Search results for: In vitro cytotoxicity

Authors: Mohammad Y. Alfaifi

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Anything that poses a challenge or a threat to our well-being is a stress. Understanding the genetic material and cellular response of rats threatened with Repeated swimming stress provides insights that can influence human health. The aim of the present study was to assess the genetical damage and cytological changes caused by exposure of the test organism (Rattus rattus) to forced swimming stress. For this purpose, animals have been submerged in water path 15 minutes daily for 2 weeks. Following that, we performed a micronuclei (MN) test using MNNCE (Micronucleated normocromatic erythrocytes) and MNPCE (Micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes), NDI (Nuclear division index) and cytological parameters using NDCI (nuclear division cytotoxicity index), necrotic and apoptotic cells in rat's bone marrow samples. Results showed that there was a slightly but not significant increase in the frequency of micronucleated as well as in cytological parameters in bone marrow cells.

Keywords: submergence stress, micronucleus, NDI, NDCI, toxicity, chromosomal aberrations

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Authors: Hamza Assiry, Gamal A. Mohamed, Sabrin R. M. Ibrahim, Hossam M. Abdallah

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Chemical investigation of the aerial parts of Barleria trispinosa(Forssk.) Vahl. resulted in isolation of four major iridoids that were identified as 6,8-O,O-diacetylshanhiside methyl ester (acetyl barlerin) (1), 8-O-acetylshanzhiside methyl ester (barlerin) (2), shanzhiside methyl ester (3), and 6- ⍺ -L-rhamnopyranosyl-8-O-acetylshanzihiside methyl ester (4). The isolated compounds were confirmed by detailed one and two-dimensional NMR. Isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxic activity on breast cancer (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231) and colon cancer (LS174T) cell linesusing sulphorhodamine B (SRB) assay. It is noteworthy that compound 1 demonstrated a significant cytotoxic potential towards MDA-MB-231 cell line with IC5016.7 ± 2.7µg / mL compared to doxorubicin whereas compounds 2, showed moderate cytotoxic potential with IC5021.2 ± 1.9µg / mL on MCF-7. The other compounds showed moderate activity on the tested cell lines.

Keywords: acanthaceae, cytotoxicity, metabolites, barleria trispinosa

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Authors: Affiah D. U., Katuri I. P., Emefiene M. E., Amienyo C. A.

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Broccoli (Brassica oleraceae L., var. italica) is one of the most important vegetables that is high in nutrients and bioactive compounds. It easily grown on a wide range of soil types and is adaptable to many different climatic conditions. This study was carried out within Jos North and environs in vitro to evaluate Neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves extract against Albugo candida, the causative agent of white blisters disease of broccoli. Through the survey, prevalence and incidence were accessed and a fluffy white growth symptom on the underside of leaves was also observed on the field. Infected leaves samples were collected from three different farms namely: Farin Gada, Naraguta, and Juth and the organism associated with the disease was isolated. Pathogenicity test carried out revealed the fungal isolate Albugo candida to be responsible for the disease. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed using agar well diffusion method to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations of two extract of Azadirachta indica leaves against the organism. Ethanolic extract had the highest antifungal activities of 3.30±0.21 - 17.61± 0.11 while aqueous extract had the least antifungal activities of 0.00±0.00 - 13.23±0.12. The minimum inhibitory concentration of aqueous was 100 mg/ml while its minimum fungicidal concentration was at 200 mg/ml. For ethanol, the minimum inhibitory concentration was 50 mg/ml while its minimum fungicidal concentration was 100 mg/ml. Plants being less toxic in usage over synthetic or inorganic chemicals makes them easy to handle, easily accessible and renewable. Due to the biosafety of plant extracts and its availability since the plant-based extracts of the two different solvents were found to be effective against the test organism hence, it is recommended for in-depth research to make it readily available for control of other pathogens and pests.

Keywords: antifungal, biocontrol, broccoli, fungi

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Authors: C. Panebianco, K. Adamberg, S. Adamberg, C. Saracino, M. Jaagura, K. Kolk, A. Di Chio, P. Graziano, R. Vilu, V. Pazienza

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Background/Aims: Despite recent advances in treatment options, a modest impact on the outcome of the pancreatic cancer (PC) is observed so far. Short-term fasting cycles have the potential to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy against PC. However, diseased people may refuse to follow the fasting regimen and fasting may worsen the weight loss often occurring in cancer patients. Therefore, alternative approaches are needed. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Engineered Low glycemic food ELGIF mimicking diet on growth of cancer cell lines in vitro and in an in vivo pancreatic cancer mouse xenograft model. Materials and Methods: BxPC-3, MiaPaca-2 and Panc-1 cells were cultured in control and ELGIF mimicking diet culturing condition to evaluate the tumor growth and proliferation pathways. Pancreatic cancer xenograft mice were subjected to ELGIF to assess the tumor volume and weight as compared to mice fed with control diet. Results: Pancreatic cancer cells cultured in ELGIF mimicking medium showed decreased levels of proliferation as compared to those cultured in the standard medium. Consistently, xenograft pancreatic cancer mice subjected to ELGIF diet displayed a significant decrease in tumor growth. Conclusion: A positive effect of ELGIF diet on proliferation in vitro is associated with the decrease of tumor progression in the in vivo PC xenograft mouse model. These results suggest that engineered dietary interventions could be supportive as synergistic approach to enhance the efficacy of existing cancer treatments in pancreatic cancer patients.

Keywords: functional food, microbiota, mouse model, pancreatic cancer

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Authors: Chaoran Liu

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Bioactive polysaccharides and polysaccharide-protein complex derived from mushrooms and fungi have a wide range of immunomodulatory activity with low side-effects and have therefore the potential to be developed as an adjuvant in cancer therapies. Mushrooms sclerotium is rich in polysaccharides and the polysaccharides isolated from the sclerotium of Polyporus rhinocerus have shown potent in vivo and in vitro immunomodulatory effects. Macrophages are considered to be an important component of the innate immune response against bacterial infection and cancer. To better understanding the immunomodulatory effects and its underlying mechanisms of sclerotial water-soluble polysaccharides extracted from P. rhinocerus on macrophages, the objectives of this study are to purify the water-soluble novel sclerotial polysaccharides and to characterize the structure and properties as well as to study the detailed molecular mechanisms of the in vitro immunomodulating effects in murine macrophages. The hot water-soluble fraction PRW from the sclerotium of P. rhinocerus was obtained using solvent extraction. PRW was further fractionated by membrane ultrafiltration to a give a fraction (PRW1) with molecular mass less than 50 kDa. PRW1 was characterized to be a polysaccharide-protein complex composed of 45.7% polysaccharide and 44.2% protein. The chemical structure of the carbohydrate moiety of PRW1 was elucidated by GC and FTIR to be mainly beta-D-glucan with trace amount of galactose and mannose. The immunomodulatory effects of PRW1 on murine RAW 264.7 macrophages were demonstrated in terms of the increase in nitric oxide production and cytokine production. Mechanistically, PRW1 initiates ERK phosphorylation to activate macrophages within 15 min and significantly improves the expression level of inducible NOS (iNOS) from 6 h after treatment. In summary, this study indicates that PRW1 is a potent immunomodulatory agent for macrophages and suggests that mushroom sclerotia from Polyporus rhinocerus requires for further investigation in cancer research.

