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Artemisinin is a truly fascinating drug in many ways. Since the unrestrained procedure of its detection, as an antimalarial drug, artemisinin has received a great deal of consideration. Recently, application of artemisinin-based combination therapy has been broadly applied for treating numerous ailments. Moreover, as an antimalarial compound, artemisinin and its associated compounds have abundant healing efficacy and can be repurposed for additional symptoms, like autoimmune infections, cancer, and viral contaminations. Recently a number of studies have highlighted the significance of the artemisinin-related compounds in SARS-CoV-2 treatment. The current review purposes to present a concise account of the history of the antiviral and antimalarial prodrugs—Artemisinin, from the Artemisia species. It is followed by its antiviral, antimalarial prospective, chemical nature and extraction procedure, photochemistry, mechanism of action, and its clinical trials and patents, and accentuates the significance of the mechanistic studies concerned for therapeutic results, both in viral and malarial circumstances.

Aging is a complex process that involves many physiological mechanisms that gradually impair normal cellular and tissue function and make us more susceptible to diseases and death. It is influenced by intrinsic factors like cellular function and extrinsic factors like pollution and UV radiation. Recent scientific studies show that traditional plant-based foods and supplements can help mitigate the effects of aging. Nutraceuticals, which are dietary supplements with medicinal properties, have gained attention for their ability to prevent chronic and age-related diseases. Antioxidants like flavonoids, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, terpenes, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, minerals, etc. found in plants are key to managing oxidative stress, which is a major cause of aging. Well-known plant-based supplements from Bacopa monnieri, Curcuma longa, Emblica officinalis, Ginkgo biloba, Glycyrrhiza glabra, and Panax ginseng have been found to possess medicinal properties. These supplements have been shown to improve cognitive function, reduce oxidative stress, improve overall health, and potentially extend life and enhance the excellence of life. The obtained benefits from these plant species are due to the presence of their bioactive secondary metabolites, such as bacosides in Bacopa monnieri, curcumin in Curcuma longa, ginsenosides in Panax ginseng, and many more. These compounds not only protect against free radical damage but also modulate key biological pathways of aging. Also, traditional fermented foods (tempeh and kimchi), which are rich in probiotics and bioactive compounds, support gut health, boost immune function, and have anti-aging properties. The molecular mechanisms behind these benefits are the activation of nutrient-sensing pathways like AMPK, SIRT/NAD+, and mTOR, which are important for cellular homeostasis and longevity. This review shows the potential of traditional plant-based foods and dietary supplements for healthy aging, and more studies are needed to prove their efficacy and safety in humans. Incorporating these natural products into our diet may be a practical and effective way to counteract the effects of aging and overall well-being. The foremost goal of this review is to emphasize the importance of supporting the body’s antioxidant system by consuming the right balance of natural ingredients in the diet.

Papaya contains high amounts of vitamins A, C, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, ascorbic acid, potassium, and carotenoids. It is confirmed by several studies that all food waste parts such as the fruit peels, seeds, and leaves of papaya are potential sources of phenolic compounds, particularly in the peel. Considering the presence of numerous bioactive compounds in papaya fruit peels, the current study reports a rapid, cheap, and environmentally friendly method for the production of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) employing food biowaste (vegetable papaya peel extract (VPPE)) and investigated its antioxidant, antidiabetic, tyrosinase inhibition, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and photocatalytic degradation potentials. The phytochemical analysis gave positive results for tannins, saponins, steroids, cardiac steroidal glycoside, protein, and carbohydrates. The manufactured VPPE-AuNPs were studied by UV–Vis scan (with surface plasmon resonance of 552 nm), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) (with average crystallite size of 44.41 nm as per the Scherrer equation), scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), particle size, zeta potential, etc. The mean dimension of the manufactured VPPE-AuNPs is 112.2 d.nm (PDI—0.149) with a −26.1 mV zeta potential. The VPPE-AuNPs displayed a significant antioxidant effect (93.24% DPPH scavenging and 74.23% SOD inhibition at 100 µg/mL); moderate tyrosinase effect (with 30.76%); and substantial α-glucosidase (95.63%) and α-amylase effect (50.66%) at 100 µg/mL. Additionally, it was found to be very proficient in the removal of harmful methyl orange and methylene blue dyes with degradation of 34.70% at 3 h and 24.39% at 5 h, respectively. Taken altogether, the VPPE-AuNPs have been proven to possess multiple biopotential activities, which can be explored by the food, cosmetics, and biomedical industries.

