Dietary phenolic compounds as promising therapeutic agents for diabetes and its complications: A comprehensive review.

In the middle of an ever-changing landscape of diabetes care, precision medicine, and lifestyle therapies are becoming increasingly important. Dietary polyphenols are like hidden allies found in our everyday meals. These biomolecules, found commonly in fruits, vegetables, and various plant-based sources, hold revolutionary potential within their molecular structure in the way we approach diabetes and its intimidating consequences. There are currently numerous types of diabetes medications, but they are not appropriate for all patients due to limitations in dosages, side effects, drug resistance, a lack of efficacy, and ethnicity. Currently, there has been increased interest in practicing herbal remedies to manage diabetes and its related complications. This article aims to summarize the potential of dietary polyphenols as a foundation in the treatment of diabetes and its associated consequences. We found that most polyphenols inhibit enzymes linked to diabetes. This review outlines the potential benefits of selected molecules, including kaempferol, catechins, rosmarinic acid, apigenin, chlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid, in managing diabetes mellitus as these compounds have exhibited promising results in in vitro, in vivo, in silico, and some preclinical trials study. This encompassing exploration reveals the multifaceted impact of polyphenols not only in mitigating diabetes but also in addressing associated conditions like inflammation, obesity, and even cancer. Their mechanisms involve antioxidant functions, immune modulation, and proinflammatory enzyme regulation. Furthermore, these molecules exhibit anti-tumor activities, influence cellular pathways, and activate AMPK pathways, offering a less toxic, cost-effective, and sustainable approach to addressing diabetes and its complications.

Metabolic Comparison and Molecular Networking of Antimicrobials in Streptomyces Species.

Streptomyces are well-known for producing bioactive secondary metabolites, with numerous antimicrobials essential to fight against infectious diseases. Globally, multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms significantly challenge human and veterinary diseases. To tackle this issue, there is an urgent need for alternative antimicrobials. In the search for potent agents, we have isolated four Streptomyces species PC1, BT1, BT2, and BT3 from soils collected from various geographical regions of the Himalayan country Nepal, which were then identified based on morphology and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The relationship of soil microbes with different Streptomyces species has been shown in phylogenetic trees. Antimicrobial potency of isolates was carried out against Staphylococcus aureus American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 43300, Shigella sonnei ATCC 25931, Salmonella typhi ATCC 14028, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 700603, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. Among them, Streptomyces species PC1 showed the highest zone of inhibition against tested pathogens. Furthermore, ethyl acetate extracts of shake flask fermentation of these Streptomyces strains were subjected to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) analysis for their metabolic comparison and Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) web-based molecular networking. We found very similar metabolite composition in four strains, despite their geographical variation. In addition, we have identified thirty-seven metabolites using LC-MS/MS analysis, with the majority belonging to the diketopiperazine class. Among these, to the best of our knowledge, four metabolites, namely cyclo-(Ile-Ser), 2-n-hexyl-5-n-propylresorcinol, 3-[(6-methylpyrazin-2-yl) methyl]-1H-indole, and cyclo-(d-Leu-l-Trp), were detected for the first time in Streptomyces species. Besides these, other 23 metabolites including surfactin B, surfactin C, surfactin D, and valinomycin were identified with the help of GNPS-based molecular networking.

Effect of Integrated Yoga as an add-on therapy in adults with clinical depression - A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a leading cause of disability and the conventional management has several limitations. Recent studies demonstrated the benefits of yoga in psychological disorders. AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy of the Integrated Yoga Module (IYM) to standard care with added yogic education on lifestyle modification (YELM) in patients with clinical depression. METHODS: A PROBE trial was conducted at a single tertiary care hospital in India. Adults aged 18 to 64 with clinical depression were randomized to either an IYM or an active control group using a computer-generated mixed block randomization sequence. Both groups received YELM in addition to standard care and the intervention group practiced IYM, for 8 weeks. The primary outcome was the reduction in depression symptoms assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and secondary outcomes involved self-compassion, brief resilience, positive and negative experiences, and quality of life, evaluated at 8 weeks. RESULTS: The mean ± SD age of participants was 32.2 ± 10.0 and 54.3% were females. The IYM group showed statistically significant improvements in BDI-II scores ß = -6.7 (95% CI [-10.8, -2.5]; p = .001), resilience ß = 0.4 (95% CI [0.02, 0.80]; p = .037), physical health domain of WHOQOL - BREF ß = 10.1 (95% CI [0.7, 19.5]; p = .035) and negative emotions (SPANE-N) ß = 2.8 (95% CI [0.1, 5.4]; p = .037). However, no significant differences were found in SCS-SF ß = -0.3 (95% CI [-0.7, 0.0]; p = .053). CONCLUSIONS: IYM as an adjunct is superior to conventional medical management in reducing symptoms and improving positive psychological resources in clinical depression.

