Anticancer potential of Thevetia peruviana fruit methanolic extract

Abstract Background: Thevetia peruviana (Pers.) K. Schum or Cascabela peruviana (L.) Lippold (commonly known as ayoyote, codo de fraile, lucky nut, or yellow oleander), native to Mexico and Central America, is a medicinal plant used traditionally to cure diseases like ulcers, scabies, hemorrhoids and dissolve tumors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic, antiproliferative and apoptotic activity of methanolic extract of T. peruviana fruits on human cancer cell lines. Methods: The cytotoxic activity of T. peruviana methanolic extract was carried out on human breast, colorectal, prostate and lung cancer cell lines and non-tumorigenic control cells (fibroblast and Vero), using the MTT assay. For proliferation and motility, clonogenic and wound-healing assays were performed. Morphological alterations were monitored by trypan blue exclusion, as well as DNA fragmentation and AO/EB double staining was performed to evaluate apoptosis. The extract was separated using flash chromatography, and the resulting fractions were evaluated on colorectal cancer cells for their cytotoxic activity. The active fractions were further analyzed through mass spectrometry. Results: The T. peruviana methanolic extract exhibited cytotoxic activity on four human cancer cell lines: prostate, breast, colorectal and lung, with values of IC50 1.91 ± 0.76, 5.78 ± 2.12, 6.30 ± 4.45 and 12.04 ± 3.43 μg/mL, respectively. The extract caused a significant reduction of cell motility and colony formation on all evaluated cancer cell lines. In addition, morphological examination displayed cell size reduction, membrane blebbing and detachment of cells, compared to non-treated cancer cell lines. The T. peruviana extract induced apoptotic cell death, which was confirmed by DNA fragmentation and AO/EB double staining. Fractions 4 and 5 showed the most effective cytotoxic activity and their MS analysis revealed the presence of the secondary metabolites: thevetiaflavone and cardiac glycosides. Conclusion: T. peruviana extract has potential as natural anti-cancer product with critical effects in the proliferation, motility, and adhesion of human breast and colorectal cancer cells, and apoptosis induction in human prostate and lung cancer cell lines, with minimal effects on non-tumorigenic cell lines. Keywords: Cytotoxic activity, Anti-proliferative activity, Motility, Apoptosis, Human cancer cells, Flavonoid, Cardiac glycoside

CORRELATION OF RENAL DIMENSIONS AND GLOMERULAR FILTRATION RATE WITH HEIGHT, WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX, AND BODY SURFACE AREA IN CHILDREN

Objective: The objective of the study was to estimate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and renal dimension and establish a correlation with age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and body surface area (BSA) of children and to measure renal dimensions (craniocaudal length, anteroposterior length, and transverse length) of both kidneys of 1–10 years children. Methods: A total of 500 children from 1 to 10 years old were screened by ultrasonography to measure renal craniocaudal length, anteroposterior length, and transverse width of the kidney. Length, width, thickness, and cortical size of the kidneys were also measured. Results: There was a positive correlation of renal dimension with age, weight, height, BMI, and BSA. There also was a positive correlation of eGFR with other renal parameters. Conclusion: Renal dimension and eGFR were correlate with age, weight, height, BMI, and BSA in children

Spider web ointment: A traditional based approach in Cutaneous wound healing

657-663Spider web is being used in India and other countries to promote wound healing. Its ointment at 2.5 and 5% w/w concentrations was tested for wound healing activity in excision and incision wound models in rats. A significant reduction in the area of excision wound was observed for both the treatments when compared to normal healing and control ointment treatments. The period of epithelization for spider web treatments was much lower than the standard povidone iodine ointment and significant when compared to normal and control ointment treatments. In the linear incision wound model, spider web ointment at 2.5% w/w showed 30.65% increase in the tensile strength compared to normal healing. The histological evaluation revealed that the spider web ointment lowers scores in terms of scab, ulcus, polymorphonuclear cells and high scores of re-epithelization and neovascularization when compared to normal healing group. Both the concentration of spider web ointment (2.5% and 5% w/w) exhibited similar wound healing activity. Therefore, the optimum effective dose of spider web ointment is 2.5% w/w concentration. The wound healing activity may be due to increase in collagen synthesis and probably due to the presence of proteins in the web. The present study provides a scientific base for the traditional use of spider web for wound healing