Background: Nanotechnology explores a variety of promising approaches in the area of material sciences on a molecular level, and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are of leading interest in the present scenario. This review is a comprehensive contribution in the field of green synthesis, characterization, and biological activities of AgNPs using different biological sources. Methods: Biosynthesis of AgNPs can be accomplished by physical, chemical, and green synthesis; however, synthesis via biological precursors has shown remarkable outcomes. In available reported data, these entities are used as reducing agents where the synthesized NPs are characterized by ultraviolet-visible and Fourier-transform infrared spectra and X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Results: Modulation of metals to a nanoscale drastically changes their chemical, physical, and optical properties, and is exploited further via antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, antioxidant, and cardioprotective activities. Results showed excellent growth inhibition of the microorganism. Conclusion: Novel outcomes of green synthesis in the field of nanotechnology are appreciable where the synthesis and design of NPs have proven potential outcomes in diverse fields. The study of green synthesis can be extended to conduct the in silco and in vitro research to confirm these findings.
Several reviews have been published on Artemisia's derived natural products, but it is the first attempt to review the chemistry and pharmacology of more than 80 alkaloids and allied nitrogen compounds obtained from various Artemisia species (covering the literature up to June 2018). The pharmacological potential and unique skeleton types of certain Artemisia's alkaloids provoke the importance of analyzing Artemisia species for bioactive alkaloids and allied nitrogen compounds. Among the various types of bioactive Artemisia's alkaloids, the main classes were the derivatives of rupestine (pyridine–sesquiterpene), lycoctonine (diterpene), pyrrolizidine, purines, polyamine, peptides, indole, piperidine, pyrrolidine, alkamides, and flavoalkaloids. The rupestine derivatives are Artemisia's characteristic alkaloids, whereas the rest are common alkaloids found in the family Asteraceae and chemotaxonomically links the genus Artemisia with the tribes Anthemideae. The most important biological activities of Artemisia's alkaloids are including hepatoprotective, local anesthetic, β‐galactosidase, and antiparasitic activities; treatment of angina pectoris, opening blocked arteries, as a sleep‐inducing agents and inhibition of HIV viral protease, CYP450, melanin biosynthesis, human carbonic anhydrase, [3H]‐AEA metabolism, kinases, and DNA polymerase β1. Some of the important nitrogen metabolites of Artemisia include pellitorine, zeatin, tryptophan, rupestine, and aconitine analogs, which need to be optimized and commercialized further.
A plant’s response to osmotic stress is a complex phenomenon that causes many abnormal symptoms due to limitations in growth and development or even the loss of yield. The current research aimed to analyze the agronomical, physiological, and biochemical mechanisms accompanying the acquisition of salt resistance in the Vigna radiata L. variety ‘Ramzan’ using seed osmo- and thermopriming in the presence of PEG-4000 and 4 °C under induced salinity stresses of 100 and 150 mM NaCl. Seeds were collected from CCRI, Nowshera, and sowing was undertaken in triplicate at the Department of Botany, Peshawar University, during the 2018–2019 growing season. Rhizospheric soil pH (6.0), E.C (2.41 ds/m), field capacity, and moisture content level were estimated in the present study. We observed from the estimated results that the agronomic characteristics, i.e., shoot fresh weight and shoot dry weight in T9 (4oC + 150 mM NaCl), root fresh weight and root dry weight in T4 (PEG + 100 mM NaCl), shoot moisture content in T5 (PEG + 100 mM NaCl), and root moisture content in T6 (PEG + 150 mM NaCl) were the highest, followed by the lowest in T1 (both shoot and root fresh weights) and T2 (shoot and root dry weights). Similarly, the shoot moisture content was the maximum in T5 and the minimum in T6, and root moisture was the highest in T6. We observed from the estimated results that agronomical parameters including dry masses (T4, T6, T4), leaf area index, germination index, leaf area, total biomass, seed vigor index under treatment T9, and relative water content and water use efficiency during T5 and T6 were the highest. Plant physiological traits such as proline, SOD enhanced by T1, carotenoids in treatment T2, and chlorophyll and protein levels were the highest under treatment T4, whereas sugar and POD were highest under treatments T7 and T8. The principal component analysis enclosed 63.75% of the total variation among all biological components. These estimated results confirmed the positive resistance by Vigna radiata during osmopriming (PEG) and thermopriming (4 °C) on most of the features with great tolerance under a low-saline treatment such as T4 (PEG), T5 (PEG + 100 mM NaCl), T7 (4 °C), and T8 (4 °C + 100 mM NaCl), while it was susceptible in the case of T6 (PEG + 150 mM NaCl) and T9 (4 °C + 150 mM NaCl) to high salt application. We found that the constraining impact of several priming techniques improved low salinity, which was regarded as economically inexpensive and initiated numerous metabolic processes in plants, hence decreasing germination time. The current study will have major applications for combatting the salinity problem induced by climate change in Pakistan.
