Starch is a homo-glucose unit connected with glycosidic linkage. It is well known for its biodegradability, renewability, low cost, flexibility, and availability. However, to reach its potential in the pharmaceutical application, modification is necessary to solve the problem of solubility, retrogradation, and loss of viscosity. In this chapter, we discuss the different physical, chemical, enzymatic, and biotechnological modifications and their subsequent pharmaceutical application both as an excipient and directly as drug delivery vehicles. Overall, there were different characteristics conferred in a modification which were exploited in pharmaceutics, drug delivery, and antimicrobial preparation. We, however, believe that collation of the data on modification would go a long way toward standardizing the application of the modified products.

There is a global need for alternative sources of high-quality, protein-rich foods to combat rising food insecurity and malnutrition. This study compared the nutrient/anti-nutrient composition of Oyster mushrooms grown on different substrates (rice bran + saw dust (Ms/r) (1:2) or ground banana leaves (Mb)). Ms/r had significantly higher yield as well as carbohydrate Na, Cl and Phytate contents compared to Mb. On the other hand, protein, K, vitamins B1 and D and Oxalate contents of Mb were significantly higher than those of Ms/r. The result indicated that banana leaves may be a good substrate for nutritionally beneficial mushrooms.

Background: The leaves of Jatropha tanjorensis have been found to have important application both in traditional medicine and as an edible vegetable in Nigerian soups. It is popularly employed in Nigeria for the treatment of anemia, diabetes, and malaria. The dearth of information on its toxicity prompted this study. Mice were administered single oral doses of 10, 100, 1000, 1600, 2900, and 5000 mg/kg b.wt (n = 3/group) of the extract and were observed for 24 h for any sign of toxicity and mortality in the acute toxicity study. For the sub-acute toxicity study, doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg b.wt of the extract were administered to experimental rats (n = 6/group) for 28 days after which the assessment of hematological and biochemical parameters, as well as liver and kidney histology was conducted post-treatment. Body weight of the animals was also taken weekly. Results: The result showed that percentage weight gain decreased as the dose of extract increased. The haematological and biochemical parameters showed that the extract had no toxic effect on experimental animals, though there was a non-significant dose-dependent decrease in WBC. The extract also showed potential to cause hepatotoxicity at the highest dose. Conclusion: Though the median lethal dose of the plant extract suggests relative safety of the plant material, consuming large amounts over a prolonged time may need to be discouraged to avoid potential damage to vital organs such as the liver.

Background and Objective: Nature-derived products are finding increased application for therapeutic purposes. Apart from their use as food, mushrooms have been reported in various research to contain bioactive compounds with medicinal capabilities. This study evaluated the in vitro antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of an aqueous extract of Pleurotus ostreatus (mushroom) cultivated on rice bran/sawdust (RB/SD, 70:30 w/w) mixture and sawdust (SD) substrates. Materials and Methods: Pleurotus ostreatus was cultivated on two different substrates followed by aqueous extraction of mature mushrooms. In vitro antidiabetic, (α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition) and antioxidant (DPPH radical-scavenging assay and ferric reducing power (FRAP) activities were done using standard methods. Results were analyzed using IBM Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) software, version 23 and the significance level was established at p<0.05. Results: The extracts showed a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities in vitro. There was a stronger inhibition of α-amylase activity by the RB/SD sample when compared to SD and a weaker inhibitory effect of the RB/SD sample on α-glucosidase activity when compared to SD. Again, the samples showed a concentration-dependent antioxidant effect with increased DPPH-scavenging activity and FRAP observed with the SD sample compared to the RB/SD sample. The GC-FID analysis of the P. ostreatus samples also revealed the presence of a number of bioactive compounds in different concentrations. Conclusion: These results highlight the effect of cultivation substrate on the potential therapeutic effect of mushrooms the aqueous extract of P. ostreatuscould be a promising raw material for the development of anti-diabetes therapeutics. APA-7 Style Chukwurah, C., Nnemolisa, C.S., Chibuogwu, C.C., Aguchem, R.N., Ezeobi, J.C., Ihionu, A.N., Okagu, I.U. (2023). In vitro Antidiabetic Studies of Aqueous Extract of Pleurotus ostreatus Grown on Different Substrates. Research Journal of Phytochemistry, 17(1), 37-47. https://doi.org/10.3923/rjp.2023.37.47 ACS Style Chukwurah, C.; Nnemolisa, C.S.; Chibuogwu, C.C.; Aguchem, R.N.; Ezeobi, J.C.; Ihionu, A.N.; Okagu, I.U. In vitro Antidiabetic Studies of Aqueous Extract of Pleurotus ostreatus Grown on Different Substrates. Res. J. Phytochem 2023, 17, 37-47. https://doi.org/10.3923/rjp.2023.37.47 AMA Style Chukwurah C, Nnemolisa CS, Chibuogwu CC, Aguchem RN, Ezeobi JC, Ihionu AN, Okagu IU. In vitro Antidiabetic Studies of Aqueous Extract of Pleurotus ostreatus Grown on Different Substrates. Research Journal of Phytochemistry. 2023; 17(1): 37-47. https://doi.org/10.3923/rjp.2023.37.47 Chicago/Turabian Style Chukwurah, Chukwudumebi, Chukwubuikem Steven Nnemolisa, Christian Chiazor Chibuogwu, Rita Ngozi Aguchem, Jude Chinecherem Ezeobi, Anastasia Nwanneka Ihionu, and Innocent Uzochukwu Okagu. 2023. "In vitro Antidiabetic Studies of Aqueous Extract of Pleurotus ostreatus Grown on Different Substrates" Research Journal of Phytochemistry 17, no. 1: 37-47. https://doi.org/10.3923/rjp.2023.37.47

Although significant efforts have been made to reduce the malaria burden, the development and spread of resistance by the malaria parasite have necessitated the development of better alternatives to existing therapies. The role of Plasmodium falciparum casein kinase-2 alpha (PfCK-2α) in sexual and asexual blood stages highlights its potential as a target for multistage antimalarial drugs. This study aimed to determine the antimalarial potential of bioactive compounds from Alstonia boonei stem bark using computational methods. The bioactive constituents were characterized using UPLC-QTOF-MS, and the identified compounds were docked against Plasmodium falciparum casein kinase-2 alpha (PfCK-2α) using Molecular docking tools. UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis structurally characterized 85 compounds. Ricinoleic acid and corosolic acid are among the compounds showing high retention times. Docking studies revealed that the selected compounds demonstrated higher binding affinity (-8.6 to -11.0 kcal/mol) than the standard drug (Artesunate) (-7.8 kcal/mol). These compounds interacted favorably with the binding pocket amino acid residues (Lys72, Ile120, Ser179, Tyr119, Tyr54, Glu118, and Ser55). This study, therefore, demonstrates the antimalarial potential of the A. boonei phytoconstituents against PfCK-2α. Although this study holds a lot of promise, further investigation of the safety and efficiency of these identified compounds is required.