Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 24 in total

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  1. Bashir A, Hassan AA, Salmah MR, Rahman WA
    PMID: 18564706
    The efficacy of the larvicidal and pupicidal agent (Agnique) MMF was evaluated against larvae of An. arabiensis and Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) under field conditions in Bahary Locality, Khartoum, Sudan. At an applied dosage of 0.25 ml/m2, MMF resulted in 89.4, 79.8 and 88.2% reductions in L3-L4 instars An. arabiensis and 63.5% in Culex larvae (all stages) 24 to 72 hours post-treatment. Pupae were completely eliminated (100%) within 24 hours posttreatment. The earlier instars (L1-L2) of An. arabiensis were more tolerant with a 62.5% reduction at 72 hours post-treatment compared to (L3-L4) instars and pupae. At 7-days post-treatment Agnique gave a 57.5% reduction in L1-L2 and 92.6% in L3-L4 instar larvae of An. arabiensis and 57.3% and 86.4% in Culex larvae and pupae, respectively. We conclude that Agnique can perform effectively against L3-L4 instars and pupae of An. arabiensis for only 1 week, and 3 to 4 days against L1-L2 instars of Culex spp.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fatty Alcohols/pharmacology*
  2. Mohd Masri S, Nazni WA, Lee HL, T Rogayah TA, Subramaniam S
    Trop Biomed, 2005 Dec;22(2):185-9.
    PMID: 16883286 MyJurnal
    Three new techniques of sterilising maggots of Lucilia cuprina for the purpose of debriding intractable wounds were studied. These techniques were utilisation of ultra-violet C (UVC) and maggot sterilisation with disinfectants. The status of sterility was checked on nutrient agar and blood agar and confirmed with staining. The indicators for the effectiveness of the methods were sterility and survival rate of the eggs or larvae. Egg sterilisation with UVC had the lowest hatching rate (16+/-0.00%) while egg sterilisation with disinfectants showed high hatching rate (36.67+/-4.41%) but low maggot survival rate (31.67+/-1.67%). Sterilisation of the maggots was the most suitable, since the survival rate was the highest (88.67+/-0.88%). Complete sterility was achieved in all cases, except that Proteus mirabilis was consistently found. However, the presence of this microorganism was considered beneficial.
    Matched MeSH terms: Alcohols/pharmacology
  3. Wong WT, Ismail M, Imam MU, Zhang YD
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2016 Jul 28;16:252.
    PMID: 27465266 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-1223-9
    Rice bran is bioactive-rich and has proven health benefits for humans. Moreover, its source, the brown rice has antioxidant, hypolipidemic and other functional properties that are increasingly making it a nutritional staple especially in Asian countries. This study investigated the antiplatelet aggregation mechanisms of crude hexane/methanolic rice bran extract, in which policosanol was the targeted bioactive. Platelets play a vital role in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, and their increased activities could potentially cause arterial thrombus formation or severe bleeding disorders. Thus, in this study, platelet aggregation and adhesion of platelets to major components of basal lamina were examined in vitro. In addition, cellular protein secretion was quantified as a measurement of platelet activation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fatty Alcohols/pharmacology*
  4. Sok SP, Arshad NM, Azmi MN, Awang K, Ozpolat B, Hasima Nagoor N
    PLoS One, 2017;12(2):e0171329.
