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Fulltext Anticancer activity of Momordica cochinchinensis (red gac) aril and the impact of varietal diversity

Wimalasiri D, Dekiwadia C, Fong SY, Piva TJ, Huynh T

BMC Complement Med Ther, 2020 Nov 25;20(1):365.
PMID: 33238969 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-020-03122-z

BACKGROUND: Momordica cochinchinensis (Cucurbitaceae) is a nutritionally and medicinally important fruit restricted to South East Asia with diverse morphological and genetic variations but there is limited information on its medicinal potential.
METHODS: M. cochinchinensis aril from 44 different samples in Australia, Thailand and Vietnam were extracted using different solvents and tested for its anticancer potential. Anticancer activity of M. cochinchinensis aril on breast cancer (MCF7 and BT474) and melanoma (MM418C1 and D24) cells were compared to control fibroblasts (NHDF). The cytotoxicity of the cells following treatment with the aril extract was determined using CCK-8 assay. Biochemical and morphological changes were analysed using flow cytometry, confocal and transmission electron microscopy to determine the mechanism of cell death.
RESULTS: The water extract from the aril of M. cochinchinensis elicited significantly higher cytotoxicity towards breast cancer and melanoma cells than the HAE extract. The IC50 concentration for the crude water extract ranged from 0.49 to 0.73 mg/mL and induced both apoptotic and necrotic cell death in a dose- and time-dependant manner with typical biochemical and morphological characteristics. The greatest cytotoxicity was observed from Northern Vietnam samples which caused 70 and 50% melanoma and breast cancer cell death, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The water extract of M. cochinchinensis aril caused significant apoptosis and necrosis of breast cancer and melanoma cells, with varieties from Northern Vietnam possessing superior activity. This highlights the potential of this fruit in the development of novel anticancer agents against such tumours, with specific regions on where to collect the best variety and extraction solvent for optimum activity.
Fulltext Comparison of cytotoxicity between extracts of Clinacanthus nutans (Burm. f.) Lindau leaves from different locations and the induction of apoptosis by the crude methanol leaf extract in D24 human melanoma cells

Fong SY, Piva T, Dekiwadia C, Urban S, Huynh T

BMC Complement Altern Med, 2016 Sep 20;16:368.
PMID: 27646974 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-1348-x

Clinacanthus nutans (Burm. f.) Lindau leaves are widely used by cancer patients and the leaf extracts possess cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects on several human cancer cell lines. However, the effect of C. nutans leaf extract on human melanoma, which is the least common but most fatal form of skin cancer and one of the most common cancers diagnosed in both sexes worldwide, is unknown. There is also limited information on whether the bioactivity of extracts differs between C. nutans leaves grown in different geographical locations with varying environmental conditions.
Novel Neurotoxic Activity in Calliophis intestinalis Venom

Dashevsky D, Deuis JR, Vetter I, Huynh T, Hodgson WC, Tan CH, et al.

Neurotox Res, 2021 Nov 10.
PMID: 34757506 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-021-00413-2

In this work, we investigated the in vitro neurotoxicity of Calliophis intestinalis venom using chick biventer cervicis neuromuscular preparations and electrophysiological analysis of voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels expressed in HEK293 cells. We found that the indirect twitches of the neuromuscular preparations decreased over time when exposed to venom. However, the responses of these preparations to the agonists acetylcholine, carbachol, and potassium chloride were not changed after incubation with the venom. Our electrophysiological experiments show that C. intestinalis venom acts as a NaV channel antagonist-the first known from a vertebrate venom-by decreasing the peak current of NaV1.4 channels without changing the kinetics of activation or inactivation. Our proteomic results accord with earlier analyses and find that the venom contains three-finger toxins, cysteine-rich secretory proteins, kunitz peptides, phospholipase A2s, snake venom metalloproteases, and vespryns. Some of the three-finger toxins are similar to the δ-elapitoxins from the venom of the closely related Calliophis bivirgatus. However, δ-elapitoxins act as NaV channel agonists in C. bivirgatus whereas C. intestinalis venom contains NaV channel antagonists. The toxins and mechanisms responsible for the neuromuscular symptoms remain unclear as does the identity of the NaV channel antagonists. These aspects of this unusual venom require further study.
Fulltext Awareness and preparedness of healthcare workers against the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey across 57 countries

Huy NT, Chico RM, Huan VT, Shaikhkhalil HW, Uyen VNT, Qarawi ATA, et al.

PLoS One, 2021;16(12):e0258348.
PMID: 34936646 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258348

BACKGROUND: Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there have been concerns related to the preparedness of healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to describe the level of awareness and preparedness of hospital HCWs at the time of the first wave.
METHODS: This multinational, multicenter, cross-sectional survey was conducted among hospital HCWs from February to May 2020. We used a hierarchical logistic regression multivariate analysis to adjust the influence of variables based on awareness and preparedness. We then used association rule mining to identify relationships between HCW confidence in handling suspected COVID-19 patients and prior COVID-19 case-management training.
RESULTS: We surveyed 24,653 HCWs from 371 hospitals across 57 countries and received 17,302 responses from 70.2% HCWs overall. The median COVID-19 preparedness score was 11.0 (interquartile range [IQR] = 6.0-14.0) and the median awareness score was 29.6 (IQR = 26.6-32.6). HCWs at COVID-19 designated facilities with previous outbreak experience, or HCWs who were trained for dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, had significantly higher levels of preparedness and awareness (p<0.001). Association rule mining suggests that nurses and doctors who had a 'great-extent-of-confidence' in handling suspected COVID-19 patients had participated in COVID-19 training courses. Male participants (mean difference = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.22, 0.46; p<0.001) and nurses (mean difference = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.53, 0.81; p<0.001) had higher preparedness scores compared to women participants and doctors.
INTERPRETATION: There was an unsurprising high level of awareness and preparedness among HCWs who participated in COVID-19 training courses. However, disparity existed along the lines of gender and type of HCW. It is unknown whether the difference in COVID-19 preparedness that we detected early in the pandemic may have translated into disproportionate SARS-CoV-2 burden of disease by gender or HCW type.