Molecular Docking of Nimbolide Extracted from Leaves of Azadirachta indica with Protein Targets to Confirm the Antifungal, Antibacterial and Insecticidal Activity.

Nimbolide, a tetranortriterpenoid (limonoid) compound isolated from the leaves of Azadirachta indica, was screened both in vitro and in silico for its antimicrobial activity against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense, Macrophomina phaseolina, Pythium aphanidermatum, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, and insecticidal activity against Plutella xylostella. Nimbolide exhibited a concentration-dependent, broad spectrum of antimicrobial and insecticidal activity. P. aphanidermatum (82.77%) was more highly inhibited than F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense (64.46%) and M. phaseolina (43.33%). The bacterium X. oryzae pv. oryzae forms an inhibition zone of about 20.20 mm, and P. xylostella showed about 66.66% mortality against nimbolide. The affinity of nimbolide for different protein targets in bacteria, fungi, and insects was validated by in silico approaches. The 3D structure of chosen protein molecules was built by homology modelling in the SWISS-MODEL server, and molecular docking was performed with the SwissDock server. Docking of homology-modelled protein structures shows most of the chosen target proteins have a higher affinity for the furan ring of nimbolide. Additionally, the stability of the best-docked protein-ligand complex was confirmed using molecular dynamic simulation. Thus, the present in vitro and in silico studies confirm the bioactivity of nimbolide and provide a strong basis for the formulation of nimbolide-based biological pesticides. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12088-023-01104-6.

Anticancer Potential of Hydroxychavicol Derived from Piper betle L: An in Silico and Cytotoxicity Study.

Piper betle L. is a popular medicinal plant in Asia, and extracts of the plant leaf are used for several therapeutics. It is known for its rich source of phenolic compounds, including hydroxychavicol. Hydroxychavicol is an allylbenzene that has gained much attention due to its anticancer properties. The current study quantified and purified hydroxychavicol from P. betle L. and predicted its anticancer competence through in silico and cytotoxicity studies. Leaf samples of 22 P. betle L. accessions from different locations of Tamil Nadu, India, were analyzed using reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography for quantification of hydroxychavicol. The highest quantity of hydroxychavicol was obtained from the accession BV22 (89.2%). Chemical absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) analysis of hydroxychavicol using SwissADME satisfied the physicochemical property guidelines of Lipinski's Rule of Five, ensuring its drug-likeness behavior. Molecular docking studies confirmed the interaction of hydroxychavicol with all 16 tested cancer targets. In Vitro MTT assay of hydroxychavicol in bone cancer cell lines (MG63) also demonstrated the anticancer competency, indicating the requirement to formulate the molecule as a drug in treating various types of cancers.

Anti cancer activity on Graviola, an exciting medicinal plant extract vs various cancer cell lines and a detailed computational study on its potent anti-cancerous leads.

Nature is the world's best chemist: Many naturally occurring compounds have very complicated structures that present great challenges to chemists wishing to determine their structures or replicate them. The plant derived herbal compounds have a long history of clinical use, better patient tolerance and acceptance. Their high ligand binding affinity to the target introduce the prospect of their use in chemo preventive applications; in addition they are freely available natural compounds that can be safely used to prevent various ailments. Plants became the basis of traditional medicine system throughout the world for thousands of years and continue to provide mankind with new remedies. Here, we present a research study on a medicinal plant, Graviola, a native of North America but rarely grown in India. It has a wide potent anticancerous agents coined as Acetogenins which play a key role towards many varieties of cancer, Acetogenins are potent inhibitors of NADH oxidase of the plasma membranes of cancer cells. Potent leads were taken for the study through literature survey, major types of cancer targets were identified, the natureceuticals and the cancer protein were subjected to docking analysis, further with the help of the dock score and other descriptor properties top ranked molecules were collected, commercial drug was also selected and identified as a Test compound for the study. Later, the phytochemicals were subjected to toxicity analysis. Those screened compounds were then considered for active site analysis and to find the best binding site for the study. R Programming library was used to find the best leads. Phytochemicals such as Anonaine, Friedelin, Isolaureline, Annonamine, Anomurine, Kaempferol, Asimilobine, Quercetin, Xylopine were clustered and the highly clustered compounds such as Annonamine , Kaempferol termed to be a potential lead for the study. Further study on experimental analysis may prove the potentiality of these compounds. In the experimental analysis, Graviola leaves were collected, and the extracted components were tested against the HeLa cell line and PC3 cell line. HeLa cells treated with 75 µg of a crude leaf extract of A. muricata showing 80% of cell inhibition. Further investigation of other experimental studies may confirm that these potential lead could make a great impact in which it could help to accelerate the pipeline of drug discovery.

