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Lectins or haemagglutinins are diverse classes of non-immune proteins; they bind to carbohydrates and are abundant in nature. In the present study, a coleopteran lectin from grubs of hide beetle, Dermestes frischii called DFL, was purified by glutaraldehyde (fixative-agent) fixed hen erythrocytes and characterized further for its functional properties. The purified DFL was stable between pH range 5 to 9 and heat-stable up to 50 °C. It was insensitive to EDTA and did not require any divalent cations. DFL native molecular mass was approximately 69 kDa with three different polypeptide subunits of 33 (pI ~4.4), 22 (pI ~6) and 14 (pI ~4.4) kDa. Haemagglutinating activity of DFL was highly inhibited by N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. DFL partial peptide sequences obtained from peptide mass fingerprinting experiments matched with amino acid sequences of lectins from different organisms confirmed its nature. Biological properties of purified DFL namely antibacterial and bacterial agglutination experiments revealed that DFL have both the effects against laboratory cultures of Aeromonas hydrophila, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli and habitat bacterial isolates of Staphylococcus cohnii and Bacillus cereus. In addition, the DFL exhibited substantial anticancer properties against HeLa cells. These results concluded that purified DFL could serve as a potent therapeutic agent for various biomedical applications.

In this study, we synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) using aqueous leaf extract from Rivina humilis and its functions such as antioxidant, antibacterial and anticancer activities were investigated. ZnONPs were further characterized by UV–vis spectrophotometric analysis (UV–vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Transmission electron microscope and Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX).The synthesized ZnONPs exhibited a strong SPR peak at 370 nm.The XRD results confirming that the ZnONPs were crystalline in nature. Electron microscopic data depicted that these nanoparticles were irregular and circular in appearance with a size of 14.4 nm. The ZnONPs exhibited remarkable antioxidant activities than the extract of R. humilis. The antibacterial effect of ZnONPs against bacterial species was determined by agar diffusion assay. Further, Neuro 2a neuroblastoma cells indicated a dose-dependent decrease of viable cells when exposed to ZnONPs (5–100 µg/ml). ZnONPs induces a huge amount of lipid peroxidation end product malondialdehyde thus driving the cancer cells to apoptosis. Moreover, treatment of Neuro 2a cells with ZnONPs brings about activation of apoptotic cell death through the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway by overexpressing caspases 3 and 9 while the reduction in Bcl-2and upregulation of Bax protein.

Lectins are renowned hemagglutinins and multivalent proteins with a well known quality for sugar-binding specificity that participate significantly in invertebrate defense functions. Studies on biological activity of lectin from coleopteran insect are very scarce. In this study, lectin from the hemolymph in the grub of banana pest, Odoiporus longicollis was subjected to purification, biochemical and functional characterizations. The lectin was purified by PEG precipitation and ion-exchange chromatography using Q-Sepharose as a matrix. The purified lectin showed hemagglutination activity against rat erythrocytes, heat-labile, cation independent and insensitive to EDTA. Further, the carbohydrate affinity of this lectin was found with mannitol, adonitol, L-arabinose, L-rhamnose, D-galactose and sorbitol. The native form of purified lectin was calculated as 360 kDa by FPLC system. Denatured gel electrophoresis of the purified lectin consisted of five distinct polypeptides with molecular weights approximately 160, 60, 52, 40 and 38 kDa, respectively. The amino acid sequences obtained through peptide mass fingerprinting analysis exhibited homologies to the known conserved regions of galactose binding lectins. Further, the purified lectin exhibited bacterial inhibition with LPS from Serratia marcescens. In addition, isolated lectin also exerted bacterial agglutination, antibacterial and anti-proliferative activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis, Bacillus pumilus and Neuro 2a cell line, respectively.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles is gaining momentum to avoid use of chemicals thus making eco-friendly approach. In continuation of our efforts to find effective alternative to chemical drugs, we have reported the C. scalpelliformis mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles with biomedical properties. The green synthesized AgNPs also exhibited potent wound healing property by enhancing wound closure in an experimental rat model. Furthermore, the synthesized AgNPs also showed cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 cells, as exposure 40 μg/ml of AgNPs resulted in 50% cell death. This observed activity is mediated through modulating the mRNA level expression of Bax/ Bcl-2 and protein levels of caspase-3 and -9 in vitro. We are the first to report on anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic effects and wound healing activity of AgNPs from C. scalpelliformis extract. The present study opens new avenues for use of AgNPs in various biomedical applications namely an anti-tumor agent and healing chronic and diabetic cutaneous wounds.

