Beneath the rind: A review on the remarkable health benefits and applications of the wood apple fruit.

Limonia acidissima Groff, commonly referred to as the Wood apple, is a tropical fruit belonging to Rutaceae family. Indigenous to Sri Lanka, India, and Myanmar, it is extensively cultivated throughout Southeast Asia. This fruit holds a profound historical significance in traditional medicine due to its exceptional nutritional and therapeutic attributes. Wood apple pulp is significantly abundant in ß-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, and contains a substantial amount of vitamin B, including riboflavin and thiamine, as well as trace amounts of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Moreover health-benefitting properties associated with L. acidissima, such as, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-spermatogenic, analgesic, antiulcer, and antihyperlipidemic properties, are attributed to a diverse range of phytochemicals. These encompass polyphenolic compounds, saponins, phytosterols, tannins, triterpenoids, coumarins, amino acids, tyramine derivatives, and vitamins. From the findings of the various studies, it was observed that wood apple fruit shows significant anticancer activity by inhibiting the proliferation of cancer. Furthermore, wood apple finds wide-ranging commercial applications in the formulation of ready-to-serve beverages, syrups, jellies, chutneys, and various other food products. In summary, this review highlights the nutritional and phytochemical constituents of wood apple, depicts its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic capabilities, and explores its potential in value-added product development. Nevertheless, it is crucial to acknowledge that the molecular mechanisms supporting these properties remain an underexplored domain. To ensure the safe integration of wood apple fruit into the realms of the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical sectors, rigorous clinical trials, including toxicity assessments, are required. These endeavors hold the potential to promote innovation and contribute significantly to both research and industrial sectors.

Phytochemicals, therapeutic benefits and applications of chrysanthemum flower: A review.

Chrysanthemum is a flowering plant belonging to a genus of the dicotyledonous herbaceous annual flowering plant of the Asteraceae (Compositae) family. It is a perpetual flowering plant, mostly cultivated for medicinal purposes; generally, used in popular drinks due to its aroma and flavor. It is primarily cultivated in China, Japan, Europe, and United States. These flowers were extensively used in various healthcare systems and for treating various diseases. Chrysanthemum flowers are rich in phenolic compounds and exhibit strong properties including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-allergic, anti-obesity, immune regulation, hepatoprotective, and nephroprotective activities. The main aim of the present review was to investigate the nutritional profile, phytochemistry, and biological activities of flowers of different Chrysanthemum species. Also, a critical discussion of the diverse metabolites or bioactive constituents of the Chrysanthemum flowers is highlighted in the present review. Moreover, the flower extracts of Chrysanthemum have been assessed to possess a rich phytochemical profile, including compounds such as cyanidin-3-O-(6″-O-malonyl) glucoside, delphinidin 3-O-(6" -O-malonyl) glucoside-3', rutin, quercetin, isorhamnetin, rutinoside, and others. These profiles exhibit potential health benefits, leading to their utilization in the production of supplementary food products and pharmaceutical drugs within the industry. However, more comprehensive research studies/investigations are still needed to further discover the potential benefits for human and animal utilization.

Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa: An Underutilized Fruit with High Nutraceutical Values: A Review.

Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa (Bael) fruit, a member of the Rutaceae family, is a major cultivated fruit plant in tropical and subtropical regions in countries of southeast Asia. Bael fruit has been a major topic for studies in recent years mainly due to its high nutritional (carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and vitamins) value and presence of various phytochemicals, which attributed to its high medicinal value. These phytochemicals include various compounds, e.g., alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids (protocatechuic acid, gallic, and ellagic acid). The fruit extract of bael has been also an important study area for its pharmacological activities, including antidiarrheal, antioxidant, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, radioprotective, anticancer, antiulcer properties. The current review mainly highlighted the nutritional and pharmacological activities of bael fruit. The nutritional profile and phytochemical profile were discussed in the review, along with their concentration in the fruit. Moreover, the experiments carried out in vivo and in vitro of bael fruit extracts with respect to their pharmacological activities were also discussed in the article. The recent literature based on nutritional and pharmacological values of bael fruit showed its high potential as a food and pharmaceutical product. Despite having high nutritional and pharmacological value, research related to molecular mechanisms of bael fruit is still limited, and clinical trials are needed to ensure its safety as a product in the food and pharma industries.

