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Angiogenesis is the process of generating new blood vessels that deliver tumor cells with oxygen and essential nutrients for growth and metastasis. This study examined the in vitro antiangiogenic properties of the ethanolic crude extract from Vernonia amygdalina (VA) grown in Malaysia. The direct antiangiogenic activity of VA was evaluated on EA.hy926 cells using in vitro assessments: Cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, and cell invasion assays. VA ethanolic crude extract cytotoxic activity was evident in the antiproliferative and colony formation assays. The growth inhibition (IC50) of 50% against EA.hy926 endothelial cells was achieved after 72 h treatment at a concentration of 85.43±3.57 µg/mL. Upon 48 h treatment, colony formation was inhibited completely at 100 µg/mL while 51.94% inhibition was achieved at 50 µg/mL. Moreover, the extract showed 54.72% and 31.99% inhibitory effects against migration of cells when treated for 24 h treatment at two different concentrations, 25 µg/mL and 12.5 µg/mL, respectively. The use of 100 µg/mL VA ethanolic extract inhibited cell invasion by 35.43%, which was lower than that of 57.81% inhibition achieved by the vinblastine as a positive control. All in all, the present work clearly demonstrated the antiangiogenic properties of VA ethanolic extract that may reflect a chemotherapeutic and/or chemoprevention potential for biomedical applications.

Background Pancreatic cancer is one of the most notorious cancers and is known for its highly invasive characteristics, drug resistance, and metastatic progression. Unfortunately, resistance towards gemcitabine develops in many with advanced pancreatic cancer. Orthosiphon stamineus (O.s) is used widely as a traditional medicine for the treatment of multiple ailments, including cancer in South East Asia. The present in vitro study was designed to investigate complementary effects of an ethanolic extract of O.s (Et. O.s) compared to rosmarinic acid in combination with gemcitabine on Panc-1 (pancreatic cancer) cells. Method Cell viability and colony formation assays were used to determine the IC50 of Et. O.s, rosmarinic acid, and gemcitabine. Different doses of gemcitabine in combination with Et. O.s or rosmarinic acid were tested against Panc-1 to select the best concentrations which possessed synergistic effects. Elucidation of molecular mechanisms responsible for mediating chemo-sensitivity in Panc-1 was performed using qPCR, flow cytometry and staining techniques. Results Et. O.s was found to significantly sensitise Panc-1 towards gemcitabine by reducing expression of multidrug-resistant (MDR-1, MRP-4, and MRP-5) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (ZEB-1 and Snail-1) genes through human equilibrate nucleoside transporter-1 (hENT-1) induction. Et. O.s-gemcitabine combination induced cellular senescence and cell death through cell cycle regulation and Notch pathway inhibition. In contrast, rosmarinic acid-gemcitabine combination showed no additional effects on cellular senescence, apoptosis, EMT markers, the MRP-4 and MRP-5 multi-drug resistance protein family, hENT-1, and the Notch pathway through Notch 1 intracellular domain. Conclusion This study provides valuable information on the use of Et. O.s to complement gemcitabine in targeting pancreatic cancer in vitro and demonstrates its potential use as a novel complementary treatment in pancreatic cancer patients.

Syzygium myrtifolium Walp. (Syzygium campanulatum Korth), Myrtaceae, is locally known as “Kelat paya” in Malaysia. Traditionally, it is used as a remedy for stomach pain. The goal of the present study was to investigate the toxicological potential as well as the antidiarrhoeal and antispasmodic activities of betulinic acid, dimethyl cardamonin and standardized non-formulated and nano-formulated ethanol and supercritical fluid extracts prepared from leaves of S. myrtifolium. The standardized extracts did not produce in vivo toxicity. Both the compounds and standardized extracts showed dose-dependent antidiarrhoeal activity by examining changes in the percentage of liquid stools and percentage of defecation frequency. Dimethyl cardamonin and standardized extracts showed antispasmodic activity on the isolated ileum of guinea pigs. Compared with hyoscine-N-butylbromide, dimethyl cardamonin and standardized extracts produced significant, potent antagonizing activity in ileum contractions induced with acetylcholine. Furthermore, the antagonistic potential of S. myrtifolium active markers against muscarinic type M2 and M3 receptors was investigated by molecular docking.

