Drug resistance to human infectious diseases caused by pathogens lead to premature deaths through out the world. Plants are sources for wide variety of drugs used for treating various diseases. Systematic screening of medicinal plants for the search of new antimicrobial drug candidates that can inhibit the growth of pathogens or kill with no toxicity to host is being continued by many laboratories. Here we review the phytochemical investigations and biological activities of Meliaceae. The mahogany (Meliaceae) is family of timber trees with rich source for limonoids. So far, amongst the different members of Meliaceae, Azadirachta indica and Melia dubia have been identified as the potential plant systems possessing a vast array of biologically active compounds which are chemically diverse and structurally complex. Despite biological activities on different taxa of Meliaceae have been carried out, the information of antibacterial and antifungal activity is a meager with exception to Azadirachta indica. Together we provide new insights of Meliaceae members demonstrating as a potential source as antimicrobial agents using in vitro studies.

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Phytochemicals and antimicrobial potentials of mahogany family

Chitosan, a copolymer of glucosamine and N-acetyl glucosamine, is derived from chitin. Chitin is found in cell walls of crustaceans, fungi, insects and in some algae, microorganisms, and some invertebrate animals. Chitosan is emerging as a very important raw material for the synthesis of a wide range of products used for food, medical, pharmaceutical, health care, agriculture, industry, and environmental pollution protection. This review, in line with the focus of this special issue, provides the reader with (1) an overview on different sources of chitin, (2) advances in techniques used to extract chitin and converting it into chitosan, (3) the importance of the inherent characteristics of the chitosan from different sources that makes them suitable for specific applications and, finally, (4) briefly summarizes ways of tailoring chitosan for specific applications. The review also presents the influence of the degree of acetylation (DA) and degree of deacetylation (DDA), molecular weight (Mw) on the physicochemical and biological properties of chitosan, acid-base behavior, biodegradability, solubility, reactivity, among many other properties that determine processability and suitability for specific applications. This is intended to help guide researchers select the right chitosan raw material for their specific applications.

https://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/8/7/393/pdf?version=1656316892

Chitosan: Sources, Processing and Modification Techniques

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro thrombolytic activity and cytotoxicity of T angustifolia leaf extract. Methods: An in vitro thrombolytic model was used to evaluate the clot lysis effect of different extracts of T.angustifolia Linn along with Streptokinase as a positive control and distilled water as a negative control. The cytotoxic activity of diffetent extracts of T.angustifolia leaves was evaluated by Brine Shrimp Lethality Bioassay. Results: An in vitro thrombolytic model of aqueous, methanol and chloroform extracts have shown 51.76±2.5%, 58±2.32 and 18±1.84 clot lysis respectively, where as the positive control Streptokinase shown 79.6±1.10 and negative control shown negligible 2.44±0.62. The aqueous, methanol and chloroform extracts have shown brine shrimp lethality with LC 50 value of 40µg/ml, 30 μg and 104 µg/ml respectively. It was found that aqueous and methanol extracts of T angustifolia possesses potential thrombolytic activity as well as cytotoxicity. Conclusion: The present investigation revealed that the aqueous and methanol extracts of T angustifolia possesses thrombolytic properties as well as cytotoxicity effects and it can be further used for treatment of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Evaluation of in vitro anti-thrombolytic activity and cytotoxicity potential of typha angustifolia l leaves extracts

The study was intended to compare and evaluate the in vitro thrombolytic activity and in vivo anxiolytic activities of methanol extracts of Piper nigrum fruits (MEPNF) and Sesamum indicum seeds (MESIS). An in vitro thrombolytic activity was employed by investigating the clot lysis effect of MEPNF, MESIS, and their combinations. In vivo anxiolytic activity of MEPNF and MESIS was examined by using the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) test considering diazepam (1 mg/kg) as the standard drug. In the thrombolytic test, MEPNF and MESIS showed a moderate (P < 0.01) clot lysis activity. Besides, MEPNF and MESIS showed significant (P < 0.001) dose-dependent anxiolytic activity. Since MEPNF or MESIS 200 and 400 (mg/kg, b.w; p.o) has been administered, the time spent in the open arms, and the number of entry into the open arms were increased. The finding suggests that MEPNF and MESIS may be the source for biological activity and therefore further research is required for confirmation.

Anxiolytic and thrombolytic investigation of methanol extract of Piper nigrum L. fruits and Sesamum indicum L. seeds

The venous and arterial thromboembolic disorders are still be the major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Now a days, the concept of "healthy diets" is very popular in the present lifestyle. So, the use of antithrombotic agents is of considerable interest in the role of natural food products and their bioactive components in the prevention and treatment of these disorders. Moreover, epidemiologic studies have provided evidence that foods with the thrombolytic/fibrinolytic effect could reduce the risk of thrombosis. "Blood thinner foods" have the antiplatelet, anticoagulant, and/or fibrinolytic properties. Natural foods that contain salicylates can mimic some of the antiplatelet effects of cardiovascular drug like aspirin. Fruits (i.e., grapefruit, guava, kiwi, pineapple, and watermelon), vegetables (i.e., alfalfa, beans, corn, potato, radish, and zucchini), and spices (i.e., chili, curry, ginger, rosemary and turmeric) are reported that they are containing salicylates compounds. Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a small rhizomatous perennial herb belonging to Zingiberaceae family originating from Southeastern Asia. It is a folk remedy for applying on fresh cuts to stop bleeding and for the healing of wound. Further, turmeric has been shown to possess anticancer, antidiabetic, antifertility, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Its phytochemical substances are alkaloids, curcuminoids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, which all of these contribute to its remedial properties. This article provides a brief overview of the antithrombotic activity of turmeric, C. longa to further provide an up-to-date review showing its importance.

