Explore the vast range of titles available.

Background Plants have long been utilized as traditional medicines by the inhabitants. However, until recently, the traditional knowledge had not been extensively documented from the hilly state of Mizoram, India. The present study was designed to perform a quantitative analysis of ethnomedicinal plants used by Mizo tribes using quantitative ethnobotanical indices. The study attempts to find new ethnomedicinal plant species that could be a source for the discovery of new drug formulations. Methods The information was obtained through extensive and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative indices such as informant consensus factor (ICF), use value (UV), fidelity level (FL), relative frequency of citation (RFC), and relative importance index (RI) were used to quantify the advantages, significance, and coverage of ethnomedicine. All the collected data were analyzed using the ethnobotanyR package in R. Results A total of 124 ethnomedicinal plant species, distributed in 112 genera under 60 families, were documented from 206 informants. Herbs (49.19%) were the most dominant growth form, and leaves (49.19%) were the most common plant parts used for the preparation of herbal medicine while decoction (61.21%) was the most popular formulation. Asteraceae (11) were the most common families among the documented species. Digestive disease, burns, cuts, and wounds had the highest ICF value (0.94), and Lepionurus sylvestris had the highest FL (91%). Oroxylum indicum (6.25) was the most commonly utilized ethnomedicinal plant based on UV, RI had the highest value in Blumea lanceolaria (1.12), and O. indicum (0.29) had the highest RFC value. According to the findings, the traditional medicinal plant treatment is still widely used in the research area. Conclusion Documentation of new ethnomedicinal species and their therapeutic usage will encourage further phytochemical and pharmacological research, potentially leading to the discovery of new drug formulations.

Medicinal plants are rich in bioactive phytochemicals with the potential to treat various ailments, including cancer and infectious diseases.  Leucaena leucocephala  and  Entada phaseoloides  have long been used in traditional medicine for such conditions. This study investigated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer potential of methanolic pod extracts of both species through integrated in vitro and in silico approaches.  L. leucocephala  exhibited higher total phenolic content (49.02 ± 0.43 GAE/g) and total flavonoid content (77.95 ± 0.32 QE/g) than E. phaseoloides (TPC: 42.30 ± 0.13 GAE/g; TFC: 72.90 ± 0.42 QE/g). Phytochemicals were characterized via FTIR and LC–MS, identifying 54 compounds. Antioxidant activity assessed by DPPH and ABTS assays showed stronger radical scavenging in  L. leucocephala  (IC 50 : 51.53 ± 0.40 and 38.68 ± 0.20 µg/mL) than in  E. phaseoloides  (IC 50 : 73.29 ± 0.48 and 64.63 ± 0.29 µg/mL). Cytotoxicity assays against HeLa cells demonstrated potent anticancer activity, with IC 50 values of 3.83 ± 0.07 µg/mL for  L. leucocephala  and 4.71 ± 0.06 µg/mL for  E. phaseoloides . In silico ADMET profiling, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations identified key bioactive compounds with strong binding affinities toward Topoisomerase II, DNA gyrase, and AKT1. Protein–ligand complexes showed high stability through consistent RMSD, low RMSF, strong hydrogen bonding, and stable SASA values, supporting their therapeutic relevance. This is the first comprehensive pharmacological study on pod extracts of  L. leucocephala  and  E. phaseoloides  from Mizoram, India. The findings provide compelling evidence for their development as promising candidates for antibacterial and anticancer drug discovery.

Through the experimental and computational analyses, the present study sought to elucidate the chemical composition and anticancer potential of Sapria himalayana plant extract (SHPE). An in vitro analysis of the plant extract was carried out to determine the anticancer potential. Further, network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic simulation were employed to evaluate the potential phytochemical compounds for cervical cancer (CC) drug formulations. The SHPE exhibited anti-cancerous potential through inhibition properties against cancer cell lines. The LC-MS profiling showed the presence of 14 compounds in SHPE. Using network pharmacology analysis, AKT1 (AKT serine/threonine kinase 1) is identified as the possible potential target, and EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) is identified as the possible key signal pathway. The major targets were determined to be AKT1, EGFR by topological analysis and molecular docking. An in silico interaction of phytoconstituents employing molecular docking demonstrated a high binding inclination of ergoloid mesylate and Ergosta-5,7,9(11),22-tetraen-3-ol, (3.beta.,22E)- with binding affinities of -15.5 kcal/mol, and -11.3 kcal/mol respectively. Further, MD simulation and PCA analyses showed that the phytochemicals possessed significant binding efficacy with CC protein. These results point the way for more investigation into SHPE compound’s potential as CC treatment. Graphical Abstract

