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Secondary Metabolites: Detection and Bioactivity
Get PDFSecondary metabolites are valuable organic compounds whose main function is to mediate the interactions between plant and animal ecosystems. Their extraction and characterization represent a crucial point for understanding the contribution on the pharmacological effects deriving from their use and also for the identification of new bioactive molecules. In particular, the secondary metabolites extracted from plants are complex mixtures of compounds belonging to different chemical classes for which a better knowledge of their chemical structure would allow a correct evaluation of the medicinal value of the plant itself. This special issue collects works describing the analytical methods used for the detection of secondary metabolites and the biological analyses carried out to determine their potential activity.
The medicinal plants have been widely designed to find natural remedies against gastric ulcer. In a review paper, the collected articles focused on twenty -two Malaysian plants which can protect the gastric wall from necrotizing agents such as ethanol and fans. The mechanism of gastric protection could occur via four possible pathways, cytoprotection, HSP70 upregulation and pro- apoptotic protein Bax downregulation, inhibition of acid secretion, and antioxidation. Most of the plants showed high enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities [1].
In a review, medicinal uses, fitochimic, pharmacological and toxicological properties of the indigenous species belonging to the Araliaceae family in southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe were revised) given their wide use in these geographical areas, were evaluated. Eleven species such as, Cussonia Arborea, C. Airola, C. Natalensis, C. Nicholsonii, C. Paniculata, C. Sphaerocephala, C. Spicata, C. Transvaalensis, C. Thyrsiflora, C. Zuluensis and Neocusonia umbellifers are used as traditional medicines against 48 human and animal diseases. Numerous secondary metabolites have been identified and the extracts and raw compounds obtained from these species, exert different effects including the analgesic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, anti -perglicemic, anti -inflammatory, anti - angry, antileishmanial, antioxidant, antiplasmodial, antiprotozoal, anti-ulcer, immunomodulatory, larvicidal, molluscida, spective and cytotoxic [2].
Experimental studies for the regulation of oxidative strategies in liver dysfunction caused by viral infections, have had serious success in recent times years. Liver damage is often a consequence of a severe flu. Mileva et al. [3], aimed to estimate the protective effect of a combination of S-adenosyl-Lmethionine (SAM) as a glutathione precursor and Oseltamivir as a specific inhibitor of virus replication on oxidative damage caused by influenza infection in the liver of infected mice. Albino mice were inoculated with 10 × LD50 of influenza virus A/Aichi/2/68(H3N2). Oseltamivir was applied for five days after infection, twice per day, while SAM was applied for ten days starting five days before inoculation. Influenza infection causes severe oxidative damage to the liver. All combinations of SAM and oseltamivir restored the levels of biochemical markers to those of healthy animals and improved virological parameters. This study provides an easy-to-apply approach with good therapeutic potential with a specific antiviral agent and antioxidant precursor. Despite this, this therapeutic proposal requires validation using other animal models of influenza infection and subsequent human clinic evidence.
Abiotic stresses like temperature, water, salinity, ultraviolet (UV) radiations, heavy metals, etc., affect plants’ growth and yield. Despite these constraints, plants produce a variety of proteins and metabolites to maintain their survival. Glycine betaine (GB) is a quaternary ammonium compound that belongs to a class of secondary metabolites, present in plants, animals, and microbes. Due to high solubility and low viscosity, its accumulation is commonly observed in chloroplasts and plastids. GB protects the photosystems of plants and balances the pH of the cytoplasm under stress conditions. GB prevents the damage of important biomolecules through reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers and reduces lipid peroxidation. The potential bioactivity of GB against various abiotic stresses in plants has been summarized in a review paper [4].
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Journal of Pharmacy and Nutrition Sciences, 2022, Volume 12
The emergence of the antimicrobial resistance and the side effects of synthetic drugs have aroused interest in the search for new antimicrobial compounds. The antibacterial activity in vitro of green coffee and its active compounds (chlorogenic acid extract and caffeine extract) against some periodontic and nosocomial bacteria, has been the subject of study. Bioactive compounds such as chlorogenic acid and caffeine were extracted by means of soxhlet extraction and were quantified by HPLC UV. The results showed that the aqueous extract of the green coffee grain was the least effective against periodontal and nosocomial bacteria while the methanol extract of the green coffee bean exhibited the highest inhibitory activity. On the contrary, the Ethanolic extract was significantly effective against the Staphylococcus epidermidis among the selected nosocomial pathogens. In conclusion, the antibacterial property of green coffee highlights its potential as a naturally active antibacterial compound [5].