Keywords: Polyporus rhinocerus, mushroom sclerotia, Polysaccharide-Protein Complex, macrophage activation

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Authors: Aroonsri Priprem, Sucharat Limsitthichaikoon, Suttasinee Thappasarapong

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Anthocyanins are natural pigments with effective UV protection but their topical use could be limited due to their physicochemical characteristics. An attempt to overcome such limitations by complexation of 2 major anthocyanin-rich sources, C. ternatea, and Z. mays, for investigation on potential use as topical anti-inflammatory. Cell studies indicate no cytotoxicity of the anthocyanin complex (AC) up to 1 mg/ml tested in HaCaT and human forehead fibroblasts by MTT. Croton oil-induced ear edema in Wistar rats suggests an effective dose of 5 mg/cm2 of AC as a topical anti-inflammatory in comparison to 0.5 mg/cm2 of fluocinolone acetonide. Niosomal encapsulation of the AC significantly prolonged the anti-inflammatory activity particularly at 8 h after topical application (p = 0.0001). The AC was not cytotoxic and its anti-inflammatory and activity was dose-dependent and prolonged by niosomal encapsulation. It has also shown to promote collagen type 1 production in cell culture. Thus, AC could be a potential candidate for topical anti-inflammatory agent from natural resources.

Keywords: anthocyanin complex, ear edema, inflammation, niosomes, skin

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Authors: Calvin A. Omolo, Rahul S. Kalhapure, Mahantesh Jadhav, Sanjeev Rambharose, Chunderika Mocktar, Thirumala Govender

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Treatment of infections is compromised by limitations of conventional dosage forms and drug resistance. Nanocarrier system is a strategy to overcome these challenges and improve therapy. Thus, the development of novel materials for drug delivery via nanocarriers is essential. The aim of the study was to synthesize a multi-arm polymer (6-mPEPEA) for enhanced activity of vancomycin (VM) against susceptible and resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The synthesis steps of the star polymer followed reported procedures. The synthesized 6-mPEPEA was characterized by FTIR, ¹H and ¹³CNMR and MTT assays. VM loaded micelles were prepared from 6-mPEPEA and characterized for size, polydispersity index (PI) and surface charge (ZP) (Dynamic Light Scattering), morphology by TEM, drug loading (UV Spectrophotometry), drug release (dialysis bag), in vitro and in vivo efficacy against sensitive and resistant S. aureus. 6-mPEPEA was synthesized, and its structure was confirmed. MTT assays confirmed its nontoxic nature with a high cell viability (77%-85%). Unimolecular spherical micelles were prepared. Size, PI, and ZP was 52.48 ± 2.6 nm, 0.103 ± 0.047, -7.3 ± 1.3 mV, respectively and drug loading was 62.24 ± 3.8%. There was a 91% drug release from VCM-6-mPEPEA after 72 hours. In vitro antibacterial test revealed that VM-6-mPEPEA had 8 and 16-fold greater activity against S. aureus and MRSA when compared to bare VM. Further investigations using flow cytometry showed that VM-6-mPEPEA had 99.5% killing rate of MRSA at the MIC concentration. In vivo antibacterial activity revealed that treatment with VM-6-mPEPEA had a 190 and a 15-fold reduction in the MRSA load in untreated and VM treated respectively. These findings confirmed the potential of 6-mPEPEA as a promising bio-degradable nanocarrier for antibiotic delivery to improve treatment of bacterial infections.

Keywords: biosafe, MRSA, nanocarrier, resistance, unimolecular-micelles

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Authors: M. Koksal, T. Ozyazici, E. Gurdal, M. Yarım, E. Demirpolat, M. B. Y. Aycan

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The discovery of new drugs in cancer chemotherapy is still a major topic because of severe side effects, selectivity problems and resistance development potential of existing drugs. In recent years, combined anticancer therapies or multi-acting drugs are clinically preferred over traditional cytotoxic treatment, with the aim of avoiding resistance and toxic side effects. Arrangement of multi-acting targets can be carried out either by combination of several drugs with different mechanisms or by usage of a single chemical compound capable of regulating several targets of a disease with multiple factors. In literature, several pyrimidine and piperazine derivatives have been involved in the structure of many compounds which have been used as chemotherapeutic agents along with wide clinical applications. The aim of this study is to combine pyrimidine and piperazine core structures to research and develop novel piperazinylpyrimidine derivatives with selective cytotoxicity over cancer cells. In this study, a group of novel 6-fluorophenyl-3-[2-(substitutedpiperazinyl)ethyl] hexahydropyrimidine-2,4-dione derivatives designed to observe the desired anticancer activity due to pyrimidine and piperazine based scaffolds. Target compounds were obtained by the reaction of appropriate piperazine derivatives and 6-(2/4-fluorophenyl)-3-(2-chloroethyl)hexahydropyrimidine-2,4-dione. The synthetic pathway of 6-(2/4-fluorophenyl)-3-(2-chloroethyl)hexahydropyrimidine-2,4-dione was started with Rodionov reaction using aldehyde, malonic acid and ammonium acetate in ethanol. Isolated β-fluorophenyl-β-amino acids were treated with 2-chloroethylisocyanate in the presence of an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution at room temperature to yield the sodium salts of the corresponding ureido acids. By addition of a mineral acid, ureido acids were precipitated. Later, these ureido acids were refluxed in thionyl chloride to give the 6-(2/4-fluorophenyl)-3-(2-chloroethyl)hexahydropyrimidine-2,4-di-one which were furthermore treated with secondary amines. Structures of purified compounds were characterized with IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, mass spectroscopies and elemental analysis. All of the compounds gave satisfactory analytical and spectroscopic data, which were in full accordance with their depicted structures. In IR spectra of the compounds, N-H group was seen at 3230-3213 cm⁻¹. C-H was seen at 3100-2820 cm⁻¹ and C=O vibrational peaks were observed approximately at 1725 and 1665 cm⁻¹ in accordance with literature. In the NMR spectra of target compounds, the methylene protons of piperazine give two separate multiplet peaks around 3.5 and 4.5 ppm representing the successful N-alkylation of the structure. The cytotoxic activity of the synthesized compounds was investigated on human bronchial epithelial (BEAS 2B), lung (A549), colon adenocarcinoma (COLO205) and breast (MCF7) cell lines, by means of sulphorhodamine B (SRB) assays in triplicate. IC₅₀ values of the screened derivatives were found in range of 11.8-78 µM. This project was supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK, Project no: 215S157).

