148 research outputs found

    Effect of pressure variation on the efficiency of supercritical fluid extraction of wild carrot (Daucus carota subsp. maritimus) extracts

    Get PDF
    The present study was conducted to check the comparative qualities of essential oils prepared by hydrodistillation (HD) and supercritical fluid techniques. It constitutes the first attempt to investigate the chemical composition of Daucus carota subsp. maritimus extracts using supercritical fluid technology (SFE) as an environmentally clean innovative method of extraction. The effect of pressure on the nature of extractable substances from wild carrot has been performed at a constant temperature of 50 °C and two different pressures (100 and 300 bar). The experimental results showed that pressure had a significant enhancing effect on the fluid transport properties and therefore on yield values. The extraction yield increases from 1.167 to 2.986% while increasing pressure. The chemical compositions of the essential oils prepared by HD and SFE were analyzed on the basis of gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC–MS). Thus, we noticed that all analyzed samples were enriched in geranyl acetate and β‑bisabolene, and that the quantities of different identified substances were extremely sensitive to the extraction method and to the pressure variation in case of SFE

    Anti-aging potential of extracts from Washingtonia filifera seeds

    Get PDF
    The aim of this study was to test the inhibitory effect of fruit extracts from Washingtonia filifera on skin aging-related enzymes. The pulp extracts did not exert a significant enzyme inhibition while seed extracts from W. filifera exhibit anti-elastase, anti-collagenase, and anti-tyrosinase activities. Tyrosinase was mildly inhibited while a stronger effect was observed with respect to elastase and collagenase inhibition. Alcoholic extracts provided better results than aqueous extracts. Among them, methanol extracts showed the prominent enzyme inhibitory activities being IC50 value for elastase and collagenase comparable and even better than the reference compound. The inhibition mode of the most active extracts was investigated by Lineweaver-Burk plot analysis. Seed extracts from W. filifera were also investigated for their photo-protective effect by Mansur equation and the antioxidant activity of W. filifera extract was evaluated in oxidative-stressed cells. To evaluate the safety of the extract, the effect on cell viability of human keratinocytes cells was analyzed. Methanol extract presented the best photo-protective effect and exerted an antioxidant activity in a cellular system with no cytotoxic effect. The overall results demonstrate that W. filifera extracts are promising sources of bioactive compounds that could be used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparation

    Insertion of the DNA for the 163-171 peptide of IL1beta enables a DNA vaccine encoding p185(neu) to inhibit mammary carcinogenesis in Her-2/neu transgenic BALB/c mice.

    Get PDF
    Insertion of the DNA for the 163–171 peptide of IL1β enables a DNA vaccine encoding p185 neu to inhibit mammary carcinogenesis in Her-2/neu transgenic BALB/c mic

    Euphorbia characias Extract: Inhibition of Skin Aging-Related Enzymes and Nanoformulation

    Get PDF
    Plant extracts have long served as important sources of bioactive compounds, and they are currently the focus of extensive research in the development of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies. However, their health benefits are often limited by low bioavailability. Nanoparticle delivery systems can represent a solution to such limitations. Euphorbia characias is a Mediterranean shrub known to have biological activities, such as inhibiting tyrosinase and showing a potential role as a skin-whitening agent. In this study, an ethanolic extract from E. characias leaves was tested for its inhibitory activity on skin-related enzymes, such as elastase, collagenase, and hyaluronidase, and for sun protection factors. Moreover, the extract was formulated in phospholipid vesicles to improve its local bioavailability and applicability. The vesicles were characterized by size, surface charge, storage stability, and entrapment efficiency. The nanoformulation was also evaluated for antioxidant activity and assayed for cytocompatibility and anti-tyrosinase activity in melanoma cells. Our findings demonstrated that the extract has a photo-protective effect and enzyme-inhibitory properties. E. characias nanoformulation was also cytocompatible and improved the extract’s activity in the cells, suggesting a potential skin application for antimelanogenic treatments and confirming the key role of nanotechnological approaches to maximize plant extract’s potentialities

    New insights on the antifungal activity of essential oil of Salvia desoleana Atzei et Picci, an endemic plant from folk medicine of Sardinia, Italy

    Get PDF
    This work reports the results concerning the antifungal activity of the essential oil obtained from Salvia desoleana, an endemic plant from folk medicine of Sardinia Island, Italy. Chemical analysis of S. desoleana essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation was carried out by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil contains high amounts of oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, being linalyl acetate (21.0%), a-terpinyl acetate (17.3%), 1,8-cineole (6.7%), linalool (3.6%), sclareol (3.5%) and germacrene D (22.1%) the main compounds. The oil was more active against the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans and the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum with MIC values of 0.16 μL/mL and 0.32 μL/mL, respectively. The oil revealed an important inhibitory effect on the germ tube formation in C. albicans. It was able to achieve about 40% of inhibition of filamentation at concentrations as low as 0.08 µL/mL. These findings add significant information to the biological activity of the essential oil of S. desoleana, specifically to its antifungal properties, thus justifying and reinforcing the use of this plant in traditional medicine

