Papers by Prashith Kekuda
Plants form an integral part of daily life of human beings. The term ethnobotany refers to relati... more Plants form an integral part of daily life of human beings. The term ethnobotany refers to relationships and interactions between people and plants. Worldwide, plants are being used as sources of food, medicine, dyes, and timber. Traditional medicinal practitioners and indigenous systems of medicine (such as Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani) make use of several plant species to treat a range of ailments of humans and livestock. The therapeutic potential of plants lies in the presence of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, terpenes, and polyphenolic compounds. Azima tetracantha Lam., belonging to the family Salvadoraceae, is a small, armed shrub with quadrangular branches. The present review is a compilation of available data on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of A. tetracantha. Phytochemical investigations on the plant revealed the presence of chemicals such friedelin, euphanol, gallic acid, genstisic acid, cinnamate, ferulic acid, azimine, azcarpine, and carpaine. An extensive literature survey was carried out to compile data on traditional uses, phytochemicals, and the pharmacological activities shown by A. tetracantha. It is evident from the literatures that the plant is versatile with respect to its traditional uses as a remedy for various illnesses and disorders in humans and animals. The plant is used for treatment of asthma, cold, cough, rheumatism, diabetes, dysentery, fever, toothache, dog bite, snake bite, and liver diseases. It is experimentally shown that the plant exhibits pharmacological activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, antivenom, hepatoprotective, antiepileptic, diuretic, antiulcer, antiasthmatic, antidiarrheal, analgesic, nephroprotective, antipyretic, and insecticidal activity. The nanoparticles synthesized from A. tetracantha have shown antimicrobial, antioxidant, and insecticidal properties. A pentacyclic triterpenoid friedelin isolated from the plant is shown to exhibit many bioactivities such as antimicrobial, hypolipidemic, antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, insecticidal, gastroprotective and antiradical activity. The therapeutic potential and pharmacological properties of A. tetracantha could be ascribed to the presence of a wide array of phytochemicals in it. The pharmacological activities of the plant reported justify the traditional use of A. tetracantha in treating several diseases or disorders.
Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology
Objectives: The objective of the present study was carried out to investigate antimicrobial, radi... more Objectives: The objective of the present study was carried out to investigate antimicrobial, radical scavenging, and insecticidal activity of leaf and flower of Couroupita guianensis Aubl. (Lecythidaceae). Methods: Extraction of leaf and flower was carried out by maceration process using methanol. Antibacterial and antifungal activity of extracts was carried out by agar well-diffusion method and poisoned food technique, respectively. Radical scavenging activity of extracts was determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging assays. Insecticidal activity of extracts was evaluated in terms of larvicidal and pupicidal effects against Aedes aegypti. Results: Leaf extract displayed marked antibacterial activity when compared to flower extract. Highest and least inhibitory activity of extracts was observed against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli, respectively. Both extracts displayed antifungal activity with highest activity exhibited by leaf extract. Highest and least susceptibility were shown by Curvularia sp. and Fusarium sp., respectively. Both extracts scavenged DPPH and ABTS radicals dose dependently. Leaf extract (IC 50 = 19.61 µg/ml) caused marked DPPH radical scavenging potential than flower extract ((IC 50 = 257.13 µg/ml). IC 50 value of ABTS radical inhibition of leaf and flower extract was found to be 7.63 and 53.34 µg/ml, respectively. Larvicidal and pupicidal activity by extracts was concentration dependent. The susceptibility of larvae and pupae to extract was in the order: 2 nd instar larvae > 4 th instar larvae > pupae. Leaf extract displayed marked insecticidal activity when compared to flower extract as revealed by lower LC 50 values. Conclusion: Overall, leaf extract exhibited marked bioactivities than flower extract. The plant can be used to treat microbial infections and oxidative damage and to manage fungal diseases. The plant can be used against mosquito vectors which transmit arboviral diseases.