Keywords: cytotoxicity, hexahydropyrimidine, piperazine, sulphorhodamine B assay

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Authors: Nurul Hamirah Kamsani, Mohd Hamim Rajikin, Nor Ashikin Mohamed Noor Khan, Sharaniza Abdul Rahim

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Cytoskeletal structures, in particular actin and tubulin, provide a fundamental framework in all cells, including embryos. Under influence of nicotine, the cytoskeletal organization may be subjected to oxidative stress (OS) insult and cause alteration. Tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) is proven to enhance fertility better than the other sub-group of Vitamin E, tocopherols (TCPs). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of TRF on 1) actin and tubulin of 2- and 8-cell murine embryos and 2) the regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging enzymes; induced by nicotine. Twenty four female Balb/C were subjected to either subcutaneous (sc) injection of 0.9% NaCl; sc injection of 3.0 mg/kg bw/day nicotine; sc injection of 3.0 mg/kg bw/day nicotine + oral gavage (OG) of 60 mg/kg bw/day TRF; or OG of 60 mg/kg bw/day TRF for 7 consecutive days. After superovulation and mating, animals were euthanized. 2-cell developing embryos were retrieved. 50% of the retrieved embryos were visualized under confocal laser staining microscopy (CLSM) for alterations of actin and tubulin. The remaining amount of embryos was cultured in vitro until 8-cell stage followed by CLSM visualization. Blood plasma was subjected to OS assays. Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were determined and analysed accordingly. At both 2- and 8-cell developing stages, actin intensities were significantly reduced in the nicotine group (p<0.001). After the intervention, actin intensity was significantly increased compared to that of the nicotine group (p<0.001). The same trend was seen in tubulin at both cell stages. TRF has minimized the deleterious effects of nicotine in actin and tubulin of both 2- and 8-cell developmental stages during pre-implantation embryonic development in mice in vitro. Levels of endogenous anti-oxidative enzymes were sustained close to control accompanied by decreased levels of OS biomarker.

Keywords: actin, nicotine, pre-implantation embryos, tocotrienol rich fraction, tubulin

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Authors: Mohammed Ghazwani, Shyma Ali Alshahrani, Zahra Abdu Yousef, Taif Torki Asiri, Ghofran Abdur Rahman, Asma Ali Alshahrani, Umme Hani

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Background and introduction: Piroxicam is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug characterized by low solubility-high permeability used to reduce pain, swelling, and joint stiffness from arthritis. Hydrotropes are a class of compounds that normally increase the aqueous solubility of insoluble solutes. Aim: The objective of the present research study was to formulate and optimize Piroxicam hydrotropic starch gel using sodium salicylate, sodium benzoate as hydrotropic salts, and potato starch for topical application. Materials and methods: The prepared Piroxicam hydrotropic starch gel was characterized for various physicochemical parameters like drug content estimation, pH, tube extrudability, and spreadability; all the prepared formulations were subjected to in-vitro diffusion studies for six hours in 100 ml phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) and determined gel strength. Results: All formulations were found to be white opaque in appearance and have good homogeneity. The pH of formulations was found to be between 6.9-7.9. Drug content ranged from 96.8%-99.4.5%. Spreadability plays an important role in patient compliance and helps in the uniform application of gel to the skin as gels should spread easily; F4 showed a spreadability of 2.4cm highest among all other formulations. In in vitro diffusion studies, extrudability and gel strength were good with F4 in comparison with other formulations; hence F4 was selected as the optimized formulation. Conclusion: Isolated potato starch was successfully employed to prepare the gel. Hydrotropic salt sodium salicylate increased the solubility of Piroxicam and resulted in a stable gel, whereas the gel prepared using sodium benzoate changed its color after one week of preparation from white to light yellowish. Hydrotropic potato starch gel proposed a suitable vehicle for the topical delivery of Piroxicam.

Keywords: Piroxicam, potato starch, hydrotropic salts, hydrotropic starch gel

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Authors: G. Fouché, J. N. Eloff, K. Wellington

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Acaricides are commonly used to control ticks but are toxic, harmful to the environment and too expensive to resource-limited farmers. Traditionally, many communities in South Africa rely on a wide range of indigenous practices to keep their livestock healthy. One of these health care practices includes the use of medicinal plants and this offers an alternative to conventional medicine. An investigation was conducted at the CSIR in South Africa, and selected indigenous plants used in communities were scientifically evaluated for the management of ticks in animals. 17 plants were selected from 239 plants used traditionally in South Africa. Two different organic extracts were prepared from the 17 samples, resulting in 34 plant samples. These were tested for efficacy against two tick species, namely Rhipicephalus microplus and Rhipicephalus turanicus. The plant extracts were also screened against Vero cells and most were found to have low cytotoxicity. This study has shown that there is potential for the development of botanicals as natural acaricides against ticks that are non-toxic and environmentally benign.

Keywords: South Africa, ticks, plant extracts, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus

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Authors: Busra Gundede, Ozal Mutlu, Nagihan Gulsoy

