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This paper focuses on the structure of Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) engineered using Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nano-particles sensitized by extract from leaves of Wrightia tinctoria (Roxb.) R. Br. TiO2 thin films are screen printed over flexible Cu foil which serves as the back contact for the device structure. Fluorine doped Tin Oxide (FTO) grown over glass substrate using chemical spray pyrolysis technique is used as the front electrode with KOH as the electrolyte. The optical characterization of the dye is conducted using optical absorption and emission spectroscopic studies. A DSSC of the configuration (Cu|TiO2|Dye(danthapala)|KOH(Electrolyte)|FTO) was engineered. The electrical parameters of the engineered Dye Sensitized Solar Cells were characterized. The two-diode model was used to extract the series and shunt resistance, saturation current and diode ideality factor for the device from the room temperature current–voltage characteristics.

Natural fiber reinforced composite materials are now a days replacing many conventional materials because of its good properties such as less weight, easy availability, etc. Mechanical property is one of the important parameter for choosing the material. Composite materials are widely used in many areas because of its excellent features. This work, deals about the significance of the newly identified Pala Indigo (Wrightia tinctoria) in which fibers are extracted manually. In this work, the different properties of the Pala Indigo fiber are studied and compared with the existing other natural fibers. The Pala Indigo fiber reinforced composite specimen is prepared with iso-polyester resin. Iso-polyester resin is easy to handle and available at low cost. Iso-polyester resin is used mainly in marine applications because of its less water absorption and good wax content. For obtaining the different properties of this fiber, different tests are carried out such as tensile, flexural, impact and water absorption tests. The detailed description of the various tests and the properties of the Pala Indigo fibers are presented in the paper. This study revealed that the combination of Pala Indigo reinforced Iso-polyester matrix shoes better mechanical properties with minimum water absorption.

Wrightia tinctoria stem proteases were partially purified for the first time through a non-chromatographic technique, three phase partitioning (TPP), to concentrate the milk clotting proteases. Various parameters like salt and solvent concentration that affect the partitioning of the protease were examined. Maximum recovery and purification fold of the protease activity were found in the interfacial phase (IP) with 60% ammonium sulphate and 1:1 crude enzyme to t-butanol. Optimum pH and temperature of the enzyme fraction were found to be 7.5 and 50 °C respectively. Inhibition studies revealed its serine nature. Non-denaturing PAGE, Zymography and 2D PAGE of IP revealed presence of three different caseinolytic proteases of molecular weights 95.62 kDa, 91.11 kDa and 83.23 kDa with pI 3.89, 5.45 and 5.43 respectively. Both aqueous and lyophilized form of IP were remarkably stable retaining complete activity at 4 °C for 3 weeks. Electrophoretic analysis of casein hydrolysate by IP at different incubation time indicated a time dependent substrate subunit specificity with hydrolysis of κ-casein commencing after 10 min followed by α and β caseins. This pattern was found similar to that by commercial vegetable coagulant, Enzeco®. Study details the effectiveness of TPP concentrated W. tinctoria proteases as a vegetable coagulant alternative in cheese making.

The synthesis of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) using Wrightia tinctoria (Wt) R.Br extract is defined in this article as being convenient, environmentally friendly, and non-toxic. UV-visible spectrophotometry, FT-IR, XRD, particle size analyser, SEM-EDAX and TEM methods were used to describe the physicochemical properties of Wt extract mediated synthesized CuNPs (Wt-CuNPs). The Wt-CuNPs synthesized was found to be monodispersed and spherical, with an average size of 15 nm. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) research revealed that the Wt R.Br plant extract contains various phytochemical compounds. The properties of Wt-CuNPs were verified by the findings of characterization tests. Via in silico molecular docking experiments with established targets, the underlying mechanisms of cytotoxicity against breast cancer and larvicidal behaviour against Aedes aegypti of Wt-CuNPs were investigated. Interestingly, in vitro cytotoxicity studies showed 50% cell death (IC50) of Wt-CuNPs treated MCF-7 cells and Vero Cells (Kidney epithelial cells) were displayed at 119.23 μg.mL−1 and 898.75 μg.mL−1, respectively. Also, Wt-CuNPs showed least LC50 and LC90 values for larvicidal activity against A. aegypti were of 32.10 μg.mL−1 and 21.70 μg.mL−1, respectively. Furthermore, Wt-CuNPs is found to be less toxic and biocompatible in haemolytic assays. The findings clearly showed that biosynthesized Wt-CuNPs have been used as a possible anticancer and larvicidal agent, as well as being environmentally friendly., Wrightia tinctoria R.Br, GC-MS, copper nanoparticles, anticancer activity, larvicidal activity, molecular docking and hemolytic assay.

