Sayyada Khatoon

Antimicrobial screening of ethnobotanically important stem bark of medicinal plants

Background: The stem barks are the rich sources of tannins and other phenolic compounds. Tannins inhibited the growth of various fungi, yeast, bacteria and virus. Hence, ten stem barks of ethnomedicinally important plants were screened for antibacterial and antifungal activities against human pathogenic strains. Methods: Air-dried and powdered stem bark of each plant was extracted with 50% aqueous ethanol, lyophilized and the dried crude extracts were used for the screening against 11 bacteria and 8 fungi. Antibacterial and antifungal activities were performed according to microdilution methods by NCCLS. Results: The plants Prosopis chilensis, Pithecellobium dulce, Mangifera indica showed significant antibacterial and antifungal activities against Streptococcus pneumonia, Enterobacter aerogenes, Klebsiella pneumonia and Candida albicans with MIC of 0.08mg/ml. Pithecellobium dulce bark also showed significant antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus. Conclusion: The bark of Pithecellobium dulce has more or less similar activity against the known antibiotic and may be considered as potent antimicrobial agent for various infectious diseases.

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used in sacred groves of Kumaon Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE International organizations recognize the importance of sacred groves and place them into the context of sustainable development and also emphasize to conserve biodiversity through protection of sacred groves and sties. The significance of medicinal plants from Himalayan region is well known to the world. Therefore, present study was conducted in identified sacred groves of Kumaon Himalaya to investigate and document the utilization of medicinal plants by various local communities and tribal people. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted during 2008-2011 in four seasons of the year. Information was collected from 70 locals from different sacred groves by using free listing interviews with randomly selected informants and semi-structured questionnaires; plant specimens were collected, identified and deposited at the CSIR-NBRI herbarium (LWG), Lucknow, India. RESULTS Seven sacred groves viz., Dhwaj, Haat Kali, Hokra, Malay Nath, Nakuleshwar, Narayan Swami Ashram and Patal Bhuvneshwar were identified from the Pithoragarh district of Kumaon Himalaya. 89 medicinal plants belonging to 52 families and 77 genera of which, 2 are lichens, 4 are pteridophytes, 3 are gymnosperms and remaining 80 plant species are angiosperms. 6 plant species are reported with new therapeutic uses for the first time in this paper. Highest informant׳s consensus factor value was found in liver disorder (0.55) and least by body pains (0.23). 55 ethnomedicinal plants are showing 100% fidelity level against various diseases. CONCLUSION Sacred groves in Kumaon region of Indian Himalaya are rich sources and best repository of ethno-medicinally important plants with many rare, endangered and threatened species. It is an excellent example of unique traditional way of in situ conservation of different plant species.

Disruption of Elements Uptake due to Excess Chromium in Indian Medicinal Plants

Chromium and its compounds may cause disturbance in the nutrient level of the plants. Iron, manganese, copper, and zinc are essential nutrient elements and required for balanced growth and development of plants, but chromium uptake sometimes disturbed their concentration in plants. Therefore, in the present paper, an effort has been made to observe the effect of different levels of Cr on nutrient uptake of Phyllanthus amarus and Solanum nigrum, the medicinally important plants of indigenous systems of medicine having hepatoprotective and diuretic properties. The study revealed that Cr causes significant changes in nutrient uptake as compared to control plants. Besides, Cr-treated plants showed growth depression and decrease in fresh and dry weight too. With the increase in Cr supply, accumulation of Cr in roots was increased significantly. Concentration of manganese and zinc was also increased. However, copper concentration in both the plants seemed less affected by Cr.

Pharmacognostic Evaluation of Coleus forskohlii

Coleus forskohlii (Willd.) Briq. is an important plant used against various disorders in indigenous systems of medicine, such as antiaging, antioxidant and as a remedy for heart, abdominal and respiratory disorders. In the present communication a detailed pharmacognostical study of roots of this plant procured from different geographical zones of India is carried out. Although all the samples show similar macro- and microscopic characters, there is remarkable variation in the percentages of coleonol, sugars, starch and protein in different samples. For instance, the percentage of coleonol is higher in Salem (3.11%) and Vijaywadah (2.202%) as compared to Agrakhal (1.139%) and Tarikhet (0.7319%); similarly, there is an almost four fold increase in percentages of sugar and starch in southern samples while the protein percentage is almost twice as high in northern samples. Further, a variation in heavy metal concentration is also observed.

Pharmacognostical Evaluation of Cassia angustifolia. Seeds

Abstract Cassia angustifolia. Vahl (Leguminosae), commonly known as “sanaai,” is employed in various indigenous systems of medicine against several diseases, and almost every part of the plant has diverse medicinal properties. The seeds are used as an anthelmintic, digestive, and to treat piles, skin diseases, and abdominal troubles. According to Ayurveda, it has the property of reducing “kapha” and “Vata.” The current communication provides a detailed account of the pharmacognostic investigation carried out on the seeds of C. angustifolia.. The study includes macro- and microscopical details, SEM studies, fluorescence study of powder, physicochemical studies, and HPTLC fingerprinting. The seed is characterized by a finely ridged seed coat and palisade-like malpighian cells, discontinuous transparent linea lucida in the upper half of the malpighian layer, hilum simple and oblong. The study revealed that the seed samples procured from different places have similar morphological and physicochemical values. These observations are supported by TLC profiles. It was noted that the percentage of active principles (sennoside A and B) varied significantly in samples procured from different parts of the country.

