Chemical characterization, antidiabetic and anticancer activities of Santolina chamaecyparissus

Is aromatic plants environmental health engineering (APEHE) a leverage point of the earth system?

It is important to note that every ecological niche in an ecosystem is significant. This study aims to assess the importance of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) in the ecosystem from multiple perspectives. A primary model of Aromatic Plants Environmental Health Engineering (APEHE) has been designed and constructed. The APEHE system was used to collect aerosol compounds, and it was experimentally verified that these compounds have the potential to impact human health by binding to AKT1 as the primary target, and MMP9 and TLR4 as secondary targets. These compounds may indirectly affect human immunity by reversing drug resistance in drug-resistant bacteria in the nasal cavity. This is mainly achieved through combined mutations in sdhA, scrA, and PEP. Our findings are based on Network pharmacology and molecular binding, drug-resistance rescue experiments, as well as combined transcriptomics and metabolomics experiments. It is suggested that APEHE may have direct or indirect effects on human health. We demonstrate APEHE's numerous potential benefits, such as attenuation and elimination of airborne microorganisms in the environment, enhancing carbon and nitrogen storage in terrestrial ecosystems, promoting the formation of low-level clouds and strengthening the virtuous cycle of Earth's ecosystems. APEHE also supports the development of transdisciplinary technologies, including terpene energy production. It facilitates the creation of a sustainable circular economy and provides additional economic advantages through urban optimisation, as well as fresh insights into areas such as the habitability of other planets. APEHE has the potential to serve as a leverage point for the Earth system. We have created a new research direction.

Isolation and extraction of some compounds that act as antimicrobials from actinomycetes

Some types of actinomycetes produce many different secondary metabolites of fatty acids, hydrocarbons, or other compounds. Many of these products play an important role in various medical fields. This study aims to extract natural compounds from actinomycetes after their isolation from the soil and their identification as antimicrobials. Soil samples were collected from different regions after being treated by known methods. Colonies that indicate actinomycetes were replanted and provided with suitable conditions for growth, and then tested against a number of pathogenic microbes. Isolate 3-D is more effective than others. D-3 was exposed to ultraviolet rays for greater production of antimicrobials. The compounds obtained from the isolates were extracted by the column chromatography technique. To identify the compounds resulting from the extract, the Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) technique was used. Ten compounds have been identified by GC–MS. Some of the compounds are of fatty acid nature, and some are hydrocarbons. These compound includes Hexadecane, 2,6,11,15- Tetramethyl – Octacosane - Dodecanoic Acid, 1,2,3- Propane-triyl ester – Hexatriacontane – Heptacosane - Eicosyl Acetate – Tritetracontane - Tetracosane, 2,6,10,15,19,23-Hexamethyl - Myristic Acid vinyl ester – Tetratetracontane. All of these extracts are of medical importance. Some of them are anti-bacterial, some are anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-fungal, antioxidants, and some of them are essential ingredients in cosmetics. The current study showed that isolated D-3 actinomycetes from soil have the ability to produce antimicrobials against a variety of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, which are important in the medical field.

In Vitro Evaluation of Antioxidant, Anticancer, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Adenium obesum

Adenium obesum commonly known as “desert rose” belongs to the family Apopcynaceae and has previously been reported for its anti-influenza, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic efficacies and well-known for their ethno-medicinal applications. In the present study, ethanolic extracts of A. obesum (AOE) were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to identify the important phytochemical compounds. The GC–MS analysis of AOE detected the presence of 26 phytochemical compounds. This plant is traditionally used for the treatment of various diseases. In this report, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities of ethanolic leaf extract from A. obesum (AOE) were studied. The antioxidant potential of ethanolic extract of AOE was examined by different antioxidant assays, such as antioxidant capacity by the DPPH, ABTS, superoxide, hydroxyl radical scavenging, and lipid peroxidation inhibition assays. The antioxidant activities of various reaction mixtures of AOE were compared with a reference or standard antioxidant (ascorbic acid). In addition, we also evaluated the anticancer activity of AOE, and it was observed that AOE was found to be cytotoxic against A549 lung cancer cells. It was found that AOE inhibited the viability of A549 lung cancer cells by inducing nuclear condensation and fragmentation. Furthermore, ethanolic AOE demonstrated the anti-inflammatory potential of AOE in murine alveolar macrophages (J774A.1) as an in vitro model system. AOE showed its potential in reducing the levels of inflammatory mediators including the proinflammatory cytokines and TNF-α. The results obtained in the present investigation established the antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory potency of AOE, which may account for subsequent studies in the formulation of herbal-based medicine.