Orthosiphon stamineus (O.S) is widely consumed for its medidcinal value including anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, and diuretic properties. The present study evaluates the cytoprotective, anti-mutagenic, and anticlastogenic efficacies of standardized extract of Orthosiphon stamineus. Normal liver cell line (WRL68) exposed to hydrogen peroxide and serum-deprived media as insults to evaluate cytoprotective and glutathione activation activities of (Et. O. s). Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 exposed to different concentrations of (Et. O. s). The influence of Et. O. s on mitotic, replicative indices as well as chromosomal aberration (CA) and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) induced in human peripheral blood lymphocytes by mitomycin C (MMC). The Et. O.s proved to be a potent scavenger for hydrogen peroxide and other free radicals in serum-depraved media, which showed to stimulate glutathione production in liver cells line. Moreover, it did not induce mutations in S. typhimurium subspecies TA98 and TA100. The standardized extract exhibited powerful antimutagenic activities as verified against both 2-nitrofluorene and sodium azide in S. typhimurium TA98 and TA100 cells, respectively. Cytogenetic tests showed high concentrations of Et. O. s to reduce the values of mitotic and replicative indices without any accompanying side effects, such as chromosomal abnormalities or SCE. To ameliorate MMC effects, pretreatment with the extract proofed to be efficient protocol. These data suggests that O. stamineus extract could be useful as cytoprotective, antimutagenic, and anticlastogenic efficacies, which owes to its potent chemoprevention, antioxidant, and glutathione activation properties.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) coated Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) for cancer treatment are biocompatible, nonimmunogenic and accumulate in tumour sites due to the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR). Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent but cardiotoxic anticancer agent. Hyaluronic acid (HA) occurs naturally in the extra-cellar matrix and binds to CD44 receptors which are overexpressed in cancer metastasis, proven to be characteristic of cancer stem cells and responsible for multidrug resistance. In this study, an athymic mice model of breast cancer metastasis was developed using red fluorescent protein (RFP)-labelled triple negative cancer cells. The animals were divided into four treatment groups (Control, HA-PEG-PLGA nanoparticles, PEG-PLGA nanoparticles, and Free DOX). The tumour size growth was assessed until day 25 when animals were sacrificed. Mice treated with HA-PEG-PLGA NPs inhibited tumour growth. The tumour growth at day 25 (118% ± 13.0) was significantly (p < 0.05) less than PEG-PLGA NPs (376% ± 590 and control (826% ± 970). Fluorescent microscopy revealed that HA-PEG-PLGA NPs had significantly (p < 0.05) less metastasis in liver, spleen, colon, and lungs as compared to control and to Free DOX groups. The efficacy of HA-PEG-PLGA NPs was proven in vivo. Further pharmacokinetic and toxicity studies are required for this formulation to be ready for clinical research.

The ethanolic extract of resinous sediment (EERS) of Etlingera elatior young inflorescence was examined for its anticancer effect and potential antioxidant activity. The anticancer effect of the EERS was evaluated on four human cancer cell lines, HCT 116, HT-29, Hela, and MCF-7, using the MTT assay. GC-MS analysis showed that the main components found in the EERS were nonyl cyclopropane (4.44%), 1-tetradecane (3.66%), cyclotetradecane (2.41%), cyclododecane (1.92%), and 1-decene (1.72%). The antioxidant activity was determined through different methods. High amounts of TPC and TFC in the EERS were found. Moderate antioxidant capacity of the EERS was detected by DPPH and ABTS assays, with EC50 values of 44.19 and 56.61 μg/mL and a high FRAP value of 281.79 nmol Fe+2 equivalent/mg extract. In the MTT assay, the EERS showed potent anticancer activity, with IC50 values of 19.82, 37.001, 50.49, and 53.29 μg/mL against HT-29, HCT 116, Hela, and MCF-7 tumour cell lines, respectively. Moreover, the results were comparable to or less potent than the standard reference drug, 5-fluorouracil. The results showed that the EERS of Etlingera elatior inflorescence contained a high amount of polyphenols and flavonoids, which may to the selective antiproliferative effects towards colon cancer in vitro