Millions of people are affected by neurodegenerative diseases worldwide. They occur due to the loss of brain functions or peripheral nervous system dysfunction. If untreated, prolonged condition ultimately leads to death. Mostly they are associated with stress, altered cholesterol metabolism, inflammation and organelle dysfunction. Endogenous cholesterol and phospholipids in brain undergo auto-oxidation by enzymatic as well as non-enzymatic modes leading to the formation of by-products such as 4-hydroxynonenal and oxysterols. Among various oxysterols, 7-ketocholesterol (7KCh) is one of the major toxic components involved in altering neuronal lipid metabolism, contributing to inflammation and nerve cell damage. More evidently 7KCh is proven to induce oxidative stress and affects membrane permeability. Loss in mitochondrial membrane potential affects metabolism of cell organelles such as lysosomes and peroxisomes which are involved in lipid and protein homeostasis. This in turn could affect amyloidogenesis, tau protein phosphorylation and accumulation in pathological conditions of neurodegenerative diseases. Lipid alterations and the consequent pathogenic protein accumulation, results in the damage of cell organelles and microglial cells. This could be a reason behind disease progression and predominantly reported characteristics of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. This review focuses on the role of 7KCh mediated neurodegenerative Alzheimer’s disease with emphasis on alterations in the lipid raft microdomain. In addition, current trends in the significant therapies related to 7KCh inhibition are highlighted.

Designing new materials for effective and targeted drug delivery is pivotal in biomedical research. Herein, we report on the development of a chitosan/carbon dot-based nanocomposite and investigate its efficacy as a carrier for the sustained release of dopamine drug. The carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized from the carbonization of chitosan and were further conjugated with chitosan (CS) to obtain a chitosan/carbon dot (CS/CD) matrix. Dopamine was later encapsulated in the matrix to form a dopamine@CS/CD nanocomposite. The cytotoxicity of IC-21 and SH-SY5Y cell lines was studied at various concentrations of the nanocomposite and the results demonstrate around 97% cell viability. The photoluminescence property revealed the characteristic property of the carbon dots. When excited at 510 nm an emission peak was observed at 550 nm which enables the use of carbon dots as a tracer for bioimaging. The HRTEM images and the D, G, and 2D bands of the Raman spectra confirm the successful synthesis of carbon dots and through DLS the particle size is estimated to be ∼3 nm. The release studies of the encapsulated drug from the composite were analyzed in an in vitro medium at different pH levels. The novelty of this method is the use of a non-toxic vehicle to administer drugs effectively towards any ailment and in particular, the carbon dots facilitate the consistent release of dopamine towards neurodegenerative diseases and tracing delivery through bioimaging.

In the present study, the anti-nociception and anti-inflammatory activity of fucoidan isolated from T. decurrens on formalin induced paw-edema in mice model were investigated. The extracted fucoidan contain 54.86% of total sugar, 23.51% of sulfate and 3.4% of protein. The monosaccharide composition analysis revealed that fucoidan encompassed of fucose (59.3%), galactose (12.6%), mannose (9.6%), rhamnose (6.4%) and xylose (11.4%). Further, the structural characterization was done by UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, FT-IR and 1HNMR analysis. The fucoidan reduced the licking time thereby suggesting anti-nociceptive effect and decreased the size of paw swelling in the formalin induced inflammatory edema condition. The isolated fucoidan could significantly decreased the MDA and also increase the SOD, CAT, GPx, GST and GSH activity in paw edema tissue of formalin injected mice. Furthermore, fucoidan administration retained p65/NF-κB transcription factor in the cytosol thereby showing down regulation of the gene expression of pro-inflammatory mediators such as IL-1β, COX-2 and MMP-9 in fucoidan treated mice. The anti-inflammatory effect of fucoidan was attributed to its capacity on modulating the levels of enzymatic antioxidants, master regulator NF-κB and pro-inflammatory cytokines. The fucoidan has reduced LPS induced cytotoxicity in IC-21 macrophage at a dose depended on manner.

