Antibacterial efficacy of the seed extracts of Melia azedarach against some hospital isolated human pathogenic bacterial strains

Objective:To investigate the antibacterial potential of the polar and non-polar extracts of the seeds of Melia azedarach(M.azedarach) L.(Meliaceae) against eighteen hospital isolated human pathogenic bacterial strains.Methods:Petrol,benzene,ethyl acetate,methanol,and aqueous extracts at five different concentrations(1,2,5,10 and 15 mg/mL) were evaluated.Disk diffusion method was followed to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy.Results:All extracts of the seeds demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against tested pathogens.Among all extracts,ethyl acetate extract revealed the highest inhibition comparatively.The present study also favored the traditional uses reported earlier.Conclusions:Results of this study strongly confirm that the seed extracts of M.azedarach could be effective antibiotics,both in controlling gram-positive and gram-negative human pathogenic infections.

Antibacterial activity of leaves extracts of Trifolium alexandrinum Linn,against pathogenic bacteria causing tropical diseases

Objective:To investigate antibacterial potential of Trifolium alexandrinum(T.alexandrinum) Linn,against seven gram positive and eleven gram negative hospital isolated human pathogenic bacterial strains responsible for many tropical diseases.Methods:Non-polar and polar extracts of the leaves of T.alexandrinum i.e.,hexane,dichloromethane(DCM),ethyl acetate(EtOAc), methanol(MeOH) and aqueous(AQ) extracts at five different concentrations(1,2,5,10 and 15 mg/ mL) were prepared to evaluate their antibacterial value.NCCL standards were strictly followed to perform antimicrobial disc susceptibility test using disc diffusion method.Results:Polar extracts demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against tested pathogens.EtOAc and MeOH extracts showed maximum antibacterial activity with higher inhibition zone and were found effective against seventeen of the tested pathogens.While AQ plant extract inhibited the growth of sixteen of the test strains.EtOAc and MeOH plant extracts inhibited the growth of all seven gram positive and ten of the gram negative bacterial strains.Conclusions:The present study strongly confirms the effectiveness of crude leaves extracts against tested human pathogenic bacterial strains causing several tropical diseases.Since Egyptian clover is used as a fodder plant,it could be helpful in controlling various infectious diseases associated with cattle as well.

Identification of α-glucosidase inhibitors from Clinacanthus nutans leaf extract using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and protein-ligand interaction with molecular docking

The present study used in vitro and in silico techniques, as well as the metabolomics approach to characterise α-glucosidase inhibitors from different fractions of Clinacanthus nutans. C. nutans is a medicinal plant belonging to the Acanthaceae family, and is traditionally used to treat diabetes in Malaysia. nHexane, n-hexane: ethyl acetate(1:1, v/v), ethyl acetate, ethyl acetate: methanol(1:1, v/v), and methanol fractions were obtained via partitioning of the 80% methanolic crude extract. The in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity was analyzed using all the fractions collected, followed by profiling of the metabolites using liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry. The partial least square(PLS) statistical model was developed using the SIMCA P^+14.0 software and the following four inhibitors were obtained:(1) 4,6,8-Megastigmatrien-3-one;(2) N-Isobutyl-2-nonen-6,8-diynamide;(3) 1′,2′-bis(acetyloxy)-3′,4′-didehydro-2′-hydro-β, ψ-carotene; and(4) 22-acetate-3-hydroxy-21-(6-methyl-2,4-octadienoate)-olean-12-en-28-oic acid. The in silico study performed via molecular docking with the crystal structure of yeast isomaltase(PDB code: 3 A4 A) involved a hydrogen bond and some hydrophobic interactions between the inhibitors and protein. The residues that interacted include ASN259, HID295, LYS156, ARG335,and GLY209 with a hydrogen bond, while TRP15, TYR158, VAL232, HIE280, ALA292, PRO312, LEU313,VAL313, PHE314, ARG315, TYR316, VAL319, and TRP343 with other forms of bonding.

Salacca zalacca:A short review of the palm botany, pharmacological uses and phytochemistry

Salacca zalacca(Gaertn.) Voss(family Arecaceae) is the snake fruit commonly known in Malay language as salak in Malaysia. This exotic fruit has diverse and potential pharmacological properties due to its high antioxidant content. It is often consumed due to its sweet taste. The abundant natural sugar and fibre along with minerals and vitamin makes it a nutritious fruit. Phytochemical investigation on this fruit has revealed the presence of flavonoids, phenolics, glycosides as well as some volatile and aromatic compounds, including gallic acid, quercetin, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, proanthocyanidins, lycopene and β-carotene. Pharmacological studies on the fruit flesh and peel have shown some tremendous antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antidiabetic potential. This review provides the botanical information of Salacca zalacca as well as its scientific investigations involving the distinct pharmacological and phytochemical benefits. This could help in highlighting the lacking data and research gaps on this plant.

