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Background:: There is an urgent need to devise improved alternatives for the efficient delivery of drugs to develop improved therapeutic interventions against cancers. Nanotechnology based drug delivery vehicles are in-use with obvious issues of toxicity and bio-distribution. Therefore, green synthetic routes are being deployed to replace the conventional nanoparticle formulations for effective drug delivery aiming at developing interventional strategies against cancer. Objective:: A simple, viable and fast approach was used for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous leaf-extract of Viburnum nervosum (VN) and to explore the anti-cancer potential of the crude extract of VN. Methods:: Silver NPs were synthesized by reacting silver nitrate (AgNO3) with leaf extract of VN. Various analytical techniques were used to characterize the AgNPs. Finally, the anti-cancer potential of VN was observed when delivered through AgNPs. Results:: The surface plasmon spectra for AgNPs exhibited absorbance peak at 445 nm, and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy investigation revealed presence of biomolecules acting as an effective reducing and capping agent for converting silver nitrate to AgNPs. Further, our results suggest the spherical size of synthesized AgNPs ranging from 12-17 nm. Moreover, in vitro studies conducted for VN extract with breast (MCF-7) and epidermal carcinoma (A431) cells showed biocompatibility. Conclusion:: Doxorubicin loaded AgNPs documented an increased bioavailability of drug compared to the free drug, suggesting the use of AgNPs as “novel drug delivery vectors”.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is still one of the major global health threats and delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis continues to fuel the global epidemic. The conventional diagnostic approaches have shortcomings that might hinder the process of diagnosis of the disease and ultimately affect the prognosis.Area covered: We emphasize on the process of the synthesis of liposomes, its physicochemical properties affecting the formulation and their utilization in the field of molecular diagnostics for TB. The review also sheds a light on other nanoparticle-based molecular diagnostic approaches for TB. Despite the advent of science, we are yet to have a diagnostic tool that is simple, rapid, sensitive, and specific, and most importantly, one that enables us to demarcate patients with active tuberculosis from those with quiescent lesions, prior vaccination, or other diseases.Expert opinion: The utility of liposomes for diagnostic purposes has been attempted so as to overcome the challenges posed by conventional diagnostic tools for TB. Through this review, we present insights into liposome formulation and selection processes, various studies that report the use of liposome-based diagnostic tools for TB, as well as the limitations associated with the same that can be improvised to make the technology more efficient.

Background Breast cancer demands safe adjuvant to overcome the side effects of standard drug tamoxifen. Diet derived bioactive compounds are reported to exhibit modulation of cancer growth leading to cell death. Chickpea is a protein rich edible legume with several bioactive compounds that includes lectin as well. Characterization of chickpea lectin for its effect against cancer cells has been investigated in this study. Method Cicer arietinum L. lectin (CAL) agglutinating trypsin-treated rabbit blood cells was purified employing DEAE-cellulose and SP-sephadex ion exchange chromatography. The lectin was characterized for its biological activity vis-a-vis antiproliferative and apoptotic effects through cell cycle arrest in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Result There is a significant inhibition of the survival of breast cancer cells due to chickpea lectin in a dose dependent manner for 24 hr. Lectin treated cells revealed distinct features of apoptosis. Flow cytometric analysis at 80 µg/ml of lectin induced S and G2 phase cell cycle arrest. CAL induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells associated with lactate dehydrogenase leakage, cell cycle arrest and reactive oxygen species generation. Conclusion Our studies show that chickpea lectin exerted anticancer activity and could be exploited as an essential source for medicine leading to the treatment of breast cancer.

A wide array of therapeutic strategies has been implemented against cancers, yet their clinical benefit is limited. The lack of clinical efficacy of the conventional treatment options might be due to the inept immune competency of the patients. Dendritic cells (DCs) have a vital role in initiating and directing immune responses and have been frequently used as delivery vehicles in clinical research. The recent clinical data suggest the potential use of DCs pulsed with nucleic acid, especially with RNA holds a great potential as an immunotherapeutic measure with compare to other cancer therapeutics. This review mainly deals with the DCs and their role in transfection with RNA in cancer immunotherapy.

