Toxicity and Antiviral Activities of Some Medicinal Plants Used by Traditional Medical Practitioners in Zimbabwe

Genital herpes, usually caused by Herpes Simplex Virus type-2 (HSV-2), is the commonest sexually transmitted disease especially amongst rural women in Southern Africa including Zimbabwe. This predisposes them to HIV/AIDS infection, cancer and opportunistic infections (OIs). Current antiviral treatments are often cytotoxic and/or ineffective. This motivates active research to find alternative safer drugs or lead drugs from traditional medicinal sources. Twenty six (26) methanol extracts from commonly used and often endangered plant species (14) used by communities and traditional medical practitioners for treating illnesses and sexually transmitted diseases from 5-selected districts of Zimbabwe were investigated for toxicity by Brine shrimp lethality test (BSLT) and by 50% Cytopathic effect on VERO cultured cells. The extracts were also tested for antiviral activity against Herpes Simplex Virus-2 (HSV-2) by the End Point Titration Technique (EPTT) and Neutralisation Test (NT) on VERO cells. Results from the BSLTs ranged 66.66 - 4304 μg/ml;50% Cytopathic effect from 19.53 - 312 μg/ml whilst the NT ID50 values ranged from 10.41 - 125 μg/ml. The antiviral EPTT reduction factor (RF) was 1 - 104 with 13 extracts showing RF ≥ 103. All the plant extracts had moderate to high toxicity (LC50, 789 - 66 μg/ml) in the BSLT. Six extracts had LC50 values greater than 1000 μg/ml. All 26 extracts were cytotoxic with CC50 values < 500 ug/ml of which 19 were more toxic CC50 in vitro therapeutic indexes ≥ 3.7. Cassia abbreviata, Dichrostachys cinerea and Hypoxis hemerocallidea had therapeutic indexes (TI) 7.5 - 15.0. The more active plant extracts were from roots and root tubers. The results confirm the rationale for the use of traditional medicinal plants by traditional medical practitioners for treating various diseases and could bring awareness for their better use and improve conservation. The results also provide an opportunity to develop more efficacious drugs by isolating lead compounds and determining their mode of action.

Cytotoxic Effect of Methanol Extracts and Partitions of Two Mexican Desert Plants against the Murine Lymphoma L5178Y-R

Pachycereus marginatus (DC.) Britton & Rose and Ibervillea sonorae (S. Watson) Greene have been used in the Mexican traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases, including cancer. The present study aims to investigate the cytotoxic activity of these plants against a murine lymphoma. Soxhlet extraction of dried and powdered plant material was performed with methanol. Also, a further partitioning of these methanolic extracts with hexane and ethyl acetate was achieved. The in vitro cytotoxic activity against the murine lymphoma L5178Y-R cell line was assessed via the colorimetric MTT assay. The methanol extract from P. marginatus exhibited high cytotoxic activity (up to 94%) at concentrations ranging from 3.9 to 500 μg/mL;however, hexane and ethyl acetate partitions from this methanolic extract showed lower but significant (p < 0.05) concentration-dependent cytotoxicity (hexane partition up to 94% at 500 μg/mL;ethyl acetate partition up to 94% at 65.5 μg/mL). The methanolic extract and partitions derived from I. sonorae also showed significant (p < 0.05) and concentration-dependent cytotoxicity against L5178Y-R cells at concentrations ranging from 7.81 to 500 μg/mL (methanolic extract up to 63% at 500 μg/mL;hexane partition up to 76% at 250 μg/mL;ethyl acetate partition up to 73% at 500 μg/mL). These results demonstrate that the methanol extracts and partitions from P. marginatus and I. sonorae possess significant cytotoxic activity against the murine lymphoma L5178Y-R and validate the ethnobotanical use of these plants for the treatment of diseases consistent with cancer symptomatology. Previous scientific reports describe the isolation of isoquinoline alkaloids of P. marginatus as well as cucurbitacins from I. sonorae, phytochemicals that could be responsible for their observed cytotoxic activity in this research. The direct extraction with methanol of medicinal plants allows extracting of both high and low-polarity compounds, contrary to the simple extraction with water that only allows obtaining compounds of high polarity. The subsequent partition of the methanol extract with a solvent of low polarity (hexane) and another of medium polarity (ethyl acetate) allows making a preliminary fractionation of the bioactive molecules present in the plant that will facilitate the bioguided chromatographic isolation of the pure compounds responsible for the biological activity of the plant.

