The rise in antibiotic resistance (AR) poses an imminent threat to human health. Nanotechnology, together with mechanisms such as quorum sensing (QS), which relies on communication between bacterial cells, may decrease the selective pressure for AR. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized at room temperature (Rt) and 80 °C using Embelia ruminata leaf, stem-bark, and fruit extracts as antibacterial and anti-QS agents. The phytosynthesized AgNPs solutions were subjected to various characterization assays and assessed for their antibacterial activities. Quantitative QS assays were performed using Chromobacterium subtsugae CV017 and Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472. Synthesized AgNPs were spherical-to-near-spherical in shape, poly-dispersed, and crystalline, with a size range of 21.06-32.15 nm. Fruit AgNPs showed stronger antibacterial activity than AgNPs from other plant organs against selected bacterial strains. In the QS assays, fruit 80 °C AgNPs demonstrated the most significant violacein inhibition in an assay performed using the short-chain acyl homoserine lactone CV017 biosensor, while the leaf and fruit Rt AgNPs demonstrated the most violacein inhibition in an assay performed using the long-chain acyl homoserine lactone ATCC 12472 biosensor. The investigations carried out in this study lay the groundwork for future innovative research into antibacterial and anti-QS strategies using E. ruminata.
Barleria albostellata (Acanthaceae) is a shrub located in South Africa and is relatively understudied. However, plants within this genus are well known for their medicinal and ethnopharmacological properties. This study aimed to characterise the phytochemical compounds and antibacterial efficacies of B. albostellata. Phytochemical analysis, fluorescence microscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis were performed to determine the composition of compounds that may be of medicinal importance. Crude leaf and stem extracts (hexane, chloroform and methanol) were subjected to an antibacterial analysis against several pathogenic microorganisms. The qualitative phytochemical screening of leaf and stem extracts revealed the presence various compounds. Fluorescence microscopy qualitatively assessed the leaf and stem powdered material, which displayed various colours under bright and UV light. GC-MS chromatograms represents 10-108 peaks of various compounds detected in the leaf and stem crude extracts. Major pharmacologically active compounds found in the extracts were alpha-amyrin, flavone, phenol, phytol, phytol acetate, squalene and stigmasterol. Crude extracts positively inhibited Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Significance was established at p < 0.05 for all concentrations and treatments. These results indicate that the leaves and stems of B. albostellata are rich in bioactive compounds, which could be a potential source of antibacterial agents for treating various diseases linked to the pathogenic bacteria studied. Future discoveries from this plant could advance the use of indigenous traditional medicine and provide novel drug leads.
Cyphostemma hypoleucum (Harv.) Desc. ex Wild & R.B. Drumm is a perennial climber, indigenous to Southern Africa, and belongs to the Vitaceae. Although there have been many studies of Vitaceae micromorphology, only a few taxa have been described in detail. This study aimed to characterize the micro-morphology of the leaf indumentum and determining its possible functions. Stereo microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to produce images. Micrographs of stereomicroscopy and SEM showed the presence of non-glandular trichomes. In addition, pearl glands were observed on the abaxial surface using a stereo microscope and SEM. These were characterized by a short stalk and a spherical- shaped head. The density of trichomes decreased on both surfaces of leaves as the leaf expanded. Idioblasts that contained raphide crystals were also detected in tissues. The results obtained from various microscopy techniques confirmed that non-glandular trichomes serve as the main external appendages of the leaves. Additionally, their functions may include serving as a mechanical barrier against environmental factors such as low humidity, intense light, elevated temperatures, as well as herbivory and insect oviposition. Our results may also be added to the existing body of knowledge with regard to microscopic research and taxonomic applications.