A serine protease was purified from the leaves of Wrightia tinctoria by sequential flow through method comprising screening, optimization, ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration and ion exchange column chromatography. The yield and purification fold obtained were 11.58% and 9.56 respectively. A single band of serine protease was visualized on SDS-PAGE and 2-D gel electrophoretic analyses were revealed with the molecular mass of 38.5 kDa. Serine protease had an optimum pH of 8.0 and was stable at 45°C with high relative protease activity. The addition of metal ions such as Mg2+ and Mn2+ exhibits a high relative activity. Serine protease had a potent antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. A 10 μg/ml of serine protease was tested against S. aureus, M. luteus, P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae which had 21, 20, 18 and 17 mm of zone of inhibition respectively. Serine protease from W. tinctoria degrades the peptidoglycan layer of bacteria which was visualized by transmission electron microscopic analysis.

Apocynaceae are well-known for diverse specialized metabolites that are distributed in a phylogenetically informative manner. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) have been reported sporadically in one lineage in the family, the APSA clade, but few species had been studied to date. We conduct the first systematic survey of Apocynaceae for retronecine-type PAs, sampling leaves from 231 species from 13 of 16 major lineages within the APSA clade using HPLC-MS/MS. We also follow up on preliminary evidence for infra-specific variation of PA detectability in Echites umbellatus Jacq. Four precursor ion scans (PREC) were developed for a high-throughput survey for chemicals containing a structural moiety common to many PAs, the retronecine core. We identified with high confidence PAs in 7 of 8 sampled genera of tribe Echiteae, but not in samples from the closely related Odontadenieae and Mesechiteae, confirming the utility of PAs as a taxonomic character in tribal delimitation. The presence of PAs in Malouetieae was confirmed, as we report with high confidence their presence in Galactophora schomburgkiana Woodson and Eucorymbia alba Stapf, but currently we have low confidence of their presence in Holarrena pubescens Wall. ex G. Don (the one Malouetieae species where they were previously reported), as well as in Kibatalia macrophylla (Pierre ex Hua) Woodson and in Holarrena curtisii King & Gamble. For the first time the presence of PAs in species of Wrightia R. Br. (Wrightieae) and Marsdenia R. Br. (Marsdenieae) was confirmed. Detectability of PAs was found to vary among samples of Echites umbellatus and intra-individual plasticity contributes to this variation. Of toxicological importance, novel potential sources of human exposure to pro-toxic PAs were identified in the medicinal plants, Wrightia tinctoria R.Br. and Marsdenia tinctoria R.Br., and the food plant, Echites panduratus A. DC., warranting immediate further research to elucidate the structures of the candidate PAs identified. Method development and limitations are discussed.

The biosynthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles provides an effective alternative to the chemical synthesis system. In the present work, biosynthesis of Zirconium Oxide nanopartices (ZrO2-NPs) using Wrightia tinctoria leaf extract for the evaluation of efficient photocatalyst and antibacterial activities. The ZrO2-NPs were studied with help of XRD, UV–Visible, SEM with EDAX, DLS, ZE, PL and FT-IR. The ZrO2-NPs were in tetragonal crystal structure which confirmed by using X-ray diffraction analysis and its average crystallite size was 9.15 nm. The photocatalytic degradation of organic dye Reactive Yellow (RY 160) under sunlight irradiation using biosynthesized ZrO2-NPs was performed. The biosynthesized ZrO2-NPs exhibited 94% degradation for RY 160 dye for 120 min. The antibacterial activity of different concentrations of the biosynthesized ZrO2-NPs was examined against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria.