In Silico and In Vitro Analyses to Repurpose Quercetin as a Human Pancreatic α-Amylase Inhibitor.

Human pancreatic α-amylase (HPA), situated at the apex of the starch digestion hierarchy, is an attractive therapeutic approach to precisely regulate blood glucose levels, thereby efficiently managing diabetes. Polyphenols offer a natural and multifaceted approach to moderate postprandial sugar spikes, with their slight modulation in carbohydrate digestion and potential secondary benefits, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Taking into consideration the unfavorable side effects of currently available commercial medications, we aimed to study a library of polyphenols attributed to their remarkable antidiabetic properties and screened the most potent HPA inhibitor via a comprehensive in silico study encompassing molecular docking, molecular mechanics with generalized Born and surface area solvation (MM/GBSA) calculation, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, density functional theory (DFT) study, and pharmacokinetic properties followed by an in vitro assay. Significant hydrogen bonding with the catalytic triad residues of HPA, prominent MM/GBSA binding energy of -27.03 kcal/mol, and the stable nature of the protein-ligand complex with regard to 100 ns MD simulation screened quercetin as the best HPA inhibitor. Additionally, quercetin showed strong reactivity in the substrate-binding pocket of HPA and exhibited favorable pharmacokinetic properties with a considerable inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 57.37 ± 0.9 µg/mL against α-amylase. This study holds prospects for HPA inhibition and suggests quercetin as an approach to therapy for diabetes; however, it is imperative to conduct further research.

Effectiveness of Yoga Intervention in Reducing Felt Stigma in Adults With Epilepsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Persons with epilepsy are afflicted with comorbidities such as stigma, anxiety, and depression which have a significant impact on their quality of life. These comorbidities remain largely unaddressed in resource-limited countries. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to investigate whether yoga and psychoeducation were effective in reducing felt stigma (primary outcome), neuropsychiatric outcomes, and seizure frequency, as compared with sham yoga and psychoeducation in persons with epilepsy. METHODS: This was an assessor-blinded, sham yoga-controlled RCT. Patients clinically diagnosed with epilepsy, aged 18-60 years, and scoring higher than the cutoff score for felt stigma as measured by the Kilifi Stigma Scale (KSS) in our population were randomly assigned to receive either yoga therapy plus psychoeducation (intervention) or sham yoga therapy plus psychoeducation (comparator) for a duration of 3 months. The primary outcome was a significant decrease in felt stigma as compared with the comparator arm as measured by the KSS. Primary and secondary outcomes (seizure frequency, quality of life, anxiety, depression, mindfulness, trait rumination, cognitive impairment, emotion regulation) were assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Parametric/nonparametric analysis of covariance and the χ2 test were used to compare the 2 arms. RESULTS: A total of 160 patients were enrolled in the trial. At the end of the follow-up period (6 months), the intervention arm reported significant reduction in felt stigma as compared with the control arm (Cohen's d = 0.23, 95% CI -0.08 to 0.55, p = 0.006). Significantly higher odds of >50% seizure reduction (odds ratio [OR] 4.11, 95% CI 1.34-14.69, p = 0.01) and complete seizure remission (OR 7.4, 95% CI 1.75-55.89, p = 0.005) were also observed in the intervention group. The intervention group showed significant improvement in symptoms of anxiety, cognitive impairment, mindfulness, and quality of life relative to the control group at the end of follow-up period (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: Yoga can alleviate the burden of epilepsy and improve the overall quality of life in epilepsy by reducing perceived stigma. TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2017/04/008385). CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class I evidence that yoga reduces felt stigma in adult patients with epilepsy.

