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Author(s): Alexander, Roger P; Giraldez, MD; Spengler, RM; Etheridge, A; Godoy, PM; Barczak, AJ; Srinivasan, S; De Hoff, PL; Tanriverdi, K; Courtright, A; Lu, S; Khoory, J; Rubio, R; Baxter, D; Driedonks, TAP; Buermans, HPJ; Nolte-t Hoen, ENM; Jiang, H; Wang, K; Ghiran, I; Wang, Y; Van Keuren-Jensen, K; Freedman, JE; Woodruff, PG; Laurent, LC; Erle, DJ; Galas, DJ; Tewari, M

The Indian Himalaya is rich in socio-cultural values, biodiversity and having a vast treasure of medicinal plant. Uttarakhand is a part of Indian Himalayan Region, has a vast number of rivers, tributaries and lakes. Betalghat is a block of Nainital district located at the bank of river Kosi. The study was conducted to document the diversity of plants belonging to family fabaceae of Betalghat block, District Nainital (Kumaun Himalaya). Total 127 plants species belonging to 55 genera of different habits such as herbs (65 species) dominates the area followed by shrubs (33 species), trees (18 species), and climbers (11 species) were recorded. The well preserved plant specimens were deposited in the herbarium division of the Department of Botany, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital. Key words:Diversity, Fabaceae family, Betalghat block, Kumaun Himalaya. REFERENCES [1]. Arya, D. & Khan, A.H. 2015. Ethnomedicinal plants and their contribution to cure various ailments as household remedies in Garhwal Himalaya, India. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research. 6(4): 1590-1595. [2]. Arya, J.C., Joshi, G.C. &Tewari, L.M. 2018. Medicinal Flora of Tarai Region of Uttarakhand. Shree Publishers & Distributors New Delhi. [3]. Atkinson, E.T. 1882. Gazetteer of the Himalayan District of the NW Provinces of India. 3(2): 87-266. [4]. Chaudhary, R.S. 2010. Taxa of family Fabaceae: A Potential of Local Medicinal Values in Vindhya Region Uttar pradesh, India. International Journal of Pharma and Bio Sciences. 1(4): 46-53. [5]. Duthie, J.F. 1906. Catalogue of the Plants of Kumaun and of the adjacent portions of Garhwal and Tibet based on the collections made by Strachey and Winterbottom during the years 1946-1949. London. [6]. Gaur, R.D. 1999. Flora of District Garhwal North- West Himalaya (with Ethnobotanical Notes). Trans Media House, Shri Nagar (Garhwal), India, p. 811. [7]. Gupta, R.K. 1968. Flora Nainitalensis: A Handbook of the flowering plants of Nainital. Navayug Traders, New Delhi, p. 489. [8]. Joshi, G.C. 1987. Studies on the Thistle and Legume families of Kumaun. Thesis submitted to Kumaun University Nainital. [9]. Joshi, G.C. & Joshi, P. 2001. Floristic diversity of Tarikhet Block (Kumaun Himalaya). In Plantdiversity of the Himalaya. (Eds. Pande, P.C. &Samant, S.S.). GyanodayaPrakashan, Nainital, p. 221-252. [10]. Joshi, G.C., Tewari, L.M., Pandey, N.C. &Upreti, B.M. 2018. Flora of Ranikhet, West Himalaya. Indu Book Services, New Delhi. [11]. Judd, W.S., Campbell, C.S., Kellog, E.A., Stevens, P.F. & Donoghue, M.J. 2002. Plant Systematics: a phylogenetic approach, SinauerAxxoc. 287-292. [12]. Kajita, T., Ohashi, H., Tateishi, Y., Bailey, C.D. & Doyle, J.J. 2001. Rbcl and legume phylogeny, with particular reference to Phaseoleae, Millettieae and allies. Syst Biol. 26: 515-536. [13]. Kalakoti, B.S. 1983. Flora of Nainital Hills. Thesis submitted to Kumaun University Nainital. [14]. Kanjilal, U.N. 1928. Forest flora of the Chakrata, Dehradun and Saharanpur Forest Divisions, Uttar Pradesh. Government of India Press, New Delhi. [15]. Kumar, R. 2014. Floristic richness in catchment areas of Papaginiriver-a tributary of river Pennar, Andhra Pradesh, India. International Journal of Environment. 3(1): 177-204. [16]. Kumari, P. 2011. Biodiversity assessment with particular reference to threatened ethnomedicinal plants of Almora district. Thesis submitted to Kumaun University, Nainital. [17]. Kushwaha, A.K., Tewari, L.M. & Chaudhary, L.B. 2018. Angiosperm diversity of Sonbhadra District, Utar Pradesh: a checklist. Journal of Threatened Taxa. 10(9): 12247-12269. [18]. Lewis, G., Schrire, B., MacKinder, B. & Lock, M. 2005. Legumes of the World. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, UK. [19]. Nagarajan, A., Soorangkattan, S., Thangavel, K., Thulasinathan, B., Muthuramalingam, J.B. &Alagarsamy, A. 2017. Campus-Wide Floristic Diversity of Medicinal Plants in Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M), Chennai. American Journal of Plant Sciences. 8: 2995-3012. [20]. Naithani, B.D. 1984-1985. Flora of Chamoli. Vols. I–II. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta. [21]. Noreen, F., Tamoor, M., Adil, M., Mushtaq, U. &Nisa, Q. 2018. Data of Ethnomedicinal Plants in Wazirabad, District Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan. J Pharma Care Health Sys, 5: 194. [22]. Osmaston, A.E. 1927. A forest flora for Kumaun. Bishen Singh Mahindra Pal Singh, Dehradun, India, p. 605. [23]. Pande, P.C. 1984. Flora of Almora district. Ph.D. Thesis submitted to Kumaun University, Nainital, [24]. Pandey, N.C., Joshi, G.C. &Tewari, L.M. 2016. Ethnobotanical plant diversity of Betalghat region, Kumaun Himalaya. Biolife. 4(4): 629-649. [25]. Pandey, N.C., Joshi, G.C., Tewari, L.M. &Pangtey, Y.P.S. 2017. Diversity of Fodder Plants of Betalghat Block, Nainital, Western Himalaya. International Journal of Environment. 6 (4): 1-27. [26]. Pangtey, Y.P.S. &Rawat, G.S. 1987. Studies on the wall flora of Nainital. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany. 9: 209-229. [27]. Pangtey, Y.P.S., Samant, S.S. &Rawat, G.S. 1991. Orchids of Kumaun Himalaya. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun [28]. Pant, P.C. 1986. The Flora of Corbett National Park. Botanical Survey of India, Howarh. [29]. Rahman Mahbubur, A.H.M. &ParvinAra, M.I. 2014. Study of Medicinal Uses on Fabaceae Family at Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Research in Plant Sciences. 2(1): 6-8. [30]. Raizada, M.B. &Saxena, H.O. 1978. Flora of Mussoorie. Periodical Expert Book Agency, Delhi. [31]. Samant, S.S. 1987. Flora of central and south eastern parts of Pithoragarh District. Ph.D. Thesis,submitted to Kumaun University, Nainital. [32]. Samant, S.S. &Dhar, U. 1997. Diversity, endemism and economic potential of wild edible plants of Indian Himalaya. International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology. 4: 179-191. [33].Samant, S.S. Dhar, U. &Palni, L.M.S. 1998. Medicinal plants of Himalaya, diversity, distribution and potential values. GyonadayaPrakashan, Nainital. p. 163. [34].Samant, S.S. &Palni, L.M.S. 2000. Diversity, Distribution and Indigenous uses of essential oil yielding plants of Indian Himalayan Region. J. Med. Arom. Plant. Sci. 4: 671-684. [35]. Samant, S.S. & Pant, S. 2003. Diversity distribution pattern and Traditional knowledge of scared plants of Indian Himalayan Region. Indian J. Forest. 26(3): 201-213. [36] Swapna Gurrapu and Estari Mamidala. In vitro HIV-Reverse Transcriptase Inhibition of Andrographolide Isolatedfrom Andrographis Paniculata. European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2017. Volume 4, Issue 12. 516-522. [37]. Singh, K.K. & Prakash, A. 2002. Flora of Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun. [38]. Sprent, J.I. 2009. Legume nodulation: A Global Perspective. Ames. Lowa: Wiley-Blackwell.p. 12. [39]. Srivastava, S.K. & Singh, D.K. 2005. Glimpses of the Plan wealth of Uttaranchal. Bishan Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Deharadun. [40]. Stevens, P.F. 2008. Fabaceae: Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. 7 May 2006. [41]. Tewari, Lalit M., Pangtey, Y.P.S., &Tewari, G. 2010. Biodiversity Potentials of the Himalaya. GyanodayaPrakashan, Nainital, p. 574. [42]. Uniyal, B.B., Sharma, J.R. Choudhary, U., & Singh, D.K. 2007. Flowering Plants of Uttarkhand (A Checklist). Bishan Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun, p. 404. [43]. Wariss, H., Mukhtar, M., Anjum, S., Bhatti, G., Pirzada, S., &Alam, K. 2013. Floristic Composition of the Plants of the Cholistan Desert, Pakistan. American Journal of Plant Sciences. 4(12A): 58-65. &nbsp

