Eight wild plant species namely Tragia involucrata L., Cleistanthus collinus (Roxb.)Benth. Ex Hook.f., Sphaeranthus indicus L., Vicoa indica (L.) Dc., Allmania nodiflora (L.) R.Br. ex wight., Habenaria elliptica Wight., Eriocaulon thwaitesii Koern. and Evolvulus alsinoides L. were used for phytochemical extraction with four different solvents. Antibacterial activity of these plants was studied against Escherichia coli NCIM 2065 using Kirby Bauer agar disc diffusion assay. Effective antibacterial activity was shown by T. involucrata acetone extract (27.3 mm), compared to standard medicinal drug amoxicillin (28.3 mm). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of T. involucrata extract was 15 mg/mL and hence, it could be pursued further for obtaining phytomedicine. Biochemical constituents of T. involucrata fresh leaf were: sugars (55 mg/g), starch (0.7182 mg/g), proteins (0.0166 mg/g) and lipids (170 mg/g). Alkaloids, tannins, phenolic compounds, flavonoids and steroids were also observed qualitatively.

Dieckol (DEK) is a major polyphenol of marine brown seaweed Ecklonia cava which is a potential candidate for cancer therapy. However, the underlying mechanism of DEK as an anticancer drug remains to be elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the molecular mechanisms involved in the chemopreventive efficacy of DEK in N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis rats by analyzing markers of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes (XMEs), apoptosis, invasion, and angiogenesis. Rats administered NDEA developed hepatocarcinogenesis that displayed apoptosis avoidance coupled to upregulation of pro-inflammatory, invasion, and angiogenesis markers. Treatment of DEK effectively suppressed the NDEA-initiated hepatocarcinogenesis by modulation of XMEs, inducing of apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway as revealed by modulating the Bcl-2 family proteins, cytochrome C, caspases, and inhibiting invasion, and angiogenesis as evidenced by changes in the activities of MMPs (MMP2/9) and the expression of VEGF. In addition, DEK exerts its anticancer effects via inhibition of pro-inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) and COX2 in NDEA-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Taken together, this study demonstrates that DEK modulates the expression of key molecules that regulate apoptosis, inflammation, invasion, and angiogenesis. These results strongly indicate that DEK from E. cava is an attractive candidate for chemoprevention.

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HighlightsIsolation and detailed taxonomical investigation of potential cellulolytic actinobacteria.19 morphologically distinct actinobacterial strains were subjected to cellulose degradation assay.Proved actinobacteria (MHA15) is an ideal organism for the bioconversion of cellulose.If detailed polyphasic taxonomic analysis of the strain MHA15 is made, it could be a new species.

In vitro screening method could offer a preliminary observation which is necessary to select crude plant extract with potentially useful properties for further chemical and pharmacological investigations. The present research work was designed to investigate the natural antimicrobial and bioactive constituents from Ludwigia parviflora (fruit extract). was tested for antimicrobial activity against four bacterial and three fungal pathogens using the well diffusion method with six different solvent extracts of these, ethyl acetate and ethanol extract of L. parviflora showed significant antimicrobial activity against all the tested pathogens. Bioactive constituents, as revealed by quantitative and qualitative. GC-MS analysis identified the presence of ten bioactive compounds. In conclusion, L. parviflora fruit extracts might be to treat diverse of human diseases and it could be responsible for the discovery of novel therapeutic drugs.