Rapid green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from silver nitrate by a homeopathic mother tincture Phytolacca Decandra.

OBJECTIVE: To examine if a homeopathic mother tincture (Phytolacca Decandra) is capable of precipitating silver nanoparticles from silver nitrate (AgNO(3)) and to characterize the biosynthesized nanoparticles for evaluating their biological activities. METHODS: A total of 100 mg of AgNO(3) was added to 20mL of Milli-Q water and stirred vigorously. Then 5mL of the homeopathic mother tincture of Phytolacca Decandra (ethanolic root extract of Phytolacca decandra) was added and stirred continuously. Reduction took place rapidly at 300K and completed in 10 min as shown by stable light greenish-yellow color of the solution which gave colloid of silver nanoparticles. The colloid solution was then centrifuged at 5000×g to separate the nanoparticles for further use. The nanoparticles were characterized by spectroscopic analysis, particle size analysis and zeta potential measurements, and morphology was analyzed by atomic force microscopy. The drug-DNA interaction was determined by circular dichroism spectrophotometry and melting temperature profiles by using calf thymus DNA as the target. The biological activities were determined using a cancer cell line A549 in vitro and using bacteria Escherichia coli and fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae as test models. RESULTS: Phytolacca Decandra precipitated silver nanoparticles in ambient conditions. The nanoparticles had 91 nm particle size, with polydispersity index of 0.119 and zeta potential of -15.6 mV. The silver nanoparticles showed anticancer and antibacterial properties, but no clear antifungal properties. CONCLUSION: This could be a novel environment-friendly method to biosynthesize silver nanoparticles using a cost-effective, nontoxic manner. The homeopathic mother tincture may utilize this property of nano-precipitation in curing diseases or disease symptoms.

A homeopathic nosode, Hepatitis C 30 demonstrates anticancer effect against liver cancer cells in vitro by modulating telomerase and topoisomerase II activities as also by promoting apoptosis via intrinsic mitochondrial pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Homeopathic nosodes have seldom been scientifically validated for their anticancer effects. This study was conducted to examine if a recently developed hepatitis C nosode has demonstrable anticancer potential in cancer cells in vitro. METHODS: Anticancer effects of Hepatitis C 30C (Hep C 30), if any, were initially tested on three cancer cell lines, HepG2 (liver cancer), MCF-7 (breast cancer) and A549 (lung cancer) and one normal liver cell line WRL-68 cells and subsequently a more thorough study using further scientific protocols was undertaken on HepG2 cells (against WRL-68 cells as the normal control) as HepG2 cells showed better anticancer response than the other two. Three doses, one at 50% lethal dose (LD50) and the other two below LD50, were used on HepG2 cells subsequently. Protocols like apoptosis induction and its possible signaling mechanism were deployed using immunoblots of relevant signal proteins and confocal microscopy, with particular reference to telomerase and topoisomerase II (Top II) activities, two strong cancer biomarkers for their direct relationship with divisional activities of cells and DNAs. RESULTS: Hep C 30 induced apoptosis, caused distorted cell morphology typical of apoptotic cells, increased reactive oxygen species generation and produced increased DNA nicks. Further it enhanced pro-apototic signal proteins like Bax, cytochrome c and inhibited anti-apoptotic signal proteins, Bcl-2, cytochrome c and caspase-3, changed mitochondrial membrane potential and caused externalization of phosphatidylserine. The drug also decreased expression of two cancer biomarkers, Top II and telomerase, consistent with its anticancer effect. CONCLUSION: Hep C 30 has demonstrable anticancer effects against liver cancer cells in vitro.

The potentized homeopathic drug, Lycopodium clavatum (5C and 15C) has anti-cancer effect on hela cells in vitro.

Cancer is a disease that needs a multi-faceted approach from different systems of medicine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether homeopathically-potentized ultra-high dilutions of Lycopodium Clavatum (LC-5C and LC-15C, respectively) have any anti-cancer effects on HeLa cells. Cells were exposed to either LC-5C (diluted below Avogadro's limit, i.e., 10(-10)) or LC-15C (diluted beyond Avogadro's limit, i.e., 10(-30)) (drug-treated) or to 30% succussed ethanol ("vehicle" of the drug). The drug-induced modulation in the percent cell viability, the onset of apoptosis, and changes in the expressions of Bax, Bcl2, caspase 3, and Apaf proteins in inter-nucleosomal DNA, in mitochondrial membrane potentials and in the release of cytochrome-c were analyzed by utilizing different experimental protocols. Results revealed that administration of LC-5C and LC-15C had little or no cytotoxic effect in normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells, but caused considerable cell death through apoptosis in cancer (HeLa) cells, which was evident from the induction of DNA fragmentation, the increases in the expressions of protein and mRNA of caspase 3 and Bax, and the decreases in the expressions of Bcl2 and Apaf and in the release of cytochrome-c. Thus, the highly-diluted, dynamized homeopathic remedies LC-5C and LC-15C demonstrated their capabilities to induce apoptosis in cancer cells, signifying their possible use as supportive medicines in cancer therapy.