Effect of in vitro culture conditions on somaclonal variation in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp.) using RAPD markers.

We report a high frequency regeneration protocol in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp. var. C 152) via somatic embryogenesis from 10-d-old primary leaf explants. A study was conducted to examine the effect of somaclonal variations in in vitro derived cowpea plants under field conditions. The regenerated plantlets were successfully transferred to field after hardening in vitro and grown for collecting R0, R1 and R2 seeds. The seeds of R1 and R2 generations were subsequently, grown under field conditions and their various biometrical traits were compared and evaluated with non-tissue cultured cowpea plants as check. There was no detectable somaclonal variation induced in R0-R2 in any of the biometrical traits. The results indicate that the inclusion of different plant growth promoters at specified concentrations and duration in our earlier tissue culture work did not induce any detectable mutation. The RAPD analysis also shows that there is no genetic variation among R2 cowpea plants. The somatic embryogenesis protocol we report could thus be safely applied for high frequency true-to-type regeneration and transformations protocols without any somaclonal variation.

Developmental pattern formation of somatic embryos induced in cell suspension cultures of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp].

The sequence of events in the functional body pattern formation during the somatic embryo development in cowpea suspensions is described under three heads. Early stages of somatic embryogenesis were characterized by both periclinal and anti-clinal cell divisions. Differentiation of the protoderm cell layer by periclinal divisions marked the commencement of somatic embryogenesis. The most critical events appear to be the formation of apical meristems, establishment of apical-basal patterns of symmetry, and cellular organization in oblong-stage somatic embryo for the transition to torpedo and cotyledonary-stage somatic embryos. Two different stages of mature embryos showing distinct morphology, classified based on the number of cotyledons and their ability to convert into plantlets, were visualized. Repeated mitotic divisions of the sub-epidermal cell layers marked the induction of pro-embryogenic mass (PEM) in the embryogenic calli. The first division plane was periclinally-oriented, the second anti-clinally-oriented, and the subsequent division planes appeared in any direction, leading to clusters of pro-embryogenic clumps. Differentiation of the protoderm layer marks the beginning of the structural differentiation in globular stage. Incipient pro-cambium formation is the first sign of somatic embryo transition. Axial elongation of inner isodiametric cells of the globular somatic embryo followed by the change in the growth axis of the pro-cambium is an important event in oblong-stage somatic embryo. Vacuolation in the ground meristem of torpedo-stage embryo begins the process of histodifferentiation. Three major embryonic tissue systems; shoot apical meristem, root apical meristem, and the differentiation of pro-cambial strands, are visible in torpedo-stage somatic embryo. Monocotyledonary-stage somatic embryo induced both the shoot apical meristem and two leaf primordia compared to the ansiocotyledonary somatic embryo.

In vitro somatic embryogenesis from cell suspension cultures of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp].

We report, an efficient protocol for plantlet regeneration from the cell suspension cultures of cowpea through somatic embryogenesis. Primary leaf-derived, embryogenic calli initiated in MMS [MS salts (Murashige and Skoog 1962) with B5 (Gamborg et al. 1968) vitamins] medium containing 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), casein hydrolysate (CH), and L: -Glutamic acid-5-amide (Gln). Fast-growing embryogenic cell suspensions were established in 0.5 mg l(-1) 2,4-D, which resulted in the highest recovery of early stages of somatic embryos in liquid MMS medium. Embryo development was asynchronous and strongly influenced by the 2,4-D concentration. Mature monocotyledonary-stage somatic embryos were induced in liquid B5 medium containing 0.1 mg l(-1) 2,4-D, 20 mg l(-1) L: -Proline (Pro), 5 muM Abscisic acid (ABA), and 2% mannitol. B5 medium was found superior for the maturation of somatic embryos compared to MS and MMS media. The importance of duration (5 d) for effective maturation of somatic embryos is demonstrated. A reduction in the 2,4-D level in suspensions increased the somatic embryo induction and maturation with decreased abnormalities. Sucrose was found to be the best carbon source for callus induction while mannitol for embryo maturation and maltose for embryo germination. Extension of hypocotyls and complete development of plantlet was achieved in half-strength B5 medium supplemented with 3% maltose, 2500 mg l(-1) potassium nitrate, and 0.05 mg l(-1) thidiazuron (TDZ) with 32% regeneration frequency. Field-established plants were morphologically normal and fertile. This regeneration protocol assures a high frequency of embryo induction, maturation, and plantlet conversion.