Thymol has anticancer effects in U-87 human malignant glioblastoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Thymol (2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol) is a colorless crystalline derivative of cymene, that possesses pleotropic pharmacological properties, including analgesic, antibacterial, antispasmodic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Thymol has also been recognized for its beneficial effect as an anti-tumor agent, but the precise mechanism for this has not been fully elucidated. We aimed to identifying whether thymol exerts anti-cancer activity in human U-87 malignant glioblastoma (GB) cells (U-87). METHODS AND RESULTS: Cell viability and apoptosis was evaluated in U-87 cells treated with thymol at different concentrations. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mRNA expressions of apoptosis-related genes and cell cycle characteristics were assessed. The cytotoxic activity of the co-exposure of thymol and temozolomide (TMZ) was also evaluated. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of thymol in the U-87 cells was 230 µM assessed at 24 h after exposure. Thymol did not exhibit any cytotoxic effects on normal L929 cells at this concentration. Thymol treatment increased the expression of Bax and p53, and also increased apoptotic cell death, and excessive generation of ROS. Moreover, the cytotoxic activity of thymol on the U-87 cells may be related to the arrest of the cell cycle at the G0/G1 interface. Combination therapy showed that the cytotoxic effects of thymol synergized with TMZ, and combined treatment had more cytotoxic potential compared to either of the agents alone. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate the potential cytotoxic activities of thymol on U-87 cells. Further studies are required to evaluate the spectrum of the antitumor activity of thymol on GB cells.

The association of maternal dietary quality and the antioxidant-proxidant balance of human milk.

BACKGROUND: Human milk composition varies over time within an individual mother as well as between lactating mothers due to several factors including maternal health, diet, and nutritional status. Therefore, improving nutrition status during gestation and breastfeeding is crucial for improving the health of both mothers and infants. Diet can enhance the oxidant-antioxidant balance of human milk. This study aimed to investigate the association between human milk oxidant-antioxidant balance with dietary patterns of lactating mothers identified by using principal component analysis. METHOD: This cross-sectional study included 350 breastfeeding women between the ages of 20 to 35 years. The dietary intakes of the women in the study were estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire, which included 65 food items. The oxidant-antioxidant balance of milk samples was assessed using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2, 2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs), and Ellman's assay. The milk concentration of total protein, calcium, and triglyceride was also measured using commercial kits. RESULT: Two predominant dietary patterns were recognized that we defined as a healthy and unhealthy pattern. There were higher levels of DPPH and thiol in the milk from mothers in the third tertile (highest adherence) of a healthy dietary pattern compared to the first tertile (lowest adherence; p < 0.05). Milk calcium and thiol were significantly lower in the third tertile of mothers with an unhealthy dietary pattern versus the first tertile (P < 0.05). In multivariate multinomial logistic regression analyses adjusted for mother's age, body mass index (BMI), energy intake, and infant's sex, adherence to a healthy dietary pattern was associated with higher levels of milk DPPH (OR = 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.80) and milk thiol (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.50). On the other adherence to the unhealthy dietary pattern was correlated with low levels of milk thiol (OR = 1.29; 95%CI: 1.09, 1.59) and milk calcium (OR = 1.28; 95%CI: 1.11, 1.55). CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that adherence to a healthy dietary pattern, identified by higher consumption of green vegetables, other vegetables, and fruits is associated with a higher milk oxidant-antioxidant status in breastfeeding mothers.