Proximate and Biological Activity Studies of Syzygium samarangense: Study of different extractives of Syzygium samarangense

Fruits of red and green varieties of Syzygium samarangense, commonly known as Jamrul in Bangladesh, are very popular for all ages of people. Air-dried fruits of S. samarangense were successively extracted with n-hexane, dichloromethane (DCM) and methanol. The moisture and ash content of the raw fruits were determined by thermal heating at 105 and 700, respectively. Different biologically important functional groups were identified by FT-IR spectroscopy. The n-hexane, DCM and methanolic extracts were tested for cytotoxicity against HeLa and Vero cell lines. Total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and total antioxidant capacity in the three extracts of both varieties were determined. The moisture content and ash content were 92% and 90%, and 0.12% and 0.16% in red variety and green variety, respectively. UV-Vis spectrum revealed the presence of long chain conjugation or polycyclic aromatic chromophores in n-hexane, DCM and methanolic extracts of S. samarangense. The DCM extract of both varieties had highest total phenolic content, flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity compared to n-hexane and methanol extracts. The study concludes that the fruit of S. samarangense (red and green variety) grown in Bangladesh are rich source of phytochemicals which possess antioxidant activity and safe to health for their non-cytotoxic properties. The green variety contains more phenolic content and antioxidant capacity than red variety.

Ursodeoxycholic acid: a systematic review on the chemical and biochemical properties, biosynthesis, sources and pharmacological activities

Background: Background: Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), a secondary bile acid, is an acidic steroid synthesized from cholesterol in hepatocytes. UDCA is widely used for the treatment of various diseases related to liver injury. The use of UDCA to treat non-liver diseases has also been developed recently, such as neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and obesity. Due to the important role of UDCA on human health, numerous studies in understanding its chemical and pharmacological properties have been published. Methods: Literature sources were obtained from online databases such as Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scopus and PubMed using keywords relating to the purpose of study. Critical analysis and review were performed for all literatures. Results: UDCA is a steroid compound with pharmacological properties. Seventeen enzymes are involved in its biosynthesis, which has been proposed in four pathways: classic, alternative, the Yamazaki, and 25-hydroxylation pathways. UDCA can be isolated from bovine bile, bear bile or all Ursidae, human, rabbit, cow, rat, hamster, sheep, pig, and plant. UDCA has been used in the treatment of several diseases such as primary biliary cirrhosis, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, hepatolithiasis associated with Caroli syndrome gallstones, cystic fibrosis, hepatitis C virus, chronic heart failure, neurodegenerative diseases, and obesity, as well as in the prevention of cancer. Conclusion: UDCA has a wide range of the pharmacological properties. Further investigations on its efficacy and safety on humans are required before it could be used for several indications. All genes which are responsible for UDCA biosynthesis have been elucidated. That said, further genetic engineering studies in order to find other prospective sources of UDCA could be a challenge for the future research.

Mitragynine: A review of its extraction, identification, and purification methods

Mitragynine is one of the dominant alkaloids presents in the Mitragyna speciosa which possesses several pharmacological properties such as antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer. Studies have reported various methods in extracting mitragynine, both conventional and renewable technology combined with acid-base techniques for the enrichment and purification of mitragynine from the extract of M. speciosa. Several chromatography and spectroscopy instruments such as HPLC, LC-MS, GC-MS, and NMR have been used to identify mitragynine and its content in both the extract and fraction mixtures. In this review, we aim to provide insight on how the methods of extraction, purification, and identification of mitragynine have been developed over the last few decades. This report also shows comparison among the various approaches in extracting mitragynine and points out the facts that different methods gave different yields of the compound.

A Study of Genus Zingiber: The Role of Condiments in Science

Background and purpose: Zingiberaceae family has been widely used as an herbal medicine from generation to generation. This review aimed more in-depth into information and correlation about the empirical uses, bioactive compounds, and biological activities, a literature review genus Zingiber was conducted. Methods: Articles about genus Zingiber were collected from databases (e.g., DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journal), PubMed, ResearchGate, ScienceDirect, and Springer), they were sorted based on inclusions criteria such as; related to bioactive compounds and biological activities of the samples and also articles for the last ten year. Results: The screening results obtained 52 reports to review and grouped according to each plant's bioactive content and pharmacological effect. The extensive constituent in genus Zingiber is essential oil. Therefore, the major activity found in this genus was related to antimicrobial and anti-oxidant. Furthermore, the other activities of plants were related to their factual use during this time. Conclusion: The empirical uses of these rhizomes were in line with the bioactive compounds and biological activities.