Ethno-Veterinary Medicine (EVM) or Veterinary Anthropology refers to holistic and interdisciplinary study of traditional knowledge, skills, methods, practices and folk beliefs of the people about the health care, healthful husbandry and production of livestock (Yadav, 2014, Mc Corkle, 1986, 1996). This study aims to document information about ethno-botanical information and its traditional use by the local inhabitant for the treatment of livestock in different villages of Nainital district, Uttarakhand. Traditional use of plant and plant resources has a long history in Uttarakhand and its use is rapidly increasing due to having no side effects, easily available at affordable prices. Field surveys were conducted in the various villages/places in Nainital district between 2013-2015. In general Itching, skin diseases, bleeding, foot and mouth disease, gastrointestinal helminthiasis, mange, myiasis, pain, pediculosis, pneumonia, tick infestation and uterine prolapsed, diarrhoea, afterbirth retention, poisoning, indigestion, liver problem, cough, fever, bone fracture were some common conditions/ailments of animals for which traditional ethno-veterinary prescriptions are usually being used in the area. The dependence of humans and livestock on this rich plant diversity is well known phenomenon since time immemorial. In present investigation a total of 38 plant species from 26 different families were recorded as Ethno-Veterinary plants from the study area. Out of 38 species 9 species were tree and rest all species were herbs. Keywords: Ethno-Veterinary Medicine (EVM), ethno-botanical information, Ethno-Veterinary plants, livestock, folk beliefs, socioeconomic value, Traditional hillers. REFERENCES Bahadur, J (2004). Himalayan Snow and Glaciers – Associated Environmental Problems, Progress and Prospects, Concept Publishing Co, New Delhi. Babbie ER (1995). The Practice of Social Research. 7th Edition. Wadsworth Publishing Company,Belmont. Bhatt. A, Singh. P, Kumar. V and Bauthiyal. M, (2013). Documentation of Ethno - Veterinary Practices used for Treatments of Different Ailments in Garhwal Himalayan Region. J. Environ. Nanotechnol.Volume 2 (2013) 22-29 pp. Casley DJ and Kumar K (1988) The Collection, Analysis, and Use of Monitoring and Evaluation Data, pp 10-25. Johns Hopkins University Press, Maryland, 174 pp. Gupta, R.K. (1968).Flora Nainitallensis,434-442 Navyug publications New Delhi. Jain, S.K. and R.R. Rao (1977). A hand book of field and Herbarium Methods, New Delhi Knoke D and Kuklinski JH (1982) Network Analysis. Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA, 96PP. Mahomoodally M.F. Traditional Medicines in Africa: An Appraisal of Ten Potent African Medicinal Plants 2001, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013; Volume (2013), Article ID 617459, 14 pages.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/61745. Manoj. M and Gupta . E, (2014). Ethnoveterinary Practices by Livestock Owners in Animal Fair at Pushkar, Rajasthan, India. International Research Journal of Environment Sciences. Vol. 3(4), 1-4. McCorkle C.M,(1986). An introduction to ethnoveterinary research and development, J. Ethnobiol, 6(1), 129-49. McCorkle C.M., Mathias-Mundy E. and Schillhorn Van Veen T.W., Ethnoveterinary Research and Development, (IT Publications) (1996). Morvin Yabesh, J.E., Prabhu, S., Vijayakumar, S., 2014. An ethnobotanical study ofmedicinal plants used by traditional healers in silent valley of Kerala, India. J.Ethnopharmacol. 154, 774–789 Noel. D.D, Victor .M.M, Brenda. N. D, Gabriela. P. P and Peace. T. D, 2016. Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants In Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria. Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences (IOSR-JPBS). Volume 11, Issue 1 Ver. III (Jan. - Feb. 2016), PP 18-22 Partiban. R, Vijayakumar. S, Prabhu. S and Yabesh. J.G.E.M, 2016. Quantitative traditional knowledge of medicinal plants used to treatlivestock diseases from Kudavasal taluk of Thiruvarur district, Tamil Nadu, India. Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy 109–121. Pandey P. C, Tiwari. L and Pande H.C, (2007). Ethnoveterinary Plants of Uttarakhand- A review. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 6(3). Pp. 444-458. Prabhu, S, Vijayakumar, S, MorvinYabesh, J.E, Ravichandran, K, and Sakthivel, B. 2014.Documentation and quantitative analysis of the local on medicinal plants inKalrayan hills of Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu, India. J. Ethnopharmacol. 157,7–20. Prasad Paindla, Rajendra Chary Vijayagiri and Estari Mamidala. Ethnobotanical survey in different mandals of Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh, India. International Journal of Sciences, 2013, 2(1), 77-83. Rajendra Chary Vijayagiri and Estari Mamidala. Ethnobotanical Investigations Among Traditional Healers In Warangal District Of Andhra Pradesh, India. Pharmacognasy Journal. 2012. 4(34), 13-17. Samant S.S. and U.Dhar, 1997. Diversity, Endemism and Economic Potential of Wild Edible Plants of Indian Himalaya. Intern. J. Sustain. Dev. & World Ecology, 4: 179-191. Samant S.S, Dhar U and Palni, LMS 1998. Medicinal Plants of Indian Himalaya: Diversity Distribution Potential Value. Almora: G.B Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development. Sateesh Pujari and Estari Mamidala (2015). Anti-diabetic activity of Physagulin-F isolated from Physalis angulata fruits. The Ame J Sci & Med Res, 2015,1(1):53-60 Somkuwar S. R, Chaudhary R.R and Chaturvedi A, (2015). Knowledge of ethnoveterinary medicine in the Maharashtra State, India. IJSAR, 2(1), 2015; 90-99. Swapna Gurrapu and Estari Mamidala (2016). Medicinal Plants Used By Traditional Medicine Practitioners in the Management of HIV/AIDS-Related Diseases in Tribal Areas of Adilabad District, Telangana Region. The Ame J Sci & Med Res, 2(1):239-245. doi:10.17812/ajsmr2101. Tewari. D and Sah. A. N, 2016. Ethnic Medicinal Knowledge: An Ancient Knowledge for the Healthcare and Livelihood of the People of Indian Himalaya. SMU Medical Journal. Volume – 3, No. 1. Tiwari.L and Pande. P. C, (2010). Ethnoveterinary medicines in India perspective: Reference to Uttarakhand. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 9(3). Pp. 611-617. Ullah, M, Usman Khan, M, Mahmood, A., Hussain, M., Mehmood Wazir, S., Daud,M., Shinwari, Z., 2013. An ethnobotanical survey of indigenous medicinal plantsin Wana district south Waziristanagency, Pakistan. J. Ethnopharmacol. 150,918–924. Vijayakumar S, MorvinYabesh J.E., Prabhu S, Manikandan R, and Muralidharan B, 2015. Quantitative ethnomedicinal study of plants used in the Nelliyampathyhills of Kerala, India. J. Ethnopharmacol. 161, 238–254. Webb EJ, Sechrest L, Campbell DT and Schwartz R (1966) Unobtrusive Measures: Nonreactive Research in the Social Sciences, 1st ed. Houghton-Mifflin, Boston, MA, 225 pp. Zobel, D.B aand Singh. S.P (1997) Himalayan forests and ecological generalizations. Bio Science, 11, 735–745.

