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Moringa oleifera Lam., commonly known as drumstick tree or horseradish tree, is a draught tolerant economically valuable species native to India. M. oleifera leaves are useful in treating hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia and the leaf extract is a potential cognitive enhancer and neuroprotectant. The dried leaves of M. oleifera are rich in polyphenols such as flavonoids and phenolic acids which are known for their antioxidant potential. It is also well known that seasonal changes expose plants to different environmental conditions that have an effect on their phytochemical compositions. Studies were thus carried out on different extracts of leaf samples collected in five seasons to analyse the seasonal effects on the phytoconstituents. HPTLC was used to quantify seven polyphenolic compounds viz. chlorogenic acid, rutin, gallic acid, ellagic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid and quercetin. Variation in total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activity using DPPH assay, Nitric Oxide scavenging, Super Oxide scavenging and phosphomolybdate assay were also studied vis a vis seasonal variations. Chlorogenic acid and rutin were found to be present in maximum quantity in the methanolic extracts of the January (winter) samples while all the rest of the compounds viz. gallic acid, ellagic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid and quercetin were present in the highest amount in the methanolic extracts of the leaf samples collected in the month of August (monsoon season). Besides this, the lowest amounts of chlorogenic acid, rutin, gallic acid, ellagic acid and caffeic acid were detected in the aqueous extracts of summer (June) samples. Ferulic acid and quercetin were not detected in the aqueous extracts but their lowest amounts were detected in the aqueous methanolic extracts (L50 %) of the summer (June) samples. Overall, the trend for both TPC and TFC with respect to the seasons was winter > spring > rainy > autumn > summer. Similar to their TPC and TFC, the sequence of the antioxidant capacity by all methods was winter > spring > rainy > autumn > summer, with the highest oxidative quenching activity being observed for the samples collected in winter. As is evident from the results of the present study, the secondary metabolites composition is strongly affected by the seasonal variations. Thus, the best season for harvesting the leaves is winter followed by spring. [Display omitted] • Seasons have marked effects on the phenolic phytoconstituents and antioxidant activity of the leaves of Moringa oleifera Lam. • Leaves collected in the winter season contain the highest TPC and TFC. • Chlorogenic acid and rutin are the most abundant phenolic constituents present in the winter samples. • Methanolic extract of the leaves collected in the winter season exhibit the best radical scavenging activity. • Best season for harvesting the leaves is winter followed by spring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbal products have been used in traditional systems of medicine and by ethnic healers for ages to treat various diseases. Currently, it is estimated that about 80% of people worldwide use herbal traditional medicines against various ailments, partly due to easy accessibility and low cost, and the lower side effects they pose. Bergenia ligulata, a herb ranging from the Himalayas to the foothills, including the north-eastern states of India, has traditionally been used as a remedy against various diseases, most prominently kidney stones. The medicinal properties of B. ligulata have been attributed to bergenin, its most potent bioactive component. Apart from bergenin, the other compounds available in B. ligulata are arbutin, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, syringic acid, catechin, ferulic acid, afzelechin, paashaanolactone, caryophyllene, 1,8-cineole, β-eudesmol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, parasorbic acid, 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol, phytol, terpinen-4-ol, tannic acid, isovalaric acid, avicularin, quercetin, reynoutrin, and sitoinoside I. This review summarizes various medicinal properties of the herb, along with providing deep insight into its bioactive molecules and their potential roles in the amelioration of human ailments. Additionally, the possible mechanism(s) of action of the herb's anti-urolithiatic, antioxidative, antipyretic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective properties are discussed. This comprehensive documentation will help researchers to better understand the medicinal uses of the herb. Further studies on B. ligulata can lead to the discovery of new drug(s) and therapeutics for various ailments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Comparative study on bioactive and nutritional profile of P. bipinnatifidusand P. pseudoginseng , from Indian Himalayas. • High in ginsenosides viz. Rg1, Rb1, Re and phenolic content viz. gallic acid, vanillic acid and chlorogenic acid. • Rich in amino acid (glutamic acid, aspartic acid and arginine) and fatty acid (palmitic, oleic and linoleic acid) profile. • Mineral profile indicates higher values of potassium, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, zinc, copper and selenium. • Mineral profile indicates higher values of potassium, phosphorous, manganese, magnesium, zinc, copper and selenium. • Rich antioxidant profile reflects both the species as an alternative to commercial ginseng in nutraceutical formulations. The world we live in today