Essential oils extracted by hydrodistillation from wild plants and plants acclimatized under different culture conditions of Mentha rotundifolia were investigated and their antimicrobial activity against five pathogenic microbial strains was evaluated by Benhamed et al. [6].
Nature has provided us with a wide range of biological compounds that can be used to combat health problems. Food and pharmaceutical companies have developed a range of new approaches to exploit and efficiently preserve the diversity and quality of bioactive compounds. Many workshops regularly make the screening of plant species looking for new bioactive metabolites developing different extractive methods also because no universal extraction method is ideal and each extraction procedure is unique. In this review work, several methods of analysis and extraction procedures have been evaluated [7].
Chemical analysis by GC/MS revealed the predominance of piperitenone oxide. Its content in acclimatized seedlings was 93.07% for seedlings grown at 16°C and a photoperiod of 16 hours light / 8 hours dark, statistically higher than in wild plants where it was around 78%. Limonene content was also different in the two conditions. In general, it was found that the antimicrobial activities of essential oils extracted from acclimatized plants were superior to those of field-grown M. rotundifolia plants. In particular, those grown at 16°C or in total darkness were the most active while those grown at 35°C were the least active.
Dr., PhD, Stefania GarzoliDepartment of Chemistry and Technologies of Drug Sapienza University,P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome,Italy.Tel: +390649913611E-mail: [email protected]
Impact of Sand Filled Glass Bottles on Performance of Conventional Solar Still
No full textExperimental evaluation of conventional solar still (CSS) and CSS with sand-filled glass bottles (Modified solar still (MSS)) have been reported in this article. Two identical CSS were fabricated for the experiments. The experiments were designed and performed under Guna (India) weather conditions in November 2021. Sand-filled glass bottles were paced as sensible energy-storing material. The mathematical model proposed by Kumar and Tiwari has been utilized to evaluate internal heat transfers, internal efficiency, and exergy efficiency. For checking the economic feasibility of sand-filled glass bottle within CSS, a comparative cost analysis has been performed to evaluate CPL (Cost per Litre). It has been observed that the MSS has yielded 21.32% more than CSS. And overall internal efficiency has also increased by 139.45% due to the presence of sand-filled glass bottles
Prediction of Surface Roughness of U71Mn Steel Milling Based on RBF Neural Network
Get PDFIn order to predict the surface roughness of U71Mn high manganese steel before actual milling operation, an orthogonal experiment was designed. Based on the intelligent algorithm of Radial Basis Functions (RBF) neural network, an accurate prediction model of surface roughness is done with MATLAB. By comparing the predicted data of RBF neural network model with the actual measured data, it is proven that the model is accurate and effective
Changing Spatial Patterns of Agriculture in the Punjab Province and the Food Sustainability
Get PDFPakistan is essentially an agricultural country as most of the population is still living in the rural areas and depending on agriculture for their livelihood. Increasing population is putting more and more pressure on the agricultural lands of the country to fulfill the food requirement. Forty four percent of the labor force of the country is alone shared by agriculture sector. Its importance increases as the most of the industries are also dependent on the agricultural products as their raw material. The province of Punjab is the agricultural hub of the country and playing a vital role in supplying the food grain and other agricultural products not only to the population within the province but to all other parts of the country. The districts in the province are producing the major grain crops, which is quite sufficient for showing the level of sustainability for the population within their limits. Only few districts in the Punjab with highly populated urban centers such as Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad are showing somewhat lower shares of agricultural contribution
Characterization Studies on Calcium Borate Compound Modified by ZnCO3, CaCO3 and Fructose
Get PDFCalcium fructoborate solid materials of formula Ca(C6H10O6BO)2 ·3.5H2O were prepared by chemical wet technique. The neutral trigonal form of boron organic ester with fructose, under the solid form, is prepared and modified in solution in the anionic tetrahedral form; the borate compound is investigated by XRD spectroscopy. An ideal strong amorphous forming material is obtained upon modification with ZnCO3 or CaCO3. 11B NMR solids and solution and Raman spectroscopy were developed to determine different types and the amount of borate derivative present in products. The modifier portion from calcium carbonate and fructose are consumed for boron transformation from three to four coordinated units. Raman spectra of pure B2O3 confirm the presence of the borate boroxol ring as the main structural units. But different borate units are formed upon modification by calcium carbonate and fructose. Modification by ZnCO3 had a few effects on boron transformation. The chemical shift of 11 B NMR spectra is remaining unchanged upon its addition
Biosortion of Cr(VI) from Aqueous Solutions Using Chemically Modified Okra Powder