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Background: Over the years, material research has led to the development of numerous metals and alloys for using in biomedical applications. One of the major tasks of biomaterial research is the functionalization of the material surface to improve the biocompatibility according to a specific application. 316L and 316L alloys are excellent for various bio-applications. This research was investigated the effect of titanium (Ti), niobium (Nb), and zirconium (Zr) additives on injection molded austenitic grade 316L stainless steels in vitro biocompatibility. For this purpose, cytotoxic tests were performed to evaluate the potential biocompatibility of the specimens. Materials and Methods: 3T3 fibroblast were cultivated in DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and %1 penicillin-streptomycin at 37°C with 5% CO2 and 95%humidity. Trypsin/EDTA solution was used to remove cells from the culture flask. Cells were reseeded at a density of 1×105cell in 25T flasks. The medium change took place every 3 days. The trypan blue assay was used to determine cell viability. Cell viability is calculated as the number of viable cells divided by the total number of cells within the grids on the cell counter machine counted the number of blue staining cells and the number of total cells. Cell viability should be at least 95% for healthy log-phase cultures. MTT assay was assessed for 96-hours. Cells were cultivated in 6-well flask within 5 ml DMEM and incubated as same conditions. 0,5mg/ml MTT was added for 4-hours and then acid-isoprohanol was added for solubilize to formazan crystals. Cell morphology after 96h was investigated by SEM. The medium was removed, samples were washed with 0.15 M PBS buffer and fixed for 12h at 4- 8°C with %2,5 gluteraldehyte. Samples were treated with 1% osmium tetroxide. Samples were then dehydrated and dried, mounted on appropriate stubs with colloidal silver and sputter-coated with gold. Images were collected using a scanning electron microscope. ROS assay is a cell viability test for in vitro studies. Cells were grown for 96h, ROS solution added on cells in 6 well plate flask and incubated for 1h. Fluorescence signal indicates ROS generation by cells. Results: Trypan Blue exclusion assay results were 96%, 92%, 95%, 90%, 91% for negative control group, 316L, 316L-Ti, 316L-Nb and 316L-Zr, respectively. Results were found nearly similar to each other when compared with control group. Cell viability from MTT analysis was found to be 100%, 108%, 103%, 107%, and 105% for the control group, 316L, 316L-Ti, 316L-Nb and 316L-Zr, respectively. Fluorescence microscopy analysis indicated that all test groups were same as the control group in ROS assay. SEM images demonstrated that the attachment of 3T3 cells on biomaterials. Conclusion: We, therefore, concluded that Ti, Nb and Zr additives improved physical properties of 316L stainless. In our in vitro experiments showed that these new additives did not modify the cytocompatibility of stainless steel and these additives on 316L might be useful for biomedical applications.

Keywords: 316L stainles steel, biocompatibility, cell culture, Ti, Nb, Zr

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Authors: S. Beekrum, B. Odhav, R. Lalloo, E. O. Amonsou

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Marine microalgae are rich sources of the novel and biologically active metabolites; therefore, they may be used in the food industry as natural food ingredients and functional foods. They have several biological applications related with health benefits, among others. In the past decades, food scientists have been searching for natural alternatives to replace synthetic antioxidants. The use of synthetic antioxidants has decreased due to their suspected activity as promoters of carcinogenesis, as well as consumer rejection of synthetic food additives. The aim of the study focused on screening of phytochemicals from Cymbella biomass extracts, and to examine the in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial potential. Cymbella biomass was obtained from CSIR (South Africa), and four different solvents namely methanol, acetone, n-hexane and water were used for extraction. To take into account different antioxidant mechanisms, seven different antioxidant assays were carried out. These include free radical scavenging (DPPH assay), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC assay), radical cation (ABTS assay), superoxide anion radical scavenging, reducing power, determination of total phenolic compounds and determination of total flavonoid content. The total content of phenol and flavonoid in extracts were determined as gallic acid equivalent, and as rutin equivalent, respectively. The in vitro antimicrobial effect of extracts were tested against some pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans), using the disc diffusion assay. Qualitative analyses of phytochemicals were conducted by chemical tests to screen for the presence of tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenols, steroids, saponins, glycosides and alkaloids. The present investigation revealed that all extracts showed relatively strong antibacterial activity against most of the tested bacteria. The methanolic extract of the biomass contained a significantly high phenolic content of 111.46 mg GAE/g, and the hexane extract contained 65.279 mg GAE/g. Results of the DPPH assay showed that the biomass contained strong antioxidant capacity, 79% in the methanolic extract and 85% in the hexane extract. Extracts have displayed effective reducing power and superoxide anion radical scavenging. Results of this study have highlighted potential antioxidant activity in the methanol and hexane extracts. The obtained results of the phytochemical screening showed the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids, phenols and saponins. The use of Cymbella as a natural antioxidant source and a potential source of antibacterial compounds and phytochemicals in the food industry appears promising and should be investigated further.

Keywords: antioxidants, antimicrobial, Cymbella, microalgae, phytochemicals

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Authors: Rashi Rajput, Manisha Singh

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Escitalopram oxalate (ETP), an FDA approved antidepressant drug from the category of SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and is used in treatment of general anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD).When taken orally, it is metabolized to S-demethylcitalopram (S-DCT) and S-didemethylcitalopram (S-DDCT) in the liver with the help of enzymes CYP2C19, CYP3A4 and CYP2D6. Hence, causing side effects such as dizziness, fast or irregular heartbeat, headache, nausea etc. Therefore, targeted and sustained drug delivery will be a helpful tool for increasing its efficacy and reducing side effects. The present study is designed for formulating mucoadhesive nanoparticle formulation for the same Escitalopram loaded polymeric nanoparticles were prepared by ionic gelation method and characterization of the optimised formulation was done by zeta average particle size (93.63nm), zeta potential (-1.89mV), TEM (range of 60nm to 115nm) analysis also confirms nanometric size range of the drug loaded nanoparticles along with polydispersibility index of 0.117. In this research, we have studied the in vitro drug release profile for ETP nanoparticles, through a semi permeable dialysis membrane. The three important characteristics affecting the drug release behaviour were – particle size, ionic strength and morphology of the optimised nanoparticles. The data showed that on increasing the particle size of the drug loaded nanoparticles, the initial burst was reduced which was comparatively higher in drug. Whereas, the formulation with 1mg/ml chitosan in 1.5mg/ml tripolyphosphate solution showed steady release over the entire period of drug release. Then this data was further validated through mathematical modelling to establish the mechanism of drug release kinetics, which showed a typical linear diffusion profile in optimised ETP loaded nanoparticles.

Keywords: ionic gelation, mucoadhesive nanoparticle, semi-permeable dialysis membrane, zeta potential

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Authors: Cheila Pereira, Sara C. Cunha, Miguel A. Faria, José O. Fernandes

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The increasing world population brings several concerns, one of which is food security and sustainability. To meet this challenge, aquaculture, the farming of aquatic animals and plants, including fish, mollusks, bivalves, and algae, has experienced sustained growth and development in recent years. Recent advances in this industry have focused on reducing its economic and environmental costs, for example, the substitution of protein sources in fish feed. Plant-based proteins are now a common approach, and while it is a greener alternative to animal-based proteins, there are some disadvantages, such as their putative content and intoxicants such as mycotoxins. These are naturally occurring plant contaminants, and their exposure in fish can cause health problems, stunted growth or even death, resulting in economic losses for the producers and health concerns for the consumers. Different works have demonstrated the presence of both AFB1 (aflatoxin B1) and ENNB1 (enniatin B1) in fish feed and their capacity to be absorbed and bioaccumulate in the fish organism after digestion, further reaching humans through fish ingestion. The aim of this work was to evaluate the bioaccessibility of both mycotoxins in samples of Sparus aurata muscle using a static digestion model based on the INFOGEST protocol. The samples were subjected to different cooking procedures – raw, grilled and fried – and different seasonings – none, thyme and ginger – in order to evaluate their potential reduction effect on mycotoxins bioaccessibility, followed by the evaluation of the intestinal transport of both compounds with an in vitro cell model composed of Caco-2/HT-29 co-culture monolayers, simulating the human intestinal epithelium. The bioaccessible fractions obtained in the digestion studies were used in the transport studies for a more realistic approach to bioavailability evaluation. Results demonstrated the effect of the use of different cooking procedures and seasoning on the toxin's bioavailability. Sparus aurata was chosen in this study for its large production in aquaculture and high consumption in Europe. Also, with the continued evolution of fish farming practices and more common usage of novel feed ingredients based on plants, there is a growing concern about less studied contaminants in aquaculture and their consequences for human health. In pair with greener advances in this industry, there is a convergence towards alternative research methods, such as in vitro applications. In the case of bioavailability studies, both in vitro digestion protocols and intestinal transport assessment are excellent alternatives to in vivo studies. These methods provide fast, reliable and comparable results without ethical restraints.