Background Survivin expression is often associated with aggressive tumor behavior and therapy resistance. In this study, we investigated the effect of survivin knockdown by survivin-siRNA lentiviral vector (Svv-Lent) on the response of HNSCC to chemo-radiotherapy, tumor growth and metastasis. Methods Four human HNSCC (OSC19, Cal27, Cal33 and FaDu) and one normal HOK cell lines were included in the study, and survivin knockdown was achieved with Svv-Lent treatment. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured by MTT and TUNEL assay, respectively. Transwell assays were performed to measure in vitro cell migration and matrigel invasion. Xenograft tumors were developed in nude mice by injecting Cal27 cells subcutaneously and following tail-vein injection of lung and liver metastasis. Results Knockdown of survivin significantly suppressed HNSCC cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in vitro . Survivin inhibition could also significantly reduce in vitro cell migration and matrigel invasion that might be due to inactivation of matrix metalloproteinases. In vivo studies showed significant repression of Cal27 xenograft tumor growth and tissue metastasis leading to improvement in mice survival in the Svv-Lent treated group compared to controls. Our data indicated that survivin expression in HNSCC cells contributed to chemo-radioresistance, and its down-regulation increased anti-cancer effects of paclitaxel, cisplatin and radiation. Conclusions Our findings suggest that sustained survivin expression facilitates HNSCC tumor growth and confers resistance to chemo-radiotherapy. Svv-Lent therapy may be able to enhance the cytotoxic effect of commonly used anticancer drugs such as cisplatin and paclitaxel, and radiotherapy that could provide a promising strategy for the effective control of resistant head and neck cancer.

The study validated the antidyslipidemic, antioxidant, and antihyperglycemic effects of Lagenaria siceraria fruit extract in human subjects with dyslipidemia along with subjects of normal health. A total of 200 mL of freshly prepared Lagenaria siceraria fruit extract was administered daily on empty stomach for 90 days. Significant reductions ( P < .01) were found in triglycerides and total cholesterol levels in blood. Cardiac risk ratio, atherogenic coefficient, and atherogenicity index of plasma were also improved. Appreciable reductions in body mass index ( P < .01) and blood pressure (systolic P < .01, diastolic P < .05) along with a significant reduction ( P < .05) in fasting blood glucose levels were also observed in these subjects. Lagenaria siceraria fruit extract exhibited significant antioxidant activity in dyslipidemic subjects as evident from elevations in SOD ( P < .05) and GSH levels ( P < .01) with marked improvement in catalase ( P < .01) and TBARS levels ( P < .05). Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of saponins, glycosides, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolic compounds. Lagenaria siceraria fruit extract serves as dietary adjunct in treatment of human dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease.

Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell growth. The development of cancer takes place in a multi-step process during which cells acquire a series of mutations that eventually lead to unrestrained cell growth and division, inhibition of cell differentiation, and evasion of cell death. Dysregulation of oncoapoptotic genes, growth factors, receptors and their downstream signaling pathway components represent a central driving force in tumor development. The detailed studies of signal transduction pathways for mechanisms of cell growth and apoptosis have significantly advanced our understanding of human cancers, subsequently leading to more effective treatments. Oral squamous cell carcinoma represents a classic example of multi-stage carcinogenesis. It gradually evolves through transitional precursor lesions from normal epithelium to a full-blown metastatic phenotype. Genetic alterations in many genes encoding crucial proteins, which regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, survival and apoptosis, have been implicated in oral cancer. As like other solid tumors, in oral cancer these genes include the ones coding for cell cycle regulators or oncoproteins (e.g. Ras, Myc, cyclins, CDKs, and CKIs), tumor suppressors (e.g. p53 and pRb), pro-survival proteins (e.g. telomerase, growth factors or their receptors), anti-apoptotic proteins (e.g. Bcl2 family, IAPs, and NF-kB), pro-apoptotic proteins (e.g. Bax and BH-3 family, Fas, TNF-R, and caspases), and the genes encoding key transcription factors or elements for signal transduction leading to cell growth and apoptosis. Here we discuss the current knowledge of oncoapoptotic regulation in human cancers with special reference to oral cancers.

Survivin is known to be highly-expressed in various carcinomas; and is associated with their biologically aggressive characteristics and drug resistance. We have previously reported survivin as an important anti-apototic protein involved in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumorigenesis and providing resistance to conventional cancer therapies. The purpose of present study was to investigate the potential of survivin as a therapeutic target in HNSCC. This study was designed to explore the effect(s) of survivin-siRNA therapy on the apoptosis in HNSCC cells, and its influence on cisplatin-sensitivity. Lentivirus vector was developed to deliver survivin specific siRNA into cancer cells. The data indicates that silencing of survivin-mediated by Lentivirus-siRNA therapy effectively suppressed cancer cell proliferation and induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in HNSCC cells. The study also shows that the response of HNSCC cells to cisplatin drug treatment at clinically relevant level was limited. We observed survivin to be a key factor involved in this cisplatin-resistance mechanism, and down-regulation of survivin significantly increased sensitivity of cancer cells to cisplatin-mediated apoptosis. Thus, this combination therapy acts as a multimodality regimen with significant potential to improve clinical outcomes in head and neck cancers.

