No abstract

The study investigated the phytochemical compounds and the free radical scavenging potential of Mentha piperita L. Four solvents namely methanol, ethanol, chloroform and water were taken for the extraction of Mentha piperita L. (Peppermint). Preliminary phytochemical analysis was done using the standard protocol. Further, Mentha piperita L. was assessed for the free radical scavenging activity against four radicals namely DPPH, FRAP, hydrogen peroxide and the reducing power ability. Among all the solvents used, methanol extract exhibited the maximum extractive index. The phytochemical screening detected the occurrence of compounds such as flavonoids, carbohydrates, terpenoids, alkaloids, phenols, tannins and quinones. The free radical scavenging activity showed a maximum scavenging power in the methanol extract with increase in concentration. The scavenging efficacy of DPPH, FRAP and hydrogen peroxide were 90.33, 81.52 and 91.38% respectively at 60 μg/ml. Similarly, the reducing power showed the highest at the dose of 60 μg/ml. These findings demonstrated that the Mentha piperita L. has rich phytochemical resources, which act as a potent antioxidant species. Further studies on the therapeutic properties of this plant in animal and human models will resolve its potential for the treatment of lifestyle disorders.

The green resources which are utilized for the synthesis of nano particles are eco-friendly and helps to evade the practice of elevated use of harmful chemicals. Bio synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Catharanthus roseus leaves was carried out with their characterization including UV spectroscopy, FTIR and SEM analysis. Qualitative phytochemical analysis was done to observe the presence of phyto compounds. The antioxidant assay was done to assess DPPH and Reducing power activities. The in vitro antidiabetic assay (α-Amylase Inhibition Assay) and the in-silico molecular docking were performed to analyze the antidiabetic potential of Catharanthus leaves. Target proteins such as 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type I (11ß-HSD1; PDB ID: 1XU7), Glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1; PDB ID: 3IOL), Protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B; PDB ID: 4Y14) were chosen for molecular docking against the ligands screened from GCMS data. The colour change, UV-vis spectrum, FTIR and SEM examination supported the characterization of AgNPs. The synthesized nano particles showed a strong in vitro antioxidant activity with good scavenging percentage of 90.88% compared to the standard which was 99.84% in DPPH assay. Similarly, the inhibition of α-Amylase activity increased with increase in concentration of biosynthesized nano particles. The docking study revealed that plant compounds present have the highest binding affinity and good hydrogen bond interactions with active site residues. Hence the activities demonstrated suggest that they could be useful in the preparation of many therapeutic agents.

Allium ascalonicum belongs to family Alliaceae, is an annual plant spread throughout India. It is commonly known as shallots in India. The screening of various phytochemicals present in the methanol, ethanol, chloroform and water extracts of Allium ascalonicum was performed using a standard procedure. The different extracts were measured for the radical scavenging activities in vitro against a battery of radicals namely DPPH, FRAP and H2O2 and also the reducing power potential. The phytochemical analysis led to the detection of alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, phenols, amino acids, glycosides, tannins, triterpenoids and carbohydrates. Of all the extracts, maximum intensity was revealed in the methanol extract. Similarly, the methanol extract exhibited a stupendous radical scavenging effect with respect to all the radicals in a dosage dependent manner where the scavenging capacity increased with increase in concentration. The DPPH, FRAP and H2O2 showed a maximum inhibition, 80.67, 77.12 and 80.88 % respectively at 40 μg/mlas compared to the standard, 87.38%. Likewise, the reducing power ability was shown in the dose dependent manner. This study provides evidence for the presence of one or more soluble constituents in the plants used, that probably interferes with radical scavenging effect and further could be opted for other therapeutic activities.