Cactus: Chemical, nutraceutical composition and potential bio-pharmacological properties.

Cactus species are plants that grow in the arid and semiarid regions of the world. They have long fascinated the attention of the scientific community due to their unusual biology. Cactus species are used for a variety of purposes, such as food, fodder, ornamental, and as medicinal plants. In the last regard, they have been used in traditional medicine for eras by the ancient people to cure several diseases. Recent scientific investigations suggest that cactus materials may be used as a source of naturally-occurring products, such as mucilage, fiber, pigments, and antioxidants. For this reason, numerous species under this family are becoming endangered and extinct. This review provides an overview of the habitat, classification, phytochemistry, chemical constituents, extraction and isolation of bioactive compounds, nutritional and pharmacological potential with pre-clinical and clinical studies of different Cactus species. Furthermore, conservation strategies for the ornamental and endangered species have also been discussed.

Convolvulus plant-A comprehensive review from phytochemical composition to pharmacy.

Convolvulus genus is a representative of the family of Convolvulaceae. Convolvulus plants are broadly distributed all over the world and has been used for many centuries as herbal medicine. Convolvulus genus contains various phytochemicals such as flavonoids, alkaloids, carbohydrates, phenolic compounds, mucilage, unsaturated sterols or terpenes, resin, tannins, lactones, and proteins. This review highlights the phytochemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities, application as food preservative, traditional medicine use, anticancer activities, and clinical effectiveness in human of Convolvulus plants. All the parts of Convolvulus plants possess therapeutic benefits; preliminary pharmacological data validated their use in traditional medicine. However, further preclinical and clinical experiments are warranted before any application in human health.

Current status of COVID-19 vaccination: safety and liability concern for children, pregnant and lactating women.

INTRODUCTION: Since its inception, Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has claimed a significant number of lives around the world. AREA COVERED: COVID-19 vaccine development involves several vaccine platforms, including traditional live-attenuated or killed viral particles, viral vectors or DNA, and mRNA-based vaccines. The efficacy and effectiveness (EV) of these vaccines must be assessed in order to determine the extent to which they can protect us against infection. Despite the fact that some affluent countries attempted to vaccinate the majority of their inhabitants, children and pregnant women were first excluded. EXPERT OPINION: While the severity of COVID-19 is less severe in children, the COVID-19-related complications are more severe.SARS-CoV-2 infection is also dangerous for pregnant women. The key to limiting disease spread is early discovery, isolation, and the development of safe and efficient vaccinations. As a result, the purpose of this study is to highlight the current development of various COVID-19 vaccine platforms for different groups of people at higher risk of COVID-19, with a special focus on children, pregnant and lactating women, as well as structural and pathogenicity elements of SARS CoV-2.

Systematics, Phytochemistry, Biological Activities and Health Promoting Effects of the Plants from the Subfamily Bombacoideae (Family Malvaceae).

Plants belonging to the subfamily Bombacoideae (family Malvaceae) consist of about 304 species, many of them having high economical and medicinal properties. In the past, this plant group was put under Bombacaceae; however, modern molecular and phytochemical findings supported the group as a subfamily of Malvaceae. A detailed search on the number of publications related to the Bombacoideae subfamily was carried out in databases like PubMed and Science Direct using various keywords. Most of the plants in the group are perennial tall trees usually with swollen tree trunks, brightly colored flowers, and large branches. Various plant parts ranging from leaves to seeds to stems of several species are also used as food and fibers in many countries. Members of Bombacoides are used as ornamentals and economic utilities, various plants are used in traditional medication systems for their anti-inflammatory, astringent, stimulant, antipyretic, microbial, analgesic, and diuretic effects. Several phytochemicals, both polar and non-polar compounds, have been detected in this plant group supporting evidence of their medicinal and nutritional uses. The present review provides comprehensive taxonomic, ethno-pharmacological, economic, food and phytochemical properties of the subfamily Bombacoideae.

Poisoning by Medical Plants.

BACKGROUND: Herbal medications are becoming increasingly popular with the impression that they cause fewer side effects in comparison with synthetic drugs; however, they may considerably contribute to acute or chronic poisoning incidents. Poison centers receive more than 100000 patients exposed to toxic plants. Most of these cases are inconsiderable toxicities involving pediatric ingestions of medicinal plants in low quantity. In most cases of serious poisonings, patients are adults who have either mistakenly consumed a poisonous plant as edible or ingested the plant regarding to its medicinal properties for therapy or toxic properties for illegal aims. METHODS: In this article, we review the main human toxic plants causing mortality or the ones which account for emergency medical visits. Articles addressing "plant poisoning" in online databases were listed in order to establish the already reported human toxic cases. RESULTS: The current review introduces herbal plants toxicity and herb-drug interactions to warn the health professionals about possible consequences of unconscious uses of medicinal plants. The reported cases extracted from our prepared database were classified on the basis of the main toxic effects of plants, and the most prominent constituents of the plants which are responsible for specific toxic effects. CONCLUSION: Considering the long history of consumption of herbal medicines in different societies, people may wrongly think that medicinal plants are fully harmless and nontoxic. Prescription, preparation and consumption regulations of medicinal plants are not clear and strict as well as their marketing regulations that differ from country to country. The extensive and various consumption of medicinal plants without adequate observation is the most important reason for poisoning by medicinal plants.

Bioactivity guided isolation of antidiabetic and antioxidant compound from Xylocarpus granatum J. Koenig bark.