Metabolomics and molecular networking approach for exploring the anti-diabetic activity of medicinal plants.

Metabolomics and molecular networking approaches have expanded rapidly in the field of biological sciences and involve the systematic identification, visualization, and high-throughput characterization of bioactive metabolites in natural products using sophisticated mass spectrometry-based techniques. The popularity of natural products in pharmaceutical therapies has been influenced by medicinal plants with a long history of ethnobotany and a vast collection of bioactive compounds. Here, we selected four medicinal plants Cleistocalyx operculatus, Terminalia chebula, Ficus lacor, and Ficus semicordata, the biochemical characteristics of which remain unclear owing to the inherent complexity of their plant metabolites. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential of these aforementioned plant extracts in inhibiting the enzymatic activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively, followed by the annotation of secondary metabolites. The methanol extract of Ficus semicordata exhibited the highest α-amylase inhibition with an IC50 of 46.8 ± 1.8 µg mL-1, whereas the water fraction of Terminalia chebula fruits demonstrated the most significant α-glucosidase inhibition with an IC50 value of 1.07 ± 0.01 µg mL-1. The metabolic profiling of plant extracts was analyzed through Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS) of the active fractions, resulting in the annotation of 32 secondary metabolites. Furthermore, we applied the Global Natural Product Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) platform to evaluate the MS/MS data of Terminalia chebula (bark), revealing that there were 205 and 160 individual ion species observed as nodes in the methanol and ethyl acetate fractions, respectively. Twenty-two metabolites were tentatively identified from the network map, of which 11 compounds were unidentified during manual annotation.

Biocatalytic role of cytochrome P450s to produce antibiotics: A review.

Cytochrome P450s belong to a family of heme-binding monooxygenases, which catalyze regio- and stereospecific functionalisation of C-H, C-C, and C-N bonds, including heteroatom oxidation, oxidative C-C bond cleavages, and nitrene transfer. P450s are considered useful biocatalysts for the production of pharmaceutical products, fine chemicals, and bioremediating agents. Despite having tremendous biotechnological potential, being heme-monooxygenases, P450s require either autologous or heterologous redox partner(s) to perform chemical transformations. Randomly distributed P450s throughout a bacterial genome and devoid of particular redox partners in natural products biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) showed an extra challenge to reveal their pharmaceutical potential. However, continuous efforts have been made to understand their involvement in antibiotic biosynthesis and their modification, and this review focused on such BGCs. Here, particularly, we have discussed the role of P450s involved in the production of macrolides and aminocoumarin antibiotics, nonribosomal peptide (NRPSs) antibiotics, ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPPs) antibiotics, and others. Several reactions catalyzed by P450s, as well as the role of their redox partners involved in the BGCs of various antibiotics and their derivatives, have been primarily addressed in this review, which would be useful in further exploration of P450s for the biosynthesis of new therapeutics.

Metabolome Mining of Curcuma longa L. Using HPLC-MS/MS and Molecular Networking.

Turmeric, Curcuma longa L., is a type of medicinal plant characterized by its perennial nature and rhizomatous growth. It is a member of the Zingiberaceae family and is distributed across the world's tropical and subtropical climates, especially in South Asia. Its rhizomes have been highly valued for food supplements, spices, flavoring agents, and yellow dye in South Asia since ancient times. It exhibits a diverse array of therapeutic qualities that encompass its ability to combat diabetes, reduce inflammation, act as an antioxidant, exhibit anticancer properties, and promote anti-aging effects. In this study, organic extracts of C. longa rhizomes were subjected to HPLC separation followed by ESI-MS and low-energy tandem mass spectrometry analyses. The Global Natural Product Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) approach was utilized for the first time in this ethnobotanically important species to conduct an in-depth analysis of its metabolomes based on their fragments. To sum it up, a total of 30 metabolites including 16 diarylheptanoids, 1 diarylpentanoid, 3 bisabolocurcumin ethers, 4 sesquiterpenoids, 4 cinnamic acid derivatives, and 2 fatty acid derivatives were identified. Among the 16 diarylheptanoids identified in this study, 5 of them are reported for the first time in this species.

