Emerging trends of Nipah virus: A review.

Since emergence of the Nipah virus (NiV) in 1998 from Malaysia, the NiV virus has reappeared on different occasions causing severe infections in human population associated with high rate of mortality. NiV has been placed along with Hendra virus in genus Henipavirus of family Paramyxoviridae. Fruit bats (Genus Pteropus) are known to be natural host and reservoir of NiV. During the outbreaks from Malaysia and Singapore, the roles of pigs as intermediate host were confirmed. The infection transmitted from bats to pigs and subsequently from pigs to humans. Severe encephalitis was reported in NiV infection often associated with neurological disorders. First NiV outbreak in India occurred in Siliguri district of West Bengal in 2001, where direct transmission of the NiV virus from bats-to-human and human-to-human was reported in contrast to the role of pigs in the Malaysian NiV outbreak. Regular NiV outbreaks have been reported from Bangladesh since 2001 to 2015. The latest outbreak of NiV has been recorded in May, 2018 from Kerala, India which resulted in the death of 17 individuals. Due to lack of vaccines and effective antivirals, Nipah encephalitis poses a great threat to public health. Routine surveillance studies in the infected areas can be useful in detecting early signs of infection and help in containment of these outbreaks.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from medicinal plants and evaluation of their antiviral potential against chikungunya virus.

The exploration of nanoscale materials for their therapeutic potential against emerging and re-emerging infections has been increased in recent years. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are known to possess antimicrobial activities against different pathogens including viruses and provide an excellent opportunity to develop new antivirals. The present study focused on biological synthesis of AgNPs from Andrographis paniculata, Phyllanthus niruri, and Tinospora cordifolia and evaluation of their antiviral properties against chikungunya virus. Synthesized plants AgNPs were characterized to assess their formation, morphology, and stability. The cytotoxicity assays in Vero cells revealed that A. paniculata AgNPs were most cytotoxic with maximum non-toxic dose (MNTD) value of 31.25 µg/mL followed by P. niruri (MNTD, 125 µg/mL) and T. cordifolia AgNPs (MNTD, 250 µg/mL). In vitro antiviral assay of AgNPs based on degree of inhibition of cytopathic effect (CPE) showed that A. paniculata AgNPs were most effective, followed by T. cordifolia and P. niruri AgNPs. The results of antiviral assay were confirmed by cell viability test using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) dye, which revealed that A. paniculata AgNPs inhibited the virus to a maximum extent. The cell viability of CHIKV-infected cells significantly increased from 25.69% to 80.76 and 66.8%, when treated with A. paniculata AgNPs at MNTD and ½MNTD, respectively. These results indicated that use of plants AgNPs as antiviral agents is feasible and could provide alternative treatment options against viral diseases which have no specific antiviral or vaccines available yet.

Antiplasmodial potential and quantification of aloin and aloe-emodin in Aloe vera collected from different climatic regions of India.

