Background: There is a growing demand for remedies from natural sources to substitute synthetic therapeutic drugs and minimize their side effects and toxicity. The present study aims to evaluate the defensive ability of an ethanolic extract of Rosmarinus officinalis L. in carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4)-induced nephrotoxicity in male albino rats. Materials and methods: Thirty-six rats were divided into 6 groups (n = 6). Group I (control) received distilled water for 30 days orally. Nephrotoxicity was induced by CCl 4 (11% v/v with olive oil, i.p) 2 ml/kg body weight (b.wt.) in group II once a week for 30 days. Groups III and IV received the only herb in two doses 100 and 250 mg/kg of b.wt. respectively. Groups V and VI received an ethanolic extract of Rosmarinus officinalis (EERO, 100 and 250 mg/kg of b. wt.) along with 2 ml/kg b.wt. CCl 4 weekly for 30 days. Results: CCl 4 treatment induced highly significant (P < 0.001) elevation in kidney biomarkers, i.e., blood urea nitrogen and creatinine, kidney biochemicals, i.e., LPO and XOD, and decrease the levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione in tissue. However, EERO significantly (P < 0.001) restored the altered levels of these biomarkers in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, EERO also prevents histological alteration caused due to the toxicity of CCl 4. Conclusion: Our findings strongly support that ethanolic extract of Rosmarinus officinalis acts as a potent scavenger of free radicals to prevent the toxic effect of CCl 4 and hence validate its ethnomedicinal use.

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Background: The possession of immense activities of the silver nanoparticles, due to which they have played an anomalous role in the various fields of bioscience, is of big concern of study in the recent era. So, the main aim of our study was to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous leaf extract of Ranunculus laetus using 0.1 M silver nitrate solution, and the synthesized silver nanoparticles were tested for their antibacterial activity. Results: The dark brown color of reaction mixture preliminary confirmed the synthesis of AgNPs. Further, characterization of synthesized silver nanoparticles showed UV-vis absorption peak at 442 nm, infrared spectroscopy revealed nitro compounds and aromatic amines as reducing and capping agents while X-ray diffraction revealed face-centered cubic crystallites of AgNPs with an average size of 24.125 nm. Scanning electron microscopy images confirmed spherical shape of silver nanoparticles with diameter 7.21-17.62 nm. The synthesized silver nanoparticles revealed significant antibacterial activity P < 0.05, against Escherichia coli (MTCC No. 739), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC No. 1688), Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC No. 96), and Bacillus subtilis (MTCC No. 441). The order of antibacterial potential was P. aeruginosa > S. aureus > E. coli > B. subtilis. Conclusion: The ionic silver was reduced to silver nanoparticles by the action of reducing agents present in the aqueous leaf extract of Ranunculus laetus, and these nanoparticles bare credible antibacterial activity against diverse bacterial strains.

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