[Relationship Between Tim-3 and Galectin-9 Expression Levels, Clinical Pathological Characteristics, and Prognosis in Patients After Radical Resection of Colorectal Cancer]. / ç»“ç›´è‚ ç™Œæ ¹æ²»æœ¯åŽæ‚£è€ Tim-3、galectin-9è¡¨è¾¾æ°´å¹³ä¸Žå ¶ä¸´åºŠç— ç†ç‰¹å¾åŠé¢„åŽçš„å ³ç³».

Objective: Some colorectal cancer patients still face high recurrence rates and poor prognoses even after they have undergone the surgical treatment of radical resection. Identifying potential biochemical markers and therapeutic targets for the prognostic evaluation of patients undergoing radical resection of colorectal cancer is crucial for improving their clinical outcomes. Recently, it has been reported that the T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain protein 3 (Tim-3) and its ligand galactose lectin 9 (galectin-9) play crucial roles in immune dysfunction caused by various tumors, such as colorectal cancer. However, their expressions, biological functions, and prognostic value in colorectal cancer are still unclear. This study aims to investigate the relationship between Tim-3 and galectin-9 expression levels and the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients undergoing radical resection of colorectal cancer. Methods: A total of 171 patients who underwent radical resection of colorectal cancer at Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital between February 2018 and March 2019 were selected. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the expression levels of Tim-3 and galectin-9 in the cancer tissue samples and the paracancerous tissue samples of the patients. The relationship between Tim-3 and galectin-9 expression levels and the baseline clinical parameters of the patients was analyzed accordingly. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to assess the association between Tim-3 and galectin-9 expression levels and the relapse-free survival (RFS) and the overall survival (OS) of colorectal cancer patients. Cox regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with adverse prognosis in the patients. Results: The immunohistochemical results showed that the high expression levels of Tim-3 and galectin-9 were observed in 70.18% (120/171) and 32.16% (55/171), respectively, of the colorectal cancer tissues, whereas the low expression levels were 29.82% (51/171) and 67.84% (116/171), respectively. Furthermore, the expression score of Tim-3 was significantly higher in colorectal cancer tissues than that in the paracancerous tissues, while the expression score of galectin-9 was lower than that in the paracancerous tissues (P<0.05). Further analysis revealed that the expression of Tim-3 and galectin-9 was associated with the depth of tumor infiltration, vascular infiltration, and clinical staging (P<0.05). During the follow-up period of 14-63 months, 7 out of 171 patients were lost to follow-up. Among the remaining patients, 49 and 112 cases presented abnormally low expression of Tim-3 and galectin-9, respectively, whereas 115 and 52 cases presented high expression of Tim-3 and galectin-9, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that patients with high Tim-3 expression in colorectal cancer tissues had significantly lower RFS and OS than those with low expression did (RFS: log-rank=22.66, P<0.001; OS: log-rank=19.71, P<0.001). Conversely, patients with low galectin-9 expression had significantly lower RFS and OS than those with high expression did (RFS: log-rank=19.45, P<0.001; OS: log-rank=22.24, P<0.001). Cox multivariate analysis indicated that TNM stage Ⅲ (HR=2.26, 95% CI: 1.20-5.68), high expression of Tim-3 (HR=0.80, 95% CI: 0.33-0.91), and low expression of galectin-9 (HR=1.80, 95% CI: 1.33-4.70) were independent risk factors affecting RFS and OS in patients (P<0.05). Conclusion: Aberrant expression of Tim-3 and galectin-9 is observed in colorectal cancer tissues. High expression of Tim-3 and low expression of galectin-9 are closely associated with adverse clinico-pathological characteristics and prognosis. They are identified as independent influencing factors that may trigger adverse prognostic events in patients. These findings suggest that Tim-3 and galectin-9 have potential as new therapeutic targets and clinical indicators.

