A critical appraisal on the involvement of plant-based extracts as neuroprotective agents (2012-2022): an effort to ease out decision-making process for researchers.

The purpose of this review study is to provide a condensed compilation of 164 medicinal plants that have been investigated for their neuroprotective aspects by researchers between the years 2012 and 2022 which also includes a recent update of 2023-2024. After using certain keywords to retrieve the data from SCOPUS, it was manually sorted to eliminate any instances of duplication. The article is streamlined into three major segments. The first segment takes a dig into the current global trend and attempts to decrypt vital information related to plant names, families, plant parts used, and neurological disorders investigated. The second segment of the article makes an attempt to present a comprehensive insight into the various mechanistic pathways through which phytochemicals can intervene to exert neuroprotection. The final segment of the manuscript is a bibliometric appraisal of all researches conducted. The study is based on 256 handpicked articles based on decided inclusion criteria. Illustrative compilation of various pathways citing their activation and deactivation channels are also presented with possible hitting points of various phytochemicals. The present study employed Microsoft Excel 2019 and VOS viewer as data visualisation tools.

Genomic dataset of a multiple-drug resistant Pseudomonas sp. strain RAC1 isolated from a flacherie infected Nistari race of Bombyx mori L.

Species belonging to the genus Pseudomonas is a rod shaped Gram-negative bacteria emerged as an important silkworm pathogen with broad-level multi-drug resistance. The extensive usage of antimicrobials in sericulture farming is gradually leading to the emergence of multi-drug resistance (MDR) strains, posing a significant threat to the well-being of both Bombyx mori L. and serifarmers. Pseudomonas spp. with MDR level may gets transmitted from the infected silkworm to human handlers either via direct contact or through contaminated feces. To understand the emerging concern of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Pseudomonas spp. provides insights into their genomic information. Here, we present the draft genome sequence data of Pseudomonas sp. strain RAC1 isolated from a flacherie infected Nistari race of Bombyx mori L. from the silkworm rearing house of Raiganj University, India and sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. The estimated genome size of the strain was 4494347 bp with a G + C content of 63.5%. The de novo assembly of the genome generated 38 contigs with an N50 of 200 kb. Our data might help to reveal the genetic diversity, underlying mechanisms of AMR and virulence potential of Pseudomonas spp. This draft-genome shotgun project has been deposited under the NCBI GenBank accession number NZ_JAUTXS000000000.

Unveiling the anti-inflammatory potential of Acalypha indica L. and analyzing its research trend: digging deep to learn deep.

The plant Acalypha indica L. is a well-known traditional plant belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. Traditional practices of the plant claim to treat asthma, pneumonia, wound healing, rheumatoid arthritis, bronchitis, and skin disorders. The major phytochemicals reported are cyanogenic glucosides, tannins, coumarins, flavonoid glycosides, fatty acids, and volatile oils. To summarize the anti-inflammatory potential of Acalypha indica extract and its phytochemicals through preclinical studies. The search terms include anti-inflammatory, Acalypha indica, and Acalypha indica extract independently or in combination with pro-inflammatory markers using various databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. The results of preclinical studies confirm that Acalypha indica exhibits strong anti-inflammatory activity. Most of the experimental studies that have been conducted on plant extract are protein denaturation, human red blood cell membrane stabilization assay, and carrageenan-induced inflammation models. However, the molecular mechanism in these studies is still unclear to demonstrate its anti-inflammatory effects. Acalypha indica possesses anti-inflammatory effects that may be due to the presence of phenolic compounds especially flavonoids present in the Acalypha indica. Thus, further research is needed, to understand mechanistic insights of the plant phytochemicals to represent anti-inflammatory properties.

A cross talk based critical analysis of solvent free microwave extraction to accentuate it as the new normal for extraction of essential oil: an attempt to overhaul the science of distillation through a comprehensive tutelage.

