Capparis zeylanica L. conjugated TiO2 nanoparticles as bio-enhancers for antimicrobial and chronic wound repair.

Chronic, non-healable wounds have been a threat throughout history and have consumed centuries of traditional and modern research. In wound repair, a growing variety of novel treatments have been developed. At various stages of wound healing, nanostructure systems are employed. The drug may be synthesized at the nanoscale to act as a "provider," or nanomaterial could be employed as biomedical devices. Capparis zeylanica was used to synthesize Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) under ambient temperature. The UV-Vis spectrophotometer was used to confirm the illumination of fabricated TiO2NPs tuned to a size of 352 nm TiO2NPs have been revealed to be spherical and linked to one another using scanning electron microscopy. Biologically active functionality molecules involved in green synthesized TiO2NPs were indicated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy peaks. The TiO2NPs are amorphous, according to X-ray diffraction spectra. Skin diseases causing pathogens were studied for anti-microbial activity using the agar well diffusion method, and the results indicated significant anti-microbial properties. Furthermore, the wound healing ability of fabricated TiO2NPs was investigated in an excision wound model in Swiss albino mice. Finally, our findings revealed that TiO2NPs had provided a unique therapeutic approach for wound healing and in the planning of therapies.

Metal(loid)s (As, Hg, Se, Pb and Cd) in paddy soil: Bioavailability and potential risk to human health.

Rice is one of the principal staple foods, essential for safeguarding the global food and nutritional security, but due to different natural and anthropogenic sources, it also acts as one of the biggest reservoirs of potentially toxic metal(loids) like As, Hg, Se, Pb and Cd. This review summarizes mobilization, translocation and speciation mechanism of these metal(loids) in soil-plant continuum as well as available cost-effective remediation measures and future research needs to eliminate the long-term risk to human health. High concentrations of these elements not only cause toxicity problems in plants, but also in animals that consume them and gradual deposition of these elements leads to the risk of bioaccumulation. The extensive occurrence of contaminated rice grains globally poses substantial public health risk and merits immediate action. People living in hotspots of contamination are exposed to higher health risks, however, rice import/export among different countries make the problem of global concern. Accumulation of As, Hg, Se, Pb and Cd in rice grains can be reduced by reducing their bioavailability, and controlling their uptake by rice plants. The contaminated soils can be reclaimed by phytoremediation, bioremediation, chemical amendments and mechanical measures; however these methods are either too expensive and/or too slow. Integration of innovative agronomic practices like crop establishment methods and improved irrigation and nutrient management practices are important steps to help mitigate the accumulation in soil as well as plant parts. Adoption of transgenic techniques for development of rice cultivars with low accumulation in edible plant parts could be a realistic option that would permit rice cultivation in soils with high bioavailability of these metal(loid)s.

Antioxidant and nephroprotection activities of Combretum micranthum: A phytochemical, in-vitro and ex-vivo studies.

Management of chronic renal failure is exceedingly expensive. Despite of encouraging experimental outcomes, there is a lack of potent nephroprotective drugable molecules in a clinics or market. To develop a nephroprotective phytomedicine, the present study was designed to do a literature survey on reported phytochemical and biological analysis of Combretum micranthum and to carry out chemoprofiling, in-vitro antioxidant and ex-vivo nephroprotective capacity of the title plant. The phytochemical and biological activity survey of C. micranthum has reveals the presence of many bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids and alkaloids with many biological activities. Phytochemical investigation re-confirmed the presence of these compounds. Hydroalcoholic extract of C. micranthum (CM extract) showed a strong antioxidant activity by scavenging AAPH, DPPH, nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide and chelating metal ions. CM extract exhibited significant (P < 0.001) dose dependent inhibition of ferric chloride-ascorbic acid induced lipid peroxidation. Diabetic nephropathy is a serious and common complication leading to end stage renal disease. Therefore, in the present study, glucose-induced toxicity was also studied in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293) as an in vitro model for diabetic nephropathy. The results showed that exposure of cells to high glucose (100 mM) for 72 h significantly reduced the cell viability resulting in morphological changes such as cell shrinkage, rounded cell shape and cytoplasmic vacuolation. Treatment with CM extract at 10 and 25 µg/mL resulted in significant improvement in cell viability from 10 to 23% compared to the high glucose control. This study demonstrated the potential antioxidant and nephroprotective properties of C. micranthum, justifying its traditional use in the treatment of various diseases.

