Medicinal plants have been playing an essential role in the development of human culture. As a source of medicine, Medicinal plants have always been at forefront virtually all cultures of civilizations. Medicinal plants are regarded as rich resources of traditional medicines and from these plants many of the modern medicines are produced. For thousands of years medicinal plants have been used to treat health disorders, to add flavor and conserve food and to prevent diseases epidemics. The secondary metabolites produced by the plants are usually responsible for the biological characteristics of plant species used throughout the world. The microbial growth in diverse situations is controlled by plant derived products. In this review we gave general overview of the medicinal plants.

Polythene is the most widely used plastic around the globe. Among the total plastic waste generated, polythene contributes the maximum share (64%). Various strategies/methods are being utilized to deal with the increasing rate of plastic waste, but among all the methods, bioremediation is regarded as the ecofriendly and widely accepted method. In the current investigation, we have attempted to discover the elite polythene deteriorating fungi (isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Avicennia marina ). From 12 different eco-geographical locations along the West Coast of India, total 109 fungal isolates were recorded. The polythene deteriorating fungi were screened at varied pH (3.5, 7 and 9.5) based on changes in weight and tensile strength of the treated polythene at ambient temperature with continuous shaking for 60 days. BAYF5 isolate (pH 7) results in maximum reduction in weight (58.51 ± 8.14) whereas PNPF15 (pH 3.5) recorded highest reduction in tensile strength (94.44 ± 2.40). Surprisingly, we have also reported weight gain, with highest percent weight gain (28.41 ± 6.99) with MANGF13 at pH 9.5. To test the reproducibility of the results, the elite polythene degrading fungal isolates based on weight loss and reduction in tensile strength were only used for repetition experiment and the results based on the reduction in tensile strength were found only reproducible. Polythene biodegradation was further confirmed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The most efficient polythene deteriorating fungal isolates were identified as Aspergillus terreus strain MANGF1/WL and Aspergillus sydowii strain PNPF15/TS using both morphological keys and molecular tools.

Natural products represent major approach for the discovery and development of new drugs. An updated review on the natural products is lacking in the literature. So, in the present review, an attempt has made to pool the source of current natural product information for health care professionals, to update the detailed information about natural products, to generate data bank on latest medical and scientific studies on natural products, including medically active foods (nutraceuticals).

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Endophytic fungus Fusarium oxysporum is a rich source of cellulases. In the present study, the highest activity was reported at 28˚C, pH 5.6 with 2% Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as carbon source. CMC was purified using Sephadex G and DEAE cellulose chromatography to 15.9 folds and the molecular weight was determined to be 84 kDa by SDS-PAGE analysis and was subsequently characterized. The purified enzyme was stable over the pH range from 4.0 to 8.0 and at temperatures below 50˚C. The enzyme was highly active on CMC and reduced or no activity on Avicel, cellobiose and it was suggested to be CMCase/endoglucanase. The activity of endoglucanase was enhanced in the presence of MgCl 2 , CoCl 2 , FeCl 3 , CaCl 2 , FeCl 2 and intensive to HgCl 2 . The purified enzyme showed its optimum activity at pH 5.0 -6.0 and was quite stable at 50˚C for 30 min and retained 45% of original activity.

Polythene-degradation products (PE-DPs) produced due to two most efficient polythene degrading fungal isolates (Aspergillus terreus strain MANF1/WL and Aspergillus sydowii strain PNPF15/TS) after 60 days of incubation at ambient temperature with continuous shaking were analyzed by employing GC-MS method. Total 24 PE-DPs were recorded in total 4 samples i) control (pH 3.5), ii) Treatment of Aspergillus terreus strain MANF1/WL (pH 3.5), iii) control (pH 9.5) and iv) Treatment of Aspergillus sydowii strain PNP15/TS (pH 9.5). To check the deleterious status of PE-DPs using both the elite fungal isolates at in vitro level, two living systems (Sorghum and Tiger shark) were used. The percent germination rate of sorghum seeds were found unaffected with PE-DPs of both elite fungi. PE-DPs of both the fungal isolates exhibited maximum germination index at 50%. Whereas, highest elongation inhibition rate (34.75 ± 7.10) was reported with PE-DPs of Aspergillus terreus strain MANF1/WL. In case of animals system, no mortality of the Tiger sharks was documented after fifteen days of the treatment.

Polythene degradation leads to the production of various by-products depending upon the type of degradation process. The polythene degradation products (PEDP) in the culture supernatant of the two bacteria (Lysinibacillus fusiformis strain VASB14/WL and Bacillus cereus strain VASB1/TS) were analyzed with GC-MS technique. The major by-products in the PEDP in the culture supernatant of L. fusiformis strain VASB14/WL (1,2,3,4 tetra methyl benzene) and B. cereus strain VASB1/TS (1,2,3 trimethyl benzene, 1 ethyl 3,5-dimethyl benzene, 1,4 di methyl 2 ethyl benzene, and dibutyl phthalate) dissolved in diethyl ether were recorded. To assess the environmental applicability of polythene degradation using L. fusiformis strain VASB14/WL and B. cereus strain VASB1/TS at in vitro level. The effect of PEDP produced after 2 months of regular shaking at room temperature on both plants and animal system was studied. No significant decrease in the percent seed germination was recorded with the PEDP of both the bacteria. PEDP produced by L. fusiformis strain VASB14/WL did not report any significant change in germination index (GI) at 10 and 25 %, but least GI (39.66 ± 13.94) was documented at 50 % concentration of PEDP. Highest elongation inhibition rate (53.83 ± 15.71) of Sorghum was also recorded with L. fusiformis and at the same concentration.

Due to high durability, cheap cost, and ease of manufacture, 311 million tons of plastic-based products are manufactured around the globe per annum. The slow/least rate of plastic degradation leads to generation of million tons of plastic waste per annum, which is of great environmental concern. Of the total plastic waste generated, polythene shared about 64 %. Various methods are available in the literature to tackle with the plastic waste, and biodegradation is considered as the most accepted, eco-friendly, and cost-effective method of polythene waste disposal. In the present study, an attempt has been made to isolate, screen, and characterize the most efficient polythene degrading bacteria by using rhizosphere soil of Avicennia marina as a landmark. From 12 localities along the west coast of India, a total of 123 bacterial isolates were recorded. Maximum percent weight loss (% WL; 21.87 ± 6.37 %) was recorded with VASB14 at pH 3.5 after 2 months of shaking at room temperature. Maximum percent weight gain (13.87 ± 3.6 %) was reported with MANGB5 at pH 7. Maximum percent loss in tensile strength (% loss in TS; 87.50 ± 4.8 %) was documented with VASB1 at pH 9.5. The results based on the % loss in TS were only reproducible. Further, the level of degradation was confirmed by scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. In SEM analysis, scions/crakes were found on the surface of the degraded polythene, and mass of bacterial cell was also recorded on the weight-gained polythene strips. Maximum reduction in carbonyl index (4.14 %) was recorded in untreated polythene strip with Lysinibacillus fusiformis strain VASB14/WL. Based on 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequence homology, the most efficient polythene degrading bacteria were identified as L. fusiformis strainVASB14/WL and Bacillus cereus strain VASB1/TS.