A Comparative Study of Anti-inflammatory Activity of Tecoma stans, Acalypha indica and Abutilon indicum Plant Leaf Extract

Introduction: Inflammation is said to be the response of the body to an injury. It is a body defence reaction to reduce or eliminate the spread of injurious agents. It is essential that steps should be taken to introduce new medicinal plants and to develop cheaper, effective and safe analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs. The main aim of this study is to assess the potential anti-inflammatory activity of Tecoma stans, Acalypha indica and Abutilon indicum plant is being studied. Materials and Methods: Protease inhibition assay was done by Bovine serum albumin was added to plant samples with increase in concentrations as per the standard methods. In this study, Aspirin was used as a standard anti-inflammatory drug.The data were analyzed statistically by a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Duncan’s multiple range test to see the statistical significance among the groups. The results with p<0.05 level were considered to be statistically significant. Results: In this study, it was observed that the plant leaf extract of Tecoma stans, Acalypha indica and Abutilon indicus contain anti-inflammatory activity. The protein denaturation inhibitory activity of leaf extract of Tecoma stans, Acalypha indica and Abutilon indicum, plant extract was represented graphically. Tecoma stans, was observed to contain the anti inflammatory activity. Conclusion: This study revealed that Tecoma stans, Acalypha indica and Abutilon indicum are important medicinal plants with diverse pharmacological spectrum and contain anti-inflammatory properties. Hence, this research has been taken to collect and compile the pharmacological uses of these plant extracts which will be useful to the society to venture into a field of alternative systems of medicine.

Experimental Investigation on Green Synthesis of FeNPs using Azadirachta indica leaves

In the field of nanotechnology, developing an environmentally friendly method for the synthesis of iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) an important aspect. The use of secondary metabolites from plant leaf extract has recently emerged as a novel technology for the synthesis of various nanoparticles, according to recent studies. The leaf extract of Azadirachta indica was used to synthesize iron nanoparticles in this research. The effects of reactant concentrations, reaction temperature and pH of the solution on the synthesis process of iron nanoparticles were studied. The formation of iron nanoparticles in dispersion was monitored using a UV-Visible Spectrophotometer that analyzed absorbance spectra. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) characterized the morphology of iron nanoparticles and results reveal the particles are spherical in shape with an average size of 48 nm. The following are the ideal conditions for synthesis: leaf extract 15%, [FeCl 3 ] = 1.0 mM, pH 6.0 and temperature 60◦C. The plant biomolecules induce the reduction of Fe 3+ ions to FeNPs and act as a capping and stabilizing agent, which is confirmed by the FTIR technique. Therefore, they have good stability for various applications.

Medicinal Plant Leaf Extract From Sage and Lemon Verbena Promotes Intestinal Immunity and Barrier Function in Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata)

The inclusion of a medicinal plant leaf extract (MPLE) from sage (Salvia officinalis) and lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora), rich in verbascoside and triterpenic compounds like ursolic acid, was evaluated in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) fed a low fishmeal-based diet (48% crude protein, 17% crude fat, 21.7 MJ kg-1, 7% fishmeal, 15% fish oil) for 92 days. In particular, the study focused on the effect of these phytogenic compounds on the gut condition by analyzing the transcriptomic profiling (microarray analysis) and histological structure of the intestinal mucosa, as well as the histochemical properties of mucins stored in goblet cells. A total number of 506 differentially expressed genes (285 up- and 221 down-regulated) were found when comparing the transcriptomic profiling of the intestine from fish fed the control and MPLE diets. The gut transcripteractome revealed an expression profile that favored biological mechanisms associated to the 1) immune system, particularly involving T cell activation and differentiation, 2) gut integrity (i.e., adherens and tight junctions) and cellular proliferation, and 3) cellular proteolytic pathways. The histological analysis showed that the MPLE dietary supplementation promoted an increase in the number of intestinal goblet cells and modified the composition of mucins’ glycoproteins stored in goblet cells, with an increase in the staining intensity of neutral mucins, as well as in mucins rich in carboxylated and weakly sulfated glycoconjugates, particularly those rich in sialic acid residues. The integration of transcriptomic and histological results showed that the evaluated MPLE from sage and lemon verbena is responsible for the maintenance of intestinal health, supporting gut homeostasis and increasing the integrity of the intestinal epithelium, which suggests that this phytogenic may be considered as a promising sustainable functional additive for aquafeeds.

Green Synthesis of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Mediated by Aqueous Leaf Extracts of Leucas aspera and Morinda tinctoria

Copper oxide nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using the aqueous leaf extracts of Leucas aspera and Morinda tinctoria plant material with copper sulfate (CuSO4.5H2O) as the precursor. The crystalline nature and morphology of the synthesized sample were identified using XRD and SEM analytical instrumentation and found that the crystal was in the monoclinic phase, and the average particle size was estimated as 30.32nm and 18.72nm for both the samples. The functional groups were identified using FTIR spectroscopy, and the strong absorption peak at 620 cm-1 and 615cm-1 confirms the presence of Cu-O vibration. The optical bandgap of the plant leaf extract mediated CuO particles was calculated based on the results obtained from UV-Vis spectroscopy and found that the value of the energy gap is 5.6eV and 3.16eV. The antibacterial activity of plant samples was carried out by the disc diffusion method. The test compounds' concentrations were taken in DMSO and used in the concentration of 500 µg and 1000 µg /disc. The zone of inhibition formed by the prepared CuO nanoparticles was good and compared with Amikacin's standard value. The study reports the plant leaf extract mediated CuO nanoparticles might find suitable application in the field of nanotechnology.

Evaluation of possible biological control of Fusarium sp. using plant extracts and antagonistic species of microbes in vitro

Background: Fusarium species is one of the most devastating fungi responsible for fruit and vegetable crops rot worldwide. The present study was designed to find an ecofriendly control measure for pathogenic Fusarium species, using suitable bioagents. Methods: Medicinal plant extracts were evaluated or their antifungal activities against Fusarium species using the poisoned food method. Antagonistic potency of some nonpathogenic microbes was also assessed on Fusarium species using the dual culture method. Results: Highest inhibition of growth of Fusarium sp. was observed with 68.1% (0.389 mg per 90 mm Petri plate) of mycelia on Coccinia grandis plant leaf extract, in comparison to the control grown with 100.0% (1.22 mg/dish). The highest inhibition of radial growth was observed using Trichoderma viride on Fusarium sp. (46.01% inhibition). Conclusions: The findings of present study would be benevolent for antifungal drug development to control Fusarium sp. causing fruit and vegetable rot.