Dysregulated microRNAs as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with a high incidence and fatality rate worldwide. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the most important risk factors for its occurrence and development. Early detection of HBV-associated HCC (HBV-HCC) can improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. Biomarkers are extremely helpful, not only for early diagnosis, but also for the development of therapeutics. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a subset of non-coding RNAs approximately 22 nucleotides in length, have increasingly attracted scientists' attention due to their potential utility as biomarkers for cancer detection and therapy. HBV profoundly impacts the expression of miRNAs potentially involved in the development of hepatocarcinogenesis. In this review, we summarize the current progress on the role of miRNAs in the diagnosis and treatment of HBV-HCC. From a molecular standpoint, we discuss the mechanism by which HBV regulates miRNAs and investigate the exact effect of miRNAs on the promotion of HCC. In the near future, miRNA-based diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications will make their way into the clinical routine.

Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution and Pre-Labor Rupture of Membranes in a Prospective Cohort Study: The Role of Maternal Hemoglobin and Iron Supplementation.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to air pollution in prenatal period is associated with prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM). However, the sensitive exposure time windows and the possible biological mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify the sensitive time windows of exposure to air pollution for PROM risk. Further, we examined whether maternal hemoglobin levels mediate the association between exposure to air pollution and PROM, as well as investigated the potential effect of iron supplementation on this association. METHOD: From 2015 to 2021, 6,824 mother-newborn pairs were enrolled in the study from three hospitals in Hefei, China. We obtained air pollutant data [particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5µm (PM2.5), PM with aerodynamic diameter ≤10µm (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO)] from the Hefei City Ecology and Environment Bureau. Information on maternal hemoglobin levels, gestational anemia, iron supplementation, and PROM was obtained from medical records. Logistic regression models with distributed lags were used to identify the sensitive time window for the effect of prenatal exposure to air pollutant on PROM. Mediation analysis estimated the mediated effect of maternal hemoglobin in the third trimester, linking prenatal air pollution with PROM. Stratified analysis was used to investigate the potential effect of iron supplementation on PROM risk. RESULTS: We found significant association between prenatal exposure to air pollution and increased PROM risk after adjusting for confounders, and the critical exposure windows of PM2.5, PM10, SO2 and CO were the 21th to 24th weeks of pregnancy. Every 10-µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and PM10, 5-µg/m3 increase in SO2, and 0.1-mg/m3 increase in CO was associated with low maternal hemoglobin levels [-0.94g/L (95% confidence interval (CI): -1.15, -0.73), -1.31g/L (95% CI: -1.55, -1.07), -2.96g/L (95% CI: -3.32, -2.61), and -1.11g/L (95% CI: -1.31, -0.92), respectively] in the third trimester. The proportion of the association between air pollution and PROM risk mediated by hemoglobin levels was 20.61% [average mediation effect (95% CI): 0.02 (0.01, 0.05); average direct effect (95%): 0.08 (0.02, 0.14)]. The PROM risk associated with exposure to low-medium air pollution could be attenuated by maternal iron supplementation in women with gestational anemia. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal exposure to air pollution, especially in the 21st to 24th weeks of pregnancy, is associated with PROM risk, which is partly mediated by maternal hemoglobin levels. Iron supplementation in anemia pregnancies may have protective effects against PROM risk associated with exposure to low-medium air pollution. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11134.

Adequate 25(OH)D moderates the relationship between dietary inflammatory potential and cardiovascular health risk during the second trimester of pregnancy.

Background: Pro-inflammatory diets play an important role in developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Vitamin D has been demonstrated to have an anti-inflammatory effect and promote cardiovascular health (CVH). However, it is unclear whether adequate vitamin D during pregnancy protects against poor CVH caused by pro-inflammatory diets. Objective: To investigate the association of pro-inflammatory diets with the cardiovascular risk (CVR) among pregnant women and whether such association was modified by vitamin D status. Methods: The study was based on a prospective birth cohort that included 3,713 pregnant women between 16 and 23 gestational weeks. In total, 25(OH)D concentrations and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured from the collected blood. The dietary inflammatory potential was evaluated using the empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) score based on a validated food frequency questionnaire. Gestational CVR was evaluated using the CVR score based on five "clinical" CVR metrics, including body mass index, blood pressure, total cholesterol, glucose levels, and smoking status. Results: The proportion of women with a CVR score >0 was 54.3%. We observed a positive association between the EDIP score and CVR score. Compared with the lowest quartile, the CVR score (ß = -0.114, 95% CI, -0.217, -0.011) and hs-CRP levels (ß = -0.280, 95% CI, -0.495, -0.065) were lower in the highest quartile (P for trend <0.05). Increased CVR connected with high EDIP score was observed only in women with 25(OH)D concentrations <50 nmol/L (RR = 1.85; 95% CI: 1.35, 2.54). Mediation analysis revealed that the proportion of association between the EDIP score and CVR score mediated by 25(OH)D was 28.7%, and the proportion of the association between 25(OH)D and the CVR score mediated by hs-CRP was 21.9%. Conclusion: The higher dietary inflammatory potential was associated with an increased CVR during pregnancy by promoting inflammation. Adequate vitamin D could exert anti-inflammatory effects and modify such association.

