Structure based docking and biological evaluation towards exploring potential anti-cancerous and apoptotic activity of 6-Gingerol against human prostate carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND: 6-Gingerol (6-G) is the primary active phytocomponent of ginger and has been shown to regulate multiple targets against cancer and its treatment. Androgen receptors (ARs) remain critical in the progression of prostate cancer (PCa). This study focuses on investigating 6-G as a promising anti-cancerous agent that inhibits AR activity significantly. METHODS: In this study, molecular docking simulation was done to investigate the binding affinity of 6-G and control drug Bicalutamide (BT) against oncogenic AR and tumor suppressor estrogen receptor ß (ERß). The crystal structure of AR and ERß was retrieved from Protein Data Bank (PDB) and docked with 3D Pubchem structures of 6-G using iGEMDOCK and AutoDock. Further in vitro study was done to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-cancerous, apoptotic, and wound healing potential of 6-G. RESULTS: The result displays that 6-G shows good binding affinity with AR and ERß. Condensation of the nucleus, change in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and the ability to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) were done in human PCa PC-3 cells. Results from the MTT assay demonstrated that 6-G and control drug BT showed significant (p < 0.01) dose and time dependent inhibition of human PCa PC-3 cells. 6-G increased the ROS generation intracellularly and decreased the MMP, and cell migration in treated PCa PC-3 cells. 6-G treated cells showed fragmented, condensed chromatin and nuclear apoptotic bodies. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, this study validates 6-G as a potential drug candidate against human PCa. However, further study of the anticancer potency of 6-G has to be done before its use for PCa treatment.

Elucidating molecular and cellular targets and the antiprostate cancer potentials of promising phytochemicals: a review.

Prostate cancer (PCa) has become the major health problem and the leading causes of cancer mortality among men. PCa often progresses from an early androgen-dependent form of cancer to a late (metastatic) androgen-independent cancer, for which no effective treatment options are available. Current therapies target testosterone depletion, androgen axis inhibition, androgen receptor (AR) downregulation and regulation PSA expression. These conventional treatment options, however, are intense and pose severe side effects. From the past few years, plant-derived compounds or phytochemicals have attracted much attention by the researchers worldwide for their promising approach in inhibiting the development and growth of cancer. This review emphasizes mechanistic role of promising phytochemicals on PCa. This review imparts to score anticancer efficacy of promising phyto-agents luteolin, fisetin, coumestrol and hesperidin with focus on the mechanistic action in management and treatment of PCa. These phytocompounds were also selected for their best binding affinity with the ARs on the basis of molecular docking studies.

Anticancer effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles prepared by varying entry time of ion carriers against A431 skin cancer cells in vitro.

Although, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZRTs) as an anti-cancer agent have been the subject of numerous studies, none of the reports has investigated the impact of the reaction entry time of ion-carriers on the preparation of ZRTs. Therefore, we synthesized variants of ZRTs by extending the entry time of NaOH (that acts as a carrier of hydroxyl ions) in the reaction mixture. The anti-proliferative action, morphological changes, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and nuclear apoptosis of ZRTs on human A431 skin carcinoma cells were observed. The samples revealed crystallinity and purity by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of ZRT-1 (5 min ion carrier entry) and ZRT-2 (10 min ion carrier entry) revealed microtubule like morphology. On prolonging the entry time for ion carrier (NaOH) introduction in the reaction mixture, a relative ascent in the aspect ratio was seen. The typical ZnO band with a slight shift in the absorption maxima was evident with UV-visible spectroscopy. Both ZRT-1 and ZRT-2 exhibited non-toxic behavior as evident by RBC lysis assay. Additionally, ZRT-2 showed better anti-cancer potential against A431 cells as seen by MTT assay, ROS generation and chromatin condensation analyses. At 25 µM of ZRT-2, 5.56% cells were viable in MTT test, ROS production was enhanced to 166.71%, while 33.0% of apoptotic cells were observed. The IC50 for ZRT-2 was slightly lower (6 µM) than that for ZRT-1 (8 µM) against A431 cells. In conclusion, this paper presents a modest, economical procedure to generate ZRT nano-structures exhibiting strong cytotoxicity against the A431 cell line, indicating that ZRTs may have application in combating cancer.

