Displaying publications 81 - 100 of 108 in total

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  1. Tan WL, Lee YK, Ho YF, Yusof R, Abdul Rahman N, Karsani SA
    PeerJ, 2018;5:e3939.
    PMID: 29404200 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3939
    Dengue is endemic throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Currently, there is no clinically approved therapeutic drug available for this acute viral infection. Although the first dengue vaccine Dengvaxia has been approved for use in certain countries, it is limited to those without a previous dengue infection while the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in those elderly and younger children still need to be identified. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to develop therapeutics/drugs to combat dengue virus (DENV) infection. YK51 is a synthetic analogue of 4-Hydroxypandurantin A (a compound found in the crude extract of the rhizomes of Boesenbergia rotunda) that has been extensively studied by our research group. It has been shown to possess outstanding antiviral activity due to its inhibitory activity against NS2B/NS3 DENV2 protease. However, it is not known how YK51 affects the proteome of DENV infected cells. Therefore, we performed a comparative proteomics analysis to identify changes in protein expression in DENV infected HepG2 cells treated with YK51. Classical two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by protein identification using tandem mass spectrometry was employed in this study. Thirty proteins were found to be down-regulated with YK51 treatment. In silico analysis predicted that the down-regulation of eight of these proteins may inhibit viral infection. Our results suggested that apart from inhibiting the NS2B/NS3 DENV2 protease, YK51 may also be causing the down-regulation of a number of proteins that may be responsible in, and/or essential to virus infection. However, functional characterization of these proteins will be necessary before we can conclusively determine their roles in DENV infection.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome
  2. Rahman MA, Islam MS
    Pharmacogn Rev, 2015 Jan-Jun;9(17):55-62.
    PMID: 26009694 DOI: 10.4103/0973-7847.156350
    Alpinia calcarata Roscoe (Family: Zingiberaceae), is a rhizomatous perennial herb, which is commonly used in the traditional medicinal systems in Sri Lanka. Alpinia calcarata is cultivated in tropical countries, including Sri Lanka, India, and Malaysia. Experimentally, rhizomes of Alpinia calcarata are shown to possess antibacterial, antifungal, anthelmintic, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, aphrodisiac, gastroprotective, and antidiabetic activities. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of polyphenols, tannins, flavonoids, steroid glycosides and alkaloids in the extract and essential oil of this plant. Essential oil and extracts from this plant have been found to possess wide range of pharmacological and biological activities. This article provides a comprehensive review of its ethnomedical uses, chemical constituents and the pharmacological profile as a medicinal plant. Particular attention has been given to the pharmacological effects of the essential oil of Alpinia calcarata in this review so that the potential use of this plant either in pharmaceutics or as an agricultural resource can be evaluated.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome
  3. Salama SM, Abdulla MA, Alrashdi AS, Hadi AH
    PMID: 23997791 DOI: 10.1155/2013/157456
    Background. Researchers focused on developing traditional therapies as pharmacological medicines to treat liver cirrhosis. Objectives. Evaluating the hepatoprotective activity of Boesenbergia rotunda (BR) rhizome ethanolic extract on thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis in rats. Methods. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally injected with 200 mg/kg TAA 3 times/week and daily oral administration of 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg of BR extract, and 50 mg/kg of the reference drug Silymarin for 8 weeks. At the end of the experiment, Masson's trichrome staining was used to measure the degree of liver fibrosis. Hepatic antioxidant enzymes (CAT and GPx), nitrotyrosine, cytochrome (P450 2E1), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2 and MMP-9), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP-1), and urinary 8-hydroxyguanosine were measured. Serum levels of transforming growth factor TGF- β 1, nuclear transcription factor NF- κ B, proinflammatory cytokine IL-6, and caspase-3 were evaluated. Serum protein expression and immunohistochemistry of proapoptotic Bax and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins were measured and confirmed by immunohistochemistry of Bax, Bcl-2, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Results. BR treatment improved liver histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and biochemistry, triggered apoptosis, and inhibited cytokines, extracellular matrix proteins, and hepatocytes proliferation. Conclusion. Liver cirrhosis progression can be inhibited by the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of BR ethanolic extract while preserving the normal liver status.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome
  4. Ghasemzadeh A, Jaafar HZ, Rahmat A
    Molecules, 2010 Sep 03;15(9):6231-43.