Beta-Caryophyllene (BCP), a naturally occurring sesquiterpene abundantly found in cloves, hops, and cannabis, is the active candidate of a relatively new group of vascular-inhibiting compounds that aim to block existing tumor blood vessels. Previously, we have reported the anti-cancer properties of BCP by utilizing a series of in-vitro anti-tumor-related assays using human colorectal carcinoma cells. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of BCP on in-vitro, ex-vivo, and in-vivo models of anti-angiogenic assays and evaluate its anti-cancer activity in xenograft tumor (both ectopic and orthotopic) mice models of human colorectal cancer. Computational structural analysis and an apoptosis antibody array were also performed to understand the molecular players underlying this effect. BCP exhibited strong anti-angiogenic activity by blocking the migration of endothelial cells, tube-like network formation, suppression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion from human umbilical vein endothelial cells and sprouting of rat aorta microvessels. BCP has a probable binding at Site#0 on the surface of VEGFR2. Moreover, BCP significantly deformed the vascularization architecture compared to the negative control in a chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane assay. BCP showed a remarkable reduction in tumor size and fluorescence molecular tomography signal intensity in all the mice treated with BCP, in a dose-dependent relationship, in ectopic and orthotopic tumor xenograft models, respectively. The histological analysis of the tumor from BCP-treated mice revealed a clear reduction of the density of vascularization. In addition, BCP induced apoptosis through downregulation of HSP60, HTRA, survivin, and XIAP, along with the upregulation of p21 expressions. These results suggest that BCP acts at multiple stages of angiogenesis and could be used as a promising therapeutic candidate to halt the growth of colorectal tumor cells.

In the present study, two important starting materials and 18 new 1,2,4-triazole compounds with mono ring system have been synthesized and characterized. The mono system showed 16 compounds of a Schiff base moiety attached to the triazole ring which was prepared from the corresponding starting material 5(A–B) or piperidinium salt system 6(A–B). All these compounds were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and carbon hydrogen nitrogen (CHN) elemental analysis. The compounds were selected for in vitro anticancer study to test the therapeutic cytotoxic potential against cancer cells. The MTT test was conducted against human breast (MCF-7) and colorectal (HCT-116) cancer cells. Among all the compounds tested, 7A-i demonstrated more pronounced in vitro anticancer effect against MCF-7 and HCT-116 cells with IC50 of 38 and 19.2 μM, respectively, comparable to that of the standard reference drugs, tamoxifen and 5-fluorouracil, respectively. Compound 7A-vi showed a considerable cytotoxic effect with IC50 53 and 41.2 μM against MCF-7 and HCT-116 cells, respectively. Compounds 7A-ii, 7A-iii and 7A-v exhibited moderate cytotoxicity with IC50 68, 91 and 85 μM, respectively against MCF-7 cells and also 59.3, 81.7 and 137.1 μM against HCT-116 cells, respectively. However, all other compounds tested in this study showed poor cytotoxicity against both the cell lines. Cellular morphological analysis revealed that the cytotoxicity induced by the compounds could probably due to autophagy. It can be concluded that 1,2,4-triazole derivatives can be promising therapeutic agents. Further studies will be done to investigate the antitumor efficacy of the 1,2,4-triazole derivatives using suitable preclinical models.