Moringa oleifera leaf extract induces osteogenic-like differentiation of human osteosarcoma SaOS2 cells.

Introduction: Moringa oleifera is known as a 'natural nutrition of the tropics' because it provides vital nutritional supplements and a variety of pharmacological benefits. The focus of this study was to elucidate the dose dependent effects of Moringa oleifera leaf (MOL) extract on the growth of the human osteoblast-like osteosarcoma SaOS-2 cell line and primary osteoblast cells. Methods: Trypan blue & tetrazolium assay, intracellular ROS generation, chromatin condensation, cell cycle analysis, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), mineralization, and osteogenic gene expression were tested on both treated and untreated osteosarcoma SaOS-2 cells. Results: As revealed by cell viability assay, growth activity was observed at concentrations 25 and 50 µg/mL of MOL extract, whereas 100 and 200 µg/mL doses decreased the proliferation activity, resulting in ROS production and chromatin condensation. Cell cycle study revealed that MOL extract at 50 and 100 µg/mL concentrations arrested the cells in the G2/M phase. Low doses increased the ALP levels, mineralization, and expression of the bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) genes in osteoblast-like SaOS-2 cells, however, high doses inhibited the proliferation properties of MOL extract. Through AutoDock Vina and iGEMDOCK 2.1, the interaction of active components of MOL, such as ß-sitosterol, quercetin and kaempferol, with BMP2 and Runx2 proteins revealed a reasonable binding affinity. Moreover, these components did not show any Lipinski's rule of five violation and showed predictable pharmacokinetic properties. Conclusion: The results of the biphasic dose-response of MOL extract on the growth activity of osteoblast-like SaOS-2 cells and in silico binding interface, may provide a therapeutic and/or preventive implication in prospective drug development.

Region specific differential regulation of 5HT-5A and 5B receptor is associated with the difference in stress level between male and female rats.

Stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders affect nearly all people worldwide irrespective of the age and sex of the person. Females are supposed to experience a higher stress and anxiety as compared to the male individuals. The role of serotonin receptor in stress and anxiety condition is supposed to affect this sex-based difference in stress and anxiety condition between male and female animals. Serotonin receptor system is one of the most important molecular mechanism in brain function involved in a number of vital functions such as apetite, sleep, thermoregulation, aggression, learning, mood, cognition as well as in stress and anxiety. The current preclinical study is analyzing the role of serotonin 5HT-5A and 5B receptor in stress and anxiety in male and female rodents. The study suggests here a differential region specific association of both the serotonin receptor under stressful condition between male and female animals.

Interaction of Bioactive Compounds of Moringa oleifera Leaves with SARS-CoV-2 Proteins to Combat COVID-19 Pathogenesis: a Phytochemical and In Silico Analysis.

Novel SARS-CoV-2 claimed a large number of human lives. The main proteins for viral entry into host cells are SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (PDB ID: 6VYB) and spike receptor-binding domain bound with ACE2 (spike RBD-ACE2; PDB ID: 6M0J). Currently, specific therapies are lacking globally. This study was designed to investigate the bioactive components from Moringa oleifera leaf (MOL) extract by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) and their binding interactions with spike glycoprotein and spike RBD-ACE2 protein through computational analysis. GC-MS-based analysis unveiled the presence of thirty-seven bioactive components in MOL extract, viz. polyphenols, fatty acids, terpenes/triterpenes, phytosterols/steroids, and aliphatic hydrocarbons. These bioactive phytoconstituents showed potential binding with SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein and spike RBD-ACE2 protein through the AutoDock 4.2 tool. Further by using AutoDock 4.2 and AutoDock Vina, the top sixteen hits (binding energy ≥ - 6.0 kcal/mol) were selected, and these might be considered as active biomolecules. Moreover, molecular dynamics simulation was determined by the Desmond module. Interestingly two biomolecules, namely ß-tocopherol with spike glycoprotein and ß-sitosterol with spike RBD-ACE2, displayed the best interacting complexes and low deviations during 100-ns simulation, implying their strong stability and compactness. Remarkably, both ß-tocopherol and ß-sitosterol also showed the drug- likeness with no predicted toxicity. In conclusion, these findings suggested that both compounds ß-tocopherol and ß-sitosterol may be developed as anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs. The current findings of in silico approach need to be optimized using in vitro and clinical studies to prove the effectiveness of phytomolecules against SARS-CoV-2.