Evaluation of Antibacterial Activities and Cytotoxicity of Three Medicinal Plants Used for the Management of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>and <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>Infections in the North-West Region of Cameroon

Introduction: Chemotherapy is used to combat tuberculosis, and other microbial infections. Unfortunately, resistance has been reported to a vast majority of currently use drugs. The objective of this study was to search for new therapies from plant products for the sustainable management of tuberculosis and S. aureus infections. Materials and Methods: Crude extracts were obtained by sequential maceration of dry powdered plant material in three solvents;hexane, dichloromethane and methanol. Phytochemical screening to identify active constituents in the crude extracts was done by conventional methods. The antimycobacterial and antimicrobial activity on M. tuberculosis control strain H37Ra and a clinical isolate of S. aureus respectively, was evaluated at eight different concentrations using the microplatealamar blue assay. Cytotoxicity of the active extracts was evaluated on monkey kidney epithelial cells and assessed using the MTT/formazan assay. Results: Twelve crude extracts were obtained, the hexane extract of Sanseviera liberica rhizomes (P3rH) showed antimycobacterial activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1 mg/mL. The hexane and methanol extracts of Emilia coccinea, P2H and P2M respectively, showed antimicrobial activity with MICs of 500 μg/mL and 1000 μg/mL respectively. P2M and P2H had selectivity indices of respectively, 0.1046 and 0.2336. Conclusion: This study validates the use of S. liberica and E. coccinea for the traditional management of tuberculosis and S. aureus infections, respectively. Furthermore, it provides a base for the purification of the active extracts and generation of leads in the search of alternative drugs for the management of these microbial infections.

A therapeutic potentiality and toxicity concern of nutrient plant Annona squamosa Linn.

Annona squamosa Linn.fruit is famous for its nutritional value with a long history of medicinal benefits due to the presence of many phytochemicals,including alkaloids,diterpenes,essential oil,phytopeptides,etc.Several studies envisaged that Annona squamosa possesses cytotoxic,diuretic,antiurolithiatic,antitumor,anti-psoriatic,antioxidant,and hepatoprotective properties.This plant is traditionally used for the treatment of wound infection,dysentery,seizure,tumors,fever,vomiting,parasitic infections,hypertension,thyroid,toothache,acne,heart disease,inflammation,diabetes,hair loss,dandruff,hemorrhage,maggot-infected sores,abortifacient,and cough.However,some chemical constituents isolated from the plant have shown specific toxic effects in human and animal models,such as acute oral toxic effects,genotoxic,neurotoxic,and ocular toxic.The plant has diverse pharmacological actions,the seeds of this plant possess a genotoxic effect but on the contrary,the bark of the plant shows genoprotective activity.A large number of ethnobotanical studies reported the seed of this plant is used to induce abortion in humans,but a scientific study carried out in pregnant rats reported aqueous seed extract of the plant did not interfere with reproductive performance.The presented review summarized the traditional uses,pharmacological,and toxicological activities of the isolated compounds from this plant.Additionally,some patents and commercial products related to Annona squamosa are also brought up in this article to explore its application which would attract the scientific community to search out its hidden side.

Cadmium Toxicity in Plants and Role of Mineral Nutrients in Its Alleviation

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that enters the environment through various anthropogenic sources, and inhibits plant growth and development. Cadmium toxicity may result from disturbance in plant metabolism as a consequence of disturbance in the uptake and translocation of mineral nutrients. Plant nutrients and Cd compete for the same transporters and, therefore, presence of Cd results in mineral nutrients deficiency. The optimization of mineral nutrients under Cd stress could reduce Cd toxicity by greater availability at the transport site resulting in reduced accumulation of Cd, and could also alleviate Cd-induced toxic effects by enhancing biochemical reactions and physiological processes in plants. In the present review the role of plant macro, micro and beneficial elements in alleviating Cd stress in crop plants is discussed.

Molecular Basis of Aluminium Toxicity in Plants: A Review

Aluminium toxicity in acid soils having pH below 5.5, affects the production of staple food crops, vegetables and cash crops worldwide. About 50% of the world’s potentially arable lands are acidic. It is trivalent cationic form i.e. Al3+ that limits the plant’s growth. Absorbed Aluminium inhibits root elongation and adversely affects plant growth. Recently researches have been conducted to understand the mechanism of Aluminium toxicity and resistance which is important for stable food production in future. Aluminium resistance depends on the ability of the plant to tolerate Aluminium in symplast or to exclude it to soil. Physiological and molecular basis of Aluminium toxicity and resistance mechanism are important to understand for developing genetically engineered plants for Al toxicity resistance. This paper provides an overview of the state of art in this field.

Insights into the Roles of Melatonin in Alleviating Heavy Metal Toxicity in Crop Plants

Alleviating heavy metal pollution in farmland soil,and heavy metal toxicity in plants is the focus of global agricultural environmental research.Melatonin is a kind of indoleamine compound that wide exists in organisms;it is currently known as an endogenous free radical scavenger with the strongest antioxidant effect.As a new plant growth regulator and signaling molecule,melatonin plays an important role in plant resistance to biotic or abiotic stress.Recent studies indicate that melatonin can effectively alleviate heavy metal toxicity in crop plants,which provides a new strategy to minimize heavy metal pollution in crop plants.This study summarizes the research progress on the role of melatonin in alleviating heavy metal toxicity in crop plants and the related physiological and ecological mechanisms such as reducing the concentration of heavy metals in the rhizosphere,fixing and regionally isolating of heavy metals,maintaining the mineral element balance,enhancing the antioxidant defense system and interacting with hormonal signaling.Furthermore,future prospects for the mechanism of melatonin in regulating heavy metal toxicity,the pathway regulating synthesis and catabolism,and the interaction mechanism of melatonin signaling and other phytohormones are presented in this paper,with the goal of providing a theoretical basis for controlling heavy metal ion accumulation in crop plants grown in contaminated soil.

Fluoroacetate in plants - a review of its distribution, toxicity to livestock and microbial detoxification

Fluoroacetate producing plants grow worldwide and it is believed they produce this toxic compound as a defence mechanism against grazing by herbivores. Ingestion by livestock often results in fatal poisonings, which causes significant economic problems to commercial farmers in many countries such as Australia, Brazil and South Africa.Several approaches have been adopted to protect livestock from the toxicity with limited success including fencing,toxic plant eradication and agents that bind the toxin. Genetically modified bacteria capable of degrading fluoroacetate have been able to protect ruminants from fluoroacetate toxicity under experimental conditions but concerns over the release of these microbes into the environment have prevented the application of this technology.Recently, a native bacterium from an Australian bovine rumen was isolated which can degrade fluoroacetate. This bacterium, strain MFA1, which belongs to the Synergistetes phylum degrades fluoroacetate to fluoride ions and acetate. The discovery and isolation of this bacterium provides a new opportunity to detoxify fluoroacetate in the rumen. This review focuses on fluoroacetate toxicity in ruminant livestock, the mechanism of fluoroacetate toxicity,tolerance of some animals to fluoroaceate, previous attempts to mitigate toxicity, aerobic and anaerobic microbial degradation of fluoroacetate, and future directions to overcome fluoroacetate toxicity.