Phylogenetic affiliation of endophytic actinobacteria associated with selected orchid species and their role in growth promotion and suppression of phytopathogens

Endophytic actinobacteria aid in plant development and disease resistance by boosting nutrient uptake or producing secondary metabolites. For the first time, we investigated the culturable endophytic actinobacteria associated with ten epiphytic orchid species of Assam, India. 51 morphologically distinct actinobacteria were recovered from surface sterilized roots and leaves of orchids and characterized based on different PGP and antifungal traits. According to the 16S rRNA gene sequence, these isolates were divided into six families and eight genera, where Streptomyces was most abundant (n=29, 56.86%), followed by Actinomadura, Nocardia, Nocardiopsis, Nocardioides, Pseudonocardia, Microbacterium, and Mycolicibacterium. Regarding PGP characteristics, 25 (49.01%) isolates demonstrated phosphate solubilization in the range of 61.1±4.4 - 289.7±11.9 µg/ml, whereas 27 (52.94%) isolates biosynthesized IAA in the range of 4.0 ± 0.08 - 43.8 ± 0.2 µg/ml, and 35 (68.62%) isolates generated ammonia in the range of 0.9 ± 0.1 - 5.9 ± 0.2 µmol/ml. These isolates also produced extracellular enzymes, viz. protease (43.13%), cellulase (23.52%), pectinase (21.56%), ACC deaminase (27.45%), and chitinase (37.25%). Out of 51 isolates, 27 (52.94%) showed antagonism against at least one test phytopathogen. In molecular screening, most isolates with antifungal and chitinase producing traits revealed the presence of 18 family chitinase genes. Two actinobacterial endophytes, Streptomyces sp. VCLA3 and Streptomyces sp. RVRA7 were ranked as the best strains based on PGP and antifungal activity on bonitur scale. GC-MS examination of ethyl acetate extract of these potent strains displayed antimicrobial compound phenol, 2,4-bis-(1,1-dimethylethyl) as the major metabolite along with other antifungal and plant growth beneficial bioactive chemicals. SEM analysis of fungal pathogen F. oxysporum (MTCC 4633) affected by Streptomyces sp. VCLA3 revealed significant destruction in the spore structure. An in vivo plant growth promotion experiment with VCLA3 and RVRA7 on chili plants exhibited statistically significant (p<0.05) improvements in all of the evaluated vegetative parameters compared to the control. Our research thus gives insight into the diversity, composition, and functional significance of endophytic actinobacteria associated with orchids. This research demonstrates that isolates with multiple plant development and broad-spectrum antifungal properties are beneficial for plant growth. They may provide a viable alternative to chemical fertilizers and pesticides and a sustainable solution for chemical inputs in agriculture.

GC-MS Analysis and Biomedical Therapy of Oil from n-Hexane Fraction of Scutellaria edelbergii Rech. f.: In Vitro, In Vivo, and In Silico Approach

The current study aimed to explore the crude oils obtained from the n-hexane fraction of Scutellaria edelbergii and further analyzed, for the first time, for their chemical composition, in vitro antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and in vivo anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities. For the phytochemical composition, the oils proceeded to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and from the resultant chromatogram, 42 bioactive constituents were identified. Among them, the major components were linoleic acid ethyl ester (19.67%) followed by ethyl oleate (18.45%), linolenic acid methyl ester (11.67%), and palmitic acid ethyl ester (11.01%). Tetrazolium 96-well plate MTT assay and agar-well diffusion methods were used to evaluate the isolated oil for its minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀), and zone of inhibitions that could determine the potential antimicrobial efficacy's. Substantial antibacterial activities were observed against the clinical isolates comprising of three Gram-negative bacteria, viz., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and one Gram-positive bacterial strain, Enterococcus faecalis. The oils were also effective against Candida albicans and Fusarium oxysporum when evaluated for their antifungal potential. Moreover, significant antioxidant potential with IC₅₀ values of 136.4 and 161.5 µg/mL for extracted oil was evaluated through DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) and ABTS assays compared with standard ascorbic acid where the IC50 values were 44.49 and 67.78 µg/mL, respectively, against the tested free radicals. The oils was also potent, inhibiting the α-glucosidase (IC50 5.45 ± 0.42 µg/mL) enzyme compared to the standard. Anti-glucosidase potential was visualized through molecular docking simulations where ten compounds of the oil were found to be the leading inhibitors of the selected enzyme based on interactions, binding energy, and binding affinity. The oil was found to be an effective anti-inflammatory (61%) agent compared with diclofenac sodium (70.92%) via the carrageenan-induced assay. An appreciable (48.28%) analgesic activity in correlation with the standard aspirin was observed through the acetic acid-induced writhing bioassay. The oil from the n-hexane fraction of S. edelbergii contained valuable bioactive constituents that can act as in vitro biological and in vivo pharmacological agents. However, further studies are needed to uncover individual responsible compounds of the observed biological potentials which would be helpful in devising novel drugs.