Extraction methods and computational approaches for evaluation of antimicrobial compounds from Capparis zeylanica L.

Capparis zeylanica Linn (Caparadaceae), a well-known traditional medicinal plant has been used prevalently in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. It has long been used in treating cholera, hemiplegia, pneumonia, helmintic and inflammatory activity. This study aims to investigate the antimicrobial activity of C. zeylanica leaf extracts against pathogenic microorganisms, with the interactions of potential compounds being predicted by a computational approach. Ethyl acetate leaf extracts of C. zeylanica were evaluated for antimicrobial activity using an agar well diffusion method against pathogenic microorganisms (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella paratyphi, Shigella dysenteriae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Candida albicans). The ethyl acetate leaf extracts of the C. zeylanica were utilized for GC-MS analysis. Computational studies were performed to analyze the novel compound using Schrodinger software. The various concentrations of ethyl acetate leaf extract of C. zeylanica were checked against pathogenic microorganisms. Among them, Salmonella paratyphi shows the maximum inhibition. Molecular docking and ADME properties showed that (3E)-N-(3,4 Dichlorophenyl)-3-(Propionylhydrazono) butanamide, Heptadecanoic-Margaric acid and 5-(3-Fluorophenyl)-7-nitro-1,3-dihydro-2H-1,4-benzodiazepine-2-one had the highest fitness score and more specificity toward the microbial receptors.

Identification and isolation of antimicrobial compounds from the flower extract of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L: In silico and in vitro approaches.

The modern people are preparing the natural medicines from the plants and their parts for curing various diseases. The present study was chosen Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flowers to analyze its antimicrobial capabilities against venereal diseases causing pathogens. In this study, the antimicrobial activity performed in different solvents prepared flower extracts using agar well diffusion method. Among the extracts, the methanolic flower extract of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis shows better results than other solvents extracts. The extract analysed by GC-MS which was exposes seven bioactive molecules. These bioactive molecules were docked with N. gonorrhoea protein. Finally, benzene dicarboxylic acid had best glide docking XP scores -7.955 with better binding energy values (-38.692 kcal/mol) than other ligand molecules. Hence, this molecule was isolated from the flowers of H. rosa-sinensis. After that, the different concentrations of 1,2 benzene dicarboxylic acid were tested on human diseases causing microbial strains. There, all the levels were showed good anti-gonorrhoeal activity against N. gonorrhoeae. Hence this study suggested that 1,2 benzene dicarboxylic acid could be used as a better drug candidate for venereal diseases.

Phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plants against selected pathogenic microorganisms.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the antimicrobial potency of leaves from various extracts of Capparis zeylanica, Streblus asper and Tribulus terrestris were evaluated. In addition, this is the first report on MIC, MBC/MFC antimicrobial activities of above mentioned plants and also identify the phytochemical, functional groups by GC-MS and FT-IR respectively. Soxhlet extraction method was used for preparation of different extracts viz., aqueous, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol. The extracts were examined against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecallis, Salmonella paratyphi, Shigella dysenteriae, Candida albicans and Mycobacterium tuberculosis by agar well diffusion method, and Minimum Inhibitory Concentratioon (MIC), Minimum Bactericidal/Fungicidal Concentration (MBC/MFC) values were determined through micro dilution method. Phytochemical analysis of compounds was carried out by GC-MS analysis and functional groups were identified by FT-IR. Based on the outcome of our results, Ethyl acetate extract Showed significant antimicrobial activity against the tested pathogens especially, for C. albicans (40 mm) followed by ethyl acetate of S. asper against S. paratyphi (38 mm). While, the least inhibition was observed with aqueous extract of T. terrestris against S. paratyphi (10 mm). The MIC ranged from 3.21 mg/ml to 50 mg/ml and MBC/MFC 6.25 mg/ml to 50 mg/ml was recorded. Ethyl acetate extracts of almost all samples showed better activity than other extracts in inhibition growth of pathogens. Phytochemical analysis exhibited the presence of Steroids, tannins and cardiac glycosides were found only in ethyl acetate extract of C. zeylanica. Functional group of leaf extract was confirmed by FT-IR spectrum and GC-MS analysis of the ethyl acetate extract revealed the presence of 20 compounds. The results revealed that ethyl acetate extract of C. zeylanica leaves has potential activity than the other extracts as well as standard drugs (Gentamycin and Ketocozole). Hence, this plant may be recommended for further studies in isolation of active compounds and related pharmacological activities.

Traditional plants used for the treatment of gynaecological disorders in Vedaranyam taluk, South India - An ethnomedicinal survey.

Gynaecological disorder is one of the most severe conditions under reproductive health. So we investigate and collect information from traditional practitioners on the use of medicinal plants for treatment of Gynaecological disorder in Vedaranyam taluk, Nagappattinam district of South India. The field study was carried out for a period of January 2014-January 2015 in Vedaranyam taluk, Nagappattinam district of South India. This is the first traditional medicine study in which statistical calculations about plants are done by RFC, CI, UV and ICF in the study area. The ethnomedicinal information was collected through interviews, informal meetings, open and group discussions and overt observations with semi-structured questionnaires among traditional practitioners. A total of 66 species of plants distributed in 62 genera belonging to 44 families were identified as commonly used ethno medicinal plants by traditional practitioners in Vedaranyam taluk for the treatment of 36 ailments based on the reproductive systems treated. Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts and most of the medicines were prepared in the form of paste and administrated orally. We know the most important species according to their use value such as Moringa oleifera, Smailax zeylanica and Achyranthes aspera were recorded. The present study, we have highlighted some claims which are high use in the study area. Further pharmacological studies of these plants may provide some important drugs for the treatment of common gynaecological disorders.

Biosynthesis, characterization and antimicrobial activities of zinc oxide nanoparticles from leaf extract of Glycosmis pentaphylla (Retz.) DC.

Biosynthesized nanoparticles have an incredible application in biomedicine owing to its simplicity, eco-friendly properties and low cost. The present study aims to determine the green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles from methanolic leaf extract of Glycosmis pentaphylla. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV-VIS Spectroscopy, Fluorescence spectrometer, FT-IR, XRD, SEM with EDAX and TEM. The confirmations of synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by peak at 351 and 410 nm in the UV-VIS spectrum and photoluminescence spectrum respectively. FT-IR studies revealed the functional group of the nanoparticles. The XRD data showed the crystalline nature of the nanoparticles and EDAX measurements indicated the 20.70% of highly pure zinc oxide metal. The morphological characterization of synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles was analyzed by SEM and TEM and size of the particles were ranging from 32 to 36 nm. The synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles exhibited interesting antimicrobial activity against pathogenic organisms. In addition, this is the first report on leaf mediated synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles from Glycosmis pentaphylla.

Metal chelating ability and antioxidant properties of Curcumin-metal complexes - A DFT approach.

Curcumin, a well-documented phytochemical compound used to treat various diseases because of its more tolerability in the human body and has no side effects. The present study describes the metal chelating ability of Curcumin for Mn2+, Fe2+ and Zn2+ metal ions and their antioxidant properties using density functional theory in both gas and DMSO solvent phases. Results reveal that the carbonyl group at diketo moiety is destabilized due to the metal ion coordination. The interaction energies reveal that CurEN-Zn2+ are the most stable rather than the CurEN-Mn2+ and CurEN-Fe2+ complexes. The AIM analysis confirms that the interaction between the metal ions and Curcumin are to be electrostatic dominant. The HOMO-LUMO orbital analysis shows that the charge transfer interaction is dominant for CurEN-Mn2+ and CurEN-Fe2+ complexes. The DMSO solvent interactions decrease the stability of the CurEN-M2+ cation complexes. The antioxidant mechanism is more reactive for metal complexes than the isolated Curcumin. Since Curcumin possess both metal chelating and antioxidant properties, it can be used in chelation therapy for the cure of Alzheimer's disease.

Effect of microencapsulated probiotic Bacillus vireti 01-polysaccharide extract of Gracilaria folifera with alginate-chitosan on immunity, antioxidant activity and disease resistance of Macrobrachium rosenbergii against Aeromonas hydrophila infection.