TB is a worldwide pandemic. India has the highest burden of TB, with WHO statistics for 2013 giving an estimated incidence figure of 2.1 million cases for India out of a global incidence of 9 million. Microbiota have been shown to be associated with many disease conditions; however, only few studies have been reported for microbiota associated with TB infection. For the first time, we characterized the composition of microbiota of TB patients of India, using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and compared it with healthy controls. Phylum-level analysis showed that the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria was significantly higher in TB samples and Neisseria and Veillonella were two dominant genera after Streptococcus. In our study, significantly different core genera in TB and normal population were found as compared with the reported studies. Also, the presence of diverse opportunistic pathogenic microbiota in TB patients increases the complexity and diversity of sputum microbiota. Characterization of the sputum microbiome is likely to provide important pathogenic insights into pulmonary tuberculosis.

Lentinus edodes is the first medicinal macrofungus to enter the realm of modern biotechnology. It is the second most popular edible mushroom in the global market which is attributed not only to its nutritional value but also to possible potential for therapeutic applications. Lentinus edodes is used medicinally for diseases involving depressed immune function (including AIDS), cancer, environmental allergies, fungal infection, frequent flu and colds, bronchial inflammation, heart disease, hyperlipidemia (including high blood cholesterol), hypertension, infectious disease, diabetes, hepatitis and regulating urinary inconsistencies. It is the source of several well-studied preparations with proven pharmacological properties, especially the polysaccharide lentinan, eritadenine, shiitake mushroom mycelium, and culture media extracts (LEM, LAP and KS-2). Antibiotic, anti-carcinogenic and antiviral compounds have been isolated intracellularly (fruiting body and mycelia) and extracellularly (culture media). Some of these substances were lentinan, lectins and eritadenine. The aim of this review is to discuss the therapeutic applications of this macrofungus. The potential of this macrofungus is unquestionable in the most important areas of applied biotechnology.

Chlorophytum borivilianum Santapau & Fernandes (Liliaceae) also known as ‘Safed Musli’ is a traditional rare Indian medicinal herb which has many therapeutic applications in Ayurvedic, Unani, Homeopathic and Allopathic systems of medicine. Its roots (tubers) are widely used for various therapeutic applications. It is used to cure physical illness and weakness, as an aphrodisiac agent and revitalizer, as general sex tonic, remedy for diabetes, arthritis and increasing body immunity, curative for natal and postnatal problems, for rheumatism and joint pains, increase lactation in feeding mothers, as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor agent, also used in diarrhea, dysentery, gonorrhea, leucorrhea etc. It has spermatogenic property and is found useful in curing impotency, now it is considered as an alternative ‘Viagra’. Its root contains steroidal and triterpenoidal saponins, sapogenins and fructans which act as therapeutic agents and play vital role in many therapeutic applications. It is a rich source of over 25 alkaloids, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, steroids, saponins, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phenol, resins, mucilage, and polysaccharides and also contains high quantity of simple sugars, mainly sucrose, glucose, fructose, galactose, mannose and xylose. The commercial exploitation of this plant and their secondary metabolites, germplasm conservation and in vitro production of secondary metabolites for quality control are some of the major prospects of this rare medicinal herb. The focus of the present review is to galvanize the potential of therapeutic and nutritive values of this herb and production of their secondary metabolites. The in vitro tuber induction, extraction, purification and characterization of saponins are also discussed in the present review.

Momordica balsamina, African pumpkin (Cucurbitaceae), is a tendril-bearing, wild climber containing wide spectrum of medicinal and nutritional values and has been used as a traditional folk medicine in many countries. The leaves, fruits, seeds, and bark of the plant contains resins, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, steroids, terpenes, cardiac glycoside, saponins having various medicinal importance viz. anti-HIV, anti-plasmodial, shigellocidal, anti-diarrheal, anti-septic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, hypoglycemic, antioxidant, analgesic and hepatoprotective properties. The therapeutic agent 'Momordin' is capable of inhibiting the growth of HIV and other viruses. The leaves are also important source of nutrients having 17 amino acids with adequate mineral composition like potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, zinc, manganese and iron. It also helps to combat the problem of micronutrient deficiencies in soil and high value of protein and fat with low fibre content. High potassium content is a good source for the management of hypertension and other cardiovascular conditions. This plant is being promoted as a protein supplement for cereal-based diets in poor rural communities. The commercial exploitation of this plant for biopharmaceuticals and neutraceuticals are some of the prospective future potential of this wild herb. This review discusses the potential of medicinal and nutritional importance of this wild herb for health care management.