The bidentate N-cyclohexyl-2-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzylidene)hydrazine-1-carbothioamide Schiff base ligand (HL) was coordinated to divalent nickel, palladium and platinum ions to form square planar complexes. The nickel and palladium complexes, [NiL2 ], [PdL2 ] form square planar complexes with 2:1 ligand to metal ratio. The platinum complex, [PtL(dmso)Cl] formed a square planar complex with 1:1 ligand to metal ratio. Platinum undergoes in situ reaction with DMSO before complexing with the ligand in solution. The cytotoxicity of HL, [NiL2 ], [PdL2 ], and [PtL(dmso)Cl] were evaluated against human colon cancer cell line (HCT-116), human cervical cancer (Hela) cell line, melanoma (B16F10) cells, and human normal endothelial cell lines (Eahy926) by MTT assay. The [NiL2 ] complex displayed selective cytotoxic effect against the HCT 116 cancer cell line with IC50 of 7.9 ± 0.2 μM. However, HL, [PdL2 ], and [PtL(dmso)Cl] only exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity with IC50 = 75.9 ± 2.4, 100.0 ± 1.8, and 101.0 ± 3.6 μM, respectively. The potent cytotoxicity of [NiL2 ] was characterized using Hoechst and Rhodamine assays. The nickel complex, [NiL2 ], caused remarkable nuclear condensation and reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, molecular docking studies confirms that [NiL2 ] possesses significant binding efficiency with Tyrosine kinase. Altogether, the results revealed that [NiL2 ] exhibits cytotoxicity against the cancer cells via Tyrosine kinase-induced proapoptosis pathway. This study demonstrates that the [NiL2 ] complex could be a promising therapeutic agent against colorectal carcinoma.

NuvastaticTM is a polymolecular botanical drug formulation containing a proprietary extract of a selected cultivar of Orthosiphon stamineus (OS) code name, C5OSEW5050ESA OS. The anti-angiogenic activity of C5OSEW5050ESA OS was explored by evaluating its activity towards a variety of angiogenesis modulators in vitro and in vivo. Multiplex immunoassays reveals that C5OSEW5050ESA OS inhibits Vascular Endothelial Growth factor (VEGF), Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF), Interleukin 2 ( IL-2) & Interleukin 7 (IL-7), Nerve Growth Factor β (NGF-β) , Transforming Growth Factor -α (TGF-α) and Tumor Necrosis Factor- β (TNF-β). C5OSEW5050ESA OS also caused significant upregulation of interferon α (IFN-α), interferon β (IFN-β), interferon γ (IFN-γ) and Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). C5OSEW5050ESA OS was found to inhibit endothelial cell proliferation and migration (92.6%) and disrupts the tube assembly (98.26%) for new blood vessel formation. The compound also inhibits neovascularisation in isolated rat aortic ring tissues (IC50 18.2 ± 2 µg/mL) and in chick chorioallantoic membrane assays (CAM) by 82.7%. In vivo matrigel plug assay treated with C5OSEW5050ESA OS shows inhibition of neovascularisation by 91.4± 3%. In conclusion, the study reveals that C5OSEW5050ESA OS has strong anti-angiogenic and immunomodulatory properties which may have significant clinical benefits in cancer therapy.

Caffeic acid (CA) is a well-known natural compound used for both health supplement and metabolic diseases. In the present study, single, easy, and quick isolation procedure of caffeic acid was described from rosmarinic acid. A quick crystal formation also was described for highly hygroscopic CA which was spontaneous and stable with lower hygroscopic nature. In addition, the produced crystal CA was highly stable and showed neuroprotective activity with 100 μg/ml in U87 MG which revealed its dual biological effect for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, respectively.