Antibacterial activity of secondary metabolites isolated from Ficus aurata (Miq.) fruits

This research aimed to isolate chemical constituents from ethyl acetate and n-hexane fractions of Ficus aurata (Miq.) fruits and investigated their antibacterial activities. Chemical constituents were separated by using vacuum column chromatography, gravity column chromatography, and thin layer chromatography. The structures of the isolated compounds 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (1) and β-sitosterol (2) were elucidated using various spectroscopic methods, including UV, IR, and NMR (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and DEPT). While, antibacterial activity was done by assay using Resazurin Microtiter Assay method. These 2 compounds reported as new constituents from F. aurata fruit. In addition, analysis of the bioassay showed that compound 1 had a notable antibacterial activity against gram negative (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATTC 27853), and gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureusATCC 23235) with the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) value of 0.1563 µg/mL, and it indicated the same MIC as cefadroxil (positive control). Compound 2 has weak antibacterial activity compared to cefadroxil (positive control). The results found that Ficus aurata (Miq.) fruits metabolites have antibacterial activity and show potency as antibacterial agent. Different kinds of bacteria and assay could be needed to investigate and support its antibacterial activity in the future.

Biocomposites from anaerobically digested Eichhornia crassipes ((Mart.) Solms), as an alternative solution for the post-phytoremediation process

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a plant species commonly used for phytoremediation to reduce high chromium content in tannery liquid waste in Garut, West Java. Water hyacinth materials harvested from the phytoremediation can be used for the anaerobic digestion process to produce biogas and bio-slurry. This study aimed to determine the reduction of chromium content found in water hyacinths due to the anaerobic digestion process, and utilization of bio-slurry from the anaerobic digestion process as a biocomposite material. The anaerobic digestion process was carried out for 33 d using biodigesters and the composition of the biodigesters were varied into 100% dried water hyacinths and 80% water hyacinths with the addition of 20% cow dung. The bio-slurry from the anaerobic digestion process was then used for making biocomposites with 3 different compositions, i.e., 75 and 25%; 50 and 50%; and 25 and 75% of cement and bio-slurry, respectively. The average chromium content found in water hyacinths from the phytoremediation process without anaerobic digestion process was 41.964 mg/l. The results show a reduction in the amount of chromium after the anaerobic digestion process was found in each composition of bio-slurry, which were 15.979 mg/l (100% water hyacinth) and 14.861 mg/l (80% water hyacinth + 20% cow dung). Biodigester with a composition of 80% water hyacinth + 20% cow dung produced the highest average volume of biogas which was 0.424 l. The biocomposite of 75% cement and 25% bio-slurry had the highest compressive strength value of 30.598 MPa and water absorption capacity of 37.25%. It can be concluded that biocomposite with the composition of 75% cement and 25% water hyacinth bio-slurry is promising to be used as an alternative material for buildings.

Antibacterial activity of lupeol from the bark of Dehaasia cuneate (Lauraceae)

Dehaasia is a member Lauraceae. It is locally known as ‘gajus hutan’ or ‘pekan’. A triterpenoid, lupeol was isolated from the bark of Dehaasia cuneate. The structure of the isolated compound was determined using spectroscopic methods, such as UV–vis, FT-IR, 1D and 2D NMR, and mass spectrometer. The isolated compound was tested against Gram-negative and positive bacteria using agar disc diffusion technique. The results showed that lupeol had a moderate inhibition zone value of 10.0±0.00 mm against Gram-negative Serratia marcescens ATCC 14756 whereas low inhibition which is 7.0±0.00 mm against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Vibrio fluvialis ATCC 33809, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ATCC 43300.