The present study was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant and anticancer potential of fucoidan isolated from Sargassum polycystum. The isolated fucoidan was successfully purified by DEAE cellulose-ion exchange chromatography and dialysis. Totally four active fractions (F1–F4) were collected and explored its chemical constitution by calorimetric assays. Among them, fraction 2 (F2) showed the higher yield percentage, fucose and sulphate content. Further, monosaccharide composition, structural and functional properties of the F2 was analyzed by HPLC, FTIR and NMR. F2 shows highest DPPH radical scavenging activity (55.94 ± 0.69%), reducing power (0.33 absorbance rate), hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity (71.76 ± 2.14%) and nitric oxide radical scavenging activity (51.81 ± 1.04%) at 1000 μg/ml. The cell viability of MCF-7 and HCT-15 cell lines was proportionate to the concentration of F2 with an estimated IC50 was 20 and 50 μg/ml respectively. The fluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopic analysis demonstrated the apoptotic morphological changes and cell mediated death in F2 treated cancer cells. Higher amount of LDH release was found in the F2 treated cancer cells than the control group. Thus, the present finding proved that the isolated F2 encompasses significant antioxidant and anticancer property.

Objective: To synthesize bio-inspired gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using the leaf extract of Justicia adhatoda and evaluate the anti-cancer activity on human lung cancer cell line (A549). Methods: Synthesis of AuNPs was done using an aqueous leaf extract of Justicia adhatoda as a green route. The bio-synthesized AuNPs were confirmed and characterized by using various spectral studies such as UV-Vis spectrum, Scanning Electron Microscope with EDAX, Transmission Electron Microscope, Fourier Transmission Infrared Spectroscope analysis and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy. The cell viability was determined by MTT reduction assay. In addition, cytomorphology and the nuclear morphological study of A549 cell line was observed under fluorescence microscope. Results: UV-Vis spectrum showed surface plasmon resonance peak at 547 nm, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope studies showed the monodispersed spherical shape and its average size in the range of 40.1 nm was noticed. Fourier Transmission Infrared Spectroscope analysis confirmed that the C=O group of amino acids of proteins had strong ability to bind with the surface of nanoparticle. Interestingly, our results also demonstrated inhibited proliferation of A549 cell line by MTT (IC50 value: 80 μg/mL). Cell morphology was observed and cell death was caused by apoptosis as revealed by propidium iodide staining. Conclusions: The current study proves the anticancer potential of bio-synthesized AuNPs. Thus, synthesized AuNPs can be used for the treatment of human lung cancer cell (A549) and it can be exploited for drug delivery in future.

In this study, the biosynthesis of platinum nanoparticles (Hd-PtNPs) from red algae Halymenia dilatata and its broad spectrum of bioactivities were explored. The synthesized Hd-PtNPs were characterized by UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis. The XRD results showed that the synthesized particles were pure crystalline while the FE-SEM and HR-TEM analysis demonstrated that the Hd-PtNPs were spherical and well-dispersed with an average size of 15 ± 1.7 nm. The zeta potential of Hd-PtNPs was found to be −19.9 mV, which indicates that the synthesized particles were highly stable and well-dispersed. The presence of phytochemical constituents in the H. dilatata aqueous extract performs a capping and reducing process in the Hd-PtNPs formation, which was confirmed by FT-IR analysis. The synthesized Hd-PtNPs showed excellent antioxidant properties in DPPH radical scavenging, reducing power, and total antioxidant assays. Furthermore, Hd-PtNPs exhibit a strong cytotoxic effect against MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines (IC50 = 50 μg/mL). Moreover, the Hd-PtNPs showed notable inhibitory activity against Gram-positive (Streptococcus pneumonia) and Gram-negative bacteria (Aeromonas hydrophila). In addition, Hd-PtNPs display less toxicity effect on Artemia nauplii even at a higher concentration corroborating the fact that the synthesized Hd-PtNPs are eco-friendly. Thus, Hd-PtNPs can be used as an alternative source in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

