INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PLANT AND ENVIRONMENT

In-silico Study of Phytochemicals of Ethnobotanical Plant Cannabis sativa for Anti-Diabetic Potential

Arti Chauhan, Priyanka Sharma, Anjala Durgapal, Subhash Chandra — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Ethnobotany is an applied multidisciplinary science in which we not only systemically study inter-relations between human and plant kingdom but also has applications in many fields, including food industry, climate change, biodiversity conservation, and human health. Ethnobotanical plants form an integral part of human life. Many medicinal and aromatic plants are used by locals and nomadic people, which come from a wild source. According to Atharva-Veda, Cannabis is one of the most sacred plants.
Perfect development provides insurance for health and healthy life and maintains stability in the ecosystem. If we deeply observe our different traditions, we will find that every ritual shows the close relationship of humans with nature. There are a number of natural ingredients used for performing different rituals. Cannabis is the plant that is commonly known as “Bhang”. Cannabis has been traditionally associated with lord “Shiva” worship. There are various stories behind these rituals mentioned in various mythology books. In this research, we focus on this plant’s ethnomedicinal value and assessed the antidiabetic potential of Cannabis sativa, an ethnobotanical plant of Ranikhet tehsil, by in-silico method. Hence, we conducted molecular docking of phytochemicals with molecular antidiabetic targets, alpha-amylase. The aim of this paper is an in-silico study of the C. sativa’s phytochemicals on the glucose metabolism related to alpha-amylase. From our study, we hope to find potential phytochemicals which could be useful in treating diabetes problems

Thin Layer Chromatographic Profiling, Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Activity of Selected Medicinal Plants

Richa Dodia, Susmita Sahoo — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Diabetes mellitus is a disorder whose frequency is speedily increasing everywhere on the planet. According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), a United Nations Agency, polygenic diseases are going to be the seventh leading reason for death in 2030. Several healthful plants like Citrullus lanatus, Trigonella foenum-graecum, and Murraya koenigii are used for the treatment of diabetes disorders in the Indian medicine system and different ancient systems of the world. These three plant leaves were collected from Vadodara and Anand, Gujarat. Thin layer chromatography profiling of all three plant leaves confirmed the presence of various common classes of phytochemicals such as rutin, gallic acid, tannic acid, and quercetin in both cities. Thin layer chromatographic analysis of a particular leaf revealed various retention factor values in the range of 0.01 to 0.97. Also, C. lanatus, T. foenum-graecum, and M. koenigii plant leaves confirmed the antioxidant and antidiabetic activity but C. lanatus from Anand city was found to be the best plant. The study will help in the future to identify this plant for further research in industries and pharmaceutical companies.

Unraveling the Relationship between Percentage Cover and Biomass of Various Herbaceous Species in the Dry Tropical Grassland

Alka Gupta, R. Sagar, Aakansha Pandey — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The estimation of biomass and cover is an ideal variable for determining ecosystem productivity, vegetation abundance, and community structure of any ecosystem. Biomass estimation by harvest method causes a huge loss of biomass and biodiversity. Non-destructive methods are helpful for repeated and regular sampling of the same plot to measure any change in biomass at the fixed time interval. There are already several regression equations established between biomass and cover in various ecosystems for finding above-ground biomass but there was an urgent need for such studies in dry tropical grasslands. The experiment was performed in the entire campus of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. 115 Quadrats were sampled in the entire university campus during year 2019-2020. For each quadrat, species-wise individual numbers were recorded and above-ground biomass was estimated by harvest method. Herbage cover was recorded for each species and measured by gridding each 1×1 m2 quadrat into 100 cells of 10 × 10 cm cells, each representing 1% cover. We found 59 herbaceous species of 28 different families. The family Asteraceae was the most common while only single species represented the other seventeen families. Most of the species like Dichanthium annulatum, Sida acuta, Ageratum conyzoides, Malvastrum coromandelianum, Rungia pectinate, and Vernonia cinerea showed linear regression equation, Parthenium hysterophorus, Alternenthera sessilis, Boerhavia diffusa showed quadratic polynomial trendlines. Species like Zephyranthes citrina and Ruellia tuberosa showed a power regression equation. Only Andrographis paniculata, and Chenopodium album showed an exponential regression equation. A power regression equation was found between pooled biomass and cover. Using the regression equations biomass of the listed 59 species could be calculated easily without disturbing the vegetation of the study area which will eventually help in the conservation of nature.