    PMID: 20877219 DOI: 10.3390/molecules15096231
    Flavonoids make up one of the most pervasive groups of plant phenolics. Due to their importance in plants and human health, it would be useful to have a better understanding of flavonoid concentration and biological activities that could indicate their potentials as therapeutic agents, and also for predicting and controlling the quality of medicinal herbs. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is a famous and widely used herb, especially in Asia, that contains several interesting bioactive constituents and possesses health promoting properties. In this study, total flavonoids and some flavonoid components including quercetin, rutin, catechin, epicatechin, kaempferol and naringenin were extracted from the leaves and rhizomes of two varieties of Zingiber officinale (Halia Bentong and Halia Bara) at three different growth points (8, 12 and 16 weeks after planting), and analyzed by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method in order to determine the potential of the subterranean part of the young ginger. The results showed that Halia Bara had a higher content of flavonoids in the leaves and rhizomes as compared to Halia Bentong. In both varieties, the concentration of flavonoids in the leaves decreased (Halia Bentong, 42.3%; Halia Bara 36.7%), and in the rhizomes it increased (Halia Bentong 59.6%; Halia Bara 60.1%) as the growth period increased. Quercetin was abundant in both varieties. The antioxidant activity determined by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) assay showed high activities (65.7%) in the leaves of Halia Bara at 8 weeks after planting. Results suggested a good flavonoid content and antioxidant activity potential in ginger leaves at 8 weeks after planting. The leaves of these ginger varieties could be useful for both food flavourings and in traditional medicine.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome
  5. Phang CW, Malek SN, Ibrahim H
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2013 Oct 01;13:243.
    PMID: 24083445 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-13-243
    BACKGROUND: Alpinia pahangensis, a wild ginger distributed in the lowlands of Pahang, Malaysia, is used by the locals to treat flatulence. In this study, the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the crude aqueous methanol and fractionated extracts of Alpinia pahangensis against five different cancer and one normal cell lines were investigated. The total phenolic content of each extract and its fractions were also quantified. This is the first report on the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Alpinia pahangensis extract.

    METHODS: In the current study, the crude methanol and fractionated extract of the rhizomes of Alpinia pahangensis were investigated for their antioxidant activity using four different assays namely, the DPPH scavenging activity, superoxide anion scavenging, β-carotene bleaching and reducing power assays whilst their phenolic contents were measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu's method.In vitro neutral red cytotoxicity assay was employed to evaluate the cytotoxic activity against five different cancer cell lines, colon cancer (HCT 116 and HT-29), cervical cancer (Ca Ski), breast cancer (MCF7) and lung cancer (A549) cell lines, and one normal cell line (MRC-5). The extract that showed high cytotoxic activity was further investigated for its chemical constituents by GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) analysis.

    RESULTS: The ethyl acetate fraction showed the strongest DPPH radical scavenging (0.35 ± 0.094 mg/ml) and SOD activities (51.77 ± 4.9%) whilst the methanol extract showed the highest reducing power and also the strongest antioxidant activity in the β-carotene bleaching assays in comparison to other fractions. The highest phenolic content was found in the ethyl acetate fraction, followed by the crude methanol extract, hexane and water fractions. The results showed a positive correlation between total phenolic content with DPPH radical scavenging capacities and SOD activities. The hexane fraction showed potent cytotoxic effect against KB, Ca Ski and HCT 116 cell lines with IC₅₀ of 5.8 ± 0.1 and 9.1 ± 2.0 ug/ml, respectively. The major components of hexane fraction analysed by GC-MS analysis were mostly methyl esters.

    CONCLUSIONS: The current study suggests that the methanol extract and ethyl acetate fraction of A. pahangensis is a potential source of natural antioxidant for protective as well as prevention of life-threatening diseases. The hexane fraction of A. pahangensis may have the potential to be developed into therapeutic option for treating cancer.

    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome/chemistry*
  6. Malami I, Abdul AB, Abdullah R, Kassim NK, Rosli R, Yeap SK, et al.
    PLoS One, 2017;12(1):e0170233.
    PMID: 28103302 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170233
    Uridine-cytidine kinase 2 is an enzyme that is overexpressed in abnormal cell growth and its implication is considered a hallmark of cancer. Due to the selective expression of UCK2 in cancer cells, a selective inhibition of this key enzyme necessitates the discovery of its potential inhibitors for cancer chemotherapy. The present study was carried out to demonstrate the potentials of natural phytochemicals from the rhizome of Alpinia mutica to inhibit UCK2 useful for colorectal cancer. Here, we employed the used of in vitro to investigate the effectiveness of natural UCK2 inhibitors to cause HT-29 cell death. Extracts, flavokawain B, and alpinetin compound from the rhizome of Alpinia mutica was used in the study. The study demonstrated that the expression of UCK2 mRNA were substantially reduced in treated HT-29 cells. In addition, downregulation in expression of 18S ribosomal RNA was also observed in all treated HT-29 cells. This was confirmed by fluorescence imaging to measure the level of expression of 18S ribosomal RNA in live cell images. The study suggests the possibility of MDM2 protein was downregulated and its suppression subsequently activates the expression of p53 during inhibition of UCK2 enzyme. The expression of p53 is directly linked to a blockage of cell cycle progression at G0/G1 phase and upregulates Bax, cytochrome c, and caspase 3 while Bcl2 was deregulated. In this respect, apoptosis induction and DNA fragmentation were observed in treated HT-29 cells. Initial results from in vitro studies have shown the ability of the bioactive compounds of flavokawain B and alpinetin to target UCK2 enzyme specifically, inducing cell cycle arrest and subsequently leading to cancer cell death, possibly through interfering the MDM2-p53 signalling pathway. These phenomena have proven that the bioactive compounds could be useful for future therapeutic use in colon cancer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome/chemistry
  7. Yusoff MM, Ibrahim H, Hamid NA
    Chem Biodivers, 2011 May;8(5):916-23.
    PMID: 21560240 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.201000270
    Two poorly studied, morphologically allied Alpinia species endemic to Borneo, viz., A. ligulata and A. nieuwenhuizii, were investigated here for their rhizome essential oil. The oil compositions and antimicrobial activities were compared with those of A. galanga, a better known plant. A fair number of compounds were identified in the oils by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses, with large differences in the oil composition between the three species. The rhizome oil of A. galanga was rich in 1,8-cineole (29.8%), while those of A. ligulata and A. nieuwenhuizii were both found to be extremely rich in (E)-methyl cinnamate (36.4 and 67.8%, resp.). The three oils were screened for their antimicrobial activity against three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacteria and two fungal species. The efficiency of growth inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus var. aureus was found to decline in the order of A. nieuwenhuizii>A. ligulata ∼ A. galanga, while that of Escherichia coli decreased in the order of A. galanga>A. nieuwenhuzii ∼ A. ligulata. Only the A. galanga oil inhibited the other bacteria and the fungi tested.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome/chemistry*
  8. Awang K, Ibrahim H, Rosmy Syamsir D, Mohtar M, Mat Ali R, Azah Mohamad Ali N
    Chem Biodivers, 2011 Apr;8(4):668-73.
    PMID: 21480512 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.201000225
    The essential oils from the leaves and rhizomes of Alpinia pahangensis Ridl., collected from Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia, were obtained by hydrodistillation, and their chemical compositions were determined by GC and GC/MS analyses. The major components of the rhizome oil were γ-selinene (11.60%), β-pinene (10.87%), (E,E)-farnesyl acetate (8.65%), and α-terpineol (6.38%), while those of the leaf oil were β-pinene (39.61%), α-pinene (7.55%), and limonene (4.89%). The investigation of the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils using the broth microdilution technique revealed that the rhizome oil of A. pahangensis inhibited five Staphylococcus aureus strains with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values between 0.08 and 0.31 μg/μl, and four selected fungi with MIC values between 1.25 and 2.50 μg/μl.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome/chemistry
  9. Ooi J, Azmi NH, Imam MU, Alitheen NB, Ismail M
    J Food Drug Anal, 2018 10;26(4):1253-1264.