    PMID: 28158287 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171329
    Autophagy plays a role in deciding the fate of cells by inducing either survival or death. 1'S-1-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) is a phenylpropanoid isolated from rhizomes of Alpinia conchigera and has been reported previously on its apoptotic effects on various cancers. However, the effect of ACA on autophagy remains ambiguous. The aims of this study were to investigate the autophagy-inducing ability of ACA in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to determine its role as pro-survival or pro-death mechanism. Cell viability assay was conducted using MTT. The effect of autophagy was assessed by acridine orange staining, GFP-LC3 punctate formation assay, and protein level were analysed using western blot. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining was performed to detect percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis by using flow cytometry. ACA inhibits the cell viability and induced formation of cytoplasmic vacuoles in NSCLC cells. Acidic vesicular organelles and GFP-LC3 punctate formation were increased in response to ACA exposure in A549 and SK-LU-1 cell lines; implying occurrence of autophagy. In western blot, accumulation of LC3-II accompanied by degradation of p62 was observed, which further confirmed the full flux of autophagy induction by ACA. The reduction of Beclin-1 upon ACA treatment indicated the Beclin-1-independent autophagy pathway. An early autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyaldenine (3-MA), failed to suppress the autophagy triggered by ACA; validating the existence of Beclin-1-independent autophagy. Silencing of LC3-II using short interfering RNA (siRNA) abolished the autophagy effects, enhancing the cytotoxicity of ACA through apoptosis. This proposed ACA triggered a pro-survival autophagy in NSCLC cells. Consistently, co-treatment with lysosomal inhibitor, chloroquine (CQ), exerted a synergistic effect resulting in apoptosis. Our findings suggested ACA induced pro-survival autophagy through Beclin-1-independent pathway in NSCLC. Hence, targeting autophagy pathway using autophagy inhibitor such as CQ represented a novel promising approach to potentiate the cytotoxicity of ACA through apoptosis in NSCLC.
    Matched MeSH terms: Benzyl Alcohols/pharmacology*
  5. Abbas A, Nazir H, Naseer MM, Bolte M, Hussain S, Hafeez N, et al.
    PMID: 24177882 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2013.10.023
    A series of new pyrazoline derivatives (1b-4c) bearing N-acyl arms and nine to twelve carbon long alkoxy side chains was synthesized and characterized on the basis of spectroscopic data and microanalysis. The nature of self-assembly to understand the interplay of alkoxy chain crystallization and various supramolecular interactions was investigated using single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Interesting self-assembled supramolecular structures of 1b and 4c were observed in the crystal lattice owing to various CH⋯O, H⋯H, CH⋯π, lonepair⋯π and π⋯π interactions. Further, all the synthesized compounds (1b-4c) were screened for their in vitro antifungal and anti-inflammatory activities. Compounds 2b, 3b, 2c and 3c showed significant to moderate antifungal activity against Microsporum canis whereas most of the other compounds were found inactive against all the five tested fungal strains. Good anti-inflammatory activity was observed for compounds 1b with IC50 value 331 μM compared to 273 μM for Indomethacine, a standard reference drug. The bio-activity data demonstrates the relationship between lipophilicity, solubility and bioavailability.
    Matched MeSH terms: Alcohols/pharmacology
  6. Phuah NH, In LL, Azmi MN, Ibrahim H, Awang K, Nagoor NH
    Reprod Sci, 2013 May;20(5):567-78.
    PMID: 23012319 DOI: 10.1177/1933719112459220
    The aims of this study were to investigate the combined effects of a natural compound 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) with cisplatin (CDDP) on HPV-positive human cervical carcinoma cell lines (Ca Ski-low cisplatin sensitivity and HeLa-high cisplatin sensitivity), and to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) modulated in response toward ACA and/or CDDP. It was revealed that both ACA and CDDP induced dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity when used as a stand-alone agent, while synergistic effects were observed when used in combination with a combination index (CI) value of 0.74 ± 0.01 and 0.85 ± 0.01 in Ca Ski and HeLa cells, respectively. A total of 25 miRNAs were found to be significantly differentially expressed in response to ACA and/or CDDP. These include hsa-miR-138, hsa-miR-210, and hsa-miR-744 with predicted gene targets involved in signaling pathways regulating apoptosis and cell cycle progression. In conclusion, ACA acts as a chemosensitizer which synergistically potentiates the cytotoxic effect of CDDP in cervical cancer cells. The altered miRNA expression upon administration of ACA and/or CDDP suggests that miRNAs play an important role in anticancer drug responses, which can be manipulated for therapeutic purposes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Benzyl Alcohols/pharmacology
  7. Awang K, Azmi MN, Aun LI, Aziz AN, Ibrahim H, Nagoor NH
    Molecules, 2010 Nov;15(11):8048-59.