BACKGROUND: In this study, Aloe vera samples were collected from different climatic regions of India. Quantitative HPTLC (high performance thin layer chromatography) analysis of important anthraquinones aloin and aloe-emodin and antiplasmodial activity of crude aqueous extracts was done to estimate the effects of these constituents on antiplasmodial potential of the plant. METHODS: HPTLC system equipped with a sample applicator Linomat V with CAMAG sample syringe, twin rough plate development chamber (20 x 10 cm), TLC Scanner 3 and integration software WINCATS 1.4.8 was used for analysis of aloin and aloe-emodin amount. The antiplasmodial activity of plant extracts was assessed against a chloroquine (CQ) sensitive strain of P. falciparum (MRC-2). Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of aqueous extracts of selected samples was determined according to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended method that was based on assessing the inhibition of schizont maturation in a 96-well microtitre plate. EC (effective concentration) values of different samples were observed to predict antiplasmodial potential of the plant in terms of their climatic zones. RESULTS: A maximum quantity of aloin and aloe-emodin i.e. 0.45 and 0.27 mg/g respectively was observed from the 12 samples of Aloe vera. The inhibited parasite growth with EC50 values ranging from 0.289 to 1056 µg/ml. The antiplasmodial EC50 value of positive control Chloroquine was observed 0.034 µg/ml and EC50 values showed by aloin and aloe-emodin was 67 µg/ml and 22 µg/ml respectively. A positive correlation was reported between aloin and aloe-emodin. Antiplasmodial activity was increased with increase in the concentration of aloin and aloe-emodin. The quantity of aloin and aloe-emodin was decreased with rise in temperature hence it was negatively correlated with temperature. CONCLUSIONS: The extracts of Aloe vera collected from colder climatic regions showed good antiplasmodial activity and also showed the presence of higher amount of aloin and aloe-emodin in comparison to collected from warmer climatic sites. Study showed significant correlation between quantities of both the anthraquinones used as marker compounds and EC50 values of the different Aloe vera extracts. Although, both the anthraquinones showed less antiplasmodial potential in comparison to crude extracts of different Aloe vera samples. Diverse climatic factors affect the quantity of tested compounds and antiplasmodial potential of the plant in different Aloe vera samples.

Spatial and seasonal influences on culturable endophytic mycobiota associated with different tissues of Eugenia jambolana Lam. and their antibacterial activity against MDR strains.

BACKGROUND: Present study focuses on diversity and distribution analysis of endophytic fungi associated with different tissues of Eugenia jambolana. The influence of season and geographical location on diversity and distribution of endophytic fungi has been analyzed. Antibacterial activity of isolated fungal species has also been investigated against MDR bacterial strains. RESULT: A total of 1896 endophytic fungal isolates were obtained from healthy, surface sterilized tissues of leaf, stem and petiole tissues during summer, monsoon and winter season. Out of 24 fungal species isolated, 20 species belong to class Ascomycetes, 2 to Basidiomycetes and 2 to Zygomycetes. Maximum species diversity was in rainy season whereas colonization frequency was in winter. All the diversity indices showed maximum species diversity at site 5 (Yamunanager), rainy among the seasons and leaf among the tissues studied. Aspergillus genus was most frequently isolated. Aspergillus niger and Alternaria alternata were most dominant species. Three way ANOVA results showed that effect of season was highly significant on species diversity in relation to sites and tissues. 60% endophytic fungal extracts showed significant antibacterial activity against one or more than one MDR bacterial strain. CONCLUSION: Different fungal species were recovered from different sites but the inter-site comparisons were not significant according to Jaccard similarity coefficient. Diversity of such fungal endophytes indicates that Eugenia jambolana plant acts as an ecosystem facilitating survival of many microbes with impressive antibacterial potential.

Green silver nanoparticles of Phyllanthus amarus: as an antibacterial agent against multi drug resistant clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

BACKGROUND: Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in burn and immune-compromised patients. In recent studies, researchers have drawn their attention towards ecofriendly synthesis of nanoparticles and their activity against multidrug resistant microbes. In this study, silver nanoparticles were synthesized from aqueous extract of Phyllanthus amarus. The synthesized nanoparticles were explored as a potent source of nanomedicine against MDR burn isolates of P. aeruginosa. RESULTS: Silver nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using P. amarus extract and the nature of synthesized nanoparticles was analyzed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, X- ray diffraction and fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy. The average size of synthesized nanoparticles was 15.7, 24 ± 8 and 29.78 nm by XRD, TEM and DLS respectively. The antibacterial activity of AgNPs was investigated against fifteen MDR strains of P. aeruginosa tested at different concentration. The zone of inhibition was measured in the range of 10 ± 0.53 to 21 ± 0.11mm with silver nanoparticles concentration of 12.5 to 100 µg/ml. The zone of inhibition increased with increase in the concentration of silver nanoparticles. The MIC values of synthesized silver nanoparticles were found in the range of 6.25 to12.5 µg/ml. The MIC values are comparable to the standard antibiotics. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that silver nanoparticles from P. amarus extract exhibited excellent antibacterial potential against multidrug resistant strains of P. aeruginosa from burn patients and gives insight of their potential applicability as an alternative antibacterial in the health care system to reduce the burden of multidrug resistance.

