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Inula britannica L., family Asteraceae, is used in traditional Chinese and Kampo Medicines for various diseases. Flowers or the aerial parts are a rich source of secondary metabolites. These consist mainly of terpenoids (sesquiterpene lactones and dimmers, diterpenes and triterpenoids) and flavonoids. The isolated compounds have shown diverse biological activities: anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and hepatoprotective activities. This review provides information on isolated bioactive phytochemicals and pharmacological potentials of I. britannica.

Ginseng has long been widely used for its therapeutic potential. In our current study, we investigated the impact of abiotic stress induced by infrared (IR) radiations and sodium silicate on the upregulation of antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase levels, as well as the total phenolic and total flavonoid contents of the Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) variety Yeonpoong. The RSM-based design was used to optimize ultrasonic-assisted extraction time (1–3 h) and temperature (40–60 °C) for better anti-tyrosinase activity and improved antioxidant potential. The optimal extraction results were obtained with a one-hour extraction time, at a temperature of 40 °C, and with a 1.0 mM sodium silicate treatment. We recorded maximum anti-tyrosinase (53.69%) and antioxidant (40.39%) activities when RSM conditions were kept at 875.2 mg GAE/100 g TPC, and 3219.58 mg catechin/100 g. When 1.0 mM sodium silicate was added to the media and extracted at 40 °C for 1 h, the highest total ginsenoside content (368.09 mg/g) was recorded, with variations in individual ginsenosides. Ginsenosides Rb1, Rd, and F2 were significantly affected by extraction temperature, while Rb2 and Rc were influenced by the sodium silicate concentration. Moreover, ginsenoside F2 increased with the sodium silicate treatment, while the Rg3-S content decreased. Interestingly, higher temperatures favored greater ginsenoside diversity while sodium silicate impacted PPD-type ginsenosides. It was observed that the actual experimental values closely matched the predicted values, and this agreement was statistically significant at a 95% confidence level. Our findings suggest that the application of IR irradiation in hydroponic systems can help to improve the quality of ginseng sprouts when supplemented with sodium silicate in hydroponic media. Optimized extraction conditions using ultrasonication can be helpful in improving antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal endophytes are not widely known for their role in bioactive metabolite production and salinity stress alleviation in different crop plants. Presently, we investigated the salt stress (NaCl, KCl, and H2SO4) mitigation capabilities of fungal endophyte Candida membranifaciens (FH15) isolated from Euphorbia milii L. The pure culture filtrate (CF) of C. membranifaciens revealed siderophore production and solubilization of phosphate, with high levels of indoleacetic acid (IAA: 35.8µg/mL), phenolics (70 µg/mL), and flavonoids (50 µg/mL) by using a UV spectrophotometer. The LC/MS analysis of the CF showed different phenols and flavonoids that were identified as Salicylic acid, Baicalein, Aconitic acid, Feruloylquinic acid, Coniferyl aldehyde hexoside, Pentose, Chlorogenic acid, Myricetin, Propoxyphene, and Amino-flunitrazepam. Inoculation of maize seedlings with C. membranifaciens significantly (p = 0.05) enhanced the fresh and dry biomass, carotenoid, and chlorophyll contents under 100 mM salt stress conditions. Similarly, the catalase, peroxidase activity, phenols, proline flavonoids and relative water contents (RWC) of the maize plants were enhanced. More interestingly, the inoculation of C. membranifaciens on maize revealed a higher endogenous IAA level as compared to non-inoculated control plants. Endophyte C. membranifaciens inoculation on maize seedlings under salt stress revealed a 20.87% and 16.60% increase in fresh and dry biomass, as well as significantly enhanced root shoot length and allied growth attributes, in addition to an alleviation of the adverse effects of salinity stress. Conclusively, endophytic C. membranifaciens significantly enhanced the growth attributes of maize and mitigated the adverse effects of salinity stress. Such endophytic fungal strain could be used for further field trails to enhance agricultural productivity and facilitate sustainable agricultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]