The green synthesis of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) employing a whole plant extract from Cymodocea serrulata (CS) has been accounted in the present research work. The presence of coumarin, flavonoid, phenol, saponin, tannin, carbohydrate and xanthoprotein were approved by the phytochemical analysis of the plant aqueous extract and these chemicals can be employed as stabilizing, reducing and capping agents. The CS-CuNPs were illustrated by UV-Vis spectrophotometry, Energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM). Significant absorption was observed at 274 nm resulting from the surface plasmon resonance (SPR). FTIR was exploited to distinguish the specific functional groups accountable for reducing ion copper to copper nanoparticles and the capping agents available in the plant extract. SEM image showed triangular pyramid shape of CS-CuNPs and size of 23.30 nm. The XRD results revealed a crystalline nature of CS-CuNPs with an average size of 23.24 nm. The surface morphology was confirmed by AFM techniques. The CS-CuNPs had shown strong 2,2'-diphenyl-2-picryl hydroxyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. It also showed high antibacterial activity against Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The eco-friendly, rapid, and cost-effective synthesis of copper nanoparticles from C. serrulata (CS-CuNPs) whole plant extract yielded particles with remarkable broadspectrum antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. These CS-CuNPs showed strong activity against DPPH radicals and gram-negative bacteria, indicating significant potential for various biomedical applications.

The synthesis of AgNPs (silver nanoparticles) was performed using the aqueous extract of seagrass Halodule uninervis (HU) along with silver nitrate. The synthetic production of HU-AgNPs was confirmed by a color change and analyzed with a UV-vis spectrophotometer at 450 nm. The existence of functional groups was verified using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The HU-AgNPs' spherical shape was validated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests. The crystal structure of HU-AgNPs was established by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The roughness and surface morphology were confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Significant antibacterial action was demonstrated by the HU-AgNPs against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli, two Gram-negative pathogens. The antioxidant showed the highest inhibition of ABTs (2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) when compared to hydroxyl scavenging, 2,2'-diphenyl-2-picrylhydroxyl (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), nitric oxide (NO), and superoxide tests. By inhibiting α-amylase along with α-glycosidase, the HU-AgNPs' antidiabetic effectiveness was evaluated. Therefore, to validate the findings and create an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antidiabetic drug, a molecule-level in vivo study is required. Such synthesized nanoparticles have potential applications in multifunctional drug delivery applications.

Aristolochia tagala Cham. (Aristolochiaceae) is an underexplored medicinal plant traditionally used to treat snakebites, stomachaches, and poisonous bites. In this study, chemical profiling of the petroleum ether, chlo-roform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and hydro-alcoholic extracts of the plant was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The antibacterial activity of the plant was tested against ten bacterial strains using the agar disc diffusion and microdilution method. In total, forty two compounds were identified from the extracts with neophytadiene, palmitic acid, phytol, trans-delta 9-octadecenoic acid, phytyl palmitate, phytyl tetradecanoate, ergost-5-en-3-ol, (3beta,24r)-,z,z-8,10-hexadecadien-1-ol, stigmasterol, and tetrapentacontane as major phytoconstituents. The hydro-alcoholic extract possessed maximum total phenolics (52.58 +/- 06 mg GAE/ g), total flavonoids (48.66 +/- 91 QRE/g), total flavanols (67.20 +/- 64 QRE/g) and vitamin E content (31.26 +/- 0.05 mg ATE/g). For antibacterial activity, hydro-alcoholic extract of Aristolochia tagala effectively controlled the growth of bacterial strains such as Proteus valgaris (26.3 mm) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19.33 mm) and the same extract showed notable minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against the growth of bacteria like Escherichia coli (10.93 mu g/ml) and Enterobacter aerogenes (43.7 mu g/ml). It was determined that, hydro-alcoholic and methanolic extracts Aristolochia tagala leaf found to have a number of bioactive compounds with significant antibacterial activity against the pathogenic bacteria. Further investigations are necessary to isolate and char-acterize bioactives and to evaluate its therapeutic potential.

