Eurycoma longifolia Jack is a well-known traditional plant of Malaysia. It is popularly recognised as ‘Tongkat Ali’. The present study deals with the preliminary phytochemical screening and determination of antimicrobial activity of methanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, chloroform and petroleum ether extracts of the stem and root of E. longifolia. The extracts were tested against two gram positive bacteria, three gram negative bacteria and one fungus by the disc diffusion method at various concentrations (12.5–200μg/μl). The results revealed the presence of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, protein and cardiac glycosides in the extracts. Stem extracts were found to be a rich source of phytochemicals as compared to the root extracts. All the extracts exhibited dose dependent antimicrobial activity, however, highest antibacterial activity was observed against gram positive bacteria by both stem and root extracts. Nevertheless, stem extracts were more potent than root extracts against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. Merely, ethyl acetate extract of the stem showed moderate activity against gram negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and high activity against fungus, Aspergillus niger. The preliminary studies on E. longifolia extracts exhibited their antimicrobial potential which could be exploited further as future antimicrobials for pharmaceutical treatment, natural therapies, food preservation and cosmetic applications

Kaempferol, a natural plant-origin flavonoid, exhibits therapeutic anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective properties. Kaempferol acts within several distinct mechanisms like apoptotic induction in cancer cells, enzymatic inhibition, signalling pathway inhibition, and downregulation in cell viability during the G₂/M phase of cell division. This review summarizes the therapeutic effects of kaempferol against several health ailments. The recent progress on kaempferol obtained from fruits and vegetables as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective agent and its mechanisms of action are also discussed. In addition, kaempferol has been reported to be present in wastes and byproducts from post-fruit and vegetable processing. Thus, a paradigm shift towards valorizing fruits and vegetable industrial wastes/byproducts to obtain bioactive kaempferol can support the circular economy pillar for generating wealth from waste and for finding a sustainable alternative source.

In developing countries, the increasing gap between population growth and food supply has created renewed interest in finding reliable and cheap natural resources of nutraceutical value and health promoting properties. Therefore, the present study deals with the phytochemical analyses and DNA cleavage activity of Averrhoa carambola L. fruit (starfruit) extracts. The phytochemical studies involve colour tests and quantification of phenolics and flavonoids of the prepared ethanolic and aqueous extracts. Identification of phenolic acids and flavonoids present in the extracts were conducted by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with diode array detector (DAD). DNA cleavage activity of the extracts was evaluated through gel electrophoresis against plasmid Escherichia coli DNA at different concentrations (0.125–0.60μg/μl). The results of the study exhibited that the starfruit is a rich source of polyphenols and all the extracts exhibited a dose dependent DNA cleavage activity, whereas ethanolic extract induced more cleavage as compared to the aqueous extract. In conclusion, the present study provides preliminary evidence with regard to nutraceutical value of the fruit. So, further extensive study is a prerequisite to exploit DNA cleaving properties of the fruit extracts for therapeutic application