Ethanol and aqueous extracts of roots of Annona reticulata Linn. (Annonaceae) are evaluated for the in vivo anticancer activity against melanoma cells in mice and in vitro inhibitory activity on MDA- MB-435 human melanoma cells by the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide] colorimetric assay. The ethanol extract significantly reduced tumor growth as compared with positive control and showed a prominent inhibitory effect against human melanoma cell lines at a concentration range between 10 and 40 μg whereas the aqueous extract exhibited less activity at the same concentration. Simultaneously, the in vitro inhibition of the ethanol extract toward vero cell line proliferation was lower in comparison with cancer cell lines. The more significant inhibitory activity (in vitro and in vivo) of the ethanol extract of roots of A. reticulata against melanoma cells may be attributed toward the collective presence of acetogenins and alkaloids. Remarkably, the ethanol extract of roots of A. reticulata exhibited a lower inhibitory effect on vero cell lines and was also equipotent with the standard drug to inhibit melanoma growth in mice. These observations qualify the plant to be used as a chemopreventive agent in cancer therapy.

Background: Although the physiological and pharmacological effects of various phytochemicals have been identified, they have not been confirmed by scientific evaluation. Materials and Methods: Age-synchronized nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) were bred with the herbal extracts mixture (Acanthopanax senticosus Harms, Platycodon grandiflorus, Curcuma longa L., Lagerstroemia speciosa, and Taraxacum), and the effects on development, reproduction, and lipid metabolism were analyzed. Results: Nile red staining revealed that fat levels were reduced in a dose-dependent manner. The herbal extracts mixture affected egg laying, and the number of eggs laid increased because of the 5 mg/ml herbal extract. The herbal extracts disturbed the viability of the nematodes, and the extracts delayed development and reduced body size in a dose-dependent manner. Body movement analysis demonstrated that the high-dose (50 mg/ml) extract activated thrashing movements, while the low-dose extract had no effect. Conclusion: The herbal extracts significantly affected development, reproduction, movement, and lipid metabolism of the nematodes.

Background: Argemone mexicana and its constituents are extensively used in traditional and folk medicine for the treatment of several skin ailments. In present work, in vitro hepatotoxicity of the protein (LL 4218) isolated from leaf extract of A. mexicana (LEAM) was studied in HepG2 cell line. Materials and Methods: Cells were exposed to different concentrations (1000, 500, 250, 125, and 62.5 μg/ml) of LL 4218. Concomitantly, Triton X-100 (Tx-100) was taken as positive control (cytotoxic agent). Six cytotoxicity parameters, i.e., alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), caspase-3/7, and glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) at 2 and 24 h were analyzed. Results: LL 4218 was found to be nonhepatotoxic as it did not increase the LDH, AST, GLDH, and caspase-3/7 activity up to the highest tested concentration. The pronounced increase in caspase-3/7 activity, LDH, and AST following treatment with Tx-100 confirms the sensitivity of the experiment protocol followed in the detection of cytotoxicity effect of LL 4218. ALT measurement was always observed below the detection limit whereas the measurement of ALP did not reveal any effect at different concentrations of the positive control substance. Conclusion: The LL 4218 protein isolated from LEAM was nonhepatotoxic at tested concentrations in the in vitro study.

Introduction: Although Ice plant (IP) possesses abundant levels of myo-inositol and pinitol and is expected to improve metabolic syndrome, these scientific effects have not been confirmed. Materials and Methods: The differentiation-induced mouse 3T3-L1 cells were incubated with the IP extract, and the effects on lipid accumulation, enzyme activity, transcriptional activity, and gene expression were analyzed. Results: An oil red O staining assay revealed that the IP extract reduced lipid accumulation in a concentration-dependent manner. Fat levels in these cells decreased effectively by treatment with the IP extract only in the early stage of differentiation (days 0-2). The IP extract drastically reduced the enzymatic activity of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and transcriptional activity of SREBP-1c. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that the IP extract suppressed the expression of genes such as differentiation-related transcription factors, glucose and fatty acid transporters, and fatty acid synthesis-related factors. Conclusion: The IP extract significantly suppressed adipocyte differentiation through the down regulation of transcription factors which are essential for adipogenesis.

Background: The concentrated aqueous extract of the bark of Acacia catechu known as Khayer gum or Kutch is an astringent, cooling and digestive, beneficial in cough and diarrhea, applied externally to ulcers, boils, and skin eruptions, and is used extensively in Ayurvedic formulations. The present study was aimed at evaluating the antiproliferative and apoptotic potentials of A. catechu on HeLa, COLO-205, and fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cell lines and also to evaluate its safety on normal human lymphocytes. Materials and Methods: The dried bark of A. catechu was used for the extraction with aqueous and alcohol methods. Different concentrations of these were evaluated for their cytotoxicity by the trypan blue dye exclusion method and MTT assay on the cancer cell lines HeLa, fibrosarcoma HT-1080, COLO-205, and a normal cell line (human peripheral lymphocytes). The apoptotic potential was analyzed by DNA fragmentation analysis, morphology observation, and fluorescence microscopical observations of the treated cells by AO/EB (acridine orange/ethidium bromide) staining. Results: The methanol and hexane extracts of A. catechu were found to be antiproliferative and cytotoxic at lower concentrations and induced cell death in COLO-205 cells and also in HeLa cells. Their effect on HT-1080 fibrosarcoma cells was less pronounced. The methanol and hexane extracts with the same concentrations had least cytotoxicity on normal lymphocytes. The aqueous extract was less effective on the cancer cell lines. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the methanol and hexane extracts of A. catechu have significant anticancer, cytotoxic effects on both the COLO-205 and the HeLa cell lines which are quite safe on human peripheral lymphocytes. It is very likely that the result can be extrapolated to animal or human systems.