Polysaccharide from red seaweed Gracilaria folifera has an interesting functional property of antioxidant activity and prebiotic effect. A feeding trial experiment was directed to examine the effect of probiotic bacteria Bacillus vireti 01 microencapsulated with G. folifera polysaccharide against freshwater prawn M. rosenbergii. Three different feeding trials were conducted for 15 days. The first group contained prawns fed with commercial diet. The second group was comprised of Aeromonas hydrophila challenged prawns fed with commercial feed. The third group consisted of A. hydrophila challenged prawns fed with microencapsulated probiotic-polysaccharide. Survival percentage was significantly decreased in prawns of group2 as compared to that of group1 and group3 prawns (p < 0.0001). The immunological parameters and antioxidant activities (p < 0.001) were found to be increased in group three prawns which were fed with encapsulated probiotic-seaweed polysaccharide and challenged with A. hydrophila as compared to that of group1 and group2. Tissue necrosis, fused lamella, haemocyte infiltration and damage of hepatopancreas lumen and tubule were noted in group2 prawns. There was no histological changes were observed in group3 prawns in which the histological architecture was similar to the control group1. The results suggested that combination of encapsulated probiotic B. vireti 01 and seaweed polysaccharide as dietary feed showed an enhancement of immune response, antioxidant activity and disease resistant of M. rosenbergii against A. hydrophila.

Green synthesis of silver nano particles from Atalantia monophylla (L) Correa leaf extract, their antimicrobial activity and sensing capability of H2O2.

In the present study deals with the green synthesis of silver nano particles from methanolic leaf extracts of Atalantia monophylla. The synthesized nano-particles are characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, PL, FTIR, XRD, SEM with EDAX and TEM. The nano-particles are indicated in absorption peak at 404 nm in the absorption spectrum. Further micro graphical analysis confirmed the average size was estimated about 35 nm and SEAD pattern authorized well crystalline materials. The FTIR studies help to confirm the functional group of synthesized silver nano particles. The XRD data shown the crystalline nature of nano particles and EDAX measurement indicates the purity of silver metal. The antimicrobial effect of silver nanoparticles was tested on pathogenic organisms using agar well diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration (MBC/MFC) were also investigated in different concentrations of leaf extract. The results indicated that synthesized silver nano particle of A. monophylla leaf extract has the potential of antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganism. In addition, this is the first report on leaf synthesized silver nano particles of A. monophylla. The antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms and the ability to detect hydrogen peroxide using the silver nanoparticles were confirmed which would find applications in the development of new antimicrobial drugs and new biosensors to detect the presence of hydrogen peroxide in various samples respectively.

Homology modeling and molecular docking studies on Type II diabetes complications reduced PPARγ receptor with various ligand molecules.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), a type II nuclear receptor present in adipose tissue, colon and macrophages. It reduces the hyperglycemia associated metabolic syndromes. Particularly, type II diabetes-related cardiovascular system risk in human beings. The fatty acid storage and glucose metabolism are regulated by PPARγ activation in human body. According to recent reports commercially available PPARγ activating drugs have been causing severe side effects. At the same time, natural products have been proved to be a promising area of drug discovery. Recently, many studies have been attempted to screen and identify a potential drug candidate to activate PPARγ. Hence, in this study we have selected some of the bio-active molecules from traditional medicinal plants. Molecular docking studies have been carried out against the target, PPARγ. We Results suggested that Punigluconin has a efficient docking score and it is found to have good binding affinities than other ligands. Hence, we concluded that Punigluconin is a better drug candidate for activation of PPARγ gene expression. Further studies are necessary to confirm their efficacy and possibly it can develop as a potential drug in future.

Therapeutic effects of gold nanoparticles synthesized using Musa paradisiaca peel extract against multiple antibiotic resistant Enterococcus faecalis biofilms and human lung cancer cells (A549).

