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Background: Medicinal plants and their products are gaining global popularity due to its several health benefits. However, the biological activities of the vast majority of medicinal plant species have not been explored yet. In this study, we evaluated the enzyme inhibitory potential six medicinal plant species involved in digestion, skin-related problems, and neurological problems. Methods: The 80% methanol extract of six locally available plants from the Bagmati province of Nepal were analyzed for their flavonoids content, phenolics content, antioxidant activity, and enzymes inhibitory potential. Antioxidant activity was analyzed by the DPPH assay. Alpha-amylase inhibition was carried out by the DNSA method. Lipase, tyrosinase, elastase, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition were analyzed by using p-NPB, L-DOPA, AAAPVN, acetylthiocholine, and butyrylthiocholine as a respective substrate. Results: Among the analyzed plants species, Artocarpus heterophyllus possess highest α-amylase (IC50=6.28±0.01 μg/mL), lipase (IC50=475.14±3.17 μg/mL), elastase (IC50=72.75±3.41 μg/mL) and acetylcholinesterase (IC50= 68.66±1.71 μg/mL) inhibition, whereas, Actinidia deliciosa possess highest tyrosinase inhibition (IC50=139.87±0.72 μg/mL) and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition (IC50=18.32±0.44 μg/mL). Furthermore, Jasminum humile showed no inhibitory tendencies against elastase and Lygodium japonicum showed no inhibition towards lipase and elastase at given concentration range. Conclusions: Our study revealed that A. deliciosa and A. heterophyllus are the potential source of α-amylase, lipase, elastase, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors. Based on our finding, we concluded that the analyzed plant species are of great scientific interest to the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industry.

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Rainwater Harvesting Systems (RWHSs) are increasingly being used as an alternative or supplementary source of water to curb the water supply deficit in the Kathmandu valley. The harvested rainwater is primarily used for non-potable purposes like flushing toilets and irrigation, but the knowledge on the use of rainwater for potable purpose is remarkably sparse. This study assesses the suitability of rainwater in terms of quantity and quality in a public school that adopts Rooftop RWHS as the source of drinking water. In this study, we observed that the volume of rainwater being harvested is sufficient to address the current demand of drinking water, with a mean rainfall of 1664 mm on a catchment area of 372 m2. Storage capacity  needs to be expanded if the demand increases. Physico-chemical and microbial analyses of water samples (before and after a series of treatments) were carried out for the winter, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons. The values of physico-chemical parameters of the water samples, in all the seasons, were well within both the National Drinking Water Quality Standards (NDWQS, 2005) and the World Health Organisation (WHO, 2017) guidelines for drinking water, while fecal coliforms were detected in the storage tank, but were absent in tap water after the treatments. Based on the findings, we suggest that the harvested rainwater could be used for drinking purposes if properly treated. RWHS use at the institutional level, like in schools, on the one hand, curbs the increasing demand for water in water-deficit locations like Kathmandu, and on the other, encourages the adoption of such sustainable technologies for the water supply.