Grewia lasiocarpa E. Mey. Ex Harv., Malvaceae (forest raisin) is a tropical small tree or shrub valued for its ecological importance as well as its nutritional, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-cancer properties as well as its ecological and ornamental importance. Glandular and non-glandular trichomes are present on the fruits, stem bark and leaves of G. lasiocarpa and these trichomes are the first line of defense. They are important structures that plants use to combat biotic and abiotic stress. The development of G. lasiocarpa trichomes and the biomechanics of the exudates present in the glandular (capitate) trichome were investigated for the first time using advanced microscopy techniques [Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM)]. The pressurized cuticular striations may play a role in the exudates' biomechanics, i.e., releasing secondary metabolites present in the capitate trichome, which was observed to be multidirectional. The presence of many glandular trichomes on a plant implies an increase in the amount of phytometabolites. A common precursor for the development of trichomes (non-glandular and glandular) was observed to be DNA synthesis associated with a periclinal cell division, thus the final fate of the cell is determined by cell cycle regulation, polarity, and expansion. The glandular trichomes of G. lasiocarpa are multicellular and polyglandular, while the non-glandular (glandless) trichomes are either single-celled or multicellular. Since, trichomes 'house' phytocompounds of medicinal, nutritional, and agronomical benefits; the molecular and genetic study of the glandular trichomes of Grewia lasiocarpa will be beneficial to humanity.
Medicinal plants offer reasonable and accessible alternatives to synthetic drugs and are often devoid of the adverse side effects, toxicity, and pathogenic resistance associated with synthetic medicine. Combretum molle has been utilized in African traditional medicinal practices and purportedly contains bioactive compounds with medicinally beneficial effects. This study investigated the hexane, chloroform, and methanol leaf and stem extracts for their antioxidant properties using the 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assays. The study additionally analyzed the methanol extracts for their antibacterial activity against Gram-negative Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) bacteria using agar well diffusion. Relative to the scavenging activity of the ascorbic acid control (79.15 ± 0.63% at 15 µg/mL to 94.61 ± 0.12% at 240 µg/mL), the plant's radical scavenging activities were exceptionally high in the methanolic leaf and stem extracts (p < 0.05), ranging from 94.58 ± 1.10% at 15 µg/mL to 99.22 ± 0.30% at 240 µg/mL and 91.57 ± 1.71% at 15 µg/mL to 99.60 ± 0.20% at 240 µg/mL, respectively, suggesting a strong capacity to donate hydrogen ions. High scavenging activities were additionally observed in the chloroform stem (78.68 ± 1.18% at 15 µg/mL to 98.14 ± 1.22% at 240 µg/mL) and hexane leaf (72.12 ± 4.38% at 15 µg/mL to 89.87 ± 1.50% at 240 µg/mL) extracts (p < 0.05). All extracts exhibited poor ferric-reducing abilities in relation to the gallic acid control (100 ± 0.00%) at all concentrations (p < 0.05). The leaf and stem extracts exhibited broad-spectrum antibiotic capabilities against both tested strains, with significant activity at higher concentrations (p < 0.05). Overall, both the leaf and stem extracts of C. molle exhibited similar antioxidant and antibacterial activities. These findings warrant further pharmacological research on C. molle for potential drug development.
