Search

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.

Purpose: To systematically review all the studies that have addressed the anti-cancer activities of the VA leaf extract in vitro to determine the strength of evidence of its anti-cancer effects and whether it can be used as an effective cancer therapy.Methods: The databases of Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed, Springer, and Directory of Open Access Journals were searched for relevant articles. Only articles published in the English language from January 2000 to November 2018 were selected for full-text retrieval and review, before being included in the final review.Results: From a total of 28 articles identified for full-text retrieval, only 17 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The papers reviewed showed that VA decreases cell viability, inhibits DNA synthesis and causes DNA damage in cancer cells. VA also induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in cancer cells via gene regulation. All in all, there is evidence showing that VA possesses time- and concentration-dependent anti-cancer activity.Conclusion: The VA leaf extract has the potential to be developed into cancer therapeutics. However, more research is needed on its effect on normal cells before VA is developed into a cancer therapeutic. Keywords: Vernonia amygdalina, Anti-cancer effect, DNA damage, Apoptosis

Joseph J, Khor KZ, Moses EJ, Lim V, Aziz MY, Abdul Samad N. Int J Nanomedicine. 2021;16:3599–3612. The authors have advised that the acknowledgment statement on page 3610 is incorrect. The correct acknowledgment is as follows: Acknowledgment This Study received financial support from the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) (FRGS/1/2020/STG01/USM/03/2), account code: (FRGS 203.CIPPT.6711842) from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. The authors apologize for this error. Read the original article

A novel deep eutectic solvents (DES) was successfully applied as an emulsifier in vortex assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (VALLME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides in honey and fruit samples. Based on the result of toxicity study, DES provides new opportunities for the safe delivery and application. The predominant parameters affecting extraction efficiency were thoroughly optimized and studied in detail. Under optimum parameters, the calibration curve was determined in the concentration range of 0.1 to 200 µgL-1 with excellent determination coefficients values of 0.9989 to 0.9999. Limit of detection and limit of quantification were found to be 0.01 - 0.09 µgL-1 and 0.03 - 0.2 µgL-1, respectively. Application of the developed method to honey and fruit samples gave acceptable recovery values 83 - 109% with relative standard deviation below than 9.5%. The suggested approach has also proven to be simple, cost-effective, rapid, and non-toxic in nature.

Dried moringa leaf powder was sequentially extracted with the assistance of ultrasound starting with absolute ethanol, followed by 50% ethanol, and finally, deionized water. The aqueous extract was utilized to synthesize silver nanoparticles. The optimum conditions to generate moringa silver nanoparticles (MO-AgNPs) were eight hours of incubation at 60°C with 1 mM silver nitrate and 1% moringa aqueous extract from sequential extraction. The three extracts and MO-AgNPs were used to treat Kasumi-1 cells for 24, 48, 72 hours with concentrations ranging from 400 to 12.5 µg/mL, while cell viability was determined with 3(4, 5-dimethythiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. After 72 hours of treatment, the moringa leaf absolute ethanol extract displayed the strongest inhibitory effects on Kasumi-1 cells with ICThis study reveals that moringa ethanolic leaf extract and MO-AgNPs induced potent antiproliferative effects in Kasumi-1 cells by apoptosis.

For many herbivorous mammal species across the world, geophagy, the consumption of soil, is an important method for obtaining minerals, especially sodium. However, this behavior has not been recorded in marsupials. The eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), an intensively studied macropod species, is known to use physiological and micromorphological adaptations to conserve sodium. We present results of another adaptation, the use of natural licks, by this species and 3 other macropod species at Sundown National Park, Australia. Natural licks had significantly higher levels of sodium, magnesium, and sulfur than surrounding soils. We examined patterns of lick use by kangaroos to test 3 possible proximate causes of geophagy: whether lick use was affected by dietary mineral content, life-history stage, and thermoregulation. The number of kangaroos visiting the licks increased with temperature and mean cloud cover, varied among months, and was marginally significantly influenced by dietary mineral content. Visit durations to one lick increased with temperature and were influenced by month and life-history stage; females with high lactation demand and large males spent the most time at the lick. The proportion of time spent in geophagy when at a focal lick varied with month and reproductive state. Therefore geophagy is not restricted to eutherian mammals, and kangaroos, like many eutherian species, appear to adjust this behavior in response to their mineral demand. Geophagy in kangaroos is facultative, rather than obligative, and has not been detected in other intensively studied populations. In areas of Australia with low levels of sodium, high temperatures, and suitable lick sites, geophagy may play a key role in marsupial ecology.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between enrollment in patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) and the receipt of preventive services among adolescents and young adults. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study including patients of Hennepin County aged 10 to 24 who had face-to-face or telephone encounters with health care providers between 2010 and 2014 at clinics with PCMHs at the Hennepin County Medical Center, Minnesota. Exposure was enrollment in PCMHs. Outcomes were receipt of (1) preventive visits; (2) prescriptions for influenza, meningococcal, and human papillomavirus vaccinations; (3) screening for sexually transmitted infections; (4) prescription of any contraceptive and long-acting reversible contraceptives; and (5) cervical cancer screening. Generalized mixed effect models in a propensity-score-matched sample were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 21 704 patients were included. Most patients were female, US-born, Hispanic/Latino, with an average age of 20.8 years. Patients enrolled in PCMH (n = 729) were more likely to be Latino, students, and have health insurance (P < .001). Adjusted odds ratios (99% confidence intervals) comparing the receipt of preventive services of patients enrolled in PCMHs to youth who did not receive these services were as follows: (1) preventive visits 1.10 (0.93–1.29); (2) influenza 0.89 (0.74–1.07), meningococcal 1.53 (1.30–1.80), and human papillomavirus vaccinations 1.53 (1.28–1.84); (3) screening for sexually transmitted infections 1.69 (1.28–2.24); (4) prescription of any type of contraception 2.18 (1.56–3.03) and long-acting reversible contraceptives 2.66 (1.89–3.74); and (5) cervical cancer screening 1.14 (0.87–1.48). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, patients enrolled in PCMHs had higher odds of receiving multiple preventive services.

The relationship between parent and child changes during adolescence. During that transition time, some youths may be challenging rules, engaging in risky behaviors, or failing to disclose their activities to their parents. Physicians and other health care providers are in a position to counsel not only youths about problem behaviors but also parents about how to more effectively deal with their children. One of the things they can recommend is an approach known as authoritative parenting. This approach has been shown to promote higher school achievement and self-esteem, and result in less depression and anxiety and more self-reliance among youths. This article describes the approach and offers physicians tips about what they can say to parents.