The green synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) derived from plants impart ecological and economic benefits to AgNPs. In addition, AgNPs have potential therapeutic roles in cytoprotectivity and anti-inflammation. The present work utilizes the aqueous extract of Phyllanthus acidus fruits for the production of AgNPs from aqueous silver nitrate solution. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized spectrophotometrically Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analysis. The characterized AgNPs showed potent anti-inflammatory activity by scavenging nitric oxide and superoxide anions. In addition, blunting of the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) assayed both by ELISA and Western blot, using H2O2 – induced inflammation in rat peritoneal macrophages. Furthermore, short-term exposure to P. acidus-mediated green-synthesized AgNPs did not affect the viability of peritoneal macrophages, as assessed by MTT assay. Our findings indicate that P. acidus-mediated green-synthesized AgNPs could be a potential therapeutics to treat inflammatory diseases.

The aim of the present study is to find out a biocompatible silver nanoparticles synthesized from Sargassum polycystum for antioxidant and anticancer activity. The phytochemical constituent was investigated by standard method and it possesses alkaloids, flavanoids, steroids, terpenoids, protein, amino acids, carbohydrate, quinones, phenols and tannins. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Interestingly, AgNPs exhibit highest level of DPPH radical scavenging (78.2% of inhibition), reducing power (0.18±0.006) and total antioxidant activities (59.2±0.54%) when compared to crude extract. IC 50 value of AgNPs was 20 µg/ml against human colon cancer (HT-29) cells through in vitro cytotoxicity assay and the activity was proportionate to the concentration of AgNPs. Thus the present finding confirms that the synthesized AgNPs possess antioxidant and anticancer properties.

Curcumin, derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, has been in use for medicinal and therapeutic purposes since Ayurvedic times. It possesses proven anticancer, antioxidative, hepatoprotective, and apoptotic properties and regulates transcription factors. The exploitation of these properties has been hindered to an extent because of its poor bioavailability. This is now being overcome by novel drug delivery systems. Curcumin is available abundantly in the form of supplements, combined with substances that would enhance its bioavailability. The most common supplements available are Meriva®, Longvida®, BCM-95®, Theracurmin®, Sabinsa's Curcumin C3 complex®, and MicroActive Curcumin®. These supplements have been tested clinically and have shown curative effects in osteoarthritis, Alzheimer's disease, improving vascular endothelial function, etc. Studies on its toxicity and side effects have shown minimal negative effects upon usage. In all, curcumin, besides its low bioavailability, has many promising effects and curcumin-based supplements are becoming important for preventing and/or treating a variety of medical conditions inflicting humans.

The Near-Infrared (NIR) photothermal therapy is used in biomedical applications like anti-cancer and anti-microbial treatments. In a biological system, NIR has deep penetrating ability without harmful side effects. The present work utilizes this property as a trigger in drug delivery applications. The ability of the drug to be released from the composite on application of NIR is examined. Nanospheres of covellite copper sulphide (CuS) with chitosan (CS) as base was synthesized by chemical method. Dopamine was conjugated to the CuS/CS system so that the CuS/CS would act as a nano drug carrier. NIR responsive behaviour of CuS is an ideal photothermal trigger to facilitate the release of the encapsulated drug. The encapsulation of dopamine in the composite was confirmed by FTIR and HRTEM analysis. The composite was further studied by X-ray diffraction technique and thermogravimetric analysis for the structural analysis and thermal stability. The NIR absorption showed the significant plasmonic peak of CuS. The dopamine@CuS/CS nanocomposite was introduced into a dialysis bag and the release of the drug through NIR triggering from the carrier was studied. Cytotoxicity/cell viability assay using MTT and cell cycle assay using flow cytometry were conducted separately for CuS nanoparticles and dopamine@CuS/CS nanocomposite in A549 (lung), L132 (cervical-derived) and SH-SY5Y (neuronal) cells. The viability of the cells and their cell cycle were not affected indicating the carrier as well as the nanocomposite are non-toxic. Thus, this photo-controlled technique is an ideal method to control and manage the targeted release of encapsulated drugs that are non-toxic especially in the context of neurodegenerative diseases.