Effect of Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation) on mental health, self-control and mindfulness of adolescent school children.

BACKGROUND: A considerable portion of adolescent school children suffer from mental health problems. Low self-control and mindfulness are positively associated with poor mental health. Therefore, the present study was designed to assess the effect of Surya Namaskara (SN) on mental health, self-control, and mindfulness among adolescent school children. METHODS: Sixty-three (39 females) students (mean age = 14.24 years and SD = 0.42 years) in grade nine from a private school in India were recruited as study participants. The design of the present study was a non-randomized two arms design. Section A (N = 33) was selected as the intervention group, whereas section B (N = 30) was considered a control group. Students in the intervention group were given SN for two weeks. The participants were administered the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), Brief Self-control Scale (BSCS), and Mindfulness, Attention and Awareness Scale for Adolescents (MAAS-A) questionnaires at the baseline and after two weeks of intervention. RESULTS: The within-group comparison showed a significant main effect of time in MAAS-A scores. There was also a significant group by time interaction effect for BSCS and MAAS-A scores. Post-hoc analysis showed that the SN group has significantly higher post-BSCS and MAAS-A scores than the control group. Similarly, there was a significantly high BSCS score and MAAS-A score after SN intervention compared to their respective pre-scores. There was no significant change in the GHQ-12 scores in both groups in the pre-post comparison. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that SN improves self-control and mindfulness in adolescent school children.

In Vitro and In Silico Studies for the Identification of Potent Metabolites of Some High-Altitude Medicinal Plants from Nepal Inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein.

Despite ongoing vaccination programs against COVID-19 around the world, cases of infection are still rising with new variants. This infers that an effective antiviral drug against COVID-19 is crucial along with vaccinations to decrease cases. A potential target of such antivirals could be the membrane components of the causative pathogen, SARS-CoV-2, for instance spike (S) protein. In our research, we have deployed in vitro screening of crude extracts of seven ethnomedicinal plants against the spike receptor-binding domain (S1-RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Following encouraging in vitro results for Tinospora cordifolia, in silico studies were conducted for the 14 reported antiviral secondary metabolites isolated from T. cordifolia-a species widely cultivated and used as an antiviral drug in the Himalayan country of Nepal-using Genetic Optimization for Ligand Docking (GOLD), Molecular Operating Environment (MOE), and BIOVIA Discovery Studio. The molecular docking and binding energy study revealed that cordifolioside-A had a higher binding affinity and was the most effective in binding to the competitive site of the spike protein. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies using GROMACS 5.4.1 further assayed the interaction between the potent compound and binding sites of the spike protein. It revealed that cordifolioside-A demonstrated better binding affinity and stability, and resulted in a conformational change in S1-RBD, hence hindering the activities of the protein. In addition, ADMET analysis of the secondary metabolites from T. cordifolia revealed promising pharmacokinetic properties. Our study thus recommends that certain secondary metabolites of T. cordifolia are possible medicinal candidates against SARS-CoV-2.

Molecular Docking and Dynamics Simulation of Several Flavonoids Predict Cyanidin as an Effective Drug Candidate against SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein.

The in silico method has provided a versatile process of developing lead compounds from a large database in a short duration. Therefore, it is imperative to look for vaccinations and medications that can stop the havoc caused by SARS-CoV-2. The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is required for the viral entry into the host cells, hence inhibiting the virus from fusing and infecting the host. This study determined the binding interactions of 36 flavonoids along with two FDA-approved drugs against the spike protein receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 through molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. In addition, the molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) approach was used to calculate the binding-free energy (BFE). Flavonoids were selected based on their in vitro assays on SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Our pharmacokinetics study revealed that cyanidin showed good drug-likeness, fulfilled Lipinski's rule of five, and conferred favorable toxicity parameters. Furthermore, MD simulations showed that cyanidin interacts with spike protein and alters the conformation and binding-free energy suited. Finally, an in vitro assay indicated that about 50% reduction in the binding of hACE2 with S1-RBD in the presence of cyanidin-containing red grapes crude extract was achieved at approximately 1.25 mg/mL. Hence, cyanidin may be a promising adjuvant medication for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein based on in silico and in vitro research.