Proven the great potential of essential oils as anticancer agents, the current study intended to explore molecular mechanisms responsible for in vitro and in vivo anti-colon cancer efficacy of essential oil containing oleo-gum resin extract (RH) of Mesua ferrea . MTT cell viability studies showed that RH had broad spectrum cytotoxic activities. However, it induced more profound growth inhibitory effects towards two human colon cancer cell lines i.e. , HCT 116 and LIM1215 with an IC 50 values of 17.38 ± 0.92 and 18.86 ± 0.80 μg/mL respectively. RH induced relatively less toxicity in normal human colon fibroblasts i.e. , CCD-18co. Cell death studies conducted, revealed that RH induced characteristic morphological and biochemical changes in HCT 116. At protein level it down-regulated expression of multiple pro-survival proteins i.e. , survivin, xIAP, HSP27, HSP60 and HSP70 and up-regulated expression of ROS, caspase-3/7 and TRAIL-R2 in HCT 116. Furthermore, significant reduction in invasion, migration and colony formation potential was observed in HCT 116 treated with RH. Chemical characterization by GC–MS and HPLC methods revealed isoledene and elemene as one the major compounds. RH showed potent antitumor activity in xenograft model. Overall, these findings suggest that RH holds a promise to be further studied for cheap anti-colon cancer naturaceutical development.

Graphical abstract, Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate among cancers due to its aggressive biology and lack of effective treatment. Gemcitabine, the first line anticancer drug has reduced efficacy due to acquired resistance. The current study evaluates the toxicological effects of Orthosiphon stamineus (O.s) and its marker compound (rosmarinic acid) in combination with gemcitabine. O.s (200 or 400 mg/kg/day) and rosmarinic acid (32 mg/kg/day) were administered orally and gemcitabine (10 mg/kg/3 days) intraperitoneally either alone or in combination treatment for fourteen days. Parameters including blood serum biochemistry, hematology, myeloid-erythroid ratio, incident of lethality, and histopathological analysis of liver, kidney, and spleen tissues were studied. Neither, individual drugs/extract nor chemo-herbal combinations at tested doses induced any toxicity and damage to organs in nude mice when compared to control group. Toxicological data obtained from this study will help to select the best doses of chemo-herbal combination for future pancreatic xenograft tumor studies.

Mononuclear trans-Pd(II)–NHC complexes (where NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) bearing asymmetrically substituted NHC-ligand have been synthesized via transmetalation reaction between Ag(I)–NHC comple...

The newly designed Ag(I)-NHC and Pd(II)-NHC complexes (where NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) bearing symmetrically and unsymmetrically nitrile functionalized have been synthesized, starting from the corresponding aliphatic nitrile functionalized benzimidazolium bromide salts. The resulting aliphatic nitrile functionalized benzimidazolium salts (1 and 2) were subsequently deprotonated with the basic metal source Ag2O by in situ deprotonation technique to obtain a mononuclear Ag(I)-NHC complexes (3 and 4). The mononuclear Pd(II)-NHC complexes (5 and 6) were prepared via transmetalation from their respective Ag(I)-NHC complexes, respectively. All compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR, 1H- and 13C-NMR. Single crystal structural studies of Ag(I)-NHC complex revealed that the Ag(I) ion exhibits a linear geometry of quasi-parallel pairs of aromatic benzimidazole planes. The synthesized compounds were then screened for potential cytotoxicity on breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), using MTT assay. All the Ag(I)-NHC complexes show better activity with IC50 values ranging from 3.7 – 4.1 µM, while Pd(II)-NHC complexes show the IC50 values ranging from 13.9 – 14.2 µM in comparison with the standard drug, Tamoxifen (IC50 = 11.2 µM). All the respective benzimidazolium salts, however were found to be inactive. The anticancer activity is corresponding to the increasing lipophilicity order of the complexes as 5