As small drops of water form the ocean, minuscule material contributes enormously to the soil, a sacred and sustainable biosphere substrate. It is critical to understand the impact of biotic organic debris on the pedology and edaphology of tropical forest bare rocks. The process of ecological succession (initiated by mammals through their uphill movements and shedding of their hairs in association with their excretions and secretions decelerates the flow of water, thereby facilitating the formation and fertilization of biogenic habitats) is hypothesized to be initiated by mammals. Ephemeral macroinvertebrates, primarily pterygote insects, will inhabit the tiny organic debris harbored in such habitats, including ephemeral habitats. The debris of such macroinvertebrates stimulates the biomass of microbial decomposers, promoting mineralization and, ultimately, pedogenesis, and edaphogenesis. Understanding these complex cascades of spatiotemporal processes from nature's perspective is beneficial to global conservation and restoration of tropical rain forests, including rock ecosystems.

Seaweeds with their widespread use in the food and feed industries, they are untapped as a neutraceutical and medicinal products despite their significant antioxidant properties. South Indian coast provide a suitable environment for the luxuriant growth of diverse species of seaweeds. Some of the economic important species are Gelidiella acerosa, Gracilaria edulis, Gracilaria crassa, Gracilaria verrucosa, Sargassum sps. and Turbinaria sps. In addition, seaweeds are the chief sources of commercially important agar, carrageenan and alginate. The diverse bioactive components of seaweeds and their nutritional, pharmacological and industrial applications for human welfare have been focus of this review.

Marine seaweeds that belong to Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta, and Phaeophyta groups are reported to biosynthesize metal nanoparticles. The morphology and the stability of the nanoparticles obtained from seaweeds for biomedical and environmental applications are equivalent in most aspects to other “green” methodologies. The ability of algae to accumulate metals and reduce metal ions make them a superior contender for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles and hence they are called bio-nano factories as both the live and dead dried biomass are used for the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. The biosynthesis of nanoparticles using seaweeds can be scaled up to meet industrial requirements. Algae are relatively convenient to handle, less toxic, and less harmful to the environment; synthesis can be carried out at ambient temperature and pressure and in simple aqueous media at a normal pH value. Therefore, this review elaborates seaweeds as a better tool for the fabrication of metal nanoparticles.

Cymbidium aloifolium (L.) Sw. is an epiphytic orchid belongs to the family Orchidaceae. It is widely distributed in Southeast Asia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The plant of C. aloifolium is used for medicinal purposes. It is also employed as a tonic and in treating weakness of chronic illness, vertigo, eyes, burns, and sores. Active compounds have been isolated from diverse parts of the plants that are used for their antimicrobial, spasmolytic, cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet aggregation, antiallergic activities, and phytotoxicity. The objective of the present study is to compile all the relevant information regarding traditional uses, phytochemistry. and pharmacology of C. aloifolium. This chapter reveals tins plant as a potent herbal drug and remedy for various ailments.

Drynaria quercifolia (DQ), a medicinal fern, belonging to the family of Polypodiaceae, has a great medicinal value against various diseases and is native to tropical areas of Africa and Asia, cultivated chiefly as a medicinal plant. The plant is employed to treat various health problems and is found to have no side effects. Perusal of literature reveals that various phytochemicals like friedelin, epifriedelinol, β-amyrin, β-sitosterol, β-sitosterol 3-β-D-glucopyranoside, and naringin were reported as of the dried rhizome of D. quercifolia. Dried rhizome of this plant has antifertility, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, wound healing, and antiulcer properties.