Cinnamon from the bark of Cinnamomum species is one of the most important spices used worldwide in food and as a traditional medicine for centuries. It has substantial benefits for human health including its protective role on cardiovascular diseases. This review provides an overview of the cardiovascular protective effects of cinnamon and its major bioactive constituents. Reviewed literature showed sufficient evidence that cinnamon can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including cardiac ischemia, cardiac hypertrophy, and myocardial infarction. Furthermore, cinnamon exhibited beneficial effects on cardiovascular-related comorbidities like diabetes, and other metabolic disorders, and showed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Cinnamon contains several bioactive compounds such as phenolics and volatile compounds. Cinnamaldehyde and cinnamic acid are among the main cinnamon compounds with protective effects on cardiovascular diseases through different molecular mechanisms. Although the protective effects of cinnamon and its main compounds have been extensively reported, more preclinical and clinical studies are still required before its use as a biopharmaceutical agent.

Abstract Background The advances in products based on nanotechnology have directed extensive research on low-cost, biologically compatible, and easily degradable materials. Main body Sericin (SER) is a protein mainly composed of glycine, serine, aspartic acid, and threonine amino acids removed from the silkworm cocoon (particularly Bombyx mori and other species). SER is a biocompatible material with economic viability, which can be easily functionalized due to its potential crosslink reactions. Also, SER has inherent biological properties, which makes possible its use as a component of pharmaceutical formulations with several biomedical applications, such as anti-tumor, antimicrobials, antioxidants and as scaffolds for tissue repair as well as participating in molecular mechanisms attributed to the regulation of transcription factors, reduction of inflammatory signaling molecules, stimulation of apoptosis, migration, and proliferation of mesenchymal cells. Conclusion In this review, the recent innovations on SER-based nano-medicines (nanoparticles, micelles, films, hydrogels, and their hybrid systems) and their contributions for non-conventional therapies are discussed considering different molecular mechanisms for promoting their therapeutic applications.

In spite of the progress in treatment strategies, cancer remains a major cause of death worldwide. Therefore, the main challenge should be the early diagnosis of cancer and the design of an optimal therapeutic strategy to increase the patient’s life expectancy as well as the continuation of the search for increasingly active and selective molecules for the treatment of different forms of cancer. In the recent decades, research in the field of natural compounds has increasingly shifted towards advanced and molecular level understandings, thus leading to the development of potent anti-cancer agents. Among them is the diterpene lactone andrographolide, isolated from Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. ex Nees that showed shows a plethora of biological activities, including not only anti-cancer activity, but also anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, and immunomodulatory properties. Andrographolide has been shown to act as an anti-tumor drug by affecting specific molecular targets that play a part in the development and progression of several cancer types including breast, lung, colon, renal, and cervical cancer, as well as leukemia and hepatocarcinoma. This review comprehensively and systematically summarized the current research on the potential anti-cancer properties of andrographolide highlighting its mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, and potential side effects and discussing the future perspectives, challenges, and limitations of use.

Java plum is widely recognized as a plant with valuable medicinal properties, originating from Indonesia and India and distributed globally in the tropic and sub-tropic regions of the world. The plant is rich in alkaloids, flavonoids, phenyl propanoids, terpenes, tannins, and lipids. The phytoconstituents of the plant seeds possess various vital pharmacological activities and clinical effects including their antidiabetic potential. The bioactive phytoconstituents of Java plum seeds include jambosine, gallic acid, quercetin, β-sitosterol, ferulic acid, guaiacol, resorcinol, p-coumaric acid, corilagin, ellagic acid, catechin, epicatechin, tannic acid, 4,6 hexahydroxydiphenoyl glucose, 3,6-hexahydroxy diphenoylglucose, 1-galloylglucose, and 3-galloylglucose. Considering all the potential beneficial effects of the major bioactive compounds present in the Jamun seeds, in the current investigation, the specific clinical effects and the mechanism of action for the major bioactive compounds along with the extraction procedures are discussed.

Tiliacora triandra (Colebr.) Diels (Menispermaceae family) is a Southeast Asian angiosperm herb. Traditional medicine in these areas often includes the use of plant parts. Plant extracts are highly effective against various infections including bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic. The leaves and root extracts are used to treat gastrointestinal diseases, hypertension, diabetes, skin diseases, and malaria as an antipyretic, detoxification agent, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and immunomodulator. Bioactive compounds contained in T. triandra include phenolic compounds, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, fatty acids, essential amino acids, peptides, carbohydrates, vitamins, and nucleic acid precursors. Despite the plant species’ abundance of bioactive compounds, there is very little in vivo and clinical proof of its pharmacological significance. The present review focuses on the phytochemical configurations, extraction methods for major bioactive compounds, and pharmacology of T. triandra, in light of its potent medicinal values.

