Corchorus olitorius and Urtica pilulifera extracts alleviate copper induced oxidative damage and genotoxicity in tomato.

Copper cause oxidative damage in plant cells, and plant extracts are the sources of free radical scavengers. We tested the hypothesis that whether Corchorus olitorius (jute) and Urtica pilulifera (Roman nettle) seed extract treatments of germinated seeds affect copper induced oxidative and genotoxic damage or antioxidant response in tomato. Seedlings were exposed to toxic copper concentration (30 ppm) for 7 days. In one experimental group (treatment 1), extract (100 µg mL-1) was added to media. In the other group (treatment 2), tomato seeds were pre-soaked by the extract (100 µg mL-1) prior to germination and copper application. Malondialdehyde and endogenous H2O2 levels in the groups treated with extract and copper were significantly lower than that of the untreated groups. Pre-soaking seeds with the nettle extract solution significantly enhanced catalase activity under unstressed condition. Jute treatment also enhanced catalase activity under copper stress. Ascorbate peroxidase activity remained at unstressed level in copper treated groups. Extract treatments significantly decreased copper induced DNA damage in root nuclei. Jute seed extract contained salicylic acid and quercetin which can be correlated with the evoked effects. We demonstrated protective effect of plant extract treatments against copper stress of tomato seedlings prior to germination or during seedling development.

Effect of Hereditary Hemochromatosis Gene H63D and C282Y Mutations on Iron Overload in Sickle Cell Disease Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Hemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive disease that is one of the most important reasons for iron overload. Sickle cell disease is a hemoglobinopathy that occurs as a result of a homozygous mutation in the hemoglobin gene. Erythrocyte transfusion is frequently used in the treatment of this disease. Iron overload as a result of transfusion is important in the mortality and morbidity of sickle cell anemia patients as well as in other hemoglobinopathies. In this study, the effect of hemochromatosis gene (HFE) p.H63D and p.C282Y mutations on transfusion-related cardiac and liver iron overload in sickle cell disease patients who carry homozygous hemoglobin S mutation has been investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective single-center cross-sectional study in patients with homozygous hemoglobin S mutation between the years 2008 and 2013. The patients were divided into two groups. The first group (group A, n=31) was receiving chelation therapy and the second group (group B, n=13) was not. Direct and indirect iron loads were analyzed by magnetic resonance imaging and biochemically, respectively. HFE gene mutations were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Statistical analyses were performed by independent samples t-test. RESULTS: p.H63D mutation was detected in 10 (32.3%) patients in group A and in only 1 patient (7.7%) in group B. When the 2 groups were compared for iron overload, iron deposition in the liver was significantly higher in group B (p=0.046). In addition, in group A, iron deposition was significantly higher in HFE mutation carriers compared to patients without the mutation (p=0.05). CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed that HFE gene mutations are important in iron deposition in the liver in patients with sickle cell disease.

Corchorus olitorius (jute) extract induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity on human multiple myeloma cells (ARH-77).

CONTEXT: Corchorus olitorius L. (Malvaceae) has industrial importance in world jute production and is a widely cultivated and consumed crop in Cyprus and in some Arabic countries. OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of leaf extracts (LE) and seed extracts (SE) of the C. olitorius on the multiple myeloma-derived ARH-77 cells. The extracts were also evaluated for their total phenol content (TPC) and free radical scavenging activity (FRSA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: C. olitorius was collected from Nicosia, Cyprus. TPC and FRSA were measured by Folin-Ciocalteu and DPPH free radical methods, respectively. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by the MTT assay (4-2048 µg/mL range), and DNA damage (at IC50 and ½IC50) was measured by the comet assay. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The LE had significantly higher total phenol (78 mg GAE/g extract) than the SE (2 mg GAE/g extract) with significantly higher FRSA (IC50 LE: 23 µg/mL and IC50 SE: 10 401 µg/mL). Both LE and SE exerted cytotoxic effects on cells after 48 h. The IC50 of SE (17 µg/mL) was lower than LE (151 µg/mL), which demonstrates its higher cytotoxicity on cells. The extracts were applied at 150 and 75 µg/mL for LE and at 17 and 8.5 µg/mL for SE, and the results of the comet assay revealed that the extracts induced genotoxic damage on ARH-77 cells. In both 48 h leaf and seed extract treatments, genotoxic damage significantly increased with increasing concentrations at relevant cytotoxic concentrations. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the high cytotoxic potential of C. olitorius SE and the genotoxic potential of LE and SE.

High-antibacterial activity of Urtica spp. seed extracts on food and plant pathogenic bacteria.

The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate antibacterial activities of methanol (MetOH) and aqueous (dw) leaf (L), root (R) and seed (S) extracts of Urtica dioica L. (Ud; stinging nettle) and Urtica pilulifera L. (Up; Roman nettle) on both food- and plant-borne pathogens, with total phenolic contents and DPPH radical scavenging activities (DRSA). MetOH extracts of leaves and roots of U. dioica had the highest DRSA. Extracts with high antibacterial activity were in the order Up-LMetOH (13/16) > Ud-SMetOH (11/16) > Up-SMetOH (9/16). Results obtained with Up-SMetOH against food spoiling Bacillus pumilus, Shigella spp. and Enterococcus gallinarum with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in 128-1024 µg/ml range seem to be promising. Up-SMetOH also exerted strong inhibition against Clavibacter michiganensis with a considerably low MIC (32 µg/ml). Ud-SMetOH and Up-LMetOH were also effective against C. michiganensis (MIC = 256 and 1024 µg/ml, respectively). Ud-SMetOH and Ud-RMetOH had also antimicrobial activity against Xanthomonas vesicatoria (MIC = 512 and 1024 µg/ml, respectively). Results presented here demonstrate high-antibacterial activity of U. pilulifera extracts and U. dioica seed extract against phytopathogens for the first time, and provide the most comprehensive data on the antibacterial activity screening of U. pilulifera against food-borne pathogens. Considering limitations in plant disease control, antibacterial activities of these extracts would be of agricultural importance.

t(8;16) AML developed subsequent to breast cancer therapy.

We report a breast cancer patient who developed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) one year following her adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, adriamycin and 5-fluorouracil. Cytogenetic examination of bone marrow samples resulted in t(8;16)(p11.2;p13.3), which is a chromosome rearrangement observed in de novo and treatment related AML M4/M5 with a poor prognosis.