PHYTOCHEMICAL EVALUATION AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF SYZYGIUM AROMATICUM: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Medicinal plants are generating an ever-increasing amount of interest due to the effectiveness, low cost and minimal side-effects associated with drugs derived from them. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) (Family Myrtaceae) is one of the most important herbs in traditional medicine, having a wide spectrum of biological activity. Phytoconstituents of clove comprise of various classes and groups of chemical compounds such as monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, phenolics and hydrocarbon compounds. The major phytochemicals found in clove oil is mainly eugenol (70-85%) followed by eugenyl acetate (15%) and β-caryophyllene (5–12%). Their derivatives result in biological benefits such as antibacterial, antifungal, insecticidal, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic capacities. In addition to clove oil's worldwide use as a food flavoring agent, it has also been employed for centuries as a topical analgesic in dentistry. This review presents an overview and details of the phytochemical and pharmacological investigations on the S. aromaticum

DMA, a Small Molecule, Increases Median Survival and Reduces Radiation-Induced Xerostomia via the Activation of the ERK1/2 Pathway in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Survival, recurrence, and xerostomia are considerable problems in the treatment of oral squamous carcinoma patients. In this study, we investigated the role of DMA (5-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-[2′-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)5″benzimidazoyl]benzimidazole) as a salivary gland cytoprotectant in a patient-derived xenograft mouse model. A significant increase in saliva secretion was observed in the DMA-treated xenograft compared to radiation alone. Repeated doses of DMA with a high dose of radiation showed a synergistic effect on mice survival and reduced tumor growth. The mean survival rate of tumor-bearing mice was significantly enhanced. The increased number of Ki-67-stained cells in the spleen, intestine, and lungs compared to the tumor suggests DMA ablates the tumor but protects other organs. The expression of aquaporin-5 was restored in tumor-bearing mice injected with DMA before irradiation. The reduced expression of αvβ3 integrin and CD44 in DMA alone and DMA with radiation-treated mice suggests a reduced migration of cells and stemness of cancer cells. DMA along with radiation treatment results in the activation of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway in the tumor, leading to apoptosis through caspase upregulation. In conclusion, DMA has strong potential for use as an adjuvant in radiotherapy in OSCC patients