Current Research on Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, and Biomedical Applications.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have piqued the curiosity of researchers all over the world due to their extensive biological activity. They are less toxic and biodegradable with the capacity to greatly boost pharmacophore bioactivity. ZnO-NPs are the most extensively used metal oxide nanoparticles in electronic and optoelectronics because of their distinctive optical and chemical properties which can be readily modified by altering the morphology and the wide bandgap. The biosynthesis of nanoparticles using extracts of therapeutic plants, fungi, bacteria, algae, etc., improves their stability and biocompatibility in many biological settings, and its biofabrication alters its physiochemical behavior, contributing to biological potency. As such, ZnO-NPs can be used as an effective nanocarrier for conventional drugs due to their cost-effectiveness and benefits of being biodegradable and biocompatible. This article covers a comprehensive review of different synthesis approaches of ZnO-NPs including physical, chemical, biochemical, and green synthesis techniques, and also emphasizes their biopotency through antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antiviral, wound healing, and cardioprotective activity. Green synthesis from plants, bacteria, and fungus is given special attention, with a particular emphasis on extraction techniques, precursors used for the synthesis and reaction conditions, characterization techniques, and surface morphology of the particles.

Phytochemical Analysis and Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Activities of Extracts from Bergenia ciliata, Mimosa pudica, and Phyllanthus emblica.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder of high blood sugar levels which leads to various chronic health-related complications. The digestive enzymes α-amylase and α-glucosidase play a major role in the hydrolysis of starch to glucose; hence, inhibiting these enzymes is considered an important strategy for the treatment of diabetes. Medicinal plants such as Bergenia ciliata, Mimosa pudica, and Phyllanthus emblica are commonly used in traditional remedies due to their numerous health benefits. This study aimed to determine the phytochemicals as well as TPC and TFC contents in these plant extracts along with their antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and α-amylase. The ethyl acetate extracts of selected plants have shown higher TPC and TFC contents. The aqueous extract of B. ciliata (IC50: 16.99 ± 2.56 µg/mL) and ethyl acetate extract of P. emblica (IC50: 11.98 ± 0.36 µg/mL) and M. pudica (IC50: 21.39 ± 3.76 µg/mL) showed effective antioxidant activities. Furthermore, ethyl acetate extract of B. ciliata showed significant inhibitory activity against α-amylase and α-glucosidase with IC50 values of 38.50 ± 1.32 µg/mL and 3.41 ± 0.04 µg/mL, respectively. Thus, secondary metabolites of these medicinal plants can be repurposed as effective inhibitors of digestive enzymes.

Effect of yoga on cognitive functions and anxiety among female school children with low academic performance: A randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: To achieve better academic performance, students should improve their cognitive faculties and overcome anxiety. Therefore, the present research was conducted to assess the effect of yoga on the cognitive functions of female adolescents with low academic performance. METHODS: The present study is a randomized control trial (RCT). Eighty-nine female students in the age range of 12-14 years were randomly assigned into two groups [yoga (n = 45); physical exercise (n = 44)] at a school setting. Both groups were assessed before and after on Raven's standard progressive matrices (RSPM), Corsi Block Tapping Test (CBTT), Six Letter Cancellation Test (SLCT), Digit Letter Substitution Test (DLST), Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC). RESULTS: Findings of the present study showed significant (p < .05) differences in scores of forward CBTT, SWCT, and SLCT in group × time interaction. Both the groups showed significant (p < .05) improvement in SLCT, backward scores of CBTT, and STAIC-T. All outcomes measured were significantly (p < .05) improved in the yoga group except STAIC-S. CONCLUSION: Yoga improves general intelligence, visuospatial working memory, and attention, as well as reduces the anxiety of students with low academic performance. Similarly, physical exercise was also found to be improving visuospatial working memory, sustained attention, and reduce trait anxiety. However, the finding of the present study indicated yoga to be more effective compared to physical exercise in regards to students' fluid intelligence and executive function. Improvement in general intelligence, visuospatial working memory, and attention is expected to positively influence students' academic performance.