Antithrombotic activity of turmeric (Curcuma longa): A review

Purpose: To investigate the crude n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Aphanamixis polystachya fruit for their cytotoxic, antimicrobial, antioxidant and thrombolytic activities. Methods: The fruit extracts were screened for major phytochemical compounds using in vitro established procedures. Antimicrobial and cytotoxic studies of the fruit extracts were conducted using disc diffusion and brine shrimp lethality bioassay methods, respectively, while an in vitro thrombolytic model was used to assess the clot lysis effect of the extracts with streptokinase as positive control. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by free radical scavenging activity using 2, 2-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and nitric oxide assay as well as total phenolic content. Results: The fruit extracts were a rich source of phytochemicals and among the extracts n-hexane extract showed highest antimicrobial activity against Shigella dysenteriae (zone of inhibition: 9.7±0.2 mm) and Candida albicans (zone of inhibition: 8.8±0.3 mm) at a concentration of 1000µg/disc, whereas at the same concentration methanol extract showed highest zone of inhibition, 10.1±0.4mm, against Staphylococcus aureus. Compared to potassium permanganate with a median lethal concentration (LC 50 ) of 13.23 µg/ml in the brine shrimp lethality assay, the LC 50 of n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts were 15.77, 17.51 and 141.37 µg/ml, respectively. All the extracts showed significant clot lysis activity (p < 0.001) with reference to negative control and % clot lysis of the extracts were approximately 13. Notable antioxidant activity of the methanol extract was observed unlike the other extracts. Conclusion: The results of the study demonstrated the potential cytotoxic, thrombolytic and antioxidant activities of the fruit extracts of A. polystachya and therefore further studies on the isolation and identification of active principles are required.

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Phytochemical Screening and In vitro Evaluation of Pharmacological Activities of Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall) Parker Fruit Extracts

Synthesis and characterization of CuO nanoparticles utilizing waste fish scale and exploitation of XRD peak profile analysis for approximating the structural parameters

Natural or synthetic polymeric films have gained increasing interest in biomedical research due to biocompatibility. In this respect, a nanocomposite film has been developed using the chitosan (C) and polyphenolic tannic acid (T) crosslinking process. The chitosan-tannic acid (CT) films have subsequently functionalized by loading a topical antibiotic (neomycin) drug. The SEM/EDX, FTIR, TGA, and DSC analyses have confirmed CT films. The in vitro antibacterial activity and drug release profiles showed bacterial growth inhibition and pH-responsive drug release. The in vitro drug releases stimulated at mildly acidic pH 5.5 are favorable for normal skin environment and sustained released at higher pH 7.5 indicated potential for chronic wound infection. As a result, the in vivo examined through wound-healing and H&E staining on rat skin incise-area demonstrated complete recovery. The prepared pH active chitosan-tannic acid (CT) dermal patch with or without drug loading can potentially be used in the surgical dressing, wound healing, and dermal drug delivery system. 

Chronic Wound-dressing Chitosan-Polyphenolic Patch for pH Responsive Local Antibacterial Activity

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infectious diseases in Bangladesh where Escherichia coli is the prevalent organism and responsible for most of the infections. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is known to act as a major virulence factor of E. coli. Objectives: The present study aimed to purify, extract and visualize LPS of E. coli clinical isolates from urine samples of patients with UTI. Patients and Methods: The E. coli strain was isolated from the urine samples of 10 patients with UTI and then the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the isolates was determined. The purification of LPS was carried out using the hot aqueous-phenol method and separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which was directly stained using the modified silver staining method and Coomassie blue. Results: The silver-stained gel demonstrated both smooth and rough type LPS by showing trail-like band patterns with the presence and lacking O-antigen region, respectively. Coomassie blue staining showed no band assuring the absence of any contaminating protein. Conclusions: Our successful extraction of purified LPS from E. coli isolates of UTI patients’ urine samples can be an important step to understand the UTI disease conditions.

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Fariha Akhter Chowdhury

Papers

Phytochemical Screening and In vitro Evaluation of Pharmacological Activities of Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall) Parker Fruit Extracts

Synthesis and characterization of CuO nanoparticles utilizing waste fish scale and exploitation of XRD peak profile analysis for approximating the structural parameters

Chronic Wound-dressing Chitosan-Polyphenolic Patch for pH Responsive Local Antibacterial Activity

Purification, Extraction and Visualization of Lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli From Urine Samples of Patients With Urinary Tract Infection

Purification, Extraction and Visualization of Lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli from Urine Samples of Patients with Urinary Tract Infection