Bauhinia purpurea leaves’ extracts exhibited in vitro antiproliferative and antioxidant activities

The antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of various extracts of the leaves of Bauhinia purpurea were studied using in vitro standard assays. The aqueous and chloroform extracts successfully inhibited the proliferation of all cancer cells while the methanol extract inhibited the proliferation of all cells except the CEMss cells when assessed using the 3,(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT) assay. The aqueous extract was effective against MCF-7 (IC50 ≈ 9 μg/ml), MDA-MB 231 (IC50 ≈ 17 μg/ml) and Caov-3 (IC50 ≈ 16 μg/ml); the chloroform extract was highly effective against the CEMss (IC50 ≈ 18 μg/ml) and HeLa (IC50 ≈ 21 μg/ml); and the methanol extract was highly effective only against the HL-60 (≈ 12 μg/ml) cell lines. Interestingly, all extracts did not inhibit the proliferation of 3T3 cells suggesting their non-cytotoxic properties. The aqueous and methanol, but not chloroform, extracts of B. purpurea (20, 100 and 500 μg/ml) exhibited concentration-dependent antioxidant activity only in the superoxide scavenging assay, but low to moderate activity in the 2,2- diphenyl-1 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay, which could be associated with their total phenolic contents. In conclusion, the B. purpurea leaf possesses potential antiproliferative and concentration-dependent antioxidant activities. Purification and determination of active compounds are required for further study.Keywords: Bauhinia purpurea, in vitro, antiproliferative activity, antioxidant activity, phenolic compound

Chemopreventive activity of methanol extract of Melastoma malabathricum leaves in DMBA-induced mouse skin carcinogenesis

Background: Melastoma malabathricum L. Smith (family Melastomaceae) is a shrub that has been used by the Malay practitioners of traditional medicine to treat various types of ailments. The present study aimed to determine the chemopreventive activity of methanol extract of M. malabathricum leaves (MEMM) using the standard  7,12-dimethylbenz(á)anthracene (DMBA)/croton oil-induced mouse skincarcinogenesis model.Materials and Methods: In the initiation phase, the mice received a single dose of 100ìl/100 ìg DMBA (group I-V) or 100µl acetone (group VI) topically on the dorsal shaved skin area followed by the promotion phase involving treatment with the respective test solutions (100 ìl of acetone, 10 mg/kg curcumin or MEMM (30, 100 and 300mg/kg)) for 30 min followed by the topical application of tumour promoter (100µl croton oil). Tumors were examined weekly and the experiment lasted for 15 weeks.Results: MEMM and curcumin significantly (p<0.05) reduced the tumour burden, tumour incidence and tumour volume, which were further supported by the histopathological findings.Conclusion: MEMM demonstrated chemoprevention possibly via its  antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, and the action of flavonoids like quercitrin.Key words: Melastomaceae; skin cancer; anti-carcinogenic activit

In vitro cytotoxic and antioxidant properties of the aqueous, chloroform and methanol extracts of Dicranopteris linearis leaves

The in vitro cytotoxic and antioxidant properties of the aqueous, chloroform and methanol extracts of the Dicranopteris linearis leaves were investigated in the present study. The cytotoxic effect was determined against the normal (3T3) and cancer cells’ lines (MCF-7, HeLa, HT-29, HL-60, K-562 and MDA-MB-231) using the 3,(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT) assay, while the antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH radical and superoxide scavenging assays. Based on the results obtained, the aqueous extract was not effective against any of the types of cancer cells studied; the chloroform extract was effective only against MCF-7 and HeLa; and the methanol extract was effective against all the cancer cells used. Interestingly, all extracts failed to produce cytotoxic effect against the 3T3 cells (normal cell) indicating their safety. All extracts (20, 100 and 500 μg/ml) were found to exert antioxidant activity when tested using the DPPH radical and superoxide scavenging assays; with the methanol, followed by the aqueous and chloroform extracts exhibiting the highest antioxidant activity in both assays. The total phenolic content for the aqueous, methanol and chloroform extracts were 3112.1 ± 6.7, 3417.3 ± 4.7 and 1012.7 ± 5.3 mg/100 g gallic acid, respectively. In conclusion, the leaves of D. linearis possess potential cytotoxic activity against various types of cancer cell lines depending on the types of extracts used and antioxidant activity, which need to be further explored.Keywords: Dicranopteris linearis, in vitro anticancer activity, MTT assay, aqueous extract, chloroform extract, methanol extrac

Gastroprotective activity and mechanisms of action of Bauhinia purpurea Linn (Leguminoseae) leaf methanol extract