Potential Therapeutic Applications of Plant-Derived Alkaloids against Inflammatory and Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Alkaloids are a type of natural compound possessing different pharmacological activities. Natural products, including alkaloids, which originate from plants, have emerged as potential protective agents against neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) and chronic inflammations. A wide array of prescription drugs are used against these conditions, however, not free of limitations of potency, side effects, and intolerability. In the context of personalized medicine, further research on alkaloids to unravel novel therapeutic approaches in reducing complications is critical. In this review, a systematic survey was executed to collect the literature on alkaloids and their health complications, from which we found that majority of alkaloids exhibit anti-inflammatory action via nuclear factor-κB and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and neuroprotective interaction through acetylcholinesterase (AChE), COX, and ß-site amyloid precursor protein activity. In silico ADMET and ProTox-II-related descriptors were calculated to predict the pharmacological properties of 280 alkaloids isolated from traditional medicinal plants towards drug development. Out of which, eight alkaloids such as tetrahydropalmatine, berberine, tetrandrine, aloperine, sinomenine, oxymatrine, harmine, and galantamine are found to be optimal within the categorical range when compared to nicotine. These alkaloids could be exploited as starting materials for novel drug synthesis or, to a lesser extent, manage inflammation and neurodegenerative-related complications.

Volatile Compounds and Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Selected Citrus Essential Oils Originated from Nepal.

Citrus species of plants are among the most commercially cultivated crops, mainly for their fruit. Besides, the generally consumed flesh inside the fruit, the peel is quite important too. Essential oils extracted from the peel have a history of being used by humankind for centuries. These essential oils are rich in antioxidants and antimicrobial agents. Comparative investigation of volatile constituents, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were undertaken. The essential oils were evaluated through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and enantiomeric composition by chiral GC-MS. Similarly, the antioxidant properties were evaluated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging assay, and antimicrobial activities were assayed using the disk diffusion method. The highest extraction yield of 1.83% was observed in Citrus sinensis Osbeck. GC-MS analysis showed limonene (63.76-89.15%), γ-terpinene (0.24-6.43%), ß-pinene (0.15-6.09%), linalool (0.35-3.5%), sabinene (0.77-2.17%), myrcene (0.74-1.75%), α-terpineol (0.28-1.15%), and α-pinene (0.2-0.58%) as the major constituents of the essential oil of the Citrus species studied. For the first time, through our study, chiral terpenoids have been observed from Citrus grandis Osbeck essential oil. The order of antioxidant activity is as follows: Citrus grandis Osbeck red flesh > Citrus reticulata Blanco > Citrus sinensis Osbeck > Citrus grandis Osbeck white flesh. Except for Citrus grandis Osbeck white flesh (52.34 µL/mL), all samples demonstrated stronger antioxidant activities than those of the positive control, quercetin (5.60 µL/mL). Therefore, these essential oils can be used as a safe natural antioxidant to prevent product oxidation. Likewise, citrus peel essential oil showed antimicrobial activity against tested bacterial strains, albeit marginal.

Effect of four weeks of integrated yoga intervention on perceived stress and sleep quality among female nursing professionals working at a tertiary care hospital: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Studies have reported that significant nursing professionals experience tremendous stress which often affects their sleep quality leading to poor well-being. Yoga being a mind body intervention reported to improve sleep quality and reduce stress. AIM: The present pilot study was designed to assess the effect of yoga on perceived stress and sleep quality of the female nursing professionals working at tertiary care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three apparently healthy nursing staffs in the age range of 30-60 years (mean age 40.60 ± 10.26) were recruited as participants of the study, from a tertiary care hospital in Delhi. Participants were administered perceived stress scale (PSS) and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) before and after the yoga intervention. Participants received 4 week of yoga intervention for 45 min/day for 5 days a week. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction on the postscores of PSS (t = 5.86, P < 0.0001, paired t-test) and PSQI (z = -4.38, P < 0.0001, Wilcoxon signed-ranks test) in comparison to prescores. After the yoga intervention, perceived stress reduced by 27.01% and the sleep quality improved by 38.68%. CONCLUSION: The finding of the study suggests effectiveness of yoga in reduction of the perceived stress and improvement of the quality of sleep of the nursing professional. However, the present findings need to be confirmed with further studies with larger sample size and robust research design.

