Chemical composition and inhibitory effects of water extract of Henna leaves on reactive oxygen species, DNA scission and proliferation of cancer cells

From the centuries, Lawsonia inermis L. (Henna) is utilized in traditional health care system as a medicinal and cosmetic agent. The present study was intended to assess antiradical, DNA protective and antiproliferative activity of water extract of Lawsonia inermis L. leaves (W-LI). Antioxidant activity was estimated using various in vitro assays such as DPPH, ABTS, superoxide anion radical scavenging, FRAP, deoxyribose degradation and DNA protection assay. Growth inhibitory effects of W-LI were assessed using MTT assay against different cancer cell lines viz. HeLa, MCF-7, A549, C6 and COLO-205. From the results of antioxidant assays, it was found that W-LI quenched DPPH and ABTS cation radicals with IC50 value of 352.77 μg/ml and 380.87 μg/ml respectively. It demonstrated hydroxyl radical scavenging potential of 59.75 % at highest test dose of 1000 μg/ml in deoxyribose degradation assay. The results of FRAP assay showed that W-LI also possesses significant reducing activity. Extract inhibited hydroxyl radical induced pBR322 plasmid DNA strand scission, thus conferring DNA protection. Growth inhibition of various cancer cell lines was achieved to the varying extent on treatment with W-LI. Further, it was observed that activity was quite promising against colon cancer COLO-205 cells (GI50 121.03 μg/ml). HPLC profiling of W-LI revealed the presence of different polyphenolic compounds such as ellagic acid, catechin, quercetin, kaempferol etc. which might be contributing towards antioxidant and cytotoxic activity. The present study demonstrated that polyphenols rich W-LI extract from leaves of L. inermis possesses ability to inhibit oxidative radicals and cancer cells proliferation

INFLUENCE OF CADMIUM ON ANTIOXIDATIVE DEFENCE SYSTEM, PHOTOSYNTHESIS, LEVEL OF OSMOLYTES AND IONS UPTAKE IN BRASSICA JUNCEA

Objective: In the present study various physiological and biochemical aspects of Brassica juncea were studied under cadmium (Cd) stress conditions. Methods: Plants of Brassica juncea were subjected to different concentrations of Cd (0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mmol) metal. After 30 d of cadmium exposure it was found that the level of antioxidants, osmolytes, photosynthetic parameters, ions and total sugars were altered. To investigate the effects of metal in Brassica juncea plants, level of ascorbic acid, tocopherol, glutathione, ferric ion reducing assay, molybdate ion reduction assay, total osmolytes content, anthocyanins, xanthophylls, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, water use efficiency, uptake of sodium and potassium ions, level of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfur and total sugar content was detected.Results: Results from this study revealed the increase in antioxidant potential of Brassica juncea plants under cadmium metal stress. Photosynthetic parameters and uptake of sodium and potassium ions were affected negatively due to metal exposure and level of sugars and osmolytes were found to rise in the presence of cadmium stress.Conclusion: Findings of present study suggested that treatment of Cd activated a range of defence strategies in Brassica juncea plants

Antioxidant phytoconstituents from Onosma bracteata Wall. (Boraginaceae) ameliorate the CCl4 induced hepatic damage: in vivo study in male wistar rats

Onosma bracteata Wall. (Boraginaceae) is a highly valuable medicinal herb that is used for the treatment of fever, bronchitis, asthma, rheumatism, stomach irritation, and other inflammatory disorders. The present study aims to explore the hepatoprotective potential of ethanolic extract (Obeth) from O. bracteata aerial parts against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) which causes hepatic damage in the male Wistar rats. Obeth showed effective radical quenching activity with an EC50 of 115.14 and 199.33 µg/mL in superoxide radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation analyses respectively along with plasmid DNA protective potential in plasmid nicking assay. The Obeth modulated mutagenicity of 2 Aminofluorine (2AF) in the pre-incubation mode of investigation (EC50 10.48 µg/0.1 mL/plate) in TA100 strain of Salmonella typhimurium. In in vivo studies, pretreatment of Obeth (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) had the potential to normalize the biochemical markers aggravated by CCl4 (1mL/kg b.wt.) including liver antioxidative enzymes. Histopathological analysis also revealed the restoration of CCl4-induced liver histopathological alterations. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the treatment of Obeth downregulated the expression levels of p53 and cyclin D in hepatocytes. and downregulation in the Western blotting analysis revealed the downregulation of p-NF-kB, COX-2, and p53. HPLC data analysis showed the supremacy of major compounds namely, catechin, kaempferol, epicatechin, and Onosmin A in Obeth. The present investigation establishes the hepatoprotective and chemopreventive potential of O. bracteata against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity via antioxidant defense system and modulation of the expression of proteins associated with the process of carcinogenesis in hepatic cells

