Exploring the therapeutic potential of edible vegetables, fruits, and spices against cancer in various cell lines.

Cancer is rapidly becoming the leading cause of death globally. This study aimed to identify edible foods with cytotoxic and/or antioxidant activities that can prevent cancer when consumed in a regular diet. Sixty-eight edible foods were purchased from the local market, and the materials were extracted with 80% methanol. The cytotoxic activity of the extracts was evaluated using MTT on HeLa, H2228, HEK293, and H3122 cell lines. To study apoptosis, triple fluorescence labeling with DAPI, Annexin V, and propidium iodide was used. The phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and free radical scavenging capabilities were studied using conventional spectrophotometric techniques. Among the edible foods, carrot, pointed gourd, wax gourd, ficus, apple, lemon, cumin seed, and white peppercorn showed moderate cytotoxicity in HeLa cells. The growth of HeLa cells was significantly inhibited dose-dependently by tomato, banana, Indian spinach, guava, lemon peel, and coriander (IC50, 24.54, 17.89, 13.18, 9.33, 1.23, and 2.96 µg/mL, respectively). Tomato, Indian spinach, lemon peel, and coriander exerted significant dose-dependent inhibition of H2228, HEK293, and H3122 cell proliferation. The tomato, Indian spinach, lemon peel, and coriander extracts induced HeLa cell apoptosis. White peppercorn, amaranth, apple, wax gourd, cumin seed, taro, and lemon peel contained significant amounts of polyphenols and showed high antioxidant activity. White peppercorn, apple, coriander, lemon peel, and ficus significantly scavenged DPPH free radicals (IC50 values of 10.23, 12.02, 13.49, 13.8, and 14.0 µg/mL, respectively). The overall results suggest that the daily intake of these antioxidant-rich cytotoxic foods can prevent or reduce the risk of cancer.

Isoformononetin, a dietary isoflavone protects against streptozotocin induced rat model of neuroinflammation through inhibition of NLRP3/ASC/IL-1 axis activation.

AIMS: Isoformononetin (IFN), a methoxyl isoflavone present in most of human dietary supplements. However, being a highly potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecule, its activity against neuronal oxidative stress and neuroinflammation has not been explored till now. The present study was inquested to assess the antioxidant, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory activity of IFN against streptozotocin induced neuroinflammation in different brain regions of rat. MAIN METHODS: Four groups of animals were subjected to treatment as control, toxic control (STZ; single intracerebrovascular injection), third group (STZ + IFN; 20 mg/kg p.o.), fourth group (IFN) for 14 days. The different brain regions of rats were evaluated for inflammatory, apoptotic and biochemical antioxidant markers. The brain tissues were further assessed for gene expression, immunohistochemical and western blotting examination for localization of inflammasome cascade expression that plays a pivotal role in neuroinflammation. KEY FINDINGS: The modulation in oxidant/antioxidant status after exposure of STZ was significantly balanced after administration of IFN to rats. Further, IFN was also found to be an apoptotic agent as it modulates the apoptotic gene (Bax) and anti-apoptotic gene (BcL2) expression. IFN significantly curtailed the augmented protein expression of NLRP3, NLRP2, ASC, NFκBP65, IL-1ß and caspase-1 due to STZ administration in cortex and hippocampus rat brain regions. SIGNIFICANCE: The aforementioned results proclaim the neuroprotective functioning of IFN against STZ induced inflammation. IFN significantly prevents the neuroinflammation by decreasing the generation of ROS that reduces the activation of NLRP3/ASC/IL-1 axis thereby exerting neuroprotection as evidenced in rat model of STZ induced neuroninflammation.