Monkeypox Virus (MPXV) Infection: A Review.

Monkeypox is a viral disease; its outbreak was recently declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization. For the first time, a monkeypox virus (MPXV)-infected patient was found in India. Various researchers back-to-back tried to find the solution to this health emergency just after COVID-19. In this review, we discuss the current outbreak status of India, its transmission, virulence factors, symptoms, treatment, and the preventive guidelines generated by the Indian Health Ministry. We found that monkeypox virus (MPXV) disease is different from smallpox, and the age group between 30-40 years old is more prone to MPXV disease. We also found that, besides homosexuals, gays, bisexuals, and non-vegetarians, it also affects normal straight men and women who have no history of travel. Close contact should be avoided from rats, monkeys and sick people who are affected by monkeypox. To date, there are no monkeypox drugs, but Tecovirimat is more effective than other drugs that are used for other viral diseases like smallpox. Therefore, we need to develop an effective antiviral agent against the virulence factor of MXPV.

Assessment of functional and genetic diversity of aerobic endospore forming Bacilli from rhizospheric soil of Phyllanthus amarus L.

Fifty two aerobic and endospore forming Bacilli (AEFB) strains were recovered from rhizospheric soil of Phyllanthus amarus. Morphological, biochemical and molecular characterization by 16S rDNA gene sequencing has shown that these bacterial strains belong to six different genera of AEFB i.e. Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Lysinibacillus, Paenibacillus, Terribacillus and Jeotgalibacillus. Analysis of their PGP activities has shown that 92.30 % strains produced indole acetic acid hormone, 86.53 % of the strains solubilized Phosphate and 44.23 % strains produced siderophore. Chitinase production activity was shown by 42.30 % of the strains and 21.15 % of the strains produced 1-amino cyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase. 46.15 % of isolates have shown antagonistic activity against common fungal pathogen of the plant i.e. Corynespora cassiicola. Among all of the isolated strains B. Cereus JP44SK22 and JP44SK42 have shown all of the six plant growth promoting traits tested. B. megaterium strains (JP44SK18 and JP44SK35), Lysinibacillus sphaericus strains (JP44SK3 and JP44SK4) and Brevibacillus laterosporus strain JP44SK51 have also shown multiple PGP activities except ACC deaminase production activity. In the present study bacterial strain belonging to genera Jeotgalibacillus sp. JP44SK37 has been reported first time as a member of rhizospheric soil habitat and has also shown PGP activities. It can be concluded that Rhizosphere of P. amarus has harboured a good diversity of AEFB bacterial strains having a lot of biofertilizing and biocontrol abilities.

Eugenol isolated from supercritical fluid extract of Ocimum sanctum: a potent inhibitor of DENV-2.

Dengue is one of the fairly prevalent viral infections at the world level transmitted through mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus). Due to various environmental factors, dengue cases surged rapidly at the global level in recent decades, with 193245 cases in 2021 and an increment of 110473 cases in 2022. There is no antidote available against dengue and other flaviviruses. In the absence of a dengue vaccine or specific antiviral, medicinal plants or their products can be the only choice for its effective management. Ocimum sanctum is known as ''The Incomparable One,'' ''Mother Medicine of Nature'' and ''Queen of Herbs'' in Ayurveda, and is considered an "elixir of life" supreme in both healthcare and spiritual terms. In present study eugenol was isolated in O.sanctum. Eugenol (1-hydroxy-2-methoxy-4-allylbenzene) has been substantially responsible for its therapeutic potential. High-performance thin-layer chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy were applied to identify the compound. The Rf value of isolated compound was same in the chromatogram (0.69 + 0.05) with compare to standard. The safe dose of plant and eugenol were found as < 31.25 µg/ml and < 15.62 µg/ml. The anti-dengue activity was assessed in C6/36 cell lines, their effect was determined through Quantitative PCR. The NMR of the isolated eugenol showed similar properties as the commercial marker compound. The eugenol and SFE extract of O. sanctum showed the inhibition of 99.28% and completely against Dengue-2, respectively. Docking study exposed that the interaction of eugenol with NS1 and NS5 dengue protein showed the binding energy as - 5.33 and - 5.75 kcal/mol, respectively. The eugenol from the O. sanctum plant has the potential to be a good source of future treatment medications for dengue illness, as well as a valuable tool in its successful management.