is rapidly inclining towards plant-based therapeutic and curative medicines. among these phytomedicines, the role of Ginseng's (Panax species) significance as a functional food or nutraceutical has piqued interest in recent years, with a growing market value. Keeping in mind, the present study was intended to analyse the phytochemical, nutritional content and antioxidant activity of two Indian species of Panax viz. P. bipinnatifidus and P. pseudoginseng from the East Himalayan region of India. HPLC studies revealed the presense of four predominant ginsenosides viz. Rg1, Re , Rb1 and Rd in both the Panax species. Analysis of phenolic compounds indicated higher values of gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and vanillic acid in both species. The tuber contains a good amount of protein, dietary fibre and carbohydrates. Dominant content of arginine and glutamic acid were found with cysteine and methionine as limiting amino acids in both the Panax species. High levels of palmitic, oleic and linoleic acid were observed with higher values of poly-unsaturates in P. pseudoginseng. Analysis of minerals and trace elements reflected high content of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and selenium in Panax species. The antioxidant study further confirmed the effective potential of these Panax species against several free radicals such as DPPH, ABTS, and superoxide anions. The present findings provide biochemical insights into the diverse aspects of east Himalayan Panax species coupled with their antioxidant potential. These findings could be used as a baseline model for enriching the herbal raw materials required for pharmaceutical as well as nutraceutical formulations. Moreover, a commercially oriented cultivation of these species may be developed by adopting effective conservation strategies to conserve these therapeutically important east Himalayan Panax species. [Display omitted]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First report on Meta -topolin (m T)-mediated in vitro regeneration and phenolic acid biosynthesis in Crinum malabaricum. • Different concentrations of m T influenced the growth and development of C. malabaricum. • m T-treated cultures had higher levels of hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives. • This study will be helpful for large scale propagation and cultures can be manipulated to influence the production of phenolic acids. Crinum malabaricum (Family: Amaryllidaceae) is a critically endangered aquatic medicinal plant endemic to India. This species is a promising natural source of bioactive compounds including galanthamine (GAL), an anti-Alzheimer drug. In vitro regeneration in the Amaryllidaceae is often challenging. This study assessed the use of meta -Topolin (m T) on in vitro regeneration of C. malabaricum. Shoot explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.5, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 µM m T for six weeks, whereby 7.5 µM m T resulted in the maximum multiplication of adventitious shoots, much higher than the control. The biochemical accumulation of eleven different phenolic acids was quantified by UHPLC-MS/MS analysis, and it appeared that m T-treated cultures exhibited the highest concentration of phenolic acids. In particular, increased concentrations of gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, syringic acid, p -hydroxybenzoic acid, salicylic acid and vanillic acid were detected compared to the control. m T (2.5 and 5.0 µM) produced the maximum amount of chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid and sinapic acid. However, an increased content of caffeic acid was produced on PGR-free medium. These findings highlight the beneficial effect and validate the rising importance of m T for in vitro regeneration studies. This study will serve as a potential protocol to conserve and restore the medically important C. malabaricum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild coffee species are the reservoirs of genetic diversity and could play a critical role in the genetic improvement of coffee. However, the conservation and genetic assessment of wild coffee species has been largely neglected. In the present study, DNA barcoding approaches were employed to assess the phylogenetic relationships between five indigenous wild coffee species from India and compared with two cultivated, and four wild coffee species of African origin. The efficacy of three barcoding loci namely matK, rbcL, and trnL-trnF was investigated using PCR amplification and sequence characterization. The intergenic spacer trnL-trnF is the highly polymorphic loci followed by matK and rbcL chloroplast gene. Among the three barcoding loci, the matK locus has the maximum number of parsimony informative sites, whereas the trnL-trnF locus contains maximum singleton variable sites. Although all the three loci contain a few unique fixed nucleotides (UFNs), no individual barcode locus has the critical nucleotide sequence tags for all the five Indian wild coffee species that help in species discrimination. However, the multilocus combinations are efficient in discriminating the species due to the presence of SNPs and specific sequence tags. The phylogenetic tree constructed using the maximum likelihood analysis of the combined barcoding loci separated all the Indian wild coffee species from African wild coffee species compared to phylogeny inferred using individual barcoding loci. Our study supports the utility of DNA barcoding as a useful tool for coffee species identification, which can be used for