Characterization and in-vitro plant-based control of hindgut bacteria isolated from Odontotermes obesus Rambur (Termitidae) and Heterotermes indicola Wasmann (Rhinotermitidae).

Termites cause a serious menace to wooden structures all over the world. They rely mostly on entozoic fauna residing in their hindgut for the digestion of cellulosic and hemicellulosic materials. One of the ways to control termites is through their gut symbionts. The present study was designed to characterize the hindgut bacteria isolated from Odontotermes obesus and Heterotermes indicola. Furthermore, the growth inhibitory effect of eight tropical plant extracts was investigated to find out potential control agents for these bacterial isolates. The characterization of bacteria was carried out based on their morphology, Gram staining, biochemical and amplification of 16SrRNA gene. Amplified products were sequenced to confirm their relationship with bacterial isolates from termites of other regions. The growth inhibitory effect of ethanolic leaf extracts of eight plants was evaluated in an invitro agar well diffusion method. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis of the most effective plant was carried out to learn about bioactive agents. The results confirmed the presence of five bacteria from each termite species. The Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Lysinibacillus fusiformis were common to both termites whereas Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus and Lysinibacillus macrolides were found in O. obesus only and H. indicola harbor Bacillus subtilis and Shigella sonnei in addition to common three ones. Among the plant extracts of Carica papaya, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Osmium basilicum, Grevillea robusta, Eucalyptus globulus, Pongamia pinnata, Mentha longifolia, and Melia azedarach, the G. robusta > E. camaldulensis > O. basilicum were found to have growth inhibitory effects with increasing concentrations from 100 to 2000 µg/mL. The biodiversity of the bacterial fauna is important for the biological control of termites. Leaf extracts of these medicinal plants can be used to control termite infestation in an environment-friendly manner to save huge economic loss.

Recent advancements in sustainable synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using various plant extracts for environmental remediation.

The sustainable synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using plant extracts has gained significant attention in recent years due to its eco-friendly nature and potential applications in numerous fields. This synthetic approach reduces the reliance on non-renewable resources and eliminates the need for hazardous chemicals, minimizing environmental pollution and human health risks. These ZnO-NPs can be used in environmental remediation applications, such as wastewater treatment or soil remediation, effectively removing pollutants and improving overall ecosystem health. These NPs possess a high surface area and band gap of 3.2 eV, can produce both OH° (hydroxide) and O2-° (superoxide) radicals for the generation of holes (h+) and electrons (e-), resulting in oxidation and reduction of the pollutants in their valence band (VB) and conduction band (CB) resulting in degradation of dyes (95-100% degradation of MB, MO, and RhB dyes), reduction and removal of heavy metal ions (Cu2+, Pb2+, Cr6+, etc.), degradation of pharmaceutical compounds (paracetamol, urea, fluoroquinolone (ciprofloxacin)) using photocatalysis. Here, we review an overview of various plant extracts used for the green synthesis of ZnO NPs and their potential applications in environmental remediation including photocatalysis, adsorption, and heavy metal remediation. This review summarizes the most recent studies and further research perspectives to explore their applications in various fields.

Cross-linked CMC/Gelatin bio-nanocomposite films with organoclay, red cabbage anthocyanins and pistacia leaves extract as active intelligent food packaging: colorimetric pH indication, antimicrobial/antioxidant properties, and shrimp spoilage tests.

Multifunctional food packaging films were produced from crosslinked carboxymethyl cellulose/gelatin (CMC/Ge) bio-nanocomposites incorporated with Ge-montmorillonite (OM) nanofiller, anthocyanins (ATH) from red cabbage as colorimetric pH-indicator, and pistacia leaves extract (PE) as active agent. The influence of additives on the structural, physical, and functional properties of the films was investigated. The results showed that ATH and PE caused color alteration and reduced transparency. However, they improved the UV light barrier ability by 98 %, with less impact from OM, despite its well-dispersed state in the matrix. Increasing PE content in the bio-nanocomposite films caused an increase in compactness and surface roughness, reduction in moisture content (15.10-12.33 %), swelling index (354.55-264.58 %), surface wettability (contact angle 80.1-92.49°), water vapor permeability (7.37-5.69 × 1010 g m-1s-1Pa-1), and nano-indentation mechanical parameters, without affecting the thermal stability. ATH-included films demonstrated color pH-sensitivity with improved ATH color stability through the ATH-Al3+ chelates formation. PE-added films exhibited effective antioxidant activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, reaching 93 % of inhibition, and antimicrobial properties with biocidal effects for PE-rich film. The shrimp spoilage test showed that the T-1.5PE film offered the strongest active intelligent response. The CMC/Ge-based bio-nanocomposite films endowed with antioxidant/antimicrobial properties and colorimetric pH-sensitivity have promising potential for food packaging application.

