THIS text-book of pharmacognosy has already found wide recognition among teachers and students of pharmacy. Its subject matter has grown from a laboratory manual intended for use in practical classes, and now comprises the requirements for the Chemist and Druggist Qualifying Examination of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. A Textbook of Pharmacognosy By T. C. Denston. Fourth edition. Pp. xviii + 594. (London: Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, Ltd., 1945.) 27s. 6d. net.

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A Textbook of Pharmacognosy

Zinc oxide nanoparticles: a promising nanomaterial for biomedical applications.

Application of seaweeds to develop new food products with enhanced shelf-life, quality and health-related beneficial properties.

In the last two decades, zinc oxide (ZnO) semiconductor Quantum dots (QDs) have been shown to have fantastic luminescent properties, which together with their low-cost, low-toxicity and biocompatibility have turned these nanomaterials into one of the main candidates for bio-imaging. The discovery of other desirable traits such as their ability to produce destructive reactive oxygen species (ROS), high catalytic efficiency, strong adsorption capability and high isoelectric point, also make them promising nanomaterials for therapeutic and diagnostic functions. Herein, we review the recent progress on the use of ZnO based nanoplatforms in drug delivery and theranostic in several diseases such as bacterial infection and cancer.

ZnO Nanostructures for Drug Delivery and Theranostic Applications.

Impacts of different media on constructed wetlands for rural household sewage treatment

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) are important materials when making different products like sun screens, textiles, and paints. In the current study, the photocatalytic effect of prepared ZnO NPs from Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) was evaluated on degradation of crystal violet (CV) dye, which is largely released from textile industries and is harmful to the environment. Preliminarily, ZnO NP formation was confirmed using a double beam ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer; further, the NP size was estimated using XRD analysis and the functional group analysis was determined using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The morphology of the synthesized NPs was found to be a hexagonal shape using SEM and TEM analysis and elemental screening was analyzed using EDX. ZnO NPs were shown sized 40–45 nm and spherical in shape. The degradation percentage of ZnO NPs was calculated as 94% at 70 min and the rate of the reaction –k = 0.0282. The synthesized ZnO NPs were determined for effectiveness on biological activities such as antifungal, hemolytic, and antibacterial activity. ZnO NPs showed good antifungal activity against Alternaria saloni and Sclerrotium rolfii strains. Further, we have determined the hemolytic and antibacterial activity of ZnO NPs and we got successive results in antibacterial and hemolytic activities.

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Vegetable Peel Waste for the Production of ZnO Nanoparticles and its Toxicological Efficiency, Antifungal, Hemolytic, and Antibacterial Activities

Problem statement: Although the diversity of marine Actinobacteria 
have been studied and biotechnologically exploited throughout the world, the studies 
on marine actinobacteria in Indian peninsula are largely unexplored Of 9 maritime 
states in India, only 4 states have been extensively studied for the diversity 
of actinobacteria Further, the studies on bioactive actinomycetes from saline 
soil are very scanty In the present study, we had taken an initiative to isolate 
culturable halophilic actinomycetes and to screen the bioactive potential Approach: 
The marine sediment sample was collected at a depth of 400 cm at Marakkanam The 
strain was isolated using ISP No 2 medium supplemented with 25% sea water The 
polyphasic taxonomy of the strain was evaluated by phenotypic, chemotaxonomic 
and phylogenetic analysis The 16S rRNA was sequenced and phylogenetic relationship 
with the closest related species were studied The growth conditions and the medium 
had been optimized under shake-flask conditions by measuring the dry weight of 
the mycelium The isolate was subjected to fermentation and the crude extract 
was screened for cytotoxic, hemolytic and antimicrobial activity The cytotoxicity 
was evaluated on HeLa cells by MTT assay, hemolytic assay on mouse erythrocytes 
and the antimicrobial activity was determined by agar diffusion assay 
Results: Based on polyphasic taxonomy the species was identified as Saccharopolyspora 
salina and belongs to the genus Saccharopolyspora The 16S rRNA sequence of the 
isolate showed 100% similarity with Saccharopolyspora salina Based on the phylogenetic 
and phenotypic evaluation the isolate was designated as Saccharopolyspora salina 
VITSDK4 The growth was maximal in the designed production medium with the incubation 
temperature of 28°C and pH of 74 It is a moderately halophilic species requires 9% NaCl concentration for optimal growth The cytotoxicity on HeLa cells showed the IC50 value of 262 μg mL-1 by MTT assay The hemolytic activity on mouse erythrocytes showed the EC50 value of 266 μg mL-1 The crude extract also exhibited significant antagonistic activity against fungal pathogens Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans and the Gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae Only moderate activity was seen against Gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis Conclusion/Recommendations: Based on the results of our investigation, the isolated strain was identified as Saccharopolyspora salina VITSDK4, which was moderately halophilic, produces an extracellular bioactive metabolite, which inhibits the proliferation of HeLa cells as well as antagonistic to fungal and bacterial pathogens Further studies on purification and characterization of the pure compound from the strain were ongoing The results of this study suggested that the marine actinomycetes from the unexplored Indian coast could provide lead compounds of therapeutic value

Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Potential of Actinomycete Species Saccharopolyspora salina VITSDK4 Isolated from the Bay of Bengal Coast of India

Dietary intake of phytochemicals having antioxidant activity is associated with a lower risk of mortality from many diseases. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the free radical scavenging, cytotoxic and hemolytic activities of leaves of Acacia nilotica by using various methods. The results of the present study revealed that ethanol extract was the most effective and IC50 value was found to be 53.6 μg mL−1 for Vero cell lines and 28.9 μg mL−1 for Hela cell lines in cytotoxicity assays. The zone of color retention was 14.2 mm in 𝛽-carotene bleaching assay, which was as significant as positive control, butylated hydroxy toluene. None of the tested extracts possessed any hemolytic activity against rat and human erythrocytes revealing their cytotoxic mechanism and non-toxicity. Thus, only the ethanol extract could be considered as a potential source of anticancer and antioxidant compounds. Further phytochemical studies will be performed for specification of the biologically active principles.

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Free Radical Scavenging, Cytotoxic and Hemolytic Activities from Leaves of Acacia nilotica (L.) Wild. ex. Delile subsp. indica (Benth.) Brenan

Plants have gained importance in situ bioremediation of heavy metals. In the present study, different concentrations of zinc (Zn2+) (0.5, 5, 10, 15, 20 mg/l) and lead (Pb2+) (1, 2, 4, 6, 8 mg/l) were used to evaluate metal tolerance level of Lemna minor. L.minor were exposed to metals for 4 days and tested for its dry to fresh weight ratio (DW/FW), photosynthetic pigments production and protein content. The oxidative damage was detected by measuring catalase activity. L.minor showed tolerance against Zn2+ and Pb2+ at a concentration of 10 and 4 mg/l, respectively. Among the metals, Pb2+ showed a significant toxicity at 8 mg/l. High concentration (20 mg/l of Zn2+ and 8 mg/l of Pb2+) of the metals displayed a considerable negative effect on soluble proteins (13 fold decrease with Zn2+ and 4 fold decrease with Pb2+) and photosynthetic pigments (twofold decrease with Zn2+ and onefold decrease with Pb2+) and lead to a consequent reduction in number of fronds. Further, the catalase was greatly increased (twofold decrease with Zn2+ and sixfold decrease with Pb2+) under metal stress. The results indicate that L.minor withstands Zn2+ and Pb2+ toxicity up to the concentration of 10 and 4 mg/l, respectively. Hence, the metal tolerant property of this plant shall be exploited for bioremediation of Zinc and Lead in polluted water. Further, the detailed and wide range of heavy metal toxicity studies should be done to reveal the possible use of this plant on large scale bioremediation purpose.

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K. Suthindhiran

Papers

Vegetable Peel Waste for the Production of ZnO Nanoparticles and its Toxicological Efficiency, Antifungal, Hemolytic, and Antibacterial Activities

Cytotoxic and Antimicrobial Potential of Actinomycete Species Saccharopolyspora salina VITSDK4 Isolated from the Bay of Bengal Coast of India

Free Radical Scavenging, Cytotoxic and Hemolytic Activities from Leaves of Acacia nilotica (L.) Wild. ex. Delile subsp. indica (Benth.) Brenan

Effect of zinc and lead on the physiological and biochemical properties of aquatic plant Lemna minor : its potential role in phytoremediation

Construction and evaluation of prototype subsurface flow wetland planted with Heliconia angusta for the treatment of synthetic greywater