BACKGROUND: Medicinal plants are known to contain numerous phytometabolites with suggested pharmacological value. Literature suggests that the medicinal use of phytometabolites in its natural state has limited success due to poor absorption rates. Currently, the focus lies on synthesizing phytometabolites extracted from medicinal plants and silver ions to generate nano-scale carriers with specialized properties. Thus, the nano-synthesis of phytometabolites with silver (Ag+) ions is proposed. The use of silver is promoted due to its known antibacterial and antioxidant effectiveness, among many. Nanotechnology allows for the green generation of nano-scaled particles that are able to penetrate target areas due to its size and unique structure. Therefore, this study aimed to generate a novel protocol for the synthesis of AgNP's using the leaf and stembark extracts of C. erythrophyllum. In addition, the biological activity of the generated nanoparticles was evaluated. OBJECTIVES: To synthesis silver nanoparticles (AgNP's) using the leaf and stembark extracts of Combretum erythrophyllum. The relative shape, size, distribution, and zeta potential of the synthesised particles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and UV Spectrophotometry (UV -vis). To screen the synthesised particles for its potential antibacterial, apoptotic and cytotoxic properties. METHODS: A novel protocol for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNP's) using the leaf and stembark extracts of Combretum erythrophyllum was established. The generated AgNP's were characterised using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and UV Spectrophotometry (UV -vis). Furthermore, the AgNP's were evaluated for their antibacterial, cytotoxic and apoptotic activity against a range of bacterial strains and cancer cells. Characterisation was based upon particle size, shape and elemental silver composition. RESULTS: Within the stembark extract, synthesised nanoparticles were large, spherical in shape and dense in elemental silver composition. While synthesised nanoparticles of the leaf extract were small to medium in size, varied in shape established and contained minimal quantities of silver (substantiated by the TEM and NTA results). Furthermore, it was established that the synthesized nanoparticles exhibited high antibacterial properties due to the conducted antibacterial assay. The FTIR analysis revealed the presence of numerous functional groups within active compounds found in the synthesised extracts. Functional groups found varied between the leaf and stembark extracts, each with proposed pharmacological activity. CONCLUSION: Presently, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are continuously evolving thus, posing as a threat to conventional drug delivery systems. Nanotechnology provides a platform that enables the formulation of a low-toxicity and hypersensitive drug delivery system. Further studies evaluating the biological activity of extracts of C. erythrophyllum synthesized with silver nanoparticles could enhance its proposed pharmaceutical value.
Antineoplastic Agents , Combretum , Metal Nanoparticles , Plants, Medicinal , Humans , Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry , Silver/pharmacology , Silver/chemistry , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , X-Ray Diffraction
The demand for medicinal plants is on a rise due to their affordability, accessibility and relatively non-toxic nature. Combretum molle (Combretaceae) is used in African traditional medicine to treat a number of diseases. This study aimed to screen the phytochemical composition of the hexane, chloroform and methanol extracts of C. molle leaves and stems using qualitative phytochemical screening. Additionally, the study aimed to identify the functional phytochemical groups, determine the elemental composition and provide a fluorescence characterization of the powdered leaves and stems by performing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalyses and fluorescence microscopy. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, polyphenols, terpenoids, tannins, coumarins, saponins, phytosterols, gums, mucilage, carbohydrates, amino acids and proteins within all leaf and stem extracts. Lipids and fixed oils were additionally present within the methanol extracts. FTIR demonstrated significant peaks in absorption frequency in the leaf at wavelengths of 3283.18, 2917.81, 1617.72, 1318.83, 1233.97, 1032.32 and 521.38 cm-1, and in the stem at 3318.91, 1619.25, 1317.13, 1032.68, 780.86 and 516.39 cm-1. These corresponded to the functional groups of chemical compounds including alcohols, phenols, primary amines, alkyl halides, alkanes and alkyl aryl ethers, corroborating the presence of the detected phytochemicals within the plant. EDX microanalyses showed the elemental composition of the powdered leaves (68.44% C, 26.72% O, 1.87% Ca, 0.96% Cl, 0.93% Mg, 0.71% K, 0.13% Na, 0.12 % Mn and 0.10% Rb) and stems (54.92% C, 42.86% O, 1.7% Ca, 0.43% Mg and 0.09% Mn). Fluorescence microscopy provided a characteristic evaluation of the plant in its powdered form and revealed distinct colour changes in the material when treated with various reagents and viewed under ultraviolet light. In conclusion, the phytochemical constituents of the leaves and stems of C. molle confirm the suitability of this species for use in traditional medicine. The findings from this study suggest the need to validate the use of C. molle in the development of modern medicines.
