The effects of thymoquinone on pancreatic cancer: Evidence from preclinical studies

Thymoquinone (TQ) is a secondary metabolite found in abundance in very few plant species including Nigella sativa L., Monarda fistulosa L., Thymus vulgaris L. and Satureja montana L. Preclinical pharmacological studies have shown that TQ has many biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments have shown that TQ acts as an antitumor agent by altering cell cycle progression, inhibiting cell proliferation, stimulating apoptosis, inhibiting angiogenesis, reducing metastasis and affecting autophagy. In this comprehensive study, the evidence on the pharmacological potential of TQ on pancreatic cancer is reviewed. The positive results of preclinical studies support the view that TQ can be considered as an additional therapeutic agent against pancreatic cancer. The possibilities of success for this compound in human medicine should be further explored through clinical trials. © 2022 The Author

Influenta fungilor Arbuscular Micorizali asupra tolerantei la stresul salin la tomate

A Romanian tomato landrace was tested for tolerance to saline stress in pot culture. To improve the tolerance of plants to osmotic stress, we tested the effect of inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Plants were assessed before and after application of saline solution for chlorophyll and dry matter content. To test the level of tolerance to salinity, we extracted the proline from plants. Results show that arbuscular mycorrhiza determined a significant reduction of chlorophyll content in normal growing conditions, but after the stress was induced, the differences between mycorrhized and non-mycorrhized plants reduced and differences were not statistically different. Dry matter content was not significantly influenced by any factor. After application of NaCl solution, non-mycorrhized plants had the highest proline content, meanwhile the mycorrhiza alleviated the level of osmotic stress