Anti-Anaemic Activity and Potential Toxicity of Extracts of Four Tinctorial Plants Used in the Treatment of Anemia in Benin: Gossypium barbadense, Sorghum bicolor, Hibiscus sabdariffa and Justicia secunda

Justicia secunda, Sorghum bicolor, Gossypiun barbadense and Hibiscus sabdariffa are dye plants traditionally used in Benin for the treatment of anemia. This work is part of the therapeutic valorization of dyes from these plants. Its objective is to characterize their composition in chemical groups and evaluate their harmlessness and their anti-anaemic property in laboratory rats. Anemia was induced in Wistar rats by phenylhydrazine hydrochloride followed by treatment by gavage with hydroethanolic extracts of the plants studied. Phytochemical screening of these extracts made it possible to characterize the major chemical groups, in particular alkaloids, polyphenols including tannins, flavonoids and leucoanthocyanins, as well as reducing compounds and saponosides in the plants studied. Cytotoxic analysis of these extracts on Artemia salina shrimp larvae revealed globally high LC50 values of between 3.14 and 4.64 mg/mL, which testify a priori to the harmlessness of these extracts. The administration of the hydroethanolic extract of each plant to anaemic rats at doses of 2000 mg/kg/d promoted, after 15 days, an increase in hemoglobin levels, the number of red blood cells and hematocrit, going to more than 90% recovery of the hematological parameters involved. The highest rate, 99.06% being that of the species Justicia secunda followed closely by Sorghum bicolor (96.80%) compared to 93.93% obtained by treatment with the Ranferon-12 positive control used. Indeed, these results confirm the therapeutic indication of these plants in the resorption of anemia in traditional medicine.

Inhibition of Toxic Effects of Viper and Cobra Venom by Indian Medicinal Plants

The mortality rate from snakebites in West Bengal is very high and most of the deaths are caused by the Daboia russelli and Naja naja envenomation. Twenty-three plants from the seventeen families were collected from the traditional healers and explored for the first time for antisnake venom activity. In our previous report, the methanolic root extract of the Indian medicinal plants Pluchea indica, Hemidesmus indicus, Vitex negundo and Emblica officinalis significantly neutralized the Viper and Cobra venom-induced pathophysiological changes [1][2]. In the present study, we explored four plant extracts (Curcuma aromatica, Aristolochia indica, Androgrphis paniculata and Curcuma zeodaria) for the antisnake venom activity. The plant extracts significantly antagonized Daboia russelli, Echis carinatus, Ophiophagus hannah and Naja kaouthia venom-induced lethal activity both in in vitro and in vivo studies. Daboia russellii venom-induced haemorrhage, coagulant, defibrinogenating and PLA2 activity were significantly neutralized by the extracts. No precipitating bands were observed between the plant extract and venom. This observation confirmed the role of active constituents of plants and plant materials involved in snake venom inhibition. Further studies are going on in our laboratory for the identification of active molecules as well as their mechanism of venom inhibition.

In Vitro Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of 18 Plants from the Erkowit Region,Eastern Sudan

We investigated the antioxidant potential and cytotoxicity towards human CCRF-CEM leukemia cells of 57 extracts obtained from 18 plants collected in the Erkowit region,eastern Sudan.The antioxidant activity was determined by measuring the radical scavenging effects against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH)and N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylendi-amine(DMPD),metal-chelation capacity,ferric-reducing(FRAP)and phosphomolibdenum-reducing antioxidant power(PRAP)methods using ELISA microtiter assays.Total phenol and flavonoid amounts of the extracts were determined spectrophotometrically.Cytotoxicity towards CCRF-CEM cells was evaluated by the resazurin reduction assay.Geranium favosum followed by Kalanchoe glaucescens,Malva parviflora,Aizoon canariense,and Coleus barbatus,respectively,possessed the highest antioxidant activity among the studied plants.Chrozophora oblongifolia and K.glaucescens exerted considerable cytotoxicity against CCRF-CEM leukemia cells.These plants may serve as source for the further development of natural antioxidant and antitumor agents.

