Traditional Knowledge on Medicinal Plants Used by the Irula Tribe of Hasanur Hills, Erode District, Tamil Nadu, India

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out among the ethnic groups (Irula) in Hasanur Hills (Southern Western Ghats). The tribal communities of Irulas nurture rich knowledge about medicinal plants and its uses. Therefore, we have done an exhaustive ethnobotanical survey in this area. In this present investigation, it is observed that the tribal’s use 70 wild valuable plant species belonging to 42 families were identified with relevant information and documented in this paper with regard to their botanical name, family, local name, parts used and utilization by the local tribal people for different human ailments. The common diseases treated by the herbal practitioner were asthma, digestive problems, paralyzes, skin diseases and diabetes

Analgesic and anti–inflammatory activities of Passiflora foetida L.

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of ethanol extract of Passiflora foetida (P. foetida) leaves.MethodsEthanol extract of P. foetida leaf was evaluated for analgesic action by acetic acid-induced writhing and hot plate method in albino mice. The anti-inflammatory property of ethanolic leaf extract was tested by carrageenan induced acute paw edema and histamine induced acute paw edema in rats.ResultsThe dose 200 mg/kg of P. foetida leaf extract exhibited highest significant analgesic activity [(13.50±0.43) min] at a reaction time of 20 min in hot plate method in mice. The ethanol extract of leaf dose 100 mg/kg produced a highly significant anti inflammatory effect [(1.302±0.079) mL] in rats.ConclusionsIt is very clear that P. foetida also has analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities for the pharmaceuticals

Evaluation of antioxidant potential of ethanolic extracts of selected species of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Selaginella</i>

238-244The purpose of the present study was to investigate the amount of total phenolics, flavonoids, tannins and in vitro antioxidant properties of ethanolic extracts of different Selaginella species, viz. Selaginella involvens (Sw.) Spring., Selaginella intermedia (Bl.) Spring., Selaginella inaequalifolia (Hook. & Grev.) Spring. and Selaginella tenera (Hook. & Grev.) Spring. The antioxidant activities were evaluated by measuring the ability of the extracts to scavenge the DPPH+, ABTS+, FRAP, metal chelating and phosphomolybdenum assays. The maximum extractable total phenolics were recorded in S. involvens (128.41 mg GAE/g), tannins and flavonoids were present in S. intermedia (67.46 and 184.44 mg GAE/g, respectively). Among the four different ethanolic extracts of Selaginella species, the maximum DPPH+ free radical scavenging activity was exerted by S. involvens (IC50 71.84 µg/mL). Highest activity of ABTS+ assay was observed in S. involvens (2281.48 µmol TE/g) and S. tenera registered the higher Fe2+ chelation (1352.77 µmol Fe (II)/mg). Maximum metal chelating activity was exhibited by S. inaequalifolia (4.56 mg EDTA equiv/g) and the strongest phosphomolybdenum reduction was observed in the ethanolic extracts of S. tenera (26.1 g AA/100 g). The results of the study clearly suggest that Selaginella species are a natural source of antioxidants and it validates the folkloric usage

EVALUATION OF ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF TARENNA ASIATICA (L.) O. KTZE. EX K. SCHUM.