Curcumin with its plethora of potential health benefits bears limitations of poor aqueous solubility and bioavailability. In order to alleviate this crucial drawback, the present study focuses development of a nanocurcumin formulation using functionalized poly amidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer (third generation) with encapsulated curcumin and characterized. The efficiency of this nanocurcumin to prevent and or cure the selenite induced cataract in wistar rat pups compare to native curcumin was assessed through the expression of pro-inflammatory genes using in vivo and human infant lens epithelial (HLE-B3) cells in vitro systems. The solubility of functionalized nanocurcumin increased 345-fold and also in vitro release of curcumin prolonged nearly 17 times compared to native curcumin. Furthermore, nano-curcumin alleviated cataracts in orally dosed rat pups at 2.5 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) in both pre- and post-selenite treatment. This is in contrast to earlier studies that utilized much higher doses (75 mg/kg b. w.) of native curcumin that also fared with limited impact post-selenite treatment. In addition, nano-curcumin proves as effectively as native curcumin in reducing cell death, RNA degradation and gene expression of iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) level induced by selenite. Thus, the formulated non-toxic encapsulated curcumin in nano-form using QPAMAM that can offset major limitations to its native counterpart with increased solubility, sustained release and increased bioavailability, prevented oxidant mediated cataract development and found promising.

A green chemical approach to the synthesis of gold nanoparticles from the Caulerpa racemosa and its biomedical applications are reported. The C. racemosa mediated synthesized gold nanoparticles (Cr@AuNPs) were characterized by various spectral and microscopy techniques. The Cr@AuNPs exhibited a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak at 528 nm in UV–Vis spectrum. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the crystalline nature and face-centered cubic (fcc) structure of Cr@AuNPs. The presence of phytochemical constituents in the aqueous extract of C. racemosa that involves the major role in Cr@AuNPs synthesis which was confirmed by FT-IR analysis. Further, FESEM and HRTEM results confirmed that the Cr@AuNPs were spherical-to-oval in shape, and the size was ranged from 13.7 to 85.4 nm. The synthesized Cr@AuNPs effectively controlled the growth of human colon adenocarcinoma (HT-29) cells, and it exhibited the IC50 at 20.84 μg/ml. Similarly, the green synthesized Cr@AuNPs demonstrated admirable antibacterial activity against A. veronii than S. agalactiae. Further, the synthesized Cr@AuNPs exhibited non-toxic effects on Artemia nauplii, even at high concentration of Cr@AuNPs (100 μg/ml). The above findings deliver a strong basis for future studies into drug development for cancer and bacteria.

Introduction The use of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing, especially among patients with diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, awareness and potential effects of CAM use amongst patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods A total of 357 healthy and T2D patients were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Blood pressure was measured and Hb A1c , glucose levels in blood and urine were analyzed. Results The prevalence of CAM usage was 45.4% among the diabetes patients. Of the study population, 91.3% were aware of CAM and reported using both biological and mind body based practices compared to those using CAM as whole medical system. Family members were the major reason patients chose CAM (55.6%) and 54.9% of the CAM users reported their satisfaction with results. Better glycemic control was observed in CAM users ( p Conclusion The present study suggests that CAM may play a role in improving glycemic control for T2D and recommends further in depth studies among T2D patients which may help to improve their health outcomes.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) poses a huge burden to the patients and society due to lack of an effective treatment drug. Activation of fibrocyte, fibroblast and myofibroblasts are important steps in the development of PF. Targeting this common pathway with natural chemicals may lead to the development of new drug regimens for PF treatment. In this study, PF was induced in male Wistar rats by intratracheal administration of Bleomycin (BLM). Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was administered to one of the groups of rats to test its efficacy against the development of PF. Bleomycin-induction resulted in significant elevation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 expression, increased RNA and protein expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, Smads and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). EGCG treatment normalized the BLM induced aberrations in these rats. The protective role of EGCG was also validated in vitro using the WI-38 fibroblast cell line. TGF-β1 incubated cells exhibited increased fibroblast proliferation and hydroxyproline levels with a concomitant decrease in the expression of MMPs 2 and 9. An increase in protein expression levels of p-Smad, α-SMA and type I collagen (COL1A) was also exhibited by fibroblasts upon TGF-β1 incubation. Simultaneous treatment of EGCG to WI-38 cells significantly decreased these protein expressions alongside normalizing the MMPs expression. The study revealed that EGCG inhibited fibroblast activation and collagen accumulation by inhibiting TGF-β1 signalling and thus can be considered as an effective drug against PF.

