No abstract

Rhizosphere-resident fungi that are helpful to plants are generally termed as ‘plant growth promoting fungi’ (PGPF). These fungi are one of the chief sources of the biotic inducers known to give their host plants numerous advantages, and they play a vital role in sustainable agriculture. Today’s biggest challenge is to satisfy the rising demand for crop protection and crop yield without harming the natural ecosystem. Nowadays, PGPF has become an eco-friendly way to improve crop yield by enhancing seed germination, shoot and root growth, chlorophyll production, and fruit yield, etc., either directly or indirectly. The mode of action of these PGPF includes the solubilization and mineralization of the essential micro- and macronutrients needed by plants to regulate the balance for various plant processes. PGPF produce defense-related enzymes, defensive/volatile compounds, and phytohormones that control pathogenic microbes’ growth, thereby assisting the plants in facing various biotic and abiotic stresses. Therefore, this review presents a holistic view of PGPF as efficient natural biofertilizers to improve crop plants’ growth and resistance.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles have become one of the most popular metal oxide nanoparticles and recently emerged as a promising potential candidate in the fields of optical, electrical, food packaging, and biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, low toxicity, and low cost. They have a role in cell apoptosis, as they trigger excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and release zinc ions (Zn2+) that induce cell death. The zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesized using the plant extracts appear to be simple, safer, sustainable, and more environmentally friendly compared to the physical and chemical routes. These biosynthesized nanoparticles possess strong biological activities and are in use for various biological applications in several industries. Initially, the present review discusses the synthesis and recent advances of zinc oxide nanoparticles from plant sources (such as leaves, stems, bark, roots, rhizomes, fruits, flowers, and seeds) and their biomedical applications (such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, photocatalytic, wound healing, and drug delivery), followed by their mechanisms of action involved in detail. This review also covers the drug delivery application of plant-mediated zinc oxide nanoparticles, focusing on the drug-loading mechanism, stimuli-responsive controlled release, and therapeutic effect. Finally, the future direction of these synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles’ research and applications are discussed.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Trigonella foenum graecum leaves are widely used as a vegetable throughout India and have a long history of medicinal use in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. Even though the leaves of this plant are used in diabetes mellitus, there have been no in vivo studies to prove its efficacy. The aim of this study was to know the efficacy of ethanol extract of T. foenum graecum leaves on blood glucose levels, antioxidant enzymes, islets cells of pancreas, creatinine and urea levels in normal and streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (45 mg/kg b.w. in 0.9 % cold saline). Two doses (250 and 500 mg/kg b.w.) of the extracts were administered in the study. The activity was compared with the reference standard glibenclamide (0.5 mg/kg b.w.) for various biochemical and histopathological parameters. The data was analysed by one way ANOVA followed by Turkey's post hoc test. The activity of the extract in reducing blood glucose, creatinine and urea levels, in enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity and restoring and regenerating islet cells of pancreas was comparable to glibenclamide. The result suggests that ethanol leaf extract of T. foenum graecum possesses significant antidiabetic property.

Context: Cucumis prophetarum Linn. (Cucurbitaceae) fruit is used for inflammatory-related problems and is proved to be possessing anticancer and hepatoprotective effects. Objective: The present investigation was to study the effect of different fractions of C. prophetarum on antidiabetic and antioxidant activity. Materials and methods: Aqueous crude extract (CE) of C. prophetarum fruits was fractionated into water soluble fraction 1 (F1), chloroform fraction 2 (F2), basic fraction 3 (F3), and neutral fraction 4 (F4) by acid-base extraction. CE and its fractions at different doses (0.02-0.1 mg/mL) were subjected to antidiabetic (a-amylase and a-glucosidase inhibition assays) and antioxidant (DPPH, superoxide radical scavenging (SO) and metal chelation) evaluation. Results: F1 exhibited effective antidiabetic activity (p50.05) with an IC 50 value of 20.6 and 59.9 mg/mL. The activity decreased in the order of CE4F44F34F2, according to a-amylase assay, which were the same, with the exception of the rank order of F4 and CE, as the a-glucosidase assay. Furthermore, F1 (IC 50 ¼ 73 mg/mL) showed better reducing ability than CE4F44F24F3 (IC 50 ¼ 78-272 mg/mL), according to the DPPH assay. In SO and metal chelation assays, F1 showed the highest activity (IC 50 ¼ 101 and 147 mg/mL), respectively; the activity decreased in the order of CE4F44F34F2 (IC 50 ¼ 126-469 mg/mL) for SO and 194-944 mg/mL for metal chelation assay. Conclusion:The results indicate that F1 possesses potent in vitro antidiabetic and antioxidant activities.