A New Glucosyl Flavone with Inhibitory Activity of Cancer Cell Viability and Other Bioactive Constituents from the Traditional Kurdish Plant Plantago loeflingii L.

A new glucosyl flavone, 5,7,2',5'-tetrahydroxyflavone 7-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside, named loeflingiin, together with apigenin 6-C-glucoside (isovitexin), coumarins citropten and isompinellin, triterpenoids betulin and betulinic acid, and a mixture of phytosterols ß-sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol were isolated for the first time from the leaves of wild Plantago loeflingii L. (Plantaginaceae) collected in the Iraqi Kurdistan region. The plant is used by local people to treat wounds and as a vulnerary remedy. The structures of isolated compounds were determined by spectroscopic analysis. The activities of isovitexin and loeflingiinon the viability of breast (MCF7), ovarian (BG-1), endometrial (Ishikawa), and mesothelioma (IST-MES1) human cancer cells and two normal cell lines were determined with an MTT assay. Notably, the new 7-O-glucosyl flavone showed effects higher than cisplatin against the Ishikawa and IST-MESI cell lines. The significant biological activities exhibited by all the compounds isolated from P. loeflingii provided scientific evidence to support the use of the plant in the Kurdish traditional medicine.

Host plant-mediation of viral transmission and its consequences for a native butterfly.

Pathogens play a key role in insect population dynamics, contributing to short-term fluctuations in abundance as well as long-term demographic trends. Two key factors that influence the effects of entomopathogens on herbivorous insect populations are modes of pathogen transmission and larval host plants. In this study, we examined tritrophic interactions between a sequestering specialist lepidopteran, Euphydryas phaeton, and a viral pathogen, Junonia coenia densovirus, on its native host plant, Chelone glabra, and a novel host plant, Plantago lanceolata, to explore whether host plant mediates viral transmission, survival, and viral loads. A two-factor factorial experiment was conducted in the laboratory with natal larval clusters randomly assigned to either the native or novel host plant and crossed with either uninoculated controls or viral inoculation (20% of individuals in the cluster inoculated). Diapausing clusters were overwintered in the laboratory and checked weekly for mortality. At the end of diapause, all surviving individuals were reared to adulthood to estimate survivorship. All individuals were screened to quantify viral loads, and estimate horizontal transmission postmortem. To test for vertical transmission, adults were mated, and the progeny were screened for viral presence. Within virus-treated groups, we found evidence for both horizontal and vertical transmission. Larval clusters reared on the native host plant had slightly higher horizontal transmission. Survival probability was lower in clusters feeding on the native host plant, with inoculated groups reared on the native host plant experiencing complete mortality. Viral loads did not differ by the host plant, although viral loads decreased with increased sequestration of secondary compounds on both host plants. Our results indicate that the use of a novel host plant may confer fitness benefits in terms of survival and reduced viral transmission when larvae feeding on it are infected with this pathogen, supporting hypotheses of potential evolutionary advantages of a host range expansion in the context of tritrophic interactions.

Methyl jasmonate improves selenium tolerance via regulating ROS signalling, hormonal crosstalk and phenylpropanoid pathway in Plantago ovata.