Ethnopharmacological Value and Biological Activities via Antioxidant and Anti-Protein Denaturation Activity of Morinda lucida Benth and Momordica charantia L. Leaves Extracts from Benin.

Momordica charantia Linn. (Cucurbitaceae), the wild variety of bitter melon, and Morinda lucida Benth (Rubiaceae) were commonly used as a popular folk medicine in Benin. This study aimed to appreciate the ethnopharmacological knowledge and evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of M. charantia and M. lucida leaves extracts. Semi-structured surveys supported by individual interviews were conducted with herbalists and traditional healers in southern Benin. The antioxidant activities were evaluated by a micro-dilution technique using ABTS and FRAP methods. These activities were supported by cyclic voltammetry analysis. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by the albumin denaturation method. The volatile compounds were analysed by GC-MS analysis. All the respondents involved in this study have good knowledge of the two plants. We identify 21 diseases grouped into five categories of condition. The two plants' extracts possess variable antioxidant capacity. Indeed, all the active extracts of M. charantia presented an IC50 < 0.078 mg/mL, while the extracts of M. lucida had an IC50 up to 0.21 ± 0.02 mg/mL. For anti-inflammatory activity, a dose-response activity (p < 0.001) was observed in the protein denaturation inhibition rate of the extracts. It should be noted that the highest inhibition rate (98.34 ± 0.12) of the albumin denaturation was observed with M. lucida dichloromethane extract. A total of 59 volatile compounds were identified by GC-MS analysis in the extracts of the two plants. The M. charantia ethyl acetate extract shows the presence of 30 different compounds with a relative abundance of 98.83%, while that of M. lucida shows 24 compounds with a relative abundance of 98.30%. These plants are potential candidates to discover new compounds with therapeutic properties that could be used to solve public health problems.

Synthesis and Characterization of Copper-Nanoflowers with the Utilization of Medicinal Plant Extracts for Enhanced Various Enzyme Inhibitory Activities.

In this study, organic-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers were synthesized using methanolic extracts of the medicinal plants Ajuga chamaepitys subsp. chia var. chia, Achillea wilhelmsii, Bongardia chrysogonum, Malva sylvestris, Phlomis grandiflora var. grandiflora, Verbascum sp. together with copper ions (Cu2+ ). The synthesized plant extract based-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers (PE-ihNFs) of A. chamaepitys subsp. chia var. chia (Ac-ihNFs), A. wilhelmsii (Aw-ihNfs), B. chrysogonum (Bc-ihNFs), M. sylvestris (Ms-ihNFs) P. grandiflora var. grandiflora (Pg-ihNFs), and Verbascum sp. (Vs-ihNFs) were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Also, several enzymes were selected to evaluate the enzyme inhibition activities of the synthesized PE-ihNFs. For the first-time, enzymes, tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase, acetyl and butyryl cholinesterase inhibition activities of the PE-ihNFs with comparison to their plain plant extracts were evaluated in vitro. Results show that the among all the analyzed PE-ihNFs, demonstrated better α-glucosidase & α-amylase enzyme inhibition activity compared to the plain extracts. These initial studies are promising for the synthesis of these hybrid nanoflowers containing medicinal plant extracts, which might have commercial applications in the pharmaceutical and dermo-cosmetics industries.

Plants extracts from Cameroon pharmacopeia strongly inhibit the Chikungunya virus infection by targeting entry and replication steps.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cameroon is one of the sub-Saharan African countries affected by Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). With the absence of approved treatment, this disease represents globally a major public health concern. Several plants are traditionally used in Cameroon for the treatment of virus induced fever and arthralgia. But to date there is no study that validate the efficacy of these plants for the treatment of Chikungunya virus infection. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aims to explore the inhition effect, mechanism of action of plant extracts against Chikungunya virus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An ethnobotanical survey conducted in some regions of Cameroon, led to the identification of nine medicinal plants used in traditional medicine for the healing of fever-related diseases and arthritis. Crude hydro-ethanolic extracts of each plant were prepared by maceration and their effects against CHIKV infection were investigated. CHIKV S27 strain was used to infection in Vero cell line. The antiviral activities were determined by plaque assay and/or RT-PCR targeting E1 envelope gene of CHIKV. Dose-response studies of the active plants were also determined by flow cytometry and Western blot. RESULTS: Four extracts, Entada africana Guill et Pers. (E4), Entandrophragma cylindricum Sprague (EI), Khaya grandifoliola C. D.C. Sapindales (E2) and Macaranga hurifolia Beille (E6) showed antiviral activity with the half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 8.29; 8.14; 12.81 and 26.89 µg/mL respectively. All extracts were nontoxic up to the concentration of 100 µg/µL. Entandrophragma cylindricum Sprague (EI), Khaya grandifoliola C. D.C. Sapindales (E2), and Entada africana Guill et Pers. (E4) showed strong inhibition on the entry step of viral infection. At the same time, only Entandrophragma cylindricum Sprague (EI) inhibited the viral titer significantly in replication and intercellular assembly steps. Four plant extracts namely Entandrophragma cylindricum Sprague (EI), Macaranga hurifolia Beille (E6), Phragmentera capitata (Sprengel) Balle (E12), and Detarium microcarpum (E13) were effective against egression step. CONCLUSIONS: Together, the results of this study showed anti-chikungunya activities of Entandrophragma cylindricum Sprague (EI) and Macaranga hurifolia Beille (E6), with therapeutics perspectives and can be promising sources of the development of anti-CHIKV molecule in future.