Potential bioactive coating system for high-performance absorbable magnesium bone implants

Magnesium alloys are considered the most suitable absorbable metals for bone fracture fixation implants.The main challenge in absorbable magnesium alloys is their high corrosion/degradation rate that needs to be controlled.Various coatings have been applied to magnesium alloys to slow down their corrosion rates to match their corrosion rate to the regeneration rate of the bone fracture.In this review,a bioactive coating is proposed to slow down the corrosion rate of magnesium alloys and accelerate the bone fracture healing process.The main aim of the bioactive coatings is to enhance the direct attachment of living tissues and thereby facilitate osteoconduction.Hydroxyapatite,collagen type I,recombinant human bone morphogenetic proteins 2,simvastatin,zoledronate,and strontium are six bioactive agents that show high potential for developing a bioactive coating system for high-performance absorbable magnesium bone implants.In addition to coating,the substrate itself can be made bioactive by alloying magnesium with calcium,zinc,copper,and manganese that were found to promote bone regeneration.

Antibacterial potential of some plants of traditional use in India against pathogenic strains of S.aureus

Objective:To evaluate antibacterial sensitivity of 43 ethnomedicinally important plants belonging to 25 different families from Western Uttar Pradesh,a northern province in India,against hospital isolated pathogenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus).Methods:Methanol(MeOH)and aqueous extracts of plants were subjected to sensitivity test against S.aureus ATCC 25953 and two hospital isolated virulent strains of S.aureus SA1 and SA2 following disc diffusion assay to determine sensitivity and agar dilution method to test minimum inhibition concentration using Mueller-Hinton agar.Results:Potential antibacterial activity was recorded for MeOH extracts against test pathogens,while moderate antibacterial activity was observed in case of aqueous extracts.Out of 43 plant species,39 species were found sensitive to tested strains.Minimum inhibition concentration values of MeOH extracts were demonstrated at low concentration ranging from 15.5 mg/mL up to 45.5 mg/mL compared to aqueous extracts which were observed ranging from 30.0 mg/mL up to 95.0 mg/mL.Conclusions:The present findings strongly support traditional uses of these plants in the treatment of infectious maladies and further urge of phytochemical and pharmacological research to develop safer and cheaper drugs for the benefit of ailing humanity.

Direct and indirect antimicrobial effects of α-mangostin on pathogenic microorganisms

Objective:To test direct and indirect antimicrobial properties of α-mangostin towards a number of bacteria and fungi.Methods:Activity of α-mangostin paired with an antibiotic was studied by calculating its fractional inhibitory concentration(FIC).Results:The experiment was carried out using broth microdilution and checkerboards methods.tetracycline showed no interaction with the combination withα-mangostin where the FIC indexes were between the range of 0.5<FIC_(index)>4.Activity of doxycycline on Pseudomonas aeruginosa fell into other set of range,FIC_(index)≥4 which is an antagonism.The activity of all four bacteria towards ampicillin,penicillin G,streptomycin and Conclusions:The FIC index is far away in the range.The coupled antibiotic andα-mangostin is considered synergy in action if it lies in FIC_(index)≤0.5 and it was found that the isolated compound,α-mangostin revealed very low synergistic antimicrobial effects when coupled with antibiotics.

Studies on bactericidal efficacy of pumpkin(Cucurbita moschata Duchesne)peel

Objective:To explore the in vitro antibacterial potential of the peel of Cucurbita moschata Duchesne(tropical pumpkin)(C.moschata)against human pathogenic bacteria.Methods:In the present study,dichloromethane(DCM),methanol(MEOH)and aqueous extracts of C.moschata peel were examined for in vitro antibacterial potency against eight bacterial strains i.e.Bacillus cereus,Burkholderia cepacia,Escherichia coli,Enterococcus faecalis,Staphyloccocus aureus,Pseudomonas aerugenosa,Vibrio alginolyticus,Vibrio parahaemolyticus using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility and broth micro-dilution methods.Results:DCM extract of pumpkin peel exhibited the maximum zone of inhibition against Staphyloccocus aureus(21 mm)whereas aqueous extract of pumpkin peel revealed the least zone of inhibition against Escherichia coli(8 mm).MEOH extract gave maximum zone of inhibition against Pseudomonas aerugenosa(19 mm).Broth micro-dilution method showed minimum inhibitory concentration for the DCM extract against Burkholderia cepacia at 6.25 mg/mL.The minimum bactericidal concentrations were also determined to know the nature of all extracts.DCM and MEOH extracts exhibited bactericidal nature to all bacterial strains except for the Vibrio alginolyticus.The minimum bactericidal concentrations values exhibited bactericidal nature ranging from 3.12 mg/mL to 100.00 mg/mL.The screening of antimicrobial properties of different extracts of C.moschata peel revealed that the DCM extract possessed good antimicrobial efficacy compared to MEOH and aqueous extracts.Conclusions:Peel of C.moschata possesses antibacterial compounds and could be potential source for a new class of antibiotics.