In vitro and in silico growth inhibitory, anti-ovarian & anti-lung carcinoma effects of 1,5 diarylpenta-1,4-dien-3-one as synthetically modified curcumin analogue.

The synthesized 1,5 diarylpenta-1,4-dien-3-one derivatives (compounds 1-6) as synthetic curcumin analogues were tested for their potential anticancer activity against human ovarian and lung adenocarcinoma cells. The absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET/pharmacokinetic) parameters of all the compounds were predicted by admetSAR software. The pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and bioactivity scores properties based on Lipinski rule and Ghose filter, calculated with the help of Molinspiration and ChemDraw. Molecular docking evaluation of all the compounds was also performed by using AutoDock Vina and iGEMDOCK against three most common human anticancer targets; epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), heat shock protein (Hsp 90-α), and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2). The obtained results were compared with the reference compound 7 and drugs 8-10 (7: GO-035; 8: Quinazolin; 9: Naquotinib and 10: Ribofuranuronamide). Finding indicates, all the compounds were potentially interacting with VEGFR2 through the average -9.1 binding energy (BE) with closer contact <5.0 Å deep in the active site of the ligand-receptor complex. All the compounds showed excellent oral bioavailability, bioactivity score, and none of the compounds are virtually found to be toxic. Compounds 1-6 were also successfully characterized by the physical properties as well as spectroscopic techniques (FT-IR and 1H-NMR). In vitro anti-proliferative activity was tested via MTT method against human ovarian carcinoma (PA-1) and human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cells and further screened for apoptotic parameters such as nuclear fragmentation and ROS generation. Compound 4 exhibits good dose-dependent anti-proliferative activity (IC50 73 and 79.7 µM) against human ovarian carcinoma and human lung adenocarcinoma, respectively.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Solanum xanthocarpum fruit extract promotes chondrocyte proliferation in vitro and protects cartilage damage in collagenase induced osteoarthritic rats (article reference number: JEP 114028).

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint disease, is characterized by cartilage erosion and matrix degradation. Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad. & Wendl. fruits (SXF) and leaves have long been used as folk remedy in the treatment of pain in rheumatism. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study was aimed to investigate the phytochemical components and protective benefits of SXF on in vitro chondrocytes proliferation, and in vivo suppression of collagenase-induced OA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Phytochemical components in ethanolic SXF extract were evaluated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Effect of SXF on in vitro cell proliferation of primary chondrocytes was determined by cell proliferation assay and cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry. OA was induced in the right knees of rats through intra-articular injection of collagenase type-II. To evaluate in vivo preventive function of SXF, body weight, blood ALP, histopathological changes in the knee joint, proteoglycan, and collagen content were determined. The mRNA expression of COL-2, MMP-3 and COX-2 genes through qRT-PCR was studied. Antioxidant activities, total phenolics and flavonoid contents of SXF were also examined. RESULTS: GC-MS analysis revealed that SXF constitutes 28 phytochemicals including flavonoids (3-methoxy apigenin, quercetin, luteolin), tannin (quinic acid), terpenes (oleanolic acid, lupeol, psi.psi carotene), phytosterols (campesterol, stigmasterol, ß-sitosterol), and ascorbic acid. In vitro studies demonstrated that SXF enhanced the cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner and has no cytotoxic effect on primary chondrocytes. In vivo study suggests that SXF protects the cartilage destruction induced by collagenase. The histological study revealed that SXF restored the synthesis of collagen and proteoglycan, vital factors for cartilage restoration, and reduced the arthritic score. An up-regulation in COL-2 expression and suppression of MMP-3 and COX-2 were detected by qRT-PCR analysis. Thus, in vivo study suggests the protective effects of SXF on cartilage destruction induced by collagenase. CONCLUSIONS: Our results imply that SXF benefits and ameliorates OA by enhancing the chondrocytes proliferation and preventing the articular cartilage damage through the restoration of their structural molecules, arthritic score reduction, suppression of MMP-3 and COX-2 expression level and up regulation of COL-2 genes expression. These results suggest that SXF could be a promising alternative treatment candidate for osteoarthritis.