The present study was designed to identify antidiabetic and antioxidant constituents from ethanol bark extract of a medicinally important mangrove plant Xylocarpus granatum J. Koenig, using in vitro bioactivity-guided fractionation. The repeated fractionation of X. granatum ethanol bark extract (XGEB) by silica gel column chromatography yielded a compound with strong antidiabetic and antioxidant potential. The bioactive compounds likely to be present in the XGEB fraction were identified by FT-IR, 1H & 13C NMR and MS analysis and determined as a limonoid derivative Xyloccensin-I, by comparing spectral data with the literature reports. The isolated compound demonstrated excellent in vitro antidiabetic potential IC50 values of 0.25 and 0.16 mg/ml, respectively for α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition study. The antioxidant potential assayed by DPPH, ABTS, superoxide and hydrogen peroxide scavenging studies exhibited that the isolated compound could scavenge these free radicals with IC50 values of 0.041, 0.039, 0.096 and 0.235 mg/ml, respectively. Further, in silico study was performed to find the antidiabetic activity of Xyloccensin-I by docking it against α-glucosidase enzyme. The study demonstrated that Xyloccensin-I have satisfactory interactions and binding energies when docked into target which further confirms the possible mode of antidiabetic action of the isolated compound. The bioactivity assays further asserts the antidiabetic and antioxidant efficacy of the isolated compound which strongly suggests that Xyloccensin-I holds promise in the pharmaceutical industry. The results from this study provide new mechanistic evidence justifying, at least in part, the traditional use of X. granatum extract for antidiabetic and antioxidants activities.

Effect of Xylocarpus granatum Bark Extract on Amelioration of Hyperglycaemia and Oxidative Stress Associated Complications in STZ-Induced Diabetic Mice.

Xylocarpus granatum is a medicinal mangrove plant, traditionally used for the treatment of diarrhoea, cholera, fever, dyslipidaemia, inflammation, etc. The present study was aimed to evaluate the in vitro antidiabetic (α-glucosidase inhibition assay) and antioxidant (ABTS scavenging and metal chelating assay) activities of ethanol, methanol, and aqueous extracts of leaves and barks of X. granatum followed by in vivo antidiabetic and antioxidant evaluation of ethanol bark extracts in streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic mice. The in vitro evaluation revealed higher α-amylase inhibition and ABTS scavenging activities in ethanol bark extracts of X. granatum (XGEB). Administration of XGEB at 100 and 200 mg/kg BW doses to STZ-induced diabetic mice resulted in significant decrease (P < 0.05) in blood glucose, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transminase (SGPT), and urea levels in the serum of the extract administered groups as compared to diabetic control group. The levels of SOD, CAT, GPx, GR, and GST in liver along with LPx, SOD, GST, and GR activities in brain tissues were found to be ameliorated in XGEB treated diabetic mice. Histopathological alternations of liver tissues were also found to be restored in XGEB treated diabetic groups. The HPLC fingerprint analysis of XGEB revealed the presence of simple polyphenols, isoflavone, and flavonol-like compounds. The DSC and UV-VIS analysis also confirmed the presence of phenolic compounds in XGEB. The GC-MS analysis of XGEB showed the presence of a number of bioactive compounds. These results demonstrated the beneficial effect of XGEB in controlling hyperglycaemia and ameliorating oxidative stress associated complications associated with diabetes.

Phytochemical profiling and bioactivity of a mangrove plant, Sonneratia apetala, from Odisha Coast of India.

OBJECTIVE: To test the antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer and antibacterial activities along with phytochemicals of Sonneratia apetala Buch.-Ham. METHODS: The antibacterial activity was determined by agar well diffusion method. The antioxidant activity was determined by standard assay. The antidiabetic activity was evaluated by α-glucosidase inhibition assay and in vivo anticancer property was determined against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells in Swiss Albino mice. Further partial characterization of the methanol extracts was carried out by thin layer chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and Fourier transform-infra red spectrum spectral analysis. RESULTS: Four solvent extracts (acetone, ethanol, methanol and aqueous) of leaf and bark possess strong antioxidant properties. In vivo anticancer activity of methanol extract leaf indicated positive activity showing 34% inhibition against EAC cells in Swiss Albino mice. All extracts exhibited α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in a dose-dependent manner indicating presence of promising antidiabetic properties. The extracts possess strong antibacterial activity against the selected pathogenic bacteria (minimal inhibitory concentration ranging from 1.25-5.00 mg/mL). The partial characterization of the methanol extracts of leaf and bark revealed the presence of phenolics as the lead compound responsible for studied bioactivities of the plant extracts. CONCLUSION: Sonneratia apetala extracts have potent antibacterial, antioxidant, antidiabetic and anticancer properties which can be further exploited for its pharmaceutical applications.

Dose dependence specific and non-specific immune responses of Indian major carp (L. rohita Ham) to intraperitoneal injection of formalin killed Aeromonas hydrophila whole cell vaccine.

Specific and non-specific immune response to different doses of formalin killed whole cell vaccine of Aeromonas hydrophila to Indian major carp (Labeo rohita) was evaluated in laboratory condition. Three different doses (10(5) CFU/ml, 10(7) CFU/ml, 10(10) CFU/ml) were administered (0.2 ml/fish) intraperitoneally for 1 month. Among the three doses, 10(10) CFU/ml elicited the highest antibody and protective response followed by the doses 10(7) CFU/ml and 10(5) CFU/ml. Upon challenge with the virulent strain of A. hydrophila, the relative percentage of survival was recorded up to 80% at highest dose of 10(10) CFU/ml. The non-specific responses, similar to the specific immune responses were also maximum at highest dose of 10(10) CFU/ml. Similar to the specific immune responses, the non-specific responses were maximum at highest dose of 10(10) CFU/ml. Therefore, dose containing 10(10) CFU/ml of formalin killed cells was found to be the most effective dose for vaccination which increased the immunity in Indian major carp (Labeo rohita) to a larger extent.