This current investigation was designed to synthesize Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) using both the fresh (Fbf) and boiled (Bbf) Korean mountain vegetable fern (named Gosari) extracts and make a comparative evaluation of its multi-therapeutic potentials. The screening of phytochemicals in the fern extract was undertaken. The synthesized fern-mediated silver nanoparticles are characterized and investigated for their bio-potential like α-glucosidase inhibition, antioxidant, and cytotoxicity prospects. The obtained AgNPs were characterized by the UV-Vis Spectra, SEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR, DLS, Zeta potential analysis, etc. The synthesis of the Fbf-AgNPs was very fast and started within 1 h of the reaction whereas the synthesis of the Bbf-AgNPs synthesis was slow and it started around 18 h of incubation. The UV-Vis spectra displayed the absorption maxima of 424 nm for Fbf-AgNPs and in the case of Bbf-AgNPs, it was shown at 436 nm. The current research results demonstrated that both Fbf-AgNPs and Bbf-AgNPs displayed a strong α-glucosidase inhibition effect with more than 96% effect at 1 µg/mL concentration, but the Bbf-AgNPs displayed a slightly higher effect with IC50 value slightly lower than the Fbf-AgNPs. Both Fbf-AgNPs and Bbf-AgNPs displayed good antioxidant effects concerning the in vitro antioxidant assays. In the case of the cytotoxicity potential assay also, among both the investigated Fbf-AgNPs and Bbf-AgNPs nanoparticles, the Bbf-AgNPs showed stronger effects with lower IC50 value as compared to the Fbf-AgNPs. In conclusion, both the fern-mediated AgNPs displayed promising multi-therapeutic potential and could be beneficial in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors. Though the synthesis process is rapid in Fbf-AgNPs, but it is concluded from the results of all the tested bio-potential assays, Bbf-AgNPs is slightly better than Fbf-AgNPs.

The major cause of death around the world is cardiovascular disease, while cancer ranks second. Lung cancer stands out as a major cause of concern because it accounts for 12% of all cancer cases and is the leading cause of cancer-related death. Since prehistoric times, humans have relied on plants as a reliable resource for all three of these essentials: food, livestock, and healthcare. When it comes to treating human illness, plants have been relied on extensively. Researchers are becoming increasingly intrigued by the prospect of deciphering plant chemistry. The Alliaceae plant family has yielded many novel phytochemicals. To identify a potent phytocompound against lung cancer from the plant Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Spreng, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were performed. Before that, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and DDPH free radicals scavenging activity were determined in order to select the best plant extract. Four targets for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were retrieved in mutated form by literature mining to carry out this work. EGFR and B-Raf were selected as cell proliferating proteins and K-Ras and PI3K were selected as antiapoptotic proteins. Molecular docking was performed against these targets with the 94 phytocompounds present in Allium tuberosum, which were identified by GC-MS and LC-MS. Chemical absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) profiling was also conducted with the nine best-screened compounds. Americine, an alkaloid from this plant, showed inhibitory activity against all four selected targets and was bound more strongly than their respective positive controls in docking studies amongst all other phytocompounds. The ADMET study also confirmed the drug-like candidature of the compound. This study reveals the alternative therapeutic potential of americine against NSCLC by promoting apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation.

Many antibacterial agents have been continuously used by various industries in order to extend shelf life by controlling spoilage bacteria and reducing the risk of pathogenic bacteria. However, there are concerns related to safety and various health-related issues. The sericin in silk cocoons is considered as a waste product in the silk industry and is usually thrown away. Sericin is known to possess a number of important biochemical properties. Considering this, in the present study, sericin protein was extracted from silk cocoons via a degumming process, and its antibacterial activity was investigated against a number of foodborne pathogenic bacteria using standard procedures. Its synergistic antibacterial activity was also investigated using both sericin protein and standard antibiotics such as ampicillin, azithromycin, cephalexin, erythromycin, gentamycin, kanamycin, and streptomycin. The results showed that sericin extract displayed a prominent antibacterial effect against all the tested foodborne pathogenic bacteria, with the diameter of inhibition zones ranging from 9.44 ± 0.04 mm to 12.09 ± 0.58 mm, and the results were comparable with those of the standard antibiotics. The sericin extract at 500 µg/disc displayed the highest inhibition zones against both the tested E. coli (12.09 ± 0.58 mm) and the L. monocytogenes (11.51 ± 0.35 mm). Furthermore, sericin along with the standard antibiotics at (25 µg + 5 µg respectively)/disk displayed significant antibacterial potential against all the tested foodborne pathogenic bacteria, with the highest inhibition zone against Salmonella Typhimurium (26.59 ± 0.74 mm). The minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration values of the sericin extract ranged from 0.0625 to 1.0 mg/mL. These data suggested that sericin extract has promising antibacterial potential that can be utilized in various industries as an effective antibacterial agent.