Selenium (Se) toxicity is an emerging contaminant of global concern. It is known to cause oxidative stress, affecting plant growth and yield. Plantago ovata, a major cash crop known for its medicinal properties, is often cultivated in Se-contaminated soil. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the use of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) seed priming technique to mitigate Se-induced phytotoxicity. The results demonstrated that Se stress inhibited P. ovata growth, biomass and lowered chlorophyll content in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with 1 µM MeJA enhanced the antioxidant defence system via ROS signalling and upregulated key enzymes of phenylpropanoid pathway, PAL (1.9 times) and CHI (5.4 times) in comparison to control. Caffeic acid, Vanillic acid, Chlorogenic acid, Coumaric acid and Luteoloside were the most abundant polyphenols. Enzymatic antioxidants involved in ROS scavenging, such as CAT (up to 1.3 times) and GPOX (up to 1.4 times) were raised, while SOD (by 0.6 times) was reduced. There was an upregulation of growth-inducible hormones, IAA (up to 2.1 fold) and GA (up to 1.5 fold) whereas, the stress-responsive hormones ABA (by 0.6 fold) and SA (by 0.5 fold) were downregulated. The alleviation of Se toxicity was also evident from the decrease in H2O2 and MDA contents under MeJA treatment. These findings suggest that MeJA can effectively improve Se tolerance and nutraceutical value in P. ovata by modulating the phytohormone regulatory network, redox homeostasis and elicits accumulation of polyphenols. Therefore, MeJA seed priming could be an efficient way to enhance stress resilience and sustainable crop production.

Phytochemical evaluation and exploration of some biological activities of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of two species of the genus Plantago L.

Plantago major L. and Plantago lagopus L. are cosmopolitan species, belonging to the Plantaginaceae family, used in traditional and modern medicine. In this study, a phytochemical evaluation of different aqueous and ethanolic extracts of leaves and roots of both species from the region of Beja in Tunisia was performed. Some biological activities, including antioxidant, anticancer and antibacterial were also done. LC-MS qualitative analysis revealed that the aqueous extracts of the roots of P. lagopus were richer in polyphenols, mainly flavonoids (Luteoline 7-rutinoside, Luteoline 7-rhamnoside) and hydroxycinnamic acids including caffeic acid, than the hydro-ethanolic extracts. Additionally, we identified for the first time the presence of salicylic acid in the hot aqueous extracts of roots of P. lagopus and its absence in the roots of P. major. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was assessed using cyclic voltammetry (CV), revealing that the voltammograms of leaf and root extracts from P. lagopus exhibited a higher antioxidant capacity compared to those of P. major. Antiproliferative activity, was determined against two-colon cancer cell lines, demonstrated that only the 12 h treatments with P. lagopus leaf and root aqueous and hydro-ethanolic extracts at low concentration were able to significantly reduce the colon carcinoma coli-2 (CaCo-2) cells proliferation. The antibacterial /antibiofilm activity was performed on yeast, Gram- negative and +positive bacterial strains. We demonstrated for the first time that ethanolic extracts of leaves and roots of P. lagopus have an inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia at MIC = 2 µg/mL for leaves and 4 µg/mL for roots.

The structural characteristic of acidic-degraded polysaccharides from seeds of Plantago ovata Forssk and its biological activity.

In this study, a response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine the best combination for acid degradation parameters to reduce the viscosity of Plantago ovata Forssk seed polysaccharide (POFP). Then, the two major homogeneous polysaccharides (AH-POFP1 and AH-POFP3) were obtained by DEAE-650 M and Sephadex G-100 column chromatography. The apparent structure of the main fraction AH-POFP1 was characterized by SEM, TG and XRD, and the linkage of AH-POFP1 was determined by a combination of partial acidolysis, Smith's degradation, methylation analysis and 2D NMR analysis. Structural analysis showed that AH-POFP1 was mainly composed of xylose, with a molecular weight of 618.1 kDa, and had a backbone of 1 â†’ 4-linked Xylp, as well as branches of T-linked Xylp, 1 â†’ 4-linked Xylp attached to the O-2 position. The antioxidant activity assays showed that the both AH-POFP1 and AH-POFP3 possess strong scavenging radical ability. Moreover, AH-POFP1 inhibits the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors, and promotes the secretion of anti-inflammatory factors, thereby exerting anti-inflammatory effects. These findings may help to guide future applications of Plantago ovata Forssk in the fields of food, health care, and pharmacy.

Establishment of Polydopamine-Modified HK-2 Cell Membrane Chromatography and Screening of Active Components from Plantago asiatica L.

