Pharmaco-chemical profiling of Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC. with special reference to soil chemistry.

BACKGROUND: Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC. (Fabaceae) (DG) is a perennial non-climbing herb or shrub and folklore medicine, widely shows a large number of medicinal properties, as well as contains divergent bioactive compounds. Many of the herbal formulations contain this medicinal plant, which is considered as master of medicinal plant in Ayurveda. This study is an attempt to establish this plant material based on its pharmaco-chemical profiles with special reference to soil chemistry. The pharmaco-chemical features such as organoleptic, DNA sequence, physicochemical, proximate, phytochemical, UV, and FTIR profiling were carried out using standard techniques. Moreover, the ADME-PK properties of the selected molecules were established. RESULTS: The pharmaco-chemical features like organoleptic, DNA sequence, physicochemical, proximate, phytochemical, UV, and FTIR profiling, ADME-PK properties, and soil chemistry of D. gangeticum revealed its unique and diagnostic peculiarities. DNA barcoding showed that the sequence was 99.77% similar to D. gangeticum (KP094638) having 100% query coverage. The soil analysis revealed the presence of moderately high content of NPK and sufficient amount of all essential macro- and micronutrients (S, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and B). The phytochemical profiling showed that the ethanolic extract of the aerial part contained glycoside, amino acid, phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, and coumarins, while the ethanolic root extract of the plant revealed the presence of glycoside, amino acid, phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, and triterpenoids. FTIR results indicated that the plant extracts are mainly rich in phenolic derivatives. ADME-PK properties of pterocarpan such as gangetin (1a), gangetinin (1b), desmocarpin (1c), and desmodin (1d) were found to pass the Lipinski, Ghose, Veber, and Egan rules, supporting the drug-likeliness. CONCLUSION: This is the first record of pharmaco-chemical profiling of D. gangeticum along with soil chemistry, and this information helps in the proper identification and future studies on this species.

Enhanced Production of ß-Caryophyllene by Farnesyl Diphosphate Precursor-Treated Callus and Hairy Root Cultures of Artemisia vulgaris L.

Artemisia vulgaris L. produces a wide range of valuable secondary metabolites. The aim of the present study is to determine the effects of various concentrations of farnesyl diphosphate (FDP) on ß-caryophyllene content in both callus and hairy root (HR) cultures regeneration from leaf explants of A. vulgaris L. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4D; 4-13 µM), α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA; 5-16 µM), and FDP (1 and 3 µM) was used for callus induction and HR regeneration from leaf explants of A. vulgaris L. In this study, precursor-treated (2,4D 13.5 µM + FDP 3 µM) callus displayed the highest biomass fresh weight (FW)/dry weight (DW): 46/25 g, followed by NAA 10.7 µM + FDP 3 µM with FW/DW: 50/28 g. Two different Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains (A4 and R1000) were evaluated for HR induction. The biomass of HRs induced using half-strength MS + B5 vitamins with 3 µM FDP was FW/DW: 40/20 g and FW/DW: 41/19 g, respectively. To determine ß-caryophyllene accumulation, we have isolated the essential oil from FDP-treated calli and HRs and quantified ß-caryophyllene using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The highest production of ß-caryophyllene was noticed in HR cultures induced using A4 and R1000 strains on half-strength MS medium containing 3 µM FDP, which produced 2.92 and 2.80 mg/ml ß-caryophyllene, respectively. The optimized protocol can be used commercially by scaling up the production of a ß-caryophyllene compound in a short span of time.

Novel synthesis of gold nanoparticles using Artemisia vulgaris L. leaf extract and their efficacy of larvicidal activity against dengue fever vector Aedes aegypti L.

The Aedes aegypti L. mosquito transmits dengue and yellow fever, which cause millions of death every year. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has rapidly spread worldwide particularly in countries with tropical and subtropical climates areas. The present study denotes a simple and eco-friendly biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles using Artemisia vulgaris L. leaf extract as reducing agent. The synthesized gold nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Visible Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Zeta Potential (ZP), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX). Solid state 13C NMR was utilized to confirm the presence of larvicidal compound Beta caryophyllene in the synthesized AuNPs. Larvicidal activity of the synthesized AuNPs was measured against A. aegypti over 12 and 24h exposure periods and compared with essential oil in various concentrations (25ppm, 50ppm, 100ppm, 200ppm and 400ppm). After a 12h exposure period, the larvicidal activity of 3rd instar larva by AuNPs showed LC50=156.55ppm and LC90=2506.21ppm, while and essential oil displayed LC50=128.99ppm and LC90=1477.08ppm. Larvicidal activity of 4th instar larva by AuNPs showed LC50=97.90ppm and LC90=1677.36ppm, while essential oil displayed LC50=136.15ppm and LC90=2223.55ppm. After a 24h of exposure period, larvicidal activity of 3rd instar larva by AuNPs showed LC50=62.47ppm and LC90=430.16ppm and essential oil showed LC50=111.15ppm and LC90=1441.51ppm. The larvicidal activity of 4th instar larva and AuNPs displayed LC50=43.01ppm and LC90=376.70ppm and for essential oil LC50=74.42ppm, LC90=858.36ppm. Histopathology of A. aegypti with AuNPs for 3rdand 4th stage larvae after 24h exposure at the highest mortality concentration (400ppm) showed that the area of the midgut, epithelial cells and cortex were highly affected. The present findings demonstrate that the biosynthesis of AuNPs using A. vulgaris leaf extracts could be an eco-friendly, safer nanobiopesticide and treatment against A. aegypti which could be used to combat of dengue fever.

PPAR gamma gene--a review.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) has been the focus of intense research because ligands for this receptor have emerged as potent insulin sensitizers used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. There have been described three PPAR isotypes α, δ and γ which have an integrated role in controlling the expression of genes playing key roles in the storage and mobilization of lipids, in glucose metabolism, in morphogenesis and inflammatory response. Recent advances include the discovery of novel genes that are regulated by PPARγ, which helps to explain how activation of this adipocyte predominant transcription factor regulates glucose and lipid homeostasis. Increased levels of circulating free fatty acids and lipid accumulation in non-adipose tissue have been implicated in the development of insulin resistance. This situation is improved by PPARγ ligands, which promotes fatty acid storage in fat deposits and regulates the expression of adipocyte-secreted hormones that impacts on glucose homeostasis. So the net result of the pleiotropic effects of PPARγ ligands is improvement of insulin sensitivity. This review highlights the roles that PPAR gamma play in the regulation of gene expression of multiple diseases including obesity, diabetes and cancer and highlights the gene isolation transformation role. Further studies are needed for the transformation of PPAR gamma gene in plants and evaluate in animals for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.