Anti-Hemorrhoidal Medicinal Plants of the Department of Issia: Inventory and Cytotoxicity on HFF Cells of the Ethanolic Extract 70% of Landolphia utilis A. Chev. (Apocynaceae)

Objective: To identify the anti-hemorrhoidal medicinal plants of the Department of Issia and evaluate the cytotoxic activity of the most requested species. Methods: The plants used in hemorrhoid recipes in the Department of Issia (C?te d’Ivoire) were obtained using a semi-structured survey based on a questionnaire sheet. To assess the use of plants on the disease, Informant Consensus Factors (ICF) for each species were calculated. The harvested species were identified at the Centre National de Floristique (CNF) of the Félix Houphou?t Boigny University (C?te d’Ivoire). Cytotoxicity tests were performed on HFF cells with the 70% ethanolic extract, prepared from the aqueous extract of the most cited species. Results: A total of twenty four medicinal species in eighteen families were recorded. Among these taxa are ten woody and fourteen herbaceous. Only three species gave an ICF greater than 0.5. The ethanolic extract 70% of the frequently requested medicinal plant did not reveal any toxicity on HFF cells. Conclusion: These results revealed that the flora of the Department of Issia is rich in anti-hemorrhoidal medicinal plant species. Their use without side effects is revealed by the absence of toxicity in one of the most solicited plants.

Anticholinergic syndrome induced by toxic plants

Plant intoxication constitutes an issue of greatinterest in the literature, concerning both human andanimal poisoning. Different herbs may produce multipleeffects from human organ systems, depending on specifi cingredients and metabolites that they contain. These effectsmay vary from gastroenteritis, hepatotoxicity, peripheralneuropathy, psychosis, rhabdomyolysis and blood countabnormalities to cardiotoxicity and multisystemic organfailure.

The value of toxicological analysis in acute poisoning patients with uncertain exposure histories:a retrospective and descriptive study from an institute of poisoning

BACKGROUND:In clinical practice,some patients might not be able or unwilling to provide a thorough history of medication and poison exposure.The aim of this study was to use toxicological analysis to examine the clinical characteristics of patients with acute poisoning whose exposure history was uncertain from a toxicological analysis perspective.METHODS:This was a retrospective and descriptive study from an institute of poisoning.Patient registration information and test reports spanning the period from April 1,2020 to March 31,2022,were obtained.Patients with uncertain exposure histories and who underwent toxicological analysis were included.Clinical manifestations and categories of toxics were analyzed.RESULTS:Among the 195 patients with positive toxicological analysis results,the main causes of uncertain exposure history was disturbance of consciousness(62.6%),unawareness(23.6%)and unwillingness or lack of cooperation(13.8%).The predominant clinical manifestations were disturbed consciousness(62.6%),followed by vomiting and nausea(14.4%)and liver function abnormalities(8.7%).A comparison of clinical manifestations between patients with positive and negative(n=99)toxicological analyses results revealed significantly different proportions of disturbances in consciousness(63%vs.21%),dizziness(1.5%vs.5.1%),multi-organ failure(1.5%vs.7.1%),and local pain(0 vs 4%).The main categories of substances involved were psychiatric medications(23.1%),sedatives(20.5%),insecticides(13.8%),and herbicides(12.8%).CONCLUSION:The clinical manifestations of acute poisoning in patients with an uncertain exposure history are diverse and nonspecific,and toxicological analysis plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of such patients.

Toxicity and sub-lethal effect of endemic plants from family Anacardiaceae on oviposition behavior of Aedes albopictus

