Chemical composition of essential oils and in vitro antioxidant properties of extracts and essential oils of Calamintha origanifolia and Micromeria myrtifolia, two Lamiaceae from the Lebanon flora

There is a growing interest of industry to replace synthetic chemicals by natural products with bioactiveproperties from plant origin. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition of essen-tial oils of Calamintha origanifolia (Labill.) Boiss and Micromeria myrtifolia Boiss., two Lamiaceae speciescollected in Lebanon, and to characterize the in vitro antioxidant activities of their extracts and of theessential oils. The essential oils from aerial parts of the two plants were isolated by hydrodistillationtechnique using a Clevenger-type apparatus. The extracts were prepared with three solvents of differentpolarity (n-hexane, chloroform and methanol). A total of 97 constituents were identified in M. myrtifoliaand C. origanifolia oils using GC/MS; the main components detected were -caryophyllene together withcaryophyllene oxide and hexadecanoic acid in M. myrtifolia while isomenthone, menthone, pulegone and-bisabolol were the main compounds in C. origanifolia. The methanol extracts of both species exhibitedthe highest phenol content and were found to be significantly more active than chloroform and hexaneextracts when assayed by DPPH˙ radical scavenging and ferric ion reduction (FRAP) assays. The results ofthis study provide a clear picture of the volatiles of M. myrtifolia and C. origanifolia and demonstrate thatthese plant species have an huge potential as an alternative to chemical additives for the food industrydue to their antioxidant properties

<i>In vitro</i> antiproliferative activity of saffron extracts against human acute lymphoblastic T-cell human leukemia

16-21<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family: " times="" new="" roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";mso-bidi-font-family:="" mangal;letter-spacing:-.1pt;mso-ansi-language:en-gb;mso-fareast-language:en-us;="" mso-bidi-language:hi"="" lang="EN-GB">Cancer is still considered as one of the most life threatening cause responsible for a huge number of annual deaths around the world. Particularly, leukemia is difficult to be cured. In this context, free radicals are one of the factors that cause or predispose to cancer. Hence, they should be controlled in the body by prophylactic or curative treatments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiproliferative effect against human acute lymphoblastic T-cell leukemia (Jurkat cell line) of the Lebanese saffron (Crocus sativus L.; Family Iridacea), and to detect which components of saffron are responsible for the growth inhibitor. Lebanese saffron decreased cell growth of Jurkat cells in a dose dependent manner. A mixture of crocin and safranal also decreased the number of Jurkat cells and the IC50 value of this mixture was lower than that of the whole saffron extract.</span

Laurus nobilis L. Seed Extract Reveals Collateral Sensitivity in Multidrug-Resistant P-Glycoprotein-Expressing Tumor Cells

The frequent failure of standard cancer chemotherapy requires the development of novel drugs capable of killing otherwise drug-resistant tumors. Here, we have investigated a chloroform extract of Laurus nobilis seeds. Fatty acids and 23 constituents of the volatile fraction were identified by gas chromotography/flame ionization detection (GC/FID) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), in good agreement with (1)H NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectrum. Multidrug-resistant P-glycoprotein-expressing CEM/ADR5000 leukemia cells were hypersensitive (collaterally sensitive) toward this extract compared to drug-sensitive CCRF-CEM cells, whereas CEM/ADR5000 cells were 2586-fold resistant to doxorubicin as control drug. Collateral sensitivity was verified by measurement of apoptotic cells by flow cytometry. The log10IC50 values of 3 compounds in the extract (limonene, eucalyptol, oleic acid) did not correlate with mRNA expression of the P-glycoprotein-coding ABCB1/MDR1 gene and accumulation of the P-glycoprotein substrate rhodamine in the NCI panel of tumor cell lines. A microarray-based profile of 20 genes predicted resistance to doxorubicin and 7 other anticancer drugs involved in the multidrug resistance phenotype but not to limonene, eucalyptol and oleic acid. In conclusion, our results show that Laurus nobilis seed extract is suitable to kill multidrug-resistant P-glycoprotein expressing tumor cells

Phytochemical and pharmacological properties of essential oils from Cedrus species