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) is a sustainable non-contact heating source and has been extensively researched for extraction of plant bioactives. There are various derivatives or modules available for MAE and solvent free microwave extraction (SFME) is one of them where by operational aspects of MAE have been maneuvered to make it compatible for extraction of essential oil (EO). This article makes an attempt to overhaul the science of distillation by revisiting SFME and trying to learn through a comprehensive tutelage comprising of 20 years of published literature in Web of Science so that a shrewd decision can be obtained through a cross talk based critical analysis on the science SFME. A total of 312 articles within the time frame of 2001-2020 were extracted from WOS and critically analyzed. Considering the various uncertainties involved with SFME the articles establishes some global working standards and tries to explore the dynamic relationship between plant part/genus and microwave power, microwave power and time, microwave power and extracted volatile principles, prioritizes plant family selection and also presents a research blueprint of SFME. A techno-commercial feasibility study has been presented for smooth industrial transition of SFME. The tutelage presented decodes the publication trends and SFME blueprint.

Seasonal Variation Imparts the Shift in Endophytic Bacterial Community Between Mango and its Hemiparasites.

The study of community composition and community structure is important to know the ecological behaviour and community dynamics of the participating species and to understand the molecular interplay that lies between them. The community diversity greatly lies in the physiological status of the host and the environmental factors. The present study aims to explore the endophytic bacterial communities and their dynamics in the pre-flowering and post-flowering seasons in the horticulturally important Mango (Mangifera indica L.) and its hemiparasites: Loranthus parasiticus (L.) Marr. and Macrosolen colchinchinensis (Lour.) Tiegh. through a metagenomic approach using the sequence of V3 region of 16S rRNA gene. The genera Bacillus, Acinetobacter and Corynebacterium, under the phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, respectively, were found to be the most abundant genera present in mango and its hemiparasites. It was found that during the post-flowering season, the twigs and leaves of mango had lesser endophytes than in other seasons while the alpha-diversity indices of the representative genera were the highest in L. parasiticus during the same seasons. However, in M. colchinchinensis, the alpha diversity was also higher in the post-flowering season similar to another hemiparasite plant L. parasiticus. The ecological, taxonomic and complex correlation studies unravelled that the hemiparasites act as the potent reservoirs of endophytic communities throughout the year and during favourable conditions, these bacterial communities disseminate to the mango plant.

Assessment of mycorrhizal association of a threatened medicinal plant Clerodendrum indicum (L.) O. Kuntze (Verbenaceae) in different ecological variations.

Mycorrhizae association is reported to enhance the survivability of the host plant under adverse environmental conditions. The present study aims to explore the mycorrhizal association in the roots of different ecotypes of a threatened medicinal plant, Clerodendrum indicum (L.) O. Kuntze (Verbenaceae), collected from W.B., India, which correlates the degree of root colonization to the nutritional status of the native soil. Ten ecotypes of C. indicum having diverse morphological variations were collected. The mycorrhizae were characterized by both morphological and molecular methods. The nutritional status of the native soils was estimated. The study revealed that all the ecotypes have an association with mycorrhizal forms like hyphae, arbuscules, and vesicles. The molecular analysis showed Glomus intraradices and Rhizophagus irregularis as the associated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). A significant variation in arbuscule and vesicle formation was found growing in the varied nutritional statuses concerning soil parameters. The arbuscule was found negatively correlated with pH, conductivity, and potassium and positively correlated with organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. The vesicle was found positively correlated with pH, organic carbon, and potassium and negatively correlated with conductivity, nitrogen, and phosphorus. The interaction between conductivity: nitrogen, conductivity: phosphorus, organic-carbon: nitrogen, and pH: conductivity was significant in influencing vesicle formation. However, none of the interactions between parameters was found significant in influencing arbuscule formation. Thus, the study concludes that G. intraradices and R. irregularis are the principle mycorrhizae forming the symbiotic association with the threatened medicinal plant, C. indicum. They form vesicles and arbuscules based on their soil nutritive factors. Therefore, a large-scale propagation through a selective AMF association would help in the conservation of this threatened species from extinction.

Production and characterization of a broad-spectrum antimicrobial 5-butyl-2-pyridine carboxylic acid from Aspergillus fumigatus nHF-01.