Background Survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis, is overexpressed in cancer. It has been implicated in both prevention of apoptosis and cell cycle regulation. We investigated the distribution of antiapoptotic protein survivin in 29 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and 16 oral premalignant lesions. It has been suggested that wild-type p53 represses survivin expression. Therefore, we investigated the status of p53 in relation to survivin to determine the potential involvement in oral tumorigenesis. Methods Oral cancer tissues were freshly obtained at the time of surgery and classified as per general rules of head and neck cancer (TNM classification). Immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction were conducted to study the expression of survivin and p53. The Fisher's exact test was employed to determine the association of survivin and p53 with clinicopathologic parameters of the subjects being studied. Results Positive staining for survivin was found in 72% OSCC and 44% oral premalignant lesions with no immunoreactions in the corresponding normal tissues. For p53, 59% OSCC, 38% premalignant lesions, and 14% normal tissues were positive. Importantly, about half of the p53-positive OSCC and premalignant tissues also showed survivin positivity (28% OSCC and 18% premalignant lesions). Further, it is observed that the number of survivin positive cells was significantly higher in the p53-positive group. Survivin is expressed in a varying proportion of cells, and in majority of patients it was localized in cytoplasm, whereas p53 is strictly restricted to the nucleus. The survivin expression levels in both primary OSCC and premalignant lesions were significantly higher than in normal oral tissues (OSCC, p < .0008; premalignant lesions, p < .04). No significant correlations between survivin and p53 expression with clinicopathologic parameters were found. Conclusions Frequent overexpression of apoptosis regulators, survivin and p53, in OSCC as well as in oral premalignant lesions were found. Overexpression of these 2 markers in premalignant lesions suggest a role in early stages of oral carcinogenesis. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2009

Spirulina is a photosynthetic, filamentous, spiral-shaped and multicellular edible microbe. It is the nature's rich- est and most complete source of nutrition. Spirulina has a unique blend of nutrients that no single source can offer. The alga contains a wide spectrum of prophylactic and therapeutic nutrients that include B-complex vitamins, minerals, pro- teins, � -linolenic acid and the super anti-oxidants such as � -carotene, vitamin E, trace elements and a number of unex- plored bioactive compounds. Because of its apparent ability to stimulate whole human physiology, Spirulina exhibits therapeutic functions such as antioxidant, anti-bacterial, antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and anti- diabetic and plethora of beneficial functions. Spirulina consumption appears to promote the growth of intestinal micro flora as well. The review discusses the potential of Spirulina in health care management.

Oral cancer is one of the main causes of cancer-related deaths in South-Asian countries. There are very limited treatment options available for oral cancer. Research endeavors focused on discovery and development of novel therapies for oral cancer, is necessary to control the ever rising oral cancer related mortalities. We mined the large pool of compounds from the publicly available compound databases, to identify potential therapeutic compounds for oral cancer. Over 84 million compounds were screened for the possible anti-cancer activity by custom build SVM classifier. The molecular targets of the predicted anti-cancer compounds were mined from reliable sources like experimental bioassays studies associated with the compound, and from protein-compound interaction databases. Therapeutic compounds from DrugBank, and a list of natural anti-cancer compounds derived from literature mining of published studies, were used for building partial least squares regression model. The regression model thus built, was used for the estimation of oral cancer specific weights based on the molecular targets. These weights were used to compute scores for screening the predicted anti-cancer compounds for their potential to treat oral cancer. The list of potential compounds was annotated with corresponding physicochemical properties, cancer specific bioactivity evidences, and literature evidences. In all, 288 compounds with the potential to treat oral cancer were identified in the current study. The majority of the compounds in this list are natural products, which are well-tolerated and have minimal side-effects compared to the synthetic counterparts. Some of the potential therapeutic compounds identified in the current study are resveratrol, nimbolide, lovastatin, bortezomib, vorinostat, berberine, pterostilbene, deguelin, andrographolide, and colchicine.