    PMID: 21063268 DOI: 10.3390/molecules15118048
    1'-(S)-1'-Acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) isolated from the Malaysian ethno-medicinal plant Alpinia conchigera Griff. was investigated for its potential as an anticancer drug. In this communication, we describe the cytotoxic and apoptotic properties of ACA on five human tumour cell lines. Data from MTT cell viability assays indicated that ACA induced both time- and dose-dependent cytotoxicity on all tumour cell lines tested and had no adverse cytotoxic effects on normal cells. Total mortality of the entire tumour cell population was achieved within 30 hrs when treated with ACA at 40.0 µM concentration. Flow cytometric analysis for annexin-V and PI dual staining demonstrated that cell death occurred via apoptosis, followed by secondary necrosis. The apoptotic effects of ACA were confirmed via the DNA fragmentation assay, in which consistent laddering of genomic DNA was observed for all tumour cell lines after a 24 hrs post-treatment period at the IC(50) concentration of ACA. A cell cycle analysis using PI staining also demonstrated that ACA induced cell cycle arrest at the G(0)/G(1) phase, corresponding to oral tumour cell lines. In conclusion, ACA exhibits enormous potential for future development as a chemotherapeutic drug against various malignancies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Benzyl Alcohols/pharmacology*
  8. Hasima N, Aun LI, Azmi MN, Aziz AN, Thirthagiri E, Ibrahim H, et al.
    Phytomedicine, 2010 Oct;17(12):935-9.
    PMID: 20729047 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2010.03.011
    Medicinal plants containing active natural compounds have been used as an alternative treatment for cancer patients in many parts of the world especially in Asia (Itharat et al. 2004). In this report, we describe the cytotoxic and apoptotic properties of 1'S-1'-acetoxyeugenol acetate (AEA), an analogue of 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA), isolated from the Malaysian ethno-medicinal plant Alpinia conchigera Griff (Zingiberaceae) on human breast cancer cells. Data from MTT cell viability assays indicated that AEA induced both time- and dose-dependent cytotoxicity with an IC(50) value of 14.0 μM within 36 h of treatment on MCF-7 cells, but not in HMEC normal control cells. Both annexin V-FITC/PI flow cytometric analysis and DNA fragmentation assays confirmed that AEA induced cell death via apoptosis. AEA was also found to induce cell cycle arrest in MCF-7 cells at the G(0)/G(1) phase with no adverse cell cycle arrest effects on HMEC normal control cells. It was concluded that AEA isolated from the Malaysian tropical ginger represents a potential chemotherapeutic agent against human breast cancer cells with higher cytotoxicity potency than its analogue, ACA.
    Matched MeSH terms: Benzyl Alcohols/pharmacology
  9. Yusof KM, Makpol S, Jamal R, Harun R, Mokhtar N, Ngah WZ
    Molecules, 2015 Jun 03;20(6):10280-97.
    PMID: 26046324 DOI: 10.3390/molecules200610280
    Numerous bioactive compounds have cytotoxic properties towards cancer cells. However, most studies have used single compounds when bioactives may target different pathways and exert greater cytotoxic effects when used in combination. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the anti-proliferative effect of γ-tocotrienol (γ-T3) and 6-gingerol (6G) in combination by evaluating apoptosis and active caspase-3 in HT-29 and SW837 colorectal cancer cells. MTS assays were performed to determine the anti-proliferative and cytotoxicity effect of γ-T3 (0-150 µg/mL) and 6G (0-300 µg/mL) on the cells. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 6G+ γ-T3 for HT-29 was 105 + 67 µg/mL and for SW837 it was 70 + 20 µg/mL. Apoptosis, active caspase-3 and annexin V FITC assays were performed after 24 h of treatment using flow cytometry. These bioactives in combination showed synergistic effect on HT-29 (CI: 0.89 ± 0.02,) and SW837 (CI: 0.79 ± 0.10) apoptosis was increased by 21.2% in HT-29 and 55.4% in SW837 (p < 0.05) after 24 h treatment, while normal hepatic WRL-68 cells were unaffected. Increased apoptosis by the combined treatments was also observed morphologically, with effects like cell shrinkage and pyknosis. In conclusion, although further studies need to be done, γ-T3 and 6G when used in combination act synergistically increasing cytotoxicity and apoptosis in cancer cells.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fatty Alcohols/pharmacology*
  10. Arshad NM, In LL, Soh TL, Azmi MN, Ibrahim H, Awang K, et al.
    Oncotarget, 2015 Jun 30;6(18):16151-67.
