ABSTRACT
Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the serum and salivary L-fucose in oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and oral cancer (OC) in order to investigate the possibility of using this as biomarker for early diagnosis. Materials and Methods: The study included 85 participants, who were grouped as control (30), OPMDs patients (25), and OC patients (30). Serum and unstimulated whole saliva were collected from participants of all groups and fucose estimation was done using spectrophotometry. The results were tabulated and analyzed statistically. Results: The mean serum L-fucose levels in normal, OPMDs, and OC group were 3.49, 19.18, and 35.75 mg/dl, respectively, while the levels of salivary L-fucose were 3.18, 7.02, and 11.66 mg/dl, respectively. A highly significant rise (P < 0.001) in serum and salivary L-fucose was observed in the study participants compared to control. Conclusions: The present study showed a significant and gradual increase in serum and salivary L-fucose from control to OPMDs to OC. From this study, we suggest that L-fucose can be used as a reliable biomarker and saliva can be used as a diagnostic fluid for screening and early detection of OC
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the cytotoxic and antioxidant potential of crude leaf extracts of Pogostemon heyneanus (P. heyneanus) and Plectranthus amboinicus (P. amboinicus), medicinal plants from Lamiaceae family. Crude leaf extracts, with methanol, ethanol and chloroform were evaluated for cytotoxicity in two breast cancer cell lines of different grades, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, by MTT assay. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was evaluated by DPPH and H2O2 assays. The results of MTT assay revealed that chloroform extract of P. heyneanus and ethanol extract of P. amboinicus were effective against MCF-7 cells. The chloroform extract of P. heyneanus was more effective than P. amboinicus against MDA-MB-231. Effective antioxidant activity was shown by the ethanol extract of P. amboinicus which correlated positively with the total phenol content. The chloroform extract of P. heyneanus, was rich in steroids and saponins which correlated positively with the cytotoxic activity. In conclusion, chloroform soluble leaf extracts of P. heyneanus, which is rich in steroids and saponins shows effective cytotoxicity on both breast cancer lines studied and could be used for identification of a potential anticancer principle, while ethanol extract of P. amboinicus has better potential as an antioxidant.
ABSTRACT
Coolants are hydrocarbons, used to lubricate parts of machines for smooth performance. While in use, a coolant quickly gets contaminated with foreign materials, making it less effective and unpleasant odors are developed due to microbial action. Hence coolants need to be replaced frequently. The expense of disposing used coolants and replacing it with fresh coolants adds significantly to the manufacturing cost. The present study is focused on isolation, identification and characterization of coolant oil contaminating bacteria as an initial step to solve these contamination problems. Used and unused samples of coolant were collected from oil stations, auto mechanic workshops and steel industry for the isolation of the contaminants. Ten dominant bacterial isolates of the genus Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Salmonella, Cellobiococcus and Pneumonia were identified by morphology, biochemical tests and PIB tool. Isolates were subjected to four different media, various pH and temperatures for characterization of optimal conditions of growth. Pseudomonas pseudomallei, Micrococcus luteus 3, Micrococcus varians and Salmonella ferlac were observed in mineral, synthetic and aerobic media, Staphylococcus hyicus, Cellobiococcus species and Staphylococcus intermedius in synthetic and aerobic fermentation media and Pseudomonas cepacia, Pseudomonas piketti in mineral salt and aerobic fermentation media. The ten isolates showed optimal growth at different temperatures between 20°C and 90°C and different pH, ranging from acidic to alkaline. In conclusion, the used coolants harbor hazardous pathogens such as Pseudomonas species which multiply rapidly and survive high temperatures. These isolates could be targeted for further studies on development of antidotes as a solution to the coolant contamination problems.