Diclofenac biotransformation and toxicity assessment of laccase from Pleurotus floridanus.

Laccase producing fungus Pleurotus floridanus was isolated from Siruvani forest, Tamil Nadu, India. The potential of P. floridanus to produce laccase by using various lignocellulosic substrates was screened under submerged fermentation. Laccase production in the presence of lignocellulosic substrates such as rice, wheat and maize bran as a sole source of carbon as well as an additional supplement was examined. Laccase activity of P. floridanus using varied substrates was observed in the order of rice bran > wheat bran > maize bran. The isolate showed maximum laccase activity of 13.29±0.01 U/mL using rice bran as a carbon source within 11 days. This was 18 fold higher than the control media that lacks lignocellulosic substrates. The diclofenac tolerance was assessed in solid media at various concentrations and the results showed that the mycelia growth is not significantly affected by the drug. Finally, the laccase mediated degradation of diclofenac at a concentration of 10 mg/L showed 98% degradation in 2 h. The phytotoxicity of the crude laccase treated diclofenac was lower than the untreated diclofenac. In conclusion, findings suggested direct application of crude laccase produced from P. floridanus using agro-residues as ideal substrate for environmental applications.

Encapsulation of Lactic Acid Bacteria by Lyophilisation with Its Effects on Viability and Adhesion Properties.

Lactobacillus (LAB) genera are considered important functional food but are found to have a short shelf life. In this study, two LAB, Lactobacillus plantarum (Lp) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (Lr), were isolated from sheep's milk, and whole-genome sequencing was carried out by using 16s rRNA Illumina Nextseq, the Netherlands. The LAB were encapsulated by the lyophilisation technique using different lyoprotective pharmaceutical excipients. This process was carried out using a freeze dryer (U-TECH, Star Scientific Instruments, India). Shelf-life determination was carried out by a 12-month study using the viability survival factor (Vsf). The in vitro cell adhesion technique was carried out by using the red snapper fish along with autoaggregation and cell surface hydrophobicity as vital probiotic properties. It was observed that Lp has a significantly higher (P < 0.001) Vsf of 7.2, while Lr has a Vsf of 7 (P < 0.05) when both are encapsulated with 10% maltodextrin + 5% sucrose kept at 4°C for 12 months. The result demonstrated that Lp had significantly high (P < 0.05) cell adhesion, 96% ± 1.2 autoaggregation, and 6% cell surface hydrophobicity as compared to Lr. Moreover, this study demonstrated that lyophilised LAB with lyoprotective excipients enhances shelf life without any changes in probiotic properties when kept at 4°C exhibiting all its probiotic properties.

A Comprehensive Review on the Medicinal Importance; Biological and Therapeutic Efficacy of Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) (Bottle Gourd) Standley Fruit.

Herbal remedies have been employed for the treatment and management of different diseases for ages. Herbal medicines are a promising choice over modern synthetic drugs because of their low side effects and are thus considered to be safe and effective in treating human diseases. Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standley fruit (Bottle gourd) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family that has been used in a different system of traditional medication to treat various diseases. This is a domestic plant that provides food as well as medication. This vegetable have low caloric values and high water contents. The edible portion of it contains phytochemicals like vitamins, proteins, choline, minerals, terpenoids, flavonoids, etc. Several bioactive compounds have been isolated from L. siceraria, including triterpenoids, sterols, cucurbitacins, flavones, C-glycosides and ß-glycosides. Researchers have evaluated various parts of this plant viz. fruit, root, flowers, and leaves for pharmacological activities like antianxiety, antidepressant, diuretic, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antihyperlipidemic, cardio protective, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, anti-hyperglycemic, antihepatotoxic, anti-urolithiatic, antistress, antiulcer, anticancer, hepatoprotective, anthelmintic, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant. In this review, an attempt has been made to explore its phytochemical constituents, traditional, medicinal, and pharmacological uses to highlight the therapeutic importance of this well-known plant. This would be helpful in reviving its importance and will highlight its several promising aspects to encourage researchers for further research on L. siceraria.