Phytochemical Profiling and Pharmacological Evaluation of Leaf Extracts of Ruellia tuberosa L.: An In Vitro and In Silico Approach.

The present study was designed to appraise the photoprotective, antioxidant, and antibacterial bioactivities of Ruellia tuberosa leaves extracts (RtPE, RtChl, RtEA, RtAc, RtMe, and RtHMe). The results showed that, RtHMe extracts of R. tuberosa was rich in total phenolic content, i. e., 1.60 mgGAE/g dry extract, while highest total flavonoid content was found in RtAc extract, i. e., 0.40 mgQE/g. RtMe showed effective antioxidant activity (%RSA: 58.16) at the concentration of 120 µL. RtMe, RtEA and RtHMe exhibited effective in vitro antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli). In silico docking studies revealed that paucifloside (-11.743 kcal/mol), indole-3-carboxaldehyde (-7.519 kcal/mol), nuomioside (-7.275 kcal/mol), isocassifolioside (-6.992 kcal/mol) showed best docking score against PDB ID 2EX8 [penicillin binding protein 4 (dacB) from Escherichia coli, complexed with penicillin-G], PDB ID 6CQA (E. coli dihydrofolate reductase protein complexed with inhibitor AMPQD), PDB ID 2Y2I [Penicillin-binding protein 1B in complex with an alkyl boronate (ZA3)] and PDB ID 2OLV (from S. aureus), respectively. Docked phytochemicals also showed good drug likeness properties.

Structure and drug delivery relationship of acidic polysaccharides: A review.

Scientists from across the world are being inspired by recent development in polysaccharides and their use in medical administration. Due to their extraordinary physical, chemical, and biological characteristics, polysaccharides are excellent materials for use in medicine. Acidic polysaccharides, which include Pectin, Xanthan gum, Carrageenan, Alginate, and Glycosaminoglycan, are natural polymers with carboxyl groups that are being researched for their potential as drug delivery systems. Most publications do not discuss how the different polysaccharides interact structurally in terms of drug delivery, which limits the scope of their use. The purpose of this review is to inform readers about the structural activity correlations between acidic polysaccharides, their different modification process and effects of combination of various acidic polysaccharides which have been used in drug delivery systems and expanding their potential applications, and bringing new perspectives to the fore.

Studies to predict the effect of pregelatinization on excipient property of maize and potato starch blends.

This study focuses on the effect of co-processing on physicochemical and drug release properties of starch mixtures. Different mixtures of native maize and potato starch were pregelatinized for different time intervals. The pregelatinized starch mixture was observed to have higher amylose content than that of native starches. The flow properties of starch mixtures were found to improve after pregelatinization. FTIR and XRD showed changes in structure and crystallinity of native starch due to pregelatinization. The FESEM images showed complete disruption of granular structure of native starch. Native starch was found to be more viscous than pregelatinized starch and all starch samples exhibited Non-Newtonian shear thinning behaviour. The tablets prepared from native starch showed rapid release of drug compared to the modified starches, and increase in the amount of potato starch resulted in sustained drug release. This indicates the utility of pregelatinized starch mixtures with high proportion of potato starch in sustained drug delivery systems.

A Review on Nutritional and Biological Potential of Earthstar Mushrooms, Species of Genus Astraeus ( Agaricomycetes).

The Astraeus genus (Diplocystaceae) of ectomycorrhizal edible mushrooms is represented by nine species: A. asiaticus, A. hygrometricus, A. koreanus, A. morganii, A. odoratus, A. pteridis, A. sirindhorniae, A. smithii, and A. telleriae. Astraeus mushrooms, because of their characteristic delicacy and aroma, are marketed in several countries. Chemical examinations of these mushrooms have revealed their nutritional properties and bioactive constituents. Here, the proximate nutritional composition of A. hygrometricus and A. odoratus, and chemistry and biological activity of A. asiaticus, A. hygrometricus, A. odoratus, and A. pteridis were reviewed. Several mycochemicals, including polysaccharides, terpenoids, steroids, phenolics and heterocyclic compounds, have been characterized in their fruiting body. Various biological activities of these compounds are also discussed.

Effect of thermal modification on the release characteristics of pink potato starch of Jharkhand, India.

