Currently, there is no specific treatment to cure COVID-19. Many medicinal plants have antiviral, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, wound healing etc. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to screen for potent inhibitors of N-terminal domain (NTD) of nucleocapsid phosphoprotein of SARS-CoV-2. The structure of NTD of RNA binding domain of nucleocapsid phosphoprotein of SARS coronavirus 2 was retrieved from the Protein Data Bank (PDB 6VYO) and the structures of 100 different phytocompounds were retrieved from Pubchem. The receptor protein and ligands were prepared using Schrodinger’s Protein Preparation Wizard. Molecular docking was done by using the Schrodinger’s maestro 12.0 software. Drug likeness and toxicity of active phytocompounds was predicted by using Swiss adme, admetSAR and protox II online servers. Molecular dynamic simulation of the best three protein- ligand complexes (alizarin, aloe-emodin and anthrarufin) was performed to study the interaction stability. We have identified three potential active sites (named as A, B, C) on receptor protein for efficient binding of the phytocompounds. We found that, among 100 phytocompounds, emodin, aloe-emodin, anthrarufin, alizarine, and dantron of Rheum emodi showed good binding affinity at all the three active sites of RNA binding domain of nucleocapsid phosphoprotein of COVID-19.The binding energies of emodin, aloe-emodin, anthrarufin, alizarine, and dantron were −8.299, −8.508, −8.456, −8.441, and −8.322 Kcal mol⁻¹ respectively (site A), −7.714, −6.433, −6.354, −6.598, and −6.99 Kcal mol⁻¹ respectively (site B), and −8.299, 8.508, 8.538, 8.841, and 8.322 Kcal mol⁻¹ respectively (site C). All the active phytocompounds follows the drug likeness properties, non-carcinogenic, and non-toxic. Theses phytocompounds (alone or in combination) could be developed into effective therapy against COVID-19. From MD simulation data, we found that all three complexes of 6VYO with alizarin, aloe-emodin and anthrarufin were stable up to 50 ns. These phytocompounds can be tested further for in vitro or in vivo and used as a potential drug to cure SARS-CoV-2 infection. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

The present study was aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of ethanolic extract and its different solvent fractions (chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous fraction) of bark and leaves of Terminalia arjuna. The antimicrobial activity was determined by disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods against six bacterial stains. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by using DPPH, FRAP and Nitric oxide (NO) scavenging assay. The total phenolics and flavonoid content were found to be higher in n-butanolic fraction of bark (294.6 ± 8.1 mg/g GAE and 168.6 ± 12.3 mg/g RE, respectively) and leaves (203.7 ± 7.0 mg/g GAE and 144.8 ± 11.1 mg/g RE, respectively). The maximum antimicrobial activity was shown by n-butanolic fraction of bark and leaves. The zone of inhibition of 15.0 ± 0.7 mm, 15.5 ± 0.7 mm, 15.0 ± 1.5 mm, 15.5 ± 0.7 mm, 15.0 ± 0.7 mm, 15.0 ± 0.7 mm was observed against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Eschericia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi respectively. In case of leaves extract, zone of inhibition of 13.5 ± 0.7 mm, 16.5 ± 0.7 mm, 14.0 ± 0.5 mm, 15.0 ± 0.5 mm, 13.5 ± 0.7 mm, 14.0 ± 0.7 mm was observed against B. subtilis, S. aureus, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, S. typhi, respectively. The n-butanol fraction of bark [IC50-4.1 μg/ml (DPPH), 21.0 μM (FRAP), 3.3 μg/ml (NO)] and leaves [IC50-4.8 μg/ml (DPPH), 28.9 μM (FRAP), 3.2 μg/ml (NO)] showed more antioxidant potential as compared to that of crude ethanolic extract, ethyl acetate fraction, chloroform fraction, aqueous fraction and even ascorbic acid. These results clearly indicated comparative antioxidant potential and antimicrobial activity in extracts of bark and leaves of T. arjuna.

Cancer is a serious and significantly progressive disease. Next to cardiovascular disease, cancer has become the most common cause of mortality in the entire world. Several factors, such as environmental factors, habitual activities, genetic factors, etc., are responsible for cancer. Many cancer patients seek alternative and/or complementary treatments because of the high death rate linked with cancer and the adverse side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Traditional medicine has a long history that begins with the hunt for botanicals to heal various diseases, including cancer. In the traditional medicinal system, several plants used to treat diseases have many bioactive compounds with curative capability, thereby also helping in disease prevention. Plants also significantly contributed to the modern pharmaceutical industry throughout the world. In the present review, we have listed 33 medicinal plants with active and significant anticancer activity, as well as their anticancer compounds. This article will provide a basic set of information for researchers interested in developing a safe and nontoxic active medicinal plant-based treatment for cancer. The research will give a scientific foundation for the traditional usage of these medicinal herbs to treat cancer.

Soil salinity has been one of the biggest hurdles in achieving better crop yield and quality. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are the symbiotic heterogeneous bacteria that play an important role in the recycling of plant nutrients through phytostimulation and phytoremediation. In this study, bacterial isolates were isolated from salt-polluted soil of Jhajjar and Panipat districts of Haryana, India. The potential salt-tolerant bacteria were screened for their PGPR activities such as phosphate solubilization, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), indole acetic acid (IAA) and ammonia production. The molecular characterization of potent isolates with salt tolerance and PGPR activity was done by 16S rDNA sequencing. Eighteen soil samples from saline soils of Haryana state were screened for salt-tolerant bacteria. The bacterial isolates were analyzed for salt tolerance ranging from 2 to 10%. Thirteen isolates were found salt tolerant at varied salt concentrations. Isolates HB6P2 and HB6J2 showed maximum tolerance to salts at 10% followed by HB4A1, HB4N3 and HB8P1. All the salt-tolerant bacterial isolates showed HCN production with maximum production by HB6J2. Phosphate solubilization was demonstrated by three isolates viz., HB4N3, HB6P2 and HB6J2. IAA production was maximum in HB4A1 (15.89) and HB6P2 (14.01) and least in HB4N3 (8.91). Ammonia production was maximum in HB6P2 (12.3) and least in HB8P1 (6.2). Three isolates HB6J2, HB8P1 and HB4N3 with significant salt tolerance, and PGPR ability were identified through sequencing of amplified 16SrRNA gene and were found to be Bacillus paramycoides, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus pumilus, respectively. The salt-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) isolated from saline soil can be used to overcome the detrimental effects of salt stress on plants, with beneficial effects of physiological functions of plants such as growth and yield, and overcome disease resistance. Therefore, application of microbial inoculants to alleviate stresses and enhance yield in plants could be a low cost and environmental friendly option for the management of saline soil for better crop productivity.