The present investigation deals with the ethnobotanical study conducted during the year 2014-2016 to collect, identify and record the wild edible plants(WEPs) used by the local as well as tribal people inhabiting in rural areas in the Uttarakhand state of ramnagar region of district Nainital, India. A total of 59 plant species belonging to 36 families are reported in this paper based on an ethnobotanical field study. The four major life forms were herbs, shrubs, climbers and trees. Trees (56%) made the highest proportion in this communication of the edible plant species followed by shrubs (25%), herbs (13%) and climbers (6%). Fruit, seed and leaves are found as most preferred edible plant parts. The plant species are arranged in alphabetical order by their botanical name with family, Habit, Altitudinal range (m), Flowering and Fruiting period, Local name, part/s used and ethnobotanical use. Keywords: Wild edible plants, Ethnobotany, rural areas, Ramnagar, India. REFERENCES Abbasi, A.M., Khan, M.A., Ahmad, M., Zafar, M., Khan, H., Muhammad, N., Sultana, S.,: Medicinal plants used for the treatment of jaundice and hepatitis based on socio-economic documentation. Afric J Biotech 2009, 8:1643–1650. Abbasi, A.M., Khan, M.A., Ahmad, M., Zafar, M., Jahan, S., Sultana, S.,: Ethnopharmacological application of medicinal plants to cure skin diseases and in folk cosmetics among the tribal communities of North- West Frontier Province, Pakistan. J Ethnopharmacol 2010, 128:322–335. Abbasi, A.M., Khan, M.A., Ahmad, M., Zafar, M.,: Medicinal plant biodiversity of Lesser Himalayas-Pakistan. New York: Springer; 2012:1–212. Arya, J.C.,: Studies on medicinal flora of trai region of Uttarakhand. 2015, D.Phil submitted to D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University Nainital. Badhwar, R. L., Fernandez, R.R.,: Edible wild plants of the Himalayas.The forest Research Institute and Colleges, Dehradun Ford-Lloyd ,B.V., Schmidt, M., Armstrong, S.J., Barazani, O., Engels, J., Ge, S., Hadas, R., Hammer, K., Kell, S.P., Kang, D., Khoshbakht, K., Li, Y., Long, C.L., Lu, B.R., Ma, K.P., Nguyen, V.T., Qiu, L.J., Wei, W., Zhang, Z.W., Maxted, N.,: Crop wild relatives-undervalued, underutilized and under threat? BioScience. 2011;9:559–565. doi: 10.1525/bio.2011.61.7.10. [Cross Ref] Gaur, R. D., 1999. Flora of Garhwal, Trans Media, Srinagar (Garhwal). Ghorbani, A., Langenberger, G., Sauerborn, J.,: A comparison of the wild food plant use knowledge of ethnic minorities in Naban River Watershed National Nature Reserve, Yunnan, SW China. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2012;9:17. doi: 10.1186/1746-4269-8-17. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Cross Ref] Hazrat, A., Nisar, M., Shah, J., Ahmad, S.,: Ethnobotanical study of some elite plants belonging to Dir, Kohistan valley, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Pakistan: Pak J Bot 2011, 43(2):787–795. Hooker, J. D.,: Flora of British India. Vols. I – VI. L. Reeve and Company Ltd, The East House Book , Ashford, Kent, UK: (1875 –2006). Hussain, K., Shahzad, A., Hussnain, S.Z.,: An Ethnobotanical survey of important wild medicinal plants of Hattar District Haripur, Pakistan, Ethnobot Leaflets 2008, 12:29–35. Khan, A., Mehmood, S., Khan, R.U., Khan, S.U.,: Ecological, Taxonomical and Ethnobotanical Study of Wild Fruit Producing Xerophytes of District Bannu, Kpk. Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies 2013, Vol I (4): pp. 112-120 Lulekal, E., Asfaw, Z., Kelbessa, E., Van, D., Amme P.,: Wild edible plants in Ethiopia: a review on their potential to combat food insecurity. Africa Focus. 2011;9:71–121. Sateesh Pujari and Estari Mamidala (2015). Anti-diabetic activity of Physagulin-F isolated from Physalis angulata fruits. The Ame J Sci & Med Res, 2015,1(1):53-60 Osmaston, A.E.,: A forest flora for Kumaun. International Book Distributors, Dehradun, 1927, pp. 605. Tewari, L.M., Singh, N., Upreti, K., Pangtey, Y.P.S.,: Medicinal plants of Ranikhet. 2008, I Edition Consul Book Depot, Nainital Upreti, K., Tewari, L.M., Pangtey, Y.P.S., Jalal , J.S.,: diversity and distribution of wild edible fruit plants of Uttarakhand. Biodiversity potentials of the Himalaya, Gyanodaya Prakashan, Nainital 2010, pp. 157-196.

