Study on determination of bioactive potentials of certain lichens

Lichens are symbiotic associations that are formed by fungi and algae or cyanobacteria. The number of lichen species investigated pharmaceutically is still very low at present. The present study aims to determine the antioxidant activities, antibacterial activities, DNA protective activities, and oxidative stress status of Bryoria fuscescens (Gyeln.) Brodo & D. Hawksw., Parmelina tiliacea (Hoffm.) Hale, and Umbilicaria decussata (Vill.) Zahlbr. Lichens were extracted with ethanol in the Soxhlet device. The DPPH method was used to determine antioxidant activities. DNA protective activity was determined using pBR322 supercoil DNA. Antibacterial activity was determined with dilution test on 5 different species of bacteria (Enterocossus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus). Total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were defined with Rel Assay Diagnostics kits. It was observed that DPPH free radical scavenging activities in lichen ethanol extracts increased with increasing concentration. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in B. fuscescens and the lowest activity was determined in U. decussata. It was also determined that the ethanol extracts of all lichen samples had DNA-protective activity. The highest antibacterial activity was detected in B. fuscescens, while the lowest activity was detected in U. decussata. It was determined that B. fuscescens had the highest oxidative stress index and U. decussata had the lowest value. It appears that the ethanol extracts of the lichen samples utilized in the study could be used as an alternative and complementary resource in medical treatment

Fomitopsis pinicola in healthful dietary approach and their therapeutic potentials

Certain macrofungi species have been used for medical purposes and as nutrients since the old times. The present study aims to determine and compare total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI) values, and Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Ni levels in Fomitopsis pinicola (Sw.) P. Karst samples gathered in Balıkesir province Kazdağı National Park and Yalova province Çınarcık Hasan Baba Woods in Turkey. TAS, TOS, and OSI values of mushroom samples were measured with Rel Assay kits. Mushroom heavy metal content was determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer and wet decomposition procedure. In the samples collected from Çınarcık district, OSI values were 0.99±0.03, while in the samples collected from Kazdağı National Park, OSI values were 0.13±0.01. Fe content in the samples collected from Çınarcık district were 265.9±70.5 ppm, while Fe content in the samples collected from Kazdağı National Park were 31.31±1.43 ppm. As a result, it is considered that the mushrooms could be used as antioxidant source. Furthermore, it could be argued that as a result of the increase in heavy metal levels, the production of oxidants increases in living organisms, which in turn increases the oxidative stress index

Liposomal cytarabine as cancer therapy: From chemistry to medicine

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. The main modality to fight against cancer is surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, and more recently targeted therapy, gene therapy and immunotherapy, which play important roles in treating cancer patients. In the last decades, chemotherapy has been well developed. Nonetheless, administration of the drug is not always successful, as limited drug dosage can reach the tumor cells.. In this context, the possibility to use an encapsulated anti-cancer drug may potentially solve the problem. Liposomal cytarabine is a formulation with pronounced effectiveness in lymphomatous meningitis and reduced cardiotoxicity if compared to liposomal anthracyclines. Thus, the future liposomal cytarabine use could be extended to other diseases given its reduction in cytotoxic side effects compared to the free formulation. This review summarizes the chemistry and biology of liposomal cytarabine, with exploration of its clinical implications.N. Martins would like to thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT-Portugal) for the strategic project ref. UID/BIM/04293/2013 and "NORTE2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte" (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000012). M. Martorell would like to thank the support offered by CONICYT PIA/APOYO CCTE AFB170007

Osthole: A Multifunctional Natural Compound with Potential Anticancer, Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activities

Nature has always proved to be a significant reservoir of bioactive scaffolds that have been used for the discovery of drugs since times. Medicinal plants continue to be a solid niche for biologically active and therapeutically effective chemical entities, opening up new avenues for the successful treatment of several human diseases. The contribution of plant-derived compounds to drug discovery, either in their original or in the semi-synthetic derivative form, extends far back in time. This review aims to focus on the sources, biological, and pharmacological profile of a pharmacologically active plant-derived coumarin, osthole, which is an important component of numerous remedial plants such as Cnidium monnieri. Several studies have revealed that osthole possess pharmacological properties such as anticancer, antioxidant, anti-hyperglycemic, neuroprotective, and antiplatelet. Osthole has been reported to regulate various signaling pathways, which in turn modulate several apoptosis-related pro-teins, cell cycle regulators, protein kinases, transcriptional factors, cytokines, and growth receptors affiliated with inflammation, proliferation and several other ailments. Osthole is known to halt proliferation and metastasis of cancerous cells by arresting the cell cycle and inducing apoptosis. The data in this review paper supports the pharmacological potential of osthole but further experimentation, biosafety profiling and synergistic effects of this compound need to be focused by the researchers to understand the full spectrum of pharmacological potential of this therapeutically potent compound

Physcion and Physcion 8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside: Natural Anthraquinones with Potential Anti-cancer Activities.

Nature has provided prodigious reservoirs of pharmacologically active compounds for drug development since times. Physcion and physcion 8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (PG) are bioactive natural anthraquinones which exert anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties with minimum or no adverse effects. Moreover, physcion also exhibits anti-microbial and hepatoprotective properties while PG is known to have anti-sepsis as well as ameliorative activities against dementia. This review aims to highlight the natural sources and anti-cancer activities of physcion and PG along with asso-ciated mechanisms of actions. On the basis of the literature, physcion and PG regulate multitudinous cell signaling path-ways through the modulation of various regulators of cell cycle, protein kinases, microRNAs, transcriptional factors, and apoptosis linked proteins resulting in the effective killing of cancerous cells in vitro as well as in vivo. Both compounds effectively suppress metastasis, furthermore, physcion acts as inhibitor of 6PGD and also play an important role in chemosensitization. This review article suggests that physcion and PG are potent anti-cancer drug candidates but further investigations on their mechanism of action and pre-clinical trials are mandatory in order to comprehend the full potential of these natural cancer killers in anti-cancer remedies

Determination of some heavy metal levels in three freshwater fish in Keban Dam Lake (Turkey) for public consumption

[No abstract available

A study on determination of bioactive potentials of certain lichens

Lichens are symbiotic associations that are formed by fungi and algae or cyanobacteria. The number of lichen species investigated pharmaceutically is still very low at present. The present study aims to determine the antioxidant activities, antibacterial activities, DNA protective activities, and oxidative stress status of Bryoria fuscescens (Gyeln.) Brodo & D. Hawksw., Parmelina tiliacea (Hoffm.) Hale, and Umbilicaria decussata (Vill.) Zahlbr. Lichens were extracted with ethanol in the Soxhlet device. The DPPH method was used to determine antioxidant activities. DNA protective activity was determined using pBR322 supercoil DNA. Antibacterial activity was determined with dilution test on 5 different species of bacteria (Enterocossus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus). Total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were defi ned with Rel Assay Diagnostics kits. It was observed that DPPH free radical scavenging activities in lichen ethanol extracts increased with increasing concentration. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in B. fuscescens and the lowest activity was determined in U. decussata. It was also determined that the ethanol extracts of all lichen samples had DNA-protective activity. The highest antibacterial activity was detected in B. fuscescens, while the lowest activity was detected in U. decussata. It was determined that B. fuscescens had the highest oxidative stress index and U. decussata had the lowest value. It appears that the ethanol extracts of the lichen samples utilized in the study could be used as an alternative and complementary resource in medical treatment. © 2018 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest