Analysis of deposition of heavy metal dust on the leaves of few selected tree species in Kanchipuram town, Tamil Nadu, India

Biomonitoring of heavy metals is one of the economic methods to identify and improve the quality of air. The aim of this work was to identify the concentration of nine heavy metals viz. Fe, Pb, Cu, Zn, Al, Cd, As, Cr and Mn in the ambient air deposited on the leaves of five tree species such as Saraca asoca, Terminalia catappa, Syzygium cumini, Ficus religiosa and Pongamia glabra collected from six sites such as Pallavarmedu (Site I), CSI hospital (Site II), Moongilmandapam (Site III), Collectrate (Site IV), Near Cancer Institute (Site V) and VellaGate (Site VI) of the Kanchipuram town of TamilNadu State, in the months of February - March 2019. Even with some differences in the concentration of nine heavy metals on the species, few were identified with significant correlation, suggesting that these pollutants were emitted from similar sources. The deposition of iron (235.53mg/kg) and aluminium (157.91mg/kg) were higher on the leaves of S.asoca compared with other species. The metals such as Cu, Cd, As, Pb and Cr were nil and not detected on the leaves, but Pb concentration was high (185.79 mg/kg) only on P. glabra at Site 2 and Cr (2.37 mg/kg) was found on the leaves of S. asoca at Site 1. The heavy metal dust deposited on the leaf surface was probably due to vehicular emission and other anthropogenic activities. The analysis showed that all the selected tree species acted as a biomonitor and should be grown that may help to improve the air quality of the area.

Insecticidal, Oviposition Deterrent and Antifeedant Property of Certain Plant Extracts against Pulse Beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis Linn. (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

Background: The bruchid Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) is one of the major store grain pest of pulses capable of attacking wide range of legumes viz., green gram, black gram, chick pea and pigeon pea and causes 50 per cent damage during storage within 3 to 4 months. The infestation starts in the field, but heavy damage is done in storage. Hence, the current study was aimed to evaluate the insecticidal, oviposition deterrent and antifeedant activity of certain plant extracts against pulse beetle, C. chinensis under storage condition.Methods: The aquous extracts (10%) of Vitex negundo, Pongamia glabra, Cassia angustifolia and Calotropis gigantea were evaluated against the pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis Linn. were carried out at the Department of Agricultural Entomology, Imayam Institute of Agriculture and Technology, Thuraiyur during 2019-20. The commercial product Azadirachtin was kept as a check and the mortality rate was assessed every 24 Hours after treatment (HAT) for three days.Result: The mortality rate after 72HAT was 85.8-87.5% with V. negundo, followed by C. angustifolia (73.33-80.00%) and P. glabra (70.0-75.0%). Azadirachtin gave 100% mortality of the beetle. The oviposition deterrence percentage for pulse beetle, C. chinensis was found to be highest in Calotropis gigantea (37.66-68.16%) followed by Pongamia glabra (30.91-41.50) and Vitex negundo (7.58-46.75) per cent, respectively. The antifeedant activity for pulse beetle was found to be very high when treated with Azadirachtin where there was no food consumption. This was followed by V. negundo (0.1g) and C. angustifolia (0.2g).

Phylogenetic placement and reassessment of Asperisporium pongamiae as Pedrocrousiella pongamiae gen. et comb. nov. (Mycosphaerellaceae)

The leaf spot disease of Pongamia pinnata caused by an asperisporium-like asexual morph, which is usually referred to as Asperisporium pongamiae, is quite common during monsoon seasons in India. Phylogenetic analyses, based on LSU and rpb2 sequence data, and blast searches using ITS sequence data, revealed that this ascomycete forms a lineage within Mycosphaerellaceae distant from all other generic lineages. Pedrocrousiella gen. nov., with P. pongamiae comb. nov., based on Fusicladium pongamiae (≡ A. pongamiae), as type species is introduced for this lineage. This species has been considered the asexual morph of Mycosphaerella pongamiae (≡ Stigmatea pongamiae). However, this connection is unproven and was just based on the occasional association of the two taxa in some collections. Several attempts to induce the formation of a sexual morph in culture failed, therefore the putative connection between these morphs could not be confirmed. Asperisporium pongamiae-pinnatae is reduced to synonymy with P. pongamiae. Asperisporium pongamiae-pinnatae was introduced because of the wrong assumption that F. pongamiae had been described on another host, Pongamia globosa. But Fusicladium pongamiae was actually described in India on Pongamia glabra, which is a synonym of P. pinnata, and hence on the same host as Asperisporium pongamiae-pinnatae. Pedrocrousiella pongamiae clusters in a clade containing Distocercospora, Clypeosphaerella, and “Pseudocercospora” nephrolepidicola, a species which is not congeneric with Pseudocercospora. Phylogenetically, Pedrocrousiella is distant from the Asperisporium s. str. clade (type species A. caricae), which is more closely related to Amycosphaerella, Pseudocercosporella, Distomycovellosiella and Nothopassalora.