Seeds from mustard (genera Brassica spp. and Sinapsis spp.), are known as a rich source of glucosinolates and omega-3 fatty acids. These compounds are widely known for their health benefits that include reducing inflammation and lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. This review presented a synthesis of published literature from Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Sci Finder, and Web of Science regarding the different glucosinolates and omega-3 fatty acids isolated from mustard seeds. We presented an overview of extraction, isolation, purification, and structure elucidation of glucosinolates from the seeds of mustard plants. Moreover, we presented a compilation of in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies showing the potential health benefits of glucosinolates and omega-3 fatty acids. Previous studies showed that glucosinolates have antimicrobial, antipain, and anticancer properties while omega-3 fatty acids are useful for their pharmacologic effects against sleep disorders, anxiety, cerebrovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes. Further studies are needed to investigate other naturally occurring glucosinolates and omega-3 fatty acids, improve and standardize the extraction and isolation methods from mustard seeds, and obtain more clinical evidence on the pharmacological applications of glucosinolates and omega-3 fatty acids from mustard seeds.

In recent decades, interest in the Cordyceps genus has amplified due to its immunostimulatory potential. Cordyceps species, its extracts, and bioactive constituents have been related with cytokine production such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, phagocytosis stimulation of immune cells, nitric oxide production by increasing inducible nitric oxide synthase activity, and stimulation of inflammatory response via mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Other pharmacological activities like antioxidant, anti-cancer, antihyperlipidemic, anti-diabetic, anti-fatigue, anti-aging, hypocholesterolemic, hypotensive, vasorelaxation, anti-depressant, aphrodisiac, and kidney protection, has been reported in pre-clinical studies. These biological activities are correlated with the bioactive compounds present in Cordyceps including nucleosides, sterols, flavonoids, cyclic peptides, phenolic, bioxanthracenes, polyketides, and alkaloids, being the cyclic peptides compounds the most studied. An organized review of the existing literature was executed by surveying several databanks like PubMed, Scopus, etc. using keywords like Cordyceps, cordycepin, immune system, immunostimulation, immunomodulatory, pharmacology, anti-cancer, anti-viral, clinical trials, ethnomedicine, pharmacology, phytochemical analysis, and different species names. This review collects and analyzes state-of-the-art about the properties of Cordyceps species along with ethnopharmacological properties, application in food, chemical compounds, extraction of bioactive compounds, and various pharmacological properties with a special focus on the stimulatory properties of immunity.

The evaluation and confirmation of healing properties of several plant species of genus Terminalia based on their traditional uses and the clinical claims are of utmost importance. Genus Terminalia has received more attention to assess and validate the therapeutic potential and clinical approval due to its immense folk medicinal and traditional applications. Various species of Terminalia genus are used in the form of herbal medicine and formulations, in treatment of diseases, including headache, fever, pneumonia, flu, geriatric, cancer, to improve memory, abdominal and back pain, cough and cold, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, heart disorder, leprosy, sexually transmitted diseases, and urinary tract disorders. These are reported to possess numerous biological properties, counting: antibacterial, antifungal, antiinflammatory, antiviral, antiretroviral, antioxidant, and antipa7rasitic. This current research review aims to update the detailed biological activities, pre-clinical and clinical studies of various extracts and secondary metabolites from several plant species under the genus Terminalia, along with information on the traditional uses and chemical composition to develop a promising strategy for their potential applications in the form of medicine or use in modern drug formulations for treating diseases like pneumonia, flu, and other types of viral infections or controlling human contagions.

Oat (Avena sativa) bran, a by-product during oat grain processing, is a excellent source of fibre, vitamins and phytochemicals. The health benefits of dietary fibre have long been established. In the present study, the antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects of oat bran extracts were investigated. The extracts showed strong 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), hydroxyl, superoxide radicals scavenging and reducing power activities in vitro. In addition, the extracts (50 mg/kg mouse) significantly reduced the levels of malondialdehyde and hepatic damage marker enzymes (aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase), proinflammatory cytokines as well as elevated SOD, CAT, and GPx enzymes expressions in LPS-treated (1 mg/kg body weight) BALB/c mice. Therefore, the present study strongly suggests that both oat bran extracts could be excellent raw materials for manufacturing functional food due to its protective effect on hepatic liver damage and excellent antioxidant activity.

