Search

Purpose: To investigate the cytotoxic activity of the essential oil of Chenopodium ambrosioides L. against human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Methods: Cytotoxicity was characterized by 50 % inhibition (IC50) of human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7) using 3-(4,5-dimethylthaizol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Apoptosis was analysed by Hoechst33258 staining and DNA ladder. MCF-7 cellular superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) vitality and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were evaluated. Results: The essential oil was cytotoxic to MCF-7 cell line. A dose- and time-dependent inhibition was observed with IC50 values of 18.75, 9.45 and 10.50 µg/ml at 6, 24 and 48 h, respectively. Analyses by Hoechst33258 staining and DNA ladder indicate that the essential oil induced apoptosis. SOD vitality significantly decreased (p< 0.05) by 51 % when the concentration of the essential oil increased from 1.25 to 12.5 µg/ml while CAT vitality significantly increased (p < 0.05) by 71 % when essential oil concentration was similarly increased. The MDA content of each treatment group, when compare to control, did not show any significant difference (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The essential oil of C. ambrosioides was cytotoxic to MCF-7 cell line and induced apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chenopodium ambrosioides is an invasive species, which has strong allelopathic effect on surrounding plants. In this study, the methods of soil culture and filter paper culture were adopted to simulate the eluviation and volatilization of the volatile oil from C. ambrosioides, respectively, and to investigate the allelopathy of the volatile oil on the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities of Vicia faba root tip cells, with the mechanisms of the induced tip cell apoptosis analyzed. At the early stage (24 h) of soil culture and filter paper culture, the superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase activities of the tip cells decreased after an initial increase with the increasing dose of the volatile oil, and the malondialdehyde content of the tip cells increased with the increasing volatile oil dose and treated time. At the midterm (48 h) and later (72 h) stages of soil culture and filter paper culture, a typical DNA ladder strip appeared, suggesting that the volatile oil from C. ambrosioides could induce the apoptosis of the tip cells, and the apoptosis was dose- and time dependent. This study showed that the volatile oil from C. ambrosioides could act on its surrounding plants via eluviation and volatilization, making the lipid peroxidation of acceptor plants aggravated and the antioxidant enzyme activities of the plants inhibited, resulting in the oxidative damage and apoptosis of the plant root tip cells, and accordingly, the inhibition of the plant growth. Under soil culture, the root tip cells of V. faba had higher antioxidant enzyme activities and lesser DNA damage, suggesting that the volatile oil from C. ambrosioides via volatilization had stronger allelopathy on the growth of surrounding plants than via eluviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new full-length cDNA of stearoyl-acyl carrier protein desaturase was obtained by RT-PCR and RACE techniques from developing seeds of Jatropha curcas. Sequence alignment showed that its deduced amino acid sequence had high similarity with other stearoyl-acyl carrier protein desaturases. The gene was functionally expressed in E. coli and the desaturating activity of recombinant protein was easily detected when assayed in vitro with added spinach ferredoxin. Southern blot analysis indicated that the gene was a member of a small gene family. Northern blot analysis revealed it was highly expressed in developing fruits of J. curcas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the most effective compound of C. ambrosioides essential oil for the induction of cell death in human breast cancer cells (MCF-7), and the mechanism of induction. Methods: MCF-7 cells were treated with essential oil and its two main components, 1-isopropyl-4-methylbenzene and α-terpinene, respectively, for 24 and 48 h in vitro. To determine their cytotoxicity on MCF-7 cells, in vitro cytotoxicity, 3-(4, 5-dimethylthaizol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and live/dead cell fluorescent staining were used. MCF-7 cellular superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) vitality and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were also evaluated. Results: MTT results showed that essential oil and its two main compositions significantly inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cells in 24 h (p < 0.05), which was consistent with the Live/dead cell fluorescent staining results. After 24 h incubation the average inhibition rate is 58.98 % for essential oil, 37.8 % for 1-isopropyl-4-methylbenzene and 32.09 % for α-terpinene. With increase in the concentration of essential oil and the two main components, the relative activity of SOD significantly decreased (p < 0.05), while the relative activity of CAT was gradually increased (p < 0.05), compared with control. MDA relative content significantly increased (p < 0.05) until the concentration was 1.25, 0.21 and 0.17 μg/ml for essential oil, 1-isopropyl-4-methylbenzene and α-terpinene, and thereafter significantly decreased (p < 0.05), compared to control. Conclusion: The data suggest that the essential oil of C. ambrosioides and its two main components inhibit MCF-7 cell proliferation cell death by inducing oxidative damage. However, the two main components are less effective in their anticancer activity than the essential oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the in vitro antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-tumor activities of total flavonoids from Elsholtzia densa Benth of Sichuan Province, China. Methods: The total flavonoids of Elsholtzia densa Bent were extracted utilizing the ultrasonic extraction method, and purified by D101 macroporous adsorption resin. An in vitro antioxidant test, 3-(4,5- dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and iCELLigence system were used to evaluate their antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-tumor activities. Results: The results showed that the total flavonoids exhibited good scavenging ability in hydroxyl radical (•OH), DPPH free radical (DPPH•), and super oxide anion radical (O2 -•). Antioxidant activity was higher than for control (ascorbic acid). Their antibacterial activity was good with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2, 4 and 14 μg/mL against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, respectively. Anti-proliferation data from the iCELLigence system studies showed that the total flavonoids significantly inhibited the growth of five types of cells, including a normal human hepatocytes cell line (L02), two human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (SMMC-7721 and HepG-2), a human cervical cancer cell line (Hela) and a Baby Hamster Syrian Kidney cell line (BHK-21) (p < 0.05). AO/EB staining indicate that the total flavonoids might cause apoptosis of Hela cells. Conclusion: The results suggest that the total flavonoids from Elsholtzia densa Bent are potential natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agent, with anti-cancer properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the inhibition of cell proliferation by essential oil of Chenopodium ambrosioides on the human liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells and human liver LO2 cells,and to study the mechanism of anti-tumor in vitro., Methods: The inhibition of cell proliferation by essential oil of Chenopodium ambrosioides was determined by MTT assay; the distribution of cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry( FCM) with PI staining; cell morphology and apoptosis effect of SMMC-7721 cells were observed by microscope; the apoptotic rate was quantified by FCM with Annexin V / PI double staining., Results: Essential oil of Chenopodium ambrosioides could significantly inhibit the cell proliferation in a concentration-time-dependent manner( P < 0. 05),and the IC50 values on SMMC-7721 cells were lower than human liver LO2 cells at 24,48 and 72 h,respectively( P < 0. 05); cell cycle of SMMC-7721 cells was arrested in G0/G1phase; morphological observation revealed that the cells were wrinkled and the cellular cohesiveness of cells was reduced; nuclear was condensed and in orange colour,of which were the late apoptotic features; and the apoptotic rate increased in a concentration-dependent manner( P < 0. 05),non-viable apoptotic rate was obviously decreased with caspase inhibitor in 100 μg / m L essential oil of Chenopodium ambrosioides( P < 0. 01)., Conclusion: Essential oil of Chenopodium ambrosioides can inhibit SMMC-7721 cell proliferation, which may be related to inducing cell cycle arrest and caspase-dependent apoptosis.