The magnificent Himalaya is well recognized for its bio-physical diversity and socio-cultural heritage, traditional systems and an ample quantity of indigenous knowledge. The study was conducted for the documentation of ethnobotanical use of plants from Beatalghat region, Kumaun Himalaya. Total 186 ethnobotanical plants species belonging to 76 families, 160 genera (Angiosperms- 184, Gymnosperms- 2), different habitats such as tress (36%), herbs (31%), shrubs (25%), climbers (8%), were records. Top ten dominant families were Fabaceae (13 species), Euphorbiaceae (8 species), Rosaceae (8 species), Solanaceae (8 species), Moraceae (7 species), Caesalpinaceae (6 species), Mimosaceae (5 species), Lamiaceae (5 species), Rubiaceae (5 species), Anacardiaceae (5 species). The majority of plant species were used for medicinal purposes (32%), followed by fuel (23%), fodder (22%), wild edibles (11%), timber (5%), agriculture implements (3%), religious (3%) and fibre (1%) which were further classify according to plants parts used such as: leafs (33%), wood (26%), root (9%), fruit (9%), bark (7%), whole plant (5%), seed (4%), flower (2%), stem, rhizomes, tuber, resin, latex, twig (1%). It was found that 127 medicinal plant species were used by local people for curing 64 diseases such as fever, diarrhea, cough, cuts and wounds, skin diseases, arthritis, asthma, jaundice, etc. Key Words: : Ethnobotanical plant, Diversity, Betalghat region, use pattern, ailments REFERENCES Bhatt, Deepika. 2012. Assessment of RET Plants used in Traditional Medicinal System in Kumaun Himalalya. Ph.D. Thesis, Kumaun University, Nainital. Farooq, A.G., Saggoo, M.I.S., Dar, M.A., 2014. Ethno botany of some selected Monochlamydeae plant species from the Kashmir Himalayas, India. J. Med. Plant Res. 8(23), 834- 839. Gaur, R.D. 1999. Flora of the District Garhwal Northwest Himalayas (With Ethnobotanical Notes). Transmedia: Srinagar, Garhwal. Gupta, R.K. 1968. Flora Nainitalensis: A Handbook of the flowering plants of Nainital. Navayug Traders, New Delhi. IUCN, 2008. (May 15, 2012). Red List Categories, Gland Switzerland. Kumari, P., Joshi, G.C., Tewari, L.M. 2011. Diversity and status of ethno-medicinal plants of Almora district in Uttarakhand, India. Kumari, P., Joshi, G.C., Tewari, L.M. 2012. Biodivrsity status, distribution and use pattern of some ethno-medicinal plants. Int. J. Conserv. Sci. 3(4):309-318. Naithani, B.D. 1984-1985. Flora of Chamoli. Vols. I–II. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta. Nautiyal, A.R. Nautiyal, M.C. and Purohit, A.N. 1997. Harvesting herbs-2000-Medicinal and aromatic plants-An action plan for Uttarakhand. (BSMS Publishers, Dehradun). Porika Raju and Estari Mamidala (2015). Anti-diabetic activity of compound isolated fromPhysalis angulata fruit extracts in alloxan induced diabetic rats. The Ame J Sci & Med Res, 2015,1(1); Pages 1 -6. doi:10.17812/ajsmr2015.11.1. Osmaston, A.E. 1927. A forest flora for Kumaun. International Book Distributors, Dehradun, pp 605. Samant S.S. & Dhar U. 1997. Diversity, endemism and economic potential of wild edible plants of Indian Himalaya. Int. J. Sustain. Dev. & World Ecol. 4:179-191. Samant, S.S. & Palni, L.M.S. 2000. Diversity, Distribution and Indigenous uses of essential oil yielding plants of Indian Himalayan Region. J. Med. Arom. Plant. Sci. 4: 671-684. Samant, S.S. & Pant, S. 2003. Diversity distribution pattern and Traditional knowledge of scared plants of Indian Himalayan Region. Indian J. Forest. 26(3): 201-213. Samant, S.S. Dhar, U. & Palni, L.M.S. 1998. Medicinal plants f Himalaya, diversity, distribution and potential values. Gyonadaya Prakashan, Nainital. Silverman, D. 2005. Doing Qualitative Research: A Practical Handbook. Thousand Oaks: SAGE, London, UK. Singh, G. & Rawat, G.S. 2011. Ethnomedicinal survey of Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary in Western Himalaya, India. Indian J. Fundam. Appl. Life Sci. 1, 35–46. Porika Raju and Estari Mamidala (2015). Anti-diabetic activity of compound isolated from Physalis angulata fruit extracts in alloxan induced diabetic rats. The Ame J Sci & Med Res, 2015,1(1); Pages 1 -6. doi:10.17812/ajsmr2015.11.1. Srivastava, S.K. & Singh, D.K. 2005. Glimpses of the Plan wealth of Uttaranchal. Bishan Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Deharadun. Uniyal, B.B., Sharma, J.R. Choudhary, U, Singh, D.K. 2007 Flowering Plants of Uttarkhand (A Checklist). Bishan Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun.