Diospyros villosa is traditionally used for an anti-bacterial property. Its cytotoxic effects have not been studied before. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the nutritional properties as well the cytotoxic effects of D. villosa. The leaves and stem barks were subjected to three different extraction methods (methanol, chloroform and hexane) and their nanoparticles were synthesized at two different temperatures (room temperature and at 80 °C). Thereafter, extracts were assessed using the associated AOCC protocols, for their nutritional content (moisture, fibre, proteins, lipid, ash and hydrolysable carbohydrates). Diospyros villosa extracts and their corresponding nanoparticles were then incubated overnight with cancerous and noncancerous cell lines to evaluate their cytotoxic potential. The nutritional analysis revealed that both young and mature leaves were rich sources of protein having values of 14.95% and 11.37% respectively. The moisture content was observed to be higher in all the leaf types (8.54 ± 0.75%, 9.67 ± 0.98% and 7.40 ± 0.80%) compared to the stem (2.13 ± 0.07%) respectively. The MTT cytotoxicity assay showed that the cell viability of MCF-7 cell lines was significantly lower when exposed to hexane and chloroform leaves extracts of D. villosa (IC50 of 26.64 and 26.07 µg mL-1) respectively, compared to camptothecin (36.54 µg mL-1). Similarly, the MCF-7 cell viability was observed to be significantly lower when exposed to hexane and chloroform stem extracts of D. villosa (IC50 of 24.57 and 3.92 µg mL-1), compared to camptothecin (36.54 µg mL-1). The cell viability of A549 cell lines was also found lower when exposed to the hexane and chloroform extracts (IC50 of 7.76 and 4.59 µg mL-1) compared to camptothecin (IC50 of 19.26 µg mL-1). Furthermore, the viability of A549 cell lines was found lower when exposed to hexane and chloroform stem extracts of D. villosa (IC50 of 10.67 and 5.35 µg mL-1) compared to camptothecin (19.26 µg mL-1). The biosynthesized nanoparticles further displayed an anticancer activity with an IC50 value of 4.08 µg mL-1 when compared to the control (36.54 µg mL-1). However, the HEK293 cell viability was observed to be significantly higher on exposure to hexane stem extracts of D. villosa (IC50 of 158.5 µg mL-1) compared to camptothecin (IC50 of 14.77 µg mL-1). Therefore, Diospyros villosa leaves, stem bark and nanoparticles synthesized showed high potential for being considered as a candidate for an anti-cancer regimen.
Croton gratissimus (Lavender croton) possesses three distinct secretory structures. These include lepidote and glandular trichomes and non-articulated unbranched laticifers. The lepidote trichomes form a dense indumentum on the abaxial surface of the leaves and canopy the glandular trichomes. Although assumed to be non-glandular, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicated high metabolic activity within the stalk and radial cells. Glandular trichomes are embedded in the epidermal layer and consist of a single cell which forms a prominent stalk and dilated head. Laticifers occur on the mid-vein of leaves and are predominantly associated with vascular tissue. In the stems, laticifers are associated with the phloem and pith. Both trichome types and laticifers stained positive for alkaloids, phenolic compounds, and lipids. Positive staining for these compounds in lepidote trichomes suggests their involvement in the production and accumulation of secondary metabolites. These metabolites could provide chemical defense for the plant and potentially be useful for traditional medicine.
Diospyros villosa is a perennial species prominently acknowledged for its local medicinal applications. The native utilisation of this species in traditional medicine may be ascribed to the presence of secretory structures and their exudate (comprised of phytochemicals). However, the morphological nature and optical features of the secretory structures in D. villosa remain largely unclear. This study was directed to ascertain the occurrence and adaptive features of structures found within the leaves and stem bark of D. villosa using light and electron microscopy techniques. The current study notes the existence of trichomes, and other secretory structures were noted. SEM indicated the presence of non-glandular hirsute trichomes with bulky stalk on both leaves and stem surfaces. Transverse stem sections revealed the existence of crystal idioblasts. Moreover, the presence of the main phytochemical groups and their localisation within the foliage and stem bark was elucidated through various histochemical tests. The trichomal length and density were also assessed in leaves at different stages of development. The results indicated that the trichomal density at different stages of development of the D. villosa leaves and stem bark was not significantly different from one another, F(3,39) = 1.183, p = 0.3297. The average length of the non-glandular trichomes in the emergent, young and mature leaves, as well as in the stem, was recorded to be 230 ± 30.6 µm, 246 ± 40.32 µm, 193 ± 27.55 µm and 164 ± 18.62 µm, respectively. The perimeter and circumference of the observed trichomes in the developmental stages of D. villosa leaf and the stem bark were not statistically different, F(3,39) = 1.092, p = 0.3615. The results of histochemical tests showed the existence of phenols alkaloids, which are medicinally important and beneficial for treatment of diseases. The findings of this study, being reported for the first time may be considered in establishing microscopic and pharmacognostic measure for future identification and verification of natural herbal plant. Trichomal micromorphology and histological evaluations could be utilised as a tool for appropriate description for the assessment of this species.
The biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from Diospyros villosa leaves and stem bark extracts is described. The stem bark AgNPs of D. villosa synthesized at 80 °C (S80) showed good scavenging activity with a lower IC50 value of 8.75 µg·mL-1 compared to ascorbic acid (9.58 µg·mL-1). The total phenol content of the S80 AgNPs was measured and found to be 10.22 ± 0.14 mg.g-1 gallic acid equivalence (GAE). Bacterial growth inhibition (% GI) and violacein inhibition (% VI) of 10.08% and 58.83%, respectively, was observed against C.subtsugae CV017 with leaf AgNPs synthesized at 80 °C (L80) at 80 µg·mL-1. Stem bark AgNPs synthesized at room temperature (SRT) also indicated % GI of 13.83% and % VI of 65.97% against C. subtsugae CV017 at 160 µg·mL-1. Leaf AgNPs of D. villosa synthesized at room temperature (LRT), showed % GI of 29.07% and % VI of 56.53%, respectively, against C. violaceum ATCC 12472 at 320 µg·mL-1. The L80 and SRT at 160 µg·mL-1 and LRT at 320 µg·mL-1 may be considered as potential QS inhibitors following their activity against C. subtsugae CV017 and C. violaceum ATCC 12472, respectively. Therefore, D. villosa represents a potential source of antioxidants as well as an anti-quorum sensing therapeutic candidate for the control of Gram-negative bacterial infections.
Heteropyxis natalensis Harv. is a native South African tree used in traditional medicine among Venda and Zulu communities. In this study, micromorphological investigations using light and scanning electron microscopy identified long, tapered non-glandular trichomes on the abaxial and adaxial surfaces of the leaves. The total number of trichomes appeared to be greater on emergent leaves and decreased as leaves matured. In addition, schizolysigenous secretory cavities and druse crystals were found within the leaves. Swollen subdermal secretory cavities were also distributed in the midrib of the leaves. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the presence of nuclei, plastids, mitochondria, vesicles, rough endoplasmic reticulum cisternae and Golgi bodies in the secretory epithelia of these cavities. Various histochemical tests revealed the presence of alkaloids, phenolics, lipids, proteins, essential oils, resin acids and trace amounts of unesterified pectins and polysaccharides in the leaves. This study provides new findings and contributes to the existing research regarding H. natalensis with respect to the micromorphology, ultrastructure and histochemical composition of this species.
Lavandula , Oils, Volatile , Microscopy, Electron, Scanning , Plant Leaves , Trees , Trichomes
Leucas lavandulaefolia Sm. (Lamiaceae) is an important medicinal plant with a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities. This study aimed at characterizing the morphology, distribution, and chemical composition of the secretions of trichomes at different developmental stages on the leaves of L. lavandulaefolia, using light and electron microscopy. Morphological observations revealed the presence of bicellular non-glandular, glandular peltate, and capitate trichomes on both adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces. The density of both non-glandular and glandular trichomes decreased with the progression of leaf development. Heads of peltate and short-stalked capitate trichomes were between 20.78-42.80 µm and 14.98-18.93 µm at different developmental stages. Furthermore, long-stalked capitate trichomes were rare and infrequent. Leaf sections revealed the presence of important secondary metabolites in glandular trichomes, i.e., terpenoids. This study represents the first report on the morphology and histochemistry of trichomes of L. lavandulaefolia; therefore, there is a great scope for further research in this field.
The chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oil extracted from the fresh leaves and stem bark of Grewia lasiocarpa was determined for the first time in this study. The essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation and identified by GC-MS and FTIR. The antibacterial, antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of essential oils were determined. The major compounds identified were phytol (22.6%); α-farnesene (8.62%); n-hexadecanoic acid (7.24%); farnesol (4.61%) in the leaves, and 2-methylheptadecane (7.24%); heptacosane (7.60%); heptadecane, 2,6,10,14-tetramethyl (7.30%). The presence of aromatic, alkanes and phenolic compounds were revealed by FTIR analysis. The in silico oral prediction shows that some of the components are orally safe. The essential oil from the leaves showed cytotoxic activity at 1mg/mL(IC50 =555.70 µg/mL) against HeLa cells. The oils exhibited no significant antioxidant activity (IC50 >1 000 µg/mL) with <100 mg/g GAE of total phenol. The essential oils showed different degrees of activities against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 314588) at 10 µg/mL, 5 µg/mL and 2.5 µg/mL. These results might provide a future reference basis for further exploration of more of its medicinal application.
Grewia , Oils, Volatile , Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Antioxidants , HeLa Cells , Humans , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Plant Oils
Commelina benghalensis L. is used as a traditional medicine in treating numerous ailments and diseases such as infertility in women, conjunctivitis, gonorrhea, and jaundice. This study used light and electron microscopy coupled with histochemistry to investigate the micromorphology, ultrastructure and histochemical properties of C. benghalensis leaves and stems. Stereo and scanning electron microscopy revealed dense non-glandular trichomes on the leaves and stems and trichome density was greater in emergent leaves than in the young and mature. Three morphologically different non-glandular trichomes were observed including simple multicellular, simple bicellular and simple multicellular hooked. The simple bicellular trichomes were less common than the multicellular and hooked. Transmission electron micrographs showed mitochondria, vesicles and vacuoles in the trichome. The leaf section contained chloroplasts with plastoglobuli and starch grains. Histochemical analysis revealed various pharmacologically important compounds such as phenols, alkaloids, proteins and polysaccharides. The micromorphological and ultrastructural investigations suggest that Commelina benghalensis L. is an economically important medicinal plant due to bioactive compounds present in the leaves and stems.
Several species belonging to the genus Tabernaemontana have been well researched and utilized for their wide-ranging biological activities. A few of the most prominent species include Tabernaemontana divaricata, Tabernaemontana catharinensis, Tabernaemontana crassa, and Tabernaemontana elegans. These species and many others within the genus often display pharmacological importance, which is habitually related to their chemical constituents. The secondary metabolites within the genus have demonstrated huge medicinal potential for the treatment of infections, pain, injuries, and various diseases. Regardless of the indispensable reports and properties displayed by Tabernaemontana spp., there remains a wide variety of plants that are yet to be considered or examined. Thus, an additional inclusive study on species within this genus is essential. The current review aimed to extensively analyze, collate, and describe an updated report of the current literature related to the major alkaloidal components and biological activities of species within the genus Tabernaemontana.
Plant species belonging to the family Acanthaceae are globally known to possess various medicinal properties and have cultural and economic importance in both traditional medicine and horticulture. They are important to both animals and humans and are used as food or for ornamental purposes worldwide. Barleria is the third largest genus in the family Acanthaceae. A few of the highly important and reported species of Barleria include B. prionitis, B. cristata, B. grandiflora, and B. lupulina. The flowers, leaves, stems, roots, and seed extracts of plants belonging to this genus are rich in bioactive compounds and have exhibited significant medicinal potential for the treatment of various ailments and infections. Evidence derived from several studies has demonstrated the antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, antiulcer, hepatoprotective, analgesic, antiamoebic, antihelminthic, antiarthritic, antihypertensive, antiviral properties and toxicity of extracts, in addition inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity and biosynthesis of nanoparticles, of the plant and seed extracts of species belonging to Barleria. Studies have reported that bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, quinones, iridoids, phenylethanoid glycosides, the immunostimulant protein "Sankaranin", and antibiotics isolated from Barleria species are resposnsible for the above biological activities. Traditionally, the genus Barleria has significant medicinal potential; however, there is a scarcity of information on various species that are yet to be evaluated. This review provides a comprehensive report on existing literature, concerning the phytochemistry and biological activities of the genus Barleria.