    PMID: 26158863
    Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have reported that 1'-S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) isolated from rhizomes of the Malaysian ethno-medicinal plant Alpinia conchigera Griff (Zingiberaceae) induces apoptosis-mediated cell death in tumour cells via dysregulation of the NF-κB pathway. However there were some clinical development drawbacks such as poor in vivo solubility, depreciation of biological activity upon exposure to an aqueous environment and non-specific targeting of tumour cells. In the present study, all the problems above were addressed using the novel drug complex formulation involving recombinant human alpha fetoprotein (rhAFP) and ACA.
    Matched MeSH terms: Benzyl Alcohols/pharmacology*
  11. Haque AKMM, Leong KH, Lo YL, Awang K, Nagoor NH
    Phytomedicine, 2017 Jul 15;31:1-9.
    PMID: 28606510 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2017.05.002
    BACKGROUND: The compound, 1'-S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA), isolated from the rhizomes of a Malaysian ethno-medicinal plant, Alpinia conchigera Griff. (Zingiberaceae), was previously shown to have potential in vivo antitumour activities. In the development of a new drug entity, potential interactions of the compound with the cytochrome P450 superfamily metabolizing enzymes need to be ascertain.

    PURPOSE: The concomitant use of therapeutic drugs may cause potential drug-drug interactions by decreasing or increasing plasma levels of the administered drugs, leading to a suboptimal clinical efficacy or a higher risk of toxicity. Thus, evaluating the inhibitory potential of a new chemical entity, and to clarify the mechanism of inhibition and kinetics in the various CYP enzymes is an important step to predict drug-drug interactions.

    STUDY DESIGN: This study was designed to assess the potential inhibitory effects of Alpinia conchigera Griff. rhizomes extract and its active constituent, ACA, on nine c-DNA expressed human cytochrome P450s (CYPs) enzymes using fluorescent CYP inhibition assay.

    METHODS/RESULTS: The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of Alpinia conchigera Griff. rhizomes extract and ACA was determined for CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, CYP3A4 and CYP3A5. A. conchigera extract only moderately inhibits on CYP3A4 (IC50 = 6.76 ± 1.88µg/ml) whereas ACA moderately inhibits the activities of CYP1A2 (IC50 = 4.50 ± 0.10µM), CYP2D6 (IC50 = 7.50 ± 0.17µM) and CYP3A4 (IC50 = 9.50 ± 0.57µM) while other isoenzymes are weakly inhibited. In addition, mechanism-based inhibition studies reveal that CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 exhibited non-mechanism based inhibition whereas CYP2D6 showed mechanism-based inhibition. Lineweaver-Burk plots depict that ACA competitively inhibited both CYP1A2 and CYP3A4, with a Ki values of 2.36 ± 0.03 µM and 5.55 ± 0.06µM, respectively, and mixed inhibition towards CYP2D6 with a Ki value of 4.50 ± 0.08µM. Further, molecular docking studies show that ACA is bound to a few key amino acid residues in the active sites of CYP1A2 and CYP3A4, while one amino residue of CYP2D6 through predominantly Pi-Pi interactions.

    CONCLUSION: Overall, ACA may demonstrate drug-drug interactions when co-administered with other therapeutic drugs that are metabolized by CYP1A2, CYP2D6 or CYP3A4 enzymes. Further in vivo studies, however, are needed to evaluate the clinical significance of these interactions.

    Matched MeSH terms: Benzyl Alcohols/pharmacology*
  12. Eko Sukohidayat NH, Zarei M, Baharin BS, Manap MY
    Molecules, 2018 Jul 20;23(7).