Four heterocyclic embedded Schiff base derivatives (1–4) were synthesized and characterized by melting point, elemental analysis, FTIR, 1H, 13C NMR, UV–Visible spectral data. The structures of compounds 1, 2 and 4 were successfully established through single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In vitro cholinesterase inhibition assays showed that the cyclized derivative 1 displayed higher BuChE enzyme inhibitory activity with IC50 value of 1.45 ± 0.09 μM. The anti-proliferative efficacies of the compounds were also evaluated using human colorectal HCT 116 and breast MCF-7 adenocarcinoma cell lines. In addition, a human normal endothelial cell line (Ea.hy926) was also tested to assess the safety and selectivity of the compounds towards normal and cancer cells, respectively. Among the compounds tested, compound 2 displayed potent cytotoxic effect (IC50 = 34 μM) against HCT 116 cells with highest selectivity index of 3.1 with respect to the normal endothelial cells. Whereas, compound 4 exhibited significant anti-proliferative effect (IC50 = 21.1 μM) against MCF-7 cells with highest selectivity index of 3.3 with respect to the normal endothelial cells. The docking result of these compounds against hAChE showed potent activities with different binding modes. These compounds could be a promising pharmacological agent to treat cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Neuroprotection refers to the use of any therapeutic modality that prevents, retards, or reverses neuronal cell death during the degenerative process. The aim of the present study was to determine the neuroprotective effects of Rhus coriaria L. ( R. coriaria) fruit extract. Ethanol extract of the R. coriaria fruit was prepared via maceration technique and tested for its neurotoxic properties on retinal photoreceptor cells (RGC-5). Cell viability (MTT), Hoechst staining and caspase levels were measured following 48 h serum deprivation. The role of ethanol extract of R. coriaria (ERC) in attenuating oxidative stress conditions was evaluated by testing its ability to increase glutathione (GSH) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) levels. Ethanol extract was non-toxic (IC 50 of 249.99 ± 0.17 μg/mL). The in vitro retinal degeneration study revealed ERC at 5 μg/mL was effective in rescuing RGC-5 cells from the detrimental effect of serum deprivation by significantly maintaining viability, decreasing apoptotic markers caspases 3/7, 8 and 9 and significantly reducing the number of Hoechst-positive apoptotic RGC-5 cells. The extract also significantly increased the levels of GSH and GST. ERC therefore exhibits its neuroprotective activities by modulating caspase-dependent apoptosis in an in vitro model of retinal degeneration and enhancing radical scavenging properties in simulated oxidative stress conditions.

Considering the great potential of natural products as anticancer agents, the present study was designed to explore the molecular mechanisms responsible for anticancer activities of Mesua ferrea stem bark extract against human colorectal carcinoma. Based on MTT assay results, bioactive sub-fraction (SF-3) was selected for further studies using HCT 116 cells. Repeated column chromatography resulted in isolation of less active α-amyrin from SF-3, which was identified and characterized by GC-MS and HPLC methods. α-amyrin and betulinic acid contents of SF-3 were measured by HPLC methods. Fluorescent assays revealed characteristic apoptotic features, including cell shrinkage, nuclear condensation, and marked decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential in SF-3 treated cells. In addition, increased levels of caspases-9 and -3/7 levels were also observed in SF-3 treated cells. SF-3 showed promising antimetastatic properties in multiple in vitro assays. Multi-pathway analysis revealed significant down-regulation of WNT, HIF-1α, and EGFR with simultaneous up-regulation of p53, Myc/Max, and TGF-β signalling pathways in SF-3 treated cells. In addition, promising growth inhibitory effects were observed in SF-3 treated HCT 116 tumour spheroids, which give a hint about in vivo antitumor efficacy of SF-3 phytoconstituents. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that anticancer effects of SF-3 towards colon cancer are through modulation of multiple molecular pathways.

