Recently, there has been a paradigm shift from conventional therapies to relatively safer phytotherapies. This divergence is crucial for the management of various chronic diseases. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) is a popular vegetable crop with good nutritional significance, along with certain therapeutic values, which makes it a potential candidate in the use of a variety of nutraceuticals. Different parts of the okra fruit (mucilage, seed, and pods) contain certain important bioactive components, which confer its medicinal properties. The phytochemicals of okra have been studied for their potential therapeutic activities on various chronic diseases, such as type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular, and digestive diseases, as well as the antifatigue effect, liver detoxification, antibacterial, and chemo-preventive activities. Moreover, okra mucilage has been widely used in medicinal applications such as a plasma replacement or blood volume expanders. Overall, okra is considered to be an easily available, low-cost vegetable crop with various nutritional values and potential health benefits. Despite several reports about its therapeutic benefits and potential nutraceutical significance, there is a dearth of research on the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of okra, which has hampered its widespread use in the nutraceutical industry. This review summarizes the available literature on the bioactive composition of okra and its potential nutraceutical significance. It will also provide a platform for further research on the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of okra for its possible commercial production as a therapeutic agent against various chronic diseases.

Eruca sativa Mill. (E. sativa) leaves recently grabbed the attention of scientific communities around the world due to its potent bioactivity. Therefore, the present study investigates the metabolite profiling of the ethanolic crude extract of E. sativa leaves using high resolution-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HR-LC/MS), including antibacterial, antioxidant and anticancer potential against human colorectal carcinoma cell lines. In addition, computer-aided analysis was performed for determining the pharmacokinetic properties and toxicity prediction of the identified compounds. Our results show that E. sativa contains several bioactive compounds, such as vitamins, fatty acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids and phenols. Furthermore, the antibacterial assay of E. sativa extract showed inhibitory effects of the tested pathogenic bacterial strains. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) were found to be IC₅₀ = 66.16 μg/mL and 76.05 μg/mL, respectively. E. sativa also showed promising anticancer activity against both the colorectal cancer cells HCT-116 (IC₅₀ = 64.91 μg/mL) and Caco-2 (IC₅₀ = 83.98 μg/mL) in a dose/time dependent manner. The phytoconstituents identified showed promising pharmacokinetics properties, representing a valuable source for drug or nutraceutical development. These investigations will lead to the further exploration as well as development of E. sativa-based nutraceutical products.

Natural products from the unique environments of sea water and oceans represent a largely unfamiliar source for isolation of new microbes, which are potent producers of secondary bioactive metabolites. These unique life-forms from the marine ecosphere have served as an important source of drugs since ancient times and still offer a valuable resource for novel findings by providing remedial treatments. Therefore, it can be expected that many naturally bioactive marine microbial compounds with novel structures and bioactivities against those from terrestrial environments may be found among marine metabolites. Biofilms in aquatic environment possess serious problems to naval forces and oceanic industries around the globe. Current anti-biofilm or anti-biofouling technology is based on the use of toxic substances that can be harmful to their surrounding natural locales. Comprehensive research has been done to examine the bioactive potential of marine microbes. Results are remarkably varied and dynamic, but there is an urgent need for bioactive compounds with environmentally friendly or “green” chemical activities. Marine microbes have the potential as upcoming and promising source of non-toxic compounds with sustainable anti-biofouling/anti-biofilm properties as they can produce substances that can inhibit not only the chemical components required for biofilm production but also the attachment, microorganism growth, and/or cell–cell communication.