Cell membrane chromatography (CMC) has been widely recognized as a highly efficient technique for in vitro screening of active compounds. Nevertheless, conventional CMC approaches suffer from a restricted repertoire of cell membrane proteins, making them susceptible to oversaturation. Moreover, the binding mechanism between silica gel and proteins primarily relies on intermolecular hydrogen bonding, which is inherently unstable and somewhat hampers the advancement of CMC. Consequently, this investigation aimed to establish a novel CMC column that could augment protein loading, enhance detection throughput, and bolster binding affinity through the introduction of covalent bonding with proteins. This study utilizes polydopamine (PDA)-coated silica gel, which is formed through the self-polymerization of dopamine (DA), as the carrier for the CMC column filler. The objective is to construct the HK-2/SiO2-PDA/CMC model to screen potential therapeutic drugs for gout. To compare the quantity and characteristics of Human Kidney-2 (HK-2) cell membrane proteins immobilized on SiO2-PDA and silica gel, the proteins were immobilized on both surfaces. The results indicate that SiO2-PDA has a notably greater affinity for membrane proteins compared to silica gel, resulting in a significant improvement in detection efficiency. Furthermore, a screening method utilizing HK-2/SiO2-PDA/CMC was utilized to identify seven potential anti-gout compounds derived from Plantago asiatica L. (PAL). The effectiveness of these compounds was further validated using an in vitro cell model of uric acid (UA) reabsorption. In conclusion, this study successfully developed and implemented a novel CMC filler, which has practical implications in the field.

Ultrasound-assisted ethanol/K2HPO4 aqueous two-phase extraction of polysaccharides from Plantago asiatica L. seeds: Process optimization, physicochemical properties, and antioxidant activity.

INTRODUCTION: The seeds of Plantago asiatica L., a folk herb, are rich in polysaccharides that possess antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Polysaccharides with lower molecular weights generally exhibit higher biological activity, so a method to efficiently extract low-molecular-weight polysaccharides from P. asiatica L. seeds (PLPs) is needed. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to establish an efficient method for extracting polysaccharides from P. asiatica L. seeds while preserving their activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Response surface methodology was applied to determine the optimal polysaccharide extraction conditions. Subsequently, the extracted polysaccharides were characterized to determine their monosaccharide composition, physicochemical properties, and molecular weight. Their antioxidant activity was evaluated by measuring their ability to scavenge DPPH and ABTS free radicals. RESULTS: An extraction yield of 9.17% was achieved under an ethanol concentration of 18.0% (w/w), a K2HPO4 concentration of 27.8% (w/w), a solvent-to-material ratio of 30:1 (mL/g), an ultrasound power of 203 W, and an extraction time of 39 min. Structural analyses indicated that this method might cause physicochemical changes in the conformation of PLPs and induce the degradation of PLP side chains but not the backbone. The antioxidant assay results showed that the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging rates of PLPs were 48.3% and 49.2%, respectively, while in the control group the radical scavenging rates were 35.5% and 37.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The established method for extracting polysaccharides from P. asiatica L. seeds is efficient and reliable. The polysaccharides could be used as an important resource with antioxidant activity.

