Profiling of Antifungal Activities and In Silico Studies of Natural Polyphenols from Some Plants

A worldwide increase in the incidence of fungal infections, emergence of new fungal strains, and antifungal resistance to commercially available antibiotics indicate the need to investigate new treatment options for fungal diseases. Therefore, the interest in exploring the antifungal activity of medicinal plants has now been increased to discover phyto-therapeutics in replacement to conventional antifungal drugs. The study was conducted to explore and identify the mechanism of action of antifungal agents of edible plants, including Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Cinnamomum tamala, Amomum subulatum, Trigonella foenumgraecum, Mentha piperita, Coriandrum sativum, Lactuca sativa, and Brassica oleraceae var. italica. The antifungal potential was assessed via the disc diffusion method and, subsequently, the extracts were assessed for phytochemicals and total antioxidant activity. Potent polyphenols were detected using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and antifungal mechanism of action was evaluated in silico. Cinnamomum zeylanicum exhibited antifungal activity against all the tested strains while all plant extracts showed antifungal activity against Fusarium solani. Rutin, kaempferol, and quercetin were identified as common polyphenols. In silico studies showed that rutin displayed the greatest affinity with binding pocket of fungal 14-alpha demethylase and nucleoside diphosphokinase with the binding affinity (Kd, −9.4 and −8.9, respectively), as compared to terbinafine. Results indicated that Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Cinnamomum tamala exert their antifungal effect possibly due to kaempferol and rutin, respectively, or possibly by inhibition of nucleoside diphosphokinase (NDK) and 14-alpha demethylase (CYP51), while Amomum subulatum and Trigonella foenum graecum might exhibit antifungal potential due to quercetin. Overall, the study demonstrates that plant-derived products have a high potential to control fungal infections.

Different Crude Extracts of Cinnamomum tamala with Antioxidant and Antibacterial Capabilities

In this present study, crude extracts of young and mature leaves of Cinnamomum tamala were evaluated for their antioxidant and antibacterial capabilities. The cold percolation method was carried out with polar solvents methanol and ethanol. The antioxidant activities of all the extracts were assessed by DPPH assay and antibacterial properties were performed against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, and Klebsiella pneumoniae by agar well diffusion method. All extracts were able to scavenge free radicals in which strong antioxidant activity was found in methanolic extract of young leaves, and its IC50 value was estimated as (67.19±14.96 μg/mL) at a concentration range of 31.25-500 μg/mL while IC50 value of standard ascorbic acid was found to be 33.53±0.97 μg/mL at the concentration range of 10-50 μg/mL. The ethanolic extract of leaves (ZOI = 19 mm) showed strong antibacterial activity while standard neomycin showed (ZOI = 23 mm) against Escherichia coli at a concentration of 50 μg/mL. These results may provide scientific evidence of the traditional uses of C. tamala. Isolation and characterization of pure active compounds should be done in the future.

Quality Standards for Caturjata Carna Evaluated with Official and Substitute Ingredients

Background: In Ayurveda, single or multiple herbs mixed in a particular proportion are used for the treatment of different diseases. Caturjata Curna (CC) is a popular Ayurvedic medicine with therapeutic application in tastelessness, diseases due to vitiated Kapha, poisoning and discoloration. The present study is an attempt to standardize a polyherbal medicine CC. Methods: CC was prepared by mixing an equal proportion of ingredients including Tvak (Cinnamomum verum) - stem bark, Ela (Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton) - seed, Tvakpatra (Cinnamomum tamala (Buch.-Ham.) T.Nees & Eberm.) - leaf and Nagakesara (Mesua ferrea L.) - stamen in equal parts as per guidelines in Ayurvedic Formulary of India. Macro-microscopy, physico-chemical parameters, HPTLC fingerprinting, and spectroscopic parameters were determined according to standardised methodology available in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. Results: Caturjata curna is brown coloured with a characteristic odour and aromatic taste. Powder microscopy showed the presence of diagnostic characters like horse shoe-shaped stone cells, perisperm cells with volatile oil droplets, paracytic stomata and endothecium layers of anthers indicating each ingredient of the formulation. HPTLC showed 13, 13 and 16 bands each under short UV, long UV and white light post derivatisation respectively in ethanolic extract of the formulation. Physico-chemical standards like loss on drying at 105º (10.39 %), total ash (4.1 %), acid-insoluble ash (0.90 %), ethanol- soluble extractive (10 %), water-soluble extractive (8.77 %) and pH of 10% aqueous solution (4.58) were recorded. The presence of cinnamaldehyde and 1-eicosene was confirmed by GC-MS and NMR studies. Conclusion: a monograph on quality standards for CC has been proposed which would serve as a document to control the quality of this polyherbal formulation.