Development, characterization and evaluation of herbal ointment containing momordica charantia, pongamia glabra and piper nigrum

Objective: The objective of present study was the development, characterization and evaluation of poly-herbal ointment formulation of pongamia glabra, piper nigrum and momordica charantia extract. Plant derived substances and herbal medicines have recently attracted the great interest towards their versatile application. Medicinal plants are the richest source of bioactive compounds used in traditional and modern medicine. The ointment formulation of plant extract has a sound approach to develop a poly-herbal ointment. The poly-herbal ointment formulation was evaluated for its physicochemical parameters like color, odor, pH, spreadability, extrudability, consistency, diffusibility, solubility, washability and stability. Materials and methods: Extract of all three plants has been separated by the soxhlet extraction. Poly-herbal ointment has been prepared by mixing the extract of momordica charantia, pongamia glabra and piper nigrum with wool fat, Cetostearyl alcohol and paraffin. Results and conclusion: Physicochemical evaluation shows that the poly-herbal ointment fulfilled the criteria as herbal formulation and irritancy test also performed indicate the effectiveness and efficacy of prepared ointment formulations. The poly-herbal ointment formulations were also evaluated for its stability at various temperature conditions which shows no change in the irritancy, spreadability and diffusion study. Thus it could become a medium to use the medicinal properties of extracts effectively and easily as a simple dosage form. Keywords: Momordica charantia, pongamia glabra, piper nigrum, ointment, Cetostearyl alcohol.

A review of Austrocallerya and Pongamia (Leguminosae subfamily Papilionoideae) in Australia, and the description of a new monotypic genus, Ibatiria

A review of Austrocallerya J.Compton & Schrire and Pongamia Adans. (Leguminosae subfamily Papilionoideae) in Australia, and the description of a new monotypic genus, Ibatiria W.E.Cooper, is presented with the support of fresh, dried, spirit-preserved specimens, molecular phylogenetic analysis of plastid and nuclear data, and illustrations. Three Austrocallerya species are confirmed, described and distinguished for Australia. Two varieties of Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre are recognised; P. pinnata var. minor (Benth.) Domin is reinstated and is distinguished from var. pinnata by habitat, leaflet number and width, floral bract length and bracteole length. The new genus, Ibatiria, includes a single species, Ibatiria furfuracea W.E.Cooper, from Queensland’s Wet Tropics Bioregion. A second-step lectotype is designated for Pterocarpus australis Endl., and lectotypes are designated for Wisteria megasperma F.Muell. and Pongamia glabra var. minor Benth.

Extraction of Momordica charantia, Pongamia glabra and Piper nigrum: Qualitative and Quantitative assessment

Objective: The objective of present work was to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative assessment of momordica charantia, pongamia glabra and piper nigrum extract for the natural product present in them. These plants were having the rich source of alkaloid, glycoside, tannins, carbohydrates, saponins, flavonoids, proteins and amino acids and were used as anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, anti-malarial and having wound healing potential. Materials and Methods: Extract of all three plants has been separated by the process of Soxhlet extraction. The extract of momordica charantia, pongamia glabra and piper nigrum evaluated for qualitative and quantitative measurement of alkaloid, glycoside, tannins, carbohydrates, saponins, flavonoids, proteins and amino acids content. Different solvent is used for the extraction of content includes petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, alcoholic and distilled water. Results and Conclusion: Preliminary Phytochemical screening was performed for extracts of Momordica charantia fruits (FMC), Pongamia glabra (LPG) and Piper nigrum fruits (FPN). Identification test on extracts was shown the sign of alkaloid, glycoside, tannins, carbohydrates, saponins, flavonoids, proteins and amino acids content. Discussion: All results indicates that extracts of Momordica charantia fruits (FMC), Pongamia glabra (LPG) and Piper nigrum fruits (FPN) having a rich source of Glycosides, alkaloid and flavonoid content. Keywords: momordica charantia, pongamia glabra, piper nigrum, glycosides, flavonoid, extraction.

Wound healing prospective of pongamia glabra, piper nigrum and momordica charantia on albino rats using anemic burn wound model

Objective: The objective of present work was to evaluate wound healing potential of pongamia glabra, piper nigrum and momordica charantia using as herbal ointment formulation on albino rats using burn wound model. All the plant has the rich source of alkaloid, glycoside, tannins, carbohydrates, saponins, flavonoids, proteins and amino acids content and were used as anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, anti-malarial and having wound healing potential. Materials and Methods: Extract of all three plants has been separated by the Soxhlet extraction. Herbal ointment formulation has been prepared by mixing the extract of momordica charantia, pongamia glabra and piper nigrum with the wool fat and paraffin. Burn wound model has been utilized for the evaluation of wound healing potential. Histopathological evaluation has been also carried-out for the physical verification wound healing potential. Results and Conclusion: The studies on burn wound healing model reveals that all twelve groups showed decreased wound area on the time and there was no mortality observed in the course of study. Discussion: These studies have indicated that herbal ointment formulation of pongamia glabra, piper nigrum and momordica charantia has been utilized for wound healing and it is safer for topical application. No toxicity and mortality have been observed during the experimental tenure. Keywords: Wound healing, momordica charantia, pongamia glabra, piper nigrum, burn wound model