Unfolding the apoptotic mechanism of antioxidant enriched-leaves of Tabebuia pallida (lindl.) miers in EAC cells and mouse model.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Tabebuia pallida (Lindl.) Miers (T. pallida) is a well-known native Caribbean medicinal plant. The leaves and barks of T. pallida are used as traditional medicine in the form of herbal or medicinal tea to manage cancer, fever, and pain. Moreover, extracts from the leaves of T. pallida showed anticancer activity. However, the chemical profile and mechanism of anticancer activity of T. pallida leaves (TPL), stem bark (TPSB), root bark (TPRB) and flowers (TPF) remain unexplored. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study was designed to explore the regulation of apoptosis by T. pallida using Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma (EAC) cultured cells and an EAC mouse model. LC-ESI-MS/MS was used for compositional analysis of T. pallida extracts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dried and powdered TPL, TPSB, TPRB and TPF were extracted with 80% methanol. Using cultured EAC cells and EAC-bearing mice with and without these extracts, anticancer activities were studied by assessing cytotoxicity and tumor cell growth inhibition, changes in life span of mice, and hematological and biochemical parameters. Apoptosis was analyzed by microscopy and expression of selected apoptosis-related genes (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, NFκ-B, PARP-1, p53, Bax, caspase-3 and -8) using RT-PCR. LC-ESI-MS analysis was performed to identify the major compounds from active extracts. Computer aided analyses was undertaken to sort out the best-fit phytoconstituent of total ten isolated compounds of this plant for antioxidant and anticancer activity. RESULTS: In EAC mice compared with untreated controls, the TPL extract exhibited the highest cancer cell toxicity with significant tumor cell growth inhibition (p < 0.001), reduced ascites by body weight (p < 0.01), increased the life span (p < 0.001), normalized blood parameters (RBC/WBC counts), and increased the levels of superoxide dismutase and catalase. TPL-treated EAC cells showed increased apoptotic characteristics of membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation, and caspase-3 activation, compared with untreated EAC cells. Moreover, annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide signals were greatly enhanced in response to TPL treatment, indicating apoptosis induction. Pro- and anti-apoptotic signaling after TPL treatment demonstrated up-regulated p53, Bax and PARP-1, and down-regulated NFκ-B, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression, suggesting that TPL shifts the balance of pro- and anti-apoptotic genes towards cell death. LC-ESI-MS data of TPL showed a mixture of glycosides, lapachol, and quercetin antioxidant and its derivatives that were significantly linked to cancer cell targets. The compound, pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside was found to be most effective in computer aided models. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the TPL extract of T. pallida possesses significant anticancer activity. The tumor suppressive mechanism is due to apoptosis induced by activation of antioxidant enzymes and caspases and mediated by a change in the balance of pro- and anti-apoptotic genes that promotes cell death.

Chronic histamine 3 receptor antagonism alleviates depression like conditions in mice via modulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and hypothalamus-pituitary adrenal axis.

The last two decades of research has established histamine (HA) as a neurotransmitter. Since H3R antagonists are known to modulate several neurotransmitters besides HA, H3R antagonists have shown potential for the treatment of different central nervous system disorders, including depression. However, molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of H3R antagonism in depression are not clear, yet. In the present study, we investigated the antidepressant potential of ciproxifan, a selective H3R antagonist, in chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) model of depression in C57BL/6 J mice. We observed that chronic treatment of CUS mice with ciproxifan (3 mg/kg i.p.; for three weeks) alleviates depression-like symptoms such as helplessness measured by forced swim and tail suspension test (FST and TST), anhedonia measured by sucrose preference test (SPT) and social deficit measured in social behavior test. Chronic ciproxifan treatment restored CUS induced BDNF expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus. We also observed that ciproxifan modulates CUS induced NUCB2/nesfatin-1 and CRH expression in the hypothalamus and plasma corticosterone. We also determined the direct effect of HA on BDNF expression in neurons by western blotting and immunocytochemistry, and found that HA significantly induced BDNF expression, which was blocked by the H4R selective antagonist, but not by other HA receptor selective antagonists. Furthermore, ciproxifan significantly modulated NMDA glutamate receptor subunits NR2B and NR2A. Thus, these results suggest that increased HA signaling in the brain produces antidepressant-like effects in mice and modulates BDNF expression and HPA-axis.

Vitamin A Supplementation during Pregnancy Enhances Pandemic H1N1 Vaccine Response in Mothers, but Enhancement of Transplacental Antibody Transfer May Depend on When Mothers Are Vaccinated during Pregnancy.