Antiosteoarthritic effect of Punica granatum L. peel extract on collagenase induced osteoarthritis rat by modulation of COL-2, MMP-3, and COX-2 expression.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative and musculoskeletal disorder. The toxicity associated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) limits its use in the management of OA. To ameliorate these toxicities, natural antioxidants can be used as substitutes for the management of OA. Therefore, this study is aimed to investigate the prophylactic mechanisms of Punica granatum L. peel (PGP) in collagenase-induced OA rat compared with indomethacin. OA was induced in female Sprague Dawley rats by intraarticular injection of collagenase type-II and treated with PGP (250 and 500 mg/kg body wt) and a positive control (PC) indomethacin (3 mg/kg body wt). The results demonstrated that PGP reduced the collagenase induced OA as compared with indomethacin treated group through reducing blood ALP (P < .001) and significantly (P < .001) inhibited cartilage erosion as indicated in histological slides with retention of collagen and proteoglycan content. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed the considerable (P < .05) upregulation in the expression of COL-2 gene and downregulation of MMP-3 and COX-2 genes in the PGP treated group. The high phenolic content (633 ± 1.16 mg/GAE) and flavonoid content (420.3 ± 2.14 mg/RE) contribute to the strong antioxidant activity with IC50 value (320 ± 2.2 µg/mL) of DPPH free radical scavenging activity. These results need further validation in clinical studies and thus, PGP could be developed as a preventive drug treatment for OA.

Particulate ß-glucan activates early and delayed phagosomal maturation and autophagy within macrophage in a NOX-2 dependent manner.

AIMS: Macrophage is known to readily engulf any particulate material they encounter, including invading microbes and nano- or micro-particles. While recent studies show that some microparticles (MP) are immunogenic even without drug-cargo, the mechanism underlying this phenomenon is yet unclear. Phagocytosis induces NADPH oxidase-2 (NOX-2) mediated ROS generation that is reported to regulate antibacterial autophagy. We therefore, investigated the role of NOX-2 derived ROS in phagosomal maturation and autophagy induction in response to phagocytic uptake of two kinds of polymeric biodegradable and biocompatible microparticles: yeast-derived ß-glucan particles (YDGP) and poly-(D, L-Lactic Acid) microparticles (PMP). MAIN METHODS: J774A.1 macrophage wereas exposed to polymeric particles and the immune responses: ROS, phagosomal maturation and autophagy induction, were examined by assays including NBT, DCFH-DA, NADPH-Oxidase activity, Lysotracker and Acridine Orange. Further, the LC3 and NOX-2 expression were validated by RT-PCR, immunofluorescence assay and Western blotting. Antimicrobial activity of both MP was examined by CFU counting after administration to Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Salmonella typhimurium infected macrophage. KEY FINDINGS: YDGP induces phagosomal maturation and acidic vesicle accumulation at 30 min and 24 h post-exposure, much more proficiently than that by PMP. YDGP exposure also induced NOX-2 dependent expression of light chain 3 (LC3-II), further confirmed as autophagy activation via autophagic flux assay with autophagolysosome inhibitor bafilomycin A1. Additionally, YDGP displayed superior anti-microbial activity than that by PMP. SIGNIFICANCE: The induction of NOX-2-dependent autophagy and antimicrobial activity exhibited by particulate glucans has significant implications in harnessing these drug delivery vehicles as potential 'value-added' autophagy-mediated therapeutics in future.

Current Pharmacological Trends on Myricetin.