    PMID: 30249324 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfda.2018.03.003
    Adipose tissue is one of the major organs responsible for rapid restoration of postprandial glucose fluxes. Being the major isoform of glucose transporter in adipose tissue, regulations of insulin-dependent GLUT4 trafficking have always been of research interest. The present study aimed to examine the molecular mechanisms underlying the efficacy of curculigoside and polyphenol-rich ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) of Molineria latifolia rhizome in triggering glucose uptake. We assessed the adipogenic potential and glucose uptake stimulatory activity of curculigoside and EAF by employing a murine 3T3-L1 adipocyte model. The transcriptional and translational expressions of selected intermediates in the insulin signalling pathway were evaluated. While curculigoside neither promoted adipogenesis nor activated peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma, treatment with polyphenol-rich EAF resulted otherwise. However, both treatments enhanced insulin-stimulated uptake of glucose. This was coupled with increased availability of GLUT4 at the plasma membrane of the differentiated adipocytes although the total GLUT4 protein level was unaffected. In addition, the treatment increased the phosphorylation of both AKT and mTOR, which have been reported to be associated with GLUT4 translocation. The present findings proposed that curculigoside and EAF increased glucose transport activity of 3T3-L1 adipocytes via GLUT4 translocation as a result of potential mTOR/AKT activation. The more potent efficacy observed with EAF suggested potential synergistic and multi-targeted action.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome/chemistry
  10. Srivastava N, Mishra S, Iqbal H, Chanda D, Shanker K
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2021 May 10;271:113911.
    PMID: 33571614 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.113911
    ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Kaempferia galanga L. rhizome (KGR) is part of more than sixty-one Ayurvedic formulations and commonly known as 'Chandramula'. KGR is widely used in traditional Indian medicines to treat fever (jwar), rheumatism (Amavata), respiratory (Shwasa), hypertension (Vyanabala vaishamya) and cardiovascular disorders (Vyanavayu Dushtijanya Hrudrog). Although ethnomedicinal properties have extensively been demonstrated in traditional medicines of south-east countries i.e. China, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia, the chemico-biological validation are still lacking.

    AIM OF THE STUDY: Chemico-biological standardization with respect to its vasorelaxation potential is the main objective of the present study. To investigate the vasorelaxation potential of key phytochemical of KGR, i.e., ethyl-p-methoxycinnamate (EPMC) and to study it's the mechanism of action.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A HPLC method was developed and validated for the quality assessment of KGR using its two major phytochemicals i.e. ethyl-p-methoxycinnamate (EPMC) and ethyl cinnamate (EC) in KGR. The vasorelaxation effect of major phytochemicals of KGR was evaluated on the main mesenteric arteries isolated from male Wistar rats. Specific BKca channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA), receptor antagonist, nitric oxide scavenging capacity, and antioxidant potential were also evaluated for its plausible mechanism.

    RESULTS: Present validated HPLC method facilitates simultaneous quantitation of EPMC and EC faster than classical GC techniques. EPMC has shown a dose-dependent relaxation in rat main mesenteric arteries (MMA) contracted by U46619 with an Emax of 58.68 ± 3.31%. Similarly, in endothelium-denuded MMA rings, relaxation was also observed (Emax of 61.83 ± 3.38%). Moreover, relaxation response to EPMC has strongly inhibited (Emax 14.76 ± 2.29%) when the tissue exposed to depolarizing high K+ containing buffer for the contraction. The point correlation dimension (pD2) values were also significantly decreased in high K+ treated arterial rings compared to control. Interestingly, when MMA rings incubated with a specific BKca channel blocker (TEA, 1 mM), the relaxation response to EPMC was also significantly blocked.

    CONCLUSIONS: The first time this study demonstrated the chemical standardization of K. galanga rhizome and EPMC is responsible for its vasorelaxation potential as demonstrated by the endothelium-independent response mediated by Ca2+ dependent potassium channels.