This study investigated the potential of vitamin K1 against streptozotocin-induced diabetic cataract in Wistar rats. A single, intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (35 mg/kg) resulted in hyperglycemia, accumulation of sorbitol and formation of advanced glycation end product (AGE) in eye lens. Hyperglycemia in lens also resulted in superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical generation and less reduced glutathione suggesting oxidative stress in lens. Hyperglycemia also resulted in increase in lens Ca2+ and significant inhibition of lens Ca2+ ATPase activity. These changes were associated with cataract formation in diabetic animals. By contrast treatment of diabetic rats with vitamin K1 (5 mg/kg, sc, twice a week) resulted in animals with partially elevated blood glucose and with transparent lenses having normal levels of sorbitol, AGE, Ca2+ ATPase, Ca2+, and oxidative stress. Vitamin K 1 may function to protect against cataract formation in the STZ induced diabetic rat by affecting the homeostasis of blood glucose and minimizing subsequent oxidative and osmotic stress. Thus, these results show that Vitamin K1 inhibits diabetic-cataract by modulating lens Ca2+ homeostasis and its hypoglycemic effect through its direct action on the pancreas.

The compound was isolated from leaves of Cassia auriculata and its structure was characterized using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS), UV-vis spectroscopy (UV-vis), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, cytotoxicity, nuclear morphology and lactate dehydrogenase assay of isolated compound was tested against human colon cancer cell line HCT 15. The isolated compound, 4-(4-chlorobenzyl)-2,3,4,5,6,7-hexahydro-7-(2-ethoxyphenyl)benzo[h][1,4,7]triazecin-8(1H)-one at 25μg/ml concentration and by 48h showed 50% inhibition of human colon cancer cells (HCT 15). The results suggest that isolated compound from C. auriculata has potential to prevent colon cancer cell line.

The pathogenesis of glycerol-induced myoglobinuric acute renal failure involves ischemia, vascular congestion and reactive oxygen metabolites. In this study, we have investigated for the first time, the role of ferulic acid in attenuating glycerol-induced nephrotoxicity. Male Wistar rats were injected intramuscularly with 8 mL/kg body weight of 50% glycerol, glycerol + ferulic acid at the dose of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mg/kg body weight. After 24 h, the rats were sacrificed and the kidneys were removed for histological and immunohistochemical studies. Furthermore, determinations of lipid peroxidation (LPO) as well as antioxidant enzymes were also analyzed; blood, urine samples were collected in order to quantify renal function and nitric oxide generation, respectively. Glycerol-induced rats showed a significant increase in the level of urinary markers assessed in serum as well as kidney and these were reversed upon ferulic acid treatment. A significant increase in urine nitric oxide, serum as well as kidney LPO, decrease in activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase and reduced glutathione were observed in glycerol-induced rats. Immunohistochemical study in glycerol-induced rats demonstrated an increase in the level of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB). All these effects induced by glycerol were reduced upon treatment with ferulic acid in a dose-dependent manner. To conclude, ferulic acid enhances antioxidants and decreases NF-κB, thereby protecting the cells against stress induced by glycerol.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, debilitating and fatal lung disorder with high mortality rate. Unfortunately, to date the treatment for IPF remains unsatisfying and in severe cases lung transplantations are performed as a therapeutic measure. Thus, it becomes great interest to find novel agents to treat IPF. Berberine, a plant alkaloid known for its broad pharmacological activities remains a remedy against multiple diseases. This study was hypothesized to investigate the antifibrotic potential of berberine against bleomycin-induced lung injury and fibrosis, a tentative animal model. Male wistar rats were subjected to single intratracheal instillation of 2.5 U/kg of bleomycin on day 0. Berberine treatments were either provided in preventive or therapeutic mode respectively. Berberine administration significantly ameliorated the bleomycin mediated histological alterations and reduced the inflammatory cell infiltrate in BALF. Berberine significantly blocked collagen accumulations with parallel reduction in the hydroxyproline level. The immunological sign of bleomycin stimulated mast cell deposition and histamine release were considerably reduced by berberine. Berberine enhanced the antioxidant status, through upregulating the redox sensing transcription factor nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Berberine inhibited the bleomycin mediated activation of inflammatory mediator nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and suppressed its downstream target inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Strikingly, berberine exhibited target attenuation of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and key pro-fibrotic mediator, transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1). Taken together, this study reveals the beneficial effects of berberine against bleomycin mediated fibrotic challenge through activating Nrf2 and suppressing NF-κB dependent inflammatory and TGF-β1 mediated fibrotic events.