conservation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barleria terminalis Nees and Calacanthus grandiflorus (Dalzell) Radlk. are endemic medicinal plants of the Western Ghats of India. The aim of the present research work was to investigate phytochemical profile, potent bioactives using RP-HPLC, LC-MS and GC-MS and to evaluate their bioactivities. Acetone was found to be the best extraction medium for separating phytochemicals. Similarly, acetone and methanol extracts exhibited potential antioxidant properties. Ethanol extract of B. terminalis stem showed potent acetylcholinesterase (AChE) (89.10 ± 0.26%) inhibitory activity. Inhibition of α-amylase (36.96 ± 2.96%) activity was observed the best in ethanol extract of B. terminalis leaves and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (94.33 ± 0.73%) in ethanol extract of C. grandiflorus stem. RP-HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of several phenolic compounds (gallic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, chlorogenic acid and coumaric acid) and phenylethanoid glycoside (verbascoside). The highest phenolics content were observed in B. terminalis (GA (4.17 ± 0.002), HBA (3.88 ± 0.001), VA (4.54 ± 0.001), CHLA (0.55 ± 0.004) mg/g DW, respectively). Similarly, LC-MS and GC-MS revealed the presence of phenolics, glycosides, terpenes, steroids, fatty acids, etc. Moreover, positive correlation between studied phytochemicals and antioxidants was observed in principal component analysis. Based on the present investigation, we conclude that B. terminalis and C. grandiflorus can be further explored for their active principles particularly, phenylethanoid glycosides and iridoids and their use in drug industry for pharmaceutical purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the large number of plants that are part of the Ayurvedic system of medicine in India and Bangladesh, Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae), or ginger in English, holds a special place and is often referred to as “Mahaushadha” (great medicine) and “Vishvabhesaja” (worldwide or universal herb) to signify its special status. The plant and particularly its rhizomes are used both in the raw and dry form for the relief of a multitude of disorders. Since a number of these disorders occur in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), it was of interest to perform in silico studies (molecular docking) to evaluate the binding affinities of a number of constituents of Zingiber officinale with the 3C-like protease or main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2, which plays an essential role in the cleavage of viral polyproteins and subsequent viral replication. Our studies indicated that 2 of the compounds present in ginger, namely, chlorogenic acid and hesperidin, had high binding affinities for Mpro with predicted binding energies of −7.5 and −8.3 kcal/mol. The two-dimensional and three-dimensional interactions also showed that, while chlorogenic acid interacts with one of the His41 amino acids of the catalytic dyad of Mpro, hesperidin interacts with the other amino acid Cys145, which can account for their predicted high binding energies and, therefore, possibly can inhibit Mpro activity. Taken together, our findings indicate that ginger, besides alleviating the symptoms induced by SARS-CoV-2, may also play a role in inhibiting the virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brinjal or eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is known as a vegetable of diet because it contains high moisture and low calorific value. It is also a good source of antioxidants and phytonutrients. Brinjal is widely grown in the South and South-East Asian countries and is the second most important vegetable in India. It belongs to the Solanaceae family. Shoot and fruit borer (Leucinodes orbonalis) pest of brinjal is the most widespread one and it has the ability to affect any of the developmental stages of brinjal. Plants and their insect herbivores have had a long and intimate evolutionary association that has resulted in many complex interactions mediated by specialized plant metabolites like phenolics, alkaloids, terpenoids, cyanogenic glycosides etc. Frequent and excessive use of insecticides has become a common practice now which only increases the probability of resistance development and resurgence of pest. Hence to develop an effective approach to combat this pest understanding of its feeding mechanism and chemistry of its interaction with the fruit is necessary. The importance of the secondary metabolites in the field of chemical biology and in pest management is discussed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beer styles show wide variation in color, flavor, and clarity, due to differences in their chemical content. Some of the major flavor compounds in beer are isomerized alpha acids and phenolic compounds. These were investigated as potentially discerning features between beer styles. A selection of 32 American beers covering five styles was analyzed using liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry, which resulted in high mass accuracy chromatograms of the studied analytes. Distinctions between the presence or relative concentrations of certain compounds were observed and related back to brewing ingredients and procedures. For example, vanillin was only observed in stout beers due to the use of roasted barley malts for brewing, while chlorogenic acid isomers were found in two sours at relatively high concentrations (189 and 34 mg/L) because of the fruits used to flavor the beers. Distinctions were further confirmed using multivariate analysis techniques, which separated three of the five beer styles (India pale ales, stouts, and sours). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of plant medicines is decided by the secondary metabolites it contains which may fluctuate with the altitude. We here studied the variation in total phenols and flavonoids and three marker compounds viz., atropine, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid in different plant parts of Hyoscyamus pusillus collected from three sites having varying altitudes. The ploidy level was determined through the standard acetocarmine technique. The atropine, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid content in different plant parts and populations were estimated using High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were evaluated using the Folin-Ciocalteau reagent and Aluminium chloride method respectively. The free radical scavenging activity was measured by DPPH assay. Investigation revealed that a high land population has a higher content of phenols and flavonoids and showed better scavenging of DPPH free radicals. The HPTLC analysis showed that the content of atropine, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid was maximum in roots and plants thriving at higher altitudes compared to plants at lower altitudes. Locally, the species is used for treating toothache and relieves the griping pain caused by drastic purgatives. Further, the populations at higher altitudes can be explored as an alternative source of atropine, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Launaea procumbens is an important medicinal plant took its place also in the ingredient of food as preparation of sherbet, leaves in making curries, and as a goat fodder in most of the part of India. Objectives: The present work was aimed at investigating the phytochemicals of methanolic extract of L. procumbens leaves and its isolated mixtures from column fractions. Materials and Methods: The method was successfully developed and two new compounds (chlorogenic acid and 7-hydroxyflavanone) by liquid chromatography (LC)-electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS/MS and four new compounds (lactucin, isorhametin, 1-monopalmitin, and 1-hexacosanol) by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-ESI-quad time of flight (QTOF)/MS in L. procumbens were identified. Identification of compounds by LC-ESI-MS/MS and UPLC-ESI-QTOF/MS was identified based on the accurate mass of pseudomolecular [M+H]+ ion tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) data and by comparing retention times, mass spectra, and molecular weights with those published in the literature. Results: The six new compounds, namely chlorogenic acid, 7-hydroxyflavanone, lactucin, isorhametin, 1-monopalmitin, and 1-hexacosanol were identified by in L. procumbens. Conclusion: A total of 26 compounds by gas chromatography-MS and five compounds by LC mass-ESI tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) and seven compounds by UPLC-ESI tandem mass spectrometry/quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-QTOF/MS) technique were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Red amaranth (Amaranthus gangeticus L.) has great diversity in Bangladesh, India, and South East Asia with multipurpose uses. The bright red-violet colored A. gangeticus is a popular and low-cost leafy vegetable in the Asian continent including Bangladesh and India because of attractive leaf color, taste, adequate nutraceuticals, phenolic compounds, and sole source of betalains. The natural colors and phenolic compounds of this species have a significant role in promoting the health-benefit including the scavenging capacity of radicals, the colorant of food products, and play a vital role in the industry of foods. However, phenolic profiles and radical scavenging activity of this species have not been evaluated. Hence, for the first time, four selected advance lines of A. gangeticus were characterized for phenolic profiles, antioxidant constituents, and antioxidant potentiality. Results: A. gangeticus genotypes are abundant sources of phenolic profiles and antioxidant constituents with good radical quenching capacity that differed across the genotypes. Twenty-five phenolic acids and flavonoids, such as protocatechuic acid, salicylic acid, gentisic acid, gallic acid, β-resorcylic acid, vanillic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, ellagic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid, kaempferol, m-coumaric acid, trans-cinnamic acid, quercetin, p-coumaric acid, apigenin, caffeic acid, rutin, sinapic acid, isoquercetin, naringenin, myricetin, catechin, and hyperoside were identified in A. gangeticus accessions. A. gangeticus accessions LS7 and LS9 demonstrated ample phenolic acids, flavonoids, antioxidant constituents, and antioxidant potentiality. It revealed from the correlation study that antioxidant components of A. gangeticus genotypes exhibited good radical scavenging activities. The genotypes LS7 and LS9 could be directly used as phenolic profiles, antioxidant constituents, and antioxidant activity enrich cultivars. Conclusions: The identified compounds of phenolic acids and flavonoids in A. gangeticus privilege the comprehensive study of pharmacology. The basic information on phenolic profiles and antioxidant constituents achieved in the present study will provide the scientist's forum for the scientific assessment of these compounds in A. gangeticus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present work was undertaken to screen