Chitosan based sorafenib tosylate loaded magnetic nanoparticles: Formulation and in-vitro characterization.

Biocompatible magnetic nanoparticles are used for various biomedical applications. This study reported the development of nanoparticles with magnetic properties by embedding magnetite particles in the drug-loaded, crosslinked matrix of chitosan. Sorafenib tosylate-loaded magnetic nanoparticles were prepared by a modified ionic-gelation method. Particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, and entrapment efficiency of nanoparticles were in the range of 95.6 ± 3.4 nm to 440.9 ± 7.3 nm, 12.8 ± 0.8 mV to 27.3 ± 1.1 mV, 0.289 ± 0.011 to 0.571 ± 0.011, and 54.36 ± 1.26 % to 79.67 ± 1.40 %, respectively. The XRD spectrum of formulation CMP-5 confirmed the amorphous nature of the loaded drug in nanoparticles. TEM image confirmed the spherical shape of nanoparticles. Atomic force microscopic image of formulation CMP-5 indicated a mean surface roughness of 10.3597 nm. The magnetization saturation of formulation CMP-5 was 24.74 emu/g. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed that formulation CMP-5's g-Lande's factor was 4.27, which was extremely near to the 4.30 (usual for Fe3+ ions). Residual paramagnetic Fe3+ ions may be responsible for paramagnetic origin. The data suggests superparamagnetic nature of particles. Formulations released 28.66 ± 1.22 % to 53.24 ± 1.95 % and 70.13 ± 1.72 % to 92.48 ± 1.32 % of the loaded drug after 24 h in pH 6.8 and pH 1.2, respectively. The IC50 value of formulation CMP-5 was 54.75 µg/mL in HepG2 (human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines).

Monkeypox virus is nature's wake-up call: a bird's-eye view.

Several infections have emerged in humans, domestic animals, wildlife, and plant populations, causing a severe problem for humanity. Since the discovery of the Monkeypox virus (Mpox) in 1958 in Copenhagen, Denmark, it has resurfaced several times, producing severe infections in humans and resulting in a significant fatality rate. Mpox is an Orthopoxvirus of the Poxviridae family. This family contains various medically important viruses. The natural reservoir of Mpox is unknown yet. Mpox might be carried by African rodents and nonhuman primates (such as monkeys). The role of monkeys has been confirmed by its various outbreaks. The infection may be transferred from unidentified wild animals to monkeys, who can then spread it to humans by crossing species barriers. In close contact, human-to-human transmission is also possible. Mpox outbreaks have been documented regularly in Central and Western Africa, but recently in 2022, it has spread to over one hundred-six countries. There is no specific treatment for it, although the smallpox vaccine, antivirals, and vaccinia immune globulin help in the effective management of Mpox. In conclusion: Monkeypox poses a severe threat to public health due to the lack of specific vaccinations and effective antivirals. Surveillance studies in affected regions can assist in the early diagnosis of disease and help to control significant outbreaks. The present review provides information on epidemiology, clinical symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, and preventive measures of Mpox.

Incidence and risk factors for infection in oral cancer patients undergoing different treatments protocols.