    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome/chemistry*
  11. Ghasemzadeh A, Jaafar HZ, Rahmat A
    PMID: 26223685 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-015-0718-0
    Analysis and extraction of plant matrices are important processes for the development, modernization, and quality control of herbal formulations. Response surface methodology is a collection of statistical and mathematical techniques that are used to optimize the range of variables in various experimental processes to reduce the number of experimental runs, cost , and time, compared to other methods.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome/chemistry
  12. Isa NM, Abdelwahab SI, Mohan S, Abdul AB, Sukari MA, Taha MM, et al.
    Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res., 2012 Jun;45(6):524-30.
    PMID: 22358425
    The current in vitro study was designed to investigate the anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and antioxidant activities of boesenbergin A (BA), a chalcone derivative of known structure isolated from Boesenbergia rotunda. Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), colon adenocarcinoma (HT-29), non-small cell lung cancer (A549), prostate adenocarcinoma (PC3), and normal hepatic cells (WRL-68) were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of BA using the MTT assay. The antioxidant activity of BA was assessed by the ORAC assay and compared to quercetin as a standard reference antioxidant. ORAC results are reported as the equivalent concentration of Trolox that produces the same level of antioxidant activity as the sample tested at 20 µg/mL. The toxic effect of BA on different cell types, reported as IC50, yielded 20.22 ± 3.15, 10.69 ± 2.64, 20.31 ± 1.34, 94.10 ± 1.19, and 9.324 ± 0.24 µg/mL for A549, PC3, HepG2, HT-29, and WRL-68, respectively. BA displayed considerable antioxidant activity, when the results of ORAC assay were reported as Trolox equivalents. BA (20 µg/mL) and quercetin (5 µg/mL) were equivalent to a Trolox concentration of 11.91 ± 0.23 and 160.32 ± 2.75 µM, respectively. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory activity of BA was significant at 12.5 to 50 µM and without any significant cytotoxicity for the murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 at 50 µM. The significant biological activities observed in this study indicated that BA may be one of the agents responsible for the reported biological activities of B. rotunda crude extract.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome
  13. Vijayapandi P, Annabathina V, SivaNagaSrikanth B, Manjunath V, Boggavarapu P, Mohammed P AK, et al.
    PMID: 24082330
    The present investigation was aimed at determining the effects of hexane, acetone, methanol and aqueous extracts of Acorus calamus leaves (ACHE, ACAE, ACME and ACAQE) on cholinergic and histaminic system using isolated frog rectus abdominis muscle and guinea pig ileum. A dose dependent potentiation of Ach response (anticholinesterase like effect) was found with ACAE and ACME at 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1 mg/ml, but at higher dose of ACAE, ACME, ACAQE and ACHE (5, 20 mg/ml) inhibit the Ach response (antinicotinic effect). These results revealed biphasic effect of Acorus calamus leaves extracts on acetylcholine induced contractile response in isolated frog rectus abdominis muscle preparation (i.e. potentiation effect at lower dose and inhibitory effect at higher dose). Studies on isolated guinea pig ileum demonstrated antihistaminic effect in a dose dependent manner (100-1000 µg/ml) with ACAE, ACME and ACAQE. In addition, the dose dependent inhibition of Ach response (antimuscarinic effect) was observed with ACAE and ACME. In conclusion, Acorus calamus leaves extracts exerts antinicotinic, anticholinesterase like activities in isolated frog rectus abdominis muscle and antihistaminic, antimuscarinic effect in guinea pig ileum. It has been suggested that these observed activities can be further studied for therapeutic potential of Acorus calamus leaves in the treatment of cognitive disorders and asthma.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome
  14. Sulaiman MR, Perimal EK, Akhtar MN, Mohamad AS, Khalid MH, Tasrip NA, et al.
    Fitoterapia, 2010 Oct;81(7):855-8.
    PMID: 20546845 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2010.05.009
    The anti-inflammatory activity of zerumbone (1), a natural cyclic sesquiterpene isolated from Zingiber zerumbet Smith was investigated using carrageenan-induced paw edema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma tissue formation test in mice. It was demonstrated that intraperitoneal administration of 1 at a dose of 5, 10, 50 and 100 mg/kg produced significant dose-dependent inhibition of paw edema induced by carrageenan. It was also demonstrated that 1 at similar doses significantly suppressed granulomatous tissue formation in cotton pellet-induced granuloma test.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome
  15. Jantan I, Rafi IA, Jalil J
    Phytomedicine, 2005 Jan;12(1-2):88-92.