Botanical-mediated synthesis of nanomaterials is currently emerging as a cheap and eco-friendly nanotechnology, since it does not involve the use of toxic chemicals. In the present study, we focused on the synthesis of gold nanoparticles using the aqueous peel extract of Musa paradisiaca (MPPE-AuNPs) following a facile and cheap fabrication process. The green synthesized MPPE-AuNPs were bio-physically characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, TEM, Zeta potential analysis and EDX. MPPE-AuNPs were crystalline in nature, spherical to triangular in shape, with particle size ranging within 50 nm. The biofilm inhibition activity of MPPE-AuNPs was higher against multiple antibiotic resistant (MARS) Gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis. Light and confocal laser scanning microscopic observations evidenced that the MPPE-AuNPs effectively inhibited the biofilm of E. faecalis when tested at 100 µg mL-1. Cytotoxicity studies demonstrated that MPPE-AuNPs were effective in inhibiting the viability of human A549 lung cancer cells at higher concentrations of 100 µg mL-1. The morphological changes in the MPPE-AuNPs treated A549 lung cancer cells were visualized under phase-contrast microscopy. Furthermore, the ecotoxicity of MPPE-AuNPs on the freshwater micro crustacean Ceriodaphnia cornuta were evaluated. Notably, no mortality was recorded in MPPE-AuNPs treated C. cornuta at 250 µg mL-1. This study concludes that MPPE-AuNPs are non-toxic, eco-friendly and act as a multipurpose potential biomaterial for biomedical applications.

A quantitative ethnozoological study of traditionally used animals in Pachamalai hills of Tamil Nadu, India.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The purpose of this study was designed to gather primary folk knowledge on different animal based therapies used by Malayalis in Pachamalai hills. This is the first ethnozoological study in Pachamalai hills; the data regarding the medicinal animals/animal products were documented and their usages were analyzed quantitatively. METHODS: Data was collected following the interviews from key informants (N=89) and reported diseases and health complications were classified in 18 categories. Seven quantitative indexes such as informant consensus factor (FIC), fidelity level (FL), relative frequency of citation (RFC), relative importance (RI), cultural importance index (CII), index of agreement on remedies (IAR) and cultural agreement index (CAI) were used to analyze the reported animal species. RESULTS: A total of 46 animal species belonging to 8 taxonomic groups were documented to be used in traditional medicine by Malayalis in Pachamalai hills. Animal based medicines were prepared from whole animals or their body parts or products extracted from them such as: butter, meat, milk, bones, horn, musk, skin, fin, honey, mucus, eggs, urine, excreta, hair and legs. The most encountered taxonomic group was Mammalia having 14 species. Aphrodisiac ailments (AA) (0.99), Dental care ailments (DCA) (0.99), Endocrinal disorders ailments (EDA) (0.99), Hair care ailments (HCA) (0.99), Oncology ailments (OA) (0.99) and Ortho ailments (ORTA) (0.99) gained the highest FIC value. Sus scrofa domesticus scored the highest FL (100%) for the Skeleto-muscular ailments for external cause; Lissemys punctata had the highest RI value (2.00) due to its versatility and the highest frequency of citation (RFC=1.000). Gallus domesticus had the highest cultural importance (CII=8.538) and the highest CAI value (CAI=8.427). According to IAR, Plexippus paykulli (IAR=1.00), Equus ferrus caballus (IAR=1.00), Trachypithecus johnii (IAR=1.00), Oecophylla samaragdina (IAR=1.00) and Apis indica (0.990) had the highest agreement among the informants for being used for the same medicinal purpose. Furthermore, no side effects have been reported from the use of ABT. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that Malayalis (Pachamalai hills) possess valuable knowledge on Malayalis׳ animal based therapies. It is believed that the present documentation will serve to record this vanishing knowledge before it is eroded completely from the island and to the scientific community. It is also anticipated that the present documentation will be fundamental to protect traditional knowledge, for the conservation and sustainable use of the rich biodiversity of Pachamalai hills for future generations and to ensure Pachamalai hills׳ sovereign rights over its genetic resources and utilization by first documenting them. In addition, further experimental investigations are required to elucidate the pharmacological properties of the reported medicinal fauna of Pachmalai hills.

Ethnozoological study of animals used by traditional healers in Silent Valley of Kerala, India.

