Air Pollution Tolerence Index, Anticipated Performance Index of plants studied near selected sites at Salem, Dharmapuri District

Air pollution due to huge number of vehicles emitting toxic gas poisons both living environment affecting fauna and flora. Road side plants are affected mostly by pollution as they are primary acceptors and gets reflected in terms of tolerance and sensitivity to pollution. Hence, the present work was designed to study the air pollution tolerance (APTI) using biochemical parameters and anticipated performance index (API) of the plants collected near seven different locations. Among the plants assessed, all plants selected does not show much difference in ascorbic acid, total chlorophyll, pH, relative water content, but that slight difference exhibited variations in air pollution tolerance index. Pongamia pinnata (33.16), Ficus religiosa (34.05) Near Asian rubber Industry, Kandampatty Byepass, Salem was found to be a tolerant species, Polyalthia longifolia (8.21) as very sensitive in plants studied Near KMB Granites Pvt. Ltd. Kottagoundampatty, Salem, and the rest was found to be moderately tolerent. Since, the studied plants show lesser surface area, the amount of dust collected was also less, which might be due to the climatic condition prevailed at that time of sample collection. Likewise, the API was found to be excellent in Yercaud lake view and very good in study area Duroflex company, Karimangalam, Dharmapuri, poor in study area Thanithotty Quarry, Salem as well as in KMB granites Pvt.Ltd. and good for the remaining three locations. So, the sensitive plants has to be protected that are located in these sites to reduce the pollution load.

In Vivo Antimalarial Activity of Polyalthia longifolia (Annonaceae) Leaf Extract and Assessment of Its Formulated Oral Dosage Forms

Plant medicine is commonly employed to treat malaria and other infections in Ghana. However, many of these phytomedicines have not been scientifically investigated to justify their use. This study therefore sought to investigate the antimalarial property of Polyalthia longifolia leaves and to formulate suitable dosage forms for ease of administration. A four-day antiplasmodial suppressive and curative study was conducted on ethanol extract of P. longifolia leaves (PLE) using Plasmodium berghei infected albino mice. Tablet and suspension dosage forms of PLE were formulated and evaluated for quality and stability. Statistically significant ( P < 0.05 ) parasitaemia suppression (61.25%) and cure (58.78%) were achieved at a PLE dose of 100 mg/kg, and increases in hematological indices ( P < 0.001 ) were also observed in the PLE-treated mice as compared to the untreated group. The tablets passed the tests for uniformity of weight, friability (<1%), hardness, disintegration (<15 minutes), and in vitro dissolution (>70% release in 45 minutes). The sedimentation volume, rheology, viscosity, and pH of the formulated suspension were within the official specifications. The dosage forms showed consistency in PLE content (85–105%) and no changes in physicochemical properties over the six months period of stability study. The in vivo antimalarial activity of PLE has been established and oral dosage forms that conformed to Pharmacopoeial standards are formulated for use in the management of malaria.

WORM BIOMASS AND VERMICOMPOST PRODUCTION BY THE EPIGEIC EARTHWORM, PERIONYX EXCAVATUS BY USING DIFFERENT ORGANIC WASTES

As the epigeic earthworms are known to be efcient and potential biodegrades and nutrient releasers, tolerant to wide range of ecological disturbances, aids in litter communication and efcient decomposers. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to nd out the inuence of various organic wastes (such as False Ashoka waste-FAW (Polyalthia longifolia), Parthenium wastePW (Parthenium hysterophorus), Cotton residue waste-CRW (Gossypium), Lawn grass waste-LGW (Agrostis) and Cattle manure-CM) on the production of worm biomass and vermicompost by the epigeic earthworm, Perionyx excavatus along with control compost experiments without worms (in triplicates) to know the potentiality of this worm species in processing of various organic wastes for the production of worm biomass as vermiprotein and vermicompost as biofertilizer. Both compost and vermicompost experimental pots were terminated after 35 and 70 days time intervals. Observations were made with respect to number of old and new adult worms, new sub-clitellates, juveniles, cocoons with their weight were noted to determine the total worm biomass (Gross biomass), biomass ratio (WBR) and Fold Increase in Worm Number (FIWN). Percent compost and vermicompost produced out of different organic waste were also calculated at the end of each experiment at35 and 70 days. The results of the present study revealed that the biomass of Perionyx excavatus such as Gross worm biomass (GWB), Worm biomass ratio (WBR) and Fold increase in worm number (FIWN) increased from 35days to 70 days time intervals in all the organic wastes (FAW, PW, CRW, LGW and CM). It was maximum in CM and minimum in FAW among all the organic wastes. There is a signicant variation was noticed in worm biomass production (GWB, WBR, and FIWN) among and between all the organic wastes except between few organic wastes at 35 and 70 days time intervals. The vermicompost production was more as compared to normal compost in all the organic wastes. Further, both compost and vermicompost production were more in CM followed by LGW, CRW, PW and minimum in FAW among all organic wastes. The signicant difference was also observed in the production of compost and vermicompost among and between different organic wastes except between few organic wastes at different time intervals. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the earthworm, Perionyx excavatus is an efcient epigeic earthworm species, effectively used in vermicomposting for the production of vermicompost and as well as in vermifarming in the production of worm biomass as vermiprotein. Further, earthworm biomass, compost and vermicompost production primarily depends on nature of organic wastes and secondly on the potentiality of earthworm species used in the experimental studies.

