POTENTIAL ANTI-TUMOR AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF SIX MISTLETOE PLANTS IN THE FAMILY VISCACEAE PRESENT IN WESTERN GHATS, INDIA

ABSTRACTObjectivesTo find out the cytotoxicity, anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory activities of six species of plants belongs to Viscaeceae family available in Western Ghats (India).MethodsIn vitro cytotoxicity of Viscum extracts was studied by trypan blue exclusion method and MTT assay using various cell lines. Anti-tumor activity was determined using Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) and Dalton's lymphoma ascites (DLA) cells in mice. Anti-inflammatory activities of Viscum extracts were studied using carrageenan and dextran induced mouse paw edema models in mice.ResultsAll six Viscaeceae plant extracts studied were cytotoxic towards transformed cell lines like DLA and EAC as well as to MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and SKBR3 cell lines. V.orientale, V.nepalense and V.ramosissimum, V.trilobatum were cytotoxic towards normal cells while V.angulatum and V.capitellatum were found to be nontoxic. Excepting V.angulatum all the other species selected here showed toxicity to animals. Administration of nontoxic concentration of extracts of Viscaeceae plants significantly (P<0.001) increased the lifespan of ascites tumor bearing animals and reduced DLA cells induced solid tumor development. All these plants except V.capitallatum and V.trilobatum showed significant (P<0.001) anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenan and dextran models and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine levels.ConclusionOut of six species studied four species of Viscum species studied were cytotoxic to tumour cells and inhibited tumour development. Of the six species studied V. angulatum was non-toxic to animals and showed maximum efficiency as an antitumour agent. These plants showed significant anti-inflammatory activity and reduced inflammatory markers

Effect of Calendula officinalis Flower Extract on Acute Phase Proteins, Antioxidant Defense Mechanism and Granuloma Formation During Thermal Burns

Effect of Calendula officinalis flower extract was investigated against experimentally induced thermal burns in rats. Burn injury was made on the shaven back of the rats under anesthesia and the animals were treated orally with different doses of the flower extract (20 mg, 100 mg and 200 mg/kg body weight). The animals treated with the extract showed significant improvement in healing when compared with the control untreated animals. The indicators of the wound healing such as collagen-hydroxyproline and hexosamine contents were significantly increased in the treated group indicating accelerated wound healing in the treated animals. The acute phase proteins—haptoglobin and orosomucoid which were increased due to burn injury were found to be decreased significantly in 200 mg/kg body weight extract treated animals. The antioxidant defense mechanism, which was decreased in the liver during burn injury, was found to be enhanced in treated animals. The lipid peroxidation was significantly lowered in the treated group when compared to control animals. Tissue damage marker enzymes- alkaline phosphatase, alanine and aspartate transaminases were significantly lowered in the treated groups in a dose dependant manner. The histopathological analyses of skin tissue also give the evidence of the increased healing potential of the extract after burn injury

ANTITUMOUR ACTIVITY OF MESO-ZEAXANTHINE AND ITS MECHANISM OF ACTION

Objective: To evaluate the antitumour activity of meso-zeaxanthin and enumerate the mechanism of action.Methods: In vitro cytotoxicity was determined using transformed cells such as Dalton's lymphoma ascites tumour cells, Ehrlich ascites tumour cells, L929 cells as well as using normal cells. Tumour reduction was determined by ascites tumour formation and solid tumour reduction. Mechanism of tumour reduction was determined by inhibition of apoptosis as seen by morphology, DNA ladder fraction and induction of P53 and caspase gene and inhibition of BCl2 gene.Results: Carotenoid meso-zeaxanthin was found to be toxic to Dalton's Lymphoma ascites cells, Ehrlich ascites tumour cells and L929 cells (IC50, 46, 51 and 37 μg/ml respectively) and was not cytotoxic to normal cells. Meso-zeaxanthin increased the lifespan of animals bearing Ehrlich ascites tumour (69.9%) and decreased the solid tumour induced by Dalton's Lymphoma ascites tumour. Meso-zeaxanthin was found to induce apoptosis to DLA cells as seen from DNA Lymphoma ascites tumour. Meso-zeaxanthin was found to induce apoptosis to DLA cells as seen from DNA fragmentation, and DNA laddering and up regulation of P [53] and caspase 3 and 9 down regulation of BCl2 gene expression.Conclusion: Meso-zeaxanthin which is non-toxic was found to reduce animal tumours.Keywords: Meso-zeaxanthin, Antitumour activity, Apoptosis, P[53] gene-BCl2geneÂ

ANTITUMOR AND CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF GINGER ESSENTIAL OIL (ZINGIBER OFFICINALE ROSCOE)

Objective: To evaluate the cytotoxicty and antitumor activity of ginger essential oil (GEO).Methods: Cytotoxicity towards Dalton's Lymphoma Ascites (DLA) and Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma (EAC) cell lines were evaluated by trypan blue exclusion method. In vitro cytotoxicity of GEO to L929 cells in culture were checked by MTT assay. The antitumor activity of GEO was determined by using DLA cell line induced solid tumor and EAC cell line induced ascites tumor model in mice and its comparison with standard anticancer drug cyclophosphamide.Results: GEO showed potent in vitro cytotoxic activity against DLA and EAC cell lines. IC50 value for DLA cell line was 11 μg/ml and for EAC cell lines 18 μg/ml. The IC50 of GEO was found to be 41 μg/ml against the L929 cell lines and to Vero cells was found to be ˃100 ug/ml. The treatment with GEO (500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg body weight) significantly reduced the volume of solid tumor development by 54.4% and 62.4% respectively. The life span was increased up to 50% in 1000 mg/kg b. wt GEO treated ascites tumor induced animals.Conclusion: This indicates the significant in vitro cytotoxic and antitumor properties of GEO suggesting its potential use as an anticancer agent.Â