    PMID: 30037038 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23071800
    Purification of lipase produced by L. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides ATCC 8293 was conducted for the first time using a novel aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) composed of Triton X-100 and maltitol. The partitioning of lipase was optimized according to several parameters including pH, temperature, and crude load. Results showed that lipase preferentially migrated to the Triton X-100 rich phase and optimum lipase partitioning was achieved in ATPS at TLL of 46.4% and crude load of 20% at 30 °C and pH 8, resulting in high lipase purification factor of 17.28 and yield of 94.7%. The purified lipase showed a prominent band on SDS-PAGE with an estimated molecular weight of 50 kDa. The lipase was stable at the temperature range of 30⁻60 °C and pH range of 6⁻11, however, it revealed its optimum activity at the temperature of 37 °C and pH 8. Moreover, lipase exhibited enhanced activity in the presence of non-ionic surfactants with increased activity up to 40%. Furthermore, results exhibited that metals ions such as Na⁺, Mg2+, K⁺ and Ca2+ stimulated lipase activity. This study demonstrated that this novel system could be potentially used as an alternative to traditional ATPS for the purification and recovery of enzymes since the purified lipase still possesses good process characteristics after undergoing the purification process.
    Matched MeSH terms: Sugar Alcohols/pharmacology
  13. Subramaniam M, Arshad NM, Mun KS, Malagobadan S, Awang K, Nagoor NH
    Biomolecules, 2019 10 18;9(10).
    PMID: 31635311 DOI: 10.3390/biom9100626
    Cancer development and progression are extremely complex due to the alteration of various genes and pathways. In most cases, multiple agents are required to control cancer progression. The purpose of this study is to investigate, using a mouse model, the synergistic interactions of anti-cancer agents, 1'-S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA), Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP), and cisplatin (CDDP) in double and triple combinations to treat chemo-sensitize and immune-sensitize breast cancer. Changes in tumor volume and body weight were monitored. Organs were harvested and stained using hematoxylin-eosin for histopathological assessment. Milliplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to determine cytokine levels, while immunohistochemistry (IHC) was conducted on tumor biopsies to verify systemic drug effects. In vivo mouse models showed tumor regression with maintenance of regular body weight for all the different treatment regimens. IHC results provided conclusive evidence indicating that combination regimens were able to down-regulate nuclear factor kappa-B activation and reduce the expression of its regulated pro-inflammatory proteins. Reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-ɣ) levels were observed when using the triple combination, which indicated that the synergistic drug combination was able to significantly control cancer progression. In conclusion, ACA, MIP, and CDDP together serve as promising candidates for further development and for subsequent clinical trials against estrogen-sensitive breast cancer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Benzyl Alcohols/pharmacology*
  14. Yusof KM, Makpol S, Fen LS, Jamal R, Wan Ngah WZ
    J Nat Med, 2019 Sep;73(4):745-760.
    PMID: 31177355 DOI: 10.1007/s11418-019-01323-6
    Our previous study reported that combined treatment of γ-tocotrienol with 6-gingerol showed promising anticancer effects by synergistically inhibiting proliferation of human colorectal cancer cell lines. This study aimed to identify and elucidate molecular mechanisms involved in the suppression of SW837 colorectal cancer cells modulated by combined treatment of γ-tocotrienol and 6-gingerol. Total RNA from both untreated and treated cells was prepared for transcriptome analysis using RNA sequencing techniques. We performed high-throughput sequencing at approximately 30-60 million coverage on both untreated and 6G + γT3-treated cells. The results showed that cancer-specific differential gene expression occurred and functional enrichment pathway analysis suggested that more than one pathway was modulated in 6G + γT3-treated cells. Combined treatment with 6G + γT3 augmented its chemotherapeutic effect by interfering with the cell cycle process, downregulating the Wnt signalling pathway and inducing apoptosis mainly through caspase-independent programmed cell death through mitochondrial dysfunction, activation of ER-UPR, disruption of DNA repair mechanisms and inactivation of the cell cycle process through the downregulation of main genes in proliferation such as FOXM1 and its downstream genes. The combined treatment exerted its cytotoxic effect through upregulation of genes in stress response activation and cytostatic effects demonstrated by downregulation of main regulator genes in the cell cycle. Selected genes involved in particular pathways including ATF6, DDIT3, GADD34, FOXM1, CDK1 and p21 displayed concordant patterns of gene expression between RNA sequencing and RT-qPCR. This study provides new insights into combined treatment with bioactive compounds not only in terms of its pleiotropic effects that enhance multiple pathways but also specific target genes that could be exploited for therapeutic purposes, especially in suppressing cancer cell growth.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fatty Alcohols/pharmacology*
  15. Phuah NH, Azmi MN, Awang K, Nagoor NH
    Mol Cells, 2017 Apr;40(4):291-298.