AIM OF STUDY: India has great biodiversity of fauna. The use of fauna with medicinal properties is a common practice since pre-hispanic times. In the last decade, there has been an interest in ethnozoological studies in India. Ethnozoological studies are necessary in order to discover new medications for human health. There is urgency in recording such data. This is the first ethnozoological study in which statistical calculations about animals are done by the ICF method in Kerala, India. The purpose of this study is to analyze and record traditional knowledge of animals utilized by the indigenous people living on Silent Valley, located in Palakkad district of Kerala, India and to document the traditional names, preparation and uses of these animals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Field study was carried out for a period of September 2011 to August 2012 years in Kerala. The ethnomedicinal information was collected through interviews, informal meetings, open and group discussions and overt observations with semi-structured questionnaires among traditional healers. The collected data were analyzed through informant consensus factor (ICF) and fidelity level (FL). RESULTS: This study recorded a total of 57 families, 66 genera, and 69 species of animals that produced 163 methods for usages. Mammalian occupied 29% of the total animals listed, followed by aves (28%), insects (17%), reptiles (10%), actinopterygii (4%), malacostraca, amphibians and clitellata (each 3%), chilopoda (2%) and gastropoda (1%) of the whole, respectively. In regards to usage, 68 species utilized as food products and medicinal uses, totaled 98.55% followed by one species for cosmetics (1.45%). CONCLUSION: This study indicated that the animals are still being used by the local healers of Palakkad district, to treat various illnesses. The empirical knowledge reported in this study will provide outstanding possibilities for the discovery of new sources of medicine for the drug industry.

Quantitative ethnomedicinal study of plants used in the Nelliyampathy hills of Kerala, India.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Inspite of tremendous advances made in allopathic medical practices, medicinal plants have played an important role throughout the world in treating and preventing a variety of diseases and hence there is urgency in recording such data. This is the first ethnobotanical study in which statistical calculations about plants are done by the Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) method. The present study was aimed to identify plants collected for medicinal purposes by the traditional healers of Nelliyampathy hills, located in Palakkad district of Kerala, India and to document the traditional names, preparation and uses of these plants. METHODS: The field study was carried out over a period of 2 years (2011-2013) using semi-structured interviews with 66 informants (most of the informants belonged to an age between 50 and 70 years) in six remote locations in the hills. Ethnomedicinal data was analyzed using frequency citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC) and use value (UV) along with a Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC). Demographic characteristics of participants, ethnobotanical inventory of plants and data on medicinal application and administration were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 85 medicinal plants belonging to 49 families were reported to be used against 19 different ailments in the hills. The maximum reported medicinal plant families were Cucurbitaceae with 6 species followed by Acanthaceae, Malvaceae and Fabaceae (each 5 species), Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Moraceae and Myrtaceae (each 3 species), the most dominant life form of the species includes herbs (42) followed by tree (20), climber (15) and shrub (8), the most frequent used part was leaves (40%) followed by root (14%), seed and flowers (each12%), fruit (9%), bark (7%), stem (2%), latex (2%), rhizome and whole plant (each 1%), the most common preparation and administration methods were paste (32%), powder (22%), decoction and juice (each 20%) and raw (4%), infusion and inhalation (each1% ). The Pearson correlation coefficient between RFC and UV was 0.638 showing highly positive significant association. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we have documented considerable indigenous knowledge about the native medicinal plants in Nelliyampathy hills for treating common ailments. The plants such as further investigated phytochemically and pharmacologically which leads to natural drug discovery development may be based on the present study. The study has various socioeconomic dimensions which are associated with the local communities.

Plectranthus amboinicus leaf extract mediated synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles and its control of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus biofilm and blood sucking mosquito larvae.

In this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles were biologically synthesized using the leaf extract of Plectranthus amboinicus (Pam-ZnO NPs). The synthesized Pam-ZnO NPs were characterized by UV-Vis spectrophotometer, FTIR, TEM and XRD analysis. TEM analysis of Pam-ZnO NPs showed the average size of about 20-50 nm. Pam-ZnO NPs control the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus biofilms (MRSA ATCC 33591) at the concentration of 8-10 µg/ml. Confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) images revealed that Pam-ZnO NPs strongly inhibited the biofilm forming ability of S. aureus. In addition, Pam-ZnO NPs showed 100% mortality of fourth instar mosquito larvae of Anopheles stephensi, Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex tritaeniorhynchus at the concentration of 8 and 10 µg/ml. The histopathological studies of Pam-ZnO NPs treated A. stephensi and C. quinquefasciatus larvae revealed the presence of damaged cells and tissues in the mid-gut. The damaged tissues suffered major changes including rupture and disintegration of epithelial layer and cellular vacuolization. The present study conclude that Pam-ZnO NPs showed effective control of S. aureus biofilms and mosquito larvae by damaging the mid gut cells.