The present study aims at the production optimization, purification, and characterization of a potent broad-spectrum antimicrobial compound (AMC) produced by Aspergillus fumigatus nHF-01 (GenBank Ac. No. MN190286). The culture conditions were optimized for a higher amount of AMC. The AMC was solvent extracted and characterized by UV-Vis, FT-IR, ESI-MS, and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The MIC, MBC and mode of action were determined against a set of Gram-positive and Gram-negative human pathogenic bacteria. Its antibiofilm, synergistic and cytotoxic effects were also tested. The putative target site of action was evaluated through in silico molecular docking study. The stain A. fumigatus nHF-01 produced the maximum AMC (5-butyl-2-pyridine carboxylic acid) in 2% MEB (w/v) and 4% YE (w/v) at pH 6.0 and 20 °C temperature with 100 rpm agitation for ten days. It caused complete lethality of the Gram-positive and Gram-negative human pathogenic bacteria at a 129 µg/mL dose by rupture and entire dissolution of cell integrity. It showed moderate antibiofilm activity and had a synergistic activity with streptomycin and additive effects with ciprofloxacin and vancomycin. It targets a respiratory enzyme, Quinol-Fumarate Reductase (1l0v), with the highest binding affinities. It had cytotoxicity against human lung carcinoma A549 cell line and was stable up to 100 °C. Thus, the study revealed that the strain A. fumigatus nHF-01 produces a potent broad-spectrum AMC 5-butyl-2-pyridine carboxylic acid that could be used against human food and topical pathogenic bacteria. This is the first report of such a compound produced from the A. fumigatus.

Inhibitory effect of compounds extracted from Monochoria hastata (L.) Solms on SARS-CoV-2 main protease: An insight from molecular docking and MD-simulation studies.

Using molecular docking and other studies, 20 compounds extracted from Monochoria hastata (L.) Solms were screened, and their inhibitory efficiency examined against main protease (3CLpro) of SARS CoV-2. All the compounds were found to binding with 3CLpro through van der Waals and electrostatic forces of attractions. Among them, Azelaic dihydrazide (ADZ) was found to have the highest docking score. 3CLpro-ADZ complex was studied by MD simulation. ADZ was found to disrupt the structure of 3CLpro after 2 ns. RMSD and RMSF analysis along with sequence and binding energy analysis suggest that ADZ can be a potential drug against SARS CoV-2.

Anti-enteric efficacy and mode of action of tridecanoic acid methyl ester isolated from Monochoria hastata (L.) Solms leaf.

Monochoria hastata (L.) Solms (family Pontederiaceae), an ethnomedicinal aquatic herb, is used to remedy several gastrointestinal diseases by various ethnic groups in India. The present study aimed to purify and characterize the antibacterial active ingredient against gastrointestinal (GI) diseases and its mode of action using in vitro experimental models. The active lead molecule in the ethyl acetate extract (EA-Mh) fraction has been purified and characterized through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) methods. The anti-enteric efficacy has been evaluated against enteropathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies. The synergistic and antagonistic studies were done on E. coli MTCC 723 using standard antibiotics (ampicillin and kanamycin, final conc. 50 µg/ml) in a sterilized 96-well micro-plate, incubated at 37 ℃ for 24 h. The chromatographic and spectroscopic analyses revealed the presence of tridecanoic acid methyl ester (TAME) in the bioactive fraction. The compound causes significant extracellular leakage activity by disrupting cellular morphology in the Enterococcus faecalis MCC 2041 T and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium MTCC 98, at a dose of 375 µg/ml and 750 µg/ml, respectively. The SEM study shows a significant rupturing of E. coli and E. faecalis cells due to TAME induced autolysis. It has synergistic activity with ampicillin. The in silico molecular docking through the AutoDock Vina 4.2 and GROMACS (ver. 5.1) Charmm27 force field results showed that the TAME had a strong binding affinity Escherichia coli DNA Gyrase B (PDB ID: 5l3j.pdb) protein and caused conformational changes. Thus, the manuscript reports the first time on the characterization of TAME from this plant with a detailed antibacterial mode of action studies.