    PMID: 15693713
    Forty-nine methanol extracts of 37 species of Malaysian medicinal plants were investigated for their inhibitory effects on platelet-activating factor (PAF) binding to rabbit platelets, using 3H-PAF as a ligand. Among them, the extracts of six Zingiberaceae species (Alpinia galanga Swartz., Boesenbergia pandurata Roxb., Curcuma ochorrhiza Val., C. aeruginosa Roxb., Zingiber officinale Rosc. and Z. zerumbet Koenig.), two Cinnamomum species (C. altissimum Kosterm. and C. pubescens Kochummen.), Goniothalamus malayanus Hook. f. Momordica charantia Linn. and Piper aduncum L. are potential sources of new PAF antagonists, as they showed significant inhibitory effects with IC50 values ranging from 1.2 to 18.4 microg ml(-1).
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome
  16. Jantan I, Pisar M, Sirat HM, Basar N, Jamil S, Ali RM, et al.
    Phytother Res, 2004 Dec;18(12):1005-7.
    PMID: 15742349
    Ten compounds isolated from Alpinia mutica Roxb., Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. and Kaempferia rotunda Linn. (Family: Zingiberaceae) were investigated for their platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonistic activities on rabbit platelets using 3H-PAF as a ligand. Among them, four compounds showed significant inhibitory effects. Alpinetin and 5,6-dehydrokawain isolated from A. mutica exhibited IC50 values of 41.6 and 59.3 microM, respectively. The IC50 values of 3-deacetylcrotepoxide and 2-hydroxy-4,4',6'-trimethoxychalcone from K. rotunda were 45.6 and 57.4 microM, respectively. 1-Methoxy-2-methyl-5-(1',5'-dimethylhex-4'-enyl)-benzene, synthesized by methylation of xanthorrhizol which was obtained from C. xanthorrhiza, showed an IC50 value of 40.9 microM. The results indicated that these compounds were relatively strong PAF receptor binding inhibitors.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome
  17. Rouhollahi E, Moghadamtousi SZ, Al-Henhena N, Kunasegaran T, Hasanpourghadi M, Looi CY, et al.
    Drug Des Devel Ther, 2015;9:3911-22.
    PMID: 26251570 DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S84560
    Curcuma purpurascens BI. rhizome, a member of the Zingiberaceae family, is a popular spice in Indonesia that is traditionally used in assorted remedies. Dichloromethane extract of C. purpurascens BI. rhizome (DECPR) has previously been shown to have an apoptosis-inducing effect on colon cancer cells. In the present study, we examined the potential of DECPR to prevent colon cancer development in rats treated with azoxymethane (AOM) (15 mg/kg) by determining the percentage inhibition in incidence of aberrant crypt foci (ACF). Starting from the day immediately after AOM treatment, three groups of rats were orally administered once a day for 2 months either 10% Tween 20 (5 mL/kg, cancer control), DECPR (250 mg/kg, low dose), or DECPR (500 mg/kg, high dose). Meanwhile, the control group was intraperitoneally injected with 5-fluorouracil (35 mg/kg) for 5 consecutive days. After euthanizing the rats, the number of ACF was enumerated in colon tissues. Bax, Bcl-2, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein expressions were examined using immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses. Antioxidant enzymatic activity was measured in colon tissue homogenates and associated with malondialdehyde level. The percentage inhibition of ACF was 56.04% and 68.68% in the low- and high-dose DECPR-treated groups, respectively. The ACF inhibition in the treatment control group was 74.17%. Results revealed that DECPR exposure at both doses significantly decreased AOM-induced ACF formation, which was accompanied by reduced expression of PCNA. Upregulation of Bax and downregulation of Bcl-2 suggested the involvement of apoptosis in the chemopreventive effect of DECPR. In addition, the oxidative stress resulting from AOM treatment was significantly attenuated after administration of DECPR, which was shown by the elevated antioxidant enzymatic activity and reduced malondialdehyde level. Taken together, the present data clearly indicate that DECPR significantly inhibits ACF formation in AOM-treated rats and may offer protection against colon cancer development.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome
  18. Haque MA, Jantan I, Harikrishnan H
    Int Immunopharmacol, 2018 Feb;55:312-322.
