Ophiorrhiza rugosa var. prostrata is one of the most frequently used ethnomedicinal plants by the indigenous communities of Bangladesh. This study was designed to investigate the antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic and antibacterial activities of the ethanol extract of O. rugosa leaves (EEOR). The leaves were extracted with ethanol and subjected to in vivo antidiarrheal screening using the castor oil-induced diarrhea, enteropooling, and gastrointestinal transit models. Anti-inflammatory efficacy was evaluated using the histamine-induced paw edema test. In parallel, in vitro anthelmintic and antibacterial activities were evaluated using the aquatic worm and disc diffusion assays respectively. In all three diarrheal models, EEOR (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) showed obvious inhibition of diarrheal stool frequency, reduction of the volume and weight of the intestinal contents, and significant inhibition of intestinal motility. Also, EEOR manifested dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity. Anthelmintic action was deemed significant (P < 0.001) with respect to the onset of paralysis and helminth death. EEOR also resulted in strong zones of inhibition when tested against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. GC-MS analysis identified 30 compounds within EEOR, and of these, 13 compounds documented as bioactive showed good binding affinities to M3 muscarinic acetylcholine, 5-HT3, tubulin and GlcN-6-P synthase protein targets in molecular docking experiments. Additionally, ADME/T and PASS analyses revealed their drug-likeness, likely safety upon consumption and possible pharmacological activities. In conclusion, our findings scientifically support the ethnomedicinal use and value of this plant, which may provide a potential source for future development of medicines.

Plant production in urban areas is receiving much attention due to its potential role in feeding the rapidly growing population of city dwellers. However, higher energy demands in urban plant factories are among the key challenges that need to be addressed. Artificial lighting is responsible for the most significant levels of energy consumption in plant factories; therefore, lighting systems must be modulated in consideration of the sustainable food–energy nexus. In this context, low light irradiation using blue (B) and red (R) LED was applied in a plant factory for the growth of red leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var Lollo rosso) to evaluate the growth performance and functional quality. The tested B (450 nm) and R (660 nm) light ratios were B/R = 5:1; 3:1; 1:1; 1:3, and 1:5, with a photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 90 ± 3 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹. In the plant factory, the photoperiod, temperature, RH, and CO₂ conditions were 16 h d⁻¹, 20 ± 0.5 °C, 65% ± 5%, and 360 ± 10 μL L⁻¹, respectively. The lettuce was harvested 10 and 20 days after the commencement of LED light treatment (DAT). In this study, normal photosynthetic activity and good visual quality of the lettuce were observed. The results show that a higher fraction of R (B/R = 1:5) significantly increased plant growth parameters such as plant height, leaf area, specific leaf area, plant fresh and dry weight, and carbohydrate content. By contrast, a higher fraction of B (B/R = 5:1) significantly increased the photosynthetic parameters and contents of pigment and phenolic compounds. The rate of photosynthetic performance, carbohydrates (except starch), and content of phenolic compounds were highest after 10 DAT, whereas the pigment contents did not significantly differ at the different growth stages. It is concluded that high R fractions favor plant growth and carbohydrate content, while high B fractions favor photosynthetic performance and the accumulation of pigments and phenolic compounds in red leaf lettuce under limited lighting conditions. This study will help in designing artificial lighting conditions for plant factory production to reduce energy demands.

Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) is an important nutritious ancient minor-cereal food crop. However, this crop is little explored in the food processing arena to improve its functionality. In this context, different processing methods were applied to enhance the secondary compounds of broomcorn millet. Four different individual methods such as roasting, steaming, puffing, and extrusion were applied at 110 °C to enhance the functional attributes of millet flour. It was observed that the significantly highest content of total phenolic (TP) (670 mg/100 g of ferulic acid equivalent) and total flavonoid (TF) (391 mg/100 g of rutin equivalent ) was attained in the roasted whole millet followed by steaming (315 mg/100 g, 282 mg/100 g), puffing (645 mg/100 g, 304 mg/100 g), extrusion (455 mg/100 g, 219 mg/100 g), and control (295 mg/100 g, 183 mg/100 g). The chromatographic analysis showed a greater content of single phenolic acids such as syringic acid, gallic acid, 4-hydroxy benzoic acid, ferulic acid, sinapic acid, and catechin in roasted millet compared to control, and the content of each acid was higher in whole millet than dehulled. Results also indicated that the content of ferulic acid was relatively higher among the quantified single phenolic acid from broomcorn millet. Likewise, in comparison with dehulled millet, the roasted whole millet showed higher total antioxidant capacity, measured by the 2,2-diphenyl-1 picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), the ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP), the phosphomolybdenum method (PPMD), and the hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity (HRSC) method. Lastly, it is concluded that the roasting method should be taken into consideration in the processing of broomcorn millet to enhance the content of nutraceutical compounds and improve its functionality.

Lepidagathis hyalina Nees is used locally in Ayurvedic medicine to treat coughs and cardiovascular diseases. This study explored its pharmacological potential through in vivo and in vitro approaches for the metabolites extracted (methanolic) from the stems of L. hyalina. A qualitative phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of numerous secondary metabolites. The methanol extract of L. hyalina stems (MELHS) showed a strong antioxidative activity in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing power assays, and in the quantitative (phenolic and flavonoid) assay. Clot lysis and brine shrimp lethality bioassays were applied to investigate the thrombolytic and cytotoxic activities, respectively. MELHS exhibited an expressive percentage of clot lysis (33.98%) with a moderately toxic (115.11 μg/mL) effect. The in vivo anxiolytic activity was studied by an elevated plus maze test, whereas the antidepressant activity was examined by a tail suspension test and forced swimming test. During the anxiolytic evaluation, MELHS exhibited a significant dose-dependent reduction of anxiety, in which the 400 mg/kg dose of the extract showed 78.77 ± 4.42% time spent in the open arm in the elevated plus maze test. In addition, MELHS demonstrated dose-dependent and significant activities in the tail suspension test and forced swimming test, whereas the 400 mg/kg dose of the extract showed 87.67 ± 6.40% and 83.33 ± 6.39% inhibition of immobile time, respectively. Therefore, the current study suggests that L. hyalina could be a potential source of anti-oxidative, cytotoxic, thrombolytic, anxiolytic, and antidepressant agents. Further study is needed to determine the mechanism behind the bioactivities.

Background: Sorghum bicolor(SB) is rich in protective phytoconstituents with health benefits and regarded as a promising source of natural anti-diabetic substance. However, its comprehensive bioactive compound(s) and mechanism(s) against type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have not been exposed. Hence, we implemented network pharmacology to identify its key compounds and mechanism(s) against T2DM.Methods: Compounds in SB were explored through GC-MS and screened by Lipinski’s rule. Genes associated with the selected compounds or T2DM were extracted from public databases, and the overlapping genes between SB-compound related genes and T2DM target genes were identified using Venn diagram. Then, the networking between selected compounds and overlapping genes was constructed, visualized, and analyzed by RStudio. Finally, affinity between compounds and genes was evaluated via molecular docking.Results: GC-MS analysis of SB detected a total of 20 compounds which were accepted by the Lipinski’s rule. A total number of 16 compounds-related genes and T2DM-related genes (4,763) were identified, and 81 overlapping genes between them were selected. Gene set enrichment analysis exhibited that the mechanisms of SB against T2DM were associated with 12 signaling pathways, and the key mechanism might be to control blood glucose level by activating PPAR signaling pathway. Furthermore, the highest affinities were noted between four main compounds and six genes (FABP3-Propyleneglyco monoleate, FABP4-25-Oxo-27-norcholesterol, NR1H3-Campesterol, PPARA-β-sitosterol, PPARD-β-sitosterol, and PPARG-β-sitosterol).Conclusion: Our study overall suggests that the four key compounds detected in SB might ameliorate T2DM severity by activating the PPAR signaling pathway.