Plants are basically biosynthetic factories that contain various pathways that produce phytochemicals with the help of different parts of the cell while specialized cells or tissues hoard and use them as needed. Human population has used this to their advantage for centuries. Aims: This review article aims to provide a comprehensive guide to qualitative phytochemical tests, focusing on their principles, procedures, and interpretation of results. Scope of Review: This review covers qualitative tests for major phytochemical groups, including alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and phenols. Methodology: Various qualitative tests are compiled and described, detailing the chemical principles underpinning each test and the expected outcomes for the identification of phytochemicals. Summary of Findings: Qualitative phytochemical tests are highlighted for their simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility, making them valuable tools, particularly in resource-limited settings. These tests provide baseline information on phytochemical profiles and serve as initial screening tools that can lead to more detailed studies. Conclusion: While advanced analytical techniques exist, qualitative methods remain essential for initial phytochemical screening due to their practical advantages. This review emphasizes the importance of these classical techniques in both research and practical applications.

Fungi play many roles in different ecosystems. The precise identification of fungi is important in different aspects. Historically, they were identified based on morphological characteristics, but technological advancements such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing now enable more accurate identification and taxonomy, and higher-level classifications. However, some species, referred to as “dark taxa”, lack distinct physical features that makes their identification challenging. High-throughput sequencing and metagenomics of environmental samples provide a solution to identifying new lineages of fungi. This paper discusses different approaches to taxonomy, including PCR amplification and sequencing of rDNA, multi-loci phylogenetic analyses, and the importance of various omics (large-scale molecular) techniques for understanding fungal applications. The use of proteomics, transcriptomics, metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, and interactomics provides a comprehensive understanding of fungi. These advanced technologies are critical for expanding the knowledge of the Kingdom of Fungi, including its impact on food safety and security, edible mushrooms foodomics, fungal secondary metabolites, mycotoxin-producing fungi, and biomedical and therapeutic applications, including antifungal drugs and drug resistance, and fungal omics data for novel drug development. The paper also highlights the importance of exploring fungi from extreme environments and understudied areas to identify novel lineages in the fungal dark taxa.

Sri Lankans have relied on traditional medicine to meet their primary health needs since the beginning of time. This island is blessed with an enormous number of medicinal plants, which play a very important role in traditional medicine. However, the lengthy documented history of traditional medicine is still composed of medicinal plants, which are not scientifically proven to have the mentioned abilities or activities. To obtain scientifically sound information from this documented history of traditional medicine, extraction of the biologically active compounds from these medicinal plants is very important. Also, to maintain the accuracy of results obtained from in vitro and in vivo assays, it is important to consider the pre-extraction procedures as well as the evaporation and storage conditions of the extract. There are several extraction methods accessible in Sri Lanka. This research aims to review the pre-extraction preparation, extraction methods, evaporation techniques, and storage conditions of the plant extract. This review highlights that the reliability of phytochemical screening results is affected by the identification and authentication of the plant, pre-extraction procedures, menstruum utilized, method of extraction, and storage conditions.

Aims To investigate the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of aqueous, methanol, dichloromethane (DCM), and hexane extracts of Jeffreycia zeylanica leaves extracts. In vitro protein (egg albumin) denaturation method and in vitro human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane stabilization methods were used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf extracts. Methodology Plant leaves were collected, washed, air dried, and obtained crude plant material. Cold maceration was used to extract the plant materials. Aqueous, methanol, DCM, and hexane were used as solvents for maceration. Diclofenac sodium was used as the positive control for the evaluation. Results In the egg albumin denaturation method, the positive control diclofenac sodium indicated an IC 50 value of 179.2 µg/ml and R² of 0.9979. Similarly, hexane leaf extract suggested an IC 50 value of 154.9 µg/ml and R² of 0.9114. P values for all the extracts were P<0.05 indicating that there’s a strong correlation between plant extract concentration and % inhibition of egg albumin denaturation. According to the IC 50 values and R² value hexane extract indicated the highest potential anti-inflammatory activity. In the HRBC membrane stabilization method, the positive control diclofenac sodium indicated an IC 50 value of 77.05 µg/ml and R² of 0.9929 similarly DCM leaf extract indicated an IC 50 value of 154.0 µg/ml and R² of 0.9787. P values for all the extracts were P<0.05 indicating that there’s a strong correlation between plant extracts concentration and % protection of RBC membrane. According to the IC 50 values and R² value DCM extract indicated the highest potential anti-inflammatory activity. Conclusion Hexane leaf extract indicated the highest potential anti-inflammatory activity for the egg albumin denaturation method meanwhile DCM leaf extract indicated the highest potential anti-inflammatory activity for the HRBC membrane stabilization method, evidencing that nonpolar or less polar secondary metabolites of the plant leaves can contribute more to the plant’s anti-inflammatory activity.

Aims: Inflammation is a vital biological response that plays an important role during tissue repair and defense against infections. A range of transcription factors (including NF-KB and AP-1), enzymes (Cycooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-Lipoxygenase (5-LOX) mediates this process. The dysregulation of inflammation can lead to chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disorders, and rheumatoid arthritis. Corticosteroids and Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often used as anti-inflammatory drugs. Despite their effectiveness, the prolonged use of these drugs comes with various side effects. Therefore, there is a growing demand for safer but effective anti-inflammatory drugs. Plants and plant-based products have a rich history for their medicinal properties. Hence, medicinal plants can be a strong alternative for developing new anti-inflammatory drugs. Materials and Methods: In vitro assays are frequently utilized for the initial screening of natural products for their pharmacological properties as they are cost-effective, direct, and time-efficient. Protein denaturation inhibition assays, membrane stabilization assays, enzyme inhibition (COX/LOX), and nitric oxide assays are commonly used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory properties of drugs. Conclusion: This review explores frequently utilized In vitro assays to evaluate anti-inflammatory activity, outlining their principles, methodologies, advantages, and limitations. It aims to help researchers choose appropriate techniques for drug discovery and the development of anti-inflammatory medications. However, the inability of In vitro models to fully replicate the complexity of living organism responses remains a significant limitation.

Mirabilis jalapa Linn. (Nyctaginaceae), commonly referred to as the Four O'clock plant (Sinhala name: Hendirikka), is a popular ornamental plant grown for the beauty of its flowers and used in folklore remedies. This plant is used to treat a variety of disease conditions around the world. It is widely used for abdominal colic, aphrodisiac, boils, diarrhea, inflammations, genitourinary disorders, muscular pain, and other issues by people from various countries. This plant contains several phytochemical compounds isolated from its parts, such as alkaloids, brassicasterol, carbohydrates, flavonoids, glycosides, phytosterols (beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol), oleanolic acid, trigonelline, and ursolic acid. This plant has been studied for its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial (antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal), antioxidant & cytotoxic, anti-tumor, anti-nociceptive, antihistamine and immune modulatory, anti-tubercular induced hepatotoxic effect, antiparasitic, dermatological, and hypoglycemic and antihyperlipidemic properties. It is also used as a reductant in the production of gold nanoparticles. This research aims to review the literature on Mirabilis Jalapa’s morphology, ethnomedicinal, phytochemical, and pharmacological properties.