Background Currently, no vaccines or modern drugs are available for dengue and chikungunya and only symptomatic relief is provided to the patients. Siddha medicine, a traditional form of indigenous medical system uses specific polyherbal formulations for the treatment of such infections with considerable success. One such polyherbal formulation for the treatment of chikungunya and dengue is Nilavembu kudineer (NVK). The mechanistic details of this drug as an antiviral for chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and dengue virus (DENV) is poorly understood. Objectives The current study was undertaken to study the efficacy of NVK as an antiviral formulation against CHIKV and DENV. Materials and methods Cytotoxicity assays (MTT) were performed to determine the role of NVK as an antiviral during chikungunya and dengue infections in the following conditions-i). post infection, ii). during active infections and iii) protective, not allowing virus infection. Results It was observed that NVK provides protection against CHIKV and DENV-2 during active infection as well can help to prevent virus infection in the cells and it mainly depends on the cellular availability of drugs for maximum protection against both the infections. Conclusion Our study establishes that extraction protocols are important to ensure maximum efficacy of NVK along with the time of addition of the drug during CHIKV and DENV infections in the cells. This study provides insights to the possible mode of action of NVK in in vitro condition during CHIKV and DENV infection.

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This study applies a propolis from a stingless bee, Heterotrigona itama as an alternative to control the infestation of a subterranean termite, Coptotermes curvignathus. The objective of this study was to assess the antitermitic activity of stingless bee’s propolis as termiticide based on its repellency activity, contact toxicity effect as well as its ability to act as cellulase inhibitor. The bioactive components of the propolis in terms of the phenolics and flavonoids content were also determined. It was observed that the propolis is a termite’s repellent with a preference index of -0.73. Upon contact, it can kill 50% of the termite’s population within 1.5 hours with lethal concentration of about 16% (w/v). It’s extract also can inhibit cellulase activity of termites. Diameter of the clear zone on the CMC agar was found to be significantly reduced from 3.1 cm to 2.4 cm when 30% (w/v) propolis’s extract was added into the termite extract at the ratio of 1 to 4 (termite: propolis extract). In conclusion, from the results obtained, propolis from Heterotrigona itama has high potential to be used as an environmentally safe alternative to chemical termiticide.