Myricetin is a member of the group of flavonoids called flavonols. Myricetin is obtained from various fruit, vegetables, tea, berries and red wine. Myricetin is characterized by the pysrogallol B-ring, and the more hydroxylated structure is known to be capable for its increased biological properties compared with other flavonols. Myricetin is produced by the Myricaceae, Anacardiaceae, Polygonaceae, Pinaceae and Primulacea families. It is soluble in organic solvent such as ethanol, DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide), and dimethyl formamide (DMF). It is sparingly soluble in aqueous buffers. Myricetin shows its various pharmacological activities including antioxidant, anti-amyloidogenic, antibacterial, antiviral, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-epileptic and anti-ulcer. This review article focuses on pharmacological effects of Myricetin on different diseases such as osteoporotic disorder, anti-inflammatory disorder, alzheimer's disease, anti-epileptic, cancer, cardiac disorder, diabetic metabolic disorder, hepatoprotective disorder and gastro protective disorder.

Genistein contributes to cell cycle progression and regulates oxidative stress in primary culture of osteoblasts along with osteoclasts attenuation.

BACKGROUND: The present study was designed to examine the role of isoflavone genistein (GS) on bone formation, regulating oxidative stress and cell cycle in primary osteoblasts, as well as attenuation of osteoclast formation. METHODS: Primary calvaria osteoblasts were isolated from 2 to 3 days old neonatal rat pups (n = 6-8) of Sprague Dawley rats. Osteoblasts were incubated with varying concentrations of GS and different assays viz. cell proliferation, differentiation, calcium deposition, cell cycle progression, antioxidant ability, and osteogenic gene expression were performed. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and immunolocalization of cathepsin K protein were assessed in bone marrow-derived osteoclasts. RESULTS: Results revealed that GS markedly induced cell growth and osteoblast differentiation depending upon dose. The fluorescent dye DCFH-DA staining data proved the antioxidant ability of GS, which reduced the H2O2- induced intracellular oxidative stress in osteoblasts. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that GS treatment upregulated the expression of osteoblastic genes of Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), bone morphogenetic proteins 2 (BMP2), and osteocalcin. Immunolocalization of BMP2 also indicated the osteogenic efficacy of GS. Furthermore, TRAP staining and cathepsin K expression depicted that GS inhibited multinucleated osteoclasts formation. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, GS isoflavone might impart protective effects against oxidative stress-induced bone loss and thus, could maintain skeletal growth.

A Comprehensive Review on Physiological Effects of Curcumin.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn) is an herbal medicine which is traditionally used as a spice, food colouring or flavouring agent and widely used for several diseases such as biliary disorders, cough, hepatic disorders, rheumatism, wound healing, sinusitis, diabetes, cardiac disorders and neurological disorder. It belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. Turmeric is a popular domicile remedy used in Indian food, is mainly a native of south-east Asia, is widely cultivated in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, China, Jamaica , Peru, Haiti and Taiwan and it is very less expensive. Curcumin is the main principle of turmeric. Curcumin has shown various biological properties pre-clinically and clinically. Curcumin is a highly pleiotropic molecule which can be modulators of various intracellular signalling pathways that maintain cell growth. It has been reported as anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, antioxidant, wound healing, anti-cancer, anti-Alzheimer and anti-arthritis and possesses an excellent safety profile. All previous review articles on curcumin have collected the biological/pharmacological activities but this review article summarises the most interesting in vitro and in vivo studies of curcumin on most running diseases around the whole world.

Safety evaluation of Ochratoxin A and Citrinin after 28 days repeated dose oral exposure to Wistar rats.

