Nutritional probing and storage stability of papaya jam supplemented with date pit powder.

Jam Quality is a factor robustly influenced by storage conditions. The current research aimed to develop papaya jam with improved nutritional attributes, rheological profile, and shelf-life utilizing date pit powder as a functional ingredient. The effect of date pit powder on the formulated product's physicochemical, microbial, and organoleptic properties was analyzed. Results revealed that overall mineral profile (0.35-1.11%), crude fiber (0.56-2.01%), pH (3.51-3.70%), and antioxidant properties (22.97-30.67%) were significantly increased while water activity reduced (0.77-0.73). Moreover, date pit powder improved the color scores like a*(10.10-10.67), b* (8.13-8.78), L* (25.56-28.09), and textural attributes (Cohesiveness: 0.83-0.90; Firmness: 6.82-6.93) of functional papaya jam. Microbial count reduced from 3.60 × 105-3.06 × 105 cfu/ml by adding date pit powder and staying within the acceptable limit (4.13 × 105-3.60 × 105 cfu/ml) during 2-month storage at refrigeration. Organoleptic evaluation depicted that samples treated with date pit powder scored better than the control, and a sample with 75% pectin replacement was considered best.

Identification of Novel and Safe Fungicidal Molecules against Fusarium oxysporum from Plant Essential Oils: In Vitro and Computational Approaches.

Phytopathogenic fungi are serious threats in the agriculture sector especially in fruit and vegetable production. The use of plant essential oil as antifungal agents has been in practice from many years. Plant essential oils (PEOs) of Cuminum cyminum, Trachyspermum ammi, Azadirachta indica, Syzygium aromaticum, Moringa oleifera, Mentha spicata, Eucalyptus grandis, Allium sativum, and Citrus sinensis were tested against Fusarium oxysporum. Three phase trials consist of lab testing (MIC and MFC), field testing (seed treatment and foliar spray), and computer-aided fungicide design (CAFD). Two concentrations (25 and 50 µl/ml) have been used to asses MIC while MFC was assessed at four concentrations (25, 50, 75, and 100 µl/ml). C. sinensis showed the largest inhibition zone (47.5 and 46.3 m2) for both concentrations. The lowest disease incidence and disease severity were recorded in treatments with C. sinensis PEO. Citrus sinensis that qualified in laboratory and field trials was selected for CAFD. The chemical compounds of C. sinensis PEO were docked with polyketide synthase beta-ketoacyl synthase domain of F. oxysporum by AutoDock Vina. The best docked complex was formed by nootkatone with -6.0 kcal/mol binding affinity. Pharmacophore of the top seven C. sinensis PEO compounds was used for merged pharmacophore generation. The best pharmacophore model with 0.8492 score was screened against the CMNP database. Top hit compounds from screening were selected and docked with polyketide synthase beta-ketoacyl synthase domain. Four compounds with the highest binding affinity and hydrogen bonding were selected for confirmation of lead molecule by doing MD simulation. The polyketide synthase-CMNPD24498 showed the highest stability throughout 80 ns run of MD simulation. CMNPD24498 (FW054-1) from Verrucosispora was selected as the lead compound against F. oxysporum.

Potential therapeutic natural products against Alzheimer's disease with Reference of Acetylcholinesterase.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), is the most common type of dementia primarily affecting the later years of life. Its prevalence is likely to increase in any aging population and will be a major burden on healthcare system by the mid of the century. Despite scientific and technological breakthroughs in the last 50 years, that have expanded our understanding of the disease on a system, cellular and molecular level, therapies that could stop or slow the progression of the disease are still unavailable. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has approved acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors (donepezil, galantamine, tacrine and rivastigmine) and glutamate receptor antagonist (memantine) for the treatment of AD. In this review we summarize the studies reporting phytocompounds and extracts from medicinal plants that show AChE inhibitory activities and could be of potential benefit in AD. Future research directions are suggested and recommendations made to expand the use of medicinal plants and their formulations to prevent, mitigate and treat AD.

Pollen micromorphology of eastern Chinese Polygonatum and its role in taxonomy by using scanning electron microscopy.

Although considerable progress has recently been made in the taxonomic study of Asparagaceae, but the Polygonatum remains one of the most poorly investigated genus. Therefore, the present study was designed with the aim, to document the pollen micromorphology of closely related Polygonatum taxa and its taxonomic significance. Pollen micro-morphological features were observed using scanning electron microscopy-SEM). The pollen grains are monad, navicular, monocolpate, and radially symmetrical. A significant variation was observed in the exine sculpturing. Moreover, most of the Polygonatum taxa have perforate pollen while some of them were mixed with psilate to perforate, perforate to microreticulate, sometimes scabrate, gemmate with baculate. Hence, this study documented the pollen morphology of Polygonatum taxa and strengthens the taxonomic identification of the genus Polygonatum based on pollen characters, which helps and can be used as an additional tool for the correct identification and discrimination of the species of Polygonatum at generic and species level.