Aim: To compare transdiscal and transaortic techniques of neurolytic celiac plexus block for upper gastrointestinal cancer patients. Methods: In this prospective randomized study 60 patients with upper gastrointestinal malignancies were included and randomly divided into two groups, group TD and group TA, receiving neurolytic celiac plexus blocks via transdiscal and transaortic techniques, respectively. The primary outcome was quality of life (QoL) as assessed by WHOQOL BREF questionnaire and secondary outcomes were pain relief using visual analogue scale (VAS), and occurrence of complications like hypotension, loose motion, bleeding and discitis. Result: QoL and VAS score were significantly improved in both groups post procedure. Transdiscal approach is more effective in improving VAS score than transaortic approach (1 vs 3) after 1 week and the relief of pain was better in TD group (3 vs 6) at the end of 2 months. Transdiscal approach was found to be more effective in improving QoL (227.00±28.85 vs 191.17±35.78) as compared to transaortic approach. However, post-procedural QoL improved in both groups when compared to pre-procedural QoL (p

Background: Medicinal plants are considered a rich source of ingredients, which can be used in drug development and synthesis. Tinospora cordifolia (Wild.) Hook.f. & Thomson, commonly known as guduchi, heart-leaved moonseed and giloya is a herbaceous vine of the family Menispermaceae, has several beneficial properties including antioxidant activity. Aim: The present study was carried out to analyze the antioxidant activity of leaf and stem extracts of Tinospora cordifolia by using DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS (2,2´-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) free radical scavenging assays. Materials and Methods: Dried and powdered leaves and stem of T. cordifolia were extracted with methanol. Ascorbic acid was taken as standard. Total phenolic content was estimated by using Folin-ciocalteu's reagent while total flavonoid content by aluminium chloride reagent to find the correlation of polyphenols with antioxidant activity. ABTS assay of methanolic leaf and stem extracts showed the highest scavenging activity as compared to the DPPH assay. Results: Methanolic stem extract showed higher phenolic and flavonoid content along with antioxidant activity as compared to the methanolic leaf extract. Conclusion: The stem extract exhibited more antioxidant activity than the leaf extract with regards to the all parameters analyzed.

Background: The study on drying and its social acceptance has increased rapidly. Among different drying techniques, shade drying is one of the most feasible methods to keep intact from the decay of the main active components of the plant materials. Shade drying is an ancient drying method that increases durability, major constituents and activity of the plant material. Aims: Research was conducted to examine the drying potential of aromatic leaves oil of Zanthoxylum armatum DC. Methods: The fresh plant material was collected from Lohaghat, Champawat district of Uttarakhand and hydrodistilled before and after shade drying to assess the changes in the quality of volatile constituents by GC and GC-MS techniques. A two-tailed paired t-test was executed to assess the difference between drying treatments using MS-Excel. Results: The major components in the fresh oil were 2-undecane, linalool, (E)-β-ocimene, α-pinene and β-phellandrene. In the oil from dried material, the three predominant compounds were noted. A significant increase was observed in the percentage of β-phellandrene, undecanal and myrcene after shade drying (p Conclusion: Shade drying significantly influenced the essential oil composition of Z. armatum.

The physiological and biochemical performance of two contrasting guar [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.] varieties, RGC-936 a drought sensitive and RGC-1002 a drought tolerant were assessed for their adaptation strategies under-watered and water stress conditions. The physiological parameters such as osmotic potential, relative water content, net photosynthesis, declined under drought in both the varieties although, the decrement was lesser in the variety RGC-1002 as compared to the variety RGC-936 and the stable carbon isotope discrimination declined more in RGC-1002. Furthermore, the variety RGC-1002 exposed to water stress recorded higher levels of total phenolic and proline content, enzymatic antioxidants, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase, which efficiently scavenge the reactive oxygen species. These results suggest that the variety RGC-1002 have a better capability to combat drought-induced oxidative stress as compared to RGC-936. The results of various chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of photochemical quantum yield of PSI, Y(I) and PSII, Y(II), photochemical quantum yield due to regulated energy dissipation, Y(NPQ) and quantum yield of non-regulated energy dissipation, Y(NO), Cyclic Electron Flow (CEF), and the fraction of reduced PSII electron acceptors Y(ND) displayed that the variety RGC-1002 have better ability to dissipate excess light energy harmlessly as compared to RGC-936 and thereby alleviate photoinhibition of both the photosystems and protect the photosynthetic machinery under drought. The various physiological and biochemical studies show that the variety RGC-1002 is well adapted and capable to survive under severe water stress.

Background: Lichens are a composite consortium of a fungus and an alga. The symbiotic organisms are naturally equipped with distinct characteristics as compared to constituting organisms separately. Lichens, due to their peculiar anatomy and physiology, are the reservoir of more than 600 unique secondary metabolites, also known as ‘lichen substances’. Since ancient times, many ethnic groups from various parts of the world have known about the applications of lichens as major provenance of food/fodder, medicine, dyes, spices, perfumes, etc. Lichen substances have shown impressive antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-tumor, and antiinflammatory activities under experimental conditions. Usnic acid, a well-known metabolite found in several species of lichens, possesses potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. It also has significant antiproliferative potential, as revealed through testing in different cancer cell lines. Atranorin, Lecanoric acid, Norstictic acid, Lobaric acid, Stictic acid, Ramalin, Gyrophoric acid, Salazinic acid, Protolichesterinic, and Fumarprotocetraric acid are some of the other purified lichen-metabolites with potent anti-cancer activities. Objective: This study presents an overview of lichen-derived extracts and compounds showing anti-cancer (or related) properties. Method: The review comprehends different studies (in vivo and in vitro) backing up the possibility of lichenextracts and metabolites towards their use as antioxidant, anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, and Epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT) -inhibiting agents. Results: Various studies carried out to date show that lichen-extracts and metabolites have a range of anti-cancer and related properties that include anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and the potential of inhibition of cancer-associated EMT that is responsible for drug resistance and metastasis of cancer cells in a substantial proportion of cases. Conclusion: Lichens are the repertoire of a plethora of lichen-metabolites with significant anti-cancer potential. However, some of the critical ‘anti-cancer related’ properties, such as the ability of EMT-inhibition and the potential of induction of apoptosis, are relatively less studied for several lichen compounds. Additionally, many lichen compounds need to be purified at a larger scale to explore their anti-cancer potential.