A new series of propylene linked bis-benzimidazolium salts, 1–4 were reacted with Ag2O to facilitate the formation of their respective dinuclear Ag(I)-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes, 5–8 respectively. All compounds were fully characterized by elemental analyses, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and FTIR spectroscopy techniques. The molecular structures of compounds 1 and 6 were elucidated through single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Both salts and complexes were tested for anti-cancer potential against breast cancer (MCF-7) cell line. The IC50 values are in the range of 7 ± 1–18 ± 3 μM show that the complexes 5–8 possess moderate antiproliferative effect while their respective salts 1–4 are found to be inactive against MCF-7 cell line.

Herbal products contain a variety of compounds which may be useful in protecting against cellular damage caused by mutagens. Orthosiphon stamineus (O.s) also known as Cat whiskers. The herb has been shown anti-oxidative properties and can modulate key cellular proteins that have cytoprotective effect. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of different doses (250, 500 and 1000 mg kg−1) of 50% ethanol extract of O.s (Et. O.s) on micro-nucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MNPCE), Polychromatic to normachromatic erythrocytes ratio (PCE/NCE), Mitotic index (MI), and Chromosomal aberration (CA) in Bab/c mice. Moreover, these parameters were used to evaluate the anti-genotoxic and clastogenic potencies of (Et. O.s) against mitomycin c (MMC) that interact with biological molecules and induce genotoxic and clastogenic disorders in non-tumor cells. MMC (4 mg kg−1) was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) to the mice before and after treatment with three different doses of (Et. O.s). The results indicated th...

Despite many treatment options, cancer remains a growing problem and has become the second leading cause of death globally. Here, we present fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) data regarding the reversion of third generation co-cultured U87+DBTRG and patient-derived GBM tumor model after treatment with novel IL17A inhibitor named FLVM and FLVZ (organic derivatives of caffeic acid). FMT was used to determine tumor angiogenesis volume (assessment of number of blood vessel; the expression of angiogenic factors CD34 and other angiogenic cancer bio-markers) in U87+DBTRG and patient-derived gliomas. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine microvessel density [CD34], and cell proliferation [Ki67]. Western blot was used to assess the interleukin 17A [IL17A], vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α [HIF-1α]. Antibody array was used to assess the cancer bio-markers in co-cultured U87+DBTRG gliomas. Animal survival was found to be significantly increased (P

A carbothioamide NSO tridentate Schiff base ligand (HL) and its square planar complexes Na[NiLOAc], Na[PdLOAc] and [PtLdmso] have been synthesized and characterized on the basis of melting point, elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, UV–Vis spectra. The structure of HL was elucidated with X-ray diffraction analysis. In the present study, the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their anticancer properties against three human cancer cell lines breast cancer (MCF-7), cervical (Hela), and colon (HCT-116). In addition, the cytotoxicity of the synthesized compounds was tested on a normal human cell line (human endothelial cell line EA.hy926). Among the tested compounds, the complex [NiLOAc] excelled in halting proliferation of the cervical and colon cancer cells with median inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 28.33 and 34.4 μM, respectively. The complex, [PdLOAc] demonstrated selective cytotoxicity against breast cancer line MCF-7 with IC50 = 47.5 μM, while HL showed inhibitory effect against colon cancer cell line (HCT-116) with IC50 = 55.66 μM. The complex, [PtLdmso] showed mild activity against breast cancer (MCF-7) and cervical cancer (Hela) cells with IC50 = 64.44 and 68.3 μM, respectively, whereas, it displayed insignificant cytotoxicity against human endothelial cells (EA.hy926) with IC50 > 200 μM. Cancer cells treated with [NiLOAc] showed apoptotic features such as membrane blebbing and DNA condensation. Thus, the findings of the present study demonstrated that the series of metal complexes of HL could form the new lead for development of cancer chemotherapies to treat human cervical, breast and colon malignancies.

