Studies on antioxidant, anti-diabetic and GC-MS analyses of methanol extract of Aristolochia bracteolata root bark.

Aristolochia bracteolatais utilized in confronting multiple and complicated disease conditions such as cancer, lung inflammation, dysentery, syphilis, gonorrhea, arthritis, skindiseases, snake bite and oxidative stress relating to humans due to their acceptability, affordability and proximity. This investigation seeks to determine the antioxidant and anti-diabetic effects of methanol extract of A. bracteolate root bark in vitro. The phytochemical screening, antioxidant, and enzymes inhibitory (alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase) properties of root bark extract were evaluated by standard procedures. The methanol extract indicated the presence of diverse phytochemicals (tannins, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, glycosides and terpenoids) and contained a remarkable amount of saponins (8.20±0.03%), phenols (6.82±0.01%), alkaloids (4.71±0.03%) and flavonoids (3.50±0.12%). The extract showed not only strong antioxidant properties against DPPH, FRAP and TBARS radicals with IC50 value of 57.87, 54.64 and 47.54 mg/ml, respectively but also anti-diabetic activity by inhibiting alpha-amylase (IC50=53.70 mg/ml) and alpha-glucosidase (IC50=49.18 mg/ml). GC-MS chromatogram identified a diverse array of active metabolites in the methanol extract of A. bracteolate root bark. This study suggested that the methanol extract of A. bracteolate root bark possessed anti-oxidative and anti-diabetic activities.

Antibacterial activity of Phyllantus emblica, Coriandrum sativum, Culinaris medic, Lawsonia alba and Cucumis sativus.

Present study deals with the demonstration of the antibacterial activity of very common medicinal plants of Pakistani origin i.e., Phyllantus emblica, Coriandrum sativum, Culinaris medic, Lawsonia alba and Cucumis sativus. The extracts were prepared in crude form by the use of hydro-alcoholic solution and were screened for antibacterial activity against various bacterial species by disk diffusion method. Assay was performed using clinical isolates of B. cereus, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. coli. Crude extract of Phyllantus emblica fruit exhibited strong activity against standard cultures of all studied bacteria. Lawsonia alba showed good activity against standard cultures of all the used microorganisms. Coriandrum sativum was effective only against Bacillus cereus, while Cucumis sativus and Culinaris medic showed poor activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa only. Hence, Phyllantus emblica exhibited strong antibacterial activity against a wide range of bacteria it means that Phyllantus emblica extract contains some compounds which have broad spectrum of bactericidal activity.