Nanomedicine concerns the use of precision-engineered nanomaterials to develop novel therapeutic and diagnostic modalities for human use. The present study demonstrates the efficacy of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) biosynthesis from leaf extract of Vitex negundo L. as an antitumor agent using human colon cancer cell line HCT15. The AgNPs synthesis was determined by UV–visible spectrum and it was further characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The toxicity was evaluated using changes in cell morphology, cell viability, nuclear fragmentation, cell cycle and comet assay. The percentage of cell viability was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Our results showed that biosynthesized silver nanoparticles inhibited proliferation of human colon cancer cell line HCT15 with an IC50 of 20 μg/ml at 48 h incubation. AgNPs were shown to promote apoptosis as seen in the nuclear morphological examination study using propidium iodide staining and DNA fragmentation by single cell gel electrophoresis technique. Biosynthesized AgNPs arrested HCT15 cells at G0/G1 and G2/M phases with corresponding decrease in S-phase. These results suggest that AgNPs may exert its antiproliferative effects on colon cancer cell line by suppressing its growth, arresting the G0/G1-phase, reducing DNA synthesis and inducing apoptosis.

Low vision and blindness are important health problems that affect millions of people throughout the world. The most common and important pathologies are diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma as well as cataracts. The latter consists of an opacification of the lens of the eye which impedes the passage of light and represents one of the most important causes of vision loss. Among the risk factors for cataract development, there are life-style factors such as the use of tobacco, abuse of alcohol and unhealthy diet. In light of this, dietary components that possess anti-oxidant activity, such as polyphenols for instance, can be considered good candidates for human studies in the prevention and or treatment of such diseases. Among dietary components, the antioxidant capacity of certain polyphenols is well known, and these could be good candidates. In this review we focus our attention on the current scientific literature regarding to the effects of resveratrol on cataracts and other ocular diseases, along with its potential mechanism/s of action. A large number of preclinical studies support the involvement of resveratrol in clinical trials for the prevention and treatment of eye diseases induced by oxidative stress and inflammation, such as age-related cataract.

Luffa acutangula (Cucurbitaceae) and Lippia nodiflora (Verbenaceae) have been reputed in the indigenous medicine and claimed to possess a wide array of biological activities including anticancer activity. The present study was designed to assess the in vitro anticancer effect of L. acutangula and L. nodiflora leaf extracts in human lung cancer cell line (NCI-H460). The anticancer activity of both extracts was compared with that of paclitaxel as positive control and the effect was assessed by MTT assay, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) alteration, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurement and nuclear morphology with the appearance of apoptosis. The leaf extracts exhibits high antiproliferative activity against cell line tested, as determined with MTT assay. The concentrations of growth inhibition at 50% (IC50) ranged from 1 to 50 μg/mL after 24 h treatment and the IC50 was found to be 20 μg/mL and 10 μg/mL for L. acutangula and L. nodiflora, respectively. Both extract treated groups exhibits high DCF fluorescence (enhanced ROS levels), significant increase in mitochondrial depolarization when compared to control groups. Nuclear morphology with induction of apoptosis in cells treated with leaf extracts were also observed by microscopic examination using dual staining method of acridine orange-ethidium bromide. The present study suggests the further research such as fractionation and purification of bioactive compounds in order to formulate natural compounds with anticancer activities.