In this study, the bioactivity-guided fractionation was conducted on the aerial parts of Arctium lappa L. and then the extracts were tested in vitro on breast cancer (MCF-7), colorectal cancer (HCT-116), and normal cells (EA.hy926). The n-hexane fraction (EHX) of the ethanolic extract showed strong activity against both MCF-7 and EA.hy926 cell lines (IC50 values: 14.08 ± 3.64 and 27.25 ± 3.45 μg/mL, respectively). The proapoptotic activity of EHX was assessed using MCF-7. Morphological alterations were visualized using Hoechst staining and a transmission electron microscope. Cancer cell signal transduction pathways were investigated, and EHX significantly upregulated p53, TGF-β, and NF-κB. Furthermore, EHX was found to disrupt the metastatic cascade of breast cancer cells by the inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and colonization. The antiangiogenic activity of EHX fraction showed potent inhibition of rat aorta microvessels with IC50 value: 4.34 ± 1.64 μg/mL. This result was supported by the downregulation of VEGF-A expression up to 54%. Over 20 compounds were identified in EHX using GC-MS, of which stigmasterol, ß-sitosterol, and 3-O-acetyllupeol are the major active compounds. Phytochemical analysis of EHX showed higher phenolic and flavonoid contents with a substantial antioxidant activity. In conclusion, this work demonstrated that A. lappa has valuable anticancer activity and antiangiogenic properties that might be useful in breast cancer therapy.

In this study, the bioactivity-guided fractionation was conducted on the aerial parts of Arctium lappa L. and then the extracts were tested in vitro on breast cancer (MCF-7), colorectal cancer (HCT-116), and normal cells (EA.hy926). The n-hexane fraction (EHX) of the ethanolic extract showed strong activity against both MCF-7 and EA.hy926 cell lines (IC50 values: 14.08 ± 3.64 and 27.25 ± 3.45 μg/mL, respectively). The proapoptotic activity of EHX was assessed using MCF-7. Morphological alterations were visualized using Hoechst staining and a transmission electron microscope. Cancer cell signal transduction pathways were investigated, and EHX significantly upregulated p53, TGF-β, and NF-κB. Furthermore, EHX was found to disrupt the metastatic cascade of breast cancer cells by the inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and colonization. The antiangiogenic activity of EHX fraction showed potent inhibition of rat aorta microvessels with IC50 value: 4.34 ± 1.64 μg/mL. This result was supported by the downregulation of VEGF-A expression up to 54%. Over 20 compounds were identified in EHX using GC-MS, of which stigmasterol, ß-sitosterol, and 3-O-acetyllupeol are the major active compounds. Phytochemical analysis of EHX showed higher phenolic and flavonoid contents with a substantial antioxidant activity. In conclusion, this work demonstrated that A. lappa has valuable anticancer activity and antiangiogenic properties that might be useful in breast cancer therapy.

Synthesis and anticancer studies of three symmetrically and non-symmetrically substituted silver(I)-N-Heterocyclic carbene complexes of type [(NHC)2-Ag]PF6 (7–9) and their respective (ligands) benzimidazolium salts (4–6) are described herein. Compound 5 and Ag-NHC-complex 7 were characterized by the single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. Structural studies for 7 showed that the silver(I) center has linear C-Ag-C coordination geometry (180.00(10)o). Other azolium and Ag-NHC analogues were confirmed by H1 and C13-NMR spectroscopy. The synthesized analogues were biologically characterized for in vitro anticancer activity against three cancer cell lines including human colorectal cancer (HCT 116), breast cancer (MCF-7), and erythromyeloblastoid leukemia (K-562) cell lines and in terms of in vivo acute oral toxicity (IAOT) in view of agility and body weight of female rats. In vitro anticancer activity showed the values of IC50 in range 0.31–17.9 μM in case of K-562 and HCT-116 cancer cell lines and 15.1–35.2 μM in case of MCF-7 while taking commercially known anticancer agents 5-fluorouracil, tamoxifen, and betulinic acid which have IC50 values 5.2, 5.5, and 17.0 μM, respectively. In vivo study revealed vigor and agility of all test animals which explores the biocompatibility and non-toxicity of the test analogues.