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Leea asiatica (L.) Ridsdale has been used by different ethnic communities to manage diseased conditions that can be traced to oxidative stress and cellular inflammations but scientific evidences to support the claim are scanty. The objective of this study was to isolate and identify the antioxidants present in the aerial parts of Leea asiatica, perform their molecular docking against proteins to inspect whether the traditional uses of the plant can be validated by an in-silico approach. Quercetin ( 1 ), gallic acid ( 2 ), kaempferol ( 3 ), methyl gallate ( 4 ), myricetin 3- O - α -L-rhamnopyranoside ( 5 ), (-)-epicatechin-3- O -gallate ( 6 ) and (-)-epigallocatechin-3- O -gallate ( 7 ) were isolated from the 70 % methanolic extract of the aerial parts. Compounds 2 , 4 , 6 , and 7 are reported for the first time from Leea asiatica . Quercetin ( 1 ), gallic acid ( 2 ), (-)-epicatechin-3- O -gallate ( 6 ) and (-)-epigallocatechin-3- O -gallate ( 7) showed potent antioxidant activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. Molecular docking with NADPH oxidase and TNF- α revealed that epicatechin-3- O- gallate, epigallocatechin-3- O -gallate and quercetin bound with the least binding energy amongst the isolated compounds as well as standard (Trolox and Prednisolone). By molecular dynamics analysis, epicatechin-3- O- gallate maintained stable conformation with NADPH oxidase and TNF- α and was found to possess good ADMET profile thereby validating the ethnic use of the plant as a medicine in the management of inflammatory conditions by an in vitro and in silico approach., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. (Rhamnaceae) is a large spiny shrub or small tree, native to the Indian subcontinent that can reach a maximum height of 9-15 m. This plant stands as a renowned tropical fruit variety, commonly recognized as the Indian plum, Desert apple, or Indian Jujube. The objective of this study was to examine the standard physicochemical parameters of Z. mauritiana seed kernel oil and to formulate the ketoconazole soap (2 % w/w), using the obtained oil, as a base. The oil was obtained through hexane extraction from the seed kernels. To formulate pharmaceutical ketoconazole soap, Z. mauritiana seed kernel oil was subjected to a basic saponification reaction using potassium hydroxide. All the examined physicochemical parameters, namely acid value (4.71 mg KOH/g), saponification value (229.18 mg KOH/g), peroxide value (4.15 milliequivalents KOH/g), ester value (224.47 mg KOH/g), iodine value (11.19 mg KOH/g), refractive index (1.448), pH (5.93), viscosity (89 cP), and specific gravity (0.912 g/mL) were within the acceptable range for industrial purposes. The examination of quality control parameters, namely drug content (99.49 %), total fatty matter (71.13 %), foam retention time (17.21 min), foam height (18.56 cm), moisture content (9.14 %), and pH (7.16) indicated that the newly formulated ketoconazole soap complied with the acceptable limits. In summary, our research demonstrated the excellent physicochemical stability of Z. mauritiana seed kernel oil and its suitability as a soap base, supporting its promising prospects for cost-effective production of cosmetics, soaps, and shampoos in the pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries, reducing reliance on synthetic bases., Competing Interests: Not applicable., (© 2023 The Authors.)

In this study, saponins extracted from leaves and stem bark of Jatropha curcas L. were investigated for surface-active properties. Conductivity and surface tension measurements revealed the micellar character of J. curcas saponin, with the average CMC, determined to be 0.50 g/L and 0.75 g/L for leaf and stem bark saponin, respectively. Stem bark saponin reduced the surface tension of water to a greater extent ( γ C M C = 37.65 mN/m) compared to leaf saponin ( γ C M C = 49.27 mN/m) indicating its efficient surface activity and potential detergency. pH measurement confirmed the weakly acidic nature of saponin with a pH value lying slightly below the range suitable for hair and skin. Stem bark saponin showed better cleaning ability, foaming ability and foam stability than leaf saponin, due to a sufficient reduction in the surface tension of water. The results obtained suggest that the saponin extracted from both the leaves and stem bark of J. curcas can be used as environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic surfactants., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Paris polyphylla Sm. is an important medicinal plant used to treat a variety of diseases through traditional medicine systems such as Ayurveda, Tibetan traditional medicines, Chinese traditional medicines, and others around the world. The IUCN red list has designated it as "vulnerable" due to a decline in wild population by over-exploitation, habitat degradation, illegal collection for trade and traditional use. This review paper aims to summarize the bioactive secondary metabolites in Paris polyphylla . Paris saponins or steroidal saponins are the main bioactive chemical constituents from this plant that account for more than 80% of the total compounds. For instance, polyphyllin D, diosgenin, paris saponins I, II, VI, VII, and H are steroidal saponins having anticancer activity comparable to synthetic anticancer medicines. Antioxidant, anticancer, anti-leishmaniasis, antibacterial, antifungal, anthelmintic, antityrosinase, and antiviral effects of extracts and pure compounds were also demonstrated in vivo and in vitro . In conclusion, this review summarizes the bioactive components from the P. polyphylla which will be useful to researchers and scientists, and for the development of potential drugs., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)