Establishment of Herbal Garden in the Galgotias University Campus - An Ex-situ Conservation Approach

Ganesh D. Bhatt, Mittapalli Bindhupriya, Jenny Salam — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Herbal gardens are a rich source of plant-based medicines and their derivatives. Both in urban and rural locations, herbal plants have an important role in traditional medicine. The development of herbal garden includes propagation, multiplication, research, education, and extension activities as well. In the present study, we took herbal plants from different nurseries of Noida and Greater Noida of Gautam Buddha Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh and developed herbal garden in the Galgotias University campus. The herbal garden has approximately 45 different plants, including shrubs (22), trees (13), herbs (9) and grass (1) etc. The geotagged photographs of each herbal plant were captured using GPS map camera. The ex-situ conservation of herbal garden in Galgotias University would help and motivate faculties and students of the university, to undertake further research on medicinal plants.

Therapeutic and Biological Aspects of Leaf Extracts from Indian Copper leaf Plant (Acalypha Indica)

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Acalypha indica is found extensively in India and the Indian subcontinent. The whole plant has medicinal values with many ethnobotanical importance which has been described in many ancient and modern literatures. Most medicinal and therapeutic capabilities are present in leaves compared to other plant parts such as roots, stems, seeds and flowers. Various studies have been proposed to establish the therapeutic capabilities of the Indian Copper leaf plant (Acalypha indica). This research paper focuses on studying different phytochemicals present in acetone and hydro-alcohol leaf extracts of Acalypha indica with quantification of Phenol and Flavonoid content in the plant extracts. This experimental evidence also quantifies the antioxidant properties by DPPH methodology for given extracts and the plants’ importance as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. The study also gives insight into the capability of the solvent extracts for the greener synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNP’s) from molecular silver solution with characterization and morphological characteristics of synthesized silver nanoparticles.

New Distributional Records of Three Rare Ferns from Odisha, India

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Niyamgiri and Kotgah Wildlife Sanctuary are part of the Eastern Ghats located at Odisha. The altitude range of these mountain ranges between 400–1516 m shows the diversity of vegetation due to their undulating mountain peaks, deep gorges, valleys and numerous springs. Three species viz., Amblovenatum opulentum (Kaulf.) J. P. Roux, Pronephrium articulatum (Houlston & T. Moore) Holttum and Sphaerostephanos hirtisorus (C. Chr.) Holttum (Family: Thelypteridaceae) collected from Niyamgiri hill and Kotgarh Wildlife Sanctuary are recorded for the first time from Odisha state. The same are documented here with taxonomic details and photographs of herbaria

Variation in Antimicrobial Activity and Seed Storage Proteins in Three Species of the Medicinal Plant Alstonia

Jyoti Kumari, Tanuja . — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The family Apocynaceae comprises three species of the substantially important Alstonia plant, viz., A. scholaris, A. venenata, and A. macrophylla. The investigation of proteins contained within seeds, that has the potential to provide both precise details and a structural basis for characterizing diversity. The utilization of an electrophoretic technique for protein analysis has been observed in recent scholarly investigations. This implies that certain protein bands exhibit variability, with their presence or absence being detected across different seed arrangement levels in the gel. Furthermore, this implies that the protein bands have been segregated into distinct categories. A study was conducted to analyze the seed storage protein profiles of three distinct Alstonia species through the application of sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The resolution of the seed storage protein of the Alstonia species using 15% SDS was found to alter the banding pattern of the polyacrylamide gel. The SDS-PAGE analysis revealed differential up regulation of proteins across distinct bands. Throughout the examination, it was determined that the three aforementioned species exhibited a
common band, in addition to a protein with a molecular weight of 34 kDa. The number of protein bands attached to A. venenata was the highest (ten bands), while the number of protein bands that adhered to A. scholaris was the lowest (five bands). Further, powdered leaves of A. scholaris, A. venenata, and A. macrophylla were investigated for antibacterial and the results, A. macrophylla leaf powder is most effective against Staphylococcus aureus, followed by A. venenata and A. scholaris at 1 μg/ mL. In addition, the findings support the inference that the A. scholaris leaf powder effectively inhibited the growth of Aspergillus niger. A. venenata and A. macrophylla, both at 1μg/mL, are, nonetheless, also effective against A. niger. A. macrophylla has the largest zone of inhibition (11.5 mm) against A. niger.

