Green-Synthesized Silver and Selenium Nanoparticles Using Berberine: A Comparative Assessment of In Vitro Anticancer Potential on Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Line (HepG2).

A well-known natural ingredient found in several medicinal plants, berberine (Ber), has been shown to have anticancer properties against a range of malignancies. The limited solubility and bioavailability of berberine can be addressed using Ber-loaded nanoparticles. In this study, we compared the in vitro cytotoxic effects of both Ber-loaded silver nanoparticles (Ber-AgNPs) and Ber-loaded selenium nanoparticles (Ber-SeNPs) in the human liver cancer cell line (HepG2) and mouse normal liver cells (BNL). The IC50 values in HepG2 for berberine, Ber-AgNPs, Ber-SeNPs, and cisplatin were 26.69, 1.16, 0.04, and 0.33 µg/mL, respectively. Our results show that Ber and its Ag and Se nanoparticles exerted a good antitumor effect against HepG2 cells by inducing apoptosis via upregulating p53, Bax, cytosolic cytochrome C levels, and caspase-3 activity, and the down-regulation of Bcl-2 levels. Similarly, incubation with Ber and both Ber-NPs (Ag and Se) led to a significant dose-dependent elevation in inflammatory markers' (TNF-α, NF-κB, and COX-2) levels compared to the control group. In addition, it led to the arrest of the G1 cell cycle by depleting the expression of cyclin D1 and CDK-2 mRNA. Furthermore, Ber and both Ber-NPs (Ag and Se) caused a significant dose-dependent increase in LDH activity in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, our findings offer evidence that Ber and its nanoparticles intensified oxidative stress in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, the migration rate of cells subjected to berberine and its nanoforms was notably decreased compared to that of control cells. It can be inferred that Ber nanoparticles exhibited superior anticancer efficacy against HepG2 compared to unprocessed Ber, perhaps due to their improved solubility and bioavailability. Furthermore, Ber-SeNPs exhibited greater efficacy than Ber-AgNPs, possibly as a result of the inherent anticancer characteristics of selenium.

Evaluation of antiobesity and hepatorenal protective activities of Salvia officinalis extracts pre-treatment in high-fat diet-induced obese rats.

The present study evaluated the effects of Hail Salvia officinalis total extract (SOTE) and its high flavonoid fraction (SOHFF) on the high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and hepatorenal damage in rats. Salvia officinalis plants were collected from Hail region, Saudi Arabia. Rats were fed HFD and supplemented orally with SOTE (250 mg kg-1) or SOHFF (100 mg kg-1) or simvastatin (SVS; 10 mg kg-1) every day for 8 weeks. Compared to the controls, HFD-induced obesity led to significant increases in body weight, body weight gained, blood insulin, leptin, cardiac enzymes (LDH and CPK) activity, and atherogenic index (AI). HFD rats also showed higher levels of hepatic and renal function biomarkers (ALT, urea, and creatinine), as well as lower levels of PPARγ and Nrf2-gene expression and a disrupted lipid profile. Moreover, HFD rats had lower levels of hepatic and renal antioxidant biomarkers (CAT, GPx, SOD, GR, and GSH), accompanied by higher levels of hepatic and renal lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitric oxide (NO), and inflammatory mediators (interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)). In addition, histological examination of hepatic and renal tissues revealed histopathological changes that validated the biochemical findings. Compared to HFD group, SOTE and SOHFF treatment led to marked amelioration of all the aforementioned parameters. Collectively, supplementation with SOTE and SOHFF effectively reversed HFD-induced alterations through its antioxidant, hypolipidemic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Hence, SOTE and SOHFF have therapeutic potential in controlling obesity and related pathologies.