Consumption of lactic acid fermented fruits and vegetables has been correlated with a series of health benefits. Some of them have been attributed to the probiotic potential of lactic acid microbiota, while others to its metabolic potential and the production of bioactive compounds. The factors that affect the latter have been in the epicenter of intensive research over the last decade. The production of bioactive peptides, vitamins (especially of the B-complex), gamma-aminobutyric acid, as well as phenolic and organosulfur compounds during lactic acid fermentation of fruits and vegetables has attracted specific attention. On the other hand, the production of biogenic amines has also been intensively studied due to the adverse health effects caused by their consumption. The data that are currently available indicate that the production of these compounds is a strain-dependent characteristic that may also be affected by the raw materials used as well as the fermentation conditions. The aim of the present review paper is to collect all data referring to the production of the aforementioned compounds and to present and discuss them in a concise and comprehensive way.

Abstract Nanomedicine and nano delivery systems are a relatively new but rapidly developing science where materials in the nanoscale range are employed to serve as means of diagnostic tools or to deliver therapeutic agents to specific targeted sites in a controlled manner. Nanotechnology offers multiple benefits in treating chronic human diseases by site-specific, and target-oriented delivery of precise medicines. Recently, there are a number of outstanding applications of the nanomedicine (chemotherapeutic agents, biological agents, immunotherapeutic agents etc.) in the treatment of various diseases. The current review, presents an updated summary of recent advances in the field of nanomedicines and nano based drug delivery systems through comprehensive scrutiny of the discovery and application of nanomaterials in improving both the efficacy of novel and old drugs (e.g., natural products) and selective diagnosis through disease marker molecules. The opportunities and challenges of nanomedicines in drug delivery from synthetic/natural sources to their clinical applications are also discussed. In addition, we have included information regarding the trends and perspectives in nanomedicine area.

Abstract Rice, a major food crop, is grown in a wide range of ecological conditions and suffers significant yield losses as it is constantly exposed to a wide range of environmental and biotic stresses. The prevalence of different biotypes/strains has necessitated assembling of numerous resistance genes/QTLs into elite genotypes to confer a broader scale of resistance. The current study reports successful pyramiding of genes/QTLs that confer tolerance/resistance to submergence (Sub1), salinity (Saltol), blast (Pi2, Pi9) and gall midge (Gm1, Gm4) to supplement the four bacterial blight resistance genes (Xa 4, xa5, xa13, Xa21) present in Improved Tapaswini, an elite cultivar. The precise transfer of genes/QTLs was accomplished through effective foreground selection and suitable gene pyramids were identified. Background selection was practiced using morphological and grain quality traits to enhance the recovery of the recurrent parental genome. In the bioassays, the pyramids exhibited higher levels of resistance/ tolerance against the target stresses. The novel feature of the study was successful pyramidization and demonstration of the function of ten genes/QTLs in a new genotype. This success can stimulate several such studies to realize the full potential of molecular plant breeding as the foundation for rice improvement.

Proteins are some of the most commonly used biomaterials in food technology, especially in food packaging, coatings, and additives. They are outstanding candidates for producing innovative food components due to their immense nutritional properties, molecular characteristics, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and safe status. Numerous application examples of protein-based films and coatings in food packaging also approve their significant role in food packaging materials. Sericin is a natural silk globular protein, which is usually discarded as a biological waste material after removing the fibroin for making silk products from the silk cocoon. In the current investigation, an attempt was made to extract this usually wasted silk protein from the silk cocoon, purify it, and study its potential applications in the food sector as a food packaging material. The sericin was extracted from the silk cocoon by the degumming method. The protein concentration of the extracted crude sericin sample was estimated by the standard Lowry’s method using the bovine serum albumin as the reference standard. Linearity was obtained (R2 > 0.99), and the protein concentration of the crude sericin was found out to be 3.60 % (w/v). The purification of the crude protein was carried out by dialysis using a cellulose tubing with a molecular weight cutoff of 12 kDa, followed by freeze-drying. The protein concentration of the purified sericin was found out to be 3.47 % (w/v). Following extraction, sericin can be used as the food packaging material. Proteins, especially sericin, which is a byproduct, can provide a low-cost and naturally occurring raw material to be used as green formulation ingredients in the food industry as a food packaging material. Further research is under process to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of the extracted sericin and study its applications, including food packaging materials.

