infections. The current work aimed to profile Malaysian C. procera for its phytochemical composition, develop a simple strategy to remove salt impurities from its crude extracts and assess its antibacterial activity in vitro . Ground twigs, leaves and flowers of the plant were extracted in n -hexane, dichloromethane and methanol by successive cold maceration method. Standard qualitative phytochemical tests were applied for phytochemical profiling of the extracts. The crude extracts were then subjected to clean-up procedure (trituration method) for removal of salt impurities. The antibacterial activity of the extracts (3 mg of 100 mg/mL/well) was assessed against 10 Gram-negative and nine Gram-positive bacteria by using the agar well diffusion method. Both minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the potent extracts were determined by the MTT assay and spread plate method, respectively. The potent methanolic extract was analysed by the HPLC for its metabolites pattern. The present findings confirmed the presence of flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, phenolics, carbohydrates and resins in the crude extracts. The trituration method was effective in eliminating the salt impurities from the crude extracts. The methanolic (MeOH) extracts were more effective (ZOI; 8.5–12.5 mm) against Gram-positive bacteria when compared to the Gram-negative counterparts. The tested bacteria that were most sensitive to the extracts included Bacillus sp., Staphylococcus spp. Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus vulgaris . The MIC and MBC values of the MeOH extracts were in the range of 5–40 mg/mL against B. cereus, Staphylococcus spp., K. pneumoniae and P. vulgaris . The antibacterial potential of MeOH C. procera extracts could be attributed to its polar phytochemicals as indicated by the HPLC analyses. The current results warrant in-depth phytochemical and antimicrobial investigations of methanolic C. procera twig, leaf and flower extracts.

Phytochemical Screening, Allelopathic and Bioherbicidal Potentialities of Euphorbia Guyoniana Boiss. and Reut. Leaf Extract

Euphorbia guyoniana Boiss. & Reut. (Euphorbiaceae) is well known for the chemical diversity of its phytoconstituents, and toxicological properties that have been found in literature. However, research articles about their allelopathic characteristics are rarely reported. The current research study was conducted to explore phytochemical screening, allelopathic effects and their potential uses as natural herbicide of Euphorbia guyoniana Leaf extract, harvested from Oued Metlili, Algerian Sahara, on germination and seedling growth of four adventitious species (Bromus rubens L., Phalaris minor Retz., Plantago lagopus L., Ammi visnaga L.) and one cultivated species (Triticum durum L.) in laboratory conditions. The analyses of crude plant extract confirmed the flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenols and tannins, steroids, saponins, free quinone, sterols and triterpenes as well as carohydrates in the extract. Our results show that the leaf extract of Euphorbia guyoniana had significant allelopathic and bioherbicidal activity on germination and seedling growth of adventitious species and stimulatory activity on cultivated species at lower concentrations.

BIOCIDAL-EFFICACY OF GORGONEIA LATIFOLIUM, MYRISTICA FRAGANS AND ALPRON- PLUS ON SEED HEALTH, GERMINATION PERCENTAGE, SEEDLING VIGOUR OF SWEET MELON (CUCUMIS MELO L.) SEEDS AND ASSOCIATED FUNGI ORGANISMS

Laboratory experiment was conducted to test the effects of bio-medicinal plants (Gongronema latifolium (Utazi) leaves and Myristica fragans (Nutmeg) seeds) and synthetic fungicide (Alpron- Plus) on seed health, germination percentage and seedling vigour of sweet melon seeds. The experiment was conducted at the Crop Science and Horticulture Laboratory, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State. Bio-medicinal plants were used as crude powdery seed dressers as well as synthetic fungicide. The experiment was laid out in a simple completely randomized design (CRD) with ten replications which consisted of blotter paper germination/ seed health tests of sweet melon seeds and seedling vigour and seedling vigour index tests using soil medium. Ten petri dishes and ten polybags were used respectively for each of the plant extracts and synthetic fungicides simultaneously for both blotter paper and soil medium tests. Twenty seeds which were independently dressed with various plant extracts and synthetic fungicide were plated into one 9cm Petri dish containing three layers of blotter paper in circular form. For soil medium method, ten polybags with few small perforations underneath filled with sterilized top soil were used for each fungicide. The Petri dishes containing the plated seeds were incubated on the Laboratory benches for eight days while seedlings in polybags were kept in the screenhouse and observations were taken and recorded daily for germination count, fungal growth then germination index and seedling vigour index which were derived later with appropriate formulae and their values being expressed in percentages. The results of this investigation revealed that bio-medicinal plant crude extracts had significant effect on germination percentage and germination index of Sweet- melon seeds. Gongronema latifolium crude extract had the highest germination index. The synthetic fungicide was effective in protecting the seeds of sweet melon though had low germination percentage. Nutmeg was not effective when used in crude powdery form as dressers as it had the lowest germination percentage and the highest infestation percentage. It could therefore be recommended that the plant extracts tested in this experiment should not be used as powdery seed dressers but as essential oil using appropriate extracting solvents in order for the bioactive ingredients to act effectively in preventing micro-organisms that hinder germination of sweet melon seeds.

