Antioxidant, antifungal, antibiofilm, and cytotoxic activities of Mentha spp. essential oils

Since ancient times, plants have been used to preserve food, or for their health properties. Essential oils are complex mixtures of volatile compounds that are obtained from botanical material, specifically from aromatic plants. Lamiaceae is one of the most important families in the production of essential oils, as it has both antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The essential oils of Mentha (the Lamiaceae family) have been extensively studied for their biological actions. In this review, we report the antioxidant, antifungal, antibiofilm, and cytotoxic properties of Mentha spp. essential oils. The first objective is to provide comprehensive information about the use of essential oils in the treatment of fungal infections, or as antioxidants and integrative anticancer therapy. The second is to explore the evidence supporting its effectiveness in treating diseases without causing any serious adverse reactions

Infection of human THP-1 cells with dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

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The multidrug transporter P-glycoprotein: A mediator of melanoma invasion?

Malignant melanoma shows high levels of intrinsic drug resistance associated with a highly invasive phenotype. In this study, we investigated the role of the drug transporter P-glycoprotein (Pgp) in the invasion potential of drug-sensitive (M14 WT, Pgp-negative) and drug-resistant (M14 ADR, Pgp-positive) human melanoma cells. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments assessed the association of Pgp with the adhesion molecule CD44 in multidrug resistant (MDR) melanoma cells, compared with parental ones. In MDR cells, the two proteins colocalized in the plasma membrane as visualized by confocal microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy on ultrathin cryosections. MDR melanoma cells displayed a more invasive phenotype compared with parental cells, as demonstrated by quantitative transwell chamber invasion assay. This was accomplished by a different migration strategy adopted by resistant cells ("chain collective") previously described in tumor cells with high metastatic capacity. The Pgp molecule, after stimulation with specific antibodies, appeared to cooperate with CD44, through the activation of ERK1/2 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) proteins. This activation led to an increase of metalloproteinase (MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9) mRNAs, and proteolytic activities, which are associated with an increased invasive behavior. RNA interference experiments further demonstrated Pgp involvement in migration and invasion of resistant melanoma cells. A link was identified between MDR transporter Pgp, and MAPK signaling and invasion. © 2007 The Society for Investigative Dermatology

Immune Surveillance Properties of Human NK Cell-Derived Exosomes

Abstract Exosomes are nanovesicles released by normal and tumor cells, which are detectable in cell culture supernatant and human biological fluids, such as plasma. Functions of exosomes released by "normal" cells are not well understood. In fact, several studies have been carried out on exosomes derived from hematopoietic cells, but very little is known about NK cell exosomes, despite the importance of these cells in innate and adaptive immunity. In this paper, we report that resting and activated NK cells, freshly isolated from blood of healthy donors, release exosomes expressing typical protein markers of NK cells and containing killer proteins (i.e., Fas ligand and perforin molecules). These nanovesicles display cytotoxic activity against several tumor cell lines and activated, but not resting, immune cells. We also show that NK-derived exosomes undergo uptake by tumor target cells but not by resting PBMC. Exosomes purified from plasma of healthy donors express NK cell markers, including CD56+ and perforin, and exert cytotoxic activity against different human tumor target cells and activated immune cells as well. The results of this study propose an important role of NK cell-derived exosomes in immune surveillance and homeostasis. Moreover, this study supports the use of exosomes as an almost perfect example of biomimetic nanovesicles possibly useful in future therapeutic approaches against various diseases, including tumors

Effects of Mentha suaveolens

Candidosis is the most important cause of fungal infections in humans. The yeast Candida albicans can form biofilms, and it is known that microbial biofilms play an important role in human diseases and are very difficult to treat. The prolonged treatment with drugs has often resulted in failure and resistance. Due to the emergence of multidrug resistance, alternatives to conventional antimicrobial therapy are needed. This study aims to analyse the effects induced by essential oil of Mentha suaveolens Ehrh (EOMS) on Candida albicans and its potential synergism when used in combination with conventional drugs. Morphological differences between control and EOMS treated yeast cells or biofilms were observed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM resp.,). In order to reveal the presence of cell cycle alterations, flow cytometry analysis was carried out as well. The synergic action of EOMS was studied with the checkerboard method, and the cellular damage induced by different treatments was analysed by TEM. The results obtained have demonstrated both the effects of EOMS on C. albicans yeast cells and biofilms and the synergism of EOMS when used in combination with conventional antifungal drugs as fluconazole (FLC) and micafungin (MCFG), and therefore we can hypothesize on its potential use in therapy. Further studies are necessary to know its mechanism of action