Microbial surface attachment negatively impacts a wide range of devices from water purification membranes to biomedical implants. Mimics of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constituted from poly(N‐substituted glycine) „peptoids“ are of great interest as they resist proteolysis and can inhibit a wide spectrum of microbes. We investigate how terminal modification of a peptoid AMP‐mimic and its surface immobilization affect antimicrobial activity. We also demonstrate a convenient surface modification strategy for enabling alkyne–azide „click“ coupling on amino‐functionalized surfaces. Our results verified that the N‐ and C‐terminal peptoid structures are not required for antimicrobial activity. Moreover, our peptoid immobilization density and choice of PEG tether resulted in a „volumetric“ spatial separation between AMPs that, compared to past studies, enabled the highest AMP surface activity relative to bacterial attachment. Our analysis suggests the importance of spatial flexibility for membrane activity and that AMP separation may be a controlling parameter for optimizing surface anti‐biofouling., Efficient anti‐biofouling: We show that an archetypical antimicrobial peptoid could retain high activity even with terminal modifications. Immobilization by alkyne–azide „click“ coupling on one‐step modified amino‐surfaces was demonstrated. Appropriate spatial separation between immobilized peptoids, rather than increasing surface density, was found to promote both resistance against bacterial attachment and AMP surface activity.

Orchids are highly evolved and specialized group of flowering plants belonging to family Orchidaceae. It is the second largest family of the flowering plants in the world with more than 24,000 species of perennials that includes terrestrial, saprophytic, lithophytic and epiphytic species. The present work is based on the systematic ephiphytic orchids observations based on habit, habitat, colour of flower, flowering period and detailed morphological features. Twenty-two epiphytic orchid species belonging to fifteen genera were recorded from Nainital area. The genera represented were Dendrobium (four species), Aerides, Bulbophyllum, Eria and Oberonia (two species each) while rests were represented by single species each. The host species such as Quercus leucotrichophora (6), Sapium insigne (5), Syzygium operculatum, Bombax ceiba and Pyrus pashia (4) supported maximum number of epiphytic orchids followed by the species Syzygium cumini and Toona ciliata (3). Four host species reported with single orchid species. Due to high anthropogenic pressure and changing environmental conditions resulted in vulnerability of these species. Therefore, regular monitoring of the species, mass scale propagation and creating awareness among the local inhabitants are suggested.

Lantana camara L. the alien-invasive species to Uttarakhand belongs to the verbenaceae family, ever-green woody shrub with different colour flowers ranges from yellow to orange. The fresh hand sections of stem and leaf of Lantana camara L. were studied with light microscopeand intended to find out identical characteristics. Epidermiswas a single layer of compactly arranged by barrel-shaped parenchyma cells with slightly thick walled where intercellular spaces were absent. The visually large trichomes were non-glandularand unicellular, conical type, presenting a large base and a thin extremity.Hypodermis was characterized by a few layers of collenchyma cells with angular thickenings.Cortex was represented by several layers of loosely arranged parenchyma cells with prominent intercellular spaces. Endodermis was having compactly arranged barrel shaped cells.The phloem and xylem cells located at upper and lower of 3 cell cambium layer respectively.Pith was also represented a group of loosely arranged parenchyma cells.The epidermis layer of leaves were uniseriate with regular size cells, was wrapped with a thick cuticle on the adaxial surface. Complex diacytic and anomocytic type of stomata’s were found. Non-glandular trichomes were found scattered through the entire petiole and leaf blades, are of the conical type, presenting a large base and a thin extremity, and ornamentations on the wall. The vascular system was open, forming a flattened arch in the “V” shape with two accessory bundles located dorsally and groups of idioblasts located laterally in the cortical parenchyma.SEM (Scanning electron microscopy) images and Optical microscopy of Pollens of the Lantana camara L. were also performed.Thepalynological information were recorded as sculpturinglooks smooth and the pollen type is tricolporate. Its shape in polar view is Semi-angular while equatorial view is spheroidal. The polar and equatorial diameter were 34μm (30-40μm) 33μm (30-40μm) respectively.

Populations of Polygonatum cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle and Malaxis muscifera (Lindl.) Kuntze are restricted to small pockets and are subject to destructive harvesting (rhizomes/pseudobulbs) from wild. Being under high threat categories considering habitat specificity, population size, utilization and extraction trends, both the species need conservation interventions. This study in Kumaun West Himalaya reveals that in the case of P. cirrhifolium the maximum density (6.33 individual/m2) was reported for the Burphu population, whereas for M. muscifera the maximum density (1.75 individual/m2) was reported for Kathaliya population. No significant (p

It has been established that resurvey of historical vegetation stands, even those not marked permanently, could foster our understanding of vegetation dynamics and changes in structure and composition over time. However, such studies are poorly available, particularly in remote landscapes of the Indian Himalaya. There exists a complete lack of resurveys, which has limited our ability to provide reliable evidence of changes over the decades. This study, for the first time in the Indian Himalaya, considered repeat surveys (nearly after 25 years) of vegetation stands in eleven forest communities of the buffer zone of NDBR (Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve). Thirty historical forest stands, earlier studied in 1988–1990, were revisited during 2012–2014 and investigated using the same survey methods as used in the previous study. We found that previously reported dominant tree species, i.e., Alnus nepalensis, Acer cappadocicum, Quercus floribunda, Quercus semecarpifolia, Hippophae salicifolia, and Betula utilis, in nine out of eleven communities in the study area are continuing to exhibit dominance in the community. However, a significant increase in species richness and density in the seedling and sapling layer in Quercus floribunda, Quercus semecarpifolia, Rhododendron arboreum, and Abies pindrow is indicative of the ongoing process of change in forest composition. The compositional features of plant communities, when analyzed through Community Change Sensitivity (CCS) approach, identified Quercus floribunda, mixed Quercus—deciduous spp., Hippophae salicifolia, and Abies pindrow as the most change-sensitive communities in the study area and thus can be prioritized as the long-term ecological monitoring sites in the west Himalaya to understand intensity and patterns of changes. The potential changes based on the ecological information from two time period compositional data sets, having conservation and management implications, should be accommodated in the long-term perspective plans of the reserve.

