Evaluation of anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant potential of an drographolide and echiodinin isolated from callus culture of Andrographis paniculata Nees

Objective:To evaluate the anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant activity of and rographolide(AND)and echiodinin(ECH)of Andrographis paniculata.Methods:In this study,an attempt has been made to demonstrate the anti-microbial and anti-oxidant activity of isolated AND and ECH by broth micro-dilution method and 2,2-dipheny l-2-picryl-hydrazyl(DPPH)assay,respectively.Structure elucidation was determined by electro-spray ionization-MSD,NMR(1H and13C)and IR spectra.Results:AND was effective against most of the strains tested including Mycobacterium smegmatis,showing broad spectrum of growth inhibition activity with Minimum inhibitory concentration values againstStaphylococcus aureus(100μg/mL),Streptococcus thermophilus(350μg/mL)Bacillus subtilis(100μg/mL),Escherichia coli(50μg/mL),Mycobacterium smegmatis(200μg/mL),Klebsiella pneumonia(100μg/mL),andPseudomonas aeruginosa(200μg/mL).ECH showed specific anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus,Escherichia coli,Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosaat a concentration higher than 225μg/mL.Both AND and ECH were not effective against the two yeast strains,Candida albicansand Saccharomyces cerevisiae tested in this study.Conclusion:This preliminary study showed promising anti-bacterial activity and moderate free radical scavenging activity of AND and ECH,and it may provide the scientific rationale for its popular folklore medicines.

A recent review on phytochemical constituents and medicinal properties of kesum(Polygonum minus Huds.)

Medicinal plants and herbal preparations are gaining renowned interest in scientific communities nowadays due to their reliable pharmacological actions and affordability to common people which makes them effective in control of various diseases.Polygonum minus(Polygonaceae)locally known as kesuni is an aromatic plant commonly used in Malay delicacies.The plant is having potential applications due to its high volatile oil constituents in perfumes and powerful antioxidant activity.It has been used traditionally to treat various ailments including dandruff.The research has been carried out by various researchers using different in vitro and in vivo models for biological evaluations to support these claims.This review paper may help upcoming research activities on Polygonum minus by giving up to date information on the phytochemical constituents and medicinal properties of kesum to a possible extent with relevant data.

A Review: Interactions of Equine Herpesvirus-1 with Immune System and Equine Lymphocyte

Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) remains one of the most common viral pathogens affecting horses worldwide presenting as a persistent infection which can establish latency in nerve ganglia (trigeminal ganglion), lymphoid tissues of the respiratory tract and peripheral blood lymphocytes. EHV-1 infection induces both humoral and cellular immune responses in horses. Virus neutralising antibody, particularly in the nasopharynx, is to kill free virus shed from infected epithelial cells. Hence this antibody has important functions in reducing virus shedding and spreading infection to cohorts. Cellular immune responses, particularly those carried out by cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), have been shown to be effective in killing virus-infected cells in vitro. This review underlines the state of knowledge regarding immunity to EHV-1 and also its interaction with equine lymphocyte. Finally, the review also includes the importance of the viral immediate early (IE) protein in the pathogenesis of EHV-1. This information can be used as the basis for future research.

Effects of dietary astaxanthin enrichment on enhancing the colour and growth of red tilapia,Oreochromis sp.

The aim of this research was to examine the effects of dietary inclusion of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis in commercial fish feed on the colour and growth of red tilapia,Oreochromis sp..A 6-week feeding trial was conducted at concentration of astaxanthin at 0%(T1),4%(T2),8%(T3)and 12%(T4)in feed formulation to examine the growth performance,colour pigmentation on skin,texture analysis and carotenoid contents.Results showed an increment of certain growth parameter in fish fed with astaxanthin enriched diet.Increased in weight gain(WG),protein efficiency ratio(PER)was obtained in fish fed with astaxanthin enriched compared with control.All treatments with astaxanthin-enriched provided higher redness(a*)to skin than negative control that directly influence the colour of the fish.It can be concluded that inclusion of astaxanthin from green algae into commercial fish feed can be used as an alternative natural carotenoid source in Oreochromis sp.diets to ensure good pigmentation,hence improving the skin colour for more appealing and subsequently increase the market value of the fish.