Biochemical composition, antimicrobial and antifungal activities assessment of the fermented medicinal plants extract using lactic acid bacteria.

To prevent foodborne diseases and extend shelf life, antimicrobial agents may be used in food to inhibit the growth of undesired microorganisms. The present study was aimed to determine the antimicrobial and antifungal activities of the fermented medicinal plants extract using Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356. The fermentation kinetic parameters, biochemical composition and the volatile compounds of the fermented plant extract were assessed. The results showed that, the fermented plants extract exhibited high content in polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins (152.7 mg AGE/L; 93.6 mg RE/L; and 62.1 mg CE/L, respectively) comparing to non-fermented the extract. The GC-MS headspace analyses showed the presence of 24 interesting volatile compounds. The richness of the fermented plants extracts in polyphenols and bioactive compound, such as Eucalyptol, Camphene, α-Phellandrene, α-Terpinene, improves their biological activity. In addition, the fermented plants extract exhibited a high antimicrobial potential against pathogenic bacteria and fungi determined by different methods. The maximum inhibition showed in the fermented plants extract against Escherichia coli 25922/3, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 27853 ATCC, Staphylococcus aureus 29213 ATCC, Enterococcus aerogenes 13048 ATCC, Phytophthora infestans P3 4/91 R + , P. infestans P4 20/01 R, P. infestans (GL-1). The obtained results support the hypothesis of using lactic fermentation as a functional ingredient to improve food preservation. The bioprocesses of fermentation technology enhance antimicrobial and antifungal activities which could be used in different industrial applications.

Antiviral Plants from Marajó Island, Brazilian Amazon: A Narrative Review.

Diseases caused by viruses are a global threat, resulting in serious medical and social problems for humanity. They are the main contributors to many minor and major outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics worldwide. Over the years, medicinal plants have been used as a complementary treatment in a range of diseases. In this sense, this review addresses promising antiviral plants from Marajó island, a part of the Amazon region, which is known to present a very wide biodiversity of medicinal plants. The present review has been limited to articles and abstracts available in Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scielo, PubMed, and Google Scholar, as well as the patent offices in Brazil (INPI), United States (USPTO), Europe (EPO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). As a result, some plants from Marajó island were reported to have actions against HIV-1,2, HSV-1,2, SARS-CoV-2, HAV and HBV, Poliovirus, and influenza. Our major conclusion is that plants of the Marajó region show promising perspectives regarding pharmacological potential in combatting future viral diseases.

Protective Effects of Polyphenol Enriched Complex Plants Extract on Metabolic Dysfunctions Associated with Obesity and Related Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases in High Fat Diet-Induced C57BL/6 Mice.

BACKGROUND: Currently, obesity is a global health challenge due to its increasing prevalence and associated health risk. It is associated with various metabolic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, certain forms of cancer, and non-alcoholic liver diseases (NAFLD). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study to evaluate the effects of polyphenol enriched herbal complex (Rubus crataegifolius/ellagic acid, Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge/vitexin, chlorogenic acid, Cinnamomum cassiaa/cinnamic acid) on obesity and obesity induced NAFLD in the high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mouse model. METHODS: Obesity was induced in male C57BL/6 mice using HFD. After 8 weeks, the mice were treated with HFD+ plants extract for 8 weeks. Body weight, food intake weekly, and blood sugar level were measured. After sacrifice, changes in the treated group's liver weight, fat weight, serum biochemical parameters, hormone levels, and enzyme levels were measured. For histological analysis, tissues were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and Oil Red-O. RESULTS: Our results showed that the herbal complex ameliorated body weight and liver weight gain, and decreased total body fat in HFD-fed animals. Post prandial blood glucose (PBG) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were lower in the herbal complex-treated group than in the HFD control group. Additionally, herbal formulation treatment significantly increased HDL levels in serum and decreased TC, TG, AST, ALT, deposition of fat droplets in the liver, and intima media thickness (IMT) in the aorta. Herbal complex increased serum adiponectin and decreased serum leptin. Herbal complex also increased carnitine palmityl transferase (CPT) activity and significantly decreased enzyme activity of beta-hydroxy beta methyl glutamyl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase, and fatty acid synthase (FAS). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrated that the herbal complex is an effective herbal formulation in the attenuation of obesity and obesity-induced metabolic dysfunction including NAFLD in HFD-induced mouse model.