IN VITRO ANTILEISHMANIAL ACTIVITIES OF THREE MEDICINAL PLANTS: ARGEMONE MEXICANA, MURRAYA KOENIGII AND CINNAMOMUM TAMALA AGAINST MILTEFOSINE RESISTANT PROMASTIGOTES OF LEISHMANIA DONOVANI PARASITES

Objective: Leishmaniasis is one of the neglected tropical diseases in terms of drug development and discovery. Non-responsiveness and resistance to the drug in Leishmania species need to develop new antileishmanial potentials; herbal medicines could be the alternative one. Methods: In the present study, semi-purified fractions were prepared from the traditionally used three medicinal plants of India: Argemone mexicana (aerial shoot), Murraya koenigii (stem), and Cinnamomum tamala (bark) by using multiple solvent systems (non-polar to polar, beginning with petroleum ether followed by n-hexane, benzene, and chloroform) and an effort was given to assess the leishmanicidal activities against Leishmania donovani miltefosine resistant HePC-R (Ld/MIL-30) promastigotes in vitro and the IC50 concentrations were estimated. Results: The study revealed that the semi-purified fractions of A. mexicana, M. koenigii, and C. tamala have effective antileishmanial activities and the 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) are 50 μg/ml, 98 μg/ml, and 200 μg/ml, respectively. At these (IC50) concentrations, these plant semi-purified fractions were found to interfere in lipid and protein biosynthesis, alter cell morphology, DNA content, mitochondrial membrane potential, generating ROS, and apoptosis in promastigotes. The semi-purified fractions were also found noticeably non-toxic towards host splenocytes. Conclusion: These results could suggest that A. mexicana, M. koenigii, and C. tamala could carry potential novel compounds for the development of new drugs against Leishmaniasis.

Phytochemical Screening and Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Cinnamomum tamala Leaf Extract

Traditional plant-based medicines are still needed by the whole world for their primary healthcare benefits. The phytochemicals or plant extract could be used to treat different diseases and new formulation for the drug discovery in pharmaceuticals. Cinnamomum tamala is commonly called as Indian bay leaf or Tejpatta. The leaves and bark of Cinnamomum tamala are used to cure various diseases due to its various properties including astringent, stimulant and carminative. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the comparative phytochemical screening and free radical scavenging activity of the leaf of Cinnamomum tamala. To achieve this, extract was prepared in three solvents (ethanol, ethanol, aqueous and chloroform). Phytochemical screening (qualitative and quantitative) was evaluated in all the three fractions to compare the solubility of various bioactive components. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, flavones and flavonols, tannins, carbohydrates, amino acids and proteins, saponins and glycosides in leaves of Cinnamomum tamala. Quantitative analysis showed that the total polyphenolic content, total flavonoids content, total alkaloids and total flavones and flavonols content in the hydroalcoholic extract was 48.1 mg GA (gallic acid)/g, 22.1 mg QE (Quercetin)/g, 59.9 mg/g and 1.75 mg RE (Rutin)/g, respectively. DPPH free radical assay revealed that Cinnamomum tamala hydroalcoholic leaf extract at a 100 µm/ml concentration showed 96.99± 0.99% inhibition activity. It can be concluded that most of the bioactive components are found soluble in hydroalcoholic solvent. Cinnamomum tamala hydroalcoholic leaf extract contains various bioactive and also exhibits significant free radical scavenging activity. Hence, it can be used as an alternative remedy for the treatment of various diseases.

Potentiality of income generation through Non-timber Forest Products: A case study from the Sallipatan Trishakti Community Forest, Bajhang district, Nepal

Non-timber Forest Products are the major source of livelihood support for rural communities in Nepal. A case study was performed to determine the potentiality of income generation through Non-timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in the Sallipatan Trishakti community forest of Bajhang district, Nepal from February to April 2020. The Questionnaire surveys, key informant surveys, focus group discussions and forest resource inventory have been used for the data collection. A total of 37 species of NTFPs from 31 families were identified out of which only five species were found to have high market potential. Xanthoxylum armatum (Timur), Phyllanthus emblica (Amala), and Cinnamomum tamala (Tejpat) were found in good frequency and have a good market but the yearly earnings and the number of households involved were low. Bergenia ciliate (Pakhanbed), Valeriana jatamansi (Sugandhawal), and Rhododendron arboretum (Lali gurans) were present in high density in the forest and have high market value but locals didn’t prefer and market them due to lack of knowledge and processing technology. Pinus roxburghii, Myrica esculenta, Among the total respondents, 59% collect NTFPs for household purposes, 30% for selling purposes, and 11% for traditional uses. Swertia chirayita, Rhododendron arboretum, Cinnamomum tamala, Drepanostachyum sps., Asparagous racemous and Taxus wallichiana would have the potentiality for small scale business from the community forest if they were promoted and managed properly.