The Antimethanogenic Potentials of Plant Extracts: Their Yields and Phytochemical Compositions as Affected by Extractive Solvents.

Plant phytochemicals are an important area of study in ruminant nutrition, primarily due to their antimethanogenic potentials. Plant extract yields, their bioactive compounds and antimethanogenic properties are largely dependent on the nature of the extractive solvents. This study evaluated the yields and phytochemical constituents of four plant extracts, as affected by the aqueous-methanolic (H2O-CH3OH) extraction and their antimethanogenic properties on the in vitro methane production. The plant extracts included Aloe vera, Jatropha curcas, Moringa oleifera, and Piper betle leaves with three levels of extractions (70, 85, and 100% CH3OH). The crude plant extract yields increased with the increasing amount of water. M. oleifera crude extracts yields (g/10 g) increased from 3.24 to 3.92, A. vera, (2.35 to 3.11) J. curcas (1.77 to 2.26), and P. betle (2.42 to 3.53). However, the identified and quantified metabolites showed differing degrees of solubility unique to their plant leaves in which they exist, while some of the metabolites were unaffected by the extraction solvents. The methane mitigating potentials of these extracts were evaluated as additives on Eragrostis curvula hay at a recommended rate of 50 mg kg−1 DM. The plant extracts exhibited antimethanogenic properties to various degrees, reducing (p < 0.05) in vitro methane production in the tested hay, A. vera, J. curcas, M. oleifera and P. betle reduced methane emission by 6.37−7.55%, 8.02−11.56%, 12.26−12.97, and 5.66−7.78 respectively compared to the control treatment. However, the antimethanogenic efficacy, gas production and organic matter digestibility of the plant extracts were unaffected by the extraction solvents. Metabolites, such as aloin A, aloin B and kaempferol (in A. vera), apigenin, catechin, epicatechin, kaempferol, tryptophan, procyanidins, vitexin-7-olate and isovitexin-7-olate (in J. curcas), alkaloid, kaempferol, quercetin, rutin and neochlorogenic acid (in M. oleifera) and apigenin-7,4′-diglucoside, 3-p-coumaroylquinic acid, rutin, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, dihydrocaffeic acid, and dihydrocoumaric acid (in P. betle) exhibited a methane reducing potential and hence, additional studies may be conducted to test the methane reducing properties of the individual metabolites as well as their combined forms. Plant extracts could be more promising, and hence, further study is necessary to explore other extraction methods, as well as the encapsulation of extracts for the improved delivery of core materials to the target sites and to enhance methane reducing properties. Furthermore, the use of 70% aqueous extraction on M. oleifera leaf is recommended for practical use due to the reduced cost of extractive solvents, the lower cost and availability of Moringa plants in South Africa, especially in Gauteng Province. Furthermore, 70% aqueous-methanolic extractions of A. vera, J. curcas, and P. betle are recommended for practical use in regions where they exist in abundance and are cost effective.

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, ANTIMICROBIAL ASSESSMENT, AND ISOLATION OF A NOVEL BIOACTIVE FRIEDELANE-TYPE TRITERPENOID FROM THE STEMBARK EXTRACTS OF Uapaca ambanjensis Leandri.

The hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the stem bark of Uapaca ambanjensis were investigated for their phytochemical constituents and activity against selected microorganisms. Whereas all the phytochemicals, except anthraquinones, are indicated in various extracts, the most impressive antimicrobial potencies of extracts compared to standard drugs were observed for methanol (against Salmonella typhi and Candida albicans), n-hexane (against Staphylococcus aureus, C. albicans, S. typhi and Klebisiela pneumoniae) and ethyl acetate (against Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Chromatographic separation and purification of the methanol extract led to the isolation of compound 1 (labelled G24) which upon characterization using 1D and 2D NMR was elucidated to be a novel friedelane–type pentacyclic triterpenoid, 2β-propanoyloxy-friedelan-3-one. In vitro antimicrobial screening of the new compound showed that it has both gram-positive and gram-negative antibacterial, and antifungal potencies with the strongest activities against P. aeruginosa, C. albicans, S. aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. It is most likely a medicinal principle or antibiotic with activity against ailments for which the stated microbes are implicated, and may also account for the ethnomedicinal uses of the crude plant extract to treat typhoid fever, other fevers, skin diseases and stroke.

Antioxidants, Anti-inflammation, Anti-hyperglycemia and Chemical Evaluation of the whole plant extracts of Anisopus mannii N.E.Br.

Anisopus mannii from the family Asclepiadaceae is a perennial herb that is currently utilized in the traditional Northern Nigerian medicinal system. The study document comprehensive In Vitro biological evaluation and chemical profiling of A. mannii whole plant crude extracts. Qualitative phytochemical, antioxidants, anti-inflammation, anti-hyperglycemia and chemical profiling was determined. The results revealed the presence of phenols, alkaloids, tannins, glycosides flavonoids, and saponins. The plant has the inhibition capacity to convert Fe3+ to Fe2 at 18.9 mmol/gm, scavenging at 75.5, injured tissues 28.4 75.5, -amylase 62.7 and α-Glucosidase 89.5 µg /mL respectively. 9-Octadecenoic acid, methyl and Lup-20(29)-en-3-ol, acetate, (3. beta) are the major compounds found in the whole plant extract. The current groundbreaking research revealed ethanolic extract from the whole plant is an effective medicinal agent. It provides the possibility for different therapy regimens to be developed from it. Research is needed to discover and purify the active chemicals that are responsible for therapeutic efficacy.

Method Development: The Antioxidant and Antifungal Activity of the Isolated Component from the Ethanolic Extract of Tecoma stans Leaves Using Flash Chromatography

Tecoma stans is an ornamental perennial tropical and subtropical plant belonging to the Bignoniaceae family with green leaves and yellow attractive fragrance flowers and commonly known as yellow trumpetbush or yellow bells. The plant originated in the tropical areas of South America and Mexico and has been cultivated in many countries such as Egypt, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). T. stans has been found in different parts of the UAE such as Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai, where it can be seen in public parks, side roads, and home gardens. The Flash Chromatography System is used in different aspects of drug discovery studies because of its ability to purify secondary metabolites from crude plant extracts. A method was developed using the Flash Chromatography System to isolate three components from the ethanolic extract of T. stans leaves that showed in vitro antioxidant activity. In vitro evaluation of the antioxidant activity of the isolated components of T. stans was conducted using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl and 2, 2′-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid methods. Isolated components A-4, A-3, and A-2 had antioxidant activity when compared to ascorbic acid. Component A-3 showed antioxidant activity using the DPPH and ABTS methods; antifungal activities when tested against Candida albicans; and more than 80% inhibitions in the third dilution when compared to itraconazole and nystatin as positive controls. This rapid and efficient method using flash chromatography was used for the isolation and purification of an isolated component A-3 that showed both antioxidant and antifungal activities.

Qualitative Phytochemical Screening and Antibacterial Properties of Momordica charantia Methanolic Extract Against Selected Bacterial Strains