Four new fatty acid derivatives from Diaporthe sp. T24, an endophytic fungus isolated from Ligularia fischer.

The endophytic fungus Diaporthe sp. is known to contain many secondary metabolites, but fatty acid derivatives have rarely been found. In this study, four new fatty acid derivatives (1-4), together with four known compounds (5-8), were isolated from Diaporthe sp., which was obtained from the stem of Ligularia fischeri. The absolute configurations of the new compounds 1-4 were deduced based on spectroscopic technique and J-based coupling constant analysis. Moreover, compound 1 exhibited cytotoxic activities against HCT-8 and MCF-7 cancer cells, and compounds 3 and 4 showed modest selectivity for HCT-8 cells by MTT assay.

[The Correlation of Fast-track Extubation Ultrasound Score and Clinical Multi-organ Information Indicators of Postoperative of Cardiac Surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation of Fast-track extubation ultrasound score (FTEUS) and clinical multi-organ information indicators in post-cardiac surgery patients. METHODS: prospectively recruit post-cardiac surgery patients who were about to extubating from Febuary 2019 to September 2019. A fast-track extubation ultrasound score protocol (FTE-USP) was developed on the basis of the conventional fast-track extubation standard precisely and individualized. Cardiac, pulmonary and inferior vena cava ultrasound examinations were performed by specially trained observers, video data were saved, FTE-USP was used for scoring, Kendall consistency coefficient was used to meature the interobserver consistency. The correlation between the FTEUS and the patients' clinical indicators was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 207 patients were recruited in the study, including 89 males and 118 females, aged (54.63±11.80) years. The FTEUS was performed at bedside with a mean time of (8.23±2.08) min, Kendall consistency coefficient is 0.941. With the increase of the total score of FTEUS, the incidence of clinical adverse events increased (especially the arrhythmia), and there were significant changes in liver, kidney, heart, lung and other organ function indicators, among which serum creatinine level, serum cystatin C level, serum NT-pro-brain natriuretic peptide, length of stay in intensive care unit, non-invasive mechanical ventilation time after extubation, and incidence of arrhythmia were positively correlated with FTEUS (P < 0.05).With FTEUS increased to 5 points, the incidence of arrhythmia (14/24, 58.3%), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (2/24, 8.3%) and weaning failure (2/24, 8.3%) increased. CONCLUSION: FTE-USP integrates multi-organ informations, can be performed quickly at the bedside and alerts adverse events. It has the potential to be applied to assist clinical decision-making in post-cardiac surgery patients before extubation.

Probiotics: From Isolation to Application.

Probiotics have become highly recognized as supplements for humans and animals because of their beneficial effects on health and well-being. The present review aims to provide an overview of different steps through which microbial strains become applicable probiotics in food and/or feed industries. Isolation of potential probiotic strains is the first step. Lactic acid bacteria are the most frequently used microorganisms as probiotics, which can be isolated from human, animal, plant, and environment. The next steps are identification of the isolates and characterization of them based on the main selection criteria for any potential probiotic microorganism, including resistance to gastric acidity and bile salt, adherence to mucus and/or intestinal epithelial cells and cell lines, and antimicrobial and antagonism activity against potentially pathogenic microbes. There are additional probiotic properties that may be considered for selection of probiotic strains with specific effects, such as cholesterol reduction ability, antioxidant activity, or cytotoxic effect against cancer cells. However, a potential probiotic does not need to fulfill all such selection criteria. As the last step, safety status of probiotics for humans is verified by taxonomy clarification, in vitro and in vivo tests, human trials, and genome sequencing.

MicroRNA­455 is downregulated in gastric cancer and inhibits cell proliferation, migration and invasion via targeting insulin­like growth factor 1 receptor.

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common and the second leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. The dysregulation of microRNAs has been demonstrated to be significant in gastric cancer carcinogenesis and progression due to changes in expression of their target genes. In the current study, microRNA­455 (miR­455) was identified to be significantly downregulated in gastric cancer tissue samples and cell lines. A low expression level of miR­455 was correlated with the clinical stage, lymph node metastasis and tumor invasion in gastric cancer. Restoration of miR­455 expression inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells in vitro. Bioinformatic analysis and luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR­455 directly targeted the 3'­untranslated region of insulin­like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF­1R). In addition, the IGF­1R mRNA expression level was increased in gastric cancer tissue samples and was inversely correlated with miR­455 expression levels. Restoration of miR­455 downregulated IGF­1R mRNA and protein expression levels in gastric cancer cells. Furthermore, silencing of IGF­1R significantly inhibited gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion, which was similar to the functions induced by miR­455 overexpression. Thus, these results indicate that miR­455 is involved in gastric cancer progression by directly targeting IGF­1R and may serve as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of gastric cancer.

Astrocytes in Migration.

Cell migration is a fundamental phenomenon that underlies tissue morphogenesis, wound healing, immune response, and cancer metastasis. Great progresses have been made in research methodologies, with cell migration identified as a highly orchestrated process. Brain is considered the most complex organ in the human body, containing many types of neural cells with astrocytes playing crucial roles in monitoring normal functions of the central nervous system. Astrocytes are mostly quiescent under normal physiological conditions in the adult brain but become migratory after injury. Under most known pathological conditions in the brain, spinal cord and retina, astrocytes are activated and become hypertrophic, hyperplastic, and up-regulating GFAP based on the grades of severity. These three observations are the hallmark in glia scar formation-astrogliosis. The reactivation process is initiated with structural changes involving cell process migration and ended with cell migration. Detailed mechanisms in astrocyte migration have not been studied extensively and remain largely unknown. Here, we therefore attempt to review the mechanisms in migration of astrocytes.

Spontaneous perforation of pyometra presenting as acute abdomen: a rare condition with considerable mortality.

Pyometra is an uncommon and potentially lethal disease that occurs mainly in postmenopausal women. Spontaneous perforation of pyometra presenting as acute abdomen is an extremely rare complication of pyometra, and the patients are always admitted to the emergency department. An additional case is reported herein. In addition, a literature review was performed between 1949 and 2015. A correct preoperative diagnosis was made in 21.05% of all the cases. Of all cases, 25.71% were associated with malignant disease. The mortality rate of spontaneous perforation of pyometra is 31.88%. Thus, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen in elderly women. Total hysterectomy along with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is the preferred treatment. Administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics and postoperative intensive care support are essential to reduce the high mortality.

Epigenetic priming with decitabine followed by low-dose idarubicin/cytarabine has an increased anti-leukemic effect compared to traditional chemotherapy in high-risk myeloid neoplasms.

Decitabine (DAC) is commonly used for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Previous studies have indicated DAC sequentially combined with idarubicin was an effective treatment for myeloid neoplasms. Therefore, a clinical study was conducted of the sequential combination of DAC followed by low-dose idarubicin/cytarabine in high-risk myeloid neoplasms. A total of 30 patients with a diagnosis of high-risk MDS, AML evolving from MDS or relapsed/refractory AML were enrolled in the study. DAC was administered 20 mg/m(2) daily for 3 consecutive days. Idarubicin (3 mg/m(2)/day) was administered 24 h after the last administration of DAC for 5-7 consecutive days, combined with cytarabine (30 mg/m(2)/day) for 7-14 days. The overall complete remission rate was 66.67%. The results demonstrate that epigenetic priming with decitabine followed by low-dose idarubicin/ytarabine has an increased anti-leukemia effect compared to traditional chemotherapy in high-risk myeloid neoplasms.

