Triggering of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest by fennel and clove oils in Caco-2 cells: the role of combination.

Background: Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and clove (Syzygium aromaticum) oils are known for their various biological effects, including anticancer properties. Objective: To investigate the anticancer effect of combined fennel and clove oil treatment on Caco-2 cells and normal human lymphocytes (NHL). Methods: GC-MS, in vitro cytotoxicity, morphological, apoptosis-related marker, and flow cytometric cell cycle distribution analyses were conducted. Results: Seventeen volatile compounds were identified in fennel oil, including trans-anethole (68.3%) and (+)-fenchone (8.1%). In clove oil, 22 compounds, including eugenol (71.4%) and caryophyllene (8.7%), were identified. IC50 of the fennel, clove, and oil mixture were 300 ± 5.0, 150 ± 4.0, and 73 ± 2.5 µg/mL, respectively with combination index (CI) < 1.0. Mechanistic anticancer properties were investigated using 30, 45, and 60 µg/mL oil mixture. Analysis of apoptotic morphology, flow cytometric cell cycle distribution, and apoptosis-related markers, such as Bcl-2 and Ki-67, confirmed cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction in Caco-2 cells by the fennel and clove oil combination. Moreover, the oil mixture did not exert significant (p < 0.01) toxicity on NHL in vitro. Conclusion: The oil mixture exerted selective cytotoxicity towards Caco-2 cells through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, which may occur through synergistic effects between fennel and clove oil active ingredients.

HPLC Analysis of Phenolic Acids, Antioxidant Activity and in vitro Effectiveness of Green and Roasted Caffea arabica Bean Extracts: A Comparative Study.

BACKGROUND: Coffee is a popular drink; it is one of the most commercialized food products and a rich source of biologically active compounds that are important for human health. AIMS: This study aimed to prove the anticancer activity of Green Coffee (GC) and Roasted Coffee (RC) bean aqueous extracts (Coffea arabica) on breast cancer adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7) and the safety of both extracts on normal Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes culture (HPBL). METHODS: Total phenolic content for GC and RC extracts was measured and result of both extracts were (0.308±0.016 & 0.233±0.013mg/g) respectively. The phenolic acids were screened by HPLC at the wavelength of 254& 278 and 300 nm and 5-caffeoylquinic acids (Chlorogenic acid), the predominant form of phenolic acids, was identified in GC and RC samples. Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) as well as the free radical scavenging activity (DPPH) proved the antioxidant properties of both extracts. The DPPH IC50 mean values of GC and RC extracts were (2.4±0.08, 2.3±0.16 µg/ml) respectively. Cytotoxicity of both extracts on MCF-7 cells were evaluated by neutral red uptake assay which showed the IC50 mean values (377±5.7,500±8.1 µg/ml) for GC and RC extracts respectively. The safety of both extracts (0, 125, 250, 500 µg/ml) on HPBL was evaluated in vitro using trypan blue exclusion method and DNA single strand breaks (alkaline comet assay). RESULTS: Result revealed non-significant cytotoxic difference (P<0.001) between cultures especially at lower doses of GC and RC extracts except the highest dose of GC and RC extract which showed slightly significant damage (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study proved that GC and RC aqueous extracts were found to be selectively cytotoxic in vitro to cancerous cells (MCF-7 cell line) causing cell death with no cytotoxicity on normal human lymphocytes especially at lower doses.

Phenolic content, antioxidant potential and Aedes aegyptii ecological friend larvicidal activity of some selected Egyptian plants.

Polyphenols constitute a distinct group of natural compounds of medicinal importance exhibiting wide range of physiological activities as antioxidant, immunestimulant, antitumor and antiparasitic. Yellow fever and dengue fever are mosquito-borne infectious diseases transmitted by Aedes aegyptii, the presence of yellow fever in Sudan and dengue fever in Saudi Arabia are threats to Egypt with the reemerging of Ae. aegyptii in Southern Egypt, larvae control is feasible than flying adults. This work was conducted targeting estimation of the relative levels of total phenolic content, antioxidant potential and larvicidal activity of 110 selected Egyptian plants. The highest total phenolic contents were estimated in aqueous extracts of Coronilla scorpioides L., Forsskaolea tenacissima L., Crataegus sinaica Boiss., Pistacia khinjuk Boiss. and Loranthus acacia Benth.; they were 916.70 +/- 4.80, 813.70 +/- 4.16, 744.90 +/- 4.93, 549.00 +/- 3.93& 460.80 +/- 4.02 mg% while those of methanol extracts were estimated in Coronilla scorpioides, Forsskaolea tenacissima, Crataegus sinaica, Loranthus acacia and Pistacia khinjuk, they were 915.60-4.86, 664.60 +/- 4.16, 659.30 +/- 4.80, 590.80 +/- 4.49 & 588.00 +/- 3.85 mg% respectively. Investigation of the antioxidant potentials revealed that the most potent plants were Co-ronilla scorpioides, Forsskaolea tenacissima, Crataegus sinaica, Pistacia khinjuk and Loranthus acacia with calculated values of 454.80 +/- 4.83, 418.4 +/- 4.16, 399.10 +/- 4.90, 342.5 +/- 2.72 & 239.7 +/- 2.91% for aqueous extracts and 452.9 +/- 4.94, 389.6 +/- 4.6, 378.48 +/- 3.84, 352.3 +/- 3.06 & 346.5 +/- 2.98% for methanol extracts respectively while screening of larvicidal activity proved that Coronilla scorpioides, Forsskaolea tenacissima, Crataegus sinaica, Pistacia khinjuk and Loranthus acacia exhibited highest potency calculated as 22.53 +/- 2.01, 23.85 +/- 2.07, 28.17 +/- 2.06, 31.60 +/- 2.93 & 39.73 +/- 4.58 mg% aqueous extracts and 18.53 +/- 1.95, 18.8 +/- 1.67, 20.17 +/- 1.85, 23.28 +/- 2.7 & 28.48 +/- 3.9 mg% methanol ones respectively.

Interrelation of antioxidant, anticancer and antilieshmania effects of some selected Egyptian plants and their phenolic constituents.

Medicinal plants are the most potential resource of new therapeutic agents. They are diverse, largely productive, biologically active and chemically unique; among their constituents "polyphenol compounds group" one of the main determinant factors in evaluating the pharmacological potentials i.e. polyphenols display an array of pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, immunostimulant, antitumor and antiparasitic effects. Cancer is a dreadful human disease, increasing with changing life style, nutrition and global warming while current available anticancer drugs cause serious side effects in most instances. Several reports suggested the relationship between antioxidant, anticancer and antiparasitic effects; they suggested that they act indirectly through promoting host resistance, restabilizing body equilibrim and conditioning body tissues in addition to their direct effect on certain parasites involved in cancer etiology. This work was conducted for estimation of total phenolic, flavonoids, phenylethanoid glycoside and iridoid content of twenty-three selected Egyptian plants as well as screening of their anticancer, antioxidant and antileishmanial effects, the overall gained results for suggest that the most suitable medicinal plant used as anticancer and antioxidant is Petrea volubilis L. which contain adequate mixture of total phenolic compounds 88.7 mg% and flavonoids 50.80 mg% and also suggest that flavonoid compounds are the category of phenolic compounds possess significant antioxidant and anticancer effects while the antilieshamnia screening revealed that Thymus decussatus Benth. extract exhibited the highest effect due to the presence of flavonoids and iridoids in adequate combination where iridoid compounds 201 mg% and flavonoid content was 128 mg%.