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The article investigates the effect of ferulic acid and chitosan on cell suspension cultures of Decalepis hamiltonii Wight & Arn. The study analyzes and quantifies vanillin using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry following ferulic acid and chitosan treatments. It observes the biomass of suspension cultures and accumulation of vanillin, callus development on murashige and skoog (MS) medium containing Picloram and benzylaminopurine (BAP), and cell suspension cultures created on MS medium.

Aim: The objective of this study is to explore the potential of homoeopathic remedies in enhancing the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in endangered medicinal plants. Background: Plants serve as a valuable source of medicine. Plant-based medicines are known for their simplicity, efficiency, and a broad range of activity with well-documented preventative or therapeutic effects. Secondary metabolites are active chemical components found in plants that are responsible for their medicinal properties. However, population growth, increased demand, and illicit trafficking is driving the depletion of medicinal plants, besides many are on the verge of extinction. The synthesis of phytochemicals in plants for medicinal purpose can be improved through various tissue culture techniques and homoeopathic remedies have been found to boost the generation of secondary metabolites. Methodology and Results: A comprehensive review of the scientific literature was carried out by searching through various databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Wiley, Google Scholar. Numerous investigations were conducted to assess the impact of homoeopathic remedies on the growth, phytochemical composition, and essential oil production of various medicinal plants. The most studied homoeopathic preparations were Phosphorus, Sulphur, and Silicea. Homoeopathic preparations were observed to improve photosynthetic rates by distributing greater amounts of photo-assimilated substances in the leaves, ultimately leading to enhanced growth. Homoeopathic medications work on the initial substances like pyruvic acid, ornithine and proline that contribute to the formation of shikimic acid and acetate, while providing the vital energy needed for plants to grow and flourish. These processes generate organic compounds that serve as precursors for various categories of secondary metabolites. Conclusion: Overall, the results suggest that homoeopathic preparations can positively impact the essential oil yield, growth, phytochemical profile of medicinal plants and expanded possibilities for the synthesis of pharmacologically and biologically active compounds. Research into applying homoeopathy to grow medicinal plants is highly relevant, as it's a long-standing practice aiming to optimize production and improve chemical constituent quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Withania somnifera, commonly known as "Ashwagandha" or "Indian ginseng" is an essential therapeutic plant of Indian subcontinent regions. It is regularly used, alone or in combination with other plants for the treatment of various illnesses in Indian Systems of Medicine over the period of 3,000 years. Ashwagandha (W. somnifera) belongs to the genus Withania and family Solanaceae. It comprises a broad spectrum of phytochemicals having wide range of biological effects. W. somnifera has demonstrated various biological actions such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, anti-arthritic, anti-stress/adaptogenic, neuro-protective, cardio-protective, hepato-protective, immunomodulatory properties. Furthermore, W. somnifera has revealed the capability to decrease reactive oxygen species and inflammation, modulation of mitochondrial function, apoptosis regulation and improve endothelial function. Withaferin-A is an important phytoconstituents of W. somnifera belonging to the category of withanolides been used in the traditional system of medicine for the treatment of various disorders. In this review, we have summarized the active phytoconstituents, pharmacologic activities (preclinical and clinical), mechanisms of action, potential beneficial applications, marketed formulations and safety and toxicity profile of W. somnifera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. family (Graminae/poaceae) occupies its unique place and key position in ethnomedicinal practices and traditional medical (Ayurvedic, Unani, Nepalese, and Chinese) knowledge systems but according to best of our knowledge lack is done on its standardization of the herb for its quality control and authenticity. Objective: To evaluate the morphological and microscopical characters of Cynodon dactylon Pers roots collected from Maharashtra region and its phytochemical and physicochemical analysis. Methods: Microscopic, macroscopic characters and fluorescence analysis of roots samples were analyzed. The physicochemical properties such as loss on drying, total ash value, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash value and extractive values of Cynodon dactylon were carried out. Results: The detailed microscopy revealed the presence wide cortex, intact epidermis, wide circular metaxylem and parenchymatous cells loaded with starch grain. Preliminary phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of carbohydrates, flavonoids, phenols and tannins. Conclusions: This is first report on the pharmacognostic studies of Cynodon dactylon and is helpful in laying down identification, standardization and pharmacopeial standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camptothecin, topoisomerase I-DNA inhibitor, has been evaluated in methanolic extract of various parts of Nothapodytes nimmoniana (J. Graham) Mabberly (Family Icacinaceae) collected in the month of February from different regions (Mahabaleshwar and Patan regions of Maharashtra state and Sirsi region of Karnataka state) of Western Ghats, India, using high