A Chlorella strain tolerant to high-strength anaerobic digestion effluent was isolated from the anaerobic digestion effluent with a long-term exposure to air. The strain was identified as a Chlorella by morphological and molecular biological methods, and named Chlorella sp. BWY-1, The anaerobic digestion effluent used in this study was from a biogas plant with the raw materials of swine wastewater after solid-liquid separation. The Chlorella regularis (FACHB-729) was used as the control strain. The comparative study showed that Chlorella sp, BWY-Ihad relatively higher growth rate, biomass accumulation capacity and pollutants removal rate in BG11. and different concentrations of anaerobic digestion effluent. Chlorella sp. BWY-1 had the highest growth rate and biomass productivity (324.40 mg.L-1) in BG11, but its lipid productivity and lipid content increased with the increase of anaerobic digestion effluent concentration, In undiluted anaerobic digestion effluent, the lipid productivity and lipid content of Chlorella sp. BWY-1 were up to 44. 43% and 108. 70 mg.L-1, respectively. Those results showed that the isolated algal strain bad some potential applications in livestock wastewater treatment and bioenergy production, it could be combined with a solid-liquid separation, anaerobic fermentation and other techniques for processing livestock wastewater and producing biodiesel.

Chenopodium ambrosioides is an invasive species, which has strong allelopathic effect on surrounding plants. In this study, the methods of soil culture and filter paper culture were adopted to simulate the eluviation and volatilization of the volatile oil from C. ambrosioides, respectively, and to investigate the allelopathy of the volatile oil on the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities of Vicia faba root tip cells, with the mechanisms of the induced tip cell apoptosis analyzed. At the early stage (24 h) of soil culture and filter paper culture, the superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase activities of the tip cells decreased after an initial increase with the increasing dose of the volatile oil, and the malondialdehyde content of the tip cells increased with the increasing volatile oil dose and treated time. At the midterm (48 h) and later (72 h) stages of soil culture and filter paper culture, a typical DNA ladder strip appeared, suggesting that the volatile oil from C. ambrosioides could induce the apoptosis of the tip cells, and the apoptosis was dose- and time dependent. This study showed that the volatile oil from C. ambrosioides could act on its surrounding plants via eluviation and volatilization, making the lipid peroxidation of acceptor plants aggravated and the antioxidant enzyme activities of the plants inhibited, resulting in the oxidative damage and apoptosis of the plant root tip cells, and accordingly, the inhibition of the plant growth. Under soil culture, the root tip cells of V. faba had higher antioxidant enzyme activities and lesser DNA damage, suggesting that the volatile oil from C. ambrosioides via volatilization had stronger allelopathy on the growth of surrounding plants than via eluviation.