Oxalic acid and sclerotial differentiation of Polyporus umbellatus.

The present investigation aimed to uncover the effects of exogenous oxalic acid during the sclerotial formation of Polyporus umbellatus, with an emphasis on determining the content of the endogenic oxalic acid in the fungus. To this end, the oxalic acid content of the vegetative mycelia, sclerotia, culture mediums and sclerotial exudate were measured using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Furthermore, the lipid peroxidation was estimated by detecting thiobarbituric bituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). The results showed that the exogenous oxalic acid caused a delay in sclerotial differentiation (of up to 9 or more days), suppressed the sclerotial biomass and decreased the lipid peroxidation significantly in a concentration-dependent manner. Oxalic acid was found at very low levels in the mycelia and the maltose medium, whereas it was found at high levels in the mycelia and sucrose medium. After sclerotial differentiation, oxalic acid accumulated at high levels in both the sclerotia and the sclerotial exudate. Oxalic acid was therefore found to inhibit P. umbellatus sclerotial formation.

[Measurement of peak velocity variation of common carotid artery with bedside ultrasound to estimate preload in surgery ICU].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and accuracy of bedside ultrasound measuring peak velocity variation of common carotid artery to estimate preload of the patients in surgery ICU. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, SICU patients with sinus rhythm and positive pressure ventilation were included. The peak velocity variation in common carotid artery (delta V peak) during each respiratory circle was measured by ICU resident with short-term training and experienced attending songrapher. Stroke volume before and after the fluid challenge was also measured by the experienced songrapher as the gold standard of fluid responsiveness. Then the ROC, feasibility and accuracy of the diagnosis trial were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 46 patients included. The peak velocity variation of common carotid artery measured by the attending (delta V peak) is highly related with delta SV (r1 = 0.76, P < 0.05). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.95 (P < 0.05). The peak velocity variation of common carotid artery (delta V peak) > 12.1% predicted fluid responsiveness with sensitivity of 90.9%, specificity of 83.3%, positive predictive value of 83.3% and negative predictive value of 90.9%. The peak velocity variation of common carotid artery measured by the resident (delta V peak2) were highly related with delta V peak1 (R2 = 0.68, P < 0.05), the AUC was 0.94. CONCLUSION: Measurement of peak velocity variation of common carotid artery with bedside ultrasound can accurately estimate the volume status of the patients in surgery ICU, and it is easy to be performed by the residents of ICU.

Transforming growth factor-1 promotes the transcriptional activation of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 in carcinoma-associated fibroblasts.

Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a pivotal role in promoting the growth, invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. However, to date little is known about the oncogenic mechanisms of CAFs. This study aimed to identify the microenvironmental factors involved in tumor development and progression directed by CAFs in liver metastases. Tissue samples collected from 20 patients with colorectal liver metastases were used in this study. Histological and morphological characterization of the samples was performed using hybridization and immunohistological assays. The mRNA expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was measured by northern blotting. The expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). As a result, co-expression of Thy-1 (CD90) and α-SMA was identified in CAFs, while normal liver samples were negative for α-SMA and Thy-1. Compared with epidermal growth factor (EGF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) incubation, the expression of α-SMA increased significantly following transforming growth factor-1 (TGF-1) incubation (P<0.05), while platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) caused a significant suppression of α-SMA expression (P<0.05). PAI-1 expression was significantly lower in unstimulated fibroblasts compared to TGF-1-treated fibroblasts (P<0.01). The levels of PAI-1 transcription were significantly higher in CAFs from the patient samples compared with the healthy controls. Taken together, our findings suggest that CAFs may be important in migration, matrix degradation, invasion and angiogenesis of tumors, and TGF-1 may promote the activation of PAI-1 transcription in CAFs.

Effects of Extract from Mangifera indica Leaf on Monosodium Urate Crystal-Induced Gouty Arthritis in Rats.