Worldwide, the primary problem today is the proliferation of cancer and secondary bacterial infections caused by biofilms, as they are the principal causes of death due to the lack of effective drugs. A great deal of biological activities of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have made them a brilliant choice for the development of new drugs in recent years. The present study was conducted to evaluate the anticancer, antibacterial, anti-QS, and antibiofilm effects of AgNPs synthesized from Eruca sativa (E. sativa) leaf extract. The ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectra showed a peak of surface plasmon resonance at 424 nm λmax, which corresponded to AgNP formation. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed that biological moieties are involved for the development of AgNPs. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses confirmed the spherical shape and uniform size (8.11 to 15 nm) of the AgNPs. In human lung cancer cells (A549), the anticancer potential of AgNPs was examined by the MTT [3-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay, scratch assay, and invasion assay. The results indicated that AgNPs inhibit the migration of A549 cells. The synthesized AgNPs showed MIC values of 12.5 µg/mL against Chromobacterium violaceum (C. violaceum) and 25 µg/mL against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), which demonstrated their antibacterial abilities. Biological compounds that disable the QS system are being investigated as potential strategies for preventing bacterial infections. Thus, we analyzed the potential effectiveness of synthesized AgNPs in inhibiting QS-regulated virulence factors and biofilm formation in both strains of bacteria. In C. violaceum, the synthesized AgNPs significantly inhibited both violacein (85.18% at 1/2 × MIC) and acyl homoserine lactone (78.76% at 1/2 × MIC). QS inhibitory activity was also demonstrated in P. aeruginosa at a sub-MIC concentration (1/2 × MIC) by a reduction in pyocyanin activity (68.83%), total protease (68.50%), LasA activity (63.91%), and LasB activity (56.40%). Additionally, the exopolysaccharide production was significantly reduced in both C. violaceum (65.79% at 1/2 × MIC) and P. aeruginosa (57.65% at 1/2 × MIC). The formation of biofilm was also significantly inhibited at 1/2 × MIC in C. violaceum (76.49%) and in P. aeruginosa (65.31%). Moreover, a GC–MS analysis confirmed the presence of different classes of bioactive phytochemical constituents present in the leaf extract of E. sativa. On the basis of our results, we conclude that biologically synthesized AgNPs showed numerous multifunctional properties and have the potential to be used against human cancer and bacterial biofilm-related infections.

Over the last few years, marine environment was found to be a source of surplus natural products and microorganisms with new bioactive secondary metabolites of interest which can divulge nutritional and biological impact on the host. This study aims to assess the possible, inherent and functional probiotic properties of a novel probiotic strain Enterococcus durans F3 (E. durans F3) isolated from the gut of fresh water fish Catla catla. Parameters for evaluating and describing the probiotics described in FAD/WHO guidelines were followed. E. durans F3 demonstrated affirmative results including simulated bile, acid and gastric juice tolerance with exhibited significant bactericidal effect against pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Typhi, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This can be due to the enterocin produced by E. durans F3 strain, which was resolute by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gel with amplification of the anticipated fragment of a structural gene; enterocin A, followed by antibiotic susceptibility assessment. Effective antioxidant potentiality against α-diphenyl-α-picrylhydrazyl free radicals including lipase, bile salt hydrolase activity with auto-aggregation and cell surface hydrophobicity was similarly observed. Results are proving the potentiality of E. durans F3, which can also be used as probiotic starter culture in dairy industries for manufacturing new products that imparts health benefits to the host. Finding the potent and novel probiotic strains will also satisfy the current developing market demand for probiotics.

Abelmoschus esculentus (Okra) is an important vegetable crop, widely cultivated around the world due to its high nutritional significance along with several health benefits. Different parts of okra including its mucilage have been currently studied for its role in various therapeutic applications. Therefore, we aimed to develop and characterize the okra mucilage biopolymer (OMB) for its physicochemical properties as well as to evaluate its in vitro antidiabetic activity. The characterization of OMB using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) revealed that okra mucilage containing polysaccharides lies in the bandwidth of 3279 and 1030 cm⁻¹, which constitutes the fingerprint region of the spectrum. In addition, physicochemical parameters such as percentage yield, percentage solubility, and swelling index were found to be 2.66%, 96.9%, and 5, respectively. A mineral analysis of newly developed biopolymers showed a substantial amount of calcium (412 mg/100 g), potassium (418 mg/100 g), phosphorus (60 mg/100 g), iron (47 mg/100 g), zinc (16 mg/100 g), and sodium (9 mg/100 g). The significant antidiabetic potential of OMB was demonstrated using α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibitory assay. Further investigations are required to explore the newly developed biopolymer for its toxicity, efficacy, and its possible utilization in food, nutraceutical, as well as pharmaceutical industries.