The conjugation of photosensitisers to proteins or targeting peptides is a well-established approach for enhancing solubility and tissue selectivity for both photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer and light-activated drug delivery. A key innovation in the development of such targeted photosensitisers is the application of biorthogonal ligation techniques (e.g. azide-alkyne “click” chemistries) which allow the efficient attachment of various photosensitiser molecules to multifunctional peptides. Some of our work in this area will be described towards the generation of specific targeted conjugates between porphyrin and chlorin photosensitiser derivatives and tumour-homing or cell-penetrating peptide carriers [1, 2]. Conjugation of hydrophobic photosensitiser molecules to cationic cell-penetrating peptides (e.g. HIV Tat 48-57) can provide derivatives with improved water solubility, amphiphilicity, enhanced uptake and predictable sub-cellular localisation. This is very attractive for the light-triggered delivery of macromolecular therapeutics by photochemical internalisation (PCI), which will be illustrated in the application of these compounds for the delivery of the protein toxin, saporin [3]. Peptide targeting strategies are also of interest for PDT with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) [4]. In ALA-PDT, administered ALA is converted within cells via the heme biosynthetic pathway to a classical photosensitiser- protoporphyrin IX. In this context, some recent chemical and biological data will be presented on the use of peptide targeting to enhance the delivery of multiple ALA units to a specific cell type [5]. [1] Dondi, R., Yaghini, E., Tewari, K. M., Wang, L., Giuntini, F., Loizidou, M., MacRobert, A. J. and Eggleston, I. M., Org. Biomol. Chem. 2016, 14, 11488-11501; [2] Yaghini, E., Dondi, R., Tewari, K. M., Loizidou, M., Eggleston, I. M. and MacRobert, A. J., Sci. Rep. 2017, 7, 6059; [3] Yaghini, E, Dondi, R., Edler, K. J., Loizidou, M., MacRobert, A. J. and Eggleston, I. M., Nanoscale 2018, 10, 20366-20376; [4] Tewari, K. M. and Eggleston, I. M., Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 2018, 17, 1553-1572; [5] Tewari, K. M., Dondi, R., Yaghini, E., Pourzand, C., MacRobert, A. J. and Eggleston, I. M., Bioorg. Chem. 2021, 109, 104667.

Two contrasting guar varieties [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.], RGC-1002—a better drought tolerant than RGC-936—a comparatively sensitive variety, were subjected to 8 days of water stress. The physiological characteristics of gas exchange, pigments and the spectral properties of the leaves were monitored and assessed. The guar variety, RGC-1002 exhibited higher relative water content (RWC) and biomass accumulation in water stress condition as compared to RGC-936. The RGC-1002 variety also showed a higher rate of photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and lesser reduction in chlorophyll content as compared to RGC-936 variety. On the 8th day of drought, the leaf anthocyanin levels were also higher in RGC-1002 than RGC-936. Increased levels of anthocyanin result in decrease in absorption of light, and an increase in reflectance, and transmittance. The scattering coefficient of leaf spectra was significantly increased in RGC-936 than in RGC-1002 leaves; this is due to an increase in the size of intercellular air spaces and shrinkage of cells as a result of water loss. The leaf reflectance was also observed to be significantly increased in RGC-936 than in RGC-1002 leaves. The physiological and leaf optical observations substantiate that RGC-1002 was better adapted to water stress than RGC-936 variety.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising approach for the targeted treatment of cancer and various other human disorders. An effective, clinically approved approach in PDT involves the administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) to generate elevated levels of the natural photosensitiser protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). The development of prodrugs of ALA is of considerable interest as a means to enhance the efficiency and cell selectivity of PpIX accumulation for PDT applications. In this work a novel peptide-targeted dendrimeric prodrug of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) 13 was synthesised which displays nine copies of ALA on a core structure that is linked to a homing peptide for targeted delivery to a specific cancer cell type. The synthesis was accomplished effectively via a flexible, modular solid phase and solution phase route, using a combination of solid phase peptide synthesis and copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition chemistry. The prodrug system shows a sustained and enhanced production of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in the MDA-MB-231 cell line that over-expresses the epidernal growth factor receptor (EGFR+) in comparison to equimolar ALA and the corresponding non-targeted ALA dendrimer (nine copies of ALA). This study provides a proof of concept for the development of a new generation of prodrugs for ALA-based photodynamic therapy that can deliver an enhanced ALA payload to specific tissue types.

The present study includes chromosome count, meiotic abnormalities, pollen fertility and karyotype of Elymus semicostatus from north-west Himalaya, India. This is the first attempt to present karyo...

The present study was conducted on diversity, distribution, indigenous uses and conservation of economically important Plants in Kalatop-Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary, Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh during 2013–2016 which has not been explored so far. A total of 361 economically important species (33 trees, 70 shrubs, 249 herbs and 9 ferns) belonging to 254 genera and 99 families have been recorded. These species are used for medicinal (229 spp.), edible (78 spp.), fodder (15 spp.), fuel (53 spp.), timber (09 spp.), religious (20 spp.) and other species for various other purposes. Of the total species, 150 are native, 211 non - native, 73 near endemic and 01 endemic. These species are distributed between 1870 – 2750m, amsl. Due to habitat degradation, over exploitation and changing environmental conditions, the populations of most of the species are facing threats. Therefore, frequent monitoring of populations of these species in relation to climate change and education and awareness among the local inhabitants and Forest Department Officials are suggested. (NTFPs).

micro-RNAs have shown promise as potential biomarkers for acute myocardial infarction and ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R). Most recently droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) has been introduced as a more reliable and reproducible method for detecting micro-RNAs.We aimed to demonstrate the improved technical performance and diagnostic potential of ddPCR by measuring micro-RNAs in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).A dilution series was performed in duplicate on synthetic Caenorrhabditis elegans-miR-39, comparing quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and ddPCR. We used ddPCR and qRT-PCR to quantify the serum levels of miR-21, miR-208a and miR-499 between STEMI patients (n=24) and stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients (n=20). In STEMI, I/R injury was assessed via measurement of ST-segment resolution.In the dilution series, ddPCR demonstrated superior coefficient of variation (12.1%vs.32.9%) and limit of detection (0.9325 vs.2.425copies/μl). In the patient cohort, ddPCR demonstrated greater differences in miR-21 levels (2190.5 vs. 484.7copies/μl; p=0.0004 for ddPCR and 136.4 vs. 122.8copies/μl; p=0.2273 for qRT-PCR) and in miR-208a (0 vs. 24.1copies/μl, p=0.0013 for ddPCR and 0 vs. 0copies/μl, p=0.0032 for qRT-PCR), with similar differences observed in miR-499 levels (9.4 vs. 81.5copies/μl, p0.0001 for ddPCR and 0 vs. 19.41copies/μl, p0.0001 for qRT-PCR). ddPCR also more accurately defined STEMI for all miRNAs (area under the curve (AUC) of 0.8021/0.7740/0.9063 for miR-21/208a/499 with ddPCR vs. AUC of 0.6083/0.6917/0.8417 with qRT-PCR). However, there was no association between miR-21/208a/499 levels and ischemia-reperfusion injury.ddPCR demonstrates superiority in both technical performance and diagnostic potential compared to qRT-PCR. Ultimately, this supports its use as a diagnostic method for quantifying micro-RNAs, particularly in large multi-center trials.

Spermacoce alata Aubl. (Rubiaceae) is reported here as a new record to the flora of Uttar Pradesh. Detailed description, herbarium image, and relevant notes are provided.