    PMID: 28401751 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2017.2285
    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that regulate genes posttranscriptionally. Past studies have reported that miR-210 is up-regulated in many cancers including cervical cancer, and plays a pleiotropic role in carcinogenesis. However, its role in regulating response towards anti-cancer agents has not been fully elucidated. We have previously reported that the natural compound 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) is able to induce cytotoxicity in various cancer cells including cervical cancer cells. Hence, this study aims to investigate the mechanistic role of miR-210 in regulating response towards ACA in cervical cancer cells. In the present study, we found that ACA down-regulated miR-210 expression in cervical cancer cells, and suppression of miR-210 expression enhanced sensitivity towards ACA by inhibiting cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis. Western blot analysis showed increased expression of mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 (SMAD4), which was predicted as a target of miR-210 by target prediction programs, following treatment with ACA. Luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-210 binds to sequences in 3'UTR of SMAD4. Furthermore, decreased in SMAD4 protein expression was observed when miR-210 was overexpressed. Conversely, SMAD4 protein expression increased when miR-210 expression was suppressed. Lastly, we demonstrated that overexpression of SMAD4 augmented the anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects of ACA. Taken together, our results demonstrated that down-regulation of miR-210 conferred sensitivity towards ACA in cervical cancer cells by targeting SMAD4. These findings suggest that combination of miRNAs and natural compounds could provide new strategies in treating cervical cancer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Benzyl Alcohols/pharmacology*
  16. Liew SK, Azmi MN, In L, Awang K, Nagoor NH
    Drug Des Devel Ther, 2017;11:2763-2776.
    PMID: 29075101 DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S130349
    Nine analogs of 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) were hemi-synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer activities against seven human cancer cell lines. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-proliferative, apoptotic, and anti-migration effects of these compounds and to explore the plausible underlying mechanisms of action. We found that ACA and all nine analogs were non toxic to human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs) used as normal control cells, and only ACA, 1'-acetoxyeugenol acetate (AEA), and 1'-acetoxy-3,5-dimethoxychavicol acetate (AMCA) inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of <30.0 μM based on 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay results, and were selected for further investigation. DNA fragmentation assays showed that these three compounds markedly induced apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells. Western blot analysis revealed increased expression levels of cleaved PARP, p53, and Bax, while decreased expression levels of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were seen after treatment, indicating that apoptosis was induced via the mitochondrial pathway. Moreover, ACA, AEA, and AMCA effectively inhibited the migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. They also downregulated the expression levels of pFAK/FAK and pAkt/Akt via the integrin β1-mediated signaling pathway. Collectively, ACA and its hemi-synthetic analogs, AEA and AMCA are seen as potential anticancer agents following their abilities to suppress growth, induce apoptosis, and inhibit migration of breast cancer cells.
    Matched MeSH terms: Benzyl Alcohols/pharmacology*
  17. In LL, Arshad NM, Ibrahim H, Azmi MN, Awang K, Nagoor NH
    PMID: 23043547 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-12-179
    Oral cancers although preventable, possess a low five-year survival rate which has remained unchanged over the past three decades. In an attempt to find a more safe, affordable and effective treatment option, we describe here the use of 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA), a component of Malaysian ginger traditionally used for various medicinal purposes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Benzyl Alcohols/pharmacology
  18. Ishaka A, Imam MU, Ismail M
    J Oleo Sci, 2020;69(10):1287-1295.