Phytoremediation Technology for Heavy Metal Removal from the Environment

Rana Eram, Aditya A. Singh, Nikhita Bharti, Tanuja . — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Anthropogenic activities, industrialization, and urbanization have contributed extensively to the enhanced pollution levels in the
environment. Along with soil and water pollution, air pollution is also escalating and contamination with heavy metals (HMs) is
dangerous for the environment since it has negative impacts on people, animals, plants, and the ecosystem. HMs derive their origin from natural and anthropogenic sources. Commercial activities like processing of metals, mining, automobiles, geothermal energy plants, manufacturing industries, tanning, dyeing and plating are the sources of HM contamination. The non biodegradable, permanent inorganic chemical components recognized as HMs are typically harmful at small doses even in humans. HM toxicity leads to carcinogenic effects, developmental and reproductive damage, cardiovascular ailments, haematological, respiratory and nervous system disorders, inflammation and gastrointestinal troubles etc. The absorption and accretion of these metals cause oxidative stress and molecular damage, cytotoxic and mutagenic effects, growth reduction and physiological disorder in plants. Therefore considering their toxic effects, various mechanical as well as physio-chemical technologies are employed for metal removal from the air, water and soil but these techniques have their own limitations and environmental consequences. Hence, phytoremediation is considered an innovative, potentially promising technology employing majorly green plants. The various phytoremediation techniques involve phytoextraction, phytostabilization, phytodegradation, phytotransformation, phytovolitization, and rhizofiltration. Employing these techniques, plants can remove contaminants through a variety of processes, including adsorption, absorption, transport and translocation, hyper-accumulation, transformation, and mineralization. While phytoremediation of air pollutants is still an emerging technology, assimilation properties of plants to convert a toxicant into non-toxic forms have been used extensively for phytoremediation of air. Plants like Morus alba and Eucalyptus globulus can efficiently remove metallic pollutants from air. Moreover, aquatic macrophytes like Eichhornia crassipes,
Spirodela polyrhiza, Pistia stratiotes, Azolla, Lemna minor, and Salvinia herzogii are potentially used for cleanup of the HMs in water, while Brassica juncea, Thlaspi caerulescens, Jatropha curcas, Pteris vittata, Vetiveria zizanioides, Gentiana pennelliana, Ambrossia artemisifolia etc. display tremendous well known phytoremediation activity in soil. Phytoremediation is an innovative, aesthetically pleasing, nonintrusive, sustainable and cost-effective technology. Furthermore, due to the disadvantages like high maintenance cost, extensive labor requirement and risks involved in existing conventional technologies associated with pollution abatement, phytoremediation technique can act as a potential, cost-effective and efficient method for water, soil as well as air pollution control.

Green Plants as a Sustainable Solution to Air Pollution

Nitin Joshi, Charu Khosla Gupta, Yash Mangla, Arijit Chowdhuri — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

In today’s global context, the escalation of air pollution stands out as an immensely critical environmental challenge that has attained a worldwide magnitude. This pressing issue not only impacts every living organism on our planet but is also intricately linked to the phenomenon of climate change. The significant increase in vehicular traffic, rapid urbanization, and infrastructure development have indirectly contributed to a higher concentration of harmful gaseous and particulate pollutants in the atmosphere, posing serious risks to human health. Extensive research has thoroughly documented the adverse effects of these air pollutants, with mortality and morbidity rates varying depending on the type of pollutant and the duration of exposure. However, amidst this crisis, green plants emerge as a cost-effective and promising solution to combat environmental pollution, presenting several additional benefits. Specifically, pollutiontolerant plant species are crucial in reducing ambient air pollution and the urban heat island effect. To assess a plant’s tolerance towards air pollution, experts use the air pollution tolerance index (APTI), which calculates crucial factors such as ascorbic acid, total chlorophyll, pH, and relative water content in the plant. This determination provides a reliable method for categorizing plants into either tolerant or sensitive types in the face of air pollution. Moreover, the morphological characteristics of leaves, such as stomata distribution and density, cuticle thickness, and trichome density, play an essential role in adsorbing and absorbing particulate matter from the air. These inherent qualities further enhance plants’ potential to combat air pollution in a sustainable manner, making them valuable assets for the future. In light of this, the present review highlights the impressive capacity of plants to remediate air pollutants and explores the various strategies employed in this crucial endeavor. By leveraging the remarkable capabilities of green plants, we have the opportunity to address the air pollution crisis and embrace a sustainable path for the times to come. These remarkable organisms could be the sustainable saviors we need to protect our environment and secure a healthier future for all.

In-silico Molecular Interaction Studies of Biologically Active Secondary Metabolites of Cissus quadrangularis L. as a Potential Anti-cancer Drug

Abhinav Chauhan, Arvind Kumar, Tanuja . — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Cissus quadrangularis Linn. is a succulent perennial plant of family Vitaceae also called as Asthisandhaanak or Hadjor in Hindi, has been traditionally described in Ayurveda and Siddha literature as general tonic and as a powerful analgesic, used as an anti-cancer, antidiabetic, antibacterial, hepatoprotective and neuroprotective etc. It is a good source of biologically active secondary metabolites withvarious pharmacological activities implicated in a wide range of human diseases. Cancer is a major issue or concern in public health systems, especially in developing countries like India. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), Tyrosine kinase (TK) and Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are emerging as an important cancer target therapeutic proteins. Molecular docking studies provide a better insight into the biological activity of secondary metabolites like Resveratrol (3,4′,5-trans-trihydroxystilbene) and Piceatannol (3,3′,4,5′-transtrihydroxystilbene) from C. quadrangularis L., its possible mechanisms of action, binding modes and predicting it as a possible anti-cancer drug with and lesser or no side effects

Phyto-Pharmacological Investigation of Ethanolic Extract of Flowers of Bauhinia acuminata

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Bauhinia acuminata is a type of angiosperm in the Fabaceae family, native to South and Southeast Asia, South China, Burma, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The common names include B. acuminata, mountain ebony, camel’s foot tree, kachnar, and butterfly ash. Angiosperm tree could be widely used as a medicinal plant common in tropical regions. Flowers, buds, stems, roots, bark, seeds, and leaves have been used to treat many ailments since ancient times. NSAIDs are one of the most important classes of drugs used today, and several clinical problems require long-term use. As a result of long-term use, side effects, especially stomach ulcers, can worsen the patient’s clinical symptoms. So there is a requirement to go for painkillers, but it is not related to problems even with chronic use. The literature says that a lot of analytical work has been done on this plant, but none of it has been evaluated for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. An aqueous ethanolic extract was prepared and its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic effects were evaluated in animal models. The results showed that the flower extract at 200 mg/kg dose had significant analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic effects compared to the medicinal active drugs.

Responses of Phaseolus vulgaris towards Zinc and Iron Management in Soil with respect to Growth, Pigments and Protein Contents

Samridhi Malviya, Girish C. Pathak, Shyam N. Pandey, Shyam N. Pandey — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of various zinc amendment levels as well as interactions with iron doses in soil on the growth of plant (length and dry weight), some biochemical parameters such as plant pigments, protein contents, and activity of some enzymes such as catalase and peroxidase in Phaseolus vulgaris (French bean). The amendment of zinc and iron was made as Native soil, 5mg ZnSO4, 25 mg ZnSO4, 50 mg ZnSO4 and 100 mg kg-1 ZnSO4 in soil and their interactive doses with FeSO4 was made as Native soil, 25 mg FeSO4, 25 mg FeSO4 + 25 mg ZnSO4, 50 mg FeSO4 + 5 mg ZnSO4 and 25 mg FeSO4 + 50 mg kg-1 ZnSO4 in soil. The experiment was conducted in triplicates. The maximum value of the dry weight, pigments, and protein content was found at the application of 50 mg kg-1 ZnSO4 + 25 mg kg-1 FeSO4 in soil. The increase in dry weight, total chlorophyll, and protein contents by 48, 44.4, and 37.3 were observed maximum in French bean at the application of 50 mg kg-1 ZnSO4 soil and 25 mg kg-1 FeSO4 in the soil. Maximum tissue accumulation of Fe was found at the high dose of Fe with low Zn-dose, the tissue accumulation showed antagonistic effects of zinc and iron.

Comparison of Total Nitrogen estimation by Kjeldahl Method and CHNS Analyzer in Dry Tropical Grassland

Vijay P. Gautam, Swati Mishra, Haseen Ahmed — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Dumas method (CHNS analyzer) is replacing the traditional Kjeldahl method as the method of choice for N analysis due to advancements in dry combustion nitrogen (N) analyzer technology and the high cost of disposing of hazardous laboratory waste chemicals. As a result, a comparison of the Dumas method (CHNS analyzer) with the Kjeldahl method is critical. Typically, such comparisons were conducted on a small number of distinct samples. The goal of this study was to compare the performance of instruments that use the automated Dumas method (CHNS analyzer) and the Kjeldahl method for N analysis of agricultural materials in a high-throughput laboratory setting. Using both instruments, N concentrations in manure, sewage sludge, plant tissue, plant seeds, and feedstuff fibres were determined. We collected samples for the analysis of organic matter from the horticulture area at the Banaras Hindu University campus in Varanasi, and total Nitrogen (N) was estimated using the Kjeldahl (wet oxidation) and Perkin-Elmer 2.400 Series II-CHN Mode techniques (dry oxidation or combustion). The positive correlation (r = 0.94**) of the Kjeldahl method with N- determination from a CHNS analyzer demonstrates that the method is practical for routinely determining the total nitrogen content of soils