Comparative Extraction and Bioactive Potential of the Leaf Extracts of Azadirachta indica for Combatting Postoperative Head and Neck Infections: An In Vitro Study.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical site infections (SSIs) following head and neck cancer surgery are very common postoperative sequelae. Delayed wound healing leads to a poor aesthetic outcome, delay in restarting oral intake, and delay in getting or starting adjuvant therapy. Antibiotic resistance is on the rise necessitating studies that use alternatives to combat the rising antibiotic resistance. Many plant compounds have been studied to explore the possibility. Neem (Azadirachta indica), a high medicinal value plant, possesses a vast array of phytocompounds, which are broadly grouped into isoprenoids and non-isoprenoids. These phytocompounds are crucial for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antipyretic, and various other pharmacological activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we examined the impact of the extraction solvents on the bioactive potential of neem. Neem leaf samples were extracted with water and ethanol; followed by their biological activities like extraction yield, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxicity studies were performed. The extraction yield was found to be higher in the ethanolic extract than in the aqueous extract, which also corroborates with increased antioxidant and antibacterial activity. Both the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of neem exhibited antibacterial activities against dental biofilm-producing pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli. Results: Extraction yield was higher in the ethanolic extract of neem. Antioxidant activity was found to be higher in the ethanolic extract than in the aqueous extract. Neem extract has no toxicity, which was observed through hemolytic and zebrafish embryo toxicity assays. The ethanolic extract of neem was shown to be more effective against the Gram-positive and Gram-negative drug-resistant bacterial pathogen Discussion and conclusion: Thus, the utilization of neem extracts is certainly useful in controlling pathogenic bacterial growth in clinical applications. Further, a detailed mechanism of action of neem extract in bacterial growth inhibition at the molecular level is warranted to utilize their potential in disease management.

The new method developed for evaluation of anthelmintic activity by housefly worms and compared with conventional earthworm method.

Evaluation of anthelmintic activity of any drug when carried out in laboratory conditions by using the isolated worms from nature cannot be adaptable with artificial laboratory conditions. Therefore, the present study aims at developing a new adaptable method for evaluation of anthelmintic activity. The present anthelmintic activity study reveals a new methodology with housefly worms cultured in laboratory conditions that resemble parasitic pinworms found in human being. We studied the anthelmintic activities of various drugs on housefly worms and earthworms. The results showed that the housefly worms had taken more time for paralysis and death. Even after paralysis the time taken for death is more in housefly worms in spite of smaller size and lesser weight of the worms compared to earthworms. The study concluded that the earthworms have not adapted to the artificial laboratory conditions leading to erratic results. Therefore, culturing of housefly worms was carried out to evaluate the anthelmintic activity and found an easy, prominent, eco-friendly, and reproducible method in all aspects such as equal age, size, and weight of worms used for the experiment.