Anabasis articulata is medicinally used to treat various diseases. In this study, A. articulata was initially subjected to extraction, and the resultant extracts were then evaluated for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antidiabetic potentials. After obtaining the methanolic extract, it was subjected to a silica gel column for separation, and fractions were collected at equal intervals. Out of the obtained fractions (most rich in bioactive compounds confirmed through HPLC), designated as A, B, C, and D as well hexane fraction, were subjected to GC-MS analysis, and a number of valuable bioactive compounds were identified from the chromatograms. The preliminary phytochemical tests were positive for the extracts where fraction A exhibited the highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents. The hexane fraction as antimicrobial agent was the most potent, followed by the crude extract, fraction A, and fraction D. DPPH and ABTS assays were used to estimate the free radical scavenging potential of the extracts. Fraction C was found to contain potent inhibitors of both the tested radicals, followed by fraction D. The potential antidiabetic extracts were determined using α-glucosidase and amylase as probe enzymes. The former was inhibited by crude extract, hexane, and A, B, C and D fractions to the extent of 85.32 ± 0.20, 61.14 ± 0.49, 62.15 ± 0.84, 78.51 ± 0.45, 72.57 ± 0.92 and 70.61 ± 0.91%, respectively, at the highest tested concentration of 1000 µg/mL with their IC₅₀ values 32, 180, 200, 60, 120 and 140 µg/mL correspondingly, whereas α-amylase was inhibited to the extent of 83.98 ± 0.21, 58.14 ± 0.75, 59.34 ± 0.89, 81.32 ± 0.09, 74.52 ± 0.13 and 72.51 ± 0.02% (IC₅₀ values; 34, 220, 240, 58, 180, and 200 µg/mL, respectively). The observed biological potentials might be due to high phenolic and flavonoid content as detected in the extracts. The A. articulata might thus be considered an efficient therapeutic candidate and could further be investigated for other biological potentials along with the isolation of pure responsible ingredients.

Indigofera linifolia is a medicinally important plant, and by virtue of its rich phytochemical composition, this plant is widely used as essential component in traditional medication systems. Due to its wide range of medicinal applications, the extract-loaded chitosan (Ext+Ch), extract-loaded PEG (Ext+PEG), and extract-loaded locust bean gum (Ext+LGB) nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared in the present study. The prepared NPs were then evaluated for their antibacterial, antioxidant, and antidiabetic potentials. Antibacterial activities of the crude extract and the synthesized NPs were performed following standard procedures reported in the literature. The antioxidant capabilities of extract and NPs were evaluated using DPPH free radical scavenging assay. The antidiabetic potential of the samples was evaluated against α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Ext+PEG NPs showed more potent antibacterial activity against the selected strains of bacteria with the highest activity against Escherichia coli. The lowest antibacterial potential was observed for Ext+LGB NPs. The Ext+LGB NPs IC₅₀ value of 39 μg/mL was found to be the most potent inhibitor of DPPH free radicals. Ext+LGB NPs showed a greater extent of inhibition against α-glucosidase and α-amylase with an IC₅₀ of 83 and 78 μg/mL, whereas for the standard acarbose the IC₅₀ values recorded against the mentioned enzymes were 69 and 74 μg/mL, respectively. A high concentration of phenolics and flavonoids in the crude extract was confirmed through TPC and TFC tests, HPLC profiling, and GC–MS analysis. It was considered that the observed antibacterial, antidiabetic, and antioxidant potential might be due the presence of these phenolics and flavonoids detected. The plant could thus be considered as a potential candidate to be used as a remedy of the mentioned health complications. However, further research in this regard is needed to isolate the exact responsible compounds of the observed biological potentials exhibited by the crude extract. Further, toxicity and pharmacological evaluations in animal models are also needed to establish the safety or toxicity profile of the plant.