Background: In the growing embryo, the vitamin A requirement is tightly regulated. Maternal vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy may alter maternal immune function to accommodate the fetus. Objective: Our primary objective was to determine the effect of oral vitamin A supplementation (VAS) during pregnancy and until 6 mo postpartum on pandemic H1N1-vaccine responses in mothers and their infants at 6 mo of age. Methods: In this randomized controlled clinical trial, pregnant women (n = 112) during the second trimester (mean ± SD: 14 ± 1 wk) were assigned to receive either an oral dose of 10,000 IU vitamin A or placebo weekly until 6 mo postpartum. During the third trimester, mothers received a single dose of inactivated pandemic H1N1-influenza vaccine. Hemagglutination-inhibition (HAI) titer was measured in cord, infant, and maternal blood samples. Multivariate regressions with adjustments were used for data analysis. Results: Seventy-six percent of women had low plasma retinol concentrations (<1.05 µmol/L) in their second trimester. VAS of mothers increased vitamin A concentrations in cord blood by 21.4% and in colostrum by 40.7%. At 6 mo postpartum, women in the vitamin A group had 38.7% higher HAI titers and a higher proportion of HAI titer of ≥1:40 of the cutoff compared with the placebo group. A total of 54.5% of infants had an HAI titer ≥1:40 at 6 mo of age, but there was no difference in HAI titer in infants between groups. Overall, HAI in cord blood did not differ between groups, but in the placebo group, cord blood HAI was negatively associated with maternal "vaccination-to-delivery intervals" (rs = -0.401; P = 0.5), and maternal VAS increased cord blood HAI 6-fold if antenatal immunization was administered ≥10 wk before delivery. Conclusions: In a community with low vitamin A status, weekly maternal VAS during pregnancy and postpartum increases the breast-milk vitamin A concentration and enhances prenatal H1N1-vaccine responses in mothers, but the benefits of maternal VAS in transplacental antibody transfer may depend on the time of gestation when mothers were vaccinated. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00817661.

Development and validation of UPLC-MS/MS assay for quantification of cladrin: Absolute bioavailability and dose proportionality study in rats.

Cladrin, an isoflavone is a major bioactive constituent found in stem bark of Butea monosperma with remarkable osteogenic activity. A speedy and sensitive UPLC coupled tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed, validated and successfully applied to bioavailability, blood partitioning, plasma protein binding, intravenous and multiple-dose oral pharmacokinetics of cladrin in rats. Separation was done on C18 column (5.0 µm, 4.6 × 50 mm) using mobile phase containing acetonitrile and 0.10% formic acid in the ratio of 65:35 (v/v) with 0.60 mL/min flow rate. The method was highly sensitive and has a short run time of 2.50 min with an excellent linearity (R2 > 0.99) in the range of 0.20-200 µg/L. Absolute bioavailability was found to be 16.58, 19.04 and 6.76% at oral doses of 5, 10, and 20 mg/Kg, respectively. Cladrin was rapidly absorbed (Tmax 3.0 h) with a high apparent volume of distribution (15.03 ±â€¯1.79L/Kg), high clearance (2.27 ±â€¯0.30L/h/Kg) and high plasma protein binding. The present study is a first comprehensive in-vitro as well as the in-vivo preclinical pharmacokinetic report of cladrin giving insights about its drug-likeness and further development as a potential therapeutic agent.

Therapeutic Targeting of NLRP3 Inflammasomes by Natural Products and Pharmaceuticals: A Novel Mechanistic Approach for Inflammatory Diseases.

Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes having nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat consisting members along with pyrin and HIN domain family. An inflammasome mainly consists of cytoplasmic sensor molecule, such as NLRP3, the adaptor apoptosisassociated speck-like protein containing caspase recruitment domain) protein along with effector procaspase-1. The inflammasome regulates caspase-1 activation, resulting in secretion of interleukin- 1ß and interleukin-18. The inflammasome activation is linked with infection, stress, or other immunological signals involved in inflammation. The pathophysiological role of NLRP3 inflammasome in immune regulation, inflammatory receptor-ligand interactions, microbial-associated molecular patterns, danger as well as pathogen associated molecular patterns has been demonstrated in last few years. Furthermore, the role of the inflammasome in peripheral and central nervous system involved with cytokine and chemokine inflammatory responses has been demonstrated in preclinical and clinical studies. The understanding of molecular regulation of inflammasome associated pathways is crucial for drug design and delivery. The use of natural product as an alternate therapy is gaining focus because of easy access and cost effectiveness. A number of herbal extracts and its bioactive constituents known as phytochemicals have shown to be effective in inflammatory response mediated by NLRP3 inflammasomes pathways. To understand the interaction of phytochemicals and inflammasome at the molecular level, it is vital to develop effective drugs that can be evaluated further in the clinical settings. Therefore, this review renders an extensive account of all the phytochemicals which are evaluated either in inflammatory experimental animal models or in immortalized human/animal cell lines that modulate NLRP3 inflammasome mediated pathways to mitigate inflammatory responses with the hope that this pathway modulation by phytochemicals may provide a another class of drugs in the armamentarium as well as novel molecular mechanism of natural products targeting NLRP3 inflammasome.