Excipient plays an essential role in drug delivery system, which promotes the drug to reach a particular site of action. Excipients directly or indirectly affect the duration and rate of drug release and absorption. In the current study, physicochemical properties, flow properties and release characteristics of native and modified pink potato starches were investigated to determine their excipient characteristics. Amylose content, water holding capacity, swelling and solubility properties were found to increase after pregelatinization and retrogradation. The SEM micrographs reveals the loss of granular structure of native after thermal modification. The FT-IR study confirms the gelatinization characteristics of the pregelatinized starch. X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the reduction of crystallinity after thermal modification. Tablets containing Paracetamol as a model drug showed that native, pregelatinized and modified pink potato starch could be useful for the manufacturing of immediate release formulation.

Studies on water soluble polysaccharides from Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.) Benth. seeds.

In this existing experimental work, water soluble PDP polysaccharides were secluded from Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb.) Benth. seeds. The physicochemical properties were analyzed in terms of swelling power, solubility, pH and water holding capacity. Micromeretic studies proved the polysaccharide may be used a potential pharmaceutical adjuvant. The polysaccharide was characterized by FT-IR, SEM, TGA and NMR techniques. Methylation analysis confirmed that the polysaccharide is composed of Arabinose (Araf) units. The chemical shifts of anomeric proton region were found in the region of 4.4-5.5ppm. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that PDP polysaccharide was thermally stable. The in vitro antioxidant capacities of the polysaccharide were investigated in terms of scavenging of hydroxyl radicals, 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and reducing power assay. The polysaccharide fractions showed activity in a concentration dependent manner which was comparable to the standard, ascorbic acid.

Modified release and antioxidant stable Lagenaria siceraria extract microspheres using co-precipitated starch.

Ca-alginate hydrogel beads of Lagenaria siceraria (LS) fruit extract using co-precipitates of LS seed starch and colloidal silicon dioxide (SSD) as filler was studied. Effect of different concentrations of SSD on the encapsulation efficiency, size of microspheres, moisture content and antioxidant potential of the microspheres comprising extract was determined. The chemical composition of ethanolic extract was analysed by LC-MS. The prepared microspheres were characterized by SEM, FTIR and XRD. The incorporation of filler in hydrogel beads modified the micromeritic properties and release profile of LS fruit extract. It is observed that fillers have improved the stability of antioxidant potential of the extract. The application of this technology would improve the stability of LS fruit extract in pharmaceutical and food products.

Physicochemical and release kinetics of natural and retrograded starch of Indian palmyrah shoots.

Starch was isolated from the shoots of Indian palmyrah (Borassus flabellifer L.) and it was subjected to the process of retrogradation. The influence of retrogradation on morphological, physicochemical and drug release properties was studied. Retrogradation of native starch changed its morphology from oval, elliptical to crystalline rods. Due to retrogradation there is an increase in amylose content and better hydration capacity, swelling and solubility power. The micromeritic properties of native and retrograded starch uncover its usage as excipients in tablet manufacturing. The retrograded starch showed better powder characteristics to that of native starch. The characteristic peaks for d-glucopyranosyl ring confirms the carbohydrate nature of starch. The TGA data reveals that the retrograded starch shows less bound water to that of native starch during the first decomposition step. In-vitro release study reveals that the retrograded starch attained a better release retardant property and was best explained by Hixson-Crowell model. The result showed that retrograded starches can be used for the preparation of sustained release tablets.

A validated HPTLC method for determination of trans-caryophyllene from polyherbal formulations.

Formulations of traditional medicines are usually made up of a complex mixture of herbs. However, effective quality control methods in order to select materials of the right quality are lacking. 'Amukkara choornam' is a polyherbal Siddha formulation used for gastritis, spleen enlargement, leucorrhoea, hiccups, anaemia, tuberculosis and kappa diseases. Trans-caryophyllene is an important constituent present in the ingredients of this formulation. In a literature survey, it was found that there is no such method for the quantification of trans-caryophyllene except gas chromatography or gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). So, a high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method was developed and validated for the quantification of trans-caryophyllene in amukkara choornam. Pre-coated silica gel 60F-254 plates (10 × 10 cm²) were used for the analysis. The solvent system consisted of toluene-ethyl acetatate (9 : 3, v/v), and trans-caryophyllene was detected at 260 nm. The developed method was validated for linearity (R² = 0.9996 ± 0.0034), limit of detection (LOD) (0.101 ng), limit of quantification (LOQ) (0.639 ng), accuracy (% recovery = 97.19 ± 1.204), and precision (CV < 5%, for both intra-day and inter-day precisions). The levels of trans-caryophyllene were found to be 3.5-4.10 µg per gram of herbal products.