Keywords: AFB1, aquaculture, bioaccessibility, ENNB1, intestinal transport.

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Authors: Mohammad Kousara, Françoise Dumas, Rama Ibrahim, Joëlle Dubois, Joël Raingeaud

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Suberosanes are a small group of marine natural sesquiterpenes discovered since 1996 by Boyd, Sheu and Qi from three gorgonians. Their skeleton was previously found in quadranes produced by the terrestrial fungus Aspergillus terreus. Up to date, eleven suberosanes are described from which (-)-suberosanone and (-)-suberosenol A are reaching the picomolar cytotoxicity level on human solid tumors cell lines. Due to their impressive cytotoxic properties and their limited availability, we undertook an asymmetric synthesis of the most active members of this family in order to get insight into their absolute configurations and their biological properties. The challenge of their synthesis is the regio- and stereoselective elaboration of the compact bridged tricyclic skeleton with up to five all adjacent asymmetric centers, including a central quaternary carbon one. Our strategy is based on an aza-ene-synthesis key step which is regio-and stereo-controlled by the choice of a chiral amine enantiomer. it approach is concise and flexible, the enantiopur ABC tricyclic intermediate that have been synthesized being the common precursor of suberosanes.

Keywords: suberosanes, asymmetric synthesis, sesquiterpenes, quadranes

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Authors: Prince Kumar, Shamseer Kulangara Kandi, Diwan S. Rawat, Kasturi Mukhopadhyay

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Staphylococcus aureus is the most pathogenic of all staphylococci, a major cause of nosocomial infections, and known for acquiring resistance towards various commonly used antibiotics. Due to the widespread use of synthetic drugs, clinicians are now facing a serious threat in healthcare. The increasing resistance in staphylococci has created a need for alternatives to these synthetic drugs. One of the alternatives is a natural plant-based medicine for both disease prevention as well as the treatment of chronic diseases. Among such natural compounds, curcumin is one of the most studied molecules and has been an integral part of traditional medicines and Ayurveda from ancient times. It is a natural polyphenolic compound with diverse pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancerous and antibacterial activities. In spite of its efficacy and potential, curcumin has not been approved as a therapeutic agent yet, because of its low solubility, low bioavailability, and rapid metabolism in vivo. The presence of central β-diketone moiety in curcumin is responsible for its rapid metabolism. To overcome this, in the present study, curcuminoids were designed by modifying the central β-diketone moiety of curcumin into mono carbonyl moiety and their antibacterial potency against S. aureus ATCC 29213 was determined. Further, the mode of action and hemolytic activity of the most potent curcuminoids were studied. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and in vitro killing kinetics were used to study the antibacterial activity of the designed curcuminoids. For hemolytic assay, mouse Red blood cells were incubated with curcuminoids and hemoglobin release was measured spectrophotometrically. The mode of action of curcuminoids was analysed by membrane depolarization assay using membrane potential sensitive dye 3,3’-dipropylthiacarbocyanine iodide (DiSC3(5)) through spectrofluorimetry and membrane permeabilization assay using calcein-AM through flow cytometry. Antibacterial screening of the designed library (61 curcuminoids) revealed excellent in vitro potency of six compounds against S. aureus (MIC 8 to 32 µg/ml). Moreover, these six compounds were found to be non-hemolytic up to 225 µg/ml that is much higher than their corresponding MIC values. The in vitro killing kinetics data showed five of these lead compounds to be bactericidal causing >3 log reduction in the viable cell count within 4 hrs at 5 × MIC while the sixth compound was found to be bacteriostatic. Depolarization assay revealed that all the six curcuminoids caused depolarization in their corresponding MIC range. Further, the membrane permeabilization assay showed that all the six curcuminoids caused permeabilization at 5 × MIC in 2 hrs. This membrane depolarization and permeabilization caused by curcuminoids found to be in correlation with their corresponding killing efficacy. Both these assays point out that membrane perturbations might be a primary mode of action for these curcuminoids. Overall, the present study leads us six water soluble, non-hemolytic, membrane-active curcuminoids and provided an impetus for further research on therapeutic use of these lead curcuminoids against S. aureus.

Keywords: antibacterial, curcumin, minimum inhibitory concentration , Staphylococcus aureus

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Authors: K. Yadamma, K. Rudrama Devi

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The protective effect of Ginger Extract against cyclophosphamide induced cytotoxicity was evaluated in in vivo animal model using analysis of chromosomal aberrations in somatic cells of mice. Three doses of Ginger Extract (150mg/kg, 200mg/kg, and 250mg/kg body weight) were selected for modulation and given to animals after priming. The animals were sacrificed 24, 48, 72 hrs after the treatment and slides were prepared for the incidence of chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow cells of mice. When animals were treated with cyclophosphamide 50mg/kg, showed cytogenetic damage in somatic cells. However, a significant decrease was observed in the percentage of chromosomal aberrations when animals were primed with various doses of Ginger Extract. The present results clearly indicate the protective nature of Ginger Extract against cyclophosphamide induced genetic damage in mouse bone marrow cells.

Keywords: ginger extract, protection, bone marrow cells, swiss albino mice

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Authors: Rajendra Jangde, Deependra Singh

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Present work was based with objective to release of the antimicrobial and debriding agent in sustained manner at the wound surface. In order to provide a long-lasting antimicrobial action and moist environment on wound space, Biocompatible moist system was developed for complete healing. In the present study, a biocompatible moist system of PVA-gelatin hydrogel was developed capable of carrying multiple drugs- Quercetin and Cabopol in controlled manner for effective and complete wound healing. Carbopol and Quercetin were prepared by thin film hydration techniques and optimized system was incorporated in PVA-Gelatin slurry. PVA-Gelatin hydrogels were prepared by freeze thaw method. The prepared dispersion was casted into films to prepare multiphase hydrogel system and characterized by in vitro and in vivo studies. Results revealed the uniform dispersion of microspheres in a three-dimensional matrix of the PVA-Gelatin hydrogel observed at different magnifications. The in vitro release data showed typical biphasic release pattern, i.e., a burst release followed by a slower sustained release for 5 days. Prepared system was found to be stable under both normal and accelerated conditions. Histopathological study showed significant (p<0.05) increase in fibroblast cells, collagen fibres and blood vessels formation. All parameters such as wound contraction, tensile strength, histopathological and biochemical parameters- hydroxyproline content, protein level, etc. were observed significant (p<0.05) in comparison to control group. Present results suggest an accelerated re-epithelialization under moist wound environment with delivery of multiple drugs effective at different stages of wound healing cascade with minimum disturbance of wound bed.

