Antibacterial activity of Datura stramonium against standard and clinical isolate pathogenic microorganisms

Phytochemicals as Antimicrobials: Prospecting Himalayan Medicinal Plants as Source of Alternate Medicine to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance

Among all available antimicrobials, antibiotics hold a prime position in the treatment of infectious diseases. However, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has posed a serious threat to the effectiveness of antibiotics, resulting in increased morbidity, mortality, and escalation in healthcare costs causing a global health crisis. The overuse and misuse of antibiotics in global healthcare setups have accelerated the development and spread of AMR, leading to the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, which further limits treatment options. This creates a critical need to explore alternative approaches to combat bacterial infections. Phytochemicals have gained attention as a potential source of alternative medicine to address the challenge of AMR. Phytochemicals are structurally and functionally diverse and have multitarget antimicrobial effects, disrupting essential cellular activities. Given the promising results of plant-based antimicrobials, coupled with the slow discovery of novel antibiotics, it has become highly imperative to explore the vast repository of phytocompounds to overcome the looming catastrophe of AMR. This review summarizes the emergence of AMR towards existing antibiotics and potent phytochemicals having antimicrobial activities, along with a comprehensive overview of 123 Himalayan medicinal plants reported to possess antimicrobial phytocompounds, thus compiling the existing information that will help researchers in the exploration of phytochemicals to combat AMR.

Three new α-glucosidase inhibitor benzo-isochromenes from Datura stramonium

Three new α-glucosidase inhibitory benzo-isochromenes were isolated from the chloroform fraction of Datura stramonium. Their structures were established with the help of modern spectroscopic techniques and were assigned the names as 1,6,8-triimethoxy-2-methyl-3,4-dihydrobenzoisochromene-5,10-diol, 3,6-dimethoxy-5-hydroxy-4-methylbenzoisochromene-9,11-dione and demethylflavasperon for compounds 1-3 respectively. The α-glucosidase inhibiting activity of compound 2 showed strong inhibition with an IC₅₀ value of 27.5 µM, while compound 1 exhibited moderate activity with IC₅₀ value of 60.2 µM compared to positive control (acarbose).

Evaluation of Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Potential of Hydromethanolic Seed Extract of Datura stramonium Linn (Solanaceae)

Background

Nature has gifted a variety of phytochemicals having a potential effect against diabetes mellitus. Datura stramonium has been used as a remedy for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The study aimed to determine the in vivo antidiabetic potential of hydromethanolic seed extract of the plant.

Methods

Dried seeds of Datura stramonium were macerated in hydromethanol. Three doses (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) of the seed extract were given orally to normoglycemic, glucose-loaded, and Streptozocin-induced diabetic mice. Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazine (DPPH) assay was employed to determine antioxidant activity of the seed extract.

Results

All doses of hydromethanolic seed extract of D. stramonium were devoid of any significant hypoglycemic effect in normoglycemic mice compared to the negative control group. Acute glucose reduction was significant (P<0.05 at 100, P<0.01 at 200 and 400 mg/kg) with respect to negative control in oral glucose-loaded mice. All doses of seed extract significantly (P<0.0l) reduced blood glucose level on weeks 1 and 2 in STZ-induced daily-treated diabetic mice. The seed extract at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg significantly (P<0.05) improved the body weight of diabetic mice on weeks 1 and 2. A low (100 mg/kg) dose of the seed extract delayed and significantly (P<0.05) increased body weight of mice on week 2 compared to negative control. The finding showed that the antioxidant activity of the hydromethanolic seed extract was concentration dependent and comparable with ascorbic acid. IC50 of the seed extract and ascorbic acid was found to be 11.95 and 5.07 mg/mL, respectively.

Conclusion

The findings of the study showed that hydromethanolic seed extract of Datura stramonium endowed significant antihyperglycemic and antioxidant activity.

A comparative study of stability, antioxidant, DNA cleavage and antibacterial activities of green and chemically synthesized silver nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles have a wide range of research, industrial and biomedical applications that make it essential to develop a low cost and eco-friendly approach with scaling up potential. Green synthesis of nanoparticles through bio-reactions leads to a reduction of silver ions to particles could be an acceptable selection using no additional reducing chemicals. Moreover, the simplicity of scale-up processes of the method makes it more efficient than chemical and physical synthesis methods. In this study, Datura stramonium leaf extract and sodium citrate were used as biological and chemical reducing and stabilizing agents to make silver nanoparticles. The main goal is to comprise properties and evaluate antibacterial activity of nanoparticles synthesized through two approaches. Size and morphology compared between the two types of the synthesized nanoparticle by UV-Visible spectroscopy, DLS, AFM, TEM and their antibacterial effects were evaluated through growth inhibition MIC and MBC methods. The results showed narrow size range, spherical shape, high anti-oxidant, antibacterial and DNA cleavage activities of green synthesized silver nanoparticles comparing to less average size, wider range of nanoparticle size, no anti-oxidant activity and less antibacterial and DNA cleavage activities of chemically synthesized nanoparticles. The green synthesized silver nanoparticles had more desirable characteristics and biological activities compared to chemically synthesized nanoparticles. For instance, the green nanoparticles showed narrow size range, spherical shape, high anti-oxidant, antibacterial and DNA cleavage activities versus the chemically synthesized which had less average size, higher range of nanoparticles size, no anti-oxidant activity and less antibacterial and DNA cleavage activities.