Objective: To evaluate the lethal concentration, oviposition deterrence and ovicidal activity of acetone extracts of Melanochyla fasciculiflora(M. fasciculiflora) leaf and Gluta renghas(G. renghas) leaf against Aedes albopictus(Ae. albopictus). Methods: To determine the lethal concentration of Anacardiaceae, ten test concentrations of the extracts ranging from 200 to 650 mg/L were selected for larvicidal bioassays and 25 early fourth instar larvae were exposed to the extracts for 24 h. The sub-lethal concentrations used for oviposition deterrence was the value of LC25, LC50 and LC75 from above study which is 235 mg/L, 470 mg/L and 705 mg/L for M. fasciculiflora extract and 187.5 mg/L, 375 mg/L and 562.5 mg/L for G. renghas extract, respectively. Twenty gravid Ae. albopictus were allowed to oviposit in different treated concentrations. For oviciding procedure, a total of 300 eggs of Ae. albopictus were soaked in solution with each treated concentration as mentioned above for 24 h. After 24 h, eggs were sieved and soaked in seasoned water, and hatching rates were calculated. For comparison, only seasoned water was used in control experiment.Results: G. renghas demonstrated lower LC50 value of 372.80 mg/L compared to M. fasciculiflora(467.90 mg/L). The activity index of negative oviposition revealed the deterrent effect and thus, caused a remarkable negative response resulting in oviposition of fewer eggs compared with control(without plant extract). The acetone extract of M. fasciculiflora was more effective than G. renghas extract in displaying oviposition deterrence potential since the latter did not possess the deterring effect within the concentration range tested. However, both plant extracts exhibited excellent oviciding effect as 92.33% of eggs failed to be hatched when treated with 705.0 mg/L of M. fasciculiflora and 86.67% with 562.5 mg/L of G. renghas. The oviposition deterrence and percentage of egg mortality were directly proportional to the concentrations of extracts in both plants tested. Conclusions: These results clearly indicate that the acetone extract of G. renghas could be served as potential larvicide, whereas M. fasciculiflora has better sub-lethal effect for oviposition deterrence and against Ae. albopictus as an oviciding agent.

Antimicrobial Activities of Extracts of Macrosphyra longistyla against Gram-Positive Oral Biofilm-Formers from School Children in Southwestern Nigeria and Toxicity Studies Using Brine Shrimps

The world will benefit from more effective antimicrobial agents against oral conditions arising from the actions of biofilm forming bacteria. Also, information is lacking on the oral biofilm-forming bacterial diversity in Southwestern Nigeria. In this study, we isolate and characterize oral biofilm producing bacteria in the oral cavities of schoolchildren in Southwestern Nigeria. We also investigate the antimicrobial properties of Macrosphyra longistyla extracts against the biofilm-formers and the toxicity of potent extracts. Samples were obtained from 109 schoolchildren aged 4 - 14 years from Lagos, Oyo and Osun States. Agar well diffusion technique was used in the antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Toxicity testing was done using brine shrimps (Artemia salina). Biofilm-formers in this study are Klebsiella sp., Streptococcus sp., Staphylococcus sp., and Micrococcus sp. Ethanol leaf extracts had the highest activity against all biofilm-producing bacteria. Ethanol stem bark extract, which elicited activity against Klebsiella only, was found to be less toxic than the ethanol leaf extract. Staphylococcus showed >10 mm susceptibility to the ethanol and aqueous extracts of Macrosphyra longistyla. Streptococcus and Micrococcus were susceptible to the antimicrobial actions of the ethanolic leaf extracts. Although the ethanol extracts of the leaves had lower minimum inhibitory concentrations than the ethanol extracts of the stem bark, toxicity studies showed ethanol extracts of the stem-bark to be more toxic than the ethanol extracts of the leaves. In conclusion, ethanolic extracts of Macrosphyra longistyla show potential as sources of antimicrobials against gram-positive, oral biofilm-forming bacteria.

Influence of Topography on the Distribution and Structure of Woody Plants in the Senegalese Sahel (Sandy Ferlo)

This study describes the floristic composition and structure of a woody stand in the Senegalese Sahel, paying particular attention to the edaphic factors of its floristic composition. A stratified inventory considering the different relief units was adopted. Woody vegetation was surveyed using a dendrometric approach. The results obtained show that the flora is dominated by a few species adapted to drought, such as Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Del., Calotropis procera Ait. and Boscia senegalensis (Pers.). The distribution of this flora and the structure of the ligneous plants are linked to the topography. In the lowlands, the flora is more diversified and the ligneous plants reach their optimum level of development compared with the higher relief areas. In the lowlands, there are a few woody species which, in the past, were indicative of better climatic conditions. These are Anogeissus leiocarpus (DC.), Commiphora africana (A. Rich.), Feretia apodanthera Del., Loeseneriella africana (A. Smith), Mitragyna inermis (Willd.) and Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich). It is important that their reintroduction into reforestation projects takes account of their edaphic preference.

