Colchicinoids from the Seeds of Colchicum umbrosum

A new colchicinoid from the seeds of Colchicum umbrosum (Colchicaceae) has been isolated and identified as 4-hydroxycolchicine (6) together with seven known colchicinoids as colchicine (1), N-deacetyl-N-formylcolchicine (2), colchifoline (3), colchicilline (4), 3-demethylcolchicine (5), demecolcine (7), and colchicoside (8)

Effect of Aloe vera leaves on blood glucose level in type I and type II diabetic rat models

Aloe vera (L.) Burm, hi. (= A. barbadensis Miller) (Liliaceae) is native to North Africa and also cultivated in Turkey, Aloes have long been used all over the world for their various medicinal properties. In the past 15 years, there have been controversial reports on the hypoglycaemic activity of Aloe species, probably due to differences in the parts of the plant used or to the model of diabetes chosen. In this study, separate experiments on three main groups of rats, namely, non-diabetic (ND), type I (IDDM) and type II (NIDDM) diabetic rats were carried out. A. vera leaf pulp and gel extracts were ineffective on lowering the blood sugar level of ND rats. A. vera leaf pulp extract showed hypoglycaemic activity on IDDM and NIDDM rats, the effectiveness being enhanced for type II diabetes in comparison with glibenclamide. On the contrary, A. vera leaf gel extract showed hyperglycaemic activity on NIDDM rats, It may therefore be concluded that the pulps of Aloe vera leaves devoid of the gel could be useful in the treatment of noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus Copyright (C) 2001 John Whey & Sons, Ltd

Antibacterial Effect of Kenger Gum on Mutans Streptococci and Its Cytotoxic Effect on the 3T3 Fibroblast Cell Line

Purpose: To evaluate the antibacterial effect of Kenger gum on mutans streptococci (in vivo) and Streptococcus mutans (in vitro) and its cytotoxic effect on the 3T3 fibroblast cell line

The Effects of Colchicum baytopiorum on Regulatory Genes of Apoptotic and Autophagic Cell Death in HeLa Cells

Background: The natural products have increasing important for the development of anticancer agents. Colchicum baytopiorum C.D. Brickell (C. baytopiorum), an endemic species for Turkey, contains colchicine and its derivatives. Stimulation of apoptotic and autophagy-mediated cell deaths are effective strategy for anticancer therapies

In vitro anticancer and cytotoxic activities of some plant extracts on HeLa and Vero cell lines

Purpose: The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of in vitro anticancer and cytotoxic activity of the methanolic extracts of 14 medicinal plants, 8 of which are endemic species in Anatolia, against the human HeLa cervical cancer cell line and to compare to the normal African green monkey kidney epithelial cell line (Vero) using the MTT colorimetric assay

In Vitro Anticancer and Cytotoxic Activities of Some Plant Extracts on HeLa and Vero Cell Lines

The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of in vitro anticancer and cytotoxic activity of the methanolic extracts of 14 medicinal plants, 8 of which are endemic species in Anatolia, against the human HeLa cervical cancer cell line and to compare to the normal African green monkey kidney epithelial cell line (Vero) using the MTT colorimetric assay. Values for cytotoxicity measured by MTT assay were expressed as the concentration that causes 50% decrease in cell viability (IC50, μg/mL). The degree of selectivity of the compounds can be expressed by its selectivity index (SI) value. High SI value (>2) of a compound gives the selective toxicity against cancer cells (SI = IC50 normal cell/IC50 cancer cell). Dose-dependent studies revealed IC50 of 293 mg/mL and >1000 mg/mL for Cotinus coggygria Scop., IC50 of 265 μg/mL and >1000 mg/mL for Rosa damascena Miller, IC50 of 2 μg/mL and 454 mg/mL for Colchicum sanguicolle K.M. Perss, IC50 of 427 μg/mL and >1000 μg/mL for Centaurea antiochia Boiss. var. praealta (Boiss & Bal) Wagenitz on the HeLa cells and the Vero cells, respectively. Four plants showed significant SI values which were 227 for Colchicum sanguicolle K.M. Perss (endemic species), >3.8 for Rosa damascena Miller, >3.4 for Cotinus coggygria Scop. and >2.3 for Centaurea antiochia Boiss. var. praealta (Boiss & Bal) Wagenitz (endemic species). According to our study, 4 methanolic extracts of 14 tested plants exhibit greater activity on the HeLa cell line and little activity on the Vero cell line, meaning that these plants can be evaluated for potential promising anticancer activity

In vitro evaluation of antioxidant activity of some plant methanol extracts

The aim of our study was to evaluate in vitro antioxidant potential of methanolic extracts (ME) of 14 medicinal plants, 8 of which are endemic species of Anatolia. Scavenging activity was tested by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method and the inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation was examined by the ferric thiocyanate (FTC) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) methods. The obtained results showed significant differences in the antioxidant potential amongst the tested methanolic plant extracts. Among the plant samples, Crataegus microphylla C. Koch, Salvia hypargeia Fisch. & Mey., Cotinus coggygria Scop., Origanum sipyleum L. and Rosa damascena Miller exhibited the highest DPPH scavenging activity. Five extracts (Centaurea nerimaniae S. Kultur, C. coggygria, Scorzonera tomentosa L., R. damascena and Colchicum sanguicolle K.M. Perss) showed strong antioxidant activity in the FTC and TBA tests, with per cent inhibition ranges of 72%-84% and 84%-92%, respectively. The ME of C. coggygria and R. damascena exhibited potent antioxidant activity by the DPPH, FTC and TBA methods

Twenty years of research on Aloe vera

Aloe vera, sometimes referred as a "miraculous" or "wonder" plant, has been used by mankind for centuries for the treatment of different disorders due to the inner gel of its succulent leaves. Medical usage and applications of the main species, namely Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. are mainly attributed to immunomodulatory or antioxidant activities

Screening for antitumor activity of various plant extracts on HeLa and C 4-I cell lines

Purpose: Cancer is a long process that leads the organism to death and is associated with the normal cells acquiring the ability to divide permanently. Nowadays, the use of natural products in cancer therapy has a great importance. In addition, working with plants that are endemic to Turkey and determining the biological activities of these plant extracts, is extremely important due to the potential for new drug development. There is no comparative study available in the literature on the antitumor effects of Colchicum sanguicolle, a new found species of the genus Colchicum in Turkey, Crateagus microphylla, of the genus Crateagus and Centaurea antiochia of the genus Centaurea. In this study, we tried to demonstrate the antitumor effect of these plant extracts on HeLa and C 4-1 cells