Cydonia oblonga is a medicinal plant that is used to treat a number of health complications in traditional medication systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical composition, and antibacterial, antioxidant, and ant-diabetic potentials of methanolic extracts of Cydonia oblonga bark. The Cydonia oblonga bark extraction was fractionated through HPLC and seven purified fractions labeled as F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, and F7 were obtained. The HPLC-UV analysis of methanolic extract showed the presence of a number of possible compounds. The GC-MS and HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of the following bioactive compounds in the crude extract and purified fractions: malic acid, mandelic acid, quercetin, caffeic acid, catechin hydrate, as morin (HPLC analysis), BIS-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate and diisooctyl phthalate (F1), carbamide (F2, used as fertilizer), octasiloxane and dimethylsiloxanecyclictrimer (F3), silicic acid and cyclotrisiloxane (F4), 6-AH-cAMP, 4H-cyclopropa[5′,6′]benz[1′,2′,7,8]azule, and 4-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-morpholinepyrol-2-yl)-butenedioic acid (F5), isopropyamine (F6), and 1-propylhydrazine (F7). The extract and purified fractions were then tested for biological activities. All the purified fractions and methanolic extract showed effective antibacterial activity; however, the highest activity was recorded for methanolic extract against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumonia. Antioxidant evaluation of methanolic extract and purified fractions against DPPH showed strong % inhibition of the synthetic free radical. The methanolic extract exhibited 87.41 ± 0.54% inhibition whereas fractions showed: F1, 85.45 ± 0.85; F2, 65.78 ± 0.68; F3, 58.61 ± 0.58; F4, 80.76 ± 0.59; F5, 571.29 ± 0.49; F6, 85.28 ± 0.94; and F7, 48.45 ± 0.62% inhibition. Ascorbic acid (standard) was used as a control with 94.88 ± 0.56% inhibition at a maximum concentration of 1000 µg/mL. The α-glucosidase inhibition assay of methanolic extract and purified fractions at a maximum concentration of 1000 µg/mL showed activities as: methanolic extract, 78.21 ± 0.67; F1, 55.01 ± 0.29; F2, 56.10 ± 0.24; F3, 62.44 ± 1.03; F4, 70.52 ± 0.15; F5, 62.18 ± 0.92; F6, 72.68 ± 0.2; and F7, 57.33 ± 0.05% inhibition. α-Amylase % inhibition of methanolic extract and purified fractions were noted as: methanolic extract, 77.98 ± 0.57; F1, 79.72 ± 0.02; F2, 79.72 ± 0.02; F3, 82.16 ± 0.48; F4, 77.37 ± 0.28; F5, 72.14 ± 0.30; F6, 74.24 ± 0.29; and F7, 56.58 ± 0.10 at the highest concentration of 1000 µg/mL. Acarbose (standard) showed 87.65 ± 0.71% inhibition of α-glucosidase and 85.99 ± 0.44% inhibition of α-amylase at the highest concentration of 1000 µg/mL. It was found that all biological activities of methanolic extract and purified fractions might be attributed to the fact that they are rich sources of phenolic and flavonoids along with other bioactive compounds. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of methanolic extract were recorded higher as compared to purified fractions (TPC = 70% and TFC = 69%). Amongst the purified fractions, fraction 6 exhibited the highest TPC value (64%), and purified fraction 1 exhibited the highest value of TFC (58%). Recent research demonstrated that Cydonia oblonga may be considered an antibacterial medicinal plant. The result of the present study revealed that it might be utilized for the isolation of bioactive phytochemicals that can lead to new opportunities in the discovery of new antibiotics.

High concentrations of zinc along with other metals are released by steel mills, and this has a number of negative effects on organism health; most notably, neurological symptoms have been recorded with a high risk of brain atrophy. In the current study, Zn (II) was eliminated from steel mill effluent, utilizing chemically processed Pteris vittata plant leaves as a biosorbent. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were applied to characterize the chemically modified Pteris vittata leaves, from now onward abbreviated as CMPVL. In order to identify the ideal parameter, batch studies were conducted varying a single parameter affecting the biosorption process at a time, including variations in temperature (293–323 K), initial metal concentration (20–300 mg/L), and adsorbent doses (0.01–0.12 g), pH (2–8), as well as contact time (10–140 min). To describe the isothermal experimental results, a number of models were used including Freundlich, Langmuir, Temkin, Jovanovich, and Harkins–Jura. Among these models, the Langmuir model provided a significant fit to the isotherm data with an R² of 0.9738. The kinetics data were fitted to the pseudo first order, pseudo second order, power function, Natarajan–Khalaf, and intraparticle diffusion models. The highest R² (0.9976) value was recorded for the pseudo second order model. Using the Langmuir isotherm, the highest uptake ability (84.74 mg/g) of Zn was recorded. The thermodynamic investigation, carried out at various temperatures, led to the conclusion that the biosorption process was exothermic and spontaneous in nature. The CMPVL, thus, has the potential to function well as an alternative to existing carbon-based adsorbents in the effective elimination of zinc from aquatic environments.

Chromium (Cr), a metal that is released in appreciable amounts from the steel industry into water bodies, is not only the main causative agent of lung cancer in human but also negatively affects the metabolic activities of plants. Keeping in view the hazardous effects of Cr(VI), the present study was aimed to eliminate it from industrial effluents of steel mills installed in Dargai District Malakand, Pakistan, using chemically modified Pteris vittata plant leaves as an adsorbent. The instrumental techniques such as FTIR, surface area analysis, SEM, TGA and EDX were used to evaluate surface functionality, morphology, thermal stability and elemental composition of the modified leaves. To identify the ideal conditions for the biosorption process, batch adsorption tests were carried out under varied conditions of pH, contact time, initial metal concentration, biosorbent dose, as well as temperature. Various models, such as those of Freundlich, Jovanovich, Temkin, Langmuir, and Harkins–Jura, were utilized to explain the isothermal experimental data. The high value of R² (0.991) was exhibited by the Langmuir model. Pseudo-first-order, power function, pseudo-second-order, intraparticle diffusion, and Natarajan–Khalaf models were employed to obtain an insight into kinetics of the process. The highest R² value, close to unity was recorded with pseudo-second order. At pH = 2, the best elimination of Cr was observed with maximum uptake capacity q_max(66.6 mg/g) as calculated from the Langmuir isotherm. The thermodynamic analysis, which was conducted at different temperatures, showed that the nature of this sorption process was exothermic and spontaneous. The modified leaves-based biosorbent could be used as an alternative adsorbent for effective Cr elimination from water, and its use could be extended to other heavy metals and organic pollutants as well, and further experimentation are needed in this regard.