Characterization of two new strains of Lactococcus lactis for their probiotic efficacy over commercial synbiotics consortia.

Lactococcus spp. are industrially crucial lactic acid bacteria (LAB) used to manufacture lactic acid, pickled vegetables, buttermilk, cheese, and many kinds of delicious dairy foods and drinks. In addition to these, they are also being used as probiotics in specific formulations. However, their uses as probiotics are comparatively less than the other LAB genera. The present communication hypothesizes to validate the probiotic potentiality of two new Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis strains for their future uses. These native food fermenting strains were characterized for in vitro acid tolerance, tolerance to simulated gastric and pancreatic juices, autoaggregation and co-aggregation, hydrophobicity, haemolytic activity, bile salt deconjugation, cholesterol removal, antimicrobial spectrum, and antibiotic sensitivity. The in vivo live bacterial feeding of these strains for 30 days was done in Swiss albino mice either singly or in combination with prebiotic inulin and evaluated for hypocholesterolemic activity, immune enhancement, and gut colonization efficiency and compared with the commercial probiotic consortia. The study revealed that the strains could survive in human gut bile concentration, gastric pH conditions at pH 2.0, 3.0, and 8.0 for 6 h, had a broad antibacterial spectrum, and cholesterol binding efficacy. The strains could survive with higher colony-forming units (CFU/mL) when amended with sodium caseinate. The strains had autoaggregation ranges from 15 to 25% over 24 h and had a significant co-aggregation with both lactic acid and Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains related to human illness. The strains also showed solvent and media-specific hydrophobicity against n-hexane and xylene. The live bacterial feeding either singly or in combination with prebiotic inulin resulted in a significant reduction of LDL (low-density lipoprotein), VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and triglyceride (TG), and a significant increase in HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol level, and improved gut colonization and gut immunomodulation. The results prove that these non-haemolytic, non-toxic strains had significant health benefits than the commercial probiotics consortium with the recommended prebiotics mix. Thus, these new Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis strains could be trialled as a new probiotic combination for human and animal feeds.

Catalytic Use toward the Redox Reaction of Toxic Industrial Wastes in Innocuous Aqueous Medium and Antibacterial Activity of Novel Cu x Ag x Zn1-2x O Nanocomposites.

In this work, we report the redox properties in organic catalytic transformation and antibacterial activity of novel Cu x Ag x Zn1-2x O nanocomposites. Cu- and Ag-doped ZnO [Cu x Ag x Zn1-2x O (x = 0.1)] (CAZ), Cu-doped ZnO [Cu x Zn1-x O (x = 0.1)] (CZ), and Ag-doped ZnO [Ag x Zn1-x O (x = 0.1)] (AZ) were prepared via a chemical co-precipitation method. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized using different spectroscopic techniques. The catalytic activity of CAZ, CZ, and AZ was examined for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and 4-nitroaniline (4-NA) in the presence of NaBH4 in an aqueous medium. The photocatalytic oxidation efficiency of these catalysts was also observed against naphthol orange (NO) under ultraviolet light. It was found that the catalytic reduction and oxidation efficiency of CAZ is higher than that of CZ and AZ in 4-NP/4-NA and NO in a water solvent, respectively. The antibacterial property of CAZ was also studied against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria by agar well diffusion and the minimum inhibitory concentration methods. It was found that CAZ shows better antimicrobial activity compared to its parental Cu(NO3)2·3H2O, AgNO3, and ZnO. Therefore, the incorporation of Cu and Ag into ZnO increases its catalytic and antimicrobial activity remarkably. Fourier-transform infrared and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies of CAZ indicate the incorporation of Cu and Ag into the lattice of ZnO. The phase structure of CAZ was wurtzite hexagonal, and the average crystallite size was 93 ± 1 nm measured from XRD. The average grain size and particle size of CAZ were found to be 200 and 100 ± 5 nm originating from SEM and transmission electron microscopy studies, respectively. The optical energy band gap of CAZ is 3.15 eV, which supports the excellent photocatalyst under UV light. CAZ also exhibits good agreement for photoluminescence properties with a high intensity peak at 571 nm, indicating surface oxygen vacancies and defects which might be responsible for higher photocatalytic activity compared to others. The nanocomposite shows excellent reusability without any significant loss of activity.