Introduction: The persistent development of bacterial resistance against currently available antibacterial drugs necessitates the search for new antimicrobial agents. The major part of this research is to overcome drug resistance in infectious agents by utilizing medicinal plants as the main natural source in the production of new pharmaceuticals. As 25-50% of contemporary medications are derived from plants, this sparked renewed interest in therapeutic plants. Due to the largely diverse phytochemical compounds found in crude extracts of medicinal plants, they could be used as an alternative source of antimicrobial agents. This study aims to screen the phytochemical compounds and evaluate the antibacterial effect of Momordica charantia fruit extract, obtained by maceration in 100% absolute methanol. Method: Disc diffusion and broth microdilution methods were performed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of M. charantia fruit extract on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium. Results: The phytochemical tests conducted revealed that the fruit extracts tested positive for alkaloids, phenols, tannins, flavonoids, and saponins. The methanolic extract of M. charantia fruit demonstrated antibacterial activity against S. aureus with a mean inhibition zone of (17mm±0.82), but not against E. coli or S. typhimurium. For S. aureus, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were 125mg/ml and 500mg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: Based on the findings, the current study offers insight into the therapeutic potential of M. charantia where the methanolic fruit extract of the fruit has been shown to have antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and has the potential to be exploited as an antimicrobial agent.

Phytochemical Screening and Antioxidant Property of the Methanol Extract of Spear Grass (Heteropogon contortus L.)

Plants are not only indispensable in health care but form the best hope of source for safe future medicines. In spite of the fact that now we have at our disposal a number of modern drugs, it is still genuinely urgent to discover and develop new therapeutic agents. The objective of the study is to determine the secondary metabolites and antioxidant activity of the methanol extract of Heteropogon contortus. The phytochemical analysis of the crude plant extract of Heteropogon contortus was performed using standard analytical method while the antioxidant activity of the extract was done using DPPH method of analysis. The study recorded yield of 9.22% for the methanol extract. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of seven secondary metabolites out of the nine metabolites screened for. The result of antioxidant activity of the crude extract showed good activity with an increase in the percentage inhibition on increase in concentration with the highest percentage inhibition of 57.16±53% at 500 mg/ml this was quite comparable to that of the standard (ascorbic acid) which had percentage inhibition at 500 mg/ml to be 67±32%. In conclusion the findings of the study showed that the methanol extract of H. contortus has an appreciable antioxidant activity which could be attributed to the secondary metabolites which it contains.

In vitro antiviral, antioxidant and in vivo antipyretic activity of three South Africa medicinal plants crude extracts

This study investigated anti-viral, antioxidant activity and anti-pyretic of crude extract from Artemisia afra, Artemisia absinthium and Pittiosporum viridflorum leaves. The crude extracts were prepared by maceration using aqueous, methanol and dichloromethane respectively. Antiviral studies were evaluated with influenza virus using Fluorescence based -Neuraminidase inhibitors. Antioxidant activities determined with DPPH, Nitric oxide, hydroxyl and super oxide anion radicals’ Anti-pyretic activities were evaluated using rats with yeast induced pyrexia. Total phenol, flavonoids, and pro-anthocyanin contents of the plants samples were evaluated using standard protocols. The crude extracts exhibited neuraminidase inhibitory activity against the influenza virus at different thresholds. Artemisia absinthium aqueous extract showed the best activity against A/Sydney/5/97. Whereas Artemisia afra methanol crude extract displayed highest antioxidant potential against the tested antioxidant parameters. All the crude extracts significantly reversed yeast induced pyrexia in rats, similar to paracetamol. Thus, they could serve as natural remedy for respiratory diseases such as Influenza.

Enhancement of mangiferin by fungal endophytes isolated from Salacia chinensis L. and Salacia oblonga Wall.

Microbes residing in the internal tissues of a plant are called endophytes, and are known for producing phytochemicals such as taxol, podophyllotoxin, azadirachtin and vinca alkaloids. In this study, out of five isolates from Salacia species, two fungi Penicillium capsulatum and Aspergillus fumigatus have been evaluated and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification for their endophytic action to produce mangiferin. Mangiferin has been reported to possess protective properties, including antioxidant, antidiabetic and immunomodulatory. It has been reported that the content of mangiferin is 7-9% in Mangifera indica , and is also present in other plants like Swertia chirata , Salacia chinensis , and Hypericum aucheri . Therefore, an attempt was made to explore the biotechnological approach and regulation studies to increase the production of mangiferin in S. chinensis and S. oblonga . Endophytes were isolated, screened, and analyzed, to evaluate the mangiferin in fungal extracts in comparison with crude plant extracts. An HPLC analysis was used to determine the mangiferin content present in the fungal extract of S. chinensis stem (74.74 g/mL), followed by fungi extracts of S. oblonga root (33.75 g/mL) and S. chinensis root (30.50 g/mL), compared with the plant extracts. These results were confirmed by FTIR analyses.

