A comparison of the antioxidant property of fi ve Ayurvedic formulations commonly used in the management of vata vyadhis.

Background:The fi ve kashayams (kwaths - decoctions) Manjishtadi kashayam (MK), Rasna erandadi kashayam (REK), Sahacharadhi kashayam (SK), Maharasnadi (or Rasna dwiguna bhagam) kashayam (MRK) and Dhanwantharam kashayam (DK) are widely used in the management of diseases manifested due to vitiation of vata and vatarakta (mostly diseases of connective tissues, bones, joints and nervous system). Free radicals are generated subsequent to the infl ammatory changes in such conditions, and these cytotoxic reactive oxygen species cause oxidative damage to the cells. Phenolic compounds are the most common water soluble antioxidant compounds in plants. Objective: The present study aims at evaluating the phenolic content and antioxidant properties of these fi ve kashayams and their probable protective role in the management of vata vyadhis. Materials and Method: The total phenolic contents of these fi ve Ayurvedic decoctions were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu method and the antioxidant properties were estimated by DPPH (2’2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazine) radical scavenging activity. Result: MK exhibited higher property (total phenolic content-15.61 ± 0.006 mg/g wt, EC50-7.2μg/ml) when compared to other kashayams. DK with phenolic content 12.056 ± 0.004 mg/g wt and 22 μg/ml effective concentration for 50% inhibition comes next in the present study. REK, SK and MRK show almost similar phenolic content and antioxidant property. Conclusion: From the observations, it is seen that the total phenolic content and the antioxidant property of the products justify the protective and corrective effects produced by the products in vata and vatarakta disorders.

Influence of juvenile hormone analogue on food consumption and digestive enzyme activities in Spodoptera mauritia Boisd.

Final instar larvae of S. mauritia treated topically on day 0, 1, 2 and day 3 with a daily dose of 20 microg juvenile hormone analogue (JHA) showed an increase in most of the nutritional parameters such as approximate digestibility, efficiency of conversion of ingested food, consumption index and growth rate. Also, the activities of digestive enzymes amylase, invertase, trehalase and protease increased significantly in JHA treated larvae. The supernumerary larvae formed after JHA treatments showed an increase in the activities of digestive enzymes. Neck-ligated larvae treated with 10 microg JHA exhibited a significant increase in the activities of trehalase and protease. The results demonstrate that treatments of JHA increase the activities of digestive enzymes in the last instar larvae of S. mauritia.

RAPD based DNA markers linked to anthracnose disease resistance in Sorghum bicolor ( L.) Moench.

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum graminicola is one of the major diseases of sorghum. The locus for disease resistance in sorghum [Sorghum biocolor (L.) Moench] accession G73 was found to segregate as a simple recessive trait in a cross to susceptible cultivar HC136. In order to identify molecular markers linked to the locus for disease resistance, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was coupled with bulk segregant analysis. DNA from the parental cultivars and the bulks were, screened by PCR amplification with 114 RAPD primers. Three RAPD primers amplified a sequence that consegregated with the recessive resistance allele, while another three amplified a band linked to the susceptible allele. The six disease linked markers were screened with individual resistant and susceptible genotypes to observe degree of linkage of identified RAPD markers with the gene for resistance. Two primer sequences (OPI 16 and OPD 12) were found to be closely linked to the locus for disease resistance.