Partial characterization of novel inulin-like prebiotic fructooligosaccharides of Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. (Cucurbitaceae) tuberous roots.

The fruits and aerial parts of Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. (Cucurbitaceae) are a popular cook vegetable being used in different parts of the world with ethnomedicinal and pharmacological values. However, the beneficial health attributes of the tuberous roots have been less exploited. The present study aimed to determine the prebiotic potentiality of the storage carbohydrates from this part. The carbohydrate fractions were harvested by hot-water, cold-water, hot-acid, hot-alkali, and hot 80% ethanol treatments following the standard protocol. The fractions were tested for in vitro prebiotic efficacy, hypocholesterolemic and antioxidant potentials, and in vivo health attributes in Swiss albino mice. The partial characterization was performed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and spectroscopic analyses by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The highest prebiotic index was observed in hot-water and ethanol (Et-OH) fractions with the antioxidant IC50 values of 35.46 ± 0.33 and 32.56 ± 0.48 µg/ml, respectively. The HPTLC, FT-IR, and ESI-MS analyses showed that the hot-water and Et-OH carbohydrate fractions are rich in low-degree polymerizing inulin-like fructooligosaccharides (FOS). The fractions had a significant prebiotic index, hypocholesterolemic, and antioxidant activities. The synbiotic combination of the fractions with the probiotic LAB improved gut colonization and gut immune enhancement with significantly lowered triglycerides, serum LDL, and serum VLDL cholesterols. A significantly enhanced HDL cholesterol level proves its health beneficial attributes comparable to the commercial inulin prebiotics. Thus, this plant's novel inulin-like FOS may substitute the high-cost commercial prebiotics for our daily life. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Prebiotics are low-degree polymerizing oligosaccharide food ingredients having multifaceted health benefits. For this reason, there is an ever-increasing global demand for such novel prebiotics. Therefore, finding out some novel prebiotic from conventional food sources may provide an alternative dietary source to fulfill the consumer demand. Sechium edule is a famous cook vegetable used by many ethnic communities across the globe. For the first time, the study revealed novel inulin-like fructooligosaccharides in the tuberous roots having hypocholesterolemic and synbiotic efficacy with GRAS lactic acid bacteria.

A status report with critical analysis of research trends in exploring medicinal plants as antiviral: Let us dig into the history to predict the future.

The review article serves as a mini directory of medicinal plants (662 medicinal plants have been identified) that have been investigated for antiviral property between 2015 and 2019. Data have been extracted from Scopus using specific keywords followed by manual sorting to avoid any duplication. Critical analyses of handpicked data have been presented. Mapping of medicinal plants, followed by critical analysis on the families and plant parts investigated in the said tenure, and its correlation with the participating countries and virus types have been critically analyzed. Interceptive role of phytochemicals in impeding viral replication has also been taken note of. Emphasis on India's exploration of various medicinal plants has also been given. Also presents a tutelage, which is likely to revive the interest in natural products for search of potential antivirals. This review is expected to serve as a rich data bank and as a guiding principle for researchers who are planning to explore medicinal plants in search for potential antiviral. It is time that researchers need to revisit their countries' own history of traditional medicine to predict something worthful in future.

Morpho-biochemical and molecular characterization of two new strains of Aspergillus fumigatus nHF-01 and A. fumigatus PPR-01 producing broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds.