Preparation and in-vitro/in-vivo characterization of trans-resveratrol nanocrystals for oral administration.

Trans -resveratrol (t-RES) is a natural polyphenolic compound with extensive therapeutic activities; however, its clinical application is circumscribed due to its poor solubility and low bioavailability. The purpose of this study was to prepare stable t-RES nanocrystals (t-RES-NCs) with different stabilizers to improve its oral bioavailability. t-RES-NCs were fabricated by the probe sonication method and optimized by particles size, poly dispersive index and zeta potential. The pharmaceutical characterization of t-RES-NCs was further performed systematically. The in vitro cellular efficacy and in vivo pharmacokinetics of t-RES-NCs were also evaluated. The optimized NCs were successfully accomplished in a sub-micron particle size (110.28 ± 12.55 nm) with high ζ-potential (-32.96 ± 3.85 mV) value. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image indicated that morphology of t-RES-NCs was regular and rod like in shape. Meanwhile, the result of in vitro cellular efficacy against MDA-MB-231 cells revealed that developed t-RES-NCs were more efficacious and potent (p < 0.05) than plain t-RES. Compared to plain t-RES, t-RES-NCs exhibited significant increase (p < 0.05) in AUC0-t (3.5-folds) and C max (2.2-folds), demonstrating improved oral bioavailability of t-RES after grafting as NCs. The significant increase in oral bioavailability of developed t-RES-NCs represents an ideal vehicle for oral delivery of t-RES which ultimately reflected the clinical efficacy of t-RES.

Vitamin B12 supplementation during pregnancy and postpartum improves B12 status of both mothers and infants but vaccine response in mothers only: a randomized clinical trial in Bangladesh.

PURPOSE: Poor vitamin B12 (B12) status is associated with adverse outcomes in pregnancy and infancy. Little is known about effects of B12 supplementation on immune function. The present study aimed to evaluate effects of pre- and postnatal B12 supplementation on biomarkers of B12 status and vaccine-specific responses in mothers and infants. METHOD: In a blinded, placebo-controlled trial, Bangladeshi women (n = 68, age 18-35 years, hemoglobin <110 g/L, 11-14 weeks pregnant) were randomized to receive 250 µg/day B12 or a placebo throughout pregnancy and 3-month postpartum along with 60 mg iron + 400 µg folate. Women were immunized with pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccine at 26- to 28-week gestation. Blood from mothers (baseline, 72-h post-delivery, 3-month postpartum), newborns and infants (3-month) was analyzed for hemoglobin, B12, methylmalonic acid (MMA), total homocysteine (tHcy), ferritin and serum transferrin receptor, C-reactive protein (CRP) and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP). Vitamin B12 was also assessed in breast milk. H1N1-specific antibodies were determined in plasma and colostrum/breast milk. RESULTS: At baseline, 26% women were B12 deficient (<150 pmol/L), 40% had marginal status (150-220 pmol/L), 43% had elevated MMA (>271 nmol/L), and 31% had elevated tHcy (>10 µmol/L). Supplementation increased B12 in plasma, colostrums and breast milk (p < 0.05) and lowered MMA in neonates, mothers and infants at 3 months (p < 0.05). B12 supplementation significantly increased H1N1-specific IgA responses in plasma and colostrums in mothers and reduced proportion of infants with elevated AGP and CRP compared with placebo. CONCLUSION: Supplementation with 250 µg/day B12 during pregnancy and lactation substantially improved maternal, infant and breast milk B12 status. Maternal supplementation improved H1N1 vaccine-specific responses in mothers only and may alleviate inflammatory responses in infants.

