Bacopa monnieri, Family: Plantaginaceae, known as water hyssop, herb of grace or Indian penny wort, is one of the traditional medicinal plants in Ayurveda medicine, where it is also called Brahmi, a name derived from Brahma, the creator God of the Hindu Pantheon. It is now being widely promoted to enhance memory, learning and concentration and also to treat anxiety, depression, and systemic disorders like cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, hepatic, neurological and also respiratory problems. Further, Brahmi has been shown to possess anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Its phytochemical substances are alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, and the important constituents such as bacosides, bacopasides, and bacopasaponins, which all of these contribute to its remedial properties. This article provides a brief overview of the memory boosting activity of brahmi, (B. monnieri), to further provide an upto-date review showing its importance especially, memory boosting.

Bacopa monnieri leaf aqueous and methanolic extractions at 1, 3, 5 and 24 hours were determined for the highest amount of total phenolic compound and used for evaluating the toxicity test against Artemia salina at varied concentrations as 0, 5, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 2,500 and 5,000 ppm, by determining the median and 90% lethal concentration, LC50 and LC90, respectively, within 24 hours. The result revealed that the total phenolic compound measurements in 1, 3, 5 and 24 hours were 70.58+2.74, 70.52+1.63, 67.11+2.51 and 79.01+2.87 mg of gallic acid equivalent per gram of aqueous extractions, and 37.88+1.57, 43.08+2.74, 45.86+2.68 and 55.31+3.60 mg of gallic acid equivalent per gram of methanolic extractions, respectively. Due to the highest amount of total phenolic compound, the 24-hour aqueous extract of B. monnieri leaf expressed the 24-h LC50 and LC90 values in A. salina and they were 3,577.90 and 6,440.22 ppm, respectively. Under histological analysis, pathological lesions like cellular swelling, and elongation of the epithelial cells and edema were observed. More additional, cells protruding into the lumen and absence of microvilli were also found.

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Close to industrial activity and a major seaport in the Gulf of Thailand, Sichang Island has frequently suffered from pollution and oil spills. However, the environmental health status of the surrounding waters is relatively unknown. Between December 2017 and January 2018, we reared ninety Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) in cage nets off the island and sampled blood to investigate nuclear abnormalities in erythrocytes and build leucocyte profiles. The fish were purchased locally and reared in locations where oil spills have been recorded. Environmental parameters were within the range of standard values. Erythrocyte nuclei had segmented, reniform and notched abnormalities; however, they dramatically varied after exposure. At the end of the three-month field experiment, very few micronuclei had been observed. Observed leucocytes were neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes. The percentage of lymphocytes increased considerably, reaching a post-exposure peak at three months. Our data suggest that erythrocytic nuclear abnormalities of Asian seabass could be used as an early warning of toxic pollutants in the marine environment, and as a baseline environmental health indicator for Sichang Island and the surrounding area.

The objective of this study was to describe the structure and histochemistry of the systemic organs in the female marine water-strider Asclepios annandalei from Pranburi river estuary, Thailand. Results from this study revealed for the first time that the integumentary system of this species consisted of three layers including epicuticle, exocuticle and endocuticle. The muscular system apparently contained only skeletal muscle along the body. In the urinary system, we observed well-developed Malpighian tubules, each of which was covered with the simple cuboidal epitheliums. These epitheliums also contained the secretory granules that were reacted positively with periodic acid Schiff (PAS). The digestive system of this species was composed of three distinct parts including foregut, midgut and hindgut. The respiratory system was composed of the respiratory organ, which was rarely found near the integument system. This organ was lined with a simple squamous epithelium. Two regions of nervous system, i.e., frontal ganglion connected to the eye structure and ventral nerve cord, were found. Each ganglion basically consisted of two layers, outer cortex and inner medullae. The outer cortex contained three types of cells, including neurosecretory cells, neuroglial cells and neurons. The cytoplasmic inclusion of neurosecretory cells contained secretory granules, which reacted positively with PAS, indicating the presence the glycoprotein. The neuroglia and neuron were also observed in the inner medullae layer. The female reproductive system (the ovarian structure, the reproductive tract and the accessory organ) of this gerrid species was seen under histological sections. The well-developed integument system and Malpighian tubule as well as the abundant respiratory organ is a characteristic of this species, which might be useful for the adaption to the estuarine condition.