Purification And Characterization Of Phosphofructokinase (PFK) Enzyme From Antarctic Yeast, Leucosporidium Antarcticum [QR84.7. S528 2008 f rb].

Leucosporidium Antarcticum telah dipencilkan daripada sampel air dari Stesen Davis di Antartika dan menunjukkan potensi untuk menghasilkan enzim intrasel fosfofruktokinase (PFK) (ATP-PFK; EC 2.7.1.11) pada suhu 5 oC di dalam medium kompleks. L.antarcticum was isolated from the freshwater sample collected from Davis Station in Antarctic and was potential to produce intracellular phosphofructokinase (PFK) (ATP-PFK; EC 2.7.1.11

A clinical study of diagnostic hysteroscopy in abnormal uterine bleeding and its histopathological correlation

Background: Abnormal uterine bleeding is a common clinical problem with myriad of causes. The diagnosis and management of abnormal menstrual function must be based on an understanding of the physiologic mechanisms involved in the regulation of the normal cycles. Diagnostic hysteroscopy is a valuable tool in diagnosing structural intra-cavital pathology, very suitable for out-patient clinic.Methods: This is a prospective study which has been carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tirunelveli medical college hospital, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu from January 2011 to October 2011.Results: A total of 50 cases were analysed among the 50 patients tested. 26 patients had some pathology of which 24were accurately detected by hysteroscopy, missed 2 cases of irregular shedding endometrium which was reported by histopathology.Conclusions: Hysteroscopy is a safe, reliable and quick procedure in the diagnosis of cases with abnormal uterine bleeding with high sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive value

Antibacterial Activity Of Euphorbia Hirta (L.): Euphorbiaceae And Isolation Of Its Bioactive Constituents

Produk semulajadi, terutamanya tumbuhan ubatan, kekal sebagai sumber berharga sebagai pendekatan revolusi hijau dalam penemuan sebatian antibakteria novel. Tumbuhan Euphorbia hirta (L.) digunakan secara tradisional di negara-negara tropika untuk rawatan gastrousus, bronkial dan penyakit pernafasan yang disebabkan oleh agen jangkitan nosokomial. Dalam kajian ini, pelbagai ekstrak pelarut (metanol, etanol, etil asetat, diklorometana dan heksana) daripada tumbuhan E. hirta telah dikaji dalam penyaringan fitokimia untuk menentukan jumlah kandungan fenolik dan flavonoid. Aktiviti antibakteria yang berpotensi daripada ekstrak mentah dinilai melalui ujian in vitro antibakteria dengan menggunakan kaedah mikropencairan medium brot terhadap panel patogen klinikal yang rintang dan strain jenis kultur koleksi Amerika (ATCC). Ekstrak yang paling bioaktif, ekstrak metanol, kemudiannya menjalani penulenan dengan kaedah fraksinasi dan pemencilan berdasarkan bioaktiviti menggunakan kromatografi turus, yang akhirnya menghasilkan tiga sebatian tulen antibakteria. Natural products, especially medicinal plants, remain as a valuable source offering a revolutionary green approach to the discovery of novel antibacterial compounds. Euphorbia hirta (L.) plant is traditionally used in many tropical countries for the treatment of gastrointestinal, bronchial and respiratory ailments caused by nosocomial infectious agents. In this study, various solvent extracts (methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane and hexane) of E. hirta were subjected to phytochemical screening to determine total phenolic and flavonoid contents. The potential antibacterial activities of the crude extracts were assessed via in vitro antibacterial test using broth microdilution method against a panel of clinically resistant pathogens and American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) strains. The most bioactive extract, the methanol extract was further purified in a bioactivity-guided fractionation and isolation method using column chromatography, which finally yielded three pure antibacterial compounds

Antiradical and Cytotoxic Activities of Varying Polarity Extracts of the Aerial Part of Euphorbia hirta L.

Euphorbia hirta is a well-known ethnomedicinal plant with diverse biological activities.The aim of the present study is to investigate the antiradical activities of various solvent extracts of the aerial part of E. hirta as well as to determine the possible cytotoxicity of these extracts. The aerial part of E. hirta was extracted with different solvent systems in order to increase polarity. The solvents used were hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EA), ethanol (EtOH), and methanol (MeOH). The contents of total phenols and total flavonoids were analyzed byUVspectrophotometry, whereas the potential free radical-scavenging activities of the extracts were evaluated using the stable free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), th

In vivo antimalarial potential of tinospora crispa miers in mice and identification of the bioactive compound

Background: Malaria is a serious disease that is causing huge toll on human health. The parasites causing this disease have developed resistance toward the current mainstream drugs. Tinospora crispa Miers is a well-known ethnopharmacological plant of Malaysia and has been traditionally used to treat malaria, fever, and other parasite-related illnesses. Objective: The present study investigated the potential of the crude methanol extract and antiparasitic fractions of T. crispa stem to exert antimalarial activity against Plasmodium berghei. Materials and Methods: The potent antiparasitic fractions of T. crispa, F4, and F5 were isolated in the previous study against Toxoplasma gondii. The same antiparasitic fractions along with crude methanol extract of different doses (10, 50, 100 mg/kg b. w.) were employed in the present study to determine the antimalarial activity against P. berghei ANKA strain. The survival curves of the treated mice were plotted by employing the log-rank (Mantel–Cox) test. The chemical composition of the most potent fraction F5 was determined spectrometrically using electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (MS). Results: In a murine P. berghei model, fraction F5 displayed the highest parasitemia suppression effects compared to the crude methanol extract and other fraction. Subsequent chemical analysis by MS on fraction F5 has led to the tentative identification of 13-hydroperoxyoctadeca-9, 11-dienoic acid (13[S]-HPODE) compound. Conclusion: The crude methanol extract of T. crispa and its fraction F5 possess potent antimalarial activities, and the tentative discovery of the 13(S)-HPODE bioactive compound may serve as a precursor for developing a semisynthetic antiparasitic drug with enhanced efficacy and low toxicity