The present study was undertaken to evaluate the anti microbial properties of Berberis jaeschkeana Schneid Var. jaeschkeana for the first time. The screening of B. jaeschkeana for its phytochemical constituents showed the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, steroids, saponins reducing sugars and terpenoids. Crude ethanolic extract and different fractions showed good antimicrobial properties. Five compounds isolated for the first time from this plant also showed good anti-microbial properties. Columbamine was found to have excellent anti-microbial properties among all the compounds. Article Info
Hedera nepalensis is commonly used in folk medicines for the treatment of cough and other human ailments; therefore it was selected for phytochemical and antimicrobial screening. Its phytochemical screening showed the presence of different classes of secondary metabolites. The ethyl acetate extract of its stem showed the presence of steroids, terpenoids, saponins and flavonoids. Terpenoids and flavonoids were present in chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions, steroids were present in chloroform and ethyl acetate crude extract. Ethyl acetate and chloroform fractions were found most active. Among the organisms tested, Escherichia coli was the most sensitive to the plant extract as it displayed the greatest inhibitory zone (20:0 mm).
Urease enzyme is responsible for gastric cancer, peptic ulcer, hepatic coma, and urinary stones in millions of people across the world. So, there is a strong need to develop new and safe antiurease drugs, particularly from natural sources. In search for new and effective drugs from natural sources bioassay-guided fractionation and isolation of Berberis glaucocarpa Stapf roots bark resulted in the isolation and characterization, on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR data, of two bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids, oxyacanthine (1) and tetrandrine (2), followed by urease inhibition studies. Crude extract, all the subfractions and the isolated compounds 1 and 2 displayed excellent urease enzyme inhibition properties in vitro. The antiurease nature and possible mode of action for compounds 1 and 2 were verified and explained through their molecular docking studies against jack-bean urease enzyme. Half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) was calculated for compounds 1 and 2. The IC50 value was found to be 6.35 and 5.51 µg/mL for compounds 1 and 2, respectively. Both compounds 1 and 2 have minimal cytotoxicity against THP-1 monocytic cells.
Radiation is considered as a promising insect pest control strategy for minimizing postharvest yield losses. Among various techniques, irradiation is a method of choice as it induces lethal biochemical or molecular changes that cause a downstream cascade of abrupt physiological abnormalities at the cellular level. In this study, we evaluated the effect of 60 Co-γ radiation on various developmental stages of Zeugodacus cucurbitae Coquillett and subsequent carry-over effects on the progeny. For this purpose, we treated eggs with 30- and 50-Gy radiation doses of 60 Co-γ. We found that radiation significantly affected cellular antioxidants, insect morphology, and gene expression profiles. Our results indicate that in response to various doses of irradiation reactive oxygen species, catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activities were increased along with a significant increase in the malondialdehyde (MDA) content. We observed higher mortality rates during the pupal stage of the insects that hatched from irradiated eggs (50 Gy). Furthermore, the life span of the adults was reduced in response to 50 Gy radiation. The negative effects carried over to the next generation were marked by significantly lower fecundity in the F 1 generation of the irradiation groups as compared to control. The radiation induced morphological abnormalities at the pupal, as well as the adult, stages. Furthermore, variations in the gene expression following irradiation are discussed. Taken together, our results signify the utility of 60 Co-γ radiation for fruit fly postharvest management.
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