ABSTRACT The vegetation of the Steel City (Rourkela) of Odisha, India has high ethnobotanical values by virtue of its rich floral diversity. People in the urban area are highly dependent on the plants available in and around the city for their primary needs. The present study highlights the use of local flora, explore, identification, ethnobotany and conservation of wild and cultivated plant species in the city of Rourkela, Odisha, India. It also pays heed to the proper utilization of urban flora as a way of highlighting its ethnopharmacological importance. A field survey was conducted to collect information about floral diversity in and around the city. Data on the use of plants was collected with a semi-structured questionnaire and from the peer-reviewed literature. A total of 154 plant species, belonging to 128 genera and 55 families, were identified, along with their botanical name, vernacular name, family and habitat. Of these plant species, 53 are medicinal, 43 are ornamental, and 33 are edible, while 23 are weeds. Paderia foetida and Saraca asoka fall into the RET (rare, endangered and threatened) group and are very effective against various diseases. Traditional uses of local plants in an urban area like Rourkela are very interesting. This shows that, not only rural and tribal areas are rich in useful bio-resources but so are urban or semi-urban areas. The documentation of all useful flora with ethnomedicinal potential is helpful in conserving plant biodiversity as well as in environmental studies along with potential applications in drug discovery and oriental medicine.

ABSTRACT >The in vitro antimicrobial activity of Gymnopetulum chinense (Cucurbitaceae), a lesser known climber of Eastern Ghats and recently recorded species from Odisha, India was studied against five selected human pathogenic bacteria (Streptococcus mutans, S. pyogenes, Vibrio cholerae, Shigella flexneri and Salmonella typhi), by agar well diffusion (AWD), disc diffusion (DD) and broth dilution methods. Different solvent extracts were prepared from the leaves of G. chinense using various solvents viz. n-hexane, chloroform, methanol, acetone and aqueous. The nomenclature, detailed description and photographs of the plant are provided to facilitate its easy identification. The leaf extract showed presence of phenolic compounds, tannin, saponin, flavonoids and glycosides. It was examined that methanol extract showed highest zone of inhibition (16.66 mm) against S. pyogenes using DD assay. Similar results were examined as lowest MIC values were found with methanol leaf extract against S. pyogenes and S. mutans (200 µg/ml). Present study showed first report of this plant as natural antibacterial agents and highlights the importance of G. chinense in curing the bacterial infections.

ABSTRACT Dioscorea pentaphylla L., a wild tuber is used both as food and medicines among different ethnic groups of Similipal Biosphere Reserve, India. Tubers are used against skin infections. In order to establish and confirm tribal claims, methanol extract was subjected to fractionation. The active fraction (DP1) was subsequently used for further purification and NMR (Nuclear magnetic resonance) characterization. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of saponin groups. The antibacterial activity of DP1 was done against selected bacterial strains (Salmonella typhi, Shigella flexneri, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus mutans and Vibrio cholerae) using DD (disc diffusion), AWD (agar well diffusion) and broth dilution assay. The activity was compared with antibiotics Penicillin and Kanamycin. It was observed that DP1 showed significant inhibitory activity against the tested bacteria. The characterization of DP1 through NMR analysis and presence of proton in carbon position at C-3, C-19, C-18, C-21 and C-27 was same as the known compound “Diosgenin”. Therefore, isolated compound was confirmed to be Diosgenin. The study for the first time showed that, diosgenin present in D. pentaphylla tuber was responsible for antibacterial and antioxidant potential. Present study highlights the importance of Dioscorea species as sources of diverse secondary metabolites for the isolation of active compound(s).

ABSTRACT Equisetum arvense, a fern species possesses a number of pharmaceutical prospective. In the present study, a total of 103 endophytic bacteria isolated from E. arvense and were evaluated for their anticandidal property against five Candida species, two C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. saitoana and C. geochares. Out of them fifty one were identified as per the morphological and molecular characterisation using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and among them, ten promising endophytic bacteria were mentioned in the present study. Among ten endophytic bacteria, Psychrobacillus insolitus and Curtobacterium oceanosedimentum exerted highest anticandidal effect against C. albicans KACC 30062 and C. glabrata KBNO6P00368, with diameter of inhibition zones of 21.30±0.41 and 18.24±0.12 mm, respectively. When the endophytic bacteria cultures were successively fractionated using different solvents, only the butanol fraction of Psychrobacillus insolitus and Curtobacterium oceanosedimentum had anticandidal activity, with inhibition zones of 20.12±0.28 mm and 12.33±0.11 mm, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values of the butanol fractions ranged from 250 to 500 and 500 to 1,000 µg/mL, respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed impaired membrane of C. albicans and C. glabrata at the MIC, indicating that butanol extract lysed the cell membrane and caused cell death. The endophytic bacteria derived from E. arvense can be a valuable resource for the development of natural anticandidal agents to manage candidiasis.