Phytochemical analysis and biological activities of the ethanolic extract of Daphne sericea Vahl flowering aerial parts collected in Central Italy

In this paper, the first phytochemical analysis of the ethanolic extract of Daphne sericea Vahl flowering aerial parts collected in Italy and its biological activities were reported. Eleven compounds were identified i.e., -linolenic acid (1), tri-linoleoyl-sn-glycerol (2), pheophorbide a ethyl ester (3), pilloin (4), sinensetin (5), yuanhuanin (6), rutamontine (7), syringin (8), p-coumaric acid (9), p-anisic acid (10) and caffeic acid (11). To the best of our knowledge, compounds (1-4, 7-8 and 10) were isolated from D. sericea for the first time during this work, whereas sinensetin (5) represents a newly identified component of the entire Thymelaeaceae family. The extract was found to possess radical scavenging against both DPPH and 2,20-azino-bis(3-thylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS.+) radicals, with at least a 40-fold higher potency against the latter. Moreover, chelating abilities against both ferrous and ferric ions have been highlighted, thus suggesting a possible indirect antioxidant power of the extract. Although the precise bioactive compounds remain to be discovered, the polyphenolic constituents, including phenolic acids, tannins and flavonoids, seem to contribute to the antioxidant power of the phytocomplex. In addition, the extract produced cytotoxic effects in MDA-MB-231 and U87-MG cancer cell lines, especially at the concentration of 625 g/mL and after 48–72 h. Further studies are required to clarify the contribution of the identified compounds in the bioactivities of the extract and to support possible future applications

Functionalized gold nanorods as drug carriers: a promising antiviral system

Functionalized gold nanorods (AuNRs) are innovative tools useful in theranostics, combining diagnostics and therapy and allowing optimal and personal treatment of patients. Moreover, AuNRs are studied for use in photothermal therapy and imaging thanks to the peculiar phenomenon of Localised Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR), which allows them to be identified through spectroscopic techniques in the energy range in which biological tissues are not active. Their functionalization can involve a variety of molecules, including specific drugs or peptides, allowing a controlled transport and release of desired drugs. In this framework, AuNRs were synthesised and characterised through spectroscopic (UV–Vis-NIR, XPS) and microscopic techniques (TEM, FE-SEM). Furthermore, their cytotoxic activity was evaluated on Vero E6 cell line by MTT assay. The data obtained confirm the AuNRs are promising carriers for antiviral drugs, opening new possibilities of application for biomedical field

Phytochemical analysis and In vitro antileukemic activity of alkaloid-enriched extracts from Vinca sardoa (Stearn) Pignatti

Vinca sardoa (Stearn) Pignatti, known as Sardinian periwinkle, is widely diffused in Sardinia (Italy). This species contains indole alkaloids, which are known to have a great variety of biological activities. This study investigated the antileukemic activity against a B lymphoblast cell line (SUP-B15) of V. sardoa alkaloid-rich extracts obtained from plants grown in Italy, in Iglesias (Sardinia) and Rome (Latium). All the extracts showed a good capacity to induce reductions in cell proliferation of up to 50% at the tested concentrations (1–15 g/mL). Moreover, none of the extracts showed cytotoxicity on normal cells at all the studied concentrations

Design, synthesis, and in vitro, in silico and in cellulo evaluation of new pyrimidine and pyridine amide and carbamate derivatives as multi-functional cholinesterase inhibitors

Alzheimer disease is an age-linked neurodegenerative disorder representing one of the greatest medical care challenges of our century. Several drugs are useful in ameliorating the symptoms, even if none could stop or reverse disease progression. The standard approach is represented by the cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) that restore the levels of acetylcholine (ACh) by inhibiting the acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Still, their limited efficacy has prompted researchers to develop new ChEIs that could also reduce the oxidative stress by exhibiting antioxidant properties and by chelating the main metals involved in the disease. Recently, we developed some derivatives constituted by a 2-amino-pyrimidine or a 2-amino-pyridine moiety connected to various aromatic groups by a flexible amino-alkyl linker as new dual inhibitors of AChE and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Following our previous studies, in this work we explored the role of the flexible linker by replacing the amino group with an amide or a carbamic group. The most potent compounds showed higher selectivity against BChE in respect to AChE, proving also to possess a weak anti-aggregating activity toward Aβ42 and tau and to be able to chelate Cu2+ and Fe3+ ions. Molecular docking and molecular dynamic studies proposed possible binding modes with the enzymes. It is noteworthy that these compounds were predicted as BBB-permeable and showed low cytotoxicity on the human brain cell line

Neurotrophins and neurotransmitters in human palatine tonsils: An immunohistochemical and RT-PCR analysis

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