The main objective of the study is to characterize two new strains of Aspergillus fumigatus through morphometric, biochemical, molecular methods, and to evaluate their antimicrobial potentiality. The micro-morphotaxonomy, growth, and metabolic behavior of the strains, nHF-01 and PPR-01, were studied in different growth conditions and compared with standard strain. The molecular characterization was done by sequencing the ncrDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and D1-D2 domains of the nc 28S rDNA region and compared with a secondary structure-based phylogenetic tree. The secretory antimicrobials and pigments were characterized by TLC, UV-Vis, and FT-IR spectroscopy. Both the strains showed distinct growth patterns in different nutritional media and could assimilate a wide range of carbohydrates with distinctive biochemical properties. The molecular characterization revealed the strains, nHF-01 and PPR-01, as Aspergillus fumigatus (GenBank Accession No. MN190286 and MN190284, respectively). It was observed that the strain nHF-01 produces red to brownish pigments having mild antimicrobial activity while the strain PPR-01 does not represent such transformations. The extractable compounds had a significant antimicrobial potentiality against the human pathogenic bacteria. From this analysis, it can be concluded that the nHF-01 and PPR-01 strains are distinct from other A. fumigatus by their unique characters. Large-scale production and detailed molecular elucidation of the antimicrobial compounds may lead to the discovery of new antimicrobial compounds from these strains.

Effect of different stimuli on twitching behavior of endophytic bacteria isolated from Loranthus sp. Jacq.

Bacteria need to adopt to different behavioral tuning depending on the dynamic eco-physiological conditions they are exposed to. One of these adaptive strategies is the use of motility. Here we report the twitching motility response of four endophytic isolates of Bacillus sp. when exposed to different eco-physiological stimuli like different nutrient sources, and mechanical and chemical antagonists on solid surfaces. These endophytic bacteria were isolated from different parts of a hemiparasite Loranthus sp. Jacq. (Loranthaceae) growing on economically important mango trees. The results show that the twitching motility of these bacteria was more when exposed to organic acids, metals salts (among nutrients) and mechanical shearing (stress) than the other factors. Their motility is not affected by surface lubrication or EPS production, but instead is influenced by shear-sensitive structures and affinity to metal ions. Further molecular studies are needed to elucidate the basis of this twitching behaviour on solid surfaces.

Physiological and biochemical responses of Amaranthus cruentus to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution caused by thermal power units.

Pollution due to release of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from thermal power plants is a major global issue as the same is highly toxic and carcinogenic. The current research aims to investigate the responses of a dietary plant Amaranthus cruentus towards PAH pollution. For the said purpose, the plant was collected from agricultural land in close vicinity to thermal power units and the effects of PAH pollution on its chlorophyll and various nutraceutical content was evaluated. Oxidative stress biomarkers and antioxidant defense enzymes status and PAH accumulation was quantified as well. Real-time evidence of cell death, depletion of nutraceutical resources, and stomata configuration was generated through various histochemical studies and SEM analysis. Results indicated significant decline of chlorophyll a to the extent of 77% when compared to control. Oxidative stress markers, namely, superoxide radical, H2O2, and hydroxyl radical in pollution exposed plants were 12.7, 2.2, and 2.4 times respectively higher over the control which eventually resulted in 35% more cell death for the pollution exposed group. Total phenolics and flavonoids showed a decline of 57.6% and 41.3% respectively in the group exposed to PAH pollution. Similar decreasing trend was also observed for ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, ß-carotene, total proteins, and carbohydrate contents as well. PAH-induced stress also resulted in complete imbalance in the redox homeostasis of the plant which was evident from increase in super oxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase antioxidant enzymes by more than 2-fold when compared to control. PAH accumulation in sample group was 10-20 times more when compared to control. Proteomic analysis also indicated upregulation of some proteins related to stress situation. Results are evident of the fact that severe depletion of nutraceutical resources of dietary plants can take place if subjected to oxidative stress arising from PAH pollution.

Partial purification, characterization and mode of action of bacteriocins produced by three strains of Pediococcus sp.