Keywords: multiphase hydrogel, optimization quercetin, wound healing

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Authors: Sineenat Kempubpha, Phornpa-Ngan Muadmuang, Putthamas Phetmuangprab, Surin Promphet, Sopita Bandit

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Introduction: Discarded pericarp of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a benefit to be developed as veterinary phytopharmacal products since it made up of abundance pharmacological active compounds. The active compounds of mangosteen pericarp not only act as an antihistamine, an anti-inflammatory, heart disease and HIV therapeutic substances but also act as antibacterial and antifungal agents. Aim: This study was an in vitro procedural attempt to determine the antibacterial effects of mangosteen pericarp 95% ethanol extract on the main causative pathogen of canine superficial pyoderma, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. Methods: S. pseudintermedius were collected from various sites of the skin of canine superficial pyoderma dogs and were revived and lawn cultured. The S. pseudintermedius growth inhibition study was determined by disc diffusion technique, the mangosteen pericarp crude extracted was dissolved in 3 types of solvents (95% ethanol, 2% DMSO and distilled water, respectively). The micro broth dilution technique was used for determining both minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values. Statistical analysis was done by calculating the mean of the zones of inhibition of tested microorganisms. Results: S. pseudintermedius growth inhibition study showed that the inhibition efficacy of 95% ethanol was greater than the inhibition efficacy of 2% DMSO and distilled water (9.10±0.18 mm, 6.95±0.60 mm and 6.80±0.18 mm, respectively). The MIC value was 125 µg/ml and the MBC value was 1 mg/ml. Conclusion: Mangosteen pericarp extract dissolved with 95% ethanol showed the highest zone of inhibition against the tested microorganisms. The MIC value was 125 µg/ml and the MBC value was 1 mg/ml which suggests its potent antibacterial action against S. pseudintermedius. However, further analytical studies are needed to isolate the key molecules of mangosteen pericarp for higher effect on canine superficial pyoderma microorganism therapeutic products.

Keywords: mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana, Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, canine superficial pyoderma, in vitro study

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Authors: Khayra Zerrouki, Noureddine Djebli, Esra Eroglu, Afife Mat, Ozhan Gul

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Neurodegenerative diseases of the human brain comprise a variety of disorders that affect an increasing percentage of the population. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex, multifactorial, heterogeneous mental illness, which is characterized by an age-dependent loss of memory and an impairment of multiple cognitive functions, but this 10 last years it concerns the population most and most young. Hypericum perforatum has traditionally been used as an external anti-inflammatory and healing remedy for the treatment of swellings, wounds and burns, diseases of the alimentary tract and psychological disorders. It is currently of great interest due to new and important therapeutic applications. In this study, the chemical composition of methanolic extract of Hypericum perforatum (HPM) was analysed by using high performance liquid chromatography – diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). The in vitro antioxidant activity of HPM was evaluated by using several antioxidant tests. HSM exhibits inhibitory capacity against posphatidylcholine liposome peroxidation, induced with iron and ascorbic acid, scavenge DPPH and superoxide radicals and act as reductants. The cytotoxic activity of HSM was also determined by using MTT cell viability assay on HeLa and NRK-52E cell lines. The in vivo activity studies in Swiss mice were determined by using behavioral, memory tests and histological study. According to tests results HPM that may be relevant to the treatment of cognitive disorders. The results of chemical analysis showed a hight level of hyperforin and quercitin that had an important antioxidant activity proved in vitro with the DPPH, anti LPO and SOD; this antioxidant activity was confirmed in vivo after the non-toxic results by means of improvement in behavioral and memory than the reducing shrunken in pyramidal cells of mice brains.

Keywords: AlCl3, alzheimer, mice, neuroprotective, neurotoxicity, phytotherapy

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Authors: Lígia Pimentel, Miguel Pereira, Manuela Pintado

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Wheat germ is a by-product of wheat flour refining. Despite this by-product being a source of proteins, lipids, fibres and complex carbohydrates, and consequently a valuable ingredient to be used in Food Industry, only few applications have been studied. The main goal of this study was to assess the potential prebiotic effect of natural wheat germ. The prebiotic potential was evaluated by in vitro assays with individual microbial strains (Lactobacillus paracasei L26 and Lactobacillus casei L431). A simulated model of the gastrointestinal digestion was also used including the conditions present in the mouth (artificial saliva), oesophagus–stomach (artificial gastric juice), duodenum (artificial intestinal juice) and ileum. The effect of natural wheat germ and wheat germ after digestion on the growth of lactic acid bacteria was studied by growing those microorganisms in de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) broth (with 2% wheat germ and 1% wheat germ after digestion) and incubating at 37 ºC for 48 h with stirring. A negative control consisting of MRS broth without glucose was used and the substrate was also compared to a commercial prebiotic fructooligosaccharides (FOS). Samples were taken at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24 and 48 h for bacterial cell counts (CFU/mL) and pH measurement. Results obtained showed that wheat germ has a stimulatory effect on the bacteria tested, presenting similar (or even higher) results to FOS, when comparing to the culture medium without glucose. This was demonstrated by the viable cell counts and also by the decrease on the medium pH. Both L. paracasei L26 and L. casei L431 could use these compounds as a substitute for glucose with an enhancement of growth. In conclusion, we have shown that wheat germ stimulate the growth of probiotic lactic acid bacteria. In order to understand if the composition of gut bacteria is altered and if wheat germ could be used as potential prebiotic, further studies including faecal fermentations should be carried out. Nevertheless, wheat germ seems to have potential to be a valuable compound to be used in Food Industry, mainly in the Bakery Industry.

