Regulation of NF-κB Expression by Thymoquinone; A Role in Regulating Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines and Programmed Cell Death in Hepatic Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND: The miracle herb Nigella sativa (N. sativa) is a member of the Ranunculaceae family that possesses many properties, such as antioxidant, anticancer, analgesic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory. Thymoquinone (TQ) is the primary ingredient that makes up N. sativa, which is responsible for its many properties. So, our research focused on the biological role of TQ and its anticancer activities. METHODS: A wide range of TQ concentrations (50µg/µl, 25µg/ µl, and 12.5µg µl) was prepared and evaluated for their potential regulatory role in cell lines of hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2 cell line) compared with normal hepatocytes cells, untreated and DMSO-treated cells. RESULTS: The more significant level of LDH obtained after TQ treatment compared to untreated cells provides evidence of the cytotoxic effects of TQ on HepG2 cells. Notably, the normal hepatocyte cells subjected to the same concentrations of TQ showed neglected influence in cell viability rate, indicating the selective regulatory role of TQ in cancer cell proliferation. Interestingly, as a critical mediator of malignancy transformation, the nuclear factor-kappa B expression level (NF-κB) significantly decreased in a time and dose-dependent manner of TQ treatment. Furthermore, we investigated whether TQ regulates the expression of deleted liver cancer 1 (DLC1) and Caspase 3 (Casp3). Notably, the treatment with TQ showed increased expression levels of DLC1 and Casp3 upon treatment. TQ extract sufficiently mediated the secretion of the released pro-inflammatory cytokines from treated cells. This regulation of released cytokines by TQ may affect the activation of NF-κB in treated cells. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that TQ mediates the activation of Casp3, DLC1, and NF-κB, providing a new function of TQ in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

In vitro efficacy of Boswellia carterii resin extracts formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate against Tetranychus urticae and phytopathogenic fungi.

Contemporary agriculture heavily relies on pesticides for pest eradication and disease management. Consequently, current study was carried out to assess the acaricidal/antifungal efficacy of emulsifiable concentrate (10 % EC) derived from Boswellia carterii (B. carterii) against adult females of Tetranychus urticae (T. urticae), and five fungal pathogens. The meticulous examination of the chemical constitution of the crude extracts derived from the resin of B. carterii was conducted through the employment of the venerable technique known as Gas-Liquid Chromatography (GLC). The formulated petroleum-ether extract (FPEE) and formulated ethyl-acetate extract (FEAE) of B. carterii at a concentration of 10 mg ml-1 exhibited notable antioxidant activity with rates of 62.0 % and 90.8 %, respectively. In vitro, the FEAE exhibited potent inhibition against all the tested phytopathogenic fungi at different concentrations, whereas FPEE showed comparatively less efficacy. Interestingly, at 4000 ppm concentration, FEAE completely ceased the mycelial growth compared with the control. Moreover, following a span of 72 h of intervention, FPEE exhibited a greater degree of toxicity towards mature females of the T. urticae. This was evidenced by the LC50 value of 422.52 parts per million (ppm) for FPEE, which surpassed the LC50 value of 539.50 ppm observed for FEAE. In summary, the present study indicates that B. carterii resin formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate (10 % EC) can offer a natural and effective alternative for integrated pest management, thereby reducing reliance on synthetic pesticides and offering a more environmentally sustainable strategy for pest control.