Raghunath T. Mahajan

Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Ficus carica: a review.

Abstract Context: Ficus carica Linn (Moraceae) has been used in traditional medicine for a wide range of ailments related to digestive, endocrine, reproductive, and respiratory systems. Additionally, it is also used in gastrointestinal tract and urinary tract infection. Objective: This review gathers the fragmented information available in the literature regarding morphology, ethnomedicinal applications, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of Ficus carica. It also explores the therapeutic potential of Ficus carica in the field of ethnophytopharmacology. Materials and methods: All the available information on Ficus carica was compiled from electronic databases such as Academic Journals, Ethnobotany, Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and library search. Results: Worldwide ethnomedical uses of Ficus carica have been recorded which have been used traditionally for more than 40 types of disorders. Phytochemical research has led to the isolation of primary as well as secondary metabolites, plant pigment, and enzymes (protease, oxidase, and amylase). Fresh plant materials, crude extracts, and isolated components of Ficus carica have shown a wide spectrum of biological (pharmacological) activities. Conclusion: Ficus carica has emerged as a good source of traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments such as anemia, cancer, diabetes, leprosy, liver diseases, paralysis, skin diseases, and ulcers. It is a promising candidate in pharmaceutical biology for the development/formulation of new drugs and future clinical uses.

Characterization of Thermo- and Detergent Stable Antigenic Glycosylated Cysteine Protease of Euphorbia nivulia Buch.-Ham. and Evaluation of Its Ecofriendly Applications

An antigenic glycosylated cysteine protease has been purified from the latex of Euphorbia nivulia Buch.-Ham. It exhibits remarkable protease activity in the presence of metal ions, oxidizing agents, organic solvents, and detergents. This enzyme showed potential role in leather processing industry due to its dehairing activity for animal hide without hydrolyzing fibrous proteins, producing, by this way, a better quality product. The enzyme can also be used for silver recovering from X-ray plates. In addition, the stability (temperature and surfactants) and hydrolysis of blood stain data also revealed its application in detergent industries. Agriculturally, this protease finds application in biocontrol process against the infectious management of root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita. Biologically, it shows noticeable wound healing, haemostatic and antibacterial activity.

Peptide Mass Fingerprinting and N-Terminal Amino Acid Sequencing of Glycosylated Cysteine Protease of Euphorbia nivulia Buch.-Ham.

A new cysteine protease named Nivulian-II has been purified from the latex of Euphorbia nivulia Buch.-Ham. The apparent molecular mass of Nivulian-II is 43670.846 Da (MALDI TOF/MS). Peptide mass fingerprint analysis revealed peptide matches to Maturase K (Q52ZV1_9MAGN) of Banksia quercifolia. The N-terminal sequence (DFPPNTCCCICC) showed partial homology with those of other cysteine proteinases of biological origin. This is the first paper to characterize a Nivulian-II of E. nivulia latex with respect to amino acid sequencing.

Nivulian-II a new milk clotting cysteine protease of Euphorbia nivulia latex

Nivulian-II, new milk clotting cysteine protease has been purified from the latex of Euphorbia nivulia Buch.-Ham. Nivulian-II is a monomeric protein with an apparent molecular mass 43670.846 Da. It presents its optimum activity at pH 6.3 and temperature of 50°C. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by common thiol-blocking reagents thereby indicating that it belongs to cysteine protease family. Nivulian-II is a type of glycoprotein and its pI is 3.4. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of Nivulian-II is DFPPNTCCCICC. This sequence showed relatively low homology with several other proteases of Euphorbian plants, suggesting that the isolated enzyme is a new cysteine protease.

Identification and characterization of Euphorbia nivulia latex proteins.