Purpose: To determine the gastroprotective activity and mechanisms of protection of the methanol extract of Bauhinia purpurea leaves (MEBP) using ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model.Methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats (n = 6) were administered orally with 10 % DMSO, 100 mg/kg ranitidine or MEBP (50, 250 and 500 mg / kg) daily for 7 consecutive days prior to subjection to the ethanol-induced gastric ulcer assay. The mechanisms of gastroprotection were determined based on: i) antisecretory activity via pylorus ligation assay; ii) the role of nitric oxide (NO) and sulfhydryl group via pre-treatment of MEBP-treated rats with the respective N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or carbenoxolone (CBX) followed by the ethanol-induced assay; and iii) antioxidant activity using superoxide anion radical scavenging assay and, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. Ranitidine (100 mg / kg) was used as the reference drug. .Results: MEBP exhibited a significant (p < 0.05) and dose-dependent gastroprotective activity against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer with ulcer formation ranging between 0 and 74 % (indicated by decrease in ulcer area from 21.3 to 5.5 mm2). The macroscopic observation was in line with the microscopic findings and further supported by the histological scores suggesting the antiulcer potential of MEBP. MEBP also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced volume gastric juice, as well as its free and total acidity while increasing its pH. Moreover, this activity was significantly (p < 0.05) modulated in the presence ofsulfhydryl group, but not NO. The extract also exhibited significant (p < 0.05) antioxidant activity.Conclusion: MEBP exerts gastroprotective activity partly via its antisecretory and antioxidant activities, as well as by modulation of sulfhydryl group, but not NO action.Keywords: Bauhinia purpurea, Gastroprotective activity, Gastric ulcer, Sulfhydryl group, Anti-secretory activity, Antioxidan

Honey and its nutritional and anti-inflammatory value

Inflammation is the main key role in developing chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, arthritis, and neurodegenerative diseases which possess a huge challenge for treatment. With massively compelling evidence of the role played by nutritional modulation in preventing inflammation-related diseases, there is a growing interest into the search for natural functional foods with therapeutic and preventive actions. Honey, a nutritional healthy product, is produced mainly by two types of bees: honeybee and stingless bee. Since both types of honey possess distinctive phenolic and flavonoid compounds, there is recently an intensive interest in their biological and clinical actions against inflammation-mediated chronic diseases. This review shed the light specifically on the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of honey polyphenols and highlight their roles in targeting inflammatory pathways in gastrointestinal tract disorders, edema, cancer, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and gut microbiota

Corporate Social Responsibility and Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs): Management Perceptions from IFIs in Bahrain

Islamic finance is gaining greater attention in the finance industry, and this paper analyses how Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) are responding to the welfare needs of society. Using interview data with managers and content analysis of the disclosures, this study attempts to understand management perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in IFIs. A thorough understanding of CSR by managers, as evident in the interviews, has not been translated fully into practice. The partial use of IFIs’ potential role in social welfare would add further challenges in the era of financialisation

In vitro inhibitory activities of selected Australian medicinal plant extracts against protein glycation, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and digestive enzymes linked to type II diabetes

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Background There is a need to develop potential new therapies for the management of diabetes and hypertension. Australian medicinal plants collected from the Kuuku I’yu (Northern Kaanju) homelands, Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia were investigated to determine their therapeutic potential. Extracts were tested for inhibition of protein glycation and key enzymes relevant to the management of hyperglycaemia and hypertension. The inhibitory activities were further correlated with the antioxidant activities. Methods Extracts of five selected plant species were investigated: Petalostigma pubescens, Petalostigma banksii, Memecylon pauciflorum, Millettia pinnata and Grewia mesomischa. Enzyme inhibitory activity of the plant extracts was assessed against α-amylase, α-glucosidase and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). Antiglycation activity was determined using glucose-induced protein glycation models and formation of protein-bound fluorescent advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). Antioxidant activity was determined by measuring the scavenging effect of plant extracts against 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and using the ferric reducing anti-oxidant potential assay (FRAP). Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also determined. Results Extracts of the leaves of Petalostigma banksii and P. pubescens showed the strongest inhibition of α-amylase with IC50 values of 166.50 ± 5.50 μg/mL and 160.20 ± 27.92 μg/mL, respectively. The P. pubescens leaf extract was also the strongest inhibitor of α-glucosidase with an IC50 of 167.83 ± 23.82 μg/mL. Testing for the antiglycation potential of the extracts, measured as inhibition of formation of protein-bound fluorescent AGEs, showed that P. banksii root and fruit extracts had IC50 values of 34.49 ± 4.31 μg/mL and 47.72 ± 1.65 μg/mL, respectively, which were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than other extracts. The inhibitory effect on α-amylase, α-glucosidase and the antiglycation potential of the extracts did not correlate with the total phenolic, total flavonoid, FRAP or DPPH. For ACE inhibition, IC50 values ranged between 266.27 ± 6.91 to 695.17 ± 15.38 μg/mL. Conclusions The tested Australian medicinal plant extracts inhibit glucose-induced fluorescent AGEs, α-amylase, α-glucosidase and ACE with extracts of Petalostigma species showing the most promising activity. These medicinal plants could potentially be further developed as therapeutic agents in the treatment of hyperglycaemia and hypertension

Household costs and time to treatment for children with severe febrile illness in rural Burkina Faso: the role of rectal artesunate

UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research & Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland [Project ID number: Burkina Faso: A80553

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

Search for Dark Matter and Supersymmetry with a Compressed Mass Spectrum in the Vector Boson Fusion Topology in Proton-Proton Collisions at root s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe