Aarthi Jeganathan’s research while affiliated with Bharathiar University and other places

This is an Open Access Journal / article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. All rights reserved. The present work investigates the impact of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) as seed priming agents on the germination characteristics of three Vigna species such as V. mungo, V. radiata and V. unguiculata. ZnO NPs were synthesized using green tea leaves and were characterized by UV-VIS, XRD, FTIR and SEM. After characterization, nanoparticle suspensions of different concentrations (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 mg/L) were prepared. Overnight soaked seeds of all three Vigna species were grown in wet cotton containing different concentrations of ZnO NPs at room temperature (25±1 o C) under dark condition for 6 days. For each day, seed germination percentage, root and shoot lengths and seedling vigour index were measured. For V. mungo and V. radiata, 10 and 20 mg/L and for V. unguiculata only 10 mg/L influenced these germination characteristics. Higher concentrations of ZnO NPs (30 to 50 mg/L) showed a relative decrease in all the germination characteristics for three Vigna species. It was noted that at certain optimum concentrations of ZnO NPs, the seedling exhibited good growth over control and beyond that a decline in growth was observed. The results of this investigation indicated the potential of using ZnO NPs as seed priming agents for these species in low concentrations only. ABSTRACT RESEARCH ARTICLE

Alstonia venenata R.Br., a plant native to the Western Ghats, is recognized for its diverse medicinal properties. The plant’s extracts, particularly rich in alkaloids and other bioactive compounds, have shown potential anticancer activity. This study investigates the therapeutic potential of chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) loaded with the root methanolic extract (RME) of A. venenata in combating breast cancer induced by dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) in female Sprague Dawley rats. The RME-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (RME-EnCNPs) were synthesized and characterized, and their in vivo efficacy was evaluated. Treatment with RME-EnCNPs significantly inhibited tumor progression, which is evidenced by reduced tumor volume, burden, and incidence. Moreover, the nanoparticles demonstrated a sustained release of the active compounds, leading to marked improvements in various biochemical, enzymatic, and histopathological parameters. The study found that both RME and RME-EnCNPs effectively suppressed tumor growth, with RME-EnCNPs showing superior efficacy in modulating tumor progression. Antioxidant assays revealed that treatment with RME-EnCNPs (500 mg/kg) resulted in significant increases in total protein, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione (GSH) levels, alongside a marked reduction in lipid peroxidation (LPO) (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that RME-EnCNPs exert a potent antioxidant effect, mitigating oxidative stress within the tumor microenvironment. The root extract of A. venenata and its nanoparticle formulation hold promise as a potential therapeutic agent for breast cancer, warranting further investigation to isolate active bioactive compounds and elucidate their mechanisms of action.

Liver disease is a significant global health concern, leading to around two million fatalities annually. This disorder encompasses a broad range of causes, including both well-established factors such as lifestyle choices, as well as less understood origins such as pre-existing medical diseases. In the present scenario, liver cancer poses a significant worldwide health concern, with projections indicating that the number of cases is expected to exceed one million by the year 2025. According to the World Health Organization, numerous developing nations, such as India, continue to rely on the utilization of plants and plant-derived substances for the treatment of diverse ailments. Desmodium Desv., a genus within the Fabaceae family, encompasses about 350 species that are primarily found in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. These plants have a long-standing history of traditional medicinal use in India, Thailand, and China, particularly for the treatment of liver diseases. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the ethnobotanical applications, phytoconstituents, and hepatoprotective properties associated with all species of Desmodium. The research employed various methodologies. Data on the Desmodium genus was collected up until the year 2022 through the examination of research articles, patents, and diverse online bibliographic databases such as PubMed, Research Gate, PubChem, Science Direct, Scopus, Wiley Online Library, Web of Science, eOL, POWO, and IUCN. The online search was conducted using the following keywords: Desmodium species, review articles, ethnobotanical uses, phytochemical constituents, and hepatoprotective property. In conclusion, it can be inferred that Ethnobotanical research has revealed that these particular species possess diverse pharmacological attributes, including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, cytotoxic, and hepatoprotective activities. The analysis of phytochemistry reveals the presence of various compounds such as flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, phenols, and other constituents inside these species. Out of a total of 350 species, it has been observed that 18 possess hepatoprotective properties. In order to substantiate the hepatoprotective applications and advance the development of prominent pharmaceuticals, additional pharmacological investigations including animal models and phytochemical explorations are necessary. Graphical abstract

Green route approaches are considered to be safer alternative to conventional physical and chemical methods for the fabrication of nanomaterials due to their eco-friendly nature. In the present investigation, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by microwave irradiation using aqueous fruit extract of Solanum betaceum (tree tomato). The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis, FTIR, XRD, SEM (EDAX), HR-TEM, and zeta potential analyses. UV-visible spectrophotometer showed absorbance peak in the range of 240–280 nm and provided sample evidence for the formation of silver nanoparticles. The FTIR analysis confirmed the presence of phytoconstituents as stabilizing agents around the AgNPs. XRD and HR-TEM analyses clearly indicated the crystalline nature of nanoparticles. From the TEM images, the silver nanoparticles were found to be roughly spherical and pyramidal in shape. The zeta potential analysis indicated that Ag-NPs have good stability, and EDAX analysis also exhibits presentation of silver element. The cytotoxic activity of the synthesized AgNPs against human breast cancer cell (MCF-7) was investigated, and the half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) was found to be 100 μg/mL at 24-h incubation. The data obtained in the study reveal the potent therapeutic value of biogenic silver nanoparticles and the scope for further development of anticancer drugs.Key wordsMicrowave-assisted extraction Solanum betaceum Silver nanoparticlesIn vitro cytotoxic effectMCF-7 cell lines