Orobanche crenata Forssk. Extract Affects Human Breast Cancer Cell MCF-7 Survival and Viral Replication.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of death worldwide. The severity of BC strictly depends on the molecular subtype. The less aggressive hormone-positive subtype is treated with adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET), which causes both physical and psychological side effects. This condition strongly impacts the adherence and persistence of AET among oncologic patients. Moreover, viral infections also constitute a serious problem for public health. Despite their efficacy, antiviral agents present several therapeutic limits. Accordingly, in the present work, we investigated the antitumor and antiviral activities of Orobanche crenata Forssk. (O. crenata), a parasitic plant, endemic to the Mediterranean basin, traditionally known for its beneficial properties for human health. METHODS: The MTT assay was carried out to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of O. crenata leaf extract (OCLE) on human breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and the primary HFF-1 cell line. The lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) assay was performed on MCF-7 cells to analyze necrotic cell death. The antioxidant effect of OCLE was evaluated by intracellular determination of the reactive oxygen species and thiol groups, by DPPH and ABTS assays. The antiviral activity of OCLE was determined against Poliovirus 1, Echovirus 9, Human respiratory syncytial virus, Adenovirus type 2 and type 5, Coxsackievirus B1 (CoxB1) and B3 (CoxB3), Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2), and ß-Coronavirus by the plaque reduction assay. RESULTS: The extract, after 24 h of incubation, did not affect MDA-MB-231 and HFF-1 cell viability. However, at the same time point, it showed a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on MCF-7 cells, with an increase in LDH release. OCLE exhibited free radical scavenging activity and significantly increased non-protein thiol levels in MCF-7 cells. OCLE effectively inhibited HSV-1, HSV-2, CoxB1, and CoxB3 replication. CONCLUSIONS: The overall results showed an interesting inhibitory effect of OCLE on both MCF-7 cell survival and viral replication.

Genetic bases of the nutritional approach to migraine.

Migraine is a common multifactorial and polygenic neurological disabling disorder characterized by a genetic background and associated to environmental, hormonal and food stimulations. A large series of evidence suggest a strong correlation between nutrition and migraine and indicates several commonly foods, food additives and beverages that may be involved in the mechanisms triggering the headache attack in migraine-susceptible persons. There are foods and drinks, or ingredients of the same, that can trigger the migraine crisis as well as some foods play a protective function depending on the specific genetic sensitivity of the subject. The recent biotechnological advances have enhanced the identification of some genetic factors involved in onset diseases and the identification of sequence variants of genes responsible for the individual sensitivity to migraine trigger-foods. Therefore many studies are aimed at the analysis of polymorphisms of genes coding for the enzymes involved in the metabolism of food factors in order to clarify the different ways in which people respond to foods based on their genetic constitution. This review discusses the latest knowledge and scientific evidence of the role of gene variants and nutrients, food additives and nutraceuticals interactions in migraine.

Platinum-based compounds and risk for cardiovascular toxicity in the elderly: role of the antioxidants in chemoprevention.

Cancer in elderly patients is an increasingly common problem. Older patients have more co-morbidity, therefore the toxic effects of chemotherapy treatment are less tolerable compared to younger patients. Platinum-based compounds (PBCs) are commonly used cytotoxic agents in the treatment of several solid tumors; however, their application is still limited in elderly patients, due to the risks in cardiovascular toxicity. The increased risk for myocardial ischemia, stroke, and vascular thrombosis linked with PBCs treatment is mainly due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the subsequent induction of oxidative stress and switch to a prothrombotic condition. Recently, studies have shown a different genetic susceptibility in cardiovascular toxicity induced by therapy with PBCs. Antioxidants, such as vitamin E, selenium, lycopene, melatonin, and resveratrol, have been implicated in cancer treatment by their property to suppress the oxidant injury. Resveratrol, especially, has been shown to increase the antineoplastic activity of cisplatin. In addition, resveratrol's ability to activate the sirtuin1 (SIRT1) pathway has been heavily implicated in the mechanisms controlling longevity and quality of life in the aged population. This article reviews the current state of treatment with PBCs and their associated risk for cardiovascular disease. It discusses the most powerful antioxidant supplementation options as a possible strategy to reduce the cardiovascular toxicity effects of chemotherapy in the elderly.