Vitamin supplementation as a potential adjunctive therapeutic approach for COVID-19: biological and clinical plausibility.

The recent pandemic, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has introduced itself into the human population in the 21st century after the coronavirus diseases SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV). Major investigations are underway worldwide in the search for pharmaceutical interventions for COVID-19 and many agents are administered in off-label routes. Several cases are under study to check or restrict clinical manifestations of COVID-19. According to the fact that the efficacy of some micro-nutrients like vitamins is proven to treat or prevent infectious diseases because of their antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activity, the potential role of vitamins in the COVID-19 treatment or prevention must be considered.

Anti-tumor Effect of Quercetin Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles on Induced Colon Cancer in Wistar Rats.

Purpose: This study was aimed to evaluate the site-specific drug delivery of 5-FU with chitosan (CS) as a carrier and quercetin (Qu) against induced colon cancer in Wistar rats. Methods: Cross-linked CS-Qu nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by ionotropic gelation method. Physicochemical characterization of NPs was performed by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), in vitro drug release, and drug loading efficiency (LE). 1, 2-Dimethylhydrazine (DMH) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) were applied to induce adenocarcinoma tumors on inbred male Wistar rats' colon. The treatment group of rats was administered through enema with NPs dispersion. Hematoxylin and eosin staining were performed to the histopathological examination of tumors. Results: Zeta potential and particle size for NPs were +53.5 ± 5 mV and 179 ± 28 nm, respectively. About 96% Qu LE was obtained with a maximum release of 5.63 ±1.59% and 4.62 ± 1.33% after 24 hours in PB solution with pH values of 6 and 7.4, respectively. The numbers of 8 to 21 tumors were observed in all rats administered with DMH and DSS. Significantly decreasing of microvascular density and mitosis count was detected in the treatment group in comparison with cancerous group (P = 0.032 for the former compared to P = 0.016 for the later), respectively. Furthermore, the treatment group showed a high apoptosis rate (P = 0.038). Conclusion: The developed Qu-loaded CS NPs were good candidates for site-specific and sustained drug release in enema treatment. Decreasing of microvascular density and mitosis count, along with increasing the apoptosis percent in the treatment group proved that the NPs could have promising results in site-specific and sustained drug delivery against colorectal cancer.

Cytotoxic effect of rosemary extract on gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (KYSE30) cell lines.

AIM: The present study was conducted to survey the potential cytotoxic influence of freeze-dried aqueous extract of its fruits on gastrointestinal cell lines, namely AGS (human gastric carcinoma) and KYSE30 (human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. BACKGROUND: Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a wild medicinal plant shown to have anticancer activity. Carnosic and rosmarinic acids are compounds, obtained from it through several extraction methods. METHODS: The aqueous extract of the fruits of R.officinalis was freeze-dried, and KYSE30 and AGS cancer cell lines were treated with crude extract. Cytotoxic effect of the extracts on the cell lines was examined using 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and neutral red assay. Apoptotic cells were detected with ethidium bromide/acridine orange (EB/AO). Cell-cycle distributions were evaluated by flow cytometry. RESULTS: IC50 values were 4.1, 1.8 and 1.3 mg/mL for AGS cell lines after 24, 48 and 72 hours by MTT assay, respectively, and 4.4, 2.1 and 1.1 mg/mL by neutral red assay, respectively. IC50 values for KYSE30 cell lines were 600, 180 and 150 mg/mL after 24, 48 and 72 hours by MTT assay, and 860, 270 and 230 mg/mL by neutral red. EB/AO staining increased in apoptotic cells. After 24 h of treatment at different concentrations, significant increases and decreases in population were shown at G2/M and G1 phases, respectively. CONCLUSION: The aqueous extract of the fruits of R.officinalis was freeze-dried, and KYSE30 and AGS cancer cell lines were treated with crude extract. Cytotoxic effect of the extracts on the cell lines was examined using 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and neutral red assay. Apoptotic cells were detected with ethidium bromide/acridine orange (EB/AO). Cell-cycle distributions were evaluated by flow cytometry.