Mycotoxins, ochratoxin A (OTA), and citrinin (CTN) are toxic metabolites of filamentous fungi. The most common fungal species that produce OTA and CTN belong to genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Monascus, and these fungal species are found to be contaminant a wide range of grains, food, and food product. The aim of our study was to evaluate the sub-acute repeated dose oral toxicity of OTA and CTN in experimental rodents by following OECD test guidelines for testing chemicals no. 407 with minor modifications. Twenty-five rats of each sex were divided equally into five groups; vehicle control, OTA 25 µg/kg b. wt., OTA 100 µg/kg b. wt., CTN 25 µg/kg b.wt. and CTN 100 µg/kg b. wt. The results of this study showed no abnormal clinical signs during 28 days of the experimental period. We did not found any significant changes in body weight gain, food consumption pattern, organ weight, hematology except few parameters, and biochemical values in any of the treatment and control groups. However, histopathological observations revealed severe nephrotoxicity and mild follicular depletion in the spleen of 100 µg/kg b. wt. treated groups of both OTA and CTN mycotoxins. The findings of our study are of its first kind that reports the systemic toxicity of OTA and CTN oral exposure to laboratory rodents.

Biological Synthesis of CdTe Quantum Dots and Their Anti-Proliferative Assessment Against Prostate Cancer Cell Line.

Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconducting materials which have a wide array of applications starting from semiconducting devices, in humidity and pressure sensors and in medical imaging including cancer therapy. In the present study, cadmium telluride (CdTe) QDs were synthesized by a biological method using yeast cells, Saccharomyces cerevisiae in modified Czapek's medium. QDs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Cancer cells were treated with 2, 4, 8 and 16 µM concentrations of CdTe QDs for 24 h. The anti-proliferative activity was determined by using MTT assay, by evaluating the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and also by nuclear apoptosis and cell cycle analysis using a flow cytometer against human prostate carcinoma cell line PC-3. The size of the CdTe QDs was approximately 2 nm. In vitro anti-proliferative study showed that CdTe QDs induced cell death and nuclear apoptosis in a dosedependent manner. CdTe QDs induced significant increase in ROS level in PC-3 cells which was dose-dependent. Moreover, CdTe also arrested growth of PC-3 cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. This study elucidates the apoptotic activity of CdTe QDs on prostate carcinoma which could provide useful insights to researchers for its clinical application.

Induction of apoptosis by piperine in human cervical adenocarcinoma via ROS mediated mitochondrial pathway and caspase-3 activation.

Piperine (1-piperoylpeperdine), a nitrogenous pungent substance, is present in the fruits of black pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.) and long pepper (Piper longum Linn.). It possesses several pharmacological properties and has been extensively explored for its anti-cancerous activities. The mechanism underlying its anti-cancer potential in human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cells is not well interpreted. The anti-proliferative effect and the mode of action of piperine were investigated through some potent markers of apoptosis viz.reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, cellular apoptosis and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). DNA fragmentation, cell cycle kinetics, caspase-3 activity and cell migration assays were also conducted to observe the efficacy of piperine against HeLa cells. The results showed that piperine exposure induces apoptosis significantly in a dose-dependent manner and inhibits the growth of HeLa cells with an increase in ROS generation, nuclear condensation and delayed wound healing. In addition, piperine also encourages cell death by the loss of MMP, DNA fragmentation and the activation of caspase-3. Growth inhibition of HeLa cells was found to be associated with G2/M phase arrest and sub-G1 accumulation. The present study provides useful insight into the apoptotic potential of piperine and further in vivo and clinical studies will be needed for its validation and in the finding of more effective and least toxic regimens against cervical cancer.

Development and evaluation of doxorubicin self nanoemulsifying drug delivery system with Nigella Sativa oil against human hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The development of self nano emulsifying co-delivery system of doxorubicin and Nigella sativa oil for potentiating the anticancer effects against HepG2 cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SNEDDS were formulated by using Labrafil and N. sativa oil (3:2% w/w), Kolliphor RH40 (15% w/w), glycerol (5% w/w) as oil phase, surfactant and co-surfactant while deionized water (75% v/v) used as an aqueous phase. Optimized SNEDDS was evaluated for drug release and in vitro anticancer efficacy in liver cancer (HepG2) cell line. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The selected formulation (F6) has a mean particle size of 79.7 nm with PDI 0.098 and the minimum viscosity of 16.42 cps with % transmittance of 1.332 with maximum drug release of 96.968% in 32 h as compared to DOX alone. Stability data showed stable emulsion in both 250C and -40C. F6 showed improved efficacy in HepG2 cells by cytotoxicity, showed significant results p<.05 with 2.5 µg/ml of (inhibitory concentration) IC50. CONCLUSION: The overall study displayed that co-delivery of DOX and Nigella sativa oil in the form of SNEDDS may be an efficient carrier for further in vivo studies using oral delivery in human hepatocellular carcinoma in mammals.