Review Based Upon Ayurvedic and Traditional Uses of Cinnamomum tamala (Tejpatta)

Cinnamomum tamala is an evergreen plant native to Sri Lanka and India. This herbal plant is commonly called Indian cassia, Tejpatta and Indian bay leaf. There are many bioactive constituents isolated from plant Cinnamomum tamala. Leaves of the plant possess aromatic fragrance and are also utilized as a flavoring agent. It is used in food curry, pickles and other spices. Besides food application, the leaves have also been used for curing a number of ailments. All parts of the plant possess many major bioactive chemical constituents like cinnamaldehyde, trans-cinnamaldehyde, 3,4,5,7- tetrahydroxyflavone, 3,3,4,5,6- pentahydroflavone (non-glycoside compounds), kaempferol, eugenol, etc. These phytochemical compounds have many pharmacological activities such as anticancer, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, antidiarrheal and immunomodulatory. In the past time, it is also considered for medicinal use. Their medicinal use was also mentioned in the literature of ayurveda, yunani and other traditional systems of medicine. Due to aromatic fragrance, it is also utilized in the perfume industry. The major aim of this review is to give a brief knowledge about the plant Cinnamomum tamala based on their phytochemical constituents, ayurvedic view, folk view and pharmacological application.

Cinnamomum tamala Leaf Extract Stabilized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: A Promising Photocatalyst for Methylene Blue Degradation

A facile green synthetic method is proposed for the synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using the bio-template Cinnamomum tamala (C. tamala) leaves extract. The morphological, functional, and structural characterization of synthesized ZnO NPs were studied by adopting different techniques such as energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Visible spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The fabricated ZnO NPs exhibit an average size of 35 nm, with a hexagonal nanostructure. Further, the well-characterized ZnO NPs were employed for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) in an aqueous solution. The photocatalytic activity was analyzed by changing the various physicochemical factors such as reaction time, amount of photocatalyst, precursor concentration, and calcination temperature of the ZnO NPs. All the studies suggest that the ZnO synthesized through the green protocol exhibits excellent photocatalytic potency against the dye molecules.

Assessment of Cinnamomum tamala (Tejpat) Plantation in Community Forests: A Case Study from Tanahun District

Cinnamomum tamala is the major NTFPS cultivated commercially in major parts of Nepal. A research was conducted on the plantation of C. tamala in three research sites, Malayang community forest (CF), Saldada CF, and Banaskhadi CF, of Tanahun district for calculating the survival rate, mortality rate, and overall plant growth performance. Simple stratified random sampling methods were used; height and mean breast diameter (DBH) were measured, and a prestructured questionnaire was used for collecting the data and information from the research sites; also, secondary data from AFO, Tanahun, were used for the analysis of data. The first-year survival rate was the highest (62%) at Saldada CF and lowest at Banaskhadi CF (35%); however, the second-year survival rate was the highest at Saldada CF at 50%. Mean height : DBH (cm) of the plant was the highest at Saldada CF (126 cm) and lowest at Banaskhadi (25 cm). The Pearson correlation analysis at α = 0.05 was conducted to test the association between mean height and DBH (cm) of C. tamala which was r = 0.93, df = 12, p < 0.001 , r = 0.30, df = 11, p < 0.001 , and r = 0.88, df = 11, p < 0.001 , respectively, of Saldada CF, Banaskhadi CF, and Malayang CF. The mean height and mean breast diameter (DBH) (cm) of C. tamala were highly correlated in Saldada CF with the highest second-year survival rate. As C. tamala grows well in acidic soil, pH of all the three research sites was basic, more than 7.5; however, Saldada CF had the highest growth rate than others because the organic matter content was the highest (3.4).

Comparative spasmolytic effect between Cinnamomum tamala and Cinnamomum verum leaf essential oils and eugenol through in vitro and in silico approaches

Cinnamomum tamala and Cinnamomum verum are known for their folk medicinal usage in treating gastrointestinal ailments. The spasmolytic activity of essential oils was studied using isolated rat ileum. The results indicate that C. tamala, despite having a lower content of eugenol (60%), shows a spasmolytic potential of 68.01 ± 2.63% (EC50 = 110.12 ± 13.58 μg/mL) while C. verum with rich eugenol (80%) shows lesser spasmolytic potential (38.96 ± 0.63%) and fails to attain an EC50 value. Upon comparison with standard eugenol’s percentage of spasmolytic (35.68 ± 2.57%), it is evident that the action of these essential oils does not solely rely on the major component but the synergistic role in association with other components of the mixture influences the pharmacological action of the essential oils. In silico docking of phytochemicals of leaf essential oils with M2 (M2AChR) and M3 muscarinic (M3AChR) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) was carried out to determine the type of receptors through which the essential oils had spasmolytic potential. The binding affinity for eugenol with nAChR shows a better docking score than M2AChR and M3AChR.