Priyanka Roy

Cancer is a disorder that rigorously affects the human population worldwide. There is a steady demand for new remedies to both treat and prevent this life-threatening sickness due to toxicities, drug resistance and therapeutic failures in current conventional therapies. Researchers around the world are drawing their attention towards compounds of natural origin. For decades, human beings have been using the flora of the world as a source of cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Currently, clinically approved anticancer compounds are vincristine, vinblastine, taxanes, and podophyllotoxin, all of which come from natural sources. With the triumph of these compounds that have been developed into staple drug products for most cancer therapies, new technologies are now appearing to search for novel biomolecules with anticancer activities. Ellipticine, camptothecin, combretastatin, curcumin, homoharringtonine and others are plant derived bioactive phytocompounds with potential anticancer properties. Researchers have improved the field further through the use of advanced analytical chemistry and computational tools of analysis. The investigation of new strategies for administration such as nanotechnology may enable the development of the phytocompounds as drug products. These technologies have enhanced the anticancer potential of plant-derived drugs with the aim of site-directed drug delivery, enhanced bioavailability, and reduced toxicity. This review discusses mechanistic insights into anticancer compounds of natural origins and their structural activity relationships that make them targets for anticancer treatments.

BACKGROUND: Swertia cordata and Swertia chirayita are temperate Himalayan medicinal plants used as potent herbal drugs in Indian traditional systems of medicine (Ayurvedic, Unani and Siddha). OBJECTIVE: Assessment of Antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic potential of Swertia cordata and Swertia chirayita. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Phytochemicals of methanolic and aqueous extracts of the two Swertia species were analyzed. The antioxidant potential of all the extracts was assessed by measuring total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and free radical scavenging potential was assessed by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrilhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, antibacterial activity was assessed against various pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria in vitro by Kirby-Bauer agar well diffusion method and antidiabetic activity was assessed by α-amylase inhibition. RESULTS: Methanolic leaf extracts of both the species of Swertia contain significant antibacterial as well as anti-diabetic potential, whereas methanolic root extracts of both species were found to have potential antioxidant activity. However, Swertia chirayita showed better activities than Swertia cordata although both species have good reputation in traditional Indian medicine. CONCLUSION: Both the species are having high medicinal potential in terms of their antioxidant, antibacterial and antidiabetic activities. Studies are required to further elucidate antioxidant, anti-diabetic and antibacterial potentials using various in-vitro, in-vivo biochemical and molecular biology techniques.

Background: Alpinia galanga and Eryngium foetidum are two commonly used traditional aromatic plants of Manipur which is traditionally used in Aroma therapy. Rationale of pharmacological potentials of these plants are still unclear, even if few preliminary studies are available in literature for individual plants. Objective: This study was conducted for comparative assessment of antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic potential of A. galanga and E. foetidum. Materials and Methods: The rhizome of A. galanga and leaf of E. foetidum were extracted in methanol, ethanol and water. Phytochemicals of each extracts of Alpinia galanga and Eryngium foetidum were analyzed. The antioxidant potential of all the extracts was assessed by measuring total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and free radical scavenging potential was assessed by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrilhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, antibacterial activity was assessed against various pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria in vitro by Kirby-Bauer agar well diffusion method and antidiabetic activity was assessed by -amylase inhibition. Results: Both the plant showed presence of all the tested phytochemicals. It was observed that methanolic extracts of both the plants have higher phenolic content than ethanolic and aqueous extracts, however ethanolic extracts E. foetidum shows higher flavonoid contents. Both the plant shows similar DPPH scavenging and metal chelating activity. It was also observed that the antidiabetic potential of A. galanga is greater than E. foetidum. The methanolic and ethanolic extracts of the plants shows quite similar and good antibacterial potential than the aqueous extracts. Conclusion: The present study suggests that both Alpinia galanga and Eryngium foetidum plants of Manipur could be used as herbal remedies for the treatment of diabetes mellitus as well as managing oxidative stress and oxidative stress related disorders.

Crude plant lectins were isolated from the stem of Tinospora tomentosa and found its antibacterial and antifungal effects. Lectins were isolated by ammonium sulphate precipitation method. Presence of carbohydrate and proteins were investigated by thin layer chromatography and infrared spectroscopy techniques. Lectin was characterized by its binding affinity with carbohydrates and human erythrocytes by hemagglutination inhibition assay and SDS-page gel electrophoresis. The amount of proteins was quantitatively measured by Lowry method. Antibacterial and antifungal activities were investigated by disk diffusion assay. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of bacteria and fungus were determined from their dose-response curve. Salmonella induced hemagglutination activity was performed to investigate its binding affinity with bacterial cell surface. Isolated lectin contained carbohydrates and protein residues in its structure. Its molecular weight was about 32 kD and seemed as a monomeric. It showed binding affinities to lactose sugar and bacterial cell surfaces and inhibited hemagglutination. It showed a dose-response relationship in its antibacterial and antifungal activities. The stem of Tinospora tomentosa may be considered as an important medicinal plant for antimicrobial therapeutics.

Abstract Objective Nyctanthes arbortristis is a common plant in Bangladesh. The objective of our research was to biochemical and biological analysis of the methanolic extract of the dried leaves of Nyctanthes arbortristis found in Bangladesh. Methods We investigated the presence of polyphenols, flavanoids and other types of compounds by thin layer chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, and UV spectroscopy analysis. We performed antioxidant assay by colorimetric methods. We investigated antibacterial assay by disk diffusion method. Cell surface receptor binding assay was performed by hemagglutination inhibition assay and hemolysis assay. Results Methanolic extract of the leaves of Nyctanthes arbortristis contains flavanoids and other biologically active compounds. The extract showed antioxidant, peroxide scavenging and total reducing activity. The extract also showed antibacterial activities against several strains of bacteria. It also showed hemaglutination inhibition activities and hydrogen peroxide induced hemolysis inhibition activity in human blood cells. Conclusions Therefore, Nyctanthes arbortristis may be considered as a plant of various health benefits.