Methods: Plant gum was collected, polysaccharide was extracted, purified, characterized using UV-Vis, FTIR, TGA and GCMS and subjected to various bioactive studies. The purified polysaccharide was used for making curcumin-loaded nanocarriers using STMP (sodium trimetaphosphate). Bioactivities were performed on the crude, purified and drug-loaded nanocarriers. These polysaccharide-based nanocarriers were characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometer, FTIR, SEM, and AFM. Drug release kinetics were performed for the drug-loaded nanocarriers.
Results: The presence of glucose, xylose and sucrose was studied from the UV-Vis and GCMS analysis. Purified polysaccharides of both the plants showed antioxidant activity and also antibacterial activity against Bacillus sp. Purified polysaccharides were used for nanocarrier synthesis, where the size and shape of the nanocarriers were studied using SEM analysis and AFM analysis. The size of the drug-loaded nanocarriers was found to be around 200 nm. The curcumin-loaded nanocarriers were releasing curcumin slow and steady.
Conclusion: The extracted pure polysaccharide of A. heterophylla and P. chilensis acted as good antioxidants and showed antibacterial activity against Bacillus sp. These polysaccharides were fabricated into curcumin-loaded nanocarriers whose size was below 200 nm. Both the drug-loaded nanocarriers synthesized using A. heterophylla and P. chilensis showed antibacterial activity with a steady drug release profile. Hence, these natural exudates can serve as biodegradable nanocarriers in drug delivery.
METHODS: The phytochemical and biological criteria of A. zerumbet were in vitro investigated as well as in mouse xenograft model.
RESULTS: A. zerumbet extracts, specially CH2Cl2 and MeOH extracts, exhibited the highest potent anti-tumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells. The most active CH2Cl2 extract was subjected to bioassay-guided fractionation leading to isolatation of the naturally occurring 5,6-dehydrokawain (DK) which was characterized by IR, MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. A. zerumbet extracts, specially MeOH and CH2Cl2 extracts, exhibited significant inhibitory activity towards tumor volume (TV). Furthermore, A. zerumbet extracts declined the high level of malonaldehyde (MDA) as well as elevated the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in liver tissue homogenate. Moreover, DK showed anti-proliferative action on different human cancer cell lines. The recorded IC50 values against breast carcinoma (MCF-7), liver carcinoma (Hep-G2) and larynx carcinoma cells (HEP-2) were 3.08, 6.8, and 8.7 µg/mL, respectively.
CONCLUSION: Taken together, these findings open the door for further investigations in order to explore the potential medicinal properties of A. zerumbet.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: The composition of Danshen water extract was determined using (High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Then Thioflavin T assay was used to determined if Danshen water extract could prevent the aggregation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ). Alzheimer's disease C.elegans model was used to determine the effect of Danshen water extract. Finally, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) was determined using the 2,7-dichlorofuorescein diacetate method.
RESULTS: In this study, we found that standardized Danshen water extract that contains danshensu (1.26%), salvianolic acid A (0.35%) and salvianolic acid B (2.21%) are able to bind directly to Aβ and prevents it from aggregating. The IC50 for the inhibition of Aβ aggregation by Danshen water extract was 0.5 mg/ml. In the AD model of C.elegans, Danshen water extract managed to alleviates the paralysis phenotype. Furthermore, the administration of Danshen water extract displayed antioxidant properties toward the Aβ-induced oxidative stress.
CONCLUSIONS: AD is a widespread neurodegenerative disease attributed to the accumulation of extracellular plaques comprising Aβ. Danshen water extract could significantly reduce the progress of paralysis in the AD model of C. elegans, showing promising results with its antioxidant properties. It can be concluded that Danshen water extract could potentially serve as a therapeutic for AD.
OBJECTIVE: The present novel study aims to evaluate and make a comparison of antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of different extractions of C. cassia bark using seven solvents having different polarities. Solvents polarity gradients start with the solvent of lower polarity, n-hexane, and end with water as the highest polar solvent. Among the extracts, acetone extract contains the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents; therefore, it is assessed for the ability to protect DNA from damage.
METHODS: The extracts are evaluated for total phenolic, flavonoid contents and antioxidant activities, using FRAP, DPPH, superoxide, and hydroxyl and nitric oxide radicals scavenging assays. DNA damage protecting activity of the acetone extract is studied with the comet assay. Each of the extracts is studied for its antiproliferative effect against, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231(breast cancer), and HT29 (colon cancer), using MTT assay.
RESULTS: The acetone extract exhibited the highest FRAP value, phenolic and flavonoids contents when compared to the other extracts and could protect 45% mouse fibroblast cell line (3T3-L1) from DNA damage at 30 μg/ml. The lowest IC50 value in DPPH, superoxide, and hydroxyl radicals scavenging was noticed in the ethyl acetate extract. IC50 value obtained for the hexane extract was the lowest compared to the other extracts in scavenging nitric oxide radicals. The hexane extract showed the highest antiproliferative effect against cancer cells followed by the chloroform extract. The ethyl acetate extract inhibited the proliferation of only MCF-7 by IC50 of 100 μg/ml, while the other extracts exhibited no IC50 in all the cancer cells.
CONCLUSION: C. cassia showed promising antioxidant and anticancer activities with significant DNA damage protecting effect.
METHODS: Mice were injected with 250 mg/kg body weight acetaminophen for 7 days and were treated with distilled water (untreated), Silybin (positive control) and coconut water vinegar (0.08 mL/kg and 2 mL/kg body weight). Level of oxidation stress and inflammation among treated and untreated mice were compared.
RESULTS: Untreated mice oral administrated with acetaminophen were observed with elevation of serum liver profiles, liver histological changes, high level of cytochrome P450 2E1, reduced level of liver antioxidant and increased level of inflammatory related markers indicating liver damage. On the other hand, acetaminophen challenged mice treated with 14 days of coconut water vinegar were recorded with reduction of serum liver profiles, improved liver histology, restored liver antioxidant, reduction of liver inflammation and decreased level of liver cytochrome P450 2E1 in dosage dependent level.
CONCLUSION: Coconut water vinegar has helped to attenuate acetaminophen-induced liver damage by restoring antioxidant activity and suppression of inflammation.