Objective To determine the larvicidal activity of crude aqueous and petroleum ether extracts of Wrightia tinctoria fruits and leaves against the filarial vector, Culex quinquefasciatus. Methods The larvicidal activity was evaluated at concentrations of 0.06%, 0.12%, 0.25%, 0.50% and 1.00%. Larval mortality was observed for 24 and 48 h. Results Among the plant parts tested, aqueous fruit extract exhibited highest larvicidal activity followed by aqueous leaf extract with LC50 values of 0.17% and 0.09%; 0.21% and 0.11% after 24 and 48 h respectively. Conclusions Further investigations are needed to elucidate this activity against a wide range of all stages of mosquito species and also the active ingredient(s) of the extract responsible for larvicidal activity should be identified.

Objective To investigate the total phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of Wrightia tinctoria flower extract. Methods Total phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids content, DPPH scavenging activity, the reducing power activity, phosphomolybednum activity, metal chelating activity, Hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging activity of crude extract, Cytotoxicity activity, GC-MS analysis and Antibacterial screening were evaluated. Results Total phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids in the extract was found to be 55.29±0.45 mg GAE, 370.53±1.213 mg QE and 1.825±0.321 mg/g respectively, where the reducing power, phosphomolybednum activity and metal chelating activity were increasing with increasing concentration of the flower extract. The antioxidant activity (IC50) of the flower extract was said to be 43.16μg/mL by 2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl method and 124.07 mg AAE/100g of plant extract by phosphomolybednum method. The antibacterial studies of the ethanolic flower extract tested at different concentration of extracts, where 250mg/mL concentration of extract showed good inhibitory activity against all the test pathogens compared with standard antibiotics like streptomycin and penicillin. The cytotoxic activity of flower extract was evaluated by brine shrimp lethality bioassay method and the LC50 value found to be 3.544μg/mL. Conclusions The presence of major bioactive compound, hexadecanoic acid justifies the use of the whole plant for various ailments by traditional practitioners. Further studies are needed to explore the potential phenolics, flavonoid compounds from W. tinctoria for application in drug delivery, nutritional or pharmaceutical fields.

Objective To examine the phyto-constituents present in some ornamental flowers of the family Apocynaceae. Methods Aqueous, acetone, petroleum ether, chloroform and ethanol extracts of the flowers were prepared by adding 50 g of fresh fallen flowers of the family Apocynaceae (Allamanda cathartica Linn., Allamanda violacea Gardn. & Fielding, Wrightia tinctoria (Roxb) R.Br. and Nerium oleander Linn.) to 200 ml of these solvents; the constituents were shaken at room temperature for 24 h. After incubation, the extracts were filtered by using Whatman No.1 filter paper, collected and stored at 4°C. The extracts were concentrated by using vacuum evaporator and dried at 60°C. Preliminary phytochemical screening was performed by the Harborne method. Results Different phyto-constituents such as alkaloids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, terpenoids, steroids, coumarins, quinones, phytosterols, proteins and carbohydrates were identified in the extracts. The presence or absence of the phyto-constituents depended upon the solvent medium used for extraction and the physiological property of the flowers. Conclusions The findings of this study reveal that even ornamental flowers have potential antimicrobial compounds that may be of great use for developing plant-based drugs.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Acalypha indica , Cassia alata , Lawsonia inermis , Punica granatum , Thespesia populnea and Wrightia tinctoria are folklore medicines extensively used in the treatment of ringworm infections and skin related diseases in Tamil Nadu, India. Aim The present study was designed to investigate the in vitro antifungal activity of certain medicinal plants and the pure compound indirubin isolated from Wrightia tinctoria . Materials and methods The hexane, chloroform, methanol and ethanol extracts of six different plants were investigated against dermatophytes, non-dermatophytes and yeasts. Chloroform extract of Wrightia tinctoria leaf was fractionated using column chromatography and the major compound was identified using spectroscopic techniques. Antifungal activity was studied by spore germination test using agar dilution method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined using broth microdilution method. Results Wrightia tinctoria showed promising activity against dermatophytic and non-dermatophytic fungi. Leaf chloroform extract showed activity at 0.5 mg/ml against Trichophyton rubrum , Epidermophyton floccosum , Aspergillus niger and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis . The major compound, identified as indirubin, exhibited activity against dermatophytes such as Epidermophyton floccosum (MIC = 6.25 μg/ml); Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton tonsurans (MIC = 25 μg/ml); Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton simii (MIC = 50 μg/ml). It was also active against non-dermatophytes ( Aspergillus niger , Candida albicans and Cryptococcus sp.) within a MIC range of 0.75–25 μg/ml. Conclusion The indole compound indirubin from Wrightia tinctoria showed antifungal activity and may be useful in the treatment of dermatophytosis.