Cure of human diabetic neuropathy by HPLC validated bark extract of Onosma echioides L. root.

HPLC validated hexane bark extract of Onosma echioides L. root (OE) was evaluated for cure of human diabetic neuropathy in human neuroblastoma cell line. HPLC analysis was performed. Human neuroblastoma cells were grouped into control, normal glucose, high glucose (HG) and HG plus different concentrations of OE extract (10, 25 and 50 µg/mL). MTT, DCFH-DA staining and nuclear condensation assays were performed on neuroblastoma cells to evaluate antiproliferative activity, ROS activity level and apoptotic effect of OE. HPLC analysis revealed the existence of maximum yield of shikonin in n-hexane extract of OE. Exposure with different concentrations of OE effectively decreased ROS level and apoptosis of cells and as a result improved the viability of cells in a dose dependent manner in response to HG-induced oxidative stress. Thus, OE possesses the property to cure human diabetic neuropathy and further can be clinically tested for its use in diabetic neuropathy.

Association of Vitamin D Receptor (FokI and BsmI) Gene Polymorphism with Bone Mineral Density and Their Effect on 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Level in North Indian Postmenopausal Women with Osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a systemic disease with a strong genetic component. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) has been suggested as a candidate gene for osteoporosis. Therefore the present study was aimed to investigate the pattern of allelic variants of VDR gene polymorphism (FokI and BsmI), its influence on vitamin D levels and bone mineral density (BMD) in North Indian postmenopausal women with osteoporosis for possible genetic association. 254 postmenopausal osteoporotic women and 254 postmenopausal non osteoporotic women were included in the study. VDR FokI and BsmI gene polymorphism gene were assessed by the PCR-RFLP method. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was measured by the ELISA. BMD at the L1-L4 lumbar spine, hip, forearm and femoral neck was assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The average BMD at spine and hip in postmenopausal women with bb and spine, hip, femoral neck and forearm with ff genotype had significantly low BMD. The frequency of ff genotype and f allele was significantly higher in postmenopausal osteoporotic women when compared with postmenopausal non osteoporotic women. However, no significant association was found between the genotypes and vitamin D levels. Our study reveals that VDR gene FokI and BsmI polymorphism is significantly associated with low bone mineral density. Therefore the ff genotype and f allele of VDR FokI gene may be used as an important risk factor for osteoporosis.

Association of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism (TaqI and Apa1) with bone mineral density in North Indian postmenopausal women.

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene has an important role as a candidate gene for the regulation of bone mass in osteoporosis. However, its association with bone mineral density (BMD) is controversial and has not been established in different ethnic populations. To enhance the understanding of VDR gene polymorphism in the context of BMD, we investigated the plausible genetic association of TaqI and ApaI polymorphism with BMD in North Indian postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.254 osteoporotic women (Age 55.82 ±â€¯6.91) and 254 postmenopausal non osteoporotic women (Age 54.76 ±â€¯6.26) were included in the study. VDR TaqI and ApaI polymorphism were determined by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism). BMD was assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the lumbar spine (L1-L4), hip, forearm and femoral neck. The average BMD with TT genotype was significantly lower at lumbar spine, hip and forearm. The Frequency of TT genotype and t allele was significantly high in osteoporotic women when compared with controls. The average BMD with Aa genotype was higher in ApaI. Furthermore, comparison of frequency distribution of genotype and allele for VDR ApaI between osteoporotic patients and controls did not show any significant difference. Our findings revealed that TaqI gene TT genotype was associated with low BMD in North Indian osteoporotic women. Moreover, TT genotype and t allele associated significantly with osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Therefore, VDR TaqI gene is an important determinant of risk factor for osteoporosis.