Phytochemical profiling, toxicity studies, wound healing, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of Musa paradisiaca L. Musaceae (Plantain) stem extract in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The stem of Musa paradisiaca (plantain) has found application in traditional medicine for the treatment of diabetes, inflammation, ulcers and wound injuries. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study investigated the phytochemical composition, toxicity profile, wound healing, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of aqueous Musa paradisiaca stem extract (AMPSE) in rats. METHODS: Phytochemical analysis of methanol-MPSE was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Acute toxicity testing was carried out through oral administration of a single dose of AMPSE up to 5 g/kg. Four separate groups of rats were used for the subacute toxicity testing (n = 6). Group 1 served as a normal control and did not receive AMPSE, groups 2-4 received AMPSE daily by gavage for 28 days. In the experiments with excision and incision wounds, the rats were treated with 10 w/w AMPS extract. The anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of AMPSE were assessed using egg albumin-induced paw oedema and acetic acid-induced writhing methods, respectively. For the subacute, anti-inflammatory and analgesic studies, AMPSE was administered to the experimental rats at doses of 300, 600 and 900 mg/kg body weight. RESULTS: Bioactive compounds identified include ß-sitisterol, n-hexadecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, diethyl sulfate, p-hydroxynorephedrine, phenylephrine, nor-pseudoephedrine, metaraminol, pseudoephedrine and vanillic acid. No signs of toxicity and no deaths were observed in all the groups. For the groups treated with AMPSE for 28 days, a significant reduction in alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, urea, sodium, chloride, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were observed while high density lipoprotein cholesterol, glutathione and superoxide dismutase increased compared to control (p < 0.05). In wound healing experiments, AMPSE showed greater percent wound contraction and wound resistance fracture compared to the povidone-iodine (PI) treated and control groups. Treatment with 900 mg/kg AMPSE resulted in significant (p < 0.05) anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects compared to the control. CONCLUSION: This study shows that AMPSE is not toxic but contains biologically active compounds with hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering and wound-healing effects. Treatment of rats with AMPSE has shown that AMPSE has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hepatoprotective, lipid-lowering and wound-healing effects, supporting its therapeutic use in ethnomedicine.

Antiulcerogenic and antioxidant activities of Plantago ovata ethanolic extract in rats / Atividade antiulcerogênica e antioxidante do extrato etanólico de Plantago ovata em ratos

This study aimed to determine the antiulcerogenic and antioxidant activities of Psyllium (Plantago ovata Forssk) seed ethanolic extract in rats. We assessed the antioxidant potential using free radical scavenging on DPPH, ß-carotene bleaching activity, ferric reducing power, and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. In the antiulcerogenic study, pre-treatment with Plantago ovata seeds ethanolic extract (POE) (400 mg/kg b.wt) significantly protected against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats by decreasing the ulcer index value and preserving the integrity of the gastric mucosa. The oxidative stress status in the stomach tissues showed a significant increase in the antioxidant enzyme levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase with a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation during pre-treatment with POE. In conclusion, the POE protects against gastric ulcer due to its antioxidant potential and presence of bioactive molecules.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo determinar as atividades antiulcerogênica e antioxidante das sementes de Psyllium (Plantago ovata Forssk) em ratos. O potencial antioxidante foi avaliado utilizando o método do sequestro do radical livre DPPH, autooxidação do ß-caroteno, poder redutor de ferro e atividade de sequestro do radical hidroxila. No estudo antiulcerogênico, o pré-tratamento com o extrato etanólico das sementes de Plantago ovata (POE) (400 mg/Kg b.wt) reduziu a úlcera gástrica induzida pelo etanol em ratos, diminuindo o valor do índice de úlcera e preservando a integridade da mucosa gástrica. O estudo do estresse oxidativo nos tecidos estomacais mostrou um aumento significativo dos níveis das enzimas antioxidantes superóxido dismutase, catalase e glutationa peroxidase, com uma diminuição significativa da peroxidação lipídica enquanto pré-tratamento com POE. Em conclusão, o POE protege contra úlcera gástrica devido aos seus potenciais antioxidantes e à presença de moléculas bioativas.

Plantago asiatica L. polysaccharides: Physiochemical properties, structural characteristics, biological activity and application prospects: A review.

Plantago asiatica L. (PAL), a traditional herb, has been used in East Asia for thousands of years. In recent years, polysaccharides extracted from PAL have garnered increased attention due to their outstanding pharmacological and biological properties. Previous research has established that PAL-derived polysaccharides exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antitumor, antimicrobial, immune-regulatory, intestinal health-promoting, antiviral, and other effects. Nevertheless, a comprehensive summary of the research related to Plantago asiatica L. polysaccharides (PALP) has not been reported to date. In this paper, we review the methods for isolation and purification, physiochemical properties, structural features, and biological activities of PALP. To provide a foundation for research and application in the fields of medicine and food, this review also outlines the future development prospects of plantain polysaccharides.