performance liquid chromatography. Quantification was performed with the regression analysis and the method was validated as per International Conference of Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. In regard to various plant parts, maximum concentration of camptothecin was found in root (2.62%) collected from Mahabaleshwar, Patan (1.21%) and Sirsi (0.88%) regions followed by stem collected from Patan (1.45%), Sirsi (0.70%) and Mahabaleshwar (0.43%) regions. The lowest concentration of camptothecin was found in leaves collected from Sirsi (0.29) region, followed by Patan (0.37) and Mahabaleshwar (0.70%) region. Fruits collected from Mahabaleshwar region contain maximum concentration of camptothecin (0.63%) whereas fruits from Patan region contain minimum concentration of camptothecin (0.36%). There was a 2-fold higher concentration of camptothecin observed in roots from Mahabaleshwar region than roots from Sirsi and Patan region. So it is evident that geographical and climatic conditions have remarkable influence in the content of camptothecin in N. nimmoniana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porphyran, sulfated polysaccharide, is derived from the cell wall and intercellular regions of Porphyra and known to be closely related to agarose in its basic structure, whereas it is very different in terms of having L-galactose-6-sulfate. Besides of various physiological effects, it is having wide pharmaceutical applications. Its structure-related gelling and emulsification properties have given birth to a new polymer in polymeric science. Porphyran uses are based on their unique properties to form strong gels after desulfation in an aqueous solution. This gel results from peculiar regular chemical structures, specific ordered molecular conformations, and aggregations. Now a days, new methodologies and instruments have provided a more accurate view of the relationships between the chemical structure and the gelling characteristics of these complex hybrid and heterogeneous polysaccharides. NMR is the single most powerful technique for solving the structures of intact polysaccharides. Developments in the NMR render the determination of structural distribution of this galactan more accessible. Such techniques also yield new information on the aggregate formation of these sulfated polysaccharides. These and other data question the existence of the generally assumed intertwined double helical conformations of these galactans during gel formation. Currently, porphyran availability is not known because of several problems such as its high molecular weight and viscosity that are suppressing its growth in world market. Hence, world market needs development of this novel compound to improve its pharmaceutical applications though this is an area of algal utilization that demands more research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are enormous UV-protective compounds present in the current world market, out of which 98% give protection against UV-B range and the remaining 2% are potent against far UV-A range only. Furthermore, these synthetic compounds have various problems related to photo-stability and cross-stability. There is a vital need of sunscreen agents that will remain stable for prolonged periods and provide broad-spectrum protection against harmful UV range. The Indian Ocean contains large amounts of macro-algae which synthesize varied amount of mycosporine amino acids, "sun-protective compounds" by shikmic acid pathway. In the present study, we have evaluated the sunscreen protection provided by Porphyra-334, a mycosporine amino acid isolated from Indian sp. of Porphyra. Furthermore, the isolated compound was detected by high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprinting, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultraviolet (UV), whereas nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and infrared spectrometry were used for its structural characterization. Stability studies were performed under different storage and pH conditions. Ultimately a sunscreen formulation was developed and its potential against marketed Aloe vera gel was evaluated by in vitro sunscreen protection method. It was observed that sunscreen potential of Porphyra-334 was 5.11-fold greater than that of the marketed Aloe vera gel preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Indian systems of medicine, there are many highly valued medicinal plants. Aegle marmelos Correa (Rutaceae), commonly known as "bael," is one of them. Its fruit exhibited antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, and antioxidant properties. This study was designed to evaluate in vitro antioxidant activity of umbelliferone and psoralen in a methanol extract of A. marmelos fruit pulp. A simple high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method has been developed for the simultaneous quantification of umbelliferone and psoralen. The method was validated for precision, repeatability, and accuracy in accordance with International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines. Inhibition of oxygen-derived free radicals (ODFR), viz., free radical scavenging, reducing power, superoxide anion scavenging assay, nitric oxide scavenging assay, and anti-lipid peroxidation, were carried out. All the antioxidant activities were compared with standard antioxidants such as BHA and α-tocopherol acetate. The extract was found to be a good scavenger of DPPH radical, nitric oxide, and superoxide anion with IC50 values of 1.015 ± 3.8, 1.381 ± 5, and 1.102 ± 4.1 mg/mL, respectively. The reducing power was calculated in terms of absorbance, which represented transfer of ferric ions to ferrous. Anti-lipid peroxidation was done with liver and brain homogenates, with IC50 values of 1.441 ± 5.2 and 1.628 ± 4.3 mg/mL, respectively. The results obtained from the current study suggest that A. marmelos fruit is a potential source of natural antioxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]