Ethnopharmacological Potential of Phytochemicals and Phytogenic Products against Human RNA Viral Diseases as Preventive Therapeutics.

RNA viruses have been the most destructive due to their transmissibility and lack of control measures. Developments of vaccines for RNA viruses are very tough or almost impossible as viruses are highly mutable. For the last few decades, most of the epidemic and pandemic viral diseases have wreaked huge devastation with innumerable fatalities. To combat this threat to mankind, plant-derived novel antiviral products may contribute as reliable alternatives. They are assumed to be nontoxic, less hazardous, and safe compounds that have been in uses in the beginning of human civilization. In this growing COVID-19 pandemic, the present review amalgamates and depicts the role of various plant products in curing viral diseases in humans.

Evidence-based effectiveness of herbal treatment modality for recurrent aphthous ulcers - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Recurrent Apthous Ulcers (RAU) has affected mankind through time immemorial. It is the most commonly prevalent oral mucosal lesion manifesting as painful ulcers involving non - keratinised oral mucosa. This review was done to assess herbal intervention in RAU patients for outcomes of ulcer size and pain intensity. Literature search of published articles in Medline, Scopus, Ovid and Journal of Web upto August 2020 were reviewed for the pre-described outcomes. Revman 5.4 software was used for study analysis. Total 9 articles were finally chosen for qualitative analysis. Meta analytic comparison demonstrated the ulcer reduction (CI = -2.22 to - 0.09; p <0.001) and pain intensity (CI = -4.60 to - 0.08; p <0.001) was reduced in the herbal group as compared to the controls. A definite evidence of herbal intervention was noted in alleviating RAU signs and symptoms.

Oral mucositis.

Oral mucositis is one of the most common complications of cancer therapy. It is a nonhematologic complication of cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy and reduces the quality of life. It is estimated that 40% the cases on standard chemotherapy may develop oral mucositis. Patients receiving radiation, especially in the cases of head and neck cancer, have 30%-60% chances of developing mucositis. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy interfere with the normal turnover of epithelial cells, leading to mucosal injuries. These injuries can also occur due to indirect invasion of Gram negative bacteria and fungi as most of the chemo-therapeutic agents will cause neutropenia and will give a favorable environment for the development of mucositis. The patient-related factors are also responsible for developing mucositis in chemo-induced and radiation-induced mucositis. Poor oral hygiene may also be responsible for bacterial super infection followed by chemotherapy. Mucositis is of two kinds: direct and indirect mucositis. Direct mucositis - The epithelial cells of the oral mucosa undergo rapid turnover in usually 7-14 days due to which these cells are more susceptible to the effect of the cytotoxic therapy which results in oral mucositis. Indirect mucositis - it can develop due to the infection caused by Gram-negative bacteria and fungal infection. There will be a greater risk for oral infection due to neutropenia. The onset of mucositis secondary to mylo-suppression varies depending upon the timing of the neutrophil count associated with chemotherapy agents but they typically develop around 10-21 days after chemotherapy administration.

Exploitation of inexpensive substrates for production of a novel SCL-LCL-PHA co-polymer by Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 7925.

Studies conducted with various inexpensive carbon sources such as whey, vegetable oils (palm, mustard, soybean and coconut), a low-cost source of glucose-D, rice and wheat bran, and mustard and palm oil cakes demonstrated palm oil as the best substrate for accumulation of a novel short-chain-length-long-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (SCL-LCL-PHA) co-polymer containing SCL 3HAs [3-hydroxybutyric acid (3HB) and 3-hydroxyvaleric acid (3HV)] and LCL 3HAs of 3-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid (3HHD) and 3-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid (3HOD) units as constituents by a sludge-isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 7925. The co-polymer content reached up to 60% of dry cell weight (dcw) at 48 h of incubation in 0.5% (v/v) palm oil and the extract of 0.5% (v/v) palm oil cake supplemented vessels. The PHAs pool was further enhanced up to 69 and 75% (dcw), when the above culture was subjected to P- and N-limitation, respectively. The mol fraction of 3HB:3HV:3HHD:3HOD units were, respectively, 83.1:7.7:3.8:5.4 and 87.3:5.1:3.6:4.0 in P- and N-limited cultures. Consequently, a co-polymer yield of 5 g l(-1) (approx.) was achieved, which was about 80-fold higher as compared to 69 mg l(-1) of the control culture. On substrate basis, the accumulation reached up to 0.62 g PHAs per g substrate, which was significantly higher as compared to the yield obtained from starch by Haloferax mediterranei and Azotobacter chroococum, from molasses by A. vinelandii UWD, and from lactose and xylose by Pseudomonas cepacia. This novel P(3HB-co-3HV-co-3HHD-co-3HOD) co-polymer exhibited better thermal and mechanical properties as revealed from the differential scanning calorimetry and mechanical property studies, thus opens up new possibilities for various industrial applications.

Antioxidative role of nitric oxide on copper toxicity to a chlorophycean alga, Chlorella.

The response of Chlorella vulgaris to copper exposure was investigated under laboratory batch culture conditions. Increased toxicity of Cu with respect to photosynthetic carbon fixation, O(2) evolution, chlorophyll fluorescence, and oxidative burst was observed for N-NH(4)(+)-grown cultures. The addition of sodium nitroprusside, a nitric oxide (NO) donor, in combination with Cu to N-NH(4)(+)-grown Chlorella not only lowered the inhibition levels of carbon fixation, O(2) evolution, and maximum quantum yield of PS II, but also significantly reduced the oxidative burst. The protective action of sodium nitroprusside was, however, arrested in cultures in which sodium nitroprusside was supplemented in combination with 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide, a specific scavenger of NO in the experimental system. The N-NO(3)(-)-grown Chlorella depicted less sensitivity to Cu compared to its N-NH(4)(+)-grown counterpart. The N-NO(3)(-)-, N-NH(4)(+)-, and N-NH(4)(+)+sodium nitroprusside-grown Chlorella did not show any significant differences with respect to their Cu uptake potential. The role of NO as an antioxidant is discussed.