Valerianaceae, the sub-family of Caprifoliaceae, contains more than 300 species of annual and perennial herbs, worldwide distributed. Several species are used for their biological properties while some are used as food. Species from the genus Valeriana have been used for their antispasmodic, relaxing, and sedative properties, which have been mainly attributed to the presence of valepotriates, borneol derivatives, and isovalerenic acid. Among this genus, the most common and employed species is Valerianaofficinalis. Although valerian has been traditionally used as a mild sedative, research results are still controversial regarding the role of the different active compounds, the herbal preparations, and the dosage used. The present review is designed to summarize and critically describe the current knowledge on the different plant species belonging to Valerianaceae, their phytochemicals, their uses in the treatment of different diseases with particular emphasis on the effects on the central nervous system. The available information on this sub-family was collected from scientific databases up until year 2020. The following electronic databases were used: PubMed, Scopus, Sci Finder, Web of Science, Science Direct, NCBI, and Google Scholar. The search terms used for this review included Valerianaceae, Valeriana, Centranthus, Fedia, Patrinia, Nardostachys, Plectritis, and Valerianella, phytochemical composition, in vivo studies, Central Nervous System, neuroprotective, antidepressant, antinociceptive, anxiolytic, anxiety, preclinical and clinical studies.

Plants belonging to the subfamily Bombacoideae (family Malvaceae) consist of about 304 species, many of them having high economical and medicinal properties. In the past, this plant group was put under Bombacaceae; however, modern molecular and phytochemical findings supported the group as a subfamily of Malvaceae. A detailed search on the number of publications related to the Bombacoideae subfamily was carried out in databases like PubMed and Science Direct using various keywords. Most of the plants in the group are perennial tall trees usually with swollen tree trunks, brightly colored flowers, and large branches. Various plant parts ranging from leaves to seeds to stems of several species are also used as food and fibers in many countries. Members of Bombacoides are used as ornamentals and economic utilities, various plants are used in traditional medication systems for their anti-inflammatory, astringent, stimulant, antipyretic, microbial, analgesic, and diuretic effects. Several phytochemicals, both polar and non-polar compounds, have been detected in this plant group supporting evidence of their medicinal and nutritional uses. The present review provides comprehensive taxonomic, ethno-pharmacological, economic, food and phytochemical properties of the subfamily Bombacoideae.

Cancer is at present one of the utmost deadly diseases worldwide. Past efforts in cancer research have focused on natural medicinal products. Over the past decades, a great deal of initiatives was invested towards isolating and identifying new marine metabolites via pharmaceutical companies, and research institutions in general. Secondary marine metabolites are looked at as a favorable source of potentially new pharmaceutically active compounds, having a vast structural diversity and diverse biological activities; therefore, this is an astonishing source of potentially new anticancer therapy. This review contains an extensive critical discussion on the potential of marine microbial compounds and marine microalgae metabolites as anticancer drugs, highlighting their chemical structure and exploring the underlying mechanisms of action. Current limitation, challenges, and future research pathways were also presented.

Currently, green nanotechnology-based approaches using waste materials from food have been accepted as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach with various biomedical applications. In the current study, AgNPs were synthesized using the outer peel extract of the fruit Ananas comosus (AC), which is a food waste material. Characterization was done using UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses. The formation of AgNPs has confirmed through UV-visible spectroscopy (at 485 nm) by the change of color owing to surface Plasmon resonance. Based on the XRD pattern, the crystalline property of AgNPs was established. The functional group existing in AC outer peel extract accountable for the reduction of Ag+ ion and the stabilization of AC-AgNPs was investigated through FT-IR. The morphological structures and elemental composition was determined by SEM and EDX analysis. With the growing application of AgNPs in biomedical perspectives, the biosynthesized AC-AgNPs were evaluated for their antioxidative, antidiabetic, and cytotoxic potential against HepG2 cells along with their antibacterial potential. The results showed that AC-AgNPs are extremely effective with high antidiabetic potential at a very low concentration as well as it exhibited higher cytotoxic activity against the HepG2 cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. It also exhibited potential antioxidant activity and moderate antibacterial activity against the four tested foodborne pathogenic bacteria. Overall, the results highlight the effectiveness and potential applications of AC-AgNPs in biomedical fields such as in the treatment of acute illnesses as well as in drug formulation for treating various diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Further, it has applications in wound dressing or in treating bacterial related diseases.