A recombinant DNA strategy was applied to analyze and screen the shotgun expression library from a clinically confirmed local virulent isolate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis with sera from tuberculosis patients, which led to expression and purification of highly immunoreactive and specific mycobacterial antigens expressed during the course of active disease which could be of diagnostic significance. An enzyme-linked immunoassay for diagnosis of tuberculosis was devised by using a shotgun immunoexpression library in the λgt11 vector. DNA from a virulent M. tuberculosis patient isolate (TBW-33) confirmed with the BACTEC 460 system was sheared and expressed to generate shotgun polypeptides. β-Galactosidase fusion proteins capable of demarcating active tuberculosis infections from Mycobacterium bovis BCG-vaccinated healthy subjects or people harboring environmental mycobacteria were selected by comparative immunoreactivity studies. Promising mycobacterial DNA cassettes were subcloned and expressed into the glutathione S -transferase (GST) fusion vector pGEX-5X-1 with a strong tac promoter and were expressed in Escherichia coli BL21. These fusion proteins were severed at a built-in factor Xa recognition site to separate the GST tags and were utilized in an indirect enzyme-linked immunoassay for serodiagnosis of patients with active tuberculosis. The system offered a clear demarcation between BCG-vaccinated healthy subjects and patients with active tuberculosis and proved to be effective in detecting pulmonary as well as extrapulmonary tuberculosis, with an overall sensitivity of 84.33% and an overall specificity of 93.62%.

Oral cancer is one of the most commonly found cancers in many South-Asian underdeveloped countries, especially among men in comparison to women. When considering the mortality rate among all types of existing cancers, in India oral cancer is the primary reason for death in men. Some of the major reasons contributing to the high mortality rate are late diagnosis, lack of treatment options and high prevalence of tobacco consumption. Oral cancer is often diagnosed at a stage when cancer cells have already become aggressive and become resistant to standard therapeutic options. Progression, apoptosis, angiogenesis, metastasis and invasion behold great capability to treat and detect cancer at the molecular level. Dysregulation of apoptosis is one of the most common molecular events known to be associated with the development of oral cancer. In this review, we discuss key apoptotic markers which can be used as prognostic and/or therapeutic targets in oral cancer.

In India, oral cancer has consistently ranked among top three causes of cancer-related deaths, and it has emerged as a top cause for the cancer-related deaths among men. Lack of effective therapeutic options is one of the main challenges in clinical management of oral cancer patients. We interrogated large pool of samples from oral cancer gene expression studies to identify potential therapeutic targets that are involved in multiple cancer hallmark events. Therapeutic strategies directed towards such targets can be expected to effectively control cancer cells. Datasets from different gene expression studies were integrated by removing batch-effects and was used for downstream analyses, including differential expression analysis. Dependency network analysis was done to identify genes that undergo marked topological changes in oral cancer samples when compared with control samples. Causal reasoning analysis was carried out to identify significant hypotheses, which can explain gene expression profiles observed in oral cancer samples. Text-mining based approach was used to detect cancer hallmarks associated with genes significantly expressed in oral cancer. In all, 2365 genes were detected to be differentially expressed genes, which includes some of the highly differentially expressed genes like matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1/3/10/13), chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligands (IL8, CXCL-10/-11), PTHLH, SERPINE1, NELL2, S100A7A, MAL, CRNN, TGM3, CLCA4, keratins (KRT-3/4/13/76/78), SERPINB11 and serine peptidase inhibitors (SPINK-5/7). XIST, TCEAL2, NRAS and FGFR2 are some of the important genes detected by dependency and causal network analysis. Literature mining analysis annotated 1014 genes, out of which 841 genes were statistically significantly annotated. The integration of output of various analyses, resulted in the list of potential therapeutic targets for oral cancer, which included targets such as ADM, TP53, EGFR, LYN, CTLA4, SKIL, CTGF and CD70.

The aim of study was to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) ATPIII Criteria, International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization (WHO) definitions were used in quantifying the metabolic syndrome and also the concordance between these three criteria’s used for identifying metabolic syndrome. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 700 type 2 diabetic subjects from the urban areas of Gwalior Chambal region (Central India). Subjects in the age group of 28- 87 yrs were included in the study. Type I diabetics, pregnant ladies and those with chronic viral and bacterial infections and serious metabolic disorders were excluded from the study. Fasting blood glucose, Blood lipids (T-cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol) were assessed and anthropometry blood pressure were measured from all the subjects. Results: The Prevalence of metabolic syndrome was found to be 45.8%, 57.7% and 28% following NCEP-ATPIII Criteria, IDF and WHO definitions, respectively. Using all the three definitions the prevalence was higher in women in all age groups. ATP III and IDF criteria showed good agreement (k 0.68) compared to ATP III with WHO (k 0.54) and IDF with WHO (k 0.34) criteria. Highest prevalence was observed following IDF definition. Conclusions: A good agreement was observed between ATPIII and IDF criteria. Maximum prevalence of Metabolic syndrome was recorded when IDF criteria was followed. NCEP-ATPIII criteria for the diagnosis of MetS and this criterion reflected equal importance to the every variable and showed a good agreement between the different criteria used.