Due to the inconsistencies in the interpretation of laticifers within the Apocynaceae, the current study aimed to distinguish, for the first time, the type and distribution of the laticifers in the embryos, seedlings and adult plants of Tabernaemontana ventricosa (Forest Toad tree). The characterization and distribution of laticifers were determined using light and electron microscopy. The findings revealed the presence of articulated anastomosing laticifers. The laticifers were found to have originated from ground meristematic and procambium cells and were randomly distributed in all ground and vascular tissue, displaying complex branching conformations. The presence of chemical constituents within the laticifers and latex determined by histochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, phenolics, neutral lipids, terpenoids, mucilage, pectin, resin acids, carboxylated polysaccharides, lipophilic, and hydrophilic substances and proteins. These secondary metabolites perform an indispensable role in preventing herbivory, hindering and deterring micro-organisms and may possibly have medicinal importance. The outcomes of the present study outlined the first micromorphology, anatomy, ultrastructural and chemical analysis of the laticifers of T. ventricosa. In addition, this investigation similarly established the probable functions of latex and laticifers.
Hesperidin is a flavonoid glycoside with proven therapeutic activities for various diseases, including cancer. However, its poor solubility and bioavailability render it only slightly absorbed, requiring a delivery system to reach its therapeutic target. Hesperidin loaded on gold nanoparticles (Hsp-AuNPs) was prepared by a chemical synthesis method. Various characterization techniques such as UV-VIS spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, FESEM, TEM and EDX, Zeta potential analysis, particle size analysis, were used to confirm the synthesis of Hsp-AuNPs. The cytotoxic effect of Hsp-AuNPs on human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231) was assessed using MTT and crystal violet assays. The results revealed significant decrease in proliferation and inhibition of growth of the treated cells when compared with human normal breast epithelial cell line (HBL-100). Determination of apoptosis by fluorescence microscope was also performed using acridine orange-propidium iodide dual staining assay. The in vivo study was designed to evaluate the toxicity of Hsp-AuNPs in mice. The levels of hepatic and kidney functionality markers were assessed. No significant statistical differences were found for the tested indicators. Histological images of liver, spleen, lung and kidney showed no apparent damages and histopathological abnormalities after treatment with Hsp-AuNPs. Hsp-AuNPs ameliorated the functional activity of macrophages against Ehrlich ascites tumor cells-bearing mice. The production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines was also assessed in bone marrow-derived macrophage cells treated with Hsp-AuNPs. The results obviously demonstrated that Hsp-AuNPs treatment significantly inhibited the secretion of IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF.
Drug Carriers/chemistry , Gold/chemistry , Hesperidin/chemistry , Hesperidin/pharmacology , Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry , Phagocytosis/drug effects , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Drug Liberation , Humans , Male , Materials Testing , Mice , Oxidative Stress/drug effects
Thidiazuron (TDZ) is a proven effective and potent synthetic plant growth regulator for organogenic, regeneration, and developmental pathways, including axillary and adventitious shoot proliferation, somatic embryogenesis, and in vitro flowering. TDZ has facilitated the establishment of in vitro cultures for several plant species, especially woody and recalcitrant plants, which has enabled their genetic transformation and improvement. Despite the effectiveness and advantages of using TDZ, several drawbacks are associated with its application in plant tissue culture. This review addresses the morphological, physiological, and cytogenetic abnormalities associated with the use of TDZ in vitro, and provides a summary of these abnormalities in several plant species.
Phenylurea Compounds/pharmacology , Plant Growth Regulators/pharmacology , Plants/drug effects , Thiadiazoles/pharmacology , Plant Development/drug effects , Tissue Culture Techniques