Conjugation of nanoparticles (NPs) with antibiotics for treating multidrug resistant pathogens has been enormously studied now a days. In the current investigation, calcium phosphate (CaP) NPs were produced by co-precipitation using red ginseng extract as the reducing agent and were conjugated to the antibiotic streptomycin to form streptomycin-conjugated NPs (CPG-S NPs). The CPG-S NPs antibacterial activity was evaluated in this study against eight plant and five foodborne pathogenic bacteria. The synthesized CPG-S NPs were characterized by UV-VIS spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetric analysis. CPG-S NPs exhibited promising antibacterial activity against all eight plant pathogenic bacteria and three of the five foodborne pathogenic bacteria tested; the diameter of inhibition zones ranged between 9.74-16.95 mm and 9.82-15.84 mm, respectively. CPG-S NPs displayed 50-100 μg/mL of minimum inhibitory concentration and 100 μg/mL of minimum bactericidal concentration against the plant and foodborne pathogenic bacterial strains, respectively. Furthermore, the SEM image of bacteria treated with CPG-S NPs displayed cells with a ruptured cell wall and fewer cells compared to the SEM image of untreated control bacteria displaying uniform and intact cells. SEM confirmed that CPG-S NPs degraded the bacterial cell wall and membrane resulting in lysed bacterial cells. In conclusion, the results suggest that CPG-S NPs could be effectively utilized in formulating drugs to treat bacterial plant or dental diseases and in manufacturing dental products such as toothpaste, mouthwashes, and artificial teeth.

ABSTRACT The vegetation of the Steel City (Rourkela) of Odisha, India has high ethnobotanical values by virtue of its rich floral diversity. People in the urban area are highly dependent on the plants available in and around the city for their primary needs. The present study highlights the use of local flora, explore, identification, ethnobotany and conservation of wild and cultivated plant species in the city of Rourkela, Odisha, India. It also pays heed to the proper utilization of urban flora as a way of highlighting its ethnopharmacological importance. A field survey was conducted to collect information about floral diversity in and around the city. Data on the use of plants was collected with a semi-structured questionnaire and from the peer-reviewed literature. A total of 154 plant species, belonging to 128 genera and 55 families, were identified, along with their botanical name, vernacular name, family and habitat. Of these plant species, 53 are medicinal, 43 are ornamental, and 33 are edible, while 23 are weeds. Paderia foetida and Saraca asoka fall into the RET (rare, endangered and threatened) group and are very effective against various diseases. Traditional uses of local plants in an urban area like Rourkela are very interesting. This shows that, not only rural and tribal areas are rich in useful bio-resources but so are urban or semi-urban areas. The documentation of all useful flora with ethnomedicinal potential is helpful in conserving plant biodiversity as well as in environmental studies along with potential applications in drug discovery and oriental medicine.

Laminaria japonica L. is among the most commonly consumed seaweeds in northeast Asia. In the present study, L. japonica essential oil (LJEO) was extracted by microwave-hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy. LJEO contained 21 volatile compounds, comprising 99.76% of the total volume of the essential oil, primarily tetradeconoic acid (51.75%), hexadecanoic acid (16.57%), (9Z,12Z)-9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (12.09%), and (9Z)-hexadec-9-enoic acid (9.25%). Evaluation of the antibacterial potential against three foodborne pathogens, Bacillus cereus ATCC 10876, Escherichia coli O157:H7 ATCC 43890, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 49444, revealed that LJEO at a concentration of 25 mg/paper disc exerted high antibacterial activity against S. aureus (11.5 ± 0.58 mm inhibition zone) and B. cereus (10.5 ± 0.57 mm inhibition zone), but no inhibition of E. coli O157:H7. LJEO also displayed DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging activity (80.45%), superoxide anion scavenging activity (54.03%), and ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical and hydroxyl radical scavenging at 500 µg/mL. Finally, LJEO showed high inhibition of lipid peroxidation with strong reducing power. In conclusion, LJEO from edible seaweed is an inexpensive but favorable resource with strong antibacterial capacity as well as free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity; therefore, it has the potential for use in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.

ABSTRACT Equisetum arvense, a fern species possesses a number of pharmaceutical prospective. In the present study, a total of 103 endophytic bacteria isolated from E. arvense and were evaluated for their anticandidal property against five Candida species, two C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. saitoana and C. geochares. Out of them fifty one were identified as per the morphological and molecular characterisation using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and among them, ten promising endophytic bacteria were mentioned in the present study. Among ten endophytic bacteria, Psychrobacillus insolitus and Curtobacterium oceanosedimentum exerted highest anticandidal effect against C. albicans KACC 30062 and C. glabrata KBNO6P00368, with diameter of inhibition zones of 21.30±0.41 and 18.24±0.12 mm, respectively. When the endophytic bacteria cultures were successively fractionated using different solvents, only the butanol fraction of Psychrobacillus insolitus and Curtobacterium oceanosedimentum had anticandidal activity, with inhibition zones of 20.12±0.28 mm and 12.33±0.11 mm, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values of the butanol fractions ranged from 250 to 500 and 500 to 1,000 µg/mL, respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed impaired membrane of C. albicans and C. glabrata at the MIC, indicating that butanol extract lysed the cell membrane and caused cell death. The endophytic bacteria derived from E. arvense can be a valuable resource for the development of natural anticandidal agents to manage candidiasis.