Keywords: by-products, functional ingredients, prebiotic potential, wheat germ

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Authors: Tooba N. Shamsi, Romana Perveen, Sadaf Fatima

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Protease Inhibitors (PIs) are widespread in nature, produced by animals, plants and microorganisms. They play vital role in various biological activities by keeping a check on activity of proteases. Present study aims to investigate antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of PPI from Cajanus cajan (CCTI) and Phaseolus limensis (LBTI). PPI was purified from C. cajan (PUSA-992) by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by ion exchange chromatography. The anti-oxidant activity was analyzed by two most common radical scavenging assays of FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) and DPPH (1,1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl). Also, in-vitro anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using albumin denaturation assay and membrane stabilization assay at different concentrations. Ascorbic acid and aspirin were used as a standards for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory assays respectively. The PPIs were also checked for antimicrobial activity against a number of bacterial strains. The CCTI and LBTI showed DPPH radical scavenging activity in a concentration–dependent manner with IC50 values 544 µg/ml and 506 µg/ml respectively comparative to ascorbic acid which was 258 µg/ml. Following FRAP assay, it was evaluated that LBTI had 87.5% and CCTI showed 84.4% antioxidant activity, taking value of standard ascorbic acid to be 100%. The PPIs also showed in-vitro anti‐inflammatory activity by inhibiting the heat induced albumin denaturation with IC50 values of 686 µg/ml and 615 µg/ml for CCTI and LBTI respectively compared to the standard (aspirin) which was 70.8 µg/ml. Red blood cells membrane stabilization with IC50 values of 641 µg/ml and 587 µg/ml for CCTI and LBTI respectively against aspirin which showed IC50 value of 70.4 µg/ml. PPIs showed antibacterial activity against 7 known strains while there was apparently no action against fungi.

Keywords: Cajanus cajan, Phaseolus limensis, Lima beans, protein protease inhibitor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial activity

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Authors: Tesleem Adewale Ibrahim

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Introduction: The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been slowly rising in Nigeria for the past few decades. Therefore, novel classes of antibiotics are indispensable to combat the increased incidence of newly emerging multidrug-resistant bacteria like MRSA. Plants have been commonly used in popular medicine of most cultures for the treatment of disease. The in vitro antibacterial activity of some Nigerian common medicinal plants used in traditional medicine has been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial and anti-biofilm of these native plants (Entada abysinnica (leaves), Croton macrostachyus (leaves), Bridelia speciosa (seeds, bark), and Aframomum melegueta (leaves, seeds, and stem) collected in Southwestern Nigeria against a panel of seven biofilm-forming MRSA. Methods: Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of the plant extracts against MRSA were determined by the broth dilution method, and the anti-biofilm assay of the most potent plant extract was performed. Result: The results revealed that, of the four plants, water extracts of leaves of Entada abysinnica, leaves of Croton macrostachyus, seeds and bark Bridelia speciosa, and seeds of Aframomum melegueta exhibited significant antibacterial activity. Based on the MIC/MBC ratio, the extracts of these plants were determined to be bacteriostatic in nature. Anti-biofilm assay showed that the extract of seeds of Aframomum melegueta and leaves of Croton macrostachyus fairly inhibited the growth of MRSA in the preformed biofilm matrix. Conclusion: These four medicinal plant species may represent a source of alternative drugs derived from plant extracts based on folklore use and ethnobotanical knowledge from southwest Nigeria.

Keywords: extract, MRSA, antibacterial, biofilm, medicinal plants

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Authors: Wiam El Kheir, Anais Dumais, Maude Beaudoin, Bernard Marcos, Nick Virgilio, Benoit Paquette, Nathalie Faucheux, Marc-Antoine Lauzon

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The high infiltrative pattern of glioblastoma multiforme cells (GBM) is the main cause responsible for the actual standard treatments failure. The tumor high heterogeneity, the interstitial fluid flow (IFF) and chemokines guides GBM cells migration in the brain parenchyma resulting in tumor recurrence. Drug delivery systems emerged as an alternative approach to develop effective treatments for the disease. Some recent studies have proposed to harness the effect CXC-lchemokine-ligand-12 to direct and control the cancer cell migration through delivery system. However, the dynamics of the brain environment on the delivery system remains poorly understood. Nanoparticles (NPs) and hydrogels are known as good carriers for the encapsulation of different agents and control their release. We studied the release of CXCL12 (free or loaded into NPs) from an alginate-based hydrogel under static and indirect perfusion (IP) conditions. Under static conditions, the main phenomena driving CXCL12 release from the hydrogel was diffusion with the presence of strong interactions between the positively charged CXCL12 and the negatively charge alginate. CXCL12 release profiles were independent from the initial mass loadings. Afterwards, we demonstrated that the release could tuned by loading CXCL12 into Alginate/Chitosan-Nanoparticles (Alg/Chit-NPs) and embedded them into alginate-hydrogel. The initial burst release was substantially attenuated and the overall cumulative release percentages of 21%, 16% and 7% were observed for initial mass loadings of 0.07, 0.13 and 0.26 µg, respectively, suggesting stronger electrostatic interactions. Results were mathematically modeled based on Fick’s second law of diffusion framework developed previously to estimate the effective diffusion coefficient (Deff) and the mass transfer coefficient. Embedding the CXCL12 into NPs decreased the Deff an order of magnitude, which was coherent with experimental data. Thereafter, we developed an in-vitro 3D model that takes into consideration the convective contribution of the brain IFF to study CXCL12 release in an in-vitro microenvironment that mimics as faithfully as possible the human brain. From is unique design, the model also allowed us to understand the effect of IP on CXCL12 release in respect to time and space. Four flow rates (0.5, 3, 6.5 and 10 µL/min) which may increase CXCL12 release in-vivo depending on the tumor location were assessed. Under IP, cumulative percentages varying between 4.5-7.3%, 23-58.5%, 77.8-92.5% and 89.2-95.9% were released for the three initial mass loadings of 0.08, 0.16 and 0.33 µg, respectively. As the flow rate increase, IP culture conditions resulted in a higher release of CXCL12 compared to static conditions as the convection contribution became the main driving mass transport phenomena. Further, depending on the flow rate, IP had a direct impact on CXCL12 distribution within the simulated brain tissue, which illustrates the importance of developing such 3D in-vitro models to assess the efficiency of a delivery system targeting the brain. In future work, using this very model, we aim to understand the impact of the different phenomenon occurring on GBM cell behaviors in response to the resulting chemokine gradient subjected to various flow while allowing them to express their invasive characteristics in an in-vitro microenvironment that mimics the in-vivo brain parenchyma.