Documentation and quantitative analysis of the local knowledge on medicinal plants in Kalrayan hills of Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu, India.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The aim of the present study was to document the medicinal plants by the traditional medical practitioners from Kalrayan hills of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu, India. Quantitatively analyses of the data were made to acquire some useful leads for further studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Successive free listing was the method adopted for the interview. In this study, 54 traditional healer medical practitioners were included and their knowledge on medicinal plants was gathered. The data were assessed with the help of two indices viz., informant consensus factor (Fic) and Informant Agreement on Remedies (IAR). RESULTS: The present survey is in accordance with some of the aspects of our previous surveys. Regarding the demography of the informants, it exhibited unevenness in male-female ratio and majority of the informants were poorly educated. Practicing this system of medicine as part time job by majority of the informants might indicate the reduced social status of this medicinal system. The present study had recorded the usage of 81 species, which in turn yielded 1073 use reports. The major illness category 'aphrodisiac, hair care and endocrinal disorders' hold a high Fic values. Among the other illness categories, gastro-intestinal ailments, genito-urinary ailments and dermatological infection ailments have a high percentage of use reports. Eye ailments, general health, kapha ailments, psychological ailments and skeleton muscular system ailments were the other illness categories with high Fic values. Some of the claims viz., Argyrolobium roseum (aphrodisiac ailments), Rosa brunonii (eye ailments) Hibiscus surattensis (dermatological infections ailments), Bauhinia variegata (neurology Ailments), Cotinus coggygria (circulatory system/cardiovascular ailments) and Uvaria narum (gastro-intestinal ailments) which have relatively high consensus can be taken up for further biomedical studies, since no substantial studies have been conducted on them. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of our present study, we have highlighted some claims which are at high use in the study area but having little scientific support. Studies on such claims will provide scientific base to some extent which in turn will be useful to improve the health of indigenous people.

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by traditional healers in silent valley of Kerala, India.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Medicinal plants are treating and preventing a variety disease. There is urgency in recording such data. This is the first ethno botanical study in which statistical calculations about plants are done by ICF method. The present study was aimed to identify plants collected for medicinal purposes by the traditional healers of silent valley, located in Palakad district of Kerala, India and to document the traditional names, preparation and uses of these plants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Field study was carried out a period of 2 years in Kerala. The ethno medicinal information was collected through interviews among traditional healers. The collected data were analyzed through use value (UV) informant consensus factor (F(ic)) and fidelity level (FL). RESULTS: A total of 102 species of plants distributed in 95 genera belonging to 53 families were identified as commonly used ethno medicinal plants by traditional healers in silent valley for the treatment of 19 ailment categories based on the body systems treated. Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts and most of the medicines were prepared in the form of paste and administrated orally. F(ic) values of the present study indicated that dermatological infections/diseases and gastro-intestinal disorders had highest use reports and 7 species of plants has the highest fidelity level of 100%. The most important species according to their use value were Moringa oleifera (2.62), Curculigo orchioides (2.5) Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, Vitex negundo (each 2.37), Carica papaya (2.12), Annona squamosa (1.87). CONCLUSION: Gathering the present study, we can recommended the plants Moringa oleifera, Curculigo orchioides, Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, Vitex negundo, Carica papaya, Citrus hystrix, and Tribulus terrestris (with high use values), Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, Aloe vera, Carum capticum and Discorea pentaphylla (newly reported claims with highest FL) for further scientific investigation based upon the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants can be an approach in the discovery and development of novel drug leads.

Pathogenecity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Oreochromis mossambicus and treatment using lime oil nanoemulsion.

Fish diseases caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a known pathogenic organism, is responsible for considerable economic losses in the commercial cultivation of Oreochromis mossambicus (Tilapia). The bacteria were injected into healthy fish through intramuscular injection, oral and immersion challenge. Infection was confirmed by histopathological investigation of the infected organs. Lime nanoemulsion was prepared and the effectiveness of the nanoemulsion was studied both in vitro and in vivo by well diffusion assay and in vivo in the artificially infected fish. Results showed that the lime nanoemulsion was effective against the P. aeruginosa infection in O. mossambicus both in vitro and in vivo.