In vitro antioxidant and cholinesterase inhibitory activities of methanolic fruit extract of Phyllanthus acidus.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder clinically characterized by loss of memory and cognition. Cholinergic deficit and oxidative stress have been implicated in the pathogenesis of AD. Therefore, inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and oxidation are the two promising strategies in the development of drug for AD. Phyllanthus acidus, belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae, is a tree and has been used in traditional medicine to treat several pain, inflammatory and oxidative stress related disorders such as rheumatism, bronchitis, asthma, respiratory disorder, also important to promote intellect and enhance memory, thus supporting its possible anti-Alzheimer's properties. In this study, P. acidus was evaluated for its cholinesterase inhibitory and antioxidant activities. METHODS: In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant potential and neuroprotective activity of P. acidus by assessing total phenol content (FCR assay), total flavonoid content, total antioxidant capacity, Fe (3+) reducing power capacity, DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity, lipid peroxidation inhibition activity & metal chelating activity. In addition acetylcholinestrase (AChE) and butyrylcholinestrase (BChE) inhibitory activities were performed using Ellman's method. RESULTS: Total phenolic content and total flavonoid content of the extract were 116.98 mg of gallic acid equivalent and 168.24 mg of quercetin equivalent per gm of dried extract. The methanolic extract of P. acidus (MEPA) showed considerable total antioxidant activity and reducing capacity. In DPPH scavenging assay and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay, the MEPA showed 84.33 % and 77.21 % scavenging having IC50 of 15.62 and 59.74 µg/ml respectively. In lipid peroxidation inhibition activity MEPA showed moderate inhibition of peroxidation at all concentrations with IC50 value of 471.63 µg/ml and exhibited metal chelating activity with IC50 value 308.67 µg/ml. The MEPA exhibited inhibition of rat brain acetylcholinesterase and human blood butyrylcholinesterase in a dose dependent manner and the IC50 value was found to be 1009.87 µg/ml and 449.51 µg/ml respectively. CONCLUSION: These results of the present study reveal that MEPA has considerable amount of antioxidant activity as well as anti-acetylcholinesterase and anti-butyrylcholinesterase activity which suggest its effectiveness against Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

No effect on pharmacokinetics of tamoxifen and 4-hydroxytamoxifen by multiple doses of red clover capsule in rats.

Tamoxifen is used in clinical practice for breast cancer patients and to prevent osteoporosis. Red clover (Trifolium pratense) preparations are consumed worldwide as dietary supplements for relieving postmenopausal symptoms. In the present study we investigated the possible herb-drug interaction between red clover and tamoxifen in rats. 15 days pre-treatment with red clover did not alter the tamoxifen and its active metabolite 4-hydroxytamoxifen pharmacokinetics significantly (p > 0.05). Therefore the therapeutic efficacy of the tamoxifen may not be compromised by the co-administration with red clover. Tamoxifen metabolism is primarily mediated by CYP2D6, CYP3A4 with minor contribution from CYP2C9, CYP2E1 and CYP1A2 isoforms. Although, red clover pre-treatment significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the mRNA expression and activity of CYP3a2, no effect on CYP2d4 and increased expression and activity of CYP2c11 could be the plausible reasons for lack of effect on tamoxifen and its metabolite pharmacokinetics in rats. CYP1a1 and CYP2b2 mRNA expression and activity were also significantly reduced by red clover. To extend the clinical utility of the present study, effect of red clover extract on major CYPs using human liver microsomes and HepG2 cell lines were also determined. Similar finding were observed in the human liver preparations as in rats.

Development of antimicrobial resistance in the normal anaerobic microbiota during one year after administration of clindamycin or ciprofloxacin.

Thirty healthy subjects (15 males and 15 females) were randomly assigned in three groups and clindamycin (150 mg qid) or ciprofloxacin (500 mg bid) or placebo was given for a 10-day period. Skin, nasal, saliva, faeces samples were collected at day - 1, day 11, 1 month, 2 months, 4 months and 12 months post administration for microbiological analysis. Ciprofloxacin or clindamycin had no impact on the anaerobic skin microbiota and the proportions of antibiotic resistant anaerobic bacteria were similar as in the placebo group. Ciprofloxacin had impact on the Propionibacterium acnes in the nasal microbiota that normalized after 1 month, however, ciprofloxacin-resistant P. acnes strains increased at month 2 and month 12. Clindamycin had no impact on the nasal microbiota. In the oropharyngeal microbiota, a higher proportion of ciprofloxacin resistant Veillonella was found, it lasting up to 12 months post dosing. In the clindamycin group, clindamycin-resistant Prevotella spp. were found in increased proportions compared to placebo at various time points except month 4 in the saliva samples. The relative proportion of ciprofloxacin-resistant Bifidobacteria increased in the faecal samples on day 11, 1 month, 4 months and 12 months post dosing compared to placebo. The proportion of clindamycin-resistant Bacteroides spp. increased at 1, 2, 4 and 12 months post dosing compared to placebo in the faecal samples. No Clostridium difficile was recovered from any of the samples from any of the volunteers at any visit. The concentrations of ciprofloxacin or clindamycin in the faeces were higher than the MICs for most of the organisms present in the normal microbiota. No obvious correlation between the groups in resistant patterns for anaerobic bacteria was observed. In conclusion, based on the microbiological data of the microbiota as well as the results of the bioassays for ciprofloxacin and clindamycin concentrations in the faecal samples, oral administration of ciprofloxacin and clindamycin has an impact on the anaerobic microbiota and may have a long-term effect on the development and persistence of antibiotic-resistant anaerobes in the normal microbiota.

In vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity and the antioxidant properties of Aegle marmelos leaf extract: implications for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder clinically characterized by loss of memory and cognition. The effective therapeutic options for AD are limited and thus there is a demand for new drugs. Aegle marmelos (Linn.) (A. marmelos) leaves have been used in traditional medicine to promote intellect and enhance memory. In this study, we evaluated A. marmelos for its acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity and antioxidant property in vitro in the treatment of AD. METHODS: A crude methanol extract and four fractions (petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and aqueous) were prepared from the leaves of A. marmelos. The preparations were assessed for AChE inhibitory activity by the Ellman method, and their antioxidant properties were assessed by several assays: reducing power, scavenging of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical and hydroxyl radical, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of endogenous substances in A. marmelos were performed by the standard phytochemical methods. RESULTS: Among the different extracts tested, the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest inhibition of AChE activity. In the same way, ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest reducing activity and radical scavenging ability towards the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (half maximal inhibitory concentration = 3.84 µg/mL) and hydroxyl free radicals (half maximal inhibitory concentration = 5.68 µg/mL). The antiradical activity of the ethyl acetate fraction appeared to be similar to that of the reference standard butylated hydroxytoluene and catechin used in this study. In addition, the ethyl acetate fraction displayed higher inhibition of brain lipid peroxidation. Phytochemical screening of different extractives of A. marmelos showed the presence of phenols and flavonoids, alkaloid, saponin, glycoside, tannin and steroids. Quantitative analysis revealed higher contents of phenolics (58.79-mg gallic acid equivalent/g dried extract) and flavonoids (375.73-mg gallic acid equivalent/g dried extract) in the ethyl acetate fraction. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the ethyl acetate fraction of A. marmelos is a significant source of polyphenolic compounds with potential AChE inhibitory property and antioxidant activity and, thus, may be useful in the treatment of AD.

Evaluation of antioxidant and anticancer properties of the seed extracts of Syzygium fruticosum Roxb. growing in Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: The use of plants and their derived substances increases day by day for the discovery of therapeutic agents owing to their versatile applications. Current research is directed towards finding naturally-occurring antioxidants having anticancer properties from plant origin since oxidants play a crucial role in developing various human diseases. The present study was designed to investigate the antioxidant and anticancer properties of Sygygium fruticosum (Roxb.) (abbreviated as SF). METHODS: The dried coarse powder of seeds of SF was exhaustively extracted with methanol and the resulting crude methanolic extract (CME) was successively fractionated with petroleum ether, chloroform and ethyl acetate to get petroleum ether (PEF), chloroform (CHF), ethyl acetate (EAF) and lastly aqueous (AQF) fraction. The antioxidant activities were determined by several assays: total antioxidant capacity assay, DPPH free radical scavenging assay, hydroxyl radical scavenging assay, ferrous reducing antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation inhibition assay. The in vivo anticancer activity of SF was determined on Ehrlich's Ascite cell (EAC) induced Swiss albino mice. RESULTS: All the extractives showed strong antioxidant activities related to the standard. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the fractions was in the following order: EAF>AQF>CME>PEF>CHF. The TAC of EAF at 320 µg/mL was 2.60±0.005 which was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than that of standard catechin (1.37 ± 0.005). The ferrous reducing antioxidant capacity of the extracts was in the following order: EAF>AQF>CME>AA>CHF>PEF. In DPPH free radical scavenging assay, the IC50 value of EAF was 4.85 µg/mL, whereas that of BHT was 9.85 µg/mL. In hydroxyl radical scavenging assay and lipid peroxidation inhibition assay, the EAF showed the most potent inhibitory activity with IC50 of 43.3 and 68.11 µg/mL, respectively. The lipid peroxidation inhibition assay was positively correlated (p < 0 .001) with both DPPH free radical scavenging and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay. The total phenolic contents of SF were also positively correlated (p < 0 .001) with DPPH free radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation inhibition assay. Based on antioxidant activity, EAF was selected for cytotoxic assay and it was found that EAF inhibited 67.36% (p < 0.01) cell growth at a dose of 50 mg/kg (ip) on day six of EAC cell incubation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that EAF of seeds of SF possess significant antioxidant and moderate anticancer properties. Seeds of SF may therefore be a good source for natural antioxidants and a possible pharmaceutical supplement.