some drought tolerant indigenous aromatic rice cultivars (IARCs), commonly cultivated in West Bengal, India, based on their capacity to produce osmolytes, redox-sensitive phenolic acids and flavonoids, as contrivances for redox-regulation under drought stress. Polyethylene glycol induced post imbibitional dehydration stress mediated changes in redox regulatory properties of the germinating seeds of the four IARCs (Jamainadu, Tulaipanji, Sitabhog, Badshabhog), which were assessed in terms of changes in prooxidant accumulation (in-situ localization of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by confocal microscopy, DCFDA (2′,7′-dichlorofluorescin diacetate) oxidation, O 2 − and H 2 O 2 accumulation), cumulative antioxidative defense (radical scavenging property and total thiol content), ROS scavenging phenolic acids (gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, gentisic acid, para-hydroxy benzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid, salicylic acid, sinapic acid and p-coumaric acid) and flavonoids (catechin, naringin, rutin, quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin and apigenin). The capability of germinating seeds to accumulate osmolytes (like glycinebetaine, proline, soluble carbohydrates and K+ ion) and polyphenolic compounds was also correlated with their corresponding redox status and redox biomarkers (conjugated diene, hydroperoxide, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and free carbonyl content) produced under the same conditions. The results in general showed that accumulation of osmolytes along with the redox-sensitive phenolics and flavonoids conferred the ability to maintain the redox homeostasis under drought stress for the tolerant IARCs (Badshabhog and Tulaipanji). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), caused by Leishmania donovani in India, is fatal if untreated, having serious concern of limited chemotherapeutic options. In this study, we evaluated antileishmanial efficacy of purified chlorogenic acid (CGA) against promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes infected into RAW264.7 macrophages. Methods and Results: Chlorogenic acid was effective both on promastigotes (IC50 = 78.394 µmol/L, i.e. 27.75 µg/mL) and intracellular amastigotes (ED50 = 26.752 µmol/L, i.e. 9.47 µg/mL). In promastigotes, significant retardation in mitotic growth was caused both by cell‐death and reduction of metabolic activity, evidenced by propidium‐iodide uptake and MTT assay, respectively. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that retardation of mitotic growth was due to cell‐cycle arrest at G1/S checkpoint. Complete clearance of amastigotes from infected RAW264.7 cells, assessed by microscopic counting, was achieved with 60 µmol/L (21.24 µg/mL) CGA for 24 hours, with negligible toxicity to host macrophages. This parasite clearing efficacy was comparable to 1.0 µg/mL (1.082 µmol/L) Amphotericin B, and 20 µmol/L Miltefosine, two standard antileishmanial drugs. Cytokine‐ELISA revealed that elevated IL‐10 production by infected macrophages was reduced after parasite clearance. Consequently, IL‐12, TNF and NO (assayed by Griess test) production by macrophages were significantly increased after successful resolution of infection. Conclusion: Chlorogenic acid might emerge as a potential antileishmanial drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examined selected seaweeds from the Gulf of Mannar coast, India for their antioxidant properties.

The perennial herb Chlorophytum nepalense (Lindley) Baker, widely distributed throughout the northern parts of Tripura State of India, is used traditionally by Tripuri farmers as a root extract to control dark viral necrotic lesions of sprouted potato tubers and plants. The root extracts strongly reduced infection of potato plants and sprouted tubers by Potato virus X under glasshouse conditions. The root extract was found to contain the three plant-viricidal compounds chlorogenic acid, kaempferol-3- O-(3′,6′di- O- E- p-coumaroyl)-β- d-glucopyranoside, and luteolin and suggests that the isolated compounds may have the potential to be used as natural plant-viricidal compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gardenia latifolia Ait. (Rubiaceae) is also known as Indian Boxwood is a small deciduous tree often growing in southern states of India. In the present study, phytochemical profiling of methanolic extract of G. latifolia fruits were carried out using FTIR and LC-MS/MS analysis. Besides, its antioxidant and antimicrobial potential have been analysed using DPPH activity, differential pulse voltammetry and resazurin microtiter assay, respectively. Phytochemical profiling revealed the presence of 22 major diversified compounds and main were 3-caffeoyl quinic acid (chlorogenic acid), 3,4-Di-O-caffeoyl quinic acid, 6-O-trans-feruloylgenipin gentiobioside, 10-(6-O-trans sinapoyl glucopyranosyl) gardendiol, isoquercitrin, scortechinones, secaubryenol, iridoids and quercetin 3-rutinoside (rutin). The extract showed antioxidant activity (IC50 = 65.82) and powerful antibacterial activity with lowest minimum inhibitory concentration against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (15.62 µg/µL), Bacillus subtilis (31.25 µg/µL) than gram negative Escherichia coli (62.5 µg/µL), Klebsiella pneumoniae (62.5 µg/µL), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (31.25 µg/µL). This study shows that the fruits of G. latifolia have tremendous potential to be used in food industries, phyto-therapeutics and cosmetic industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]