Background Lepionurus sylvestris Blume has a long history of folklore medicinal usage against various ailments. However, studies on these plants were neglected particularly their pharmacological potential. Methods The crude extract was identified using LC-MS analysis. In vitro assays were carried out to determine the properties of antioxidant, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer. Further, network pharmacology was proposed to evaluate the potential targets of the compounds against breast cancer and type II diabetes. Molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation were used to determine the potential compounds for the drug formulation of diabetes. Results Various bioactive compounds were identfied using LC-MS and Galiposin, Fujikinetin, Boeravinone B, 4-Deoxybryaquinone, and Norbaeocystin were described for the first time from the plant. Determination of antioxidant potential showed that the IC 50 value of ABTS, DPPH, and phosphomolybdate was 24.33 µg/ml, 37.81 µg/ml, 60.35 µg/ml, and reducing power assays 1.185. The antibacterial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes , Staphylococcus aureus , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Escherichia coli was determined, and the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) was found to be 5.3 mg/ml, 3.47 mg/ml, 3.33 mg/ml, and 2.7 mg/ml respectively, revealing the extracts as effective antibacterial agents. The IC50 values for the plant extract were determined to be 26 µg/ml, 30.52 µg/ml, and 24.39 µg/ml for HeLa, MCF-7, and K-562 cells, respectively, and the increasing concentration of the plant extract increased LDH release. Furthermore, the in silico network pharmacology, molecular docking which had the highest docking score for GAPDH and HIF-1 target proteins of -9.3 kcal/mol, and − 11.3 kcal/mol binding affinities, and molecular dynamic simulation analysis revealed the bioactive compound Boeravinone B present in the plant was significant for the treatment of various ailments. Conclusion Based on our findings, plant extracts could be a promising option for developing new drug formulations.

A wild edible fruit , Castanopsis tribuloides , has been scientifically evaluated for its antibacterial capability and nutritional composition. In vitro analysis showed it possesses antimicrobial properties against Bacillus subtilis , Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Staphylococcus aureus . In silico analysis revealed that out of the identified 27 compounds isolated, 1‐phenylbicyclo (3.2.2) nona‐6,8‐dien‐2‐one demonstrated a solid adherence to the Lipinski rule of drug design and exhibited a strong binding affinity to antibacterial enzymes tyrosyl‐tRNA synthase (−8.13 kcal/mol) and dihydropteroate synthase (−8.84 kcal/mol). The protein–ligand complex revealed with MD simulation showed low RMSD (< 1 nm), higher SASA (170–180 nm 2 ), and more consistent hydrogen bonding (∼1.2 bonds/frame). The binding energy evaluated using gmx_MMPBSA also yields a favorable total binding free energy for dihydropteroate synthase ( Δ G bind  = −17.92 ± 0.84 kcal/mol) and tyrosyl‐tRNA synthase ( Δ G bind  = −12.75 ± 1.46 kcal/mol), indicating stable complex formation. In addition, the nuts are rich in various nutrients, such as carbohydrates (31.2 ± 0.08), proteins (20.51 ± 0.1 mg/g), dietary fiber (5.41 ± 0.01%), vitamin C (86.3 ± 0.26 mg/100 gm), and vitamin E (4.76 ± 0.02 mg/100 gm). The nuts also demonstrated significant antioxidant activity (52.25 ± 0.02 μg/mL), with a high amount of total phenolic (76.83 ± 0.02 mg QE/g) and flavonoid (70.4 ± 0.21 mg QE/g) content. These findings indicate the importance of C. tribuloides nuts as a valuable antibacterial and health‐promoting resource.

Stemona tuberosa is widely recognized for its traditional applications as an anti-cancer agent. This study aimed to assess the anti-cancer properties of S. tuberosa in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. Among the various solvent extracts of S. tuberosa , the methanolic extract showed the highest toxicity against A549 cells. The S. tuberosa extract elicited cytotoxic effects and suppressed colony formation in A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. S. tuberosa activity was further supported by AO/EtBr staining, increased caspase 3/6 activity, upregulation of pro-apoptotic genes, DNA damage, and elevated lipid peroxidation, with decreasing antioxidant levels. LC–MS analysis identified 80 predominant secondary metabolites in the methanolic extracts of S. tuberosa . A network pharmacology study identified SRC as the primary target of compounds identified from S. tuberosa . SRC protein is crucial for advancing lung cancer because of its function in cell proliferation, survival, and metastasis. Among the various compounds identified from S. tuberosa extract, 4-Azatricyclo [4.3.1.13,8] undecan-5-one (ADE) (− 10.88 kcal/mol) and Dihydro-normorphine, 3-desoxy- (DNY) (− 10.83 kcal/mol) exhibited notable binding affinities for SRC. Further analysis using molecular dynamics simulations (100 ns) validated the stability of SRC-ligand complexes, with RMSD of 1.8 and 2.2 Å for ADE and DNY, respectively, alongside the establishment of essential hydrogen bonds with pivotal residues, including ASP408, ALA403, and THR438. Finally, gmx._MMPBSA showed favourable ΔGbind values for ADE (− 15.06 ± 0.11 kcal/mol) and DNY (− 15.66 ± 0.25 kcal/mol), which highlights the significant potential of ADE and DNY as effective SRC inhibitors, suggesting S. tuberosa as a novel candidate for cancer therapy.

The presence of heavy metals (HM) and trace elements (TE) in soil and rice can be either beneficial or harmful. Hence, assessment of the HM and TE present in them is of prime importance for proper health risk management. As a first-hand report, an assessment of the TE and HM in paddy fields and rice grains was undertaken to evaluate health-related issues after consuming local rice grains from Champhai, North Vanlaiphai, and Kolasib of Mizoram, India. The concentrations of TE and HM in paddy fields could be ranked in the order Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu > Ni > As, and no trace amounts of Cd and Pb were found. In soils and rice, all the elements were determined to be below permitted limits. A significant difference (p < 0.05) was found when the concentration of HM and TE in the soil and rice were compared. The Health Risk Index (HRI) value of rice consumers for all the study sites was less than 1 in all cases except for Ni from Champhai rice (1.6) suggesting cultivars from Champhai might pose some negative impacts on health and sought for better management system.