Antioxidants play a very crucial role in terms of disease incidence and its complications. Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are now more prevalent than any other disorder. In this regard this study focuses on type 2 diabetic subjects with MetS having highest incidence of cardiovascular disease. Hence the aim of the study was to reveal the level of antioxidants and lipid peroxidation in MetS and non-MetS groups of type 2 diabetic subjects characterized by three different criteria.Present study was based on 70 type 2 diabetic subjects and 20 healthy controls. The metabolic syndrome criteria were defined by National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)-Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII), International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and World Health Organization (WHO). The selected subjects were of similar age group. The participants were selected from a diabetic camp being run in the University Campus. The antioxidant enzymes estimated were reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) while Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) measured as a marker of lipid peroxidation.The level of GSH, CAT, SOD decreases in non-MetS and MetS subjects as compared to normal. When comparison was made for GSHSOD in the mentioned groups resulted a significant differences in non-MetS and MetS compared with normal subjects. TBARS levels was increased in non-MetS and MetS group of subjects. The results indicate reduction in antioxidant enzymes and elevation of lipid peroxidation in type 2 diabetic subjects with or without MetS defined by using any of the International criteria.The study revealed that absolute reduction of antioxidant and involvement of lipid peroxidation in MetS group may lead to progressive intensification of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetic subjects irrespective of using any criteria.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the leading cause of death worldwide, with early diagnosis still being difficult. Promising new cardiac biomarkers such as troponins and creatine kinase (CK) isoforms are being studied and integrated into clinical practice for early diagnosis of AMI. The cardiac-specific troponins I and T (cTnI and cTnT) have good sensitivity and specificity as indicators of myocardial necrosis and are superior to CK and its MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) in this regard. Besides being potential biologic markers, cardiac troponins also provide significant prognostic information. The introduction of novel high-sensitivity troponin assays has enabled more sensitive and timely diagnosis or exclusion of acute coronary syndromes. This review summarizes the available information on the potential of troponins and other cardiac markers in early diagnosis and prognosis of AMI, and provides perspectives on future diagnostic approaches to AMI.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection has now become endemic worldwide and AIDS ranks fourth among the world's top killers of mankind. A rapid and accurate HIV testing assay is a pre-requisite for practical applicability of diagnostic tests. The aim of this present study was to design peptide cocktail as an antigen and to develop ELISA test for HIV-1/2 antibody detection, with enhanced sensitivity and specificity. A novel peptide stretch V3-I, covering immunodominant epitope corresponding to V3 hypervariable loop of gp120 antigens of selected Indian isolates, has been studied and incorporated in an antigenic cocktail of gp36, gp41, and rp24 of HIV-1/2. Peptides from these antigens were chemically synthesized and an additional cysteine residue was added at both amino- and carboxyl-terminal sequences of each peptide in order to form inter and intramolecular disulfide bond for the folding of peptides. This generated conformational epitopes with increased oligomericity and stability of peptide sequences; and attachment of antigen to the solid support of ELISA plates. The use of antigenic cocktail of folded peptides and recombinant p24 enhanced sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA test. Evaluation of the test using 1123 serum samples in comparison with Boston Biomedical Incorporation (BBI) panels showed 100% sensitivity and 99.3% specificity with no cross reactivity tribulation. In conclusion, “HIV screen test” detects HIV 1/2 antibodies with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity and could be a promising tool for seroscreening of blood during transfusion, counseling and diagnosis of HIV-1/2.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) is an inducible enzyme involved in the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandin and other eicosanoids. Molecular pathology studies have revealed that Cox-2 is over-expressed in cancer and stroma cells during tumor progression, and anti-cancer chemo-radiotherapies induce expression of Cox-2 in cancer cells. Elevated tumor Cox-2 is associated with increased angiogenesis, tumor invasion and promotion of tumor cell resistance to apoptosis. Several experimental and clinical studies have established potent anti-cancer activity of NSAID (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and other Cox-2 inhibitors such as celecoxib. Much attention is being focused on Cox-2 inhibitors as beneficial target for cancer chemotherapy. The mode of action of Cox-2 and its inhibitors remains unclear. Further clinical application needs to be investigated for comprehending Cox-2 biological functions and establishing it as an effective target in cancer therapy.