The spatial distributions of plant species are results of variable environmental gradients, including climatic and edaphic factors, biotic factors, different eco-physiological processes, species-specific characteristics, and resource requirements, thus producing spatial heterogeneity. The species distribution and their rate of change across elevational gradients in nineteen forest communities were studied using the quadrat method and statistical modeling tools. Pindari-Sunderdhunga-Kafni (PSK) area of the Kumaun region and the Lata-Tolma-Phagti (LTP) area in the Garhwal region in the buffer zone of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve were selected as the extensive study sites. A total of 4278 individual trees belonging to 42 families in the PSK site and 6436 individual trees belonging to 25 families in the LTP site were recorded across elevational gradients between 2050 to 3800 m a.s.l. Because of the narrow elevational range and complexity in the field-based data structure, Generalized Additive Model (GAM) was used to predict the rate of change of species richness and species density. The results showed a significant decrease in density at a rate of 319–355 ind ha-1 per 100 m elevation in the Pindari-Sunderdhunga-Kafni site (P

A major problem with many promising nano-sized biotherapeutics including macromolecules is that owing to their size they are subject to cellular uptake via endocytosis, and become entrapped and then degraded within endolysosomes, which can significantly impair their therapeutic efficacy. Photochemical internalisation (PCI) is a technique for inducing cytosolic release of the entrapped agents that harnesses sub-lethal photodynamic therapy (PDT) using a photosensitiser that localises in endolysosomal membranes. Using light to trigger reactive oxygen species-mediated rupture of the photosensitised endolysosomal membranes, the spatio-temporal selectivity of PCI then enables cytosolic release of the agents at the selected time after administration so that they can reach their intracellular targets. However, conventional photosensitisers used clinically for PDT are ineffective for photochemical internalisation owing to their sub-optimal intracellular localisation. In this work we demonstrate that such a photosensitiser, chlorin e6, can be repurposed for PCI by conjugating the chlorin to a cell penetrating peptide, using bioorthogonal ligation chemistry. The peptide conjugation enables targeting of endosomal membranes so that light-triggered cytosolic release of an entrapped nano-sized cytotoxin can be achieved with consequent improvement in cytotoxicity. The photoproperties of the chlorin moiety are also conserved, with comparable singlet oxygen quantum yields found to the free chlorin.

It has come to our attention that some of our cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) images actually show ice contamination, (1) instead of the soft matter aggregates originally indicated in our publication. The images only relate to counterexample peptoid sequences that did not properly assemble (originally Figures 3D–K and S5E–G, I–M, and P). As such, our main finding of an ultrashort water-soluble tripeptoid assembling into ordered nanofibers is not changed. Our overall conclusions based on complementary cryo-EM, DLS, CAC, and fluorescence spectroscopy measurements are also unaffected. Nonetheless, the figures indicated and associated text require correction. In re-examining our cryo-EM data set, we found micrographs showing additional structures that are unlikely to be contaminants, which we previously took as less representative. Like the artifacts, the structures now identified are also irregular and consist of an ensemble of sizes centered around a mean. Incidentally, the mean sizes of these structures (50–250 nm in diameter, depending on sequence) fit better with our complementary DLS results—no agglomeration effect of individual 5–20 nm ice artifacts is needed anymore to reconcile the sizes measured by EM and DLS.

Peptoids are biofunctional N-substituted glycine peptidomimics. Their self-assembly is of fundamental interest because they demonstrate alternatives to conventional peptide structures based on backbone chirality and beta-sheet hydrogen bonding. The search for self-assembling, water-soluble "minimal" sequences, be they peptide or peptidomimic, is a further challenge. Such sequences are highly desired for their compatibility with biomacromolecules and convenient synthesis for broader application. We report the self-assembly of a set of trimeric, water-soluble α-peptoids that exhibit a relatively low critical aggregation concentration (CAC ∼0.3 wt %). Cryo-EM and angle-resolved DLS show different sequence-dependent morphologies, namely uniform ca. 6 nm wide nanofibers, sheets, and clusters of globular assemblies. Absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopies indicate unique phenyl environments for ?-interactions in the highly ordered nanofibers. Assembly of our peptoids takes place when the sequences are fully ionized, representing a departure from superficially similar amyloid-type hydrogen-bonded peptide nanostructures and expanding the horizons of assembly for sequence-specific bio- and biomimetic macromolecules.

The administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) to generate enhanced intracellular levels of endogenous porphyrins is currently one of the most important approaches for photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photodiagnosis (PDD). Despite the great promise of ALA-based PDT, the physicochemical behaviour and chemical reactivity of ALA are problematic, and a variety of chemical approaches have been brought to bear to improve cellular delivery, enhance porphyrin production, and generate ALA prodrugs that have appropriate stability for convenient clinical use, as well as selectivity for cancerous tissues. While there has been considerable success, there are still a number of challenges to be addressed and opportunities to be exploited through application of chemical insight in this area.

Author(s): Alexander, Roger P; Giraldez, MD; Spengler, RM; Etheridge, A; Godoy, PM; Barczak, AJ; Srinivasan, S; De Hoff, PL; Tanriverdi, K; Courtright, A; Lu, S; Khoory, J; Rubio, R; Baxter, D; Driedonks, TAP; Buermans, HPJ; Nolte-t Hoen, ENM; Jiang, H; Wang, K; Ghiran, I; Wang, Y; Van Keuren-Jensen, K; Freedman, JE; Woodruff, PG; Laurent, LC; Erle, DJ; Galas, DJ; Tewari, M

Amphiphilic cell-penetrating peptide–porphyrin conjugates have been developed for application in light-based therapeutic techniques., Efficient syntheses of cell-penetrating peptide–porphyrin conjugates are described using a variety of bioconjugation chemistries. This provides a flexible means to convert essentially hydrophobic tetrapyrolle photosensitisers into amphiphilic derivatives which are well-suited for use in light-triggered drug delivery by photochemical internalisation (PCI) and targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT).

There is great interest in synthetic polymers that mimic the high degree of functionality observed in peptides and proteins. However, creating a peptidomimetic system that can be easily programmed to present complex structures, biological functions, and morphological features remains a challenge. Specific ordering of diverse monomers in specific sequences to simultaneously encode structural and biochemical functionalities is a hallmark of functional biopolymers. Poly( N -substituted glycines) “peptoids,” prepared using the step-wise solid phase synthesis, constitute a class of novel sequence-specific polymers with a unique combination of bioactivity, synthetic convenience, low immunogenicity, and resistance against proteolysis. Remarkably, these properties arise simply out of a one-atom position shift of the peptide side chain from the alpha-carbon to the amide nitrogen along the peptide backbone. This article reviews the progress in peptoid therapeutics as well as the recent efforts in applying peptoids as alternative materials to peptides and conventional polymers for the self-assembly of nanostructures and for biomedical applications.