Theoretical Assessment of the Impact of Water Stress on Plants Production: Case of Banana-Plantain.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of water stress on plants production. We propose a mathematical model for the dynamics growth of plants that takes into account the concentration of available water in the soil, water stress, plant production and plants compensation. Sensitivity analysis of the model has been performed in order to determine the impact of related parameters on the dynamics growth of plants. We present the theoretical analysis of the model with and without water stress. More precisely, we show that the full model is well-posedness. For each model, we compute the trivial equilibria and derive two thresholds parameters that determine the outcome of water stress within a plantation. Further, we perform numerical simulation on the case of banana-plantain simulations to support the theory. We found that the Hopf bifurcation occurs for a specific value of the water absorption rate of unstressed plants. The impact of the water stress on the banana-plantain production is also numerically investigated. After, the role of the water stress on the plant production is numerically investigated. We found that the water stress can cause about 68.16% of loss of banana-plantain production within a plantation with 1600 rejets initially planted. This suggests that climate change plays a detrimental role on banana-plantains production.

Functionality and mechanistic parametric study of the potential of waste plantain peels and commercial bentonite for soybean oil refining.

The consumption of unrefined vegetable oil poses acute and chronic health issues, yet improper disposal of waste plantain peels is not environmentally sustainable. This research investigates the feasibility, mechanism and thermodynamics of waste plantain peels, and commercial bentonite clay for soybean oil refining. Experiment was carried out using masses (1-4 g) of commercial bentonite clay, and unripe plantain peel ash (UPPA) to degummed and neutralized free fatty acid (FFA) contents in crude soybean oil at varying temperatures (50-120 °C), and time (15-35 min) for treatment of soybean oil. FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, and XRF techniques were applied to characterize the sample. The results established that at optimum 4.0 g dosage, the UPPA (97.73%) was more effective in the removal of FFA from oil at 50 °C and 20 min, while the clay (90%) was more effective in the removal of colour pigment from the vegetable oil 100 °C, and 25 min. The optimum efficiency of Clay-Ash-composite (70:30) in adsorbing pigment from soybean oil corresponds to 80%. The impact of changing viscosities, densities, and acid values on the performance of UPPA, clay, and clay-UPPA composite was investigated. Mechanistic studies confirmed the pseudo-second-order kinetics at 5 × 10-2 g/mg min-1 and 1.87 × 10-1 g/mg min-1, with corresponding adsorption capacity of 30.40 mg/g and 4.91 mg/g, at R2 ≤ 0.9982. The UPPA-driven sorption of FFA occurred as a physisorption and exothermic process (- 620.60 kJ/mol), while colour pigment removal occurred by chemisorption and endothermic process (22.40 kJ/mol). The finding recommends UPPA and composite as economically feasible for refining soybean oil.

Metagenomic binning of PacBio HiFi data prior to assembly reveals a complete genome of Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) (Coleopterea: Curculionidae, Dryophthorinae) the most damaging arthropod pest of bananas and plantains.

PacBio HiFi sequencing was employed in combination with metagenomic binning to produce a high-quality reference genome of Cosmopolites sordidus. We compared k-mer and alignment reference based pre-binning and post-binning approaches to remove contamination. We were also interested to know if the post-binning approach had interspersed bacterial contamination within intragenic regions of Arthropoda binned contigs. Our analyses identified 3,433 genes that were composed with reads identified as of putative bacterial origins. The pre-binning approach yielded a C. sordidus genome of 1.07 Gb genome composed of 3,089 contigs with 98.6% and 97.1% complete and single copy genome and protein BUSCO scores respectively. In this article we demonstrate that in this case the pre-binning approach does not sacrifice assembly quality for more stringent metagenomic filtering. We also determine post-binning allows for increased intragenic contamination increased with increasing coverage, but the frequency of gene contamination increased with lower coverage. Future work should focus on developing reference free pre-binning approaches for HiFi reads produced from eukaryotic based metagenomic samples.