A clinical study of diagnostic hysteroscopy in abnormal uterine bleeding and its histopathological correlation

Background: Abnormal uterine bleeding is a common clinical problem with myriad of causes. The diagnosis and management of abnormal menstrual function must be based on an understanding of the physiologic mechanisms involved in the regulation of the normal cycles. Diagnostic hysteroscopy is a valuable tool in diagnosing structural intra-cavital pathology, very suitable for out-patient clinic.Methods: This is a prospective study which has been carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tirunelveli medical college hospital, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu from January 2011 to October 2011.Results: A total of 50 cases were analysed among the 50 patients tested. 26 patients had some pathology of which 24were accurately detected by hysteroscopy, missed 2 cases of irregular shedding endometrium which was reported by histopathology.Conclusions: Hysteroscopy is a safe, reliable and quick procedure in the diagnosis of cases with abnormal uterine bleeding with high sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive value

Combination of Epicatechin 3-Gallate from Euphorbia hirta and Cefepime Promotes Potential Synergistic Eradication Action against Resistant Clinical Isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is naturally resistant to many classes of antipseudomonal antibiotics due to the species ability to easily acquire resistance. Plant-based antibacterial agent in combination with the existing antibiotic proposes an alternative treatment regimen for the eradication of resistant bacterial infections. The antibacterial effects of the isolated epicatechin 3-gallate compound from Euphorbia hirta in combination with cefepime were investigated in vitro against resistant P. aeruginosa. The fractional inhibitory concentration index of the combination was determined using checkerboard broth microdilution method. Epicatechin 3-gallate combined with cefepime had produced synergistic effect against P. aeruginosa (with average FIC index of 0.24). The MIC of epicatechin 3-gallate was effectively reduced to MIC/4, MIC/8, MIC/16, and MIC/32 in the presence of cefepime. Time-kill study of epicatechin 3-gallate combined with cefepime exhibited remarkable bactericidal activity where the eradication of P. aeruginosa occurred within 4 h of treatment. Scanning electron micrographs revealed apparent cell membrane damage and leakage of cytoplasmic contents from P. aeruginosa cells which eventually led to the cell lysis after the combination treatment of epicatechin 3-gallate and cefepime. The potential of epicatechin 3-gallate to act synergistically with cefepime against clinically resistant P. aeruginosa strain possibly will maximize the successful outcomes when choosing empirical antibiotic treatment in hospitals or health care institutions

Effects of Calophyllum inophyllum fruit extract on the proliferation and morphological characteristics of human breast cancer cells MCF-7

Objective: To evaluate the antiproliferative activity of Calophyllum inophyllum (C. inophyllum) fruit extract against human breast cancer cells MCF-7. Methods: The cytotoxic effect of C. inophyllum fruit extract against MCF-7 cancer cells was evaluated through MTT and CyQuant assays for 24 h and the morphological investigation of treated MCF-7 cells was observed under optical microscope using Giemsa staining. Results: The cytotoxic effect of C. inophyllum fruit extract against MCF-7 cancer cells was evaluated through MTT and CyQuant assays simultaneously for 24 h after treatment, which demonstrated the inhibition of cell viability with the IC50 values of 19.63 μg/mL and 27.54 μg/mL, respectively. The preliminary time-based morphological investigation of MCF-7 cells treated with the IC50 value (23.59 μg/mL) of C. inophyllum fruit extract was observed under an optical microscopy via Giemsa staining, which exhibited prominent histological characteristics of apoptosis. Conclusions: This study clearly proved that the proliferation of human breast cancer cell MCF-7 was inhibited by C. inophyllum fruit extract resulted from the induction of apoptosis in MCF-7 cells

Technical note on cytokinesis-arrested binucleated cell and micronucleus assay

Conventionally, many biomarkers are being in use as a measure to genotoxicity in occupational exposure to chemicals, pesticides, radiation, and drug screening. Of which, the micronucleus assay is a preferred choice for many of those applications owing to its simplicity and rapidity. The assay methodology has evolved in cell preparations, staining, and scoring methods: from quantifying the DNA damage in mononucleated cells and binucleated cells; solid (Giemsa) and fluorescence staining (propidium iodide/DAPI); and manual and automated microscopy scoring and flow cytometry. Despite the advantages, preparation of cells with good morphology to interpret DNA damage from a different type of cells remains a challenge in particular for laboratory being the processes of developing the assay. Therefore, the aim of the present report was to explain the micronuclei (MN) assay and means to overcome the troubleshoot for reliable outcome measure using cytokinesis-arrested micronucleus (CBMN) assay from suspension and adherent cultures