BACKGROUND: Over the past decade, advances in cancer treatments have been counterbalanced by a rising number of immunosuppressed patients with a multitude of new risk factors for infection. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine risk factors, infectious pathogens in blood and oral cavity of oral cancer patients undergoing different treatment procedures. METHODS: The present prospective cohort analysis was conducted on the patients undergoing treatment in the radiotherapy unit of Regional Cancer Institute, Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, during the period of January 2007 to October 2009. Total 186 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity were analyzed in the study. Based on treatment procedures patients were divided into three groups, group I were under radiotherapy, group II under chemotherapy and group III were of radio chemotherapy together. Clinical isolates from blood and oral cavity were identified by following general microbiological, staining and biochemical methods. The absolute neutrophile counts were done by following the standard methods. RESULTS: Prevalent bacterial pathogens isolated were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris and the fungal pathogens were Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus. The predominant gram negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia were isolated from blood of radiotherapy and oral cavity of chemotherapy treated cases respectively. The predominance of gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis) were observed in blood of chemotherapy, radio chemotherapy cases and oral cavity of radiotherapy, radio chemotherapy treated cases. Our study also revealed the presence of C. albicans fungi as most significant oral cavity pathogens in radiotherapy and radio chemotherapy cases. CONCLUSION: Gram positive bacteria and Gram negative were reported from the blood of all the three groups of patients. Oral mucositis played a significant role in oral cavity infection and make patients more prone to C. albicans infection.

Comparative antidandruff efficacy of plant extracts prepared from conventional and supercritical fluid extraction method and chemical profiling using GCMS.

BACKGROUND: To combat dandruff associated pathogens, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) can be used as an alternative eco-friendly technique to obtain antimicrobial plant extracts over conventional methods. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to compare the yield and antimicrobial potential of extracts obtained by different extraction methods. METHODS: Extraction was carried out by cold percolation method using ethyl acetate (EA) and SFE using CO2. Antimicrobial activity was studied against dandruff causing microbes; Malassezia furfur, Propionibacterium acne, and Staphylococcus epidermidis by agar well diffusion and micro broth dilution method. Statistical evaluation was done by principal component analysis (PCA). RESULTS: The yield was found higher in the ethyl acetate extracts. PCA indicated that among the sixteen extracts, SFE extract of Azadirachta indica leaves was the most influential with the highest F1 score and maximum antimicrobial activity. Cinnamomum zeylanicum SFE extract demonstrated the lowest MIC against P. acne and M. furfur. GC-MS analysis of A. indica extract inferred that ganoderic acid, 13,14-epoxyoleanan-3-ol acetate, henicosanal, 2-heptadecycloxirane were the major phytoconstituents whereas cinnamaldehyde, α- muurolene and caffeic acid were primarily found in cinnamon. CONCLUSION: Bioactive compounds identified in the extracts of A. indica and C. zeylanicum can be used in natural antidandruff products.

In silico approach for identification of natural compounds as potential COVID 19 main protease (Mpro) inhibitors.

With the recent pandemic outbreak and subsequent worldwide spread of COVID-19 from Wuhan city of China, millions of infections and lakhs of deaths have resulted. No registered therapies have been developed to treat infection with COVID-19. The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of herbal drugs as drug target molecules against COVID-19 by molecular docking. The inhibitory effects of natural compounds were analyzed against COVID-19 main protease (Mpro). The inhibition of Mpro prevents the virus replication. In the current study forty eight compounds were screened with AutoDock 4.2. Discovery Studio has visualised the interaction between targeted protein amino acids and ligands. The potent phytochemicals inhibitors were identified based on the binding energy with the targeted protein. Phytochemicals such as Fagaronine, Isoboldine, Sageone, Lycorine and Wogonin were noted as potential inhibitors whereas the docking study demonstrated the significant binding energy with the target enzyme, viz. - 6.21, - 5.99, - 5.97, - 5.86 and - 5.62 Kcal / Mol respectively. These lead compounds can be used against SARS-CoV-2 infections for drug development. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13337-021-00701-7.