The main objective of the study is to assess a comparative antibacterial potential of three new bacteriocins produced by Pediococcus sp. through partial characterization and mode of action against some food spoilage bacteria. The bacteriocins from three different Pediococcus sp. viz. Pediococcus sp. LAB 33 (HQ185406), Pediococcus sp. LAB 41 (HQ185407), and Pediococcus sp. LAB 51 (HQ184064) were partially purified by adsorption-desorption method and tested for autoclave heat, pH, detergent and enzymes stability. A comparative analysis by Tricin-SDS PAGE with MALDI-TOF MS was done to estimate their molecular weight. The mode of action studies were done by cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase assay against two food associated pathogens, viz. Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using standard protocols. The bacteriocins produced by the strains were resistant to autoclave heat, detergent, wide range of pH and were active against different food borne pathogens at a minimum dose of ~ 100 AU/ml. The mode of action studies showed bactericidal action with lysis of the targeted cells. Therefore, the selective low dose efficacy, heat and detergent stability of the bacteriocins produced by the three strains could be considered as potent bacteriocins for use as food preservatives.

In search of suitable extraction technique for large scale commercial production of bioactive fraction for the treatment of diabetes: The case Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb.

Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb. (D. melanoxylon) belongs to the family Ebenaceae and its leaves are very well known for making beedi throughout the World. The current study estimated the comparative extraction technique and its in-vitro antidiabetic prospective of the leaves of D. melanoxylon. Qualitative phytochemicals analysis of the samples from D. melanoxylon was carried out for the detection of secondary metabolites. Total phenolics, flavonoids, triterpenoids and tannins content of D. melanoxylon were estimated using colorimetric assay. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) technique with a low carbon output was observed for the speedy extraction of bioactive compounds obtained from Diospyros melanoxylon leaf extract. MAE produced a maximum yield of bioactive compounds which was found to be more efficient than ultrasound, soxhlet and maceration extraction. Qualitative HPLC analysis was performed for bioactive compounds. The in-vitro antidiabetic assay was performed using α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. In conclusion, the fractions exhibited the concentration-dependent inhibitory effect with significant (P < 0.0001) result. So the above performance might be accountable for the antidiabetic activity of D. Melanoxylon leaf extract due to presence of bioactive compounds.

Critical analysis and mapping of research trends and impact assessment of polyaromatic hydrocarbon accumulation in leaves: let history tell the future.

The article is basically an attempt to provide a consolidated report on impact assessment and trends in research pertaining to accumulation and curbing the menace of polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) accumulation in leaves. Emphasis is given to understand the consequences of the fact that edible/medicinal plants cultivated in PAH contaminated soil or close to such places which are potential liberators of PAHs can virtually act as transporters for direct PAH entry into biological systems. An attempt has been made to predict the future by digging out golden facts from history. Extensive Scopus-based data mining has been done to dig out research data since last 10 years (2006-2016) pertaining to the said area. Critical analysis of statistical data on research trends highlighting the different aspects of evaluation of PAH accumulation in leaves has been described. The concentrate of all researches for the said period have been presented as few golden principles which shall serve as important facts for researchers and policy makers for curbing the menace of PAH-induced oxidative stress in plants and shall also provide start-up ideas for researchers new to the area. Critical analysis of trends in phytoremediation aspect has also been duly highlighted to measure the intensity of restoration steps taken by researchers and government to safeguard the future generations.

Assessment of traditional knowledge of the antidiabetic plants of Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas in the context of recent phytochemical and pharmacological advances.

Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas, a part of Eastern Himalayan Hotspot, is characterized by its richness of plant diversity. Herbal medicine has been one of the most popular and reliable healing practices among the different ethnic groups of this region for ages. However, the lack of documentation practice by the traditional healers has led to obscurity regarding the efficacy of herbal medicine among the present generation, though they have to depend on the same quite often. Meanwhile, several reviews have attempted to document the plants used for the treatment of diabetes from this region, but interestingly, very few research works can be obtained regarding the characterization of antidiabetic properties of the plants of this region. Therefore, it demands a better understanding of the potentiality of these plants in the purview of scientific evidence. This review article reports 55 such plant species which have been reported to be frequently used in the treatment of hyperglycemia and our objective was to validate the potentiality of the plants in the light of recent phytochemical and pharmacological researches being carried out locally or elsewhere.