High Antimicrobial Efficacy, Antioxidant Activity, and a Novel Approach to Phytochemical Analysis of Bioactive Polyphenols in Extracts from Leaves of Pyrus communis and Pyrus pyrifolia Collected During One Vegetative Season

Dietary anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial medicinal plants and its compounds in bovine mastitis associated impact on human life

Bovine mastitis (BM) is the most common bacterial mediated inflammatory disease in the dairy cattle that causes huge economic loss to the dairy industry due to decreased milk quality and quantity. Milk is the essential food in the human diet, and rich in crucial nutrients that helps in lowering the risk of diseases like hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. The main causative agents of the disease include various gram negative, and positive bacteria, along with other risk factors such as udder shape, age, genetic, and environmental factors also contributes much for the disease. Currently, antibiotics, immunotherapy, probiotics, dry cow, and lactation therapy are commonly recommended for BM. However, these treatments can only decrease the rise of new cases but can't eliminate the causative agents, and they also exhibit several limitations. Hence, there is an urgent need of a potential source that can generate a typical and ideal treatment to overcome the limitations and eliminate the pathogens. Among the various sources, medicinal plants and its derived products always play a significant role in drug discovery against several diseases. In addition, they are also known for its low toxicity and minimum resistance features. Therefore, plants and its compounds that possess anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties can serve better in bovine mastitis. In addition, the plants that are serving as a food source and possessing pharmacological properties can act even better in bovine mastitis. Hence, in this evidence-based study, we particularly review the dietary medicinal plants and derived products that are proven for anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects. Moreover, the role of each dietary plant and its compounds along with possible role in the management of bovine mastitis are delineated. In this way, this article serves as a standalone source for the researchers working in this area to help in the management of BM.

Weed suppression and antioxidant activity of Astragalus sinicus L. decomposition leachates

Astragalus sinicus L. (milk vetch), a versatile plant that has a soil-enriching effect as green manure, is widely planted in the temperate zone of China. In previous experiments, milk vetch incorporated into the soil as green manure showed potential for goosegrass control. However, "what exactly happens at the chemical level?" and "what are the compounds that are potentially responsible for the phytotoxic effects observed during those previous assays?" In a recent study, in vitro phytotoxicity bioassays and chemical analyses of milk vetch decomposition leachates were carried out to explore the relationship between the temporal phytotoxic effects and the dynamics of chemical composition. For that, milk vetch decomposition leachates with a decay time of 12 h, 9 days, 12 days, 15 days, and 18 days were analyzed for organic compounds by liquid chromatography. The main results were as follows: (1) three compounds with goosegrass suppression potential produced during the decomposed process, i.e., 4-ethylphenol, N-acrylimorpholine, and allyl isothiocyanate. 2-Hydroxyethyl acrylate was present in the 12-h decomposition leachates but was at its highest concentration of 127.1 µg ml^-1 at 15 days. (2) The cultures were configured according to the four concentrations of goosegrass-resistant active substances measured in the 15-day decomposition leachate and, as with the 15-day decomposition leachate, the mixture cultures inhibited 100% of goosegrass germination at the high concentrations (≥ 30%), which suggests that these substances have goosegrass suppression potential. (3) The high total phenolic content (302.8-532.3 mg L^-1), the total flavonoid content (8.4-72.1 mg L^-1), and the reducing activity of the decomposition leachates for different decay times may explain why the incorporation of milk vetch into the soil did not lead to peroxidation of goosegrass in the previous study. (4) Finally, the changes in acid fraction and total content (1.9-4.2 mg ml^-1) for different decay times explain the variations in pH of the decomposition leachates, which, when discussed in conjunction with previous studies, may lead to changes in soil nutrient effectiveness and consequently affect crop growth. This study can provide a reference for green weed control research.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of the Fraction from the Leaves of Pyrus pyrifolia on LPS-Stimulated THP-1 Cells

Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai (P. pyrifolia) has been traditionally used in East Asia to treat diseases such as phlegm, cough, hangover, and fever. However, there is no investigation that evaluates the biological activities of the leaves of P. pyrifolia. This study aims at describing the anti-inflammatory effects of PP, a bioactive fraction from the leaves of P. pyrifolia, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated THP-1 cells. Initially, PP decreased the protein and RNA expression of TNF-α, MCP-1, IL-8, and IL-6 induced by LPS. Moreover, PP attenuated the phosphorylation of p38, JNK, and ERK. In addition, after stimulation with LPS, the degradation of IκB-α was suppressed by PP, and the phosphorylation of IκB-α and p65 was suppressed by PP. Additionally, PP increased HO-1, which controls the production of inflammatory molecules, by activating Nrf2. These results indicated that PP could be used as an anti-inflammatory drug to promote wellness.

Antifungal activity of water-soluble products obtained following the liquefaction of cornstalk with sub-critical water

Cornstalks are the leftover leaves and stems in a field after corn harvest. They are a potential biomass resource but are underutilized in agricultural production systems. To examine the chemical components in cornstalks and their corresponding functions, blocky cornstalks were treated in water at temperatures of 190, 210, 230, 250, and 270 °C in a high-pressure reactor. Water-soluble products (WSPs) were extracted from these treatments, and their chemical compositions were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and their antifungal activities were determined using a bioassay. It was found that WSPs contained 28.7-40.1% phenols, 27.9-36.6% ketones, 0-2.6% alcohols, 4.9-10.1% esters, 5.4-7.8% organic acids, 1.3-12% aldehydes, and 5.5-18.4% of other organic compounds such as nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds, furan compounds, and benzene compounds. The inhibition the growth of the plant pathogen Fusarium oxysporum by WSPs was affected by temperature. WSP-270 (obtained at 270 °C) exhibited the best growth-inhibition efficacy. Under a biomicroscope, WSP-270-treated F. oxysporum showed a deformed and swollen hypha, and an increased number of bifurcations, as well as an expansion of growing apexes of new bifurcations. Therefore, the antifungal activity of WSPs could be used to manage soilborne plant pathogens.