Estimation of total phenol and in vitro antioxidant activity of Albizia procera leaves.

BACKGROUND: Research on natural products has gained a wide popularity due to the potential of discovering active compounds. The antioxidant properties contained in plants have been proposed as one of the mechanisms for the observed beneficial effect. Therefore, the present study investigated the antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents of various solvent extracts of Albizia procera leaves. METHODS: Antioxidant activity of the methanol extract and its derived fractions petroleum ether (APP), carbon tetrachloride (APC), dichloromethane (APD), ethyl acetate (APE), and residual aqueous fraction (APA) of the leaves of Albizia procera was performed by in vitro chemical analyses. Total phenolic content of the APM and other five fractions were also determined. APM and its derived fractions were also subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening test for various constituents. RESULTS: Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, steroids, tannins, glycosides and flavonoids in the extracts. Amongst the extracts, APE showed the highest total phenolic content (449.18 ± 18.41mg of gallic acid equivalent/g of extract). In DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging test, the IC(50) value of APM, APP, APC, APD, APE and APA was 43.43, 63.60, 166.18, 41.15, 11.79, and 63.06 µg/mL, respectively. Therefore, among the APM and its derived fractions, APE showed the highest antioxidant activity which is comparable to that of standard ascorbic acid (AA) (IC(50) 10.12 µg/mL). The total antioxidant capacity was found to be varied in different fractions. The reducing activity on ferrous ion was ranked as APE > APD > APM > APA > APC. CONCLUSION: The above evidences suggest that APE of A. procera leaf is a potential source of natural antioxidant and can be used to prevent diseases associated with free radicals.

A comparative study on the antioxidant activity of methanolic extracts from different parts of Morus alba L. (Moraceae).

BACKGROUND: Antioxidants play an important role to protect damage caused by oxidative stress (OS). Plants having phenolic contents are reported to possess antioxidant properties. The present study was designed to investigate the antioxidant properties and phenolic contents (total phenols, flavonoids, flavonols and proanthrocyanidins) of methanolic extracts from Morus alba (locally named as Tut and commonly known as white mulberry) stem barks (TSB), root bark (TRB), leaves (TL) and fruits (TF) to make a statistical correlation between phenolic contents and antioxidant potential. METHODS: The antioxidant activities and phenolic contents of methanolic extractives were evaluated by in vitro standard method using spectrophotometer. The antioxidant activities were determined by total antioxidant capacity, DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazine) radical scavenging assay, hydroxyl radical scavenging assay, ferrous reducing antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation inhibition assay methods. RESULTS: Among the extracts, TSB showed the highest antioxidant activity followed by TRB, TF and TL. Based on DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, the TSB extract was the most effective one with IC50 37.75 and 58.90 µg/mL, followed by TRB, TF and TL with IC50 40.20 and 102.03; 175.01 and 114.63 and 220.23 and 234.63 µg/mL, respectively. The TSB extract had the most potent inhibitory activity against lipid peroxidation with IC50 145.31 µg/mL. In addition, the reducing capacity on ferrous ion was in the following order: TSB > TRB > TL > TF. The content of phenolics, flavonoids, flavonols and proanthocyanidins of TSB was found to be higher than other extractives. CONCLUSION: The results indicate high correlation and regression (p-value <0 .001) between phenolic contents and antioxidant potentials of the extracts, hence the Tut plant could serve as effective free radical inhibitor or scavenger which may be a good candidate for pharmaceutical plant-based products. However, further exploration is necessary for effective use in both modern and traditional system of medicines.

Mutagenesis of important amino acid reveals unconventional homologous internalization of beta(1)-adrenergic receptor.