Keywords: 3D culture system, chemokines gradient, glioblastoma multiforme, kinetic release, mathematical modeling

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Authors: Shahira M. Ezzat, Marwa I. Ezzat, Mona M. Okba, Esther T. Menze, Ashraf B. Abdel-Naim, Shahnas O. Mohamed

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Background: In order to decrease the burden of the high cost of synthetic drugs, it is important to focus on phytopharmaceuticals. The aim of our study was to search for the mechanism of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) anti-inflammatory potential and to correlate it to its biophytochemicals. Methods: Various extracts viz. water, 50%, 70%, 80%, and 90% ethanol were prepared from ginger rhizomes. Fractionation of the aqueous extract (AE) was accomplished using Diaion HP-20. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of the different extracts and isolated compounds was evaluated by protein denaturation inhibition, membrane stabilization, protease inhibition, and anti-lipoxygenase assays. In vivo anti-inflammatory activity of AE was estimated by assessment of rat paw oedema after carrageenan injection. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), certain inflammation markers (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1α, IL-1β, INFr, MCP-1MIP, RANTES, and Nox) levels and MPO activity in the paw edema exudates were measured. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was also determined. Histopathological alterations of paw tissues were scored. Results: All the tested extracts showed significant (p < 0.1) anti-inflammatory activities. The highest percentage of heat induced albumin denaturation (66%) was exhibited by the 50% ethanol (250 μg/ml). The 70 and 90% ethanol extracts (500 μg/ml) were more potent as membrane stabilizers (34.5 and 37%, respectively) than diclofenac (33%). The 80 and 90% ethanol extracts (500 μg/ml) showed maximum protease inhibition (56%). The strongest anti-lipoxygenase activity was observed for the AE. It showed more significant lipoxygenase inhibition activity than that of diclofenac (58% and 52%, respectively) at the same concentration (125 μg/ml). Fractionation of AE yielded four main fractions (Fr I-IV) which showed significant in vitro anti-inflammatory. Purification of Fr-III and IV led to the isolation of 6-poradol (G1), 6-shogaol (G2); methyl 6- gingerol (G3), 5-gingerol (G4), 6-gingerol (G5), 8-gingerol (G6), 10-gingerol (G7), and 1-dehydro-6-gingerol (G8). G2 (62.5 ug/ml), G1 (250 ug/ml), and G8 (250 ug/ml) exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity in all studied assays, while G4 and G5 exhibited moderate activity. In vivo administration of AE ameliorated rat paw oedema in a dose-dependent manner. AE (at 200 mg/kg) showed significant reduction (60%) of PGE2 production. The AE at different doses (at 25-200 mg/kg) showed significant reduction in inflammatory markers except for IL-1α. AE (at 25 mg/kg) is superior to indomethacin in reduction of IL-1β. Treatment of animals with the AE (100, 200 mg/kg) or indomethacin (10 mg/kg) showed significant reduction in TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, and RANTES levels, and MPO activity by about (31, 57 and 32% ) (65, 60 and 57%) (27, 41 and 28%) (23, 32 and 23%) (66, 67 and 67%) respectively. AE at 100 and 200 mg/kg was equipotent to indomethacin in reduction of NOₓ level and in increasing the TAC. Histopathological examination revealed very few inflammatory cells infiltration and oedema after administration of AE (200 mg/kg) prior to carrageenan. Conclusion: Ginger anti-inflammatory activity is mediated by inhibiting macrophage and neutrophils activation as well as negatively affecting monocyte and leukocyte migration. Moreover, it produced dose-dependent decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines and replenished the total antioxidant capacity. We strongly recommend future investigations of ginger in the potential signal transduction pathways.

Keywords: anti-lipoxygenase activity, inflammatory markers, 1-dehydro-6-gingerol, 6-shogaol

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Authors: I. Ibrahim, A. Mann

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Phytochemical screening of crude Chrysanthlum Indicum revealed the presence of carbohydrates, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, alkanoids, steroidal nucleus and cardiac glycosides. The extract was evaluated against some pathogenic organisms by agar dilution method. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bacteriocidal concentration (MBC) of the active extract of Chrysanthlum Indicum shows that its extract could be a potential source of antimicrobial agents.

Keywords: extract, phytochemicals, antimicrobial, antibacterial, Chrysanthlum indicum

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Authors: M. H. Rajikin, S. M. M. Syairah, A. R. Sharaniza

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Effects of nicotine on pre-partum body weight and preimplantation embryonic development has been reported previously. Present study was conducted to determine the effects of annatto (Bixa orellana)-derived delta-tocotrienol (TCT) (with presence of 10% gamma-TCT isomer) on the nicotine-induced reduction in body weight and 8-cell embryonic growth in mice. Twenty four 6-8 weeks old (23-25g) female balb/c mice were randomly divided into four groups (G1-G4; n=6). Those groups were subjected to the following treatments for 7 consecutive days: G1 (control) were gavaged with 0.1 ml tocopherol stripped corn oil, G2 was subcutaneously (s.c.) injected with 3 mg/kg/day of nicotine, G3 received concurrent treatment of nicotine (3 mg/kg/day) and 60 mg/kg/day of δ-TCT mixture (contains 90% delta & 10% gamma isomers) and G4 was given 60 mg/kg/day of δ-TCT mixture alone. Body weights were recorded daily during the treatment. On Day 8, females were superovulated with 5 IU Pregnant Mare’s Serum Gonadotropin (PMSG) for 48 hours followed with 5 IU human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) before mated with males at the ratio of 1:1. Females were sacrificed by cervical dislocation for embryo collection 48 hours post-coitum. Collected embryos were cultured in vitro. Results showed that throughout Day 1 to Day 7, the body weight of nicotine treated group (G2) was significantly lower (p<0.05) than that of G1, G3 and G4. Intervention with δ-TCT mixture (G3) managed to increase the body weight close to the control group. This is also observed in the group treated with δ-TCT mixture alone (G4). The development of 8-cell embryos following in vitro culture (IVC) was totally inhibited in G2. Intervention with δ-TCT mixture (G3) resulted in the production of 8-cell embryos, although it was not up to that of the control group. Treatment with δ-TCT mixture alone (G4) caused significant increase in the average number of produced 8-cell embryo compared to G1. Present data indicated that δ-TCT mixture was able to reverse the body weight loss in nicotine treated mice and the development of 8-cell embryos was also improved.

Keywords: δ-tocotrienol, body weight, nicotine, preimplantation embryonic development

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Authors: K. K. Balavenkatraman, B. Bertschi, K. Bigot, A. Grevot, A. Doelemeyer, S. D. Chibout, A. Wolf, F. Pognan, N. Manevski, O. Kretz, P. Swart, K. Litherland, J. Ashton-Chess, B. Ling, R. Wettstein, D. J. Schaefer

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Skin toxicity is poorly detected during preclinical studies, and drug-induced side effects in humans such as rashes, hyperplasia or more serious events like bullous pemphigus or toxic epidermal necrolysis represent an important hurdle for clinical development. In vitro keratinocyte-based epidermal skin models are suitable for the detection of chemical-induced irritancy, but do not recapitulate the biological complexity of full skin and fail to detect