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In the present study, the individual cultures of Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) were treated with morphologically modified silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and were found to display zones of inhibition of ~ 8 mm, 16 mm, 20 mm, and 22 mm (P. mirabilis) and 6 mm, 14 mm, 20 mm, and 24 mm (K. pneumoniae) at concentrations of 25 µg/ml, 50 µg/mL, 75 µg/mL, and 100 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, turbidity tests were performed based on O. D. values, which exhibited 92% and 90% growth inhibitions at 100 µg/mL concentration for P. mirabilis and K. pneumoniae, respectively. Furthermore, the IC50 concentration of Ag NPs was established for A549 lung cancer cells and found to be at 500 µg/mL. Evidently, the morphological variation of Ag NPs treated A549 lung cancer cells was exhibited with differential morphology studied by phase-contrast microscopy. The results demonstrated that the synthesized Ag NPs was not only efficient against gram-positive bacteria but also against gram-negative bacteria and A549 cancer cells, suggesting that the potential of these biosynthesized Ag NPs is a future drug discovery source for inhibiting bacteria and cancer cells.

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ABSTRACT Piper callosum Ruiz & Pav., Piperaceae, popularly known as “elixir-paregórico” and “matricá” in Brazil, is used in folk medicine to treat gonorrhea, general pain, and digestive disorders, and has repellent, astringent, diuretic, depurative, and haemostatic properties. Despite the fact that this plant is sold as a traditional phytotherapeutic product, we did not find reports on its quality control. We, therefore, performed macroscopic, microscopic, histochemical, and physicochemical analyses using standard methods to establish botanical authentication and purity degree parameters for leaves and stem of this species in two forms: medicinal plant and herbal drug. We observed the size, shape, color, texture, fracture surface and transection characteristics, leaf venation patterns, and calluses are valuable diagnostic characters to identify the herbal drugs when they are not ground or powdered. Since medicinal plants and herbal drugs did not differ anatomically, the following key anatomical characters for P. callosum can be used for diagnostic purposes of both types raw plant materials: epicuticular wax and cuticular flanges patterns; collenchyma features; fibers in the midrib; arrangement pattern of the vascular bundles of the midrib and petiole; shape of the midrib, leaf margin, petiole, and stem; occurrence of raphides; and morphology of the starch grains. Acid lipids, essential oils, oleoresins, steroids, tannins and flavonoids were histochemically identified. Total ash (leaves: 11.25%; stem: 5.25%), sulphated ash (leaves: 68.02%; stem: 12.50%), acid-insoluble ash (leaves: 2.82%; stem: 0.27%), moisture (leaves: 8.60%; stem: 6.10%), loss on drying (leaves: 11.08%; stem: 8.58%), and pH (leaves: 5.57, stem: 5.28) values were determined. The order of analyzed metal levels in leaf and stem herbal drugs was Al > V > Cu > Mn > Cr > Ni. Similar levels of Cd and Co and low levels of Hg were found. The results obtained can be used as quality control parameters for medicinal plants and herbal drugs of P. callosum.

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A homeopatia baseia-se no princípio da cura pelos semelhantes, e na experimentação no indivíduo sadio, doses mínimas e medicamento único. O uso de tratamentos a base de soluções dinamizadas aplicadas em vegetais aumentou nas ultimas décadas, sendo assim necessária a experimentação patogenésica para aplicação de todos os princípios homeopáticos e consolidação da Matéria Vegetal Homeopática. O ensaio patogenésico com plantas de feijão tratadas diariamente via pulverização e irrigação utilizando óleo essencial de Eucalyptus citriodora em diluições (0,5 e 1%) e dinamizados (12 e 30CH) revelaram sintomas externos semelhantes aos provocados por Pseudocercospora griseola, agente causal da mancha angular em feijoeiro. O estudo patogenésico com E. citriodora levanta a possibilidade deste ser utilizado no controle da mancha angular de acordo com o princípio homeopático da cura pela similitude.

Homeopathy is based on the principle of cure by similarity and on the prescription of minimal doses and single medicine to healthy individuals. In plants, performing treatments on the basis of drug dynamisation has increased in the recent decades. In these treatments, it is necessary to conduct a pathogenetic experimentation in order to apply homeopathic principles and to consolidate homeopathic plant material. Through a pathogenetic test with bean plants treated daily by pulverization and irrigation, using diluted and dynamized essential oil of Eucalyptus citriodora - (dilutions: 0.5 and 1%) (oil dynamisation: 12 and 30CH) -, there appeared external symptoms similar to those symptoms caused by Pseudocercospora griseola, i.e., the causal agent of angular leaf spot of bean. The pathogenetics study with E. citriodora raises the possibility of its application to control angular leaf spot in bean plants in accordance with the homeopathic principle of cure by similarity.

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