3,4-Seco-lup-20(29)-en-3-oic acid (1), a rare triterpene, was isolated from Wrightia tinctoria R.Br (Family: Apocyanaceae). It appeared promising to study the structural chemistry of this compound because of its unique bio activity. X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated that this compound consists of three six membered rings and one five membered ring. The first six membered ring (A) is in the twist boat form while the remaining two six membered rings (B, C) are in the chair form. The crystal of this compound belongs – to the monoclinic crystal system and space group P21. Lattice constituents are as follows: a = 13.074(6) A, b = 11.972(5) A, c = 17.394(7) A; α = 90.00°, β = 98.20(13)°, γ = 90.00°; V = 2695(2) A3, d = 1.094 Mg/m3, Z = 4. The optimized geometry of the reported molecule has been calculated with the DFT/B3LYP theory using 6-31G(d,p) basis set.

Background This study was aimed to investigate the pregnancy-interceptive activity of the stem bark of Wrightia tinctoria R.Br. (Family Apocynaceae) administered during the preimplantation, peri-implantation and early postimplantation periods by oral route in adult female Sprague���Dawley rats. Study Design The ethanolic extract of the stem bark and its serial fractions were administered to female rats on Days 1���7 or 1���5 postcoitum (Day 1: day of sperm-positive vaginal smear) by the oral route. At autopsy on Day 10 postcoitum, the number and status of corpora lutea and implantations were recorded. For estrogen-agonistic activity, immature rats ovariectomized 7 days earlier received the test extract or the vehicle once daily for 3 days and, at autopsy on Day 4, uterine weight, status of vaginal opening and extent of vaginal cornification were recorded. Results The ethanolic extract of the stem bark of W. tinctoria R.Br. inhibited pregnancy in 100% of rats when administered orally at a 250-mg/kg dose on Days 1���7 or 1���5 postcoitum. On fractionation, the hexane-soluble, chloroform-soluble, water-soluble and water-insoluble fractions showed 100% anti-implantation effect, while n -butanol-soluble fraction intercepted pregnancy in 75% of animals when administered in the Days 1���5 postcoitum schedule. In immature rat bioassay, the active ethanolic extract and its fractions exhibited moderate to potent estrogen-agonistic activity, which might be responsible for their contraceptive action in this species. Conclusions Findings demonstrate the antifertility activity of the ethanolic extract of the stem bark of W. tinctoria and its hexane-soluble, chloroform-soluble, water-soluble and water-insoluble fractions. Studies that pursue promising natural products (to identify contraceptive agents from natural sources lacking potent estrogenic activity) towards a fruitful conclusion for development/lead generation should continue.

A hitherto uninvestigated ligno-cellulosic seed fibre from the plant Wrightia Tinctoria has been chosen for the current study to unravel its physical properties, and potentialities in textile applications. Both raw and partially delignified fibres were tested for their morphological and structural features by X-ray diffraction, optical microscope and FT-IR spectra, thermal properties by thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry and fibre fineness properties. The non-spinnable brittle virgin fibre becomes spinnable after partial delignification due to the decreased fibre rigidity imparted by lignin. Knitted fabrics were made successfully with (20%) and without cotton blending.

The ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol extracts of Wrightia tinctoria bark showed antinociceptive activity on acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice, their effects being comparable to that of acetylsalicylic acid.

The structure of a new sterol isolated from the unsaponifiable lipid of Wrightia tinctoria seed lipid was shown to be 14α-methylzymosterol by comparison with a synthetic authentic compound. Four uncommon sterols, desmosterol, clerosterol, 24-methylene-25-methylcholesterol and 24-dehydropollinastanol, in addition to several usual phytosterols, were isolated and identified.