Complete chloroplast genome of vulnerable medicinal plant Saraca asoca (Fabaceae).

The complete chloroplast genome sequences of vulnerable medicinal plant Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Willd. (Fabaceae) was sequenced. A total of 5,206,216,851 paired-end filtered reads of 151 bp were obtained. The plastome length (including LSC, SSC, IRa, and IRb) was 137,743 bp (GC content: 35.26%). A total of 126 coding genes which includes 97 CDS, 24 tRNA, and five rRNA genes were annotated. The phylogenetic analysis attempts to establish molecular signature in order to differentiate genuine sample of S. asoca from its adulterants easily.

Evaluation of antidiabetic activity of Pleurotus pulmonarius against streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced diabetic wistar albino rats.

The current research aims to evaluate the antidiabetic properties of Pleurotus pulmonarius, an edible basidiomycetes mushroom fungi in diabetic induced wistar albino rats. Mycelial Hot Water Extracts (HWE) and Acetone Extracts (AE) of Pleurotus pulmonarius was orally administrated to STZ-NA induced (55 mg/kilogram body weight) diabetic wistar albino rats at a concentration of 200 and 400 mg/kg for 4 weeks. The outcomes revealed that the HWE of Pleurotus pulmonarius resulted in a significant (p < 0.001) reduction in blood glucose level. A noteworthy (p < 0.001) reduction in serum lipid profile and elevation in High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) after administration with HWE, also demonstrating the protective effects of HWE in diabetes-related complications. Besides all antidiabetic parameters, pathological morphology of the pancreas, liver and kidney are regularised. This observation indicated that HWE of Pleurotus pulmonarius possessed higher antidiabetic activity than AE. Besides, HWE also promoted a significant control of alpha amylase enzyme in a concentration-dependent manner with a maximum activity of 99.23% inhibition at 1000 µg/ml. The outcomes of the present study indicated that the HWE possesses a potential antidiabetic activity both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, it can be used as a nontoxic complementary drug in the controlling of diabetes and related complications, thus providing scientific authentication of its use as an antidiabetic agent.

A novel triterpenoid 16-hydroxy betulinic acid isolated from Mikania cordata attributes multi-faced pharmacological activities.

The aerial parts of extensively used ethnomedicinal plant Mikania cordata (Burm. f.) Robinson growing wild in Bangladesh were investigated to isolate and characterize compounds responsible for the bioactivities of the plant. In the present study, a new derivatives of betulinic acid, 16-hydroxy betulinic acid [3ß,16-dihydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oic] was isolated and the structure of the compound was determined by NMR spectroscopic means and comparing with available literature data. The isolated compound was then investigated for different pharmacological activities including antibacterial, antifungal, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic potential employing different methods. The compound showed potent antibacterial activity with inhibition zone of diameter ranging from 12.0 to 17.5 mm and antifungal activity with mycelial growth inhibition ranging from 37.6 to 54.5%. The MIC values for antibacterial and antifungal activities ranged from 31.5-125 and 250-1000 µg/mL respectively. The compound (50 and 100 mg/kg body weight) showed potent peripheral and central analgesic activity with 55.19% and 41% of writhing inhibition at 90 min after administration of the compound and the highest 55.98%, 79.18% elongation of reaction time, respectively. In anti-inflammatory activity screening, the compound (100 mg/kg b.w.) revealed the highest 77.08% edema inhibition at 4 h after administration of carrageenan. In antipyretic assay, 16-hydroxy betulinic acid displayed a strong antipyretic effect in yeast-induced rats. From the present study it is apparent that 16-hydroxy betulinic acid might play vital role to establish M. cordata as ethnomedicinal plant to treat wound, cuts and fever.

Sonochemically recovered silver oxide nanoparticles from the wastewater of photo film processing units as an electrode material for supercapacitor and sensing of 2, 4, 6-trichlorophenol in agricultural soil samples.

The present work describes the sensing application and supercapacitive behavior of silver oxide nanoparticles recovered from wastewater of photo film processing units via one-pot green sonochemical recovery process. The recovered silver oxide nanoparticles (Ag2O NPs) were characterized by spectral techniques such as FT-IR, Raman, UV-Vis and analytical tools such as XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, EDX, XPS and BET. In view of Ag2O NPs as electrode material with wide technological applications, the recovered Ag2O NPs were examined for their sensing and supercapacitive behavior. The developed sensor was explored to detect 2, 4, 6-trichlorophenol, and as expected it shows moral parameters which are required of an effective sensor. Therefore, it was exploited for the quantification of 2, 4, 6-trichlorophenol in soil samples from the agricultural area. Cyclic voltammetric (CV), Galvanostatic Charge-Discharge (GCD) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopic (EIS) studies on the recovered Ag2O NPs coated Ni foam electrode depicted the pronounced capacitive behavior. The GCD studies revealed an enhanced electrochemical performance, particularly with the large specific capacitance of 530 F/g at a current density of 1 A/g. The cyclic stability of the electrode material was identified with 88% retention in specific capacitance even after 5000 GCD cycles. These results strongly proved that the recovered Ag2O NPs are potential candidates for sensing and supercapacitor applications.

Sonochemical synthesis of bismuth(III) oxide decorated reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for detection of hormone (epinephrine) in human and rat serum.

Herein, we report an efficient electrochemical sensor strategy for determination of epinephrine based on Bi2O3 nanoparticle decorated reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite (Bi2O3@RGO). The Bi2O3@RGO was prepared by simple ultrasonic method and then it's morphological and crystal structure aspects were well characterized by physiological instruments. The electrode-electrolyte interfacial properties were examined to ensure the catalytic ability of composite sensing towards EP. The composite was deposited on the multi-conventional screen-printed electrode and was found to be desirable performance toward EP oxidation. The amperometric EP sensing exhibited good reproducible and sensitive which able to detect as low as concentration of 2.14 nM. Furthermore, good reproducibility, long-term stability and repeatability were obtained from the electrode in experiment. Moreover, the EP sensing method was successfully applied in human and rat blood serum, the recoveries were validated by HPLC method. It indicates the reliability of the method in practical analysis.

Determination of the antioxidant propyl gallate in meat by using a screen-printed electrode modified with CoSe2 nanoparticles and reduced graphene oxide.

A voltammetric sensor is described for the quantitation of propyl gallate (PG). A screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) was modified with reduced graphene sheets that were decorated with cobalt diselenide nanoparticles (CoSe2@rGO). The material was hydrothermally prepared and characterized by several spectroscopic techniques. The modified SPCE displays excellent electrocatalytic ability towards PG. Differential pulse voltammetry, with a peak voltage at 0.34 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) has a sensitivity of 12.84 µA·µM-1·cm-2 and a detection limit as low as 16 nM. The method is reproducible, selective, and practical. This method was applied to the determination of PG in spiked meat samples, and the result showed an adequate recovery. Graphical abstract Schematic of a new method for fast and sensitive electrochemical determination of the food additive propyl gallate in meat.