The ameliorative role of curcumin in attenuating gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity has been reported earlier however, the mechanism of action remains unclear. Gentamicin was injected intraperitoneally (100 mg/kg body weight) once daily for 6 days. Curcumin was administered orally (200 mg/kg body weight) once daily for 7, 15 and 30 days. Gentamicin-induced rats showed significant increase in the levels of kidney markers and the activities of urinary marker enzymes, which was reversed upon curcumin treatment. A significant increase in kidney lipid peroxidation (LPO) and decrease in activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were observed in gentamicin-induced rats. Immunohistochemical, Western blot and RT-PCR studies in gentamicin-induced rats also demonstrated an increase in the levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). All these effects induced by gentamicin were reduced upon treatment with curcumin in a time dependent manner. To conclude, curcumin enhances antioxidants, and decreases iNOS and NF-κB, thereby protecting the cells against oxidative stress induced by gentamicin.

The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer activity of fungal taxol against dimethyl benz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary gland carcinogenesis in Sprague Dawley rats. After 90 days of tumor induction, fungal and commercial taxol were administered intraperitoneally once a week for four weeks. Tissues were analyzed for biochemical markers that included aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and carcino embryonic antigen (CEA). Histopathological changes as well as immunohistochemical localization of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and immunoblot analysis of matrix metallo proteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were analysed in the breast tissue. Rats treated with fungal taxol and commercial taxol showed significant reduction in all biochemical markers when compared to cancer bearing untreated rats. Similarly, the increased expressions of iNOS, MMP-2, MMP-9 and PCNA in cancer bearing untreated rats, were found to be significantly reduced in fungal taxol and commercial taxol treated groups of rats. Our results implicate a major role for fungal taxol in preventing mammary gland carcinogenesis.

The aim of the study was to develop a new strategy for the differentiation of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) derived from UCB into hepatocyte like cells and also to estimate the effects of combination of fibroblast growth factor 4 (FGF 4) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on hematopoietic stem cell differentiation. HSCs were isolated and purified by magnetic activated cell sorting. HSCs were induced to hepatocyte like cells under a 2-step protocol with combination of growth factors. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect multiple genes related to hepatocyte like cells development and function. Hepatocyte like morphology was illustrated by inverted repeat microscope and the secretion of albumin and α- fetoprotein by these cells was confirmed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Hepatocyte like cells was observed at the end of the protocol (days 14). These differentiated cells were observed to show high expression of genes related to hepatocytes (tryptophan 2, 3-dioxygenase [TO], glucose 6-phosphate [G6P], cytokeratin 18 [CK 18], albumin and α- fetoprotein [AFP]). The quantities of albumin and AFP at day 0 were low and upon differentiation the cells were able to produce albumin and AFP at high levels. Our results show a new strategy for differentiation in a short duration, using a combination of growth factors for the differentiation of umbilical cord blood derived HSC into hepatocyte like cells under certain in vitro conditions. After further studies this approach has the potency, for widespread cell replacement therapy for liver diseases.

Biogenic gold nanoparticles using medically important phytochemical (β-glucosidase) are demonstrated herein. The reduction capabilities of phytochemical and their ability to stabilize the new genre gold nanoparticles, were characterized using UV–visible, FT-IR, HR-TEM and XRD measurements. This report also focuses the newly formed gold nanoparticles application on promoting the defensive mechanism of silkworm Bombyx mori. The results highlight the possibility of green pathways to produce functionalized gold nanoparticles of medicinal significance.

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the anti-proliferative potential of aqueous and ethanolic extract from Vitex negundo against human breast cancer cell (MCF-7). The aqueous and ethanol extract from V. negundo potently inhibited growth of MCF-7 in a concentration-dependent manner. V. negundo pretreatment resulted in deferential cell viability and IC50 value were observed in MCF-7 cell line but not in control cell line. The above result suggested that V. negundo has a potential benefits in breast cancer cells. Keywords - Anti-cancer, anti-proliferative, breast cancer, cytotoxicity, V. negundo , MCF-7