OXYCAROTENOID LUTEIN REVERSES THE TOXICITY INDUCED BY CARBOFURAN IN WISTAR RATS

Objective: Elucidation of the protective effect of lutein against carbofuran induced toxicity in Wistar rats.Methods: Male Wistar rats were assigned into 5 groups of five animals. Group I normal received sunflower oil, Group 2 received carbofuran (5 mg/kg b. w.) alone. Group 3-5 received carbofuran plus lutein (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight) respectively. Carbofuran and lutein administration were continued for 14 d. Neurobehavioural markers such as rotarod, grip strength test and pain threshold tests were carried out. After sacrifice, tissues were analysed for marker enzymes, antioxidant enzymes as well as oxidative stress markers.Results: Low dose of carbofuran was found to produce neurobehavioral problems as seen from the decreased retention time during rotarod test, endurance capacity in grip strength test and increased endurance capacity in pain threshold test. They were found to be significantly reversed by oral lutein administration. Administration of lutein restored the decreased acetylcholinesterase produced by carbofuran. Serum and tissue marker enzymes such as lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase and gamma-glutamyltransferase, which were increased by carbofuran were decreased by lutein administration. Lutein administration also reduced oxidative stress parameters which were increased by carbofuran.Conclusion: The results showed that carbofuran induced toxicity in male Wistar rats was reversed by carotenoid lutein

Beneficial effects of green tea: A literature review

The health benefits of green tea for a wide variety of ailments, including different types of cancer, heart disease, and liver disease, were reported. Many of these beneficial effects of green tea are related to its catechin, particularly (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, content. There is evidence from in vitro and animal studies on the underlying mechanisms of green tea catechins and their biological actions. There are also human studies on using green tea catechins to treat metabolic syndrome, such as obesity, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular risk factors

<span style="font-size: 20.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; color:black">Immunopotentiating activity of abrin, a lectin from <i><span style="font-size:21.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:14.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; color:black">Abrus precatorius </span></i><span style="font-size:20.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black">Linn </span></span>

910-913<span style="font-size: 15.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif";="" color:black"="">A non-toxic dose of abrin , (1.25µg/kg body wt) consecutively for five days in normal mice stimulated specific humoral responses. A noticeable increase was observed in total leucocyte count, lymphocytosis, weights of spleen and thymus, circulating antibody titre, anti body forming cells, bone marrow cellularity and oc-esterase positive bone marrow cells. The results <span style="font-size:15.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.5pt;line-height:115%; font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" color:black;mso-ansi-language:en-us;mso-fareast-language:en-us;mso-bidi-language:="" ar-sa"="">suggest that abrin can potentiate the humoral immune response of the host.</span

Effect of herbal preparation, brahma rasayana, in amelioration of radiation induced damage

999-1002Oral administration of brahma rasayana (BR; 10 and 50 mg/dose/animal) for 15 days increased significantly total leukocyte count and percentage of polymorphonuclear cells in irradiated mice. Bone marrow cellularity and α-esterase positive cells also increased significantly in radiation-treated animals after BR administration. Number of nodular colonies on the surface of spleen on day seven increased significantly in lethally irradiated recipients receiving bone marrow cells from animals treated with BR. Oral administration of BR also enhanced in serum level of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor(GM-CSF) in normal and irradiated mice. These results indicated that proliferation of stem cells induced by BR in irradiated mice may be related to its stimulation of cytokine production

Antioxidant and anticarcinogenic activity of Lycovin -an indigenous herbal preparation

1177-1181<span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";="" color:black;mso-ansi-language:en-in;mso-fareast-language:en-in;mso-bidi-language:="" hi"="" lang="EN-IN">Aqueous extract of Lycovin has been found to be a potent inhibitor of lipid peroxide formation, (IC50=500 μg/ml) and scaveger of hydroxyl radical (IC50=44 μg/ml) and superoxide radical (IC50=30 μg/ml) in vitro. Lycovin syrup 1.5 ml and 7.5<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">ml /kg body wt administered orally, reduced the development of sarcoma induced by 20 MC by 35% and 70% respectively. Lycovin syrup was also found to inhibit the hepatocarcinogenesis induced by NDEA. The tumour incidence was 100% in the control group, while none of the drug treated animals developed tumour. Liver weight, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT),GSH-S-transferase (GST), reduced glutathione, (GSH) and aniline-4-hydroxylase in liver were elevated in NDEA alone treated animals. The serum parameters indicative of liver injury such as bilirubin, lipid peroxides, alkaline phosphatase and glutamate pyruvate transaminase were also elevated by NDEA administration. These elevated parameters were significan tly reduced in animals treated with Lycovin syrup along with NDEA in a dose dependent manner. Eventhough the exact mechanism of action is not known at present, the observed anti carcinogenic activity may be due to the inhibition of P.450 enzyme activity and subsequent inhibition of the production of the ultimate carcinogen as well as scavenging of oxygen free radicals during promotion of the transformed cell.</span