Current Trends of Food Analysis, Safety, and Packaging.

Food is a basic necessity for life, growth, survival, and maintaining a proper body function. Rising food demand leads both producers and consumers to search for alternative food sources with high nutritional value. However, food products may never be completely safe. The oxidation reaction may alter both the physicochemical and immunological properties of food products. Maillard and caramelization nonenzymatic browning reactions can play a pivotal role in food acceptance through the ways they influence quality factors such as flavor, color, texture, nutritional value, protein functionality, and digestibility. There is a multitude of adulterated foods that portray adverse risks to the human condition. To maintain food safety, the packaging material is used to preserve the quality and freshness of food products. Food safety is jeopardized by plenty of pathogens by the consumption of adulterated food resulting in multiple foodborne illnesses. Though different analytical tools are used in the analysis of food products, yet, adulterated food has repercussions for the community and is a growing issue that adversely impairs human health and well-being. Thus, pathogenic agents' rapid and effective identification is vital for food safety and security to avoid foodborne illness. This review highlights the various analytical techniques used in the analysis of food products, food structure, and quality of food along with chemical reactions in food processing. Moreover, we have also discussed the effect on health due to the consumption of adulterated food and focused on the importance of food safety, including the biodegradable packaging material.

LC-HRMS Profiling and Antidiabetic, Antioxidant, and Antibacterial Activities of Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd.

Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd is a profoundly used traditional medicinal plant in Asia. Previous studies conducted in this plant are more confined to extract level. Even though bioassay-based studies indicated the true therapeutic potential of this plant, compound annotation was not performed extensively. This research is aimed at assessing the bioactivity of different solvent extracts of the plant followed by annotation of its phytoconstituents. Liquid chromatography equipped with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) is deployed for the identification of secondary metabolites in various crude extracts. On activity level, its ethanolic extract showed the highest inhibition towards α-amylase and α-glucosidase with an IC50 of 67.8 ± 1 µg/mL and 10.3 ± 0.1 µg/mL respectively, inspected through the substrate-based method. On the other hand, the plant extract showed an antioxidant activity of 23.76 ± 1.57 µg/mL, measured through radical scavenging activity. Similarly, ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts of A. catechu showed significant inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus with a zone of inhibition (ZoI) of 13 and 14 mm, respectively. With the LC-HRMS-based dereplication strategy, we have identified 28 secondary metabolites belonging to flavonoid and phenolic categories. Identification of these metabolites from A. catechu and its biological implication also support the community-based usage of this plant and its medicinal value.

Pharmacologic activities of phytosteroids in inflammatory diseases: Mechanism of action and therapeutic potentials.

Natural products and their derivatives are known to be useful for treating numerous diseases since ancient times. Because of their high therapeutic potentials, the use of different medicinal plants is possible to treat varied inflammation-mediated chronic diseases. Among natural products, phytosteroids have emerged as promising compounds mostly because they have diverse pharmacological activities. Currently, available medications exert numerous systemic toxicities, including hypertension, immune suppression, osteoporosis, and metabolic abnormalities. Thus, further research on phytosteroids to subside these complications is of significant importance. In this study, the information on phytosteroids, their types, and actions against inflammation, and allergic complications was collected by a systematic survey of literature on several scientific search engines. The literature review suggested that phytosteroids exhibit antiinflammatory action via different modes through transrepression or selective COX-2 enzymes. Also, in silico ADMET analysis was carried out on available phytosteroids to uncover their pharmacokinetic properties. Our analysis has shown that eight compounds: withaferin A, stigmasterol, ß-sitosterol, guggulsterone, diosgenin, sarsasapogenin, physalin A, and dioscin, -isolated from medicinal plants show similar pharmacokinetic properties as compared to dexamethasone, commercially available glucocorticoid. These phytosteroids could be useful for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, multiple sclerosis, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases. Thus, systematic research is required to explore potent phytosteroids with lesser side effects, which might substitute the current medications.