    PMID: 33028753 DOI: 10.5650/jos.ess20098
    Policosanol, a mixture of long-chain alcohols found in animal and plant waxes, has several biological effects including lipid-lowering that have been extensively studied. However, its bioavailability is low. To investigate the effect of nanoemulsified rice bran wax policosanol (NPOL) on plasma homocysteine, heart and liver histology in hyperlipidemic rats, high-fat diet containing 2.5% cholesterol was used to induce hyperlipidemia in Sprague Dawley rats. The hyperlipidemic rats were treated with NPOL and rice bran wax policosanol (POL) in comparison with normal diet (ND), high-cholesterol diet (HCD) and simvastatin-treated rats. Plasma homocysteine, heart and liver histology, and hepatic mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) were evaluated. The NPOL group, similar to the simvastatin group, showed reduced plasma homocysteine, preserved heart and liver histology, and down-regulated hepatic PPARG mRNA in comparison to the control group, and was better than the POL group. The results suggest that the modest effect of NPOL on homocysteine and preservation of heart and liver histology could be through the regulation of PPARG expression on a background of increased assimilation of rice bran wax policosanol.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fatty Alcohols/pharmacology*
  19. Subramaniam M, Liew SK, In L, Awang K, Ahmed N, Nagoor NH
    Drug Des Devel Ther, 2018;12:1053-1063.
    PMID: 29750018 DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S141925
    Background: Drug combination therapy to treat cancer is a strategic approach to increase successful treatment rate. Optimizing combination regimens is vital to increase therapeutic efficacy with minimal side effects.

    Materials and methods: In the present study, we evaluated the in vitro cytotoxicity of double and triple combinations consisting of 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA), Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP) and cisplatin (CDDP) against 14 various human cancer cell lines to address the need for more effective therapy. Our data show synergistic effects in MCF-7 cells treated with MIP:ACA, MIP:CDDP and MIP:ACA:CDDP combinations. The type of interaction between MIP, ACA and CDDP was evaluated based on combination index being <0.8 for synergistic effect. Identifying the mechanism of cell death based on previous studies involved intrinsic apoptosis and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and tested in Western blot analysis. Inactivation of NF-κB was confirmed by p65 and IκBα, while intrinsic apoptosis pathway activation was confirmed by caspase-9 and Apaf-1 expression.

    Results: All combinations confirmed intrinsic apoptosis activation and NF-κB inactivation.

    Conclusion: Double and triple combination regimens that target induction of the same death mechanism with reduced dosage of each drug could potentially be clinically beneficial in reducing dose-related toxicities.

    Matched MeSH terms: Benzyl Alcohols/pharmacology*
  20. Song S, Dang M, Kumar M
    Inflammopharmacology, 2019 Dec;27(6):1243-1254.
    PMID: 30826930 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-019-00569-6
    P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), a tissue inflammatory factor can be activated under oxidative stress and in conditions associated with hyperglycemia. Gingerol containing various natural herbs has been extensively studied for its pharmacological actions both in reducing the inflammation and as immunity booster. The aim of the current investigation was to examine the renal protective effect of gingerol in high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced type II diabetes mellitus in a rat model.NRK 52E cells were divided into normal and high glucose group treated with gingerol. The methylthiazotetrazolium assay was used to establish the cell proliferation progress. Streptozotocin-inducted diabetes in rats was treated with gingerol for 16 weeks. The blood glucose, serum creatinine, body weight, food intake, biochemical, antioxidant and haematological parameters were assayed to establish the correlation. Pro-inflammatory cytokines including Il-1β, IL-6, TNF-α; inflammatory mediator COX-2, PGE2, NF-kB, p38MAPK, and TGF-β, were also determined to assess the molecular mechanism. Gingerol exhibited the protective effect on the high glucose level induced NRK 52E cells and did not show any effect on the normal cells. Gingerol significantly (P 
    Matched MeSH terms: Fatty Alcohols/pharmacology*
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