An Evaluation of Antimicrobial, Anticancer, Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Activities of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized from Leaf Extract of Madhuca longifolia Utilizing Quantitative and Qualitative Methods.

In the current decade, nanoparticles are synthesized using solvents that are environmentally friendly. A number of nanoparticles have been synthesized at room temperature using water as a solvent, such as gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles. As part of nanotechnology, nanoparticles are synthesized through biological processes. Biological methods are the preferred method for the synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles (AgNPs) as a result of their simple and non-hazardous nature. Nanoparticles of silver are used in a variety of applications, including catalysts, spectrally selective coatings for solar absorption, optical objectives, pharmaceutical constituents, and chemical and biological sensing. Antimicrobial agents are among the top uses of silver nanoparticles. In the current study, silver nanoparticles were biologically manufactured through Madhuca longifolia, and their antibacterial activity against pathogenic microorganisms, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities were assessed. UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD (X-ray diffraction), transmission electron microscopy, Zeta Potential, and FTIR were used to characterize silver nanoparticles. The current work describes a cheap and environmentally friendly method to synthesize silver nanoparticles from silver nitrate solution by using plant crude extract as a reducing agent.

Dendritic Cells (DCs)-Based Cancer Immunotherapy: A Review on the Prospects of Medicinal Plants and Their Phytochemicals as Potential Pharmacological Modulators

Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized antigen-presenting cells in humans and animals that provide antigen-specific T-cell immunity in the body. It also establishes a linkage between innate and adaptive immune responses. Various studies have shown that malignancies or cancer may impair DCs and effector T-cell functions. DCs have now become a new molecular target for the treatment of cancer. Modified matured DCs could be novel biological modifiers to treat various diseases, including cancer. This review aims to provide an update on the impacts of various plant materials and their phytochemicals on DC-based cancer immunotherapy. Existing literature on DC-based cancer immunotherapy and plant-based pharmacological modulators has been explored over the last decade using various online databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, and Scopus. Mounting evidence from preclinical and clinical findings suggests that various plants and their bioactive phytochemicals are effective in modulating the immune system and signaling pathways involved in anti-tumor immunity. Despite the prospective role of herbs in DC-based cancer immunotherapy, most of the studies are limited by either preclinical models or crude plant extracts. This review provides a useful perspective for developing potential plant-derived pharmacological modulators in DC-based cancer immunotherapy.

Histopathological effects of methomyl and crude extracts of Jatropha curcas against the terrestrial snail, Monacha obstructa (Gastropoda:Hygromiidae)

BackgroundThe negative effect of over-reliance on the use of synthetic pesticides have led to the search for natural alternatives to pest control. This study was designed to evaluate the toxicity effect of the crude plant extracts of Jatropha (Jatropha curcas Linn.) seeds in comparison with methomyl on some histopathological changes of the terrestrial snail species Monacha obstructa (Pfeiffer, 1842). The toxicity effect of methomyl and crude extracts of ethanol and acetone extracts of Jatropha curcas seeds were determined on some histological changes of the land snail, Monacha obstructa at four concentrations using the contact technique under laboratory conditions.ResultsThe results revealed that the crude extracts of Jatropha exhibited obvious adequate effects compared with methomyl against M. obstructa land snails. The highest toxicity effects were obtained by methomyl followed by the ethanolic extract of Jatropha and hexane extract of Jatropha. The histopathological effect of LC50 of Jatropha crude extract and methomyl on the digestive gland and foot tissues were examined in the land snails M. obstructa. The treated snails showed several histological changes in the digestive gland and foot compared with the control group snails. The histological examinations of the digestive tubules included destroyed and detached in the outer layer covering digestive tubules. In addition, marked increase in the width most of the digestive tubules lumen. The intertubular connective tissue between the digestive tubules showed great destruction, while the foot of treated snails showed rupture of the epithelium covering the foot and desquamation of the epithelium. We also observed the presence of areas of connective tissue necrosis and destruction of the muscular tissue.ConclusionsIt has been found that extracts of Jatropha seeds have a toxic activity that caused histopathological damage that led to the death of land snails, and thus it can be recommended as a source for the development of molluscicides.Graphical