The protein profile of latex of Euphorbia nivulia Buch.-Ham. is established. Three new proteins viz., Nivulian-I, II and III have been purified to homogeneity from the latex. The relative molecular masses of Nivulian-I, II and III are 31,486.985, 43,670.846 and 52,803.470 Da respectively. Nivulian-I is a simple type of protein while Nivulian-II and III are glycoproteins. Peptide mass fingerprint analysis revealed peptides of these proteins match with Tubulin alpha-1 chain of Eleusine indica, Maturase K of Banksia quercifolia and hypothetical protein of Zea mays respectively. Tryptic digestion profile of Nivulian-I, II and III, infer the exclusive nature of latex origin proteins and may be new and are additive molecules in the dictionaries of phytoproteins or botany. This is the first of its kind, regarding characterization and validation of Nivulian-I, II and III with respect to peptide sequencing.

Ethnobotanical Euphorbian plants of North Maharashtra Region

Euphorbiaceae is among the large flowering plant families consisting of a wide variety of vegetative forms. Some of which plants are of great importance, It is need to explore traditional medicinal knowledge of plant materials belonging to various genera of Euphorbiaceae available in North Maharashtra State. Plants have always been the source of food, medicine and other necessities of life since the origin of human being. Plant containing ethnomedicinal properties have been known and used in some forms or other tribal communities of Satpuda region. These tribal have their own system of Ethnomedicine for the treatment of different ailments. In the course of survey useful Euphorbian plants of Satpuda, 34 medicinal plants belonging to 18 genus is documented. This article reports their botanical identity, family name, local language name part used preparations and doses, if any. It is observed that tribes of this region uses various Euphorbian plant in the form of decoction, infusion, extract, paste, powder etc. Thus the knowledge area of this region with respect to ethnomedicine would be useful for botanist, pharmacologist and phytochemist for further explorations. It is concluded that the family is a good starting point for the search for plant-based medicines. Keywords: Ethnomedicine, Tribals, Satpuda region, Euphorbian medicinal plant.

No evidence of antiprotozoal property of asteracid weeds Sphaeranthus indicus Linn

Introduction: Sphaeranthus indicus Linn, an asteracid weed, has been studied by various researchers. The flower of S. indicus possesses biological activities like Nematicidal, Larvicidal, Piscicidal and others, for example, agricultural. Objective: The present investigation for the antiprotozoal activitiy of a methanolic extract (MeOHx) and the alkaloidal fraction (SAF) of the flowers of Sphaeranthus indicus Linn. has been undertaken. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out in seven groups of the Paramecium sp. by using the hemocytometer technique. Different concentrations of MeOHx (50 and 100 μg / ml) and SAF (20 and 40 μg / ml) were applied. The percent mortality was calculated and the results were expressed by using the probit analysis. Results: There was no significant activity against the tested protozoa. Conclusion: Thus, the results of the present investigation suggest that MeOHx and SAF are not responsible for the antiprotozoal property of S. indicus.

Potential of methanolic extract of leaves of Hamiltonia suaveolens Roxb as the wound healer in rat

Wound healing activity of methanolic extract of leaves of Hamiltonia suaveolens Roxb was assessed by using excision, incision and dead space wound model in Wistar rat. The animals were divided into five groups (n=6) and labeled as control; placebo; standard and experimental groups. Ointment of the methanolic extract at a dose 2.5% and 5% w/w were prepared and applied topically. The healing of the wound was assessed by the rate of wound contraction, period of epithelialization, skin breaking strength, biochemical profile and histopathology of granuloma tissue and Wound Image Analysis Software – WITA used for the first time. Animals were treated with the methanolic extract at a dose 5% exhibited 98.04% reduction in wound area 20th day, compared to control (93.82%). In incision wound model, tensile strength of healing tissue after treatment was found to be significantly higher compared to control group. The hydroxyproline (108.7 mg/g of tissue), ascorbic acid (50.69 mg/g of tissue) and glucosamine (33.22 mg/g of tissue) content from the wound area found significantly increased in treated animals at 5% concentration of methanolic extract as compared to control group of animals. Histological analysis revealed swift restoration of wound healing.