Physiological and Biochemical Changes in Brassica juncea Plants under Cd-Induced Stress

Plants of Brassica juncea L. var. RLC-1 were exposed for 30 days to different concentrations (0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 mM) of cadmium (Cd) to analyze the Cd uptake, H2O2 content, hormonal profiling, level of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll, carotenoid, and flavonoid), gaseous exchange parameters (photosynthetic rate, vapour pressure deficit, intercellular CO2 concentration, and intrinsic mesophyll rate), antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase, polyphenol oxidase, glutathione-S transferase, and glutathione peroxidase), antioxidant assays (DPPH, ABTS, and total phenolic content), and polyphenols. Results of the present study revealed the increased H2O2 content and Cd uptake with increasing metal doses. UPLC analysis of plants showed the presence of various polyphenols. Gaseous exchange measurements were done by infrared gas analyzer (IRGA), which was negatively affected by metal treatment. In addition, LC/MS study showed the variation in the expression of plant hormones. Level of photosynthetic pigments and activities of antioxidative enzymes were altered significantly in response to metal treatment. In conclusion, the antioxidative defence system of plants got activated due to heavy metal stress, which protects the plants by scavenging free radicals

Onosma bracteata Wall. induces G₀/G₁ arrest and apoptosis in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells via ROS generation and AKT/GSK3β/cyclin E pathway

Onosma bracteata Wall. (Boraginaceae), commonly known as “gaozaban” is a highly valuable medicinal herb, useful in the treatment of body swellings, abdominal pain, eye-related problems, fever, and urinary calculi. The present study was performed to investigate the antioxidant properties of extract/fractions, viz. ethanol (Obeth) extract, hexane (Obhex) fraction, chloroform (Obcl) fraction, ethyl acetate (Obea) fraction, butanol (Obbu) fraction, and aqueous (Obaq) fraction isolated from O. bracteata. Obea fraction showed stronger free radical quenching ability in various antioxidant assays, as compared to the other fractions. Obea fraction with effective free radical-scavenging properties was further evaluated for the antiproliferative activity against human osteosarcoma MG-63, human neuroblastoma IMR-32, and human lung cancer A549 cell lines using MTT assay. Obea fraction showed strong cytotoxicity with GI50 value of 88.56, 101.61, and 112.7 μg/ml towards MG-63, IMR-32, and A549 cells respectively. Mechanistic studies revealed that Obea fraction in osteosarcoma MG-63 cells increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential. In the presence of Obea, the cells were found to be arrested in the G0/G1 phase in a dose-dependent manner which is also confirmed by the enhancement in the early apoptotic cell population in flow cytometer analysis. Western blotting demonstrated the decrease in expression of p-NFκB, COX-2, p-Akt, and Bcl-xL, whereas upregulation was observed in the expression of GSK-3β, p53, caspase-3, and caspase-9 proteins. RT-qPCR studies revealed downregulation of Bcl-2, cyclin E, CDK2, and mortalin gene expression and upregulation in the expression of p53 genes. The antioxidant and cytotoxic potential of Obea was attributed to the presence of catechin, kaempferol, onosmin A, and epicatechin, as revealed by HPLC analysis. This is the first report regarding the antiproliferative potential of O. bracteata against osteosarcoma

Modulation of genotoxicity of oxidative mutagens by glycyrrhizic acid from Glycyrrhiza glabra L.