Background: Natural products are considered to be effective and safe alternative treatment for the management of diabetes. So, the aim of this study was to find out the antihyperglycemic and antioxidative efficacy of the hydro-methanolic (2:3) extract of the bark of Tectona grandis in experimental diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: All chemicals were purchased from Sigma (USA). Diabetes was induced in rats by a single intramuscular injection of streptozotocin. The hydro-methanolic extract of the bark of T. grandis was prepared according to the standard method. The fasting blood glucose (FBG) level was measured by a glucometer. Activities of carbohydrate metabolic enzymes, antioxidant enzymes, and glycogen levels in liver, kidney, and skeletal muscular tissues were measured biochemically. Activities of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase were assessed spectrophotometrically. Results: The FBG level, activities of carbohydrate metabolic enzymes like glucose-6-phosphatase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, hexokinase in liver along with the quantity of glycogen in the liver and skeletal muscles were significantly (P < 0.05) recovered by the extract compared to untreated diabetic rats. A significant recovery (P < 0.05) was observed in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, i.e. catalase, peroxidase as well as the levels of conjugated diene and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in the liver and kidney of extract-treated diabetic rats compared with untreated diabetic rats. Extract-treated diabetic animals also showed a significant (P < 0.05) correction in the activities of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and glutamate pyruvate transaminase in the serum compared to untreated diabetic animals. The antidiabetic efficacy of the extract was compared with glibenclamide. Conclusion: The results indicated that the hydro-methanolic extract of the bark of T. grandis has remedial effects on hyperglycemia and oxidative stress in diabetic rats.

Background: Antioxidants are nutrient substances in our foods which prevent or slow down the oxidative damage to our body. Antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers," preventing and repairing damage. Health problems such as heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer, and numerous other degenerative processes are all exacerbated by oxidative damage. Materials and Methods: Phytochemical screening of the extract of plant Pergularia daemia was carried out. The antioxidant activity of the plant extract was tested spectrophotometrically by DPPH assay, reducing power assay, ABTS assay, hydroxyl radical scavenging assay, FRAP assay, and nitric oxide radical scavenging assay. Results: The preliminary investigation of Pergularia daemia revealed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides, and carbohydrates. The investigated extract showed an antioxidant potential, with a scavenging ability of hydroxyl peroxide radicals (164.56 ± 0.256), DPPH radicals (165.39 ± 0.256), and nitric oxide radicals (441.36 ± 0.123). The reducing power assay, ABTS assay, and FRAP assay were marked with significant results which showed that the plant extract has a good antioxidant property, which leads to assay of cell viability test against OAW-42 and PA-1 ovarian cancer cell lines. Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence that the crude methanolic extract of P. daemia is a potential source of natural antioxidants, and this justifies its uses in folk medicines and in cancer therapy

Background: Antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of gallic acid has been reported in the literature. In order to explore any other effect of gallic acid in living system, the present study aims at exploring its role in the modulation of genotoxicity, induced in a bacterial system by different types of radiation. Materials and Methods: umu-gene induction in saline suspended log phase cells of Salmonella typhimurium containing no or different amounts of gallic acid were assayed by measuring the β-galactosidase produced in the cells after exposure to fixed doses of ultraviolet, gamma and solar radiation. Results: Gallic acid was found to impart maximum amount of radio-protection to gamma ray exposed cells, intermediate level of radio-protection to sunlight exposed cells and the least amount of radio-protection to UVC exposed cells. Conclusion: Radio-protection imparted by gallic acid against gamma rays is possibly due to its radical scavenging activity and that against UVC is due to its ability to interfere with the formation or reversal of the dimmers formed in the cell's DNA. The radio-protection against solar radiation is presumably due to the effect of both these mechanisms taking place in the cells simultaneously.

Background: The study was undertaken to investigate the neutralizing effect of the alcoholic extract of Andrographis paniculata against the Russell's viper venom. Materials and Methods: The lethal dose 99 (LD ₉₉ ) value of snake venom was calculated and then the venom-neutralizing ability of the plant extract at doses of 1 and 2 g/kg was determined using in vitro and in vivo methods. The alleviation in the mean survival time of the animals was used to infer the antivenom property of the drug after challenging it with the LD ₉₉ value of snake venom. Results: The ethanolic extract of plant A. paniculata significantly increases the mean survival time and the protection fold but could not protect animals from death when used alone. The protection was more when the plant extract was given at a lower dose, i.e., 1 g/kg, than at a higher dose, i.e., at 2 g/kg. Polyvalent antisnake venom (ASV) was found to be more effective than the plant extract. When the plant extract was given along with polyvalent ASV, it potentiated its effect. Conclusion: The observation demonstrates that the ethanolic extract of A. paniculata has an antivenom activity against the Russell's viper venom which is comparable with polyvalent ASV.