Get PDFThe main objective of this work was to use the okra powder modified with citric acid as biosorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. Samples of Cr(VI) solution were prepared by diluting the 100 ppm solution diluted from the 1000 ppm stock solution prepared with K2Cr2O7. The determination of Cr(VI) was performed spectrophotometrically by the method of complexation with 1,5-diphenylcarbazide, measuring the absorbance at a 540 nm wavelength. The experiments were conducted at 25 ± 1 °C; 2, 5, 7 and 8 initial pH; 10-240 minutes contact time and 0.05 g of adsorbent. The Freundlich and Langmuir models were used to fit the experimental data. The Freundlich model provided R2=0.9599, indicating adsorption on heterogeneous conditions. Analysis of fluorescence of X-rays, SEM and FTIR were used to prove the okra powder efficiency in the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions
Chemical Investigation of Mesua nagassarium (Burm. f.) Kosterm
Get PDFRepeated chromatographic separation and purification of pet-ether and carbon tetrachloride soluble fractions of a methanol extract of stem bark of Mesua nagassarium (Burm. f.) Kosterm yielded five compounds. Extensive spectroscopic studies, including high field NMR analyses was conducted to identify these compounds which resulted to be friedelin (1), 3β-friedelanol (2),lupeol (3), 3-oxo-betulin(4) and spinasterol (5). Although compounds 1–3have been reported from various plant species, but 3-oxo-betulinand spinasterol have been discovered from M. nagassarium (Burm. f.) Kosterm for the first time
Gender Differences in Nicotine Induced Dyslipidemia and Hyperglycemia in Mice
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in nicotine treated male and female mice and to evaluate gender related differences. For these purposes adult male and female BALB/C mice were subjected to chronic nicotine treatment (3.08mg/100ml in drinking water) for 4 weeks. Serum glucose, albumin, corticosterone and lipid profile levels were determined. Body weight changes were also monitored. We have found that nicotine treatment raises total cholesterol and glucose levels more in male as compared to female mice. Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were increased by 35% (P<0.01) only in male mice. However rise in triglycerides were greater in females (28%) than males (21%) when compared with their respective controls. Serum albumin levels were increased in both sexes showing 13% greater increase in males as compared to females. However nicotine treatment had no effect on high density lipoprotein cholesterol, corticosterone levels and body weights in both genders. It is concluded that nicotine use is positively associated with LDL-C in males; the results are discussed in relation to prevalence of metabolic syndrome andrisk of cardiovascular events in nicotine users
Role of Tissue Specific Plantar Fascia Stretching Exercises Versus Myofascial Released Technique in Chronic Plantar Fasciitis
Get PDFObjective: The effectiveness of tissue specific stretching exercises and myofascial released technique on intensity of pain and Foot function was compared in chronic plantar fasciitis patients.
Study Design: Randomized controlled trial study
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at Al-Ain Poly clinic Karachi between 2012-13.
Materials and Methods: Fifty patients with chronic plantar fasciitis were enrolled through convenience sampling and were randomly assigned into Stretching Exercise and Myofascial Release Technique groups. Intensity of pain and foot function were evaluated by Visual Analouge Scale and foot function index, respectively. Ten sessions were done for both groups. T-tests and ANCOVA test were used for statistical analysis (p<0.05).
Results: The score of visual analogue scale (VAS) and foot functioning index (FFI) improved in both groups, though the decrease of intensity of pain was more in stretching exercises Group (p<0.01). Additionally, improvement in foot functioning index did not significantly differ between two groups.
Conclusion: The stretching exercises can reduce pain and improve foot functioning in chronic plantar fasciitis
Determination of Paraquat (Herbicide) Residue Level in Sandy Clay Loam Soil Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography
Get PDFPesticide is considered as the most widely used form of agricultural chemical. Pesticide residue is the remaining pesticide on or in soil after pesticide is applied on agriculture soil. Soil is a component that is crucial to life. The research purposely concerned on major effects that could be contributed from medium to unlimited application of pesticide. The soil samples were systematically collected from 5 plots and Paraquat residues concentrations were determined in dissimilar depth of soil layers. The herbicide used was Paraquat that contained Paraquat Dichloride. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis detected the peak area volumes of Paraquat in soil samples at level ranging from 0.3 to 5.9 mg/l. The concentration of Paraquat in sandy clay loam soil showed that herbicide leached downward to the depth of 15 cm. The maximum concentration of Paraquat residue was detected at 0 to15 cm of soil depth at 2.783 mg/l. In highly organic soils, adsorption is weaker and Paraquat remains herbicidally active for longer, up to 29 days in one trial on soil with 98% organic matter [1]. Oral dose, LD50 for human is equal to 40-60 mg/kg [2] while the lowest fatal dose recorded for human was 17 mg/kg, but even lower doses may be fatal for children [3]