In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of Plantago major L. and Piper aduncum L. on phospholipase A2 from the venom of snake Lachesis muta muta. / Actividad antiinflamatoria in vitro de Plantago major L. y Piper aduncum L. sobre la fosfolipasa A2 del veneno de la serpiente Lachesis muta muta.

OBJECTIVE.: To evaluate the in vitro inhibitory activity of Plantago major "llantén" and Piper aduncum "matico" extracts on phospholipase A2 (PLA2) from the venom of the snake Lachesis muta muta. MATERIALS AND METHODS.: We carried out an explanatory study with experimental design. Leaves of P. major and P. aduncum were collected in the province of Huarochirí in Lima, Peru. Then, we prepared alcoholic extracts diluted in distilled water and conducted phytochemical assays, quantification of phenols and flavonoids, thin layer chromatography (TLC) on cellulose and enzymatic activity with PLA2. The ability to inhibit PLA2 with the extracts under study and their fractions was analyzed. The Kruskal Wallis test and Bonferroni multiple comparisons were used during statistical analysis. RESULTS.: Phenols, flavonoids and tannins were qualitatively identified in both P. major and P. aduncum; in addition, P. aduncum presented saponins. The inhibition of PLA2 activity of the venom by the total extract of P. major was 45.3%, and its fractions showed the following inhibition values: 31.1% for LLF-1, 66.3% for LLF-2 and 65.5% for LLF-3. The inhibition values for the total extract of P. aduncum were 86.9%, and its fractions showed the following inhibition rates: 34.3% for MF-1, 67.1% for MF-2 and 54.9% for MF-3. Statistical analysis showed significant differences in the inhibition of PLA2 (p=0.009) by the extracts. CONCLUSION.: The tests demonstrated an association between the anti-inflammatory effect of the extracts and PLA2 inhibition.

OBJETIVO.: Evaluar la actividad inhibitoria in vitro de los extractos de Plantago major «llantén¼ y Piper aduncum «matico¼ sobre Fosfolipasa A2 (PLA2) del veneno de la serpiente Lachesis muta muta. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS.: Esta investigación fue de tipo explicativa con diseño experimental. Se recolectaron hojas de P. major y P. aduncum en la provincia de Huarochirí en Lima, Perú. Se prepararon extractos alcohólicos diluidos en agua destilada y se realizaron los ensayos fitoquímicos, la cuantificación de fenoles y flavonoides, la cromatografía de capa fina (CCF) en celulosa y la actividad enzimática con PLA2. Se analizó la capacidad de inhibir la PLA2 con los extractos en estudio y sus fracciones. Para el análisis estadístico se utilizó la prueba de Kruskal Wallis y comparaciones múltiples de Bonferroni. RESULTADOS.: Tanto en P. major como en P. aduncum se identificó cualitativamente la presencia de fenoles, flavonoides y taninos; además, P. aduncum presentó saponinas. La inhibición de la actividad de la PLA2 del veneno por el extracto total de P. major fue del 45,3%, y sus fracciones mostraron valores de inhibición: LLF-1 con 31,1%, LLF-2 con 66,3% y LLF-3 con 65,5%. En P. aduncum, los valores de inhibición para el extracto total fueron de 86,9%, y sus fracciones presentaron inhibiciones: MF-1 con 34,3%, MF-2 con 67,1% y MF-3 con 54,9%. El análisis estadístico demostró diferencias significativas en la inhibición de la PLA2 (p=0,009) por los extractos. CONCLUSIÓN.: Los ensayos realizados demostraron una asociación entre el efecto antiinflamatorio de los extractos y la inhibición de la PLA2.