Background Oxaliplatin is integrated in treatment strategies against a variety of cancers including radiation protocols. Herein, as a new strategy we tested feasibility and rationale of oxaliplatin in combination with radiation to control proliferation of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells and discussed survivin-related signaling and apoptosis induction. Methods Cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by radiation and/or oxaliplatin were examined in relation to survivin status using two HNSCC cell lines viz., Cal27 and NT8e, and one normal 293-cell line. Survivin gene knockdown by siRNA was also tested in relevance to oxaliplatin-mediated radiosensitization effects. Results Survivin plays a critical role in mediating radiation-resistance in part through suppression of apoptosis via a caspase-dependent mechanism. Oxaliplatin treatment significantly decreased expression of survivin in cancer cells within 24–72 h. Apoptotic cells and caspase-3 activity were increased parallely with decrease in cell viability, if irradiated during this sensitive period. The cytotoxicity of oxaliplatin and radiation combination was greater than additive. Survivin gene knockdown experiments have demonstrated the role of survivin in radiosensitization of cancer cells mediated by oxaliplatin. Conclusions Higher expression of survivin is a critical factor for radioresistance in HNSCC cell lines. Pre-treatment of cancer cells with oxaliplatin significantly increased the radiosensitivity through induction of apoptosis by potently inhibiting survivin.

Ganoderma lucidum (Ling Zhi) is a basidiomycete white rot macrofungus which has been used extensively as "the mushroom of immortality" in China, Japan, Korea and other Asian countries for 2000 years. A great deal of work has been carried out on therapeutic potential of Ganoderma lucidum. The basidiocarp, mycelia and spores of Ganoderma lucidum contain approximately 400 different bioactive compounds, which mainly include triterpenoids, polysaccharides, nucleotides, sterols, steroids, fatty acids, proteins/peptides and trace elements which has been reported to have a number of pharmacological effects including immunomodulation, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, chemo-preventive, antitumor, chemo and radio protective, sleep promoting, antibacterial, antiviral (including anti-HIV), hypolipidemic, anti-fibrotic, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, anti-androgenic, anti-angiogenic, anti-herpetic, antioxidative and radical-scavenging, anti-aging, hypoglycemic, estrogenic activity and anti-ulcer properties. Ganoderma lucidum has now become recognized as an alternative adjuvant in the treatment of leukemia, carcinoma, hepatitis and diabetes. The macrofungus is very rare in nature rather not sufficient for commercial exploitation for vital therapeutic emergencies, therefore, the cultivation on solid substrates, stationary liquid medium or by submerged cultivation has become an essential aspect to meet the driving force towards the increasing demands in the international market. Present review focuses on the pharmacological aspects, cultivation methods and bioactive metabolites playing a significant role in various therapeutic applications.

Jatropha curcas is a stress--resistant perennial plant growing on marginal soils. This plant is widespread throughout arid and semiarid tropical regions of the world and has been used as a traditional folk medicine in many countries. J.curcas is a source of several secondary metabolites of medicinal importance. The leaf, fruits, latex and bark contain glycosides, tannins, phytosterols, flavonoids and steroidal sapogenins that exhibit wide ranging medicinal properties. The plant products exhibit anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activities. The paper highlights the ability of various metabolites present in the plant to act as therapeutic agents and plant protectants. The plant is designated as an energy plant and use of J.curcas oil as biodiesel is a promising and commercially viable alternative to diesel oil. The seeds of the plant are not only a source of biodiesel but also contain several metabolites of pharmaceutical importance. Commercial exploitation for biopharmaceuticals and bio-energy production are some of the prospective future potential of this plant. Further reclamation of wastelands and dry lands is also possible with J.curcas cultivation.

The present study compared the relative tolerance to honey and glucose of subjects with impaired glucose tolerance or mild diabetes. Thirty individuals 35-60 years old with a proven parental (mother or father) history of type II diabetes mellitus were subjected simultaneously to an oral glucose tolerance test (GTT) and a honey tolerance test (HTT). Glucose tolerance was found to be impaired in 24 subjects, while six of the subjects were diagnosed as mildly diabetic. All subjects with impaired glucose tolerance exhibited significantly lower plasma glucose concentrations after consumption of honey at all time points of the HTT in comparison to the GTT. The plasma glucose levels in response to honey peaked at 30-60 minutes and showed a rapid decline as compared to that to glucose. Significantly, the high degree of tolerance to honey was recorded in subjects with diabetes as well, indicating a lower glycemic index of honey. Thus, it is evident from the present investigation that honey may prove to be a valuable sugar substitute for subjects with impaired glucose tolerance or mild diabetes.