Background: The present study was conducted among the Kani, a tribe settled in the Pechiparai hills of Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats, to document and quantify their traditional knowledge on the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of various human ailments.Methods: Ethnomedicinal data were collected from the Kani by using semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed by using use value (UV), informant consensus factor (Fic), fidelity level (FL) and family use value (FUV).Results: In total, 138 species representing 126 genera belonging to 60 families were reported to have medicinal value and were extensively used by the tribe. Leguminosae was the most speciose family, including 14% (19 species) of identified species. Leaf (50%; 69 species) was found to be the part most used to prepare drugs; leaf extract in the form of juice (26%) was the most widely used preparation; and remedies were often administered orally (53%). The highest UV was recorded for Aristolochia indica (0.35) with 18 use reports, whereas the highest Fic (0.09) was noted for the ailment category 'fever'. The wide use of Curcuma longa has strong pharmacological evidence - that it is effective in treating various ailments.Conclusion: The present study was the first quantitative survey of the traditional use of medicinal plants by the Kani and will help in the conservation of this invaluable inheritance.(c) 2020 Ecological Society of China. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sacred groves are tracts of virgin forest that are left untouched by the local communities, harbours rich biodiversity and are protected by the local people for their spiritual and religious significance. They are the immaculate patches of native biodiversity that are preserved in their original state. They are the sites to conserve habitats and serve as sanctuaries for endemic species. During the field survey, 289 sacred groves were identified from Kanyakumari district in which Vilavancode taluk possess 155 (54%), followed by Kalkulam 101 (35%), Thovalai 19 (6%) and Agateeswaram 14 (5%) taluks of the district. Totally 614 plant species were recorded from the studied groves. Most of the sacred groves are governed by a single family (Thani Kaavu). Nagaraja was worshiped commonly as main deity or along with other deities. Ficus benghalensis and Ficus religiosa were the dominating sacred trees. These conservation pockets of biodiversity are on the verge of extinction. So we should take necessary steps to conserve biodiversity by conserving these precious groves.

Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit. (Lamiaceae) is one of the common weeds with enormous medicinal qualities. The focus of this chapter is to provide information on the morphology, active constituents, and pharmacological activities of H. suaveolens. In traditional medicine, almost all parts of H. suaveolens are being used as a stimulant, carminative, sudorific, for wounds, catarrhal condition, infection of uterus, galactagogue, rheumatism, tuberculosis, leprosy, skin disease, dyspepsia, pruritis, flatulence, laxative, aphrodisiac, antipyretic, and as a cure for parasitic cutaneous diseases. Phytochemically, the aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of this plant showed the availability of volatile oil, starch, proteins, tannins, saponins, fats, alkaloids, and glycosides. Oil extracted from H. suaveolens contains 36 chemical components of which 72.54% were monoterpenoids, 21.96% sesquiterpenoids, and 5.49% nonterpenoid constituents. H. suaveolens has also reported many pharmacological activities include antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antidiarrheal, antimalarial, antiplasmodial, anthelmintic, antifertility, immunomodulatory, and antiulcer. This chapter 126highlights some of the new research which explains the multifaceted activity of H. suaveolens.

Gmelina asiatica L. (Lamiaceae) commonly known as Asian bushbeech or Asiatic bushbeech berry and is an important medicinal plant. It is found in peninsular India and parts of Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Traditionally, the whole plant is used as a herbal remedy for gonorrhea, catarrh of the bladder, and as a blood purifier. The leaves, aerial parts, and roots are used for the treatment of jaundice, rheumatism, syphilis, gonorrhea, burning sensation of eyes, fever, dysuria, wounds, dandruff, diabetes, hepatic diseases, and also to reduce body heat. Phytochemical studies of the different parts of plant revealed the presence of various bioactive phytoconstituents such as carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, fats and oils, alkaloids, phytosterols, triterpenoids, furan, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, tannins, steroids, saponins, and phenolic compounds. The plant is also reported to have innumerable significant pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, anti-hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, antipyretic, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities. The pharmacognostic standardization of G. asiatica stem has various anatomical features including epidermal cells, secondary xylem, vascular cylinder, their size, shape, structure, distribution, and orientation and it also mentioned the internal specific features of fibers, rays, 114tracheids, and calcium oxalate crystals. The objective of this chapter is to compile all the relevant published information regarding traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacognosy, and other therapeutic potential of G. asiatica. This chapter reveals this plant as potent herbal drug and remedy for many ailments.

Mangroves are a diverse group of salt-tolerant, mostly arboreal, flowering plants. They are primarily tropical and subtropical in distribution, and are generally more along the coastlines of the east than on the west of the continents. In India, mangroves are found along the coastline of nine states and four Union Territories, 70% on the east coast, 12% on the west coast and 18% on the Bay Islands. Indian mangroves have recorded 46 true mangrove species belonging to 14 families and 22 genera, 42 species and 4 natural hybrids. Of these, 16 mangroves belonging to 11 genera and 9 families have been recorded along the Tamil Nadu coast. Mangrove habitats are now threatened by various factors such as reduction in freshwater flow, marine and coastal pollution, siltation, sedimentation and excessive salinity.

Sacred groves are the reservoirs of biodiversity and help in conserving the resources available due to strong cultural and religious beliefs. The study was conducted in four selected sacred groves of Vilavancode and Kalkulam taluks to evaluate the ethnomedicinal values of plants used by the rural communities of Kanyakumari district. A total of 83 ethnomedicinal plants were recorded as per the information given by the rural communities. Apocynaceae was a dominant family followed by Euphorbiaceae. Leaves were used predominantly and internal intake was done mostly than external use. Medicinal preparations were largely taken in the form of juice, paste and decoction. These herbal medicines were frequently used for skin diseases, fever, asthma, body pain, bone fractures, gynaecological disorders, etc. These valuable uses of medicinal plants must be documented for the goodness of man.

Ethnobotanical surveys were conducted in Subramaniapuram of Tirunelveli district, Tamilnadu, India. A semi-structured interviews conducted to 50 informants in order to determine traditional medicinal knowledge of villagers to treat simple ailments. Medicinal uses were analyzed using quantitative ethnobotanical indices such as Use Value (UV), Informant Consensus Factor (Fic) and Fidelity Level (FL). The present study identified a total of 70 medicinal plants belonging to 65 genera and 35 families used for the treatment of human ailments. A total of 711 use reports were recorded from fifty informants of Subramaniyapuram village. Ocimum tenuiflorum with 36 use reports, giving the highest use value of 0.72, followed by Cocos nucifera (0.66), Calotropis gigantea (0.54) and Aloe vera (0.52). The ailment categories having the highest level of Informant Consensus Factor (ICF = 1.00) obtained for Genito-urinary problem, General health, Liver problem and Poisonous bite. In the present study 22 taxa were recorded with 100% fidelity level for different ailment category. This documentation of medicinal plants shows rich traditional knowledge of the villagers of Subramaniapuram. The study provides opportunity for pharmacological research and serve as reference for quantitative ethnobotanical investigations.

Sacred groves are forest patches conserved by the local people through religious and cultural practices. These groves are important reservoirs of biodiversity, preserving indigenous plant species and serving as asylum of Rare, Endangered and Threatened (RET) species. The present study was carried out in Muppuram coastal sacred grove of Kanyakumari district to reveal the plant diversity, structure and regeneration pattern of trees using quadrate method. About 102 plant species were recorded from the total area (0.2 ha) of the grove studied. The vegetation of the grove clearly indicates tropical dry evergreen forest. Malvaceae was the dominant family. Young plant species were dominating than older ones (> 160 cm). To avoid the rapid environmental degradation of the sacred grove, conserving the groves is urgent and it is necessary to conduct more researches on this grove as well as other groves of the district.

Effect of gamma irradiation on the nutritionally potent underutilized wild legume Vigna aconitifolia at various doses (2, 5, 10, 15 and 25kGy) were assessed for its nutritional and antinutritional factors. Gamma irradiation significantly enhanced the crude protein content at all doses, while crude lipid, crude fibre and ash resulted in a significant dose-dependent decline. Raw seeds are rich in potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese and vitamins (niacin and ascorbic acid); significant diminution was reported in irradiated seeds. The essential amino acids of raw and gamma irradiated seeds were comparable with the FAO/WHO recommended pattern. A significant dose -dependent increase in IVPD on irradiation was observed. High amount of saturated fatty acids decreased after irradiation. However, linoleic acid, palmitoleic acid and eicosenoic acid were increased after irradiation at 25 kGy. Irradiating the seeds with gamma rays significantly curtailed the levels of the toxic non-proteinaceous amino acid, L-DOPA, hydrogen cyanide, trypsin inhibitors, oligosaccharides and phytohaemagglutinins. The aromatic compound, phenols, the water soluble polyphenols and tannins showed a dose-dependent significant increase. The overall findings are the indications to improvise the nutritional traits of the gamma irradiated underutilized tribal pulse, V. aconitifolia which could be a good source of protein for human consumption.