Cucurbita genus has received a renowned interest in the last years. This plant species, native to the Americas, has served worldwide folk medicine for treating gastrointestinal diseases and intestinal parasites, among other clinical conditions. These pharmacological effects have been increasingly correlated with their nutritional and phytochemical composition. Among those chemical constituents, carotenoids, tocopherols, phenols, terpenoids, saponins, sterols, fatty acids, and functional carbohydrates and polysaccharides are those occurring in higher abundance. However, more recently, a huge interest in a class of triterpenoids, cucurbitacins, has been stated, given its renowned biological attributes. In this sense, the present review aims to provide a detailed overview to the folk medicinal uses of Cucurbita plants, and even an in-depth insight on the latest advances with regards to its antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer effects. A special emphasis was also given to its clinical effectiveness in humans, specifically in blood glucose levels control in diabetic patients and pharmacotherapeutic effects in low urinary tract diseases.
Total 23 algal species belonging to 14 genera were reported from different sites of district Lahore. They were collected from freshwater of some areas of Lahore city during October 2017 to March 2018. All were taxonomically investigated up to specie level using light microscopy (LM). Following species were identified: Achanthes hungarica (Grunow) Grunow in Cleve et Grunow 1880, Achnanthes minutissima (Kützing) Cleve, Anabaena affinis Lemmermann, Aphanothece endophytica G.M. Smith, Aphanothece nidulans P. Richter, Calothrix fusca (Kützing) Bornet & Flahault, Chroococcus limenticus var. distans G.M. Smith, Chroococcus minor (Kützing) Lemmermann, Cyclotella operculata (C.A. Agardh) Brebisson, Cymbella ehrengbergii Kützing, Cymbella turgida, Lyngbya arboricola Bruhlet Bruh, Lyngbya tylorii Drouet & Strickland, Navicula confervacea (Kützing) Grun. var. confervacea, Navicula knsnesis Meister, Oedogonium behemicum Hirn, Oscillatoria amoena (Kützing) Gomont, Oscillatoria amphibia C. Agardh ex Gomont, Oscillatoria subbrevis Schmidle, Pinuularia interrupta W. Smith, Spirulina subsala (Oersted) ex Gomont, Ulothrix aequalis Kützing, Ulothrix tenuissima Kützing.
Around 30 pollen samples, 16 families and 25 genera that were gathered, identified and preserved from 6 different localities of District Sheikhupura. Light and scanning electron microscopy was done for all collected flora. Out of the total samples, 43% specie was identified as herbs, 23% as shrubs, and 33% were identified as trees. The flora was both wild and cultivated. Wild plants were 33%, cultivated 40% and 26% of them were both wild and cultivated. Qualitative and Quantitative survey of pollens revealed polar shape of pollens were 37% spheroidal, 20% prolate spheroidal, 17% oblate spheroidal, remaining were rectangular and pecolpate. Sexine and nexine were available in 100% of samples. Thirty‐three percentage of pollen grains were having spines on them. The presence of spines on pollen grains represents the evolutionary relationship amongst the plants. Current study was conducted to record and analyze palynomorphic diversity in district Sheikhupura, Punjab, Pakistan.
The study deals with the LM and SEM (light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy) of Datura stramonium L. extract and to evaluate its phytochemical, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities. The plant sample collected from different Lahore region was dried under shade. The plant extract was prepared using different solvents (n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol). Phytochemical screening performed qualitatively for alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, saponins, and tannins. Radical scavenging potential of plant extracts was estimated and ethyl acetate extract exhibited maximum percentage scavenging ability of 92.2 ± 0.09. Total antioxidant capacity of different extracts was measured by phosphomolybdate method. The ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts showed maximum values of 72.3 ± 0.08% and 79 ± 0.15% with respect to gallic acid. Total phenolic contents were determined through Folin-Ciocalteau method and highest value of 495.2 ± 3.4 was obtained by methanolic extract. DPPH-TLC autography was used for the visual detection of antioxidant compounds in different plant extracts.Antibacterial activity of plant extract was measured by disc diffusion method against microorganisms named Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis (Gram positive), and Salmonella typhimurium, and Proteus mirabilis (Gram negative). Because of the vast medicinal importance of D. stramonium L. it would be beneficial to study LM and SEM for correct identification of plant and to determine phytochemicals.
The present study aimed for the extraction of color dyes from different sources, such as Brassica oleracea, Brassica campestris, Citrus limon, Citrus limetta, Tagetes erecta, Spinacea oleracea, Beta vulgaris, Rosa indica and Curcuma longa. The leftovers of such plants were mainly used for color dye extraction and their confirmation using spectrophotometric analysis. The specific color pigments like carotenoids, anthocyanin, chlorophyll and betanin were found to be the main coloring agents that impart specific color to the samples. Among all these samples, the maximum yield was obtained from C. limetta aqueous peel extract, and among all the temperatures employed room temperature was found out to be the most suitable temperature for the stability of color extracts. The extracted colors were utilized in candy making and sugar syrup making and were also used for coloring various foods stuffs. Moreover, the extracted color dyes were applied for dyeing purposes on cotton cloth with alum showing better and more enhancing color fastness results than the lime.
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