The leaves of Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae) is used as a medicinal material in traditional herb medicine for a long time in India, China, and other Eastern Asian countries. Our present study investigated the therapeutic effects of the ethanol extract from Mangifera indica (EMI) in rat with monosodium urate (MSU) crystals-induced gouty arthritis. Effects of EMI (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) administrated for 9 days on the ankle swelling, synovial tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß) levels were assessed in MSU crystal rat. Data from our study showed that rat with gouty arthritis induced by MSU crystal demonstrated an elevation in ankle swelling, synovial TNF-α, IL-1ß mRNA, and protein levels. Oral administration of 100 and 200 mg/kg EMI for 9 days reversed the abnormalities in ankle swelling, synovial TNF-α, IL-1ß mRNA, and protein levels. The results indicated that the beneficial antigouty arthritis effect of EMI may be mediated, at least in part, by inhibiting TNF-α and IL-1ß expression in the synovial tissues. Our study suggests that Mangifera indica and its extract may have a considerable potential for development as an anti-gouty arthritis agent for clinical application.

Insertion/deletion polymorphisms in the ΔNp63 promoter are a risk factor for bladder exstrophy epispadias complex.

Bladder exstrophy epispadias complex (BEEC) is a severe congenital anomaly; however, the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of BEEC remain unclear. TP63, a member of TP53 tumor suppressor gene family, is expressed in bladder urothelium and skin over the external genitalia during mammalian development. It plays a role in bladder development. We have previously shown that p63(-/-) mouse embryos developed a bladder exstrophy phenotype identical to human BEEC. We hypothesised that TP63 is involved in human BEEC pathogenesis. RNA was extracted from BEEC foreskin specimens and, as in mice, ΔNp63 was the predominant p63 isoform. ΔNp63 expression in the foreskin and bladder epithelium of BEEC patients was reduced. DNA was sequenced from 163 BEEC patients and 285 ethnicity-matched controls. No exon mutations were detected. Sequencing of the ΔNp63 promoter showed 7 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 4 insertion/deletion (indel) polymorphisms. Indel polymorphisms were associated with an increased risk of BEEC. Significantly the sites of indel polymorphisms differed between Caucasian and non-Caucasian populations. A 12-base-pair deletion was associated with an increased risk with only Caucasian patients (p = 0.0052 Odds Ratio (OR) = 18.33), whereas a 4-base-pair insertion was only associated with non-Caucasian patients (p = 0.0259 OR = 4.583). We found a consistent and statistically significant reduction in transcriptional efficiencies of the promoter sequences containing indel polymorphisms in luciferase assays. These findings suggest that indel polymorphisms of the ΔNp63 promoter lead to a reduction in p63 expression, which could lead to BEEC.

Bioactive compounds and biological activities of Jatropha curcas L. kernel meal extract.

Defatted Jatropha curcas L. (J. curcas) seed kernels contained a high percentage of crude protein (61.8%) and relatively little acid detergent fiber (4.8%) and neutral detergent fiber (9.7%). Spectrophotometric analysis of the methanolic extract showed the presence of phenolics, flavonoids and saponins with values of 3.9, 0.4 and 19.0 mg/g DM, respectively. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses showed the presence of gallic acid and pyrogallol (phenolics), rutin and myricetin (flavonoids) and daidzein (isoflavonoid). The amount of phorbol esters in the methanolic extract estimated by HPLC was 3.0 ± 0.1 mg/g DM. Other metabolites detected by GC-MS include: 2-(hydroxymethyl)-2 nitro-1,3-propanediol, ß-sitosterol, 2-furancarboxaldehyde, 5-(hydroxymethy) and acetic acid in the methanolic extract; 2-furancarboxaldehyde, 5-(hydroxymethy), acetic acid and furfural (2-furancarboxaldehyde) in the hot water extract. Methanolic and hot water extracts of kernel meal showed antimicrobial activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative pathogenic bacteria (inhibition range: 0-1.63 cm) at the concentrations of 1 and 1.5 mg/disc. Methanolic extract exhibited antioxidant activities that are higher than hot water extract and comparable to ß-carotene. The extracts tended to scavenge the free radicals in the reduction of ferric ion (Fe(3+)) to ferrous ion (Fe(2+)). Cytotoxicity assay results indicated the potential of methanolic extract as a source of anticancer therapeutic agents toward breast cancer cells.