Comparative study of the chemical composition and anti-proliferative activities of the aerial parts and roots of Apium graveolens L. (celery) and their biogenic nanoparticles

Apiaceae plants are multipurpose folk remedies and bioactive foods that show a remarkable ability to biosynthesize a large number of secondary metabolites with antitumor and chemopreventive potential. Among the various members of the Apiaceae, celery (Apium graveolens L.) has long been used as a popular edible and medicinal plant owing to its plentiful health benefits and nutraceutical properties; however, the anticancer potential of this important species has been seldom studied, mostly focusing on its seeds. Therefore, this work was designed to delve into the chemical composition and anti-proliferative potential of the total ethanolic extracts of the aerial parts (TEEAGA) and roots (TEEAGR) of A. graveolens var. dulce (Mill.) Pers. as well as their green synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). In general, both TEEAGA and TEEAGR exhibited moderate to potent inhibitory activities against human liver (HepG-2), colon (Caco-2), and breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines, with interesting IC50 profiles [(41.37 ± 0.12, 27.65 ± 0.27, and 9.48 ± 0.04 μg/mL) and (11.58 ± 0.02, 7.13 ± 0.03, and 6.58 ± 0.02 μg/mL), respectively] as compared with doxorubicin, while more pronounced anti-proliferative effects were observed for their biogenic AgNPs, which showed IC50 values ranging between 25.41 ± 0.16 and 1.37 ± 0.03 μg/mL. Moreover, HPLC‒HESI‒HRMS-based metabolomics analysis of both extracts showed the presence of a varied group of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, phthalides, coumarins, and sesquiterpenes that further displayed moderate to promising binding affinities to the active site of cyclin G-associated kinase (GAK), particularly graveobioside A, graveobioside B, and celeroside C, suggesting their possible contribution as GAK modulators to the anti-proliferative potential of celery. These findings can help broaden future research on the utilization of different parts of celery and their NPs as functional foods and medicines in cancer chemoprevention and therapy

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

Antiproliferative potential of Dypsis decaryi seeds supported by metabolic profiling and molecular docking

IntroductionDypsis decaryi seeds need more phytochemical and biological attention specially on one of the most important life-threatening problems (cancer).MethodsTotal ethanol extract of D. decaryi seeds (TEEDDS, Arecaceae) and its fixed oil fraction (FOF) were subjected to UPLC-HR-ESI-MS metabolic profiling and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, respectively. Also, TEEDDS, FOF, and FOF silver nanoparticles (FOF-SNPs) were screened using 4 cell lines. FOF effects on expression of Bcl-2, Bax, P53, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in human prostate carcinoma cell line (PC-3) were evaluated and supported by docking study.ResultsMetabolic profiling of TEEDDS resulted in identification of 18 compounds. While GC-MS of FOF displayed the presence of 12 fatty acids methyl esters. TEEDDS, staurosporine, FOF, and FOF-SNPs showed IC50= 3.55, 9.81, 16.88, and 0.01 µg/mL, respectively, against PC-3 (human prostate carcinoma cell line). FOF effects on the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, P53, and EGFR in PC-3 cell lines displayed IC50= 1.09, 220.6, 619.8, and 399.64 ng/mL, respectively. The FOF major constituent (E-13-octadecenoic acid) exhibited significant affinity and binding interactions that were comparable with that of the cocrystalized inhibitor.Discussion/ConclusionsFor the first time, in vitro antiproliferative activity against PC-3, HepG-2, HCT-116, and MCF-7 cells, and chemical profiles of TEEDDS and its FOF have been noteworthy studied. FOF and FOF-SNPs displayed the highest activities particularly on PC-3. Additionally, FOF showed significant activities on Bcl-2, Bax, P53, and EGFR, which was also supported by docking study. These results highlight that FOF and FOF-SNPs could have potent antiproliferative activity against PC-3 cell lines and may play an important role in antiproliferative drug development