Multiple pathways are responsible for anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular activities of Hordeum vulgare L.

BACKGROUND: Hordeum vulgare L. (HV or barley) is used by traditional healers to treat various inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases, without the knowledge of pharmacologic rationale behind its actions. This study was designed to explore the potential scientific mechanism(s) that could explain the use of Hordeum vulgare in traditional medicine as a treatment for various inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. METHODS: A crude extract and its three fractions were prepared from HV and screened for the inhibition of platelet aggregation and various metabolites of cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase (LOX) pathways of arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism as well as for its effects on certain antioxidant enzymes. Platelet aggregation was monitored using turbidometric principle, AA metabolism through radioimmunoassay and antioxidant enzymes by commercial kits using spectrophotometer. RESULTS: Results show that HV exhibited activities against all human platelet agonists used except adenine diphosphate, and inhibited both COX and LOX pathways of AA metabolism. It also elevated the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). However, these activities were distributed in various fractions of HV. Aqueous fraction was most potent in elevating SOD activity; chloroform fraction had concentrated compounds responsible for COX inhibition while n-hexane seems to possess compounds responsible for LOX inhibition as well as the only fraction enhancing the activity of GPx. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest the likely mechanisms responsible for observed anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular effects of HV in traditional medicine.

Inhibitory effect of kaolin minerals compound against hepatitis C virus in Huh-7 cell lines.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is estimated to infect 200 million individuals in the globe, including approximately 10 million in Pakistan causing both acute and chronic hepatitis. The standard treatment against HCV is pegylated interferon therapy in combination with a nucleoside analogue ribavirin. In addition, several herbal extracts and phytochemicals derivatives are used traditionally in the treatment of liver diseases as well as HCV infection. The present study determines the inhibitory effect of kaolin minerals compound against hepatitis C virus in Huh-7 cell lines. METHODS: Huh-7 cell lines were used for the in vitro HCV replication by using HCV positive sera from different patients with known HCV genotypes and viral titer/load. Total RNA was extracted from these infected cells and was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). The viral titer was compared with the control samples to determine the anti-HCV activity of kaolin derived compounds. Kaolin is a group of clay minerals, with the chemical composition Al2 Si2O5 (OH)4. RESULTS: The results showed promising effectiveness of local kaolin derived anti-HCV compounds by causing 28% to 77% decrease in the HCV titer, when applied to infected Huh-7 cell lines. This study provides the basis for future work on these compounds especially to determine the specific pathway and mechanism for inhibitory action in the replicon systems of viral hepatitis. CONCLUSIONS: Kaolin mineral derivatives show promising inhibitory effects against HCV genotypes 3a and 1a infection, which suggests its possible use as complementary and alternative medicine for HCV viral infection.

Hepatitis C treatment: current and future perspectives.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a member of Flaviviridae family and one of the major causes of liver disease. There are about 175 million HCV infected patients worldwide that constitute 3% of world's population. The main route of HCV transmission is parental however 90% intravenous drug users are at highest risk. Standard interferon and ribavirin remained a gold standard of chronic HCV treatment having 38-43% sustained virological response rates. Currently the standard therapy for HCV is pegylated interferon (PEG-INF) with ribavirin. This therapy achieves 50% sustained virological response (SVR) for genotype 1 and 80% for genotype 2 & 3. As pegylated interferon is expensive, standard interferon is still the main therapy for HCV treatment in under developed countries. On the other hand, studies showed that pegylated IFN and RBV therapy has severe side effects like hematological complications. Herbal medicines (laccase, proanthocyandin, Rhodiola kirilowii) are also being in use as a natural and alternative way for treatment of HCV but there is not a single significant report documented yet. Best SVR indicators are genotype 3 and 2, < 0.2 million IU/mL pretreatment viral load, rapid virological response (RVR) rate and age <40 years. New therapeutic approaches are under study like interferon related systems, modified forms of ribavirin, internal ribosome entry site (HCV IRES) inhibitors, NS3 and NS5a inhibitors, novel immunomodulators and specifically targeted anti-viral therapy for hepatitis C compounds. More remedial therapies include caspase inhibitors, anti-fibrotic agents, antibody treatment and vaccines.