Objective: The study was aimed to analyze the phytochemical, antioxidant and antibacterial potentials of T. asiatica.Methods: The leaves, barks and flowers extracts were analyzed for total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Antioxidant activities were evaluated using DPPHâ— scavenging, ABTSâ—+ scavenging, FRAP, phosphomolybdenum reduction, metal chelating, nitric oxide radical scavenging, superoxide radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation assays. Antibacterial activity was examined using agar well diffusion method against pathogenic microorganisms.Results: The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were found to be higher in acetone extract of leaves (57.21 g GAE/100 g and 619.67 mg RE/g respectively). Antioxidant assays revealed that leaves acetone extract possesses significant (p&lt;0.05) DPPHâ— scavenging capacity (IC50: 20.38 µg/mL), ABTSâ—+ scavenging activity (10435.44 µM TE/g), ferric reducing activity (152.13 mM Fe(II)E/mg), phosphomolybdenum reduction (417.93 mg AAE/g) and metal chelating activity (20.85 g EDTAE/100 g). At a concentration of 200 ug/mL, the leaves acetone extract also showed higher nitric oxide radical (49.22percent), superoxide radical (73.63percent) and hydroxyl radical (69.04percent) scavenging activities and inhibition for lipid peroxidation (57.38percent). Leaves and flowers acetone extracts inhibited the growth of S. dysenteriae, B. subtilis and S. boydii with an inhibition zone ≥12 mm. MIC of flowers acetone extract was found to be 20 µg/mL against both B. subtilis and S. boydii.Conclusion: T. asiatica contains considerable phenolic and flavonoid contents which is responsible for the evident antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. These findings validate that T. asiatica can be a natural antioxidant and antibacterial source which will address medical security.KeywordsAntimicrobial, Antioxidant, Flavonoid, Free radical, Phenolic, Reactive oxygen species, Tarenna asiatic

Antitumor and Wound Healing Properties of Rubus ellipticus Smith.

AbstractThe present investigation has been undertaken to study the antioxidant, antitumor, and wound healing properties of Rubus ellipticus. The R. ellipticus leaves were extracted using organic solvents in Soxhlet and were subjected to in vitro antioxidant assays. R. ellipticus leaf methanol (RELM) extract, which showed higher in vitro antioxidant activity, was taken for the evaluation of in vivo antioxidant, antitumor, and wound healing properties. Acute oral and dermal toxicity studies showed the safety of RELM up to a dose of 2 g/kg. A significant wound healing property was observed in incision, excision, and Staphylococcus aureus-induced infected wound models in the treatment groups compared to the control group. A complete epithelialization period was noticed during the 13th day and the 19th day. A 250-mg/kg treatment was found to prolong the life span of mice with Ehrlich ascite carcinoma (EAC; 46.76%) and to reduce the volume of Dalton's lymphoma ascite (DLA) solid tumors (2.56 cm3). The present study suggests that R. ellipticus is a valuable natural antioxidant and that it is immensely effective for treating skin diseases, wounds, and tumors

Biosynthesis, characterization, and evaluation of bioactivities of leaf extract-mediated biocompatible silver nanoparticles from an early tracheophyte, Pteris tripartita Sw.

Xavierravi Baskaran,1 Antony Varuvel Geo Vigila,2 Thangaraj Parimelazhagan,3 Doulathabad Muralidhara-Rao,4 Shouzhou Zhang1 1Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Southern Subtropical Plant Diversity, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People&rsquo;s Republic of China; 2Department of Zoology, St Xavier&rsquo;s College, Palayamkottai, 3Department of Botany, Bioprospecting Laboratory, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 4Department of Biotechnology, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, IndiaAbstract: The objective of the study was to characterize silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and their bioactivities in early tracheophytes (Pteridophyta). Aqueous leaf extract of a critically endangered fern, Pteris tripartita Sw., was used for one-step green synthesis of Ag-NPs. The biosynthesized Ag-NPs were characterized using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared&nbsp;spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Morphologically, the Ag-NPs showed hexagonal, spherical, and rod-shaped structures. Size distributions of Ag-NPs, calculated using Scherrer&rsquo;s formula, showed an average size of 32&nbsp;nm. Ag-NPs were studied for in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, and in vivo anti-inflammatory activities. Ag-NPs exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan-induced paw volume tests performed in female Wistar albino rats. Furthermore, Ag-NPs showed significant antimicrobial activity against 12 different microorganisms in three different assays (disk diffusion, time course growth, and minimum inhibitory concentration). This study reports that colloidal Ag-NPs can be synthesized by simple, nonhazardous methods, and that biosynthesized Ag-NPs have significant therapeutic properties.Keywords: silver nanoparticles, Pteris tripartita, FTIR, HRTEM, antioxidant, antimicrobia