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BackgroundNowadays, diabetes mellitus has become common worldwide due to changes in lifestyle, sedentary life, alterations in food habits, and other genetic and environmental factors. It is necessary to create awareness about the growing pandemic. AimTo evaluate the antidiabetic potential of Evolvulus alsinoides. MethodsIn vitro α-amylase inhibition and α-glucosidase inhibition activity. Molecular docking analysis. ResultsThe plant is rich in naturally occurring phytocompound. The results of the study showed that E. alsinoides has the potential to inhibit the activity of alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase. Moreover, this result was validated using in silico molecular docking studies that showed a good binding affinity of one of the major phytocompound, caffeic acid, with molecules in the insulin signaling cascade. ConclusionE. alsinoides has a potent antidiabetic activity and can be further employed in animal and human studies.

Regardless of socioeconomic or demographic background, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, which affects more than half a billion people worldwide, has been steadily increasing over time. The health, emotional, sociological, and economic well-being of people would suffer if this number is not successfully handled. The liver is one of the key organs accountable for sustaining metabolic balance. Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species inhibit the recruitment and activation of IRS-1, IRS-2, and PI3K-Akt downstream signaling cascade. These signaling mechanisms reduce hepatic glucose absorption and glycogenesis while increasing hepatic glucose output and glycogenolysis. In our work, an analysis of the molecular mechanism of Carica papaya in mitigating hepatic insulin resistance in vivo and in silico was carried out. The gluconeogenic enzymes, glycolytic enzymes, hepatic glycogen tissue concentration, oxidative stress markers, enzymatic antioxidants, protein expression of IRS-2, PI3K, SREBP-1C, and GLUT-2 were evaluated in the liver tissues of high-fat-diet streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats using q-RT-PCR as well as immunohistochemistry and histopathology. Upon treatment, C. papaya restored the protein and gene expression in the liver. In the docking analysis, quercetin, kaempferol, caffeic acid, and p-coumaric acid present in the extract were found to have high binding affinities against IRS-2, PI3K, SREBP-1c, and GLUT-2, which may have contributed much to the antidiabetic property of C. papaya. Thus, C. papaya was capable of restoring the altered levels in the hepatic tissues of T2DM rats, reversing hepatic insulin resistance.

Developing a tissue culture-independent genetic transformation system would be an interesting technique for gene transfer in valuable medicinal and horticultural plants. Efficient gene delivery (Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA 4404: harbouring PBI121 plasmid) was achieved with Km-resistant pollen grains (pollen tube technique) and were found to be GUS-positive for Albuca nelsonii (31.3%) and Tulbaghia violacea (32.6%). The Km-resistance (95.6% for A. nelsonii and 86.7% for T. violacea) and GUS-positive (100% for A. nelsonii and 97.5% for T. violacea) putative transgenic seedlings in vitro were obtained with 200 mg L-1 Km. The in vitro plants were obtained from leaf explants of putative transgenic seedlings and were confirmed to be Km-resistant and GUSpositive (T. violacea, 73.7% and A. nelsonii, 80.5%). The plants were successfully acclimatized in the greenhouse. We describe a tissue culture-independent gene transfer technique with high efficiency clonal transgenic plant production for A. nelsonii and T. violacea. This can also be applied to biotechnological crop improvement of the same species and potentially to other plants.

Mondia whitei (Hook.f.) Skeels is an important endangered medicinal and commercial plant in South Africa. In vitro propagation systems are required for biomass production and bioactivity analysis to supplement wild resources/stocks. Adventitious roots from somatic embryogenic explants using suspension culture and ex vitro-grown plants produced via somatic embryogenesis were established using different plant growth regulator treatments. The adventitious root biomass and different parts of ex vitro-grown and mother plants were used to investigate the potential for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and antibacterial activities. Adventitious roots derived from 2.5 µM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) treatments and ex vitro-grown plants derived from meta-topolin riboside (mTR) and IAA treatments gave the best AChE and antibacterial activities. The in vitro-established M. whitei and ex vitro biomass have comparable ability to function as inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase and antibacterial agents, and can be used as potent bioresources in traditional medicine

Abstract Background Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR), Pseudomonas fluorescens strain KH-1 was found to exhibit plant growth promotional activity in rice under both in-vitro and in-vivo conditions. But the mechanism underlying such promotional activity of P. fluorescens is not yet understood clearly. In this study, efforts were made to elucidate the molecular responses of rice plants to P. fluorescens treatment through protein profiling. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis strategy was adopted to identify the PGPR responsive proteins and the differentially expressed proteins were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Results Priming of P. fluorescens, 23 different proteins found to be differentially expressed in rice leaf sheaths and MS analysis revealed the differential expression of some important proteins namely putative p23 co-chaperone, Thioredoxin h- rice, Ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase large chain precursor, Nucleotide diPhosphate kinase, Proteosome sub unit protein and putative glutathione S-transferase protein. Conclusion Functional analyses of the differential proteins were reported to be directly or indirectly involved in growth promotion in plants. Thus, this study confirms the primary role of PGPR strain KH-1 in rice plant growth promotion.