    New insights on the antifungal activity of essential oil of Salvia desoleana Atzei et Picci, an endemic plant from folk medicine of Sardinia, Italy

    Get PDF
    757-760This work reports the results concerning the antifungal activity of the essential oil obtained from Salvia desoleana, an endemic plant from folk medicine of Sardinia Island, Italy. Chemical analysis of S. desoleana essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation was carried out by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil contains high amounts of oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, being linalyl acetate (21.0%), a-terpinyl acetate (17.3%), 1,8-cineole (6.7%), linalool (3.6%), sclareol (3.5%) and germacrene D (22.1%) the main compounds. The oil was more active against the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans and the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum with MIC values of 0.16 μL/mL and 0.32 μL/mL, respectively. The oil revealed an important inhibitory effect on the germ tube formation in C. albicans. It was able to achieve about 40% of inhibition of filamentation at concentrations as low as 0.08 µL/mL. These findings add significant information to the biological activity of the essential oil of S. desoleana, specifically to its antifungal properties, thus justifying and reinforcing the use of this plant in traditional medicine

    DNA Vaccination Against Rat Her-2/Neu p185 More Effectively Inhibits Carcinogenesis Than Transplantable Carcinomas in Transgenic BALB/c Mice

    Get PDF
    The ability of vaccination with plasmids coding for the extracellular and the transmembrane domain of the product of transforming rat Her-2/ neu oncogene (r-p185) to protect against r-p185 + transplantable carcinoma (TUBO) cells and mammary carcinogenesis was evaluated. In normal BALB/c mice, DNA vaccination elicits anti-r-p185 Ab, but only a marginal CTL reactivity, and protects against a TUBO cell challenge. Massive reactive infiltration is associated with TUBO cell rejection. In BALB/c mice transgenic for the rat Her-2/ neu gene (BALB-neuT), DNA vaccination elicits a lower anti-r-p185 Ab response, no CTL activity and only incompletely protects against TUBO cells, but markedly hampers the progression of carcinogenesis. At 33 wk of age, when control BALB-neuT mice display palpable tumors in all mammary glands, about 60% of immunized mice are tumor free, and tumor multiplicity is markedly reduced. Tumor-free mammary glands still display the atypical hyperplasia of the early stages of carcinogenesis, and a marked down-modulation of r-p185, along with a massive reactive infiltrate. However, BALB-neuT mice protected against mammary carcinogenesis fail to efficiently reject a TUBO cell challenge. This suggests that the mechanisms required for the rejection of transplantable tumors may not coincide with those that inhibit the slow progression of carcinogenesis

    The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 5, 6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole induces nongenotoxic, DNA replication-independent apoptosis of normal and leukemic cells, regardless of their p53 status

    Get PDF
    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Current chemotherapy of human cancers focuses on the DNA damage pathway to induce a p53-mediated cellular response leading to either G1 arrest or apoptosis. However, genotoxic treatments may induce mutations and translocations that result in secondary malignancies or recurrent disease. In addition, about 50% of human cancers are associated with mutations in the <it>p53 </it>gene. Nongenotoxic activation of apoptosis by targeting specific molecular pathways thus provides an attractive therapeutic approach.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Normal and leukemic cells were evaluated for their sensitivity to 5, 6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole (DRB) through cell viability and caspase activation tests. The apoptotic pathway induced by DRB was analysed by immunfluorescence and immunoblot analysis. H2AX phosphorylation and cell cycle analysis were performed to study the dependance of apoptosis on DNA damage and DNA replication, respectively. To investigate the role of p53 in DRB-induced apoptosis, specific p53 inhibitors were used. Statistical analysis on cell survival was performed with the test of independence.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we report that DRB, an inhibitor of the transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 7 and 9, triggers DNA replication-independent apoptosis in normal and leukemic human cells regardless of their p53 status and without inducing DNA damage. Our data indicate that (i) in p53-competent cells, apoptosis induced by DRB relies on a cytosolic accumulation of p53 and subsequent Bax activation, (ii) in the absence of p53, it may rely on p73, and (iii) it is independent of ATM and NBS1 proteins. Notably, even apoptosis-resistant leukemic cells such as Raji were sensitive to DRB.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results indicate that DRB represents a potentially useful cancer chemotherapeutic strategy that employs both the p53-dependent and -independent apoptotic pathways without inducing genotoxic stress, thereby decreasing the risk of secondary malignancies.</p
    • …
    corecore