Lymphatic filarial subjects with disease manifestations exhibit significantly elevated levels of immune complexes (ICs) in their circulation. The objective of the study was to explore the possible excretion of filaria‐specific soluble ICs in urine of subjects with lymphatic filariasis. Paired urine (overnight) and serum samples were analyzed for complement activating filarial antigen containing immune complexes by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antigen‐specific ICs were detected in urine samples of 34% of subjects with filarial disease manifestations while the frequency of occurrence was low in microfilaremic subjects. The titer of urine ICs is significantly high in subjects with chronic filariasis as compared to microfilaria (mf) carriers. The occurrence of filaria‐specific ICs in urine and their passage through the filtering structures of the kidney is suggestive of the focal or diffuse damage in those subjects. Detection of ICs in urine may provide a noninvasive means of assessing the extent of renal damage in patients with lymphatic filariasis. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 21:46–48, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) has recently been reported to induce antimycobacterial activity in vitro and in a mouse model of in vivo Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. However, its role in the course of pulmonary tuberculosis in humans is still not known. This study shows that S1P levels in airway surface fluid of tuberculosis (TB) patients are significantly less than those observed in non-TB control patients. Moreover, the in vitro stimulation of bronchoalveolar lavage cells coming from TB patients with S1P significantly reduces intracellular growth of endogenous mycobacterial isolates. These results show that, in the course of pulmonary TB, airway epithelial fluid-associated S1P may play a protective role in the containment of intracellular mycobacterial growth and that its decrease may represent a novel pathogenic mechanism through which M. tuberculosis favors its replication.

Summary The limitations of the conventional methods for diagnosing tuberculosis have spurred multi-faceted research activities in this field throughout the world. Chromatographic methods appear promising but may not be widely available in the developing countries. Immuno-diagnostic methods using combinations (“cocktails”) of antigens have high sensitivity and specificity and can easily be applied in the peripheral laboratories and in the field settings. Though expensive, molecular methods for diagnosis of tuberculosis have advantages of speed, sensitivity, and specificity. Adequate training of the eligible personnels in molecular methods and prevention of laboratory-dependent contamination may help reduce false positive results. Although, there are no clear guidelines, so far on how to make out the best from the gene amplification methods, yet their use may be encouraged with adequate quality controls, because of the inherent ingenuity and promises of these methods. Phage-based molecular methods provide rapid results in susceptibility tests for anti-tubercular drugs. In future, many sophisticated techniques are expected to hit the market for a rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis. In the developing countries, it is necessary to evaluate availability of suitable infrastructure and trained personnels before adopting modern diagnostic methods.

Rapid diagnosis and treatment are important for preventing transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, the diagnosis of tuberculosis continues to pose serious problems, mainly because of difficulties in differentiating between patients with active tuberculosis and those with healed lesions, normal mycobacterium boris BCG (Bacillus Calmette Guerin) vaccinated individuals, and unvaccinated Manteux positives. Physicians still rely on conventional methods such as Ziehl‐Neelsen (ZN) staining, fluorochrome staining, sputum culture, gastric lavage, and other non‐traditional methods. Although the tuberculin test has aided in the diagnosis of tuberculosis for more than 85 years, its interpretation is difficult because sensitization with nontuberculous mycobacteria leads to false‐positive tests. There have been numerous unsuccessful attempts to develop clinically useful serodiagnostic kits for tuberculosis. A number of proteinaceous and nonprotein antigens (such as acyltrehaloses and phenolglycolipids) have been explored from time to time for the development of such assays but they have not proved to be clinically useful. It has been difficult to develop an ELISA utilizing a suitable antigen because M. tuberculosis shares a large number of antigenic proteins with other microorganisms that may or may not be pathogenic. With the advent of molecular biology techniques, there have been significant advances in nucleic acid‐based amplification and hybridization, which are helping to rectify existing flaws in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. The detection of mycobacterial DNA in clinical samples by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a promising approach for the rapid diagnosis of tuberculous infection. However, the PCR results must be corrected for the presence of inhibitors as well as for DNA contamination. In the modern era of genetics, marked by proteomics and genomics, the day is not far off when DNA chip‐based hybridization assays will instantly reveal mycobacterial infections. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 17: 155–163, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Background: In the present study, “Diabegon” a poly-herbal preparation, with hypoglycemic activity, was evaluated for its preventive effect inmetabolic syndrome subjects with type 2 diabetes and also to reveal its side effects, on liver and kidney.Materials and Methods: Type 2 diabetic subjects with metabolic syndrome (N=58) were categorized on the basis of age and fasting blood glucose.The grouping was as follows: Group I (35-50 yrs), Group II (51-65 yrs), Group III >65 yrs, Group IV FBS145. Each group wasadministered 4 gm of diabegon daily. Blood glucose levels, lipid profile, liver and kidney function of the subjects were regularly monitored within 3months of interval to 18 months.Results: The reduction in fasting blood glucose level ranged from 12.3% (P