Sabuj Sahoo

Antibacterial Activity of Barringtonia acutangula against Selected Urinary Tract Pathogens.

Barringtonia acutangula (L.) Gaertn belonging to family Barringtoniaceae was investigated to evaluate In vitro antibacterial activity of aqueous, ethanolic, petroleum ether and chloroform extracts against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli the major urinary tract infection causing pathogens were tested by disc diffusion assay method and the minimum inhibitory concentration was evaluated. Ethanol (95%) extract exhibited broader spectrum of inhibition followed by chloroform, petroleum ether and aqueous extracts against the urinary tract pathogens under test. An attempt has been made to compare the activity of extracts with standard antibiotics against selected urinary tract infection causing pathogens.

Screening and characterization of extracelluar L-asparaginase producing Bacillus subtilis strain hswx88, isolated from Taptapani hotspring of Odisha, India

OBJECTIVE To screen and isolate an eco-friendly, a thermophilic and potent L-asparaginase producing bacterium, with novel immunological properties that may obviates hypersensitivity reactions. METHODS In the present study bacterial strain isolated for extracellular L-asparaginase production from hotspring, identified by morphological, biochemical and physiological tests followed by 16S rDNA technology and the L-asparaginase production ability was tested by both semi quantitative and quantitative enzymatic assay. RESULTS The bacterial strain was identified as Bacillus subtilis strain hswx88 (GenBank Accession Number: JQ237656.1). The extracellular enzyme yielding capacity isolate Bacillus subtilis strain hswx88 (23.8 IU/mL) was found to be 1.7 and 14.5 times higher than the reference organism Pectobacterium carotovorum MTCC 1428 (14.2 IU/mL) and Bacillus sp. BCCS 034 (1.64 IU/mL). CONCLUSION The isolate is eco-friendly and useful to produce bulk quantity of extracellular, thermophilic L-asparaginase for the treatment of various tumor cases and for preparation of acrylamide free fry food preparation.

Nephroprotective effect of Bauhinia variegata (Linn.) whole stem extract against cisplatin-induced nephropathy in rats

The nephroprotective activity of the ethanolic extract of Bauhinia variegata (Linn.) whole stem against cisplatin-induced nephropathy was investigated by an in vivo method in rats. Acute nephrotoxicity was induced by i.p. injection of cisplatin (7 mg/kg of body weight (b.w.)). Administration of ethanol extract at dose levels of 400 and 200 mg/kg (b.w.) to cisplatin-intoxicated rats for 14 days attenuated the biochemical and histological signs of nephrotoxicity of cisplatin in a dose-dependent fashion. Ethanol extract at 400 mg/kg decreased the serum level of creatinine (0.65 ± 0.09; P<0.001) and urea (32.86 ± 5.88; P<0.001) associated with a significant increase in body weight (7.16 ± 1.10; P<0.001) and urine volume output (11.95 ± 0.79; P<0.05) as compared to the toxic control group. The ethanol extract of B. variegata at 400 mg/kg (b.w.) exhibited significant and comparable nephroprotective potential to that of the standard polyherbal drug cystone. The statistically (one-way-ANOVA followed by Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison) processed results suggested the protective action of B. variegate whole stem against cisplatin-induced nephropathy.

Anti-nephrotoxic activity of some medicinal plants from tribal rich pockets of Odisha

Background: Gentamicin, a strong cationic drug accumulated at biological membranes causes net increase in oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation leading to necrotic changes in renal tubles and consequently precipitates acute nephrotoxicity. Several phytoconstituents and plants extracts demonstrated significant anti-oxidant and cyto-protective activities. Vitex negundo Linn. (VN), Oroxylum indicum Vent. (OI) and Barringtonia acutangula Linn. (BA) are widely found throughout the Asian sub-continent including India, used extensively in different forms of Indian traditional medicine like Ayurveda and Unani. Objective: Nephroprotective activity of extracts of VN roots, OI whole plant and BA leaves were investigated against experimentally induced acute nephrotoxicity [Gentamicin (i.p; 80mg/kg for 7 days)] in Wistar rats as test animals. Materials and Methods: The rats were treated with Cystone (5 mL/kg; p.o) taken as positive control and methanol-dichloromethane (1:1) extracts of VN, OI and BA (200 mg/kg; p.o) as test drugs for 7 days. Following the said treatments, biochemical parameters of urine (volume, creatinine and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)) and serum (urea, creatinine, albumin and total protein) were estimated. Renal anti-oxidant markers viz., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in renal tissue were assayed. Tissue sections of kidneys from different groups were made and histopathological features were observed. Result: The extracts of VN, OI and BA significantly attenuated the nephrotoxicity by elevation of body weight, CAT, GPx and SOD or lowering urine LDH and creatinine, serum urea; serum creatinine and LPO respectively. Histopathological score of VN, OI and BA treated groups were 1+, 2+ and 2+ respectively against 4+ of the toxic group. Conclusion: The findings suggested the significant nephroprotection of VN roots followed by OI whole plant and BA leaves.

Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation of a multi-medicinal herb, Boerhaavia diffusa L.: optimization of the process and anti-microbial activity against bacterial pathogens causing urinary tract infections

Hairy root cultures (HRCs) of Boerhaavia diffusa L., an ethno-medicinally important herb, were established via explant co-cultivation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Several key factors influencing transformation efficiency were optimized. Rhizoclones showing prolific growth were maintained through successive subcultures in solidified Murashige & Skoogs medium without growth regulators (MS0) under diffused illumination. PCR analysis of the rhizoclones demonstrated positive amplification of rolB and rolC genes of pRi TL-DNA. Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and opine assay revealed the presence and expression of the pRi TR-DNA borne ags gene. The methanol and dichloromethane (M:DM) extracts of hairy roots (HRs) and natural roots (NRs) were screened against a wide range of bacterial pathogens causing human urinary tract infections (UTIs). The MIC and MBC values of HRs were markedly lower when compared to NRs against microorganisms causing UTIs. Extracts of HRs were more effective than those of NRs not only against wild type strains but also, and more importantly, against multi-drug resistant strains. Establishment of fast-proliferating renewable HRCs of B. diffusa would provide a direct source of anti-microbial phytocompounds against several pathogenic bacteria, including resistant strains, causing UTIs.

Pharmacological efficacy of argemone mexicana plant extract, against cysteamine-induced duodenal ulceration in rats

OBJECTIVE The plant Argemone mexicana is traditionally used as diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal agent, and has wound-healing property. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of A. mexicana aerial part of the plant (methanolic and aqueous extract p.o.) on duodenal ulceration. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was carried out on the duodenal ulceration model by using cysteamine hydrochloride. Ranitidine (20 mg/kg) was used as standard drug. RESULTS Both the extracts of the plant A. mexicana produced a significant activity in cysteamine-induced duodenal ulceration. The aqueous extract at the dose-dependent manner showed the potent activity than methanolic extract. CONCLUSION The plant A. mexicana Linn. Increased healing of gastric ulceration and prevented the development of experimentally induced duodenal ulceration in rats.

Bioassay Guided Fractionation and Hepatoprotective Activity of Oleanolic Acid Acetate Isolated from Vitex negundo Linn.

Abstract Hepatoprotective activity of dichloromethane-methanol extracts of Vitex negundo (Linn.) roots was tested against CCl -induced hepatotoxicity in rats in vivo by bioassay guided fractionation. The extract was fractionated by column chromatography and the resulting fractions were analyzed for their hepatoprotective action in rat liver explant cultures in-vitro. The active fraction was further purified by chromatographic method. The 1H & 13C NMR, IR and mass spectral studies of the isolated compound suggested its pentacyclic triterpenic nature, characterized as oleanolic acid acetate, was evaluated for its in vitro hepatoprotective activity. Dichloromethane-methanol extract of Vitex negundo (Linn) root showed a dose dependent in vivo hepatoprotective activity. Treatment of CCl -intoxcicated liver explant culture sets (in vitro) with oleanolic acid acetate at a concentration of 3.3 mg/ml attenuated the marker enzymes (GOT: 27.8±0.73 IU/l; GPT: 17.5±0.09 IU/l and ALP: 16.1±0.66 IU/l) level in culture supernatants significantly (P<0.001) as compared to the toxic. The study revealed significant anti-hepatoxic potential of Vitex negundo (Linn) roots extract and isolated oleanolic acid acetate.

Bioprospecting of Endophytes for Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability

The term endophytes refers to a group of endosymbionts usually bacterium, fungus or interactive bacterium-fungal species residing asymptomatically and grows within plants for at least a part of their life cycle intra- and intercelullarly in the tissues of higher plants without causing any visible manifestation of disease. The endophytes represent a potential source of novel natural and ecofriendly products for medicinal, agricultural and industrial uses with least adverse effect on the environment. The enormous biological diversity coupled with their capability to biosynthesize bioactive secondary metabolites has provided the momentum for the researchers working on endophytes. The present review was undertaken to highlight the biotechnological processes and bioprospection of endophytes as potential antimicrobial agents, secondary metabolites, antibiotics, antagonists against disease causing phytopathogens, cytotoxic, anticancer, insecticidal, antioxidant antiviral compounds andisolation and production of bioactive compounds with potent enzymatic activities. Endophyte enhances biodegradation and hydrolysis processes significantly important against pathogenic infection, biotransformation studies and production of compounds with immense industrial applications. The interaction of the endophytic microbiota with the plants are more protected and can withstand the adverse environmental conditions and contribute to plant growth, productivity, carbon sequestration, enhanced phytoremediation efficiencies and amelioration of metal induced toxicity. The strategies governed by the endophytes for efficient production of novel bioactive phytocompounds was comprehensively discussed. The review envisaged the biodiversity, transmission of endophytes, plant endophyte interactions for the production of bioactive compounds for therapeutic, environmental and agricultural sustainability.

Evaluation of in vitro antibacterial and antioxidant activities of Melia azedarach L. bark

The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant potential of n-hexane and methanolic extracts of Melia azedarach L. bark. The antibacterial potential of M. azedarach L. bark was tested against human pathogens causing diarrhoea and dysentery such as Shigella flexneri (MTCC- 9543), Salmonella enterica ser typhi (MTCC-733), Bacillus subtilis (MTCC-1305), Streptococcus mitis (MTCC- 2897), Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC-109) and Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC-1430) using agar well diffusion method. The results of the study revealed that n-hexane extract of bark sample was highly effective against Shigella flexneri whereas Streptococcus mitis, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis showed no response and other test pathogens under study responded moderately. It was observed that methanolic extract had high inhibition potential against Salmonella enterica ser typhi and Streptococcus mitis while moderate effect against other test bacteria. Studies on the antioxidant activity by DPPH scavenging method revealed significant antioxidant potential of n-hexane and methanolic extracts with IC50 value 84.37 and 66.79 respectively.