Natural products frequently exert pharmacological activities. The present review gives an overview of the ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology of the Cedrus genus, e.g. cytotoxic, spasmolytic immunomodulatory, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. Cancer patients frequently seek remedies from traditional medicinal plants that are believed to exert less side effects than conventional therapy with synthetic drugs. A long-lasting goal of anti-cancer and anti-microbial therapy research is to find compounds with reduced side effects compared to currently approved drugs. In this respect, Cedrus species might be of interest. The essential oil isolated from Cedrus libani leaves may bear potential for drug development due to its high concentrations of germacrene D and β-caryophyllene. The essential oils from Cedrus species also show bioactivity against bacteria and viruses. More preclinical analyses (e.g. in vivo experiments) as well as clinical trials are required to evaluate the potential of essential oils from Cedrus species for drug development

Biopiracy of natural products and good bioprospecting practice

Background: Biopiracy mainly focuses on the use of biological resources and/or knowledge of indigenous tribes or communities without allowing them to share the revenues generated out of economic exploitation or other non-monetary incentives associated with the resource/knowledge. Methods: Based on collaborations of scientists from five continents, we have created a communication platform to discuss not only scientific topics, but also more general issues with social relevance. This platform was termed ‘PhytCancer -Phytotherapy to Fight Cancer’ (www.phyt-cancer.uni-mainz.de). As a starting point, we have chosen the topic “biopiracy”, since we feel this is of pragmatic significance for scientists working with medicinal plants. Results: It was argued that the patenting of herbs or natural products by pharmaceutical corporations disregarded the ownership of the knowledge possessed by the indigenous communities on how these substances worked. Despite numerous court decisions in U.S.A. and Europe, several international treaties, (e.g. from United Nations, World Health Organization, World Trade Organization, the African Unity and others), sharing of a rational set of benefits amongst producers (mainly pharmaceutical companies) and indigenous communities is yet a distant reality. In this paper, we present an overview of the legal frameworks, discuss some exemplary cases of biopiracy and bioprospecting as excellent forms of utilization of natural resources. Conclusions: We suggest certain perspectives, by which we as scientists, may contribute towards prevention of biopiracy and also to foster the fair utilization of natural resources. We discuss ways, in which the interests of indigenous people especially from developing countries can be securedDeutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft/[GRK2015/1]//AlemaniaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias de la Salud::Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales (CIET

Health-related quality of life in patients with a germline BRCA mutation and metastatic pancreatic cancer receiving maintenance olaparib

Background: Patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer often have a detriment in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). In the randomized, double-blind, phase III POLO trial progression-free survival was significantly longer with maintenance olaparib, a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, than placebo in patients with a germline BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 mutation (gBRCAm) and metastatic pancreatic cancer whose disease had not progressed during first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. The prespecified HRQoL evaluation is reported here. Patients and methods: Patients were randomized to receive maintenance olaparib (300 mg b.i.d.; tablets) or placebo. HRQoL was assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30-item module at baseline, every 4 weeks until disease progression, at discontinuation, and 30 days after last dose. Scores ranged from 0 to 100; a ≥10-point change or difference between arms was considered clinically meaningful. Adjusted mean change from baseline was analysed using a mixed model for repeated measures. Time to sustained clinically meaningful deterioration (TSCMD) was analysed using a log-rank test. Results: Of 154 randomized patients, 89 of 92 olaparib-arm and 58 of 62 placebo-arm patients were included in HRQoL analyses. The adjusted mean change in Global Health Status (GHS) score from baseline was <10 points in both arms and there was no significant between-group difference [-2.47; 95% confidence interval (CI) -7.27, 2.33; P = 0.31]. Analysis of physical functioning scores showed a significant between-group difference (-4.45 points; 95% CI -8.75, -0.16; P = 0.04). There was no difference in TSCMD for olaparib versus placebo for GHS [P = 0.25; hazard ratio (HR) 0.72; 95% CI 0.41, 1.27] or physical functioning (P = 0.32; HR 1.38; 95% CI 0.73, 2.63). Conclusions: HRQoL was preserved with maintenance olaparib treatment with no clinically meaningful difference compared with placebo. These results support the observed efficacy benefit of maintenance olaparib in patients with a gBRCAm and metastatic pancreatic cancer. ClincalTrials.gov number: NCT02184195