STUDIES ON ANTIMICROBIAL POTENTIAL OF BAUHINIA VAHLII STEM EXTRACTS

The antimicrobial potential of ethanolic extract (EE) and aqueous extract (AE) of stem of Bauhinia vahlii were evaluated in vitro against some specific bacterial and fungal species employing well diffusion method and serial dilution methods. The patterns of inhibition varied with the stem of Bauhinia vahlii extracts, the solvent used for extraction and the organisms tested. The strains used included Staphylcoccus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, (reference strain) and two fungal strains including (Candida albican and Aspergillus niger) were used for antimicrobial activity assessment. The EE of stem showed a relatively potent antimicrobial activity than the AE. Further studies are to be carried out to find out the chemical composition of the plant extracts. Keywords: Bauhinia vahlii, Staphylcoccus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Salmonella typhi

LAXATIVE ACTIVITY OF HYDROALCOHOLIC LEAVES EXTRACT OF PUTRANJIVA ROXBURGHII.

Background: This study was aimed to assess the possible laxative effect of roxburghii hydroalcoholic leaves extract of Putranjiva in albino’s Wistar rats. Method: Rats were divided in 5 groups of 6 animals each, I group served as control, II group as standard (sodium picosulfate) while group III, IV and V were treated with leaves extract of Putranjiva roxburghii at doses of 250, 500 and 750 mg/kg respectively. The statistical analysis of results were carried out using and one-way analysis (ANOVA) followed by Student t-test. Result and Discussion: The laxative activity was determined based on the weight of the faeces matter. The effects of the hydroalcoholic leaves extract of Putranjiva roxburghii and reference also evaluated. The hydroalcoholic leaves extract of Putranjiva roxburghii administered orally at three different doses produced significant laxative activity and reduced loperamide induced constipation in dose dependent manner. The effect of the extract at 500 mg/kg (p.o.) was similar to that of reference drug sodium picosulfate (5 mg/kg, p.o). Conclusion: The results showed that hydroalcoholic leaves extract of Putranjiva roxburghii has a significant laxative activity. Keywords: Laxative, Loperamide, Constipation

Establishment of quality and safety markers for the identification of Amomum seed and Cinnamon leaf

A crucial and essential prerequisite is the standardization of crude drugs for the purpose of authenticating their effectiveness, safety, and quality. To ensure the scientific significance of two traditional medicinal plants, standardization and quality assessment of two traditional medicines have been done in the current work. The Pharmacognostical evaluation, microscopy, HPTLC profiling, and safety assessment of Amomum subulatum Roxb seed and Cinnamomum cassia Blume leaf have been carried out. The evaluation was carried out by using standard World Health Organization (WHO) protocol along with HPTLC profiling of different extracts by developing suitable solvent systems. Microscopy has been carried out using advanced techniques. The quantitative estimation of harmful heavy metals and aflatoxins is also achieved by using prescribed protocol. The outcomes have been collated and set up in a tabular format for HPTLC profiling and physicochemical evaluation of Cinnamomum cassia and Amomum subulatum. Both the drugs underwent for safety assessment by estimating aflatoxin (B1, B2, and G1, G2) using HPLC, and heavy metals (Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, and Arsenic) by applying atomic absorption spectrometer, whereas pesticidal residue were estimated by using recommended GC-MS method the results have been compared with reference values and discussed, respectively. All the procedures repeated thrice and the average reading with standard deviation has been represented. The recommended standardization methods are valuable for ensuring the scientific significance of herbal drugs. The study demonstrated the microscopic cellular identification of both the plant species, TLC profiling is an acceptable technique to know the phytoconstituents present in particular extracts (polar or non-polar), whereas safety assessment by performing heavy metals, aflatoxins, and pesticide analysis which all collective work can be remarkable for ensuring the quality

Erratum to: Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition) (Autophagy, 12, 1, 1-222, 10.1080/15548627.2015.1100356

non present