Objectives: Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv. belongs to the family Solanaceae. The present study wa... more Objectives: Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv. belongs to the family Solanaceae. The present study was carried out to determine insecticidal, antibacterial, and antiradical activity of aerial parts of N. plumbaginifolia. Methods: Extraction was carried out by maceration process using methanol. Insecticidal activity was assessed, in terms of larvicidal effect, against II and IV instar larvae of Aedes aegypti. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against a panel of 7 bacteria by agar well diffusion assay. Antiradical activity was determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azinobis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline 6-sulfonate (ABTS) free radical scavenging assays. Results: The extract was found to cause dose-dependent mortality of larvae of A. aegypti. The lethal concentration 50 value of extract for II and IV instar larvae was found to be 0.41 and 0.99 mg/ml, respectively. Extract was effective in inhibiting all bacteria. Gram-positive bacteria displayed marked susceptibility when compared to Gram-negative bacteria. Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli were susceptible to highest and least extent, respectively. Extract scavenged both DPPH radicals and ABTS radicals dose dependently. Extract scavenged ABTS radicals more efficiently (inhibitory concentration [IC 50 ] value 13.51 µg/ml) when compared to DPPH radicals (IC 50 value 17.43 µg/ml). Conclusions: The plant N. plumbaginifolia appears to be a promising resource for developing agents with insecticidal, antibacterial, and antiradical activity. The observed bioactivities could be attributed to the presence of phytochemicals which are to be isolated, characterized, and subjected for bioactivity determinations. The plant can be used to prevent arboviral diseases, infectious diseases, and oxidative damage.
Objective: The present study was carried out to investigate antimicrobial, antiradical and insect... more Objective: The present study was carried out to investigate antimicrobial, antiradical and insecticidal potential of leaf and fruit of Gardenia gummifera L. f. (Rubiaceae). Methods: The leaf and fruits were shade dried, powdered and extracted by maceration process using methanol. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria by Agar well diffusion assay. Antifungal activity was determined against six seed-borne fungi by Poisoned food technique. Antiradical activity of leaf and fruit extracts was evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azinobis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline 6-sulfonate (ABTS) radical scavenging assays. Insecticidal activity of leaf and fruit extracts, in terms of larvicidal and pupicidal activity, was assessed against larvae and pupae of Aedes aegypti. Results: Both the extracts inhibited all test bacteria. Marked antibacterial activity was displayed by fruit extract when compared to leaf extract. S. epidermidis and E. coli were inhibited to highest and least extent by both extracts respectively. Fruit extract was found to exhibit higher antifungal effect when compared to leaf extract. Leaf extract and fruit extract exhibited highest inhibitory activity against A. niger and A. flavus respectively. Leaf and fruit extracts scavenged DPPH radical's dose dependently with an IC50 value of 49.01µg/ml and 2.53µg/ml respectively. The scavenging of ABTS by leaf and fruit extracts was dose dependent and the IC50 Conclusion: Overall, fruit extract of G. gummifera exhibited marked antimicrobial, antiradical and insecticidal activity when compared to leaf extract. The plant can be used for developing agents/formulations effective against infectious microorganisms, oxidative stress and insect vectors that transmit dreadful diseases. The observed bioactivities could be ascribed to the presence of active principles which are to be isolated and characterized. value for leaf and fruit extract was 2.58µg/ml and 2.31µg/ml respectively. Fruit extract was shown to exhibit marked antiradical activity when compared to leaf extract. Leaf and fruit extracts exhibited dose dependent insecticidal activity in terms of larvicidal and pupicidal activity and the susceptibility of larvae and pupae to extracts was in the order II instar larvae>IV instar larvae>pupae. Fruit extract displayed marked insecticidal potential when compared to leaf extract.
Phytochemical Investigation and Hepatoprotective A by Prashith Kekuda
The Global Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Free radicals contribute to more than one hundred disorders in humans. The synthetic antioxidants... more Free radicals contribute to more than one hundred disorders in humans. The synthetic antioxidants have been suspected to cause or prompt negative health effects leading to extensive research on naturally occurring antioxidants especially from plant sources. The present study describes the antioxidant efficacy of methanol extracts of three medicinal plants namely Drypetes roxburghii Wall, Coscinium fenestratum Colebr and Nardostachys jatamansi DC using three methods DPPH free radical scavenging assay, Hydroxyl radical scavenging assay and Fe+3 reducing assay. The dried plant materials were powdered, extracted using methanol in soxhlet apparatus and subjected to preliminary phytochemical analysis. The extracts concentrations namely 0.5 and 1.0mg/ml were screened for antioxidant activity by above three methods. The presence of various constituents namely alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, glycosides were detected in methanol extracts. In DPPH free radical assay, potent scavengin...
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Papers by Prashith Kekuda
Phytochemical Investigation and Hepatoprotective A by Prashith Kekuda