ABSTRACT >The in vitro antimicrobial activity of Gymnopetulum chinense (Cucurbitaceae), a lesser known climber of Eastern Ghats and recently recorded species from Odisha, India was studied against five selected human pathogenic bacteria (Streptococcus mutans, S. pyogenes, Vibrio cholerae, Shigella flexneri and Salmonella typhi), by agar well diffusion (AWD), disc diffusion (DD) and broth dilution methods. Different solvent extracts were prepared from the leaves of G. chinense using various solvents viz. n-hexane, chloroform, methanol, acetone and aqueous. The nomenclature, detailed description and photographs of the plant are provided to facilitate its easy identification. The leaf extract showed presence of phenolic compounds, tannin, saponin, flavonoids and glycosides. It was examined that methanol extract showed highest zone of inhibition (16.66 mm) against S. pyogenes using DD assay. Similar results were examined as lowest MIC values were found with methanol leaf extract against S. pyogenes and S. mutans (200 µg/ml). Present study showed first report of this plant as natural antibacterial agents and highlights the importance of G. chinense in curing the bacterial infections.

Rice yield is subjected to severe losses due to adverse effect of a number of stress factors. The most effective method of controlling reduced crop production is utilization of host resistance. Recent technological advances have led to the improvement of DNA based molecular markers closely linked to genes or QTLs in rice chromosome that bestow tolerance to various types of abiotic stresses and resistance to biotic stress factors. Transfer of several genes with potential characteristics into a single genotype is possible through the process of marker assisted selection (MAS), which can quicken the advancement of tolerant/resistant cultivars in the lowest number of generations with the utmost precision through the process of gene pyramiding. Overall, this review presented various types of molecular tools including MAS that can be reasonable and environmental friendly approach for the improvement of abiotic and biotic stress resistant rice with enhanced quality.

Microbial cell performance in food biotechnological processes has become an important concern for improving human health worldwide. Lactobacillus plantarum, which is widely distributed in nature, is a lactic acid bacterium with many industrial applications for fermented foods or functional foods (e.g., probiotics). In the present study, using capillary electrophoresis time of flight mass spectrometry, the metabolomic profile of dried Orostachys japonicus A. Berger, a perennial medicinal herb with L. plantarum was compared with that of O. japonicus fermented with L. plantarum to elucidate the metabolomic changes induced by the fermentation process. The levels of several metabolites were changed by the fermentation process, indicating their involvement in microbial performance. For example, glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, the TCA cycle, the urea cycle-related metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and lipid and amino acid metabolism were altered significantly by the fermentation process. Although the fermented metabolites were not tested using in vivo studies to increase human health benefits, our findings provide an insight into the alteration of metabolites induced by fermentation, and indicated that the metabolomic analysis for the process should be accompanied by fermenting strains and conditions.

Endophytes are an endosymbiotic group of microorganisms that colonize in plants and microbes that can be readily isolated from any microbial or plant growth medium. They act as reservoirs of novel bioactive secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids, phenolic acids, quinones, steroids, saponins, tannins, and terpenoids that serve as a potential candidate for antimicrobial, anti-insect, anticancer and many more properties. While plant sources are being extensively explored for new chemical entities for therapeutic purposes, endophytic microbes also constitute an important source for drug discovery. This review aims to comprehend the contribution and uses of endophytes as an impending source of drugs against various forms of diseases and other possible medicinal use.

Different types of fermented foods such as chongkukjang, doenjang, ganjang, gochujang and kimchi are plentifully available and widely consumed in north eastern Asian countries including Korea. Among them, kimchi is one of the most popular Korean traditional food. It is prepared by fermenting the baechu cabbage together with other vegetables and lactic acid bacteria with functional potential. Many types of ingredients are added to kimchi to enhance its taste, flavor, nutritional value, texture etc. A number of bacteria are involved in the fermentation of kimchi, but lactic acid bacteria are the dominant species in the fermentation process. The addition of other sub ingredients and formation of different by-products during fermentation eventually leads to eradication of putrefactive and pathogenic bacteria, and also increase the functionalities, nutritional and nutraceutical potential of kimchi. Kimchi possesses anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, antiobesity, probiotic properties, cholesterol reduction, and antiaging properties. In the present review an attempt has been made to review the different types of fermented foods found in the Korean peninsula with detailed scientific research regarding preparation, processing, structure of the microecosystem and health benefits of kimchi.