Exploring the potential of natural polymers from plants as tablet binder and accessing their release profiles: A comparative analysis.

A tablet is a compact dosage form that includes both the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and various excipients, where a binder acts as an excipient, imparting cohesive quality in the powdered material. The present study aimed to extract polysaccharides from plant samples; Plantago ovata seeds, Plantago ovata husk, Lallemantia royleana, Ocimum basilicum and Acacia nilotica and to investigate their efficacy as tablet excipients. The wet granulation method was adopted for tablet formulation. Three different formulations (3%, 5% and 7%) were prepared by varying the binder concentration (hemicellulose extracted from plant samples). The tablets were evaluated by pre-compression tests; Angle of repose, bulk density, tapped density, Carr's Index, Hausner's ratio and post-compression tests; weight variation test, friability test, disintegration test, thickness test and dissolution test. Results were compared with binder commercially used in paracetamol drug. All 5% and 7% formulations showed friability and hardness values within range. Results of all the formulations of disintegration time are within range except 7% Plantago ovata seeds and 7% Plantago ovata husk. All the extracted hemicellulose showed good binding potential but, in all respects, the best formulation was 7% Lallemantia royleana, which has the potential to replace the synthetic binders in the pharmaceutical industry.

Pharmaceutical Assessment of the Impact of the Method of Extraction on the Suitability of Pectin from Plantain (Musa paradisiaca) Peels as a Suspending Agent in Oral Liquid Formulations.

Natural polymers such as pectin have gained increased utilization in pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors because they are affordable, easily accessible, nontoxic, and chemically modifiable, with the potential to be biodegradable and biocompatible. Musa paradisiaca (plantain) peels make up 30-40% of the overall weight of the fruit. The extraction of pectin from these residues can therefore be viewed as a possible waste of wealth. This study, therefore, focused on evaluating the suspending properties of pectin obtained from Musa paradisiaca (plantain) peels (through acid and alkaline extraction) and presented an alternative suspending agent in the pharmaceutical formulation of suspensions. The unripe peels of Musa paradisiaca were acquired and authenticated at the Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. Pectin was extracted from the peels using both acid and alkaline extraction processes, respectively, characterized, and evaluated for its phytochemical properties. Different concentrations of the acid and alkaline pectin extracts were employed as a suspending agent in paracetamol suspensions, using acacia gum as a standard. The pectin yields obtained were 4.88% and 7.61% for the acid and alkaline extraction processes, respectively, while phytochemical screening revealed the presence of glycosides, tannins, saponins, and phenols in both extracts. The alkaline pectin extract recorded higher equivalent weight, degree of esterification, ash content, and crude content than the acid pectin extract, while FTIR identified similar functional groups in both acid and alkaline pectin extracts. The test suspensions reported significant differences (P < 0.05) in flow rates, ease of redispersion, sedimentation volumes, and rates compared with acacia gum. Moreover, when the acid and alkaline pectin extracts were compared, significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed in sedimentation rates and sedimentation volumes, suggesting that the extraction method may affect suspending properties. Ultimately, the alkaline pectin extract had better suspending properties than the acid pectin extract; however, they both can be used as an alternative to acacia gum as a suspending agent.

Plasticity of Plantago lanceolata L. in Adaptation to Extreme Environmental Conditions.