Extraction of cellulose nano-crystals from Polyalthia longifolia and Terminalia catappa leaf litter and the synthesis of low-cost CNC-based hydrogel for articular cartilage

Due to the rise in demand for biodegradable and renewable materials, the synthesis of CNCs from lignocellulosic biomass opens up a new avenue for the creation and application of novel materials in nanotechnology. The CNC-based hydrogels appear to be a favorable material in various applications due to their excellent mechanical strength, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and low toxicity. This work aimed to utilize the fallen leaves for the extraction of Cellulose Nano-crystals (CNC) from Polyalthia longifolia and Terminalia catappa leaf litter. Leaves mainly consist of cellulose hence used for the extraction of nanocellulose. Alkali treatment was performed with aqueous sodium hydroxide, followed by bleaching with aqueous sodium chlorite. Sulphuric acid hydrolysis was used for the extraction of CNC. The morphology, structure, functional groups, and crystallinity of the retrieved CNC were studied using a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Fourier Transformed Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The shape was rod-like for both P. longifolia and T. catappa and the CNC’s crystallinity index was enhanced to 72.40% and 73.95%, respectively. The TEM micrographs revealed that the impurities present on the leaf fibres were successfully removed by alkali treatment and subsequent bleaching further purified the fibres, leaving behind mostly cellulose while the hemicellulose and lignin were removed, which was revealed in FTIR spectra. The obtained CNC was used in the preparation of hydrogel by cross-linking with natural polymers like sodium alginate and gelatin. A Freeze-thawing process was carried out for the fabrication of hydrogel. The resulting hydrogel can be used as a substitute for cartilage applications.

In Vivo Protein Profiling & Estimation of Plant Secondary Metabolites, Phylogenetic Analysis of Plant Leaves for Antifungal Activity

The present research work involved to evaluated the phytochemical screening on different plant leaf extracts, protein profiling and phylogenetic analysis of leaf extracts which is Psidium guajava, Syzygium cumini, Aegle marmelos, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Callistemon lanceolatus, Citrus limonum, Combretum indicum, Calliandra haematocephala, Polyalthia longifolia were used fresh leaves of the plants and analysed the phylogenetic analysis between all plant leaf which having antifungal activity against plant pathogens .According to study it was found that several plant leaf contain different bands of different molecular weight which is Nyctanthes arbortristis 80KDa, 72KDa ,70KDa, 63KDa, 61KDa, 53KDa, 50KDa, 41KDa, 38KDa, 37KDa. Aegle marmelos 72KDa, 70KDa, 64KDa, 54KDa, 54KDa, 40KDa, 36KDa, 35KDa. Polyalthia longifolia 75KDa, 70KDa, 44KDa, 41KDa, 35KDa. Psidium guajava 75KDa, 70KDa, 54KDa, 53KDa, 45KDa, 40KDa, 35KDa.The protein profiling of the different leaf extracts Psidium guajava, Syzygium cumini, Aegle marmelos, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Callistemon lanceolatus, Citrus limonum, Combretum indicum, and Calliandra haematocephala, Polyalthia longifolia gave an idea that proteins and peptides present in the leaves. The proteins also may act as antifungal agents. Thus, after the protein profiling was done, based on this the UPGMA (Un-weighted paired group method with arithmetic average) software was used to identify the evolutionary presence of plant. The evolutionary relationship has thus been depicted between the different trees.

ANALGESIC, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, ANTIPYRETIC EVALUATION OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF LEAF OF POLYALTHIA LONGIFOLIA

Polyalthia longifolia leaves ethanolic extracts produced significant analgesic activity in both Hot plate and acetic acid induced writhing models in mice. In hot plate method percentage increase in reaction time was determined where as in acetic acid induced writhing model percentage decrease in writhings was determined. From the results obtained it can be concluded that Polyalthia longifolia leaves has analgesic, anti inflammatory and antipyretic activity. Keywords: Analgesic, Anti-inflammatory, Antipyretic, Hot plate method, Acetic acid induced writhing model.