The liver is the primary organ that metabolizes the majority of the drug. Toxicity caused by these drugs to the liver is called hepatotoxicity. Hepatotoxicity is a major concern in tuberculosis therapy, especially Rifampicin - Isoniazid (R-H). Studies showed that these drugs induce oxidative stress in the liver. This study attempts to determine whether the ethanolic extract of Physalis ixocarpa (EEPI) protects against R-H induced hepatotoxicity in adult male Wistar rats. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into five groups (each group n=6 animals). Group I, control treated with normal saline (5ml/kg, b/w, p.o.). Group II, Hepatotoxicity induced by combination of R-H (each 50mg/kg, i.p.) administered up to 14 days. Group III and IV, EEPI (100 mg/kg & 200 mg/kg, b/w) were administered orally one hour before the R-H inducing agent up to 14 days. Group V, Silymarin (25 mg /kg, b/w., p.o.) was served as standard. After 14th days animals were allowed fast overnight and blood was collected through orbital puncture and animal was sacrificed then liver tissue was collected for biochemical analysis and histopathological studies. Our results show a significant reduction in the level of alkaline phosphate (ALP), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and total bilirubin. Treatment with EEPI also showed a significant increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes and decreased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver. EEPI also reduced the macrovesicular steatosis and ballooning caused by the R-H. The present study demonstrates that administration of ethanolic extract of Physalis ixocarpa ameliorating hepatoprotective activity as evidenced by the biochemical and histopathological parameters.

Polyhydroxybutyrates (PHBs) are biodegradable polymers synthesised and stored as cytoplasmic inclusions in various bacteria. They have a wide variety of applications in various fields such as Biomedical, food, agriculture, and pharmaceutical industries and used as a vehicle for controlled-release drug delivery system. The PHB producing microorganisms were isolated from the dump soil, screened by fluorescence microscope at 490 nm and characterised by 16sRNA sequencing. Process parameters optimisation is performed for maximum PHB production by changing the parameters, viz., temperature, pH, different carbon, and nitrogen source. The isolate showed maximum PHB accumulation in the concentration of 0.07 mg/mL after 72 hours incubation at 35⁰C and in pH 7 showed the maximum concentration of 0.055 mg/mL. FT-IR characterised PHB shows the bands at 3426 cm-1 are due to the presence of C–H methylene and methyl groups and retention time of the peak at 12.39 min was determined HPLC. D- Glucose was found to be the best carbon source for the maximum production of PHB in the concentration of 0.0319 mg/mL and the media supplemented with peptone as the nitrogen source showed the 0.0723 mg/mL is the maximum accumulation of PHB in the cells; thus, the isolate shows the potential of PHB production for further exploitation.