Background: The chemopreventive effects of certain phytoconstituents can be exploited for their use as functional foods, dietary supplements and even as drugs. The natural compounds, acting as anti-genotoxic and free radical scavenging compounds, may serve as potent chemopreventive agents. These can inhibit DNA modulatory activities of mutagens and help preventing pathological processes. Objectives: Present study on Glycyrrhiza glabra L., a promising medicinal plant, widely used in traditional medicine, focused on the bioassay-guided fractionation of its extracts for the isolation of certain phytochemicals with anti-genotoxic potential against oxidative mutagens. Materials and Methods: The methanol extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra rhizomes was subjected to column chromatography, and isolated fraction was evaluated for its anti-genotoxic and antioxidant potential using SOS chromotest, Comet assay, and DPPH radical scavenging assay. Results: GLG fraction, which was characterized as Glycyrrhizic acid, inhibited the genotoxicity of oxidative mutagens viz., H 2O2 and 4NQOquite efficiently. In SOS chromotest, using E.coli PQ37 tester strain, it inhibited induction factor induced by H2O2 and 4NQO by 75.54% and 71.69% at the concentration of 121.46 μM,respectively. In Comet assay, it reduced the tail moment induced by H2O2 and 4NQO by 70.21% and 69.04%, respectively, at the same concentration in human blood lymphocytes. The isolated fraction also exhibited DPPH free radical scavenging activity and was able to scavenge 85.95% radicals at a concentration of 120 μM. Conclusion: Glycyrrhizic acid is a potential modulator of genotoxins as well as efficient scavenger of free radicals

AIE+ESIPT Active Hydroxybenzothiazole for Intracellular Detection of Cu2+: Anticancer and Anticounterfeiting Applications

Here, in the present work, a new hydroxybenzothiazole derivative (HBT 2) with AIE+ESIPT features was synthesized by Suzuki–Miyora coupling of HBT 1 with 4-formylphenylboronic acid. The AIE and ESIPT features were confirmed by optical, microscopic (AFM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques. The yellow fluorescent aggregates of HBT 2 can specifically detect Cu2+/Cu+ ions with limits of detection as low as 250 nM and 69 nM. The Job’s plot revealed the formation of a 1:1 complex. The Cu2+ complexation was further confirmed by optical, NMR, AFM and DLS techniques. HBT 2 was also used for the detection of Cu2+ ions in real water samples collected from different regions of Punjab. HBT 2 was successfully used for the bio-imaging of Cu2+ ions in live A549 and its anticancer activity was checked on different cancer cell lines, such as MG63, and HeLa, and normal cell lines such as L929. We successfully utilized HBT 2 to develop security labels for anticounterfeiting applications

Antioxidant activity and identification of bioactive compounds from leaves of Anthocephalus cadamba by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry

Objective: To evaluate the antioxidant potential of different extract/fractions of Anthocephalus cadamba (A. cadamba) (Roxb.) Miq. (Rubiaceae) and study the tentative identification of their active constituents. Methods: The extract/fractions were screened for antioxidant activity using various in vitro assays viz. DPPH assay, ABTS assay, superoxide anion radical scavenging assay, wreadsu cdientge rpmoiwneerd a bssya cy oalnordi mpleatsrmici dm DetNhAod n. icAkni nugl tarsas-apye. rTfoortaml apnhceen oLlCic- ecloenctternots porf aeyx-trqaucat/dfrraucptoiolen-s tfirmacet ioonf sf liogf hAt . mcaadssa mspbeac. trRoemseutlrtys :m Tehteh oedth wyla sa cuesteadte tfor aacntiaolny swe atsh efo aucntdiv teo cboen mstiotsute anctsti voef ferxatcrtaicotn/ (iEn AaAllC t hfrea catsisoany)s w aass c2o1m.2p4a red to other extract/fractions. The IC50 value of ethyl acetate fraction µg/mL, 1.12 ug/mL, 9.68 µg/mL and 57.81 µg/mL in DPPH assay, AfrBacTtSio ansss aayl,s ore sdhuocwinegd ptohwe epr oatsesnatyia al ntdo spurpoteercotx itdhee spclaavsemnigdi ng assay respectively. All the extract/ hydroxyl radicals generated by DNA (pBR322) against the attack of Fenton’s reagent. The bioactive compounds were identified by UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS, by comparing the mass and λmax with literature values. Conclusions: The pthoatet nthtieayl mofa tyh eb ee xutsreafcutl/ ftrhaecrtaiopnesu ttioc sacgaevnetnsg feo rd tirfefearteinngt frraedei craald-icreallast eind dpiaftfheroelongt iscy dstaemmasg ein.dicate