Implementation of a New Solution for the Preservation of Anatomical Specimens Made of Non-Toxic Substances

The preservation of anatomical pieces in Veterinary Anatomy is essential since it is not possible to dissect all domestic species. Most techniques use reagents with high levels of toxicity such as formaldehyde. The objective of this work was to develop a new preservation technique that uses reagents with zero toxicity and that allows obtaining preserved pieces suitable for anatomical studies. The alcohol propylene glycol technique was developed, the method of which uses a fixation step with alcohol, sodium chloride, commercial vinegar and subsequently the impregnation of the preservation solution made from propylene glycol and commercial vinegar, which are non-toxic. As a result of this work, adequately preserved sheep hearts were obtained that preserved their morphology with slight changes in size and weight, which did not affect their external and internal anatomical structure. Its coloration was not substantially affected, remaining a little lighter. The pieces obtained showed flexibility which allowed dissections to be carried out. The time to develop the technique was 20 days. A comparative study was carried out with the phenolated glycerin technique that uses toxic reagents (formaldehyde and phenol) and the pieces obtained with the alcohol propylene glycol technique were of better quality, observing that the pieces with phenolated glycerin tend to darken and are more rigid. And the time to develop the technique is 24 days. In conclusion, a preservation technique for anatomical pieces was developed that allowed the preservation of the organs under study, which allow their use for anatomical studies, and which have been preserved without changes until the time of this publication (8 months) and there are pieces preserved with this technique for 2 years.

A Comprehensive Review on Preclinical Safety and Toxicity of Medicinal Plants

Background:Globally,80%people use plant-derived products for treating or preventing diseases.One prevalent perception about medicinal plants is that they are safe and devoid of adverse effects.However,approximately 1,50,000 plants contain toxic substances.Objective:The present review focuses on medicinal plant extracts/fractions toxicity assessments made in preclin-ical models by oral route.Methods:Detail studies were searched from databases including PubMed and Google Scholar.A manual reference screening of the selected studies was done to identify relevant articles,with no language restriction being imposed at the time of searching.Results:The studies included were performed in rodents,and the test substances were administered orally.Our search revealed 33 widely used plants or products with significant toxicity,and phytochemicals from these plants have been summarized.Through a systematic review,we identified a plethora of medicinal plant extracts reporting safety and toxicity concerns.Conclusion:In the future,preclinical toxicokinetic studies of herbs and the determination of their no-observed-adverse-effect levels are required for a complete safety assessment.Finally,the interaction of herbs with com-monly used/over-the-counter drugs in terms of the latter’s metabolic profile should be undertaken.

Nature’s Pharmacy under Siege: Investigating Antibiotic Resistance Pattern in Endophytic Bacteria of Medicinal Plants

Antibiotic resistance poses a significant global health threat, necessitating a thorough understanding of its prevalence in various ecological contexts. Medicinal plants, renowned for their therapeutic properties, host endophytic bacteria that produce bioactive compounds. Understanding antibiotic resistance dynamics in these bacteria is vital for human health and antibiotic efficacy preservation. In this study, we investigated antibiotic resistance profiles in endophytic bacteria from five medicinal plants: Thankuni, Neem, Aparajita, Joba, and Snake plant. We isolated and characterized 113 endophytic bacteria, with varying resistance patterns observed against multiple antibiotics. Notably, 53 strains were multidrug-resistant (MDR), with 14 exhibiting extensive drug resistance (XDR). Thankuni-associated bacteria displayed 44% MDR and 11% XDR, while Neem-associated bacteria showed higher resistance (60% MDR, 13% XDR). Aparajita-associated bacteria had lower resistance (22% MDR, 6% XDR), whereas Joba-associated bacteria exhibited substantial resistance (54% MDR, 14% XDR). Snake plant-associated bacteria showed 7% MDR and 4% XDR. Genus-specific distribution revealed Bacillus (47%), Staphylococcus (21%), and Klebsiella (11%) as major contributors to MDR. Our findings highlight diverse drug resistance patterns among plant-associated bacteria and underscore the complexity of antibiotic resistance dynamics in diverse plant environments. Identification of XDR strains emphasizes the severity of the antibiotic resistance problem, warranting further investigation into contributing factors.