Evaluation of possible biological control of Fusarium concentricum sp. using plant extracts and antagonistic species of microbes in vitro.

Background:Fusarium species is one of the most devastating fungi responsible for fruit and vegetable crops rot worldwide. The present study was designed to find an ecofriendly control measure for pathogenic Fusarium species, using suitable bioagents. Methods: Medicinal plant extracts were evaluated or their antifungal activities against Fusarium species using the poisoned food method. Antagonistic potency of some nonpathogenic microbes was also assessed on Fusarium species using the dual culture method. Results: Highest inhibition of growth of Fusarium sp. was observed with 68.1% (0.389 mg per 90 mm Petri plate) of mycelia on Coccinia grandis plant leaf extract, in comparison to the control grown with 100.0% (1.22 mg/dish). The highest inhibition of radial growth was observed using  Trichoderma viride on Fusarium sp. (46.01% inhibition). Conclusions: The findings of present study would be benevolent for antifungal drug development to control Fusarium sp. causing fruit and vegetable rot.

Evaluation and Comparison of Antibacterial Efficacy of Herbal Extracts in Combination with Antibiotics on Periodontal pathobionts: An in vitro Microbiological Study.

BACKGROUND: In the past few decades focus of research has been toward herbal medicines because of growing bacterial resistance and side effects of antimicrobial agents. The extract derived from the plants may increase the efficacy of antibiotics when used in combination against pathogenic bacteria. In the current study, the synergistic antibacterial efficacy of plant extracts in combination with antibiotics has been assessed on selected periodontal pathogens. METHODS: Ethanolic extracts were prepared from Salvadora persica (Miswak) and Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Ceylon cinnamon), by the soxhalate method. Plaque samples were collected from clinical periodontitis patients to isolate and grow the periodontal pathobionts under favorable conditions. Susceptibility of bacteria to the extracts was assessed by gauging the diameter of the inhibition zones. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of plant extracts were determined against each bacterium. Synergistic activity of plants extract in combination with antibiotics against the bacteria was also assessed by measuring the diameter of the inhibition zones. RESULTS: Ethanolic extract of both the plants showed an inhibitory effect on the proliferation and growth of all four strains of periodontal pathobionts. Maximum antibacterial activity was exhibited by C. zeylanicum against Tannerella forsythia (MIC = 1.56 ± 0.24 mg/mL, MBC = 6.25 ± 0.68 mg/mL), whereas among all the studied groups the minimum activity was reported by C. zeylanicum against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans the (MIC = 12.5 ± 3.25 mg/mL, MBC = 75 ± 8.23 mg/mL). Combination of herbal extracts with different antibiotics revealed a synergistic antibacterial effect. The best synergism was exhibited by S. persica with metronidazole against A. actinomycetemcomitans (27 ± 1.78). CONCLUSIONS: Current in vitro study showed variable antibacterial activity by experimented herbal extracts against periodontal pathobionts. The synergistic test showed significant antibacterial activity when plant extracts were combined with antibiotics.

A brief review on anti diabetic plants: Global distribution, active ingredients, extraction techniques and acting mechanisms.

A study has been conducted with the aim to provide researchers with general information on anti diabetic extracts based on relevant research articles collected from 34 reliable medical journals. The study showed that Asian and African continents have 56% and 17% share of the worldwide distribution of therapeutic herbal plants, respectively. In Asia, India and China are the leading countries in herbal plants research, and there has been an increase in medicinal research on plants extract for diabetes treatment since 1995 in these regions. The information collected shows that plant leaves are about 20% more favorable for storing active ingredients, as compared to other parts of herbal plants. A brief review on the extraction techniques for the mentioned parts is also included. Furthermore, the acting mechanisms for the anti diabetic activity were described, and the related active ingredients were identified. The findings reveal that most of the anti diabetic research is focused on the alteration of glucose metabolism to prevent diabetes.