Objective:Clerodendrum viscosum, Eryngium foetidum, Lippia javanica, and Murraya koenigii are one among the common wild edible plants in Northeast India which are also used as antidiabetic, stomach-ache relieving drugs, etc., The present study was aimed to reveal the phytochemical, antioxidant, and anthelmintic activity of the plants.Materials and Methods:The antioxidant capacity of methanolic extract of plants was studied by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power, TBARS, and total antioxidant activity (TAA). Total phenolics, flavonoids, Vitamin C, carbohydrate, and protein are also estimated following standard protocols. Anthelmintic activity of the extracts has also been studied in vitro against trematode parasites.Results:The result showed that the methanolic extracts of plants possess a substantial quantity of alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, proteins, carbohydrates, and Vitamin C. Phenolics, flavonoids, and Vitamin C contents were found higher in C. viscosum followed by M. koenigii, L. javanica, and E. foetidum. The in vitro antioxidant assays revealed substantial free radical scavenging property in all the plants. TAA increased in the order C. viscosum > M. koenigii > L. javanica > E. foetidum. Similarly, C. viscosum displayed a better antioxidant capacity with IC50 values 29.74 ± 3.63 μg and 148.77 ± 18.38 μg for DPPH and thiobarbituric acid reactive species, respectively. In addition, the plant extracts also showed good anthelmintic activity against Paramphistomum sp. Time taken for paralysis and death were 0:56 ± 0:09 h and 1:35 ± 0:07 h for L. javanica at 50 mg/mL concentration.Conclusion:The study therefore suggests the importance of tested plants as a natural source of free radical scavenger and plausible veterinary uses.

Background: The use of medicinal plants for general wellbeing and disease treatment is a common practice among tribal communities of Kokrajhar districts of Assam. However, little works have been done to study the pharmacological aspect of the plants. Objectives: The present study intends to study the antioxidant and antiproliferative properties of selected medicinal plants used by the tribal communities of Kokrajhar district of Assam since ancient times. Methods: Five traditionally important medicinal plants namely, Cassia fistula, Citrus grandis, Lindernia crustacea, Sacciolepis myosuroides, and Zingiber zerumbet were investigated for antioxidant, antiproliferative (cytotoxic) and apoptosis-inducing potential in the malignant cancer cell line. Phytochemical content such as phenolic and flavonoid content were estimated following standard protocol. The methanolic extract of plants were investigated following phosphomolybdate method (TAC), FRAP, DPPH, ABTS, and TBARS assays. Antiproliferative activities of the plants were carried out by MTT assay in DL and PBMC cells. The apoptotic study was carried out following the acridine orange and ethidium bromide staining method and fluorescent microscopic imaging. Based on the significant (P≤0.05) high apoptotic inducing potential of the plant and to further dissect the molecular mode of action including downstream biological action, major phytochemicals derived from L. crustacea were investigated for its prospective binding affinity with antiapoptotic cancer target proteins. Results: Antioxidant studies by FRAP, DPPH, ABTS, and TBARS assay revealed that all the five plants contain considerable free radical scavenging activity. C. fistula showed the strongest free radical scavenging activity while the fruit peel extract of C. grandis showed poor activity. The overall antioxidant activities of plants such as TAC, FRAP, DPPH, ABTS, and TBARS may be arranged in decreasing activity as C. fistula > Z. zerumbet > L. crustacea > S. myosuroides > C. grandis. MTT based cell proliferation study showed that all the plants extract significantly (P≤0.05) inhibited cell viability with negligible cytotoxicity (~5-12%) in normal cells. Moreover, L. crustacea showed promising antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing ability against Dalton’s lymphoma. It is worth mentioning that the major bioactive compounds of the most potent plant extract, L. crustacea interacted with anti-apoptotic proteins (cancer target) with higher affinity and the results are compared with reference inhibitors. Conclusion: It is worth noting that these plants have the potential to consider for further scientific studies in different cell lines and animal models. Furthermore, isolation and characterization of bioactive compound(s), may promise the discovery of new and valuable drugs candidate to tackle various human diseases.

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Background The practice of ethnomedicine remains to be the primary source of healthcare in many parts of the world, especially among the tribal communities. However, there is a lack of scientific outlook and investigation to authenticate and validate their medicinal values. Objective The present study investigated the trace and heavy metal content, bioactive compounds, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of Rauvolfia tetraphylla and Oroxylum indicum using in vitro and in silico methods. Methods Trace and heavy metal content of Rauvolfia tetraphylla and Oroxylum indicum were detected using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Bioactive compounds were analyzed and identified by the GC-MS technique. α-Amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the plants were studied using the spectrophotometric method using UV/VIS-Spectrophotometer. In silico molecular docking was carried out in AutoDock vina and the structures visualized using PyMol and Biovia Discovery Studio software. Statistical and graphical representations were performed using Excel and OriginPro. Results The trace and heavy metallic content such as Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Mn were reported from both the plant. No Cd was detected in both the plants. GC-MS analysis revealed four major compounds in R. tetraphylla and seven in O. indicum. Biochemical studies showed that the leaf extract of O. indicum posses the strongest α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. R. tetraphylla showed weaker enzyme inhibition. Molecular docking study revealed that three compounds from O. indicum (O2, O3, and O6) and two from R. tetraphylla (R1 and R2) showed strong binding affinity to α-amylase and α-glucosidase. However, leaf extract of O. indicum showed better binding affinity with the enzymes compared to R. tetraphylla. Conclusion Inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase in an important strategy of diabetes control. The present study revealed the in vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of Rauvolfia tetraphylla and Oroxylum indicum. In conclusion, the study identified that the leaf extract of O. indicum as a potential inhibitor of glucose metabolizing enzymes and could be a source of antidiabetic agents.