Biosynthesized silver nanoparticles by ethanolic extracts of Phytolacca decandra, Gelsemium sempervirens, Hydrastis canadensis and Thuja occidentalis induce differential cytotoxicity through G2/M arrest in A375 cells.

The capability of crude ethanolic extracts of certain medicinal plants like Phytolacca decandra, Gelsemium sempervirens, Hydrastis canadensis and Thuja occidentalis used as homeopathic mother tinctures in precipitating silver nanoparticles from aqueous solution of silver nitrate has been explored. Nanoparticles thus precipitated were characterized by spectroscopic, dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction, atomic force and transmission electron microscopic analyses. The drug-DNA interactions of silver nanoparticles were analyzed from data of circular dichroism spectroscopy and melting temperature profiles using calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) as target. Biological activities of silver nanoparticles of different origin were then tested to evaluate their effective anti-proliferative and anti-bacterial properties, if any, by exposing them to A375 skin melanoma cells and to Escherichia coli C, respectively. Silver nanoparticles showed differences in their level of anti-cancer and anti-bacterial potentials. The nanoparticles of different origin interacted differently with CT-DNA, showing differences in their binding capacities. Particle size differences of the nanoparticles could be attributed for causing differences in their cellular entry and biological action. The ethanolic extracts of these plants had not been tested earlier for their possible efficacies in synthesizing nanoparticles from silver nitrate solution that had beneficial biological action, opening up a possibility of having therapeutic values in the management of diseases including cancer.

Dihydroxy-isosteviol-methyl-ester, an active biological component of Pulsatilla nigricans, reduces arsenic induced cellular dysfunction in testis of male mice.

Arsenic contamination has become a menacing health concern, warranting search for new drugs capable of ameliorating its toxicity. Extract of Pulsatilla nigricans is occasionally used as traditional medicine including homeopathy to combat/alleviate toxicity-related symptoms of known or unknown cause. Mice were intoxicated with a sub-lethal dose of sodium arsenite (20mg/kg b.w./day, determined through a range-finding trial) and the effect on testicular toxicity after 30, 60, and 90 days was examined. We observed an increased level of reactive oxygen species, cellular damage in testes of SA-intoxicated mice and further analysed expressions of apoptotic signal proteins and mRNA like Bax, Bcl2 and caspase3. Treatment with EEPN showed significant inhibition/reversal of the arsenic-induced toxic effect in testis and reduced oxidative stress through modulating expressions of signal proteins, thereby inhibiting the progression of events of apoptosis in testis cells and sperm. Therefore, EEPN has potentials for therapeutic use in arsenic- induced reproductive toxicity.

Apigenin-induced apoptosis in A375 and A549 cells through selective action and dysfunction of mitochondria.

We isolated apigenin (5,7,4'-trihydroxy flavone) from ethanolic extract of Lycopodium clavatum (LC) used as a homeopathic mother tincture for treatment of various diseases. We assessed the anticancer potentials of the compound using human malignant melanoma cell line A375 and a lung carcinoma cell line A549 and focussed on its putative molecular mechanism of action on apoptosis induction. We examined the cytotoxicity of apigenin in both cancer cells and normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). A375 cells were more prone to apigenin-induced apoptosis, as compared with A549 cells after 24 h of treatment, while PBMC showed little or no cytotoxicity to apigenin. We also evaluated the effects of apigenin on interaction with DNA by comparative analysis of circular dichroism spectral data and melting temperature profiles (Tm) of calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) treated with or without apigenin. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in mitochondria, super-oxide dismutase and total thiol group (GSH) activities were also analyzed. The apoptotic process involved mitochondrial pathway associated with apigenin-DNA interaction, DNA fragmentation, ROS accumulation, cytochrome c (cyt c) release and mitochondrial transmembrane potential depolarization, Bax, caspase 3, 9, PARP, up-regulation, Bcl-2 down-regulation and down-regulation of cyt c in the mitochondrial fraction. Results of mitochondrial inner membrane swelling measurements, intracellular ADP/ATP ratio and ATPase activity showed that in A549 cells, apigenin did not appear to directly target the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system but rather acted at an upstream step to activate the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. However, apigenin could directly target and impair mitochondrial function in A375 cells by breaking down their oxidative phosphorylation system. Collectively, these results suggest that apigenin exhibits anticancer potential in A375 and A549 cells that may be mediated through DNA interaction, damage and mitochondrial dysfunction either by direct or indirect action on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system.