    PMID: 29310107 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2018.01.001
    Zerumbone (ZER), isolated mainly from the Zingiber zerumbet (Z. zerumbet) rhizomes was found to be effective against numerous inflammatory and immune disorders, however, the molecular and biochemical mechanisms underlying its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties have not been well studied. This study was carried out to examine the profound effects of ZER on inflammatory mediated MyD88-dependent NF-κB/MAPK/PI3K-Akt signaling pathways in LPS-stimulated U937 human macrophages. ZER significantly suppressed the up-regulation pro-inflammatory mediators, TNF-α, IL-1β, PGE2, and COX-2 protein in LPS-induced human macrophages. Moreover, ZER significantly downregulated the phosphorylation of NF-κB (p65), IκBα, and IKKα/β as well as restored the degradation of IκBα. ZER correspondingly showed remarkable attenuation of the expression of Akt, JNK, ERK, and p38 MAPKs phosphorylation in a concentration-dependent manner. ZER also diminished the expression of upstream signaling molecules TLR4 and MyD88, which are prerequisite for the NF-κB, MAPK and PI3K-Akt activation. Additionally, quantification of relative gene expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, and COX-2 indicated that, at a higher dose (50μM), ZER significantly downregulated the elevated mRNA transcription levels of the stated pro-inflammatory markers in LPS-stimulated U937 macrophages. The strong suppressive effects of ZER on the activation of inflammatory markers in the macrophages via MyD88-dependent NF-κB/MAPK/PI3K-Akt signaling pathways suggest that ZER can be a preventive and potent therapeutic candidate for the management of various inflammatory-mediated immune disorders.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome
  19. Abdelwahab SI, Mohan S, Abdulla MA, Sukari MA, Abdul AB, Taha MM, et al.
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2011 Sep 2;137(2):963-70.
    PMID: 21771650 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.07.010
    Boesenbergia rotunda (L) Mansf. has been used for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders including peptic ulcer. In the current study we aimed to investiagte the anti-ulcer activities of methanolic extract of B. rotunda (MEBR) and its main active compound, pinostrobin on ethanol-induced ulcer in rats. The possible involevement of lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, cyclooxygenases and free radical scavenging mechanisms also has been investigated.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome/chemistry
  20. In LL, Azmi MN, Ibrahim H, Awang K, Nagoor NH
    Anticancer Drugs, 2011 Jun;22(5):424-34.
    PMID: 21346553 DOI: 10.1097/CAD.0b013e328343cbe6
    In this study, the apoptotic mechanism and combinatorial chemotherapeutic effects of the cytotoxic phenylpropanoid compound 1'S-1'-acetoxyeugenol acetate (AEA), extracted from rhizomes of the Malaysian ethnomedicinal plant Alpinia conchigera Griff. (Zingiberaceae), on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells were investigated for the first time. Data from cytotoxic and apoptotic assays such as live and dead and poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage assays indicated that AEA was able to induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, but not in normal human mammary epithelial cells. A microarray global gene expression analysis of MCF-7 cells, treated with AEA, suggested that the induction of tumor cell death through apoptosis was modulated through dysregulation of the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) pathway, as shown by the reduced expression of various κB-regulated gene targets. Consequent to this, western blot analysis of proteins corresponding to the NF-κB pathway indicated that AEA inhibited phosphorylation levels of the inhibitor of κB-kinase complex, resulting in the elimination of apoptotic resistance originating from NF-κB activation. This AEA-based apoptotic modulation was elucidated for the first time in this study, and gave rise to the proposal of an NF-κB model termed the 'Switching/Alternating Model.' In addition to this, AEA was also found to synergistically enhance the proapoptotic effects of paclitaxel, when used in combination with MCF-7 cells, presumably by a chemosensitizing role. Therefore, it was concluded that AEA isolated from the Malaysian tropical ginger (A. conchigera) served as a very promising candidate for further in-vivo development in animal models and in subsequent clinical trials involving patients with breast-related malignancies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rhizome/chemistry
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