A review on community scale stationary and mobile production of biodiesel

Biodiesel has been commercially produced on a large scale, but its application is still limited primarily due to its production cost, which is relatively more expensive than that of fossil fuel. Recently, there has been an ongoing parallel development whereby biodiesel production is carried out on a community scale, including a mobile production unit of biodiesel with local input and demand. The produced biodiesel is often intended for use by the concerned local community, which greatly reduces logistics and transportation cost. Unlike typical biodiesel production plants, a mobile biodiesel unit consists of a biodiesel production facility placed inside a standard cargo container and mounted on a truck, so that it can be transported to a region near the location of the raw materials. In this paper, we review existing concepts and units for the development of community-scale and mobile production of biodiesel. These include the main reactor technology for biodiesel production, as well as the pre-treatment prior to conveyance to the reaction unit and post-treatment. The pre-treatment includes oil extraction from oilseeds by an oil-expeller unit, as well as quality control of the oil before it enters the reaction unit. The post-treatment includes refining and purification of the biodiesel to meet the product specification set by the biodiesel industry. This paper also discusses the production cost of biodiesel on a community scale, particularly when using a mobile biodiesel unit. The production cost varies from $0.76-1.12/l. This range is still not yet competitive to the current average price of approximately $0.98/l of diesel around the world. The production cost may be reduced by applying a biorefinery concept that may translate into an economically alluring and environmentally attractive business model.

Study of the antihypertensive peptide from soy protein hydrolysate produced by steam blasting treatment

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of steam blasting on soybeans and to evaluate the soy protein hydrolysate (SPH) resulting from steam blasting on ace inhibitory activity. Steam blasting works on the principle of heat and pressure. The research conducted begins with a process of pressure treatment and the heating time of soybeans. The pressures used were 2, 3 and 5 bar with heating time (hydrolysis) of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 min for each pressure. Furthermore, the soybean resulting from steam blasting was analyzed for the degree of hydrolysis (DH), dissolved protein concentration, protein profile, and also its fractions. Then the ace inhibitory activity was performed on the SPH fraction. The results showed that the higher the pressure and the longer the heating time, the soybean colour from the steam blasting would turn dark brown due to the Maillard reaction. The value of % DH and protein solubility increase with a higher pressure. The % DH values ranged from 76 - 96%. The steam blasting process for soybeans also eliminates anti-nutritional properties and off-flavour compounds in soybeans and cuts protein into peptides/polypeptides. The fractionation results showed that the SPH fraction produced from the soybean steam blasting process had the highest ace inhibitory activity value of 68%, produced by the SPH fraction of 2 bar of 40 min steam blasting treatment. The SPH produced from the steam blasting process can potentially be a source of protein/peptides that can lower blood pressure (hypertension).

“Biosimilar” generic version of biologic products?

Biosimilars are currently popular after the expiry date of patents for biological reference products have expired or soon will expire. Besides, this ‘copycat’ version of biologic products offers much lower costs as compared to the reference products, thus promoting better patient access to the treatment of certain diseases such as cancer, inflammatory diseases, skin disorders and diabetes. This review aims to determine the differences between biosimilars and generic drugs and highlight some issues related to biosimilar products such as comparability, interchangeability, immunogenicity, extrapolation of indication, current legislation, pharmacovigilance, and naming system. Scientific sources from PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Elsevier were accessed for preparation of this review article. Biosimilars are not generic drugs as they have larger and complex structure as compared to the generic drugs. Due to that, biosimilars are highly similar but not identical to the reference products. Many regulatory authorities have authorized biosimilars under a distinct regulatory process from that of the generic drugs and subjected them to comprehensive comparability studies with their reference products (analytical, nonclinical in vitro, and in vivo studies and clinical trials). Additional evidence from interchangeability studies, extrapolation of indication studies, immunogenicity profile assessments, and pharmacovigilance studies are also beneficial to assess the efficacy, safety, and quality of the biosimilar before and/or after receiving their regulatory approval. Biosimilars are different from generic drugs due to their complexity in structure and manufacturing process. More comprehensive studies are required to ensure their benefits is outweigh the risks.