Identification and characterization of new potent inhibitors of dengue virus NS5 proteinase from Andrographis paniculata supercritical extracts on in animal cell culture and in silico approaches.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: About 2.5 billion peoples are at risk of dengue virus and the majority of people, use traditional plant-based medicines to combat dengue. The whole plant of Andrographis paniculata used traditionally over past decades for health promotion. Andrographolide isolated from Andrographis paniculata is used as natural remedy for the treatment of various diseases in different parts of the world. Andrographolide has been reported to have antiviral activity against hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, herpes simplex virus, influenza virus, chikungunya virus, dengue virus 2 and 4. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of the present study to isolate the andrographolide from the A. paniculata by supercritical fluid extraction technique and to characterize the isolated compound along with it anti-dengue activity against DENV-2 in vitro and in silico methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Supercritical extraction condition for A. paniculata was standardised to isolate andrographolide compound at definite temperature and pressure on the basis of previous study. The andrographolide was identified by using Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-VIS), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) and Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1HNMR). The maximum non-toxic dose of isolated andrographolide was detected by MTT assay using a micro plate reader at 595 nm. One hundred (100) copies/ml of the DENV-2 virus was used for antiviral assay in C6/36 cells lines and inhibition of virus due to andrographolide was determined by real-time PCR assay. The purity of isolated andrographolide was determined by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The dengue NS5 receptor protein was docked with andrographolide and evaluated on the basis of the total energy and binding affinity score by Auto Dock (V4.2.6) software. RESULTS: Andrographolide, a diterpene lactone was isolated from the A. paniculata supercritical extract at 40 °C temperature and 15 Mpa pressure. UV spectrophotometer analysis revealed that the curve of andrographolide plant extract was overlapped with reference compound at 228 nm and the similar bands were detected from FT-IR spectroscopy analysis at 3315, 2917, 2849, 1673, 1462 and 1454 cm-1 in isolated and standard andrographolide. HPTLC analysis shows the retention factor (Rf) of A. paniculata extract at 0.74 ± 0.06 as similar to standard andrographolide Rf values. The purity of isolated andrographolide was 99.76%. The maximum non-toxic dose of isolated andrographolide was found as 15.62 µg/ml on the C6/36 cell line calculated by using MTT assay. The andrographolide showed the 97.23% anti-dengue activity against the dengue-2 virus in C6/36 cell lines. Results of molecular docking showed that the interaction between andrographolide and NS5 of dengue protein with the maximum binding energy as -7.35 kcal/mol. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that isolated andrographolide from the A. paniculata possess anti-dengue activity against dengue-2 virus as revealed from in vitro and in silico method. Due to lack of the vaccine and anti-viral agents, andrographolide extracted from A. paniculata play a major role to inhibit the dengue replication. Hence, it could be a source for drug design and help to reduce the dengue infection.

Comparison of Curcuma Caesia extracts for bioactive metabolite composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial potential.

The objective of this study was to compare the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of Curcuma caesia rhizome extracts and to characterise its bioactive metabolites by Fourier Transform-Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS). Extracts were prepared using methanol, acetone and ethyl acetate by cold percolation methods. Compared to other extracts, methanol extract discovered to have the greatest antioxidant capacity. Analysis of FTIR spectra of all the extracts of Curcuma caesia shows the existence of several functional groups such as phenol, aldehydes and carboxylic group. But in methanol extract C≡C stretching bond, nitro compound and conjugated aldehyde were also presented. GC-MS extract assessment showed that sesquiterpene and monoterpenes were primarily presented. This research provides an efficient basis for separating the innovative bioactive compound from plant and assessing their effectiveness for antioxidant and antibacterial operations in particular.[Figure: see text].

Anti-dengue activity of super critical extract and isolated oleanolic acid of Leucas cephalotes using in vitro and in silico approach.

BACKGROUNDS: Leucas cephalotes is a common ethnomedicinal plant widely used by traditional healers for the treatment of Malaria and other types of fever. Oleanolic acid and its derivatives have been reported for various types of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, hepatoprotective, anti-HIV and anti-HCV activity. METHODS: L.cephalotes plant extracts were prepared by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) method and oleanolic acid was isolated by preparatory thin-layer chromatography. The compound was identified and characterize by using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-VIS), Fourier transform infra-Red spectroscopy (FT-IR) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). The structure of the compound was elucidated by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1HNMR) and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (1CNMR) and the purity checked by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The MTT assay was used to determine the toxicity of plant extract and oleanolic acid using a microplate reader at 595 nm. The anti-dengue activity of plant extract and oleanolic acid was tested in vitro and in silico using real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: The optimum yield of the extract was obtained at 40 °C temperature and 15Mpa pressure. The maximum non-toxic dose (MNTD) of plant extract and oleanolic acid were found as 46.87 µg/ml and 93.75 µg/ml, respectively in C6/36 cell lines. UV spectrophotometer curve of the isolated compound was overlapped with standard oleanolic acid at 232 nm. Superimposed FT-IR structure of the isolated compound was indicated the same spectra at 3433, 2939, 2871, 1690, 1500,1463, 1387, 1250, 1209, 1137 and 656 position as per marker compound. HPTLC analysis showed the retention factor of L. cephalotes extract was 0.19 + 0.06 as similar to the standard oleanolic acid chromatogram. The NMR structure of the isolated compound was identified as similar to the marker oleanolic acid structure. DSC analysis revealed the purity of isolated oleanolic acid was 98.27% with a melting point of 311.16 °C. Real-time RT PCR results revealed that L. cephalotes supercritical extract and isolated oleanolic acid showed 100 and 99.17% inhibition against the dengue - 2 virus when treated with MNTD value of plant extract (46.87 µg/ml) and the test compound (93.75 µg/ml), respectively. The molecular study demonstrated the binding energy of oleanolic acid with NS1and NS5 (non-structural protein) were - 9.42 & -8.32Kcal/mol, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The SFE extract L. cephalotes and its active compound, oleanolic acid inhibiting the activity of dengue-2 serotype in the in vitro and in silico assays. Thus, the L.cephalotes plant could be an excellent source for drug design for the treatment of dengue infection.

The Cat Que Virus: a resurfacing orthobunyavirus could lead to epidemics.

The newly emerging and re-emerging of viral contagion in the present scenario are of more extensive health concern. After a long calm of many years, an unexpected eruption of the Cat Que Virus in China is a source of our concern. Cat Que Virus is an Arbovirus and belongs to the Simbu serogroup of the Orthobunyavirus genus of the Bunyaviridae family. The Simbu serogroup is an extremely diverse group of Arbovirus. The arboviruses are causing the infection in multiple hosts including humans and various livestock. They can cause mild to life-threatening infections. Arboviruses expand their spectrum and are more observable in recent times. Human actions have the most significant geophysical impact on the environment. Changes in rainfall patterns, floods, and the risk of extreme weather events are all consequences of climate change. These events may be connected to the extension of permissive vectors, geographic ranges, and therefore provide more chance of growth and spread of potential vector. Arboviruses are responsible for the health hazard to millions of people globally. It is critical to concentrate research and surveillance on these emerging and re-emerging viruses, particularly arthropod-borne viral infections. The appropriate research and surveillance on them will help us for the development of effective control and treatment strategies and also reduce health problems. The present review summarizes the current broad outline of discovery, evolution and dispersal of this unknown virus.

In-vitro and in-silico evaluation of the anti-chikungunya potential of Psidium guajava leaf extract and their synthesized silver nanoparticles.

Chikungunya is a notorious viral infection, which affects a large segment of world populations in absence of vaccines and antivirals. The current study evaluates of anti-chikungunya activities of Psidium guajava leaves extract and their green synthesized silver nanoparticles. Green synthesized nanoparticles were well characterized for their size and stability by dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and their functional groups were analyzed by FTIR. Maximum non-toxic doses (MNTD) of extracts and nanoparticles were analysed by using Vero cell-lines. Anti-chikungunya activities of extracts and nano-particles were determined on Vero cells and their effects on cell viability were measured by MTT assay. The P. guajava nano-particles and extracts revealed the anti-chikungunya activities in the Vero cell. The cells viability was increased by 40% and 60% as compared to the virus control, when these cells were treated with MNTD of P. guajava nano-particles and extracts, respectively. To know the reason for antiviral activity, molecular docking of phytochemicals was done against a replication essential cysteine protease (nsP2) of Chikungunya. It was found that phytochemicals; Longifollen and Quercetin showed the minimum binding energy with nsP2. P. guajava extracts can be exploited to develop an effective anti-chikungunya agent. In the absence of CHIKV vaccines and antivirals, P. guajava may be used to develop rapid, responsive, specific, and cost-effective anti-chikungunya agents. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13337-021-00685-4.

Effect of temperature and pressure on antimycobacterial activity of Curcuma caesia extract by supercritical fluid extraction method.

Background: Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is an advanced technique using CO2as a solvent and plant-based drug exploration is a topic of growing interest. Curcuma caesia is a medicinal herb with many medicinal potential. Hence, in the present study, the effect of temperature (40°C-60°C) and pressure (10-20 MPa) on extraction yield and antimycobacterium potential of C. caesia Roxb. dry rhizome powder using supercritical fluid extraction method were evaluated. Methods: The extract of C. caesia by SFE was accomplished using temperature range (40°C-60°C) and pressure range (10-20 MPa). The chemical profile of the extracts were investigated by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS) and the antimycobacterial activity of the extracts were analyzed against Mycobacterium smegmatis strains MTCC06 and MTCC994. Compounds found in the extract were further checked by in silico analyses with two protein target 4DRE and 3UCI. Results: Extraction yield ranged from 3.0 to 5.6 g/25g dry substrate, with the highest value being achieved at 50°C and 15 MPa. The results of GCMS analyses revealed the presence of beta-elemene, curzerenone, boldenone, and 2-cyclohexen-1-one, 4-ethynyl-4-hydroxy-3, 5, 5-trimethyl in the extracts. The extract obtained at 50°C temperature and 15 MPa pressure showed the highest zone of inhibition against M. smegmatis strains MTCC06 and MTCC994, that is, 15.6 mm and 13.6 mm, respectively. Active constituents present in the extracts showed good binding energy with 4DRE and 3UCI by in silico analysis. Conclusion: This study identified the effect of temperature and pressure on yield C. caesia extract by SFE method. Furthermore, the effect of different extracts on antimycobacterial potential and docking study validated the antimycobacterial potential.

The Indian perspective of COVID-19 outbreak.

The emerging infection of COVID-19 was initiated from Wuhan, China, have been spread to more than 210 countries around the globe including India. The clinical symptoms of COVID-19 are very similar to other respiratory viruses. The number of laboratory-confirmed cases and associated deaths are increasing regularly in various parts of the World. Seven coronaviruses (229E, NL63, OC43, HKU1, SARS, MERS and, COVID-19) can naturally infect human beings. Out of these four (229E-CoV, NL63-CoV, OC43-CoV, HKU1-CoV) are responsible for mild upper respiratory infections, while SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and COVID-19 are well known for their high mortality. Few mild strains of coronaviruses are circulating in India but there is no evidence of SARS and MERS outbreaks. The COVID-19 is an emerging viral infection responsible for pandemics. Fortunately, the mortality of COVID-19 is low as compared with SARS and MERS, the majority of its cases are recovered. The death toll of COVID-19 is high even after its low mortality because COVID-19 causes a pandemic while SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV cause epidemics only. COVID-19 influenced the large segments of the world population, which led to a public health emergency of international concern, putting all health organizations on high alert. COVID-19 is the first coronavirus after Spanish Flu 1918-1919, who has extremely influenced the health system, economy, and psychology of India. The present study review is on the general continent, virology, pathogenesis, global epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment and control of COVID-19 with the reference to India.