A survey on ethnoveterinary medicines used by the tribal migratory shepherds of Northwestern Himalaya.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Tribal migratory shepherds (Gaddi) living in the Northwestern Himalayan region are well known for their nomadic lifestyle in which tribal migratory shepherds along with their livestock which mainly include sheep and goat migrate seasonally in the Northwestern Himalayan region from high hills to low hills for the survival of their livestock from cold winters and hot summer. Due to harsh environmental conditions, heavy snowfall, heavy rainfall, wild animal attacks, no medical facilities, no transportation, and no electricity facilities tribal migratory shepherds mostly rely on plant species mentioned for ethnoveterinary use to treat livestock disease. AIM OF STUDY: The aim of our study is to conduct ethnoveterinary survey for the first time to document the contemporary oral ethnoveterinary knowledge of Gaddi shepherds living in Northwestern Himalayan region. METHODOLOGY: The documentation of plant species mentioned for ethnoveterinary use was executed through extensive field surveys from 2017 to 2019. Data were collected through direct interviews by administrating questionnaire among tribal migratory shepherds. RESULTS: A total of 181 plant species mentioned for ethnoveterinary use belonging to the same or different families were documented during the seasonal migration of shepherds from Northwestern Himalayan region. Most frequently occurring family of plant species mentioned for ethnoveterinary was Poaceae, leaves and roots were reported to be the most frequently used plant parts. Most frequently documented plant species for ethnoveterinary use were Cynodon dactylon, Chenopodium album, Zanthoxylum armatum, Aloe vera, Azadirachta indica and Cannabis sativa. Chrysopogon serrulatus, Cynodon dactylon, and Vitex negundo were reported with high use reports. Some of the endemic species of Northwestern Himalayan region such as Elymus himalayanus and Euphorbia pilosa and one endangered species Picrorhiza kurrooa were reported in current study. CONCLUSION: It is observed that there is a need to raise awareness among the tribal migratory shepherds about the sustainable use and conservation of some of the plant species mentioned for ethnoveterinary use. This study provided an inventory of plant species mentioned for ethnoveterinary use having significant ethnoveterinary potential, however there is need of scientific evaluations by in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies.

Comparative and Evolutionary Analysis of Grass Pollen Allergens Using Brachypodium distachyon as a Model System.

Comparative genomics have facilitated the mining of biological information from a genome sequence, through the detection of similarities and differences with genomes of closely or more distantly related species. By using such comparative approaches, knowledge can be transferred from the model to non-model organisms and insights can be gained in the structural and evolutionary patterns of specific genes. In the absence of sequenced genomes for allergenic grasses, this study was aimed at understanding the structure, organisation and expression profiles of grass pollen allergens using the genomic data from Brachypodium distachyon as it is phylogenetically related to the allergenic grasses. Combining genomic data with the anther RNA-Seq dataset revealed 24 pollen allergen genes belonging to eight allergen groups mapping on the five chromosomes in B. distachyon. High levels of anther-specific expression profiles were observed for the 24 identified putative allergen-encoding genes in Brachypodium. The genomic evidence suggests that gene encoding the group 5 allergen, the most potent trigger of hay fever and allergic asthma originated as a pollen specific orphan gene in a common grass ancestor of Brachypodium and Triticiae clades. Gene structure analysis showed that the putative allergen-encoding genes in Brachypodium either lack or contain reduced number of introns. Promoter analysis of the identified Brachypodium genes revealed the presence of specific cis-regulatory sequences likely responsible for high anther/pollen-specific expression. With the identification of putative allergen-encoding genes in Brachypodium, this study has also described some important plant gene families (e.g. expansin superfamily, EF-Hand family, profilins etc) for the first time in the model plant Brachypodium. Altogether, the present study provides new insights into structural characterization and evolution of pollen allergens and will further serve as a base for their functional characterization in related grass species.