Aqueous Cinnamon Extract (ACE-c) from the bark of Cinnamomum cassia causes apoptosis in human cervical cancer cell line (SiHa) through loss of mitochondrial membrane potential

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Chemoprevention, which includes the use of synthetic or natural agents (alone or in combination) to block the development of cancer in human beings, is an extremely promising strategy for cancer prevention. Cinnamon is one of the most widely used herbal medicines with diverse biological activities including anti-tumor activity. In the present study, we have reported the anti-neoplastic activity of cinnamon in cervical cancer cell line, SiHa.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The aqueous cinnamon extract (ACE-<it>c</it>) was analyzed for its cinnamaldehyde content by HPTLC analysis. The polyphenol content of ACE-<it>c </it>was measured by Folin-Ciocalteau method. Cytotoxicity analysis was performed by MTT assay. We studied the effect of cinnamon on growth kinetics by performing growth curve, colony formation and soft agar assays. The cells treated with ACE-<it>c </it>were analyzed for wound healing assay as well as for matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression at mRNA and protein level by RT-PCR and zymography, respectively. Her-2 protein expression was analyzed in the control and ACE-<it>c </it>treated samples by immunoblotting as well as confocal microscopy. Apoptosis studies and calcium signaling assays were analyzed by FACS. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ_m) in cinnamon treated cells was studied by JC-1 staining and analyzed by confocal microscopy as well as FACS.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Cinnamon alters the growth kinetics of SiHa cells in a dose-dependent manner. Cells treated with ACE-<it>c </it>exhibited reduced number of colonies compared to the control cells. The treated cells exhibited reduced migration potential that could be explained due to downregulation of MMP-2 expression. Interestingly, the expression of Her-2 oncoprotein was significantly reduced in the presence of ACE-<it>c</it>. Cinnamon extract induced apoptosis in the cervical cancer cells through increase in intracellular calcium signaling as well as loss of mitochondrial membrane potential.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Cinnamon could be used as a potent chemopreventive drug in cervical cancer.</p

Biophilic architecture: a review of the rationale and outcomes

Contemporary cities have high stress levels, mental health issues, high crime levels and ill health, while the built environment shows increasing problems with urban heat island effects and air and water pollution. Emerging from these concerns is a new set of design principles and practices where nature needs to play a bigger part called “biophilic architecture”. This design approach asserts that humans have an innate connection with nature that can assist to make buildings and cities more effective human abodes. This paper examines the evidence for this innate human psychological and physiological link to nature and then assesses the emerging research supporting the multiple social, environmental and economic benefits of biophilic architecture

A Review of International Low Carbon Precincts to Identify Pathways for Mainstreaming Sustainable Urbanism in Australia

The State of Australian Cities (SOAC) national conferences have been held biennially since 2003 to support interdisciplinary policy-related urban research. This paper was presented at SOAC 6, held in Sydney from 26-29 November 2013. SOAC 6was the largest conference to date, with over 180 papers published in collected proceedings. All papers presented at the SOAC 2013 have been subject to a double blind refereeing process and have been reviewed by at least two referees. In particular, the review process assessed each paper in terms of its policy relevance and the contribution to the conceptual or empirical understanding of Australian cities

Urban fabrics, transport and identity : A case study from Karlskrona, Sweden

The theory of urban fabrics outlines how different types of cities are combinations of walking, transit and automobile urban fabrics based on their dominant transport systems. The theory was developed to explain the morphological dimension of modern cities. As automobile urban fabric dominates most modern cities, the theory has been used to identify leverage points for urban sustainability transitions based upon transport modal shifts. But prior to the trains and automobiles, water-based transport modes were common in many coastal settlements, and traces of this transport mode may be observed in the urban morphology at the city’s water interface. This chapter presents a case study from the world heritage listed naval city of Karlskrona in Blekinge, Sweden. It describes Karlskrona’s urban pattern in relation to walking, transit and automobile urban fabrics, as well as introducing elements of a possible new classification waterfront urban fabric that have developed around water-based transport. This research assesses historic maps from Blekinge Museum to show the evolution of the city in relation to these dominant transport modes. Finally, it offers a few suggestions about how the city might capitalise upon its valuable and iconic maritime cultural legacy to re-engage with its past and in the process strengthen its future identity. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021

The theology of sustainability practice: How cities create hope

© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018. All rights reserved. Reflecting on a lifetime of sustainability practice as an academic, politician, public servant, and community activist, I have drawn on how theology has provided the roots of engagement in tackling the issues of change. Understanding the role of cities in theological history enables us to see how the global and local, the personal and the political, are linked in the journey we need to take towards sustainability. Key themes will be how nature and cities are intertwined, the role of prophets, the competing visions of a future city that have guided urban planners for centuries, and the role of activism and good work as a source of hope in creating the city of the future

Green urbanism in the Indian Ocean region

The world is facing an ‘age of scarcity’ which will challenge all cities to reduce their resource footprint, especially carbon, improve biodiversity and at the same time continue to create economic opportunities and liveable places. This is green urbanism. These problems are being understood and cities are taking steps to resolve them. Around the world there are many emerging signs of green urbanism. This is a time for the Indian Ocean region, with its unprecedented urbanisation, to demonstrate to the world how to create a different kind of global economy that is more sustainable. Asia's cities are predicted to be home to more than 60% of the world's urban dwellers by 2050 and Africa will become even more dominant after that. The growth pressures in the region are clearly now dominating global urban demographics, but is the Indian Ocean region part of the solution or part of the problem? The first signs of the green economy are investigated through the theory of innovation waves and seven archetypal city types: renewable energy cities, bioregional carbon-neutral cities, distributed cities, biophilic cities, eco-efficient cities, place-based cities and sustainable transport cities. The first assessment of the contributions being made in the region shows considerable innovation happening in Asia. The opportunities for the region to lead the world in green urbanism are real