Altitudinal variation of berberine, total phenolics and flavonoid content in Thalictrum foliolosum and their correlation with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities

Background The quality of herbal medicine is determined by its secondary metabolites, which may vary according to growth, season and altitude etc. Objective We studied the variation in phytochemistry and biological activities of Thalictrum foliolosum (TF) roots collected from four sites at different altitudes. Material and methods The berberine content in different extracts of T. foliolosum roots collected from various altitudes was estimated using HPTLC. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined using Folin-Ciocalteau reagent and aluminum chloride method respectively. The sensitivity of microbes for the extracts was studied using disc diffusion and the MIC was estimated using broth dilution method. Antioxidant capacity of the plant was studied using β-carotene bleaching assay, lipid peroxidation assay using goat liver, reducing power assay and DPPH free radical scavenging activity. Results Berberine content varied inversely with altitude; while phenol and flavonoid content of TF increased at higher altitudes. All the TF extracts showed moderate to high activity against Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Extracts with high berberine content were most effective against C. albicans and S. aureus and also showed relatively significant anti-lipid peroxidation, β-carotene bleaching and reducing power. TF extracts with higher phenol and flavonoid content showed better scavenging of DPPH free radicals. Berberine was used as a standard in all the antioxidant and antimicrobial experiments performed. Conclusion Thalictrum from lower elevations can be explored as an alternate source of berberine and the plant has high antioxidant and antimicrobial properties owing to its berberine content.

Determination of flavonoids, polyphenols and antioxidant activity of Tephrosia purpurea: a seasonal study.

OBJECTIVE Tephrosia purpurea (Linn·) Pers. is widely used in traditional medicine to treat liver disorders, febrile attacks, enlargement and obstruction of liver, spleen, and kidney. In the present study, investigations were carried out to determine the seasonal impact on the content of flavonoid glycosides and on antioxidant activities so as to identify the optimal time of harvesting. METHODS The plant materials were collected in different seasons during 2013-2014. Air-dried, powdered plant materials were extracted with 95% ethanol and ethanol: water (1:1) by ultrasound-assisted extraction process. Their chemical composition in terms of total polyphenol and flavonoid contents (TPCs and TFCs) was determined using modified colorimetric Folin-Ciocalteu method and aluminum chloride colorimetric assay respectively. To determine the in vitro antioxidant activity, diphenyl-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging assay and total antioxidant capacity by phosphomolybdate antioxidant assay were carried out. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/photo-diode array (PDA) analysis was used to quantify the flavonoid glycosides in the samples collected in different seasons. Correlation studies were also carried out between antioxidant activities and TPCs. RESULTS The highest TPC and TFC were found to be in the 95% ethanolic extract of the August sample and the lowest in the 50% hydro-alcoholic extract of the plant sample collected in winter season. It was observed that in both the assays used to determine the antioxidant activity, the 95% ethanolic extracts in all the seasons showed a higher activity than their respective 50% hydro-alcoholic extracts with an increase in activity as we go from cold to hot to rainy seasons. Based on correlation analysis, DPPH radical-scavenging activities as well as the spectrophotometrically measured phosphomolybdenum complex were also strongly correlated with TPC of the extracts. The most abundant flavonoid glycoside was quercetin-3-O-rhamnoglucoside in all the seasons. The content of all flavonoids was observed highest in the 95% ethanolic extract of the plant collected in August (TP-3). The 50% hydro-alcoholic extract of the plant collected in December (TP-6) showed the lowest amount of flavonoids and antioxidant activity. CONCLUSION The findings of this study confirmed that the metabolism and production of flavonoids in T. purpurea are vigorously affected by seasonal factors. Significant differences were observed in the TPC, TFC and flavonoid glycoside composition in the 95% ethanolic as well as 50% hydro-alcoholic extracts of T· purpurea collected in different seasons. Since the 95% ethanolic extract of the August sample (TP-3), which also happens to be its flowering season, exhibited the highest TPC, TFC and antioxidant activities in both DPPH and phosphomolybdate assays as well as contained the highest content of all flavonoids, it could be recommended as the optimal season of harvesting T· purpurea with respect to its pharmaceutically important constituents, i.e., flavonoids.

Effect of seasonality and time after anthesis on the viability and longevity of Cannabis sativa pollen

The aim of this study was to evaluate the pollen viability and longevity of Cannabis sativa, which is a significant economic crop. Viability and longevity are evaluated using different staining techniques: Alexanders, Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride (TCT) and Fluorochromatic Reaction (FCR). The results of this study show that FCR is the most reliable and accurate for assessing viability and longevity in C. sativa. Viability was measured over days and across 2010. Viability was greatest between 0 - 3 days of anther dehiscence and during April, whilst December had the lowest pollen viability. For Cannabis sativa the first 3 days after anthesis are the most important for fertilization, following the 3rd day there is a rapid decline in viability.

Pharmacognostical Studies of Polygonatum cirrifolium and Polygonatum verticillatum

ABSTRACT The rhizomes of Polygonatum cirrifolium and Polygonatum verticillatum are well known as members of “Ashta-varga,” a group of eight drugs in the Ayurvedic system of medicine, and highly valued for their rejuvenating, restorative, and activating effects. These two species of Polygonatum can be differentiated from each other on the basis of color, size, microscopy, and HPTLC fingerprint profile. Dried rhizomes of P. cirrifolium are cream colored and smooth surfaced, about 0.4–0.8 cm broad, while P. verticillatum rhizomes are orange-brown in color, rough or sandy surfaced, and 1–2 cm broad. Histologically, the rhizomes are similar in both species, but the roots show a sclerenchymatous central zone in P. verticillatum that is absent in P. cirrifolium. Steroidal saponins were detected in both species, two of which can be used as marker spots to differentiate the two species.