Acute toxicity appraisal of Saussurea heteromalla extract and development of its chemotherapeutic herbal dosage form.

Ethnopharmacological relevance of Saussurea species for anti-cancer compounds instigated us to develop chemotherapeutic herbal tablets. This study was an ongoing part of our previous research based on the scientific evaluation of Saussurea heteromalla (S. heteromalla) for anti-cancer lead compounds. In the current study, S. heteromalla herbal tablets (500 /800 mg) were designed and evaluated for anti-cancer activity. Arctigenin was found as a bioactive lead molecule with anti-cancer potential for cervical cancer. The in vitro results on the HeLa cell line supported the ethnopharmacological relevance and traditional utilization of S. heteromalla and provided the scientific basis for the management of cervical cancer as proclaimed by traditional practitioners in China. LD50 of the crude extract was established trough oral acute toxicity profiling in mice, wherein the minimum lethal dose was noticed as higher than 1000 mg/kg body weight orally. Chromatographic fingerprint analysis ensured the identity and consistency of S. heteromalla in herbal tablets in terms of standardization of the herbal drug. About 99.15% of the drug (S. heteromalla crude extract) was recovered in herbal tablets (RSD: 0.45%). In vitro drug release profile was found to be more than 87% within 1 h, which was also correlated with different mathematical kinetic models of drug release (r2 = 0.992), indicating that drug release from matrix tablets into the blood is constant throughout the delivery. The dosage form was found stable after an accelerated stability parameters study which may be used for anti-cervical cancer therapy in the future, if it qualifies successful preclinical investigation parameters.

A review on tissue-needle interaction and path planning models for bevel tip type flexible needle minimal intervention.

A flexible needle has emerged as a crucial clinical technique in contemporary medical practices, particularly for minimally invasive interventions. Its applicability spans diverse surgical domains such as brachytherapy, cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery and others. Notably, flexible needles find utility in biopsies requiring deep skin penetration to access infected areas. Despite its minimally invasive advantages, the precise guidance of the needle to its intended target, while avoiding damage to bones, blood vessels, organs and tissues, remains a significant challenge for researchers. Consequently, extensive research has been dedicated to enhancing the steering and accuracy of flexible needles. Here, we aim to elucidate the recent advancements, trends and perspectives in flexible needle steering models and path planning over the last 15 years. The discussed models encompass various types, including symmetric-tip needles, curved-tip needles, tendon-actuated needles, programmable needles and the innovative fracture-directed waterjet needles. Moreover, the paper offers a comprehensive analysis, comparing the trajectories followed by these needle models to attain the desired target with minimal tissue damage. By delving into these aspects, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the current landscape of flexible needle technology and guides future research directions in this dynamic field.

Comparative studies of anticancer, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antioxidant activities of Daphne oleoides and Berberis baluchistanica extracts native to Pakistan.

To investigate in vitro anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant and in vivo hypoglycaemic effects of crude methanolic extracts (CMEs) of Berberis baluchistanica and Daphne oleoides. MTT assay for cytotoxicity on HeLa and NIH cells, disc diffusion protocols for antimicrobial and DPPH assay for antioxidant potential were applied. In vivo hypoglycaemic effect was investigated on Alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits. D. oleoides CME exhibited moderate cytotoxic behaviour against HeLa cells (IC50 77.87µg/mL) whereas B. baluchistanica CME was found deficient (IC50 170.02µg/mL). P. aeruginosa was susceptible to both CMEs. M. luteus and B. subtilis was prone to the bactericidal effects of D. oleoides and B. baluchistanica CMEs respectively. D. oleoides CME inhibited more than 80% S. cerevisiae and 60% C. glabrata colonies. B. baluchistanica CME showed significant antioxidant activity (IC50 52.86µg/ml) than D. oleoides CME (IC50 87.30µg/ml) and standard resveratrol (IC50 109.46µg/ml). B. baluchistanica CME showed superior antidiabetic effect (135.75 mg/dl ±0.53) as compared to D. oleoides CME (191.50 mg/dl ± 0.48) but less antidiabetic effect than metformin hydrochloride (standard). All the above potentials exhibited by D. oleoides and B. baluchistanica CMEs propose further investigations to isolate and purify responsible biologically active lead molecule(s) with diverse capabilities.

In vitro cytotoxic, antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activity of Saussurea heteromalla indigenous to Pakistan.

Medicinal plants are proven to reveal vast promising potential providing novel drug candidates to combat health-related problems. The aim of current study is to discover new drug compounds with anti-anticancer, antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal potential, to serve the purpose Saussurea heteromalla (Family: Asteraceae) indigenous to Pakistan was screened for the in vitro cytotoxicity against HeLa cells (Human cervical cancer cell line) compared to the NIH / 3T3 cells (mouse normal fibroblast cells) by performing the MTT colorimetric assay and antifungal, antibacterial and antioxidant potential by adopting standard protocols. S. heteromalla crude methanolic extract (CME) demonstrated strong cytotoxic potential against HeLa cells at 200µg/mL; (77.28 ±1.53% kill; IC50: 62.13µg/mL) compared to standard doxorubicin (95.90% kill; IC50: 0.2µg/mL). Inhibitory Zone of the extract at concentrations (30, 60, 90µg/mL) against Bacillus subtilis, Serratia marecescens, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Strptotropomonas maltophilia, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata was measured. Manifestation of intensified results against Gram-negative Serratia marecescens qualifies the S. heteromalla extract as a considerable source of narrow spectrum antibiotic. However, antifungal activity against C. albicans was found to be logical. Antioxidant potential was determined through DPPH assay which declared no notable antioxidant effects. To the best of our knowledge this is first research and report on above mentioned biological studies of S. heteromalla.