This study aimed at characterizing some adaptive changes in Plantago lanceolata L. exposed to harsh conditions of a desert-like environment generating physiological stress of limited water availability and exposure to strong light. It was clearly shown that the plants were capable of adapting their root system and vascular tissues to enable efficient vegetative performance. Soil analyses, as well as nitrogen isotope discrimination data show that P. lanceolata leaves in a desert-like environment had better access to nitrogen (nitrite/nitrate) and were able to fix it efficiently, as compared to the plants growing in the surrounding forest. The arbuscular mycorrhiza was also shown to be well-developed, and this was accompanied by higher bacterial frequency in the root zone, which might further stimulate plant growth. A closer look at the nitrogen content and leaf veins with a higher number of vessels and a greater vessel diameter made it possible to define the changes developed by the plants populating sandy habitats as compared with the vegetation sites located in the nearby forest. A determination of the photosynthesis parameters indicates that the photochemical apparatus in P. lanceolata inhabiting the desert areas adapted slightly to the desert-like environment and the time of day, with some changes of the reaction center (RC) size (photosystem II, PSII), while the plants' photochemical activity was at a similar level. No differences between the two groups of plants were observed in the dissipation of light energy. The exposure of plants to harsh conditions of a desert-like environment increased the water use efficiency (WUE) value in parallel with possible stimulation of the ß-carboxylation pathway.

The first arriving virus shapes within-host viral diversity during natural epidemics.

Viral diversity has been discovered across scales from host individuals to populations. However, the drivers of viral community assembly are still largely unknown. Within-host viral communities are formed through co-infections, where the interval between the arrival times of viruses may vary. Priority effects describe the timing and order in which species arrive in an environment, and how early colonizers impact subsequent community assembly. To study the effect of the first-arriving virus on subsequent infection patterns of five focal viruses, we set up a field experiment using naïve Plantago lanceolata plants as sentinels during a seasonal virus epidemic. Using joint species distribution modelling, we find both positive and negative effects of early season viral infection on late season viral colonization patterns. The direction of the effect depends on both the host genotype and which virus colonized the host early in the season. It is well established that co-occurring viruses may change the virulence and transmission of viral infections. However, our results show that priority effects may also play an important, previously unquantified role in viral community assembly. The assessment of these temporal dynamics within a community ecological framework will improve our ability to understand and predict viral diversity in natural systems.

Immunosuppressive effect of Plantago major on the innate immunity of Galleria mellonella.

Greater plantain (Plantago major), a medicinal plant species, is used in folk medicine for the treatment of various diseases in many countries of the world. Different studies have shown that the bioactive components contained in the plant have a dual effect. It was also reported that in vivo and in vitro studies showed different results. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of P. major extract on the hemocyte-mediated and humoral immune responses of the invertebrate model organism Galleria mellonella, which is widely used in immune studies. In the evaluation of these effects, total hemocyte count, encapsulation, melanization, phenoloxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, malondialdehyde and total protein parameters were evaluated. The results of the study showed that the total hemocyte count did not change, that the encapsulation responses decreased, that the melanization responses and phenoloxidase activity increased and that the superoxide dismutase activity decreased. As a result, it was determined that high doses of P. major had negative effects on cell-mediated immunity and antioxidant defence and positive effects on melanization. High doses and continuous use of P. major may have negative effects on living things.

Exploring the gelling properties of Plantago ovata-based Arabinoxylan: Fabrication and optimization of a topical emulgel using response surface methodology.

Prime objective of the current research was to develop a stable nimesulide emulgel with the help of arabinoxylan, a natural gelling agent extracted from Plantago ovata. The response surface methodology was used by a Design Expert 10 software to formulate and optimize the emulgel. The experimental design approach evaluated the impact of independent and dependent variables. Independent variables were different concentrations of arabinoxylan, span 80 and tween 20, whereas, dependent variables were viscosity, pH, and content uniformity. FTIR demonstrated the compatibility of nimesulide with the excipients. Stability study indicated no phase separation and no change in pH for formulation F1, F3 and F4. The negative values of zeta potential revealed the excellent stability of emulgel. Viscosity, spreadability and extrudability values were in desired range. Ex-vivo permeation study illustrated 86%, 55% and 66% release of the drug over a period of 24 h from the formulations F1, F3 and F4, respectively. Analgesic effect of the optimized emulgel was significantly higher in test group as compared to control and did not produce any sort of irritation. Therefore, it can be concluded that the newly developed emulgel based on arabinoxylan, as gelling agent, appear to be an effective drug delivery system.