AIMS: The study was designed to examine the internalization of Asp104Lys mutant of beta(1)-adrenergic receptor (beta(1)-AR) and compared to other mutant (Asp104Ala) and wild type receptors. Moreover, this study needs to perform the role of GRK2 (betaARK1) and beta-arrestin1 on this internalization of Asp104Lys mutant of beta(1)-AR. MAIN METHODS: Binding affinity, functional potency of agonist and agonist-induced internalization were determined for wild type and both mutants of beta(1)-ARs stably expressed in HEK 293 cells as assessed by [(3)H] CGP12177 radioligand. We have performed GRK2 and beta-arrestin1 expression levels by western blot analysis and also performed internalization of this mutant receptor after over expression and deletion of beta-arrestin1 gene. KEY FINDINGS: In the present study, the binding affinity of (-)-isoproterenol for both mutants were significantly decreased compared to wild type. Though the mutant Asp104Ala showed agonist-induced receptor activation, interestingly this mutant was not internalized. However, the mutant Asp104Lys, which showed uncoupling with G protein, was internalized 31.77+/-3.13% from cell surface. Asp104Lys mutant produced the same level of GRK2 expression in (-)-isoproterenol induced stimulation of wild type receptor and addition of (-)-isoproterenol further increased GRK2 expression in mutant receptors. In addition, overexpression of beta-arrestin1 in mutant Asp104Lys promoted (39.75+/-2.19%) and knockdown of beta-arrestin1 by siRNA decreased (3.55+/-1.75%) internalization compared to Asp104Lys mutant of beta(1)-ARs. SIGNIFICANCE: The present studies suggest that Asp104Lys mutant beta(1)-ARs triggers unconventional homologous internalization induced by G protein independent signals, where GRK2 and beta-arrestin1 play an important role for beta(1)-AR internalization.

Comparison of hypotensive and hypolipidemic effects of Catharanthus roseus leaves extract with atenolol on adrenaline induced hypertensive rats.

The leaves extract of Catharanthus roseus was investigated for hypotensive and hypolipidemic effects in adrenaline-induced hypertensive rats (AIHR) and compared with those of Atenolol in a crossover design. The pharmacologically Active components responsible for hypotensive activities were isolated from plant using bioassay guided purification approach and the structure of the compounds was proposed by spectroscopic methods. Catharanthus roseus leaves extract and commercial drug Atenolol were administered through intraperitoneal (i.p) route for one week. Different biochemical parameters such as heart weight, blood glucose level, serum cholesterol level, serum triglyceride level, body weight and the relationships between them were measured. Catharanthus roseus leaves extract at a dose of 30 mg/155+/-15 gm of body weight was injected in rat at every morning during the treatment period. The dose of Atenolol was determined according to its pharmacokinetic parameters. Clinically effective plasma concentration as a hypotensive drug was obtained after the injection of 0.1 mg/155+/-15 gm of body weight of the drug. The Catharanthus roseus leaves extract made significant changes in each cardiovascular parameter after investigation. Catharanthus roseus leaves extract treated animals have shown the hypotensive effects. Hypotensive effects were also shown by Atenolol.

Evaluation of in vitro antimicrobial and in vivo cytotoxic properties of some novel titanium-based coordination complexes.

The aim of the present study was to determine the antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of eight novel titanium(III) based coordination complexes [Ti(Pht)(2)(DL-serine)(2), S(1)], [Ti(Pht)(2)(glycine)(2), S(2))], [Ti(Pht)(2)(cystine)(2), S(3)], [Ti(Pht)(2)(DL-leucine)(2), S(4)], [Ti(Suc)(2)(L-leucine)(2), S(5)], [Ti(Suc)(2)(cystine)(2), S(6)], [Ti(Suc)(2)(cystein)(2), S(7)] and [Ti(Suc)(2)(DL-serine)(2), S(8)] against several gram-positive and -negative bacteria, fungi and brine shrimp nauplii. The investigation showed that almost all of the complexes were moderately active against tested bacteria and fungi at high concentration (200 microg/disc) compared with the standard antibiotic, amoxicillin and the antifungal agent, nystatin. In vivo lethality bioassay experiment showed that only S(7) and S(8) among the complexes had better cytotoxic effect than standard gallic acid. The LC(50) values of these two complexes were found to be 1.00 and 1.21 microg/ml, respectively. Thus the results suggest that only two complexes (S(7), S(8)) among the titanium(III) based coordination complexes show the anticancer properties comparable to the standard cytotoxic agent, and further studies of these two complexes may be helpful for their clinical implication.