The Role of Polyphenol (Flavonoids) Compounds in the Treatment of Cancer Cells.

Cancer remains a second leading cause of deaths and major public health problem. It occurs due to extensive DNA damage caused by ultraviolet radiations, ionizing radiations, environmental agents, therapeutic agents, etc. Among all cancers, the most frequently diagnosed cancers are lung (12.7%), breast (10.9%), colorectal (9.7%), and gastric cancer (7.81%). Natural compounds are most favorable against cancer on the count of their anti-cancerous ability, easy to avail and efficient. Among natural compounds, polyphenols (flavonoids, catechin, hesperetin, flavones, quercetin, phenolic acids, ellagic acid, lignans, stilbenes, etc.) represent a large and diverse group used in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Natural flavonoids are derived from different plant sources and from various medicinal plants including Petroselinum crispum, Apium graveolens, Flemingia vestita, Phyllanthus emblica, etc. Natural flavonoids possess antioxidant, anti-inflammation, as well as anti-cancerous activities through multiple pathways, they induce apoptosis in breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers, lower the nucleoside diphosphate kinase-B activity in lung, bladder and colon cancers, inhibit cell-proliferation and cell cycle arrest by suppressing the NF-kB pathway in various cancers, etc. The current review summarized the anticancer activities of natural polyphenols and their mechanisms of action.

In vitro antioxidant, hepatoprotective potential and chemical profiling of Syzygium aromaticum using HPLC and GC-MS.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant and hepatoprotective potential of Syzygium aromaticum (clove) against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity using rat liver slice culture (LSC) model. Antioxidant activity in terms of DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of different concentrations of S. aromaticum was in the range of 41.01-90.33% and 138.15-595.63 Fe (II) mg/mL, respectively. Plasmid pBR322 DNA protection activity was observed with all three concentrations of S. aromaticum against H2O2 induced oxidative damage, as no strand breaks were observed. Chemical profiling through HPLC confirmed the presence of six major phenolic acids and 13 volatile bioactive compounds were identified though GC-MS. Significant hepatoprotection (p<0.05) was observed in liver slice culture (LSC) as liver slices treated with various concentrations of S. aromaticum extract presented very low percentage cytotoxicity (7.35-16.16%) as compared to the CCl4 treated liver slices (75.58 %). The hepatoprotective potential of S. aromaticum may be due to the presence of bioactive components as confirmed by HPLC and GC-MS. The results of present study support the use of S. aromaticum in the formation of potential hepatoprotective drugs against various liver diseases.

Pb(II) biosorption from hazardous aqueous streams using Gossypium hirsutum (Cotton) waste biomass.

Studies on the biosorptive ability of Gossypium hirsutum (Cotton) waste biomass outlined that smaller size of biosorbent (0.355mm), higher biomass dose (0.20g), 5 pH and 100mg/L initial Pb(II) concentration were more suitable for enhanced Pb(II) biosorption from aqueous medium. The Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo second order kinetic model fitted well to the data of Pb(II) biosorption. Highly negative magnitude of Gibbs free energy (DeltaG degrees ) indicated that the process was spontaneous in nature. In addition to this surface coverage and distribution coefficient values of Pb(II) biosorption process were also determined. At optimized conditions Pb(II) uptake was more rapid in case of industrial effluents in comparison to synthetic solutions. FTIR spectroscopic analysis revealed that the main functional groups involved in the uptake of Pb(II) on the surface of G. hirsutum biomass were carboxyl, carbonyl, amino and alcoholic.

Purification, and properties of a bovine uricase.

Uricase from bovine kidney, purified to homogeneity level, had a molecular weight of 70 kDa. The apparent K(m) and V(max) values for uric acid hydrolysis were 0.125 mM and 102 IU mg(-1) protein respectively. The activation energy requirement for uric acid hydrolysis by uricase and inactivation of enzyme were 11.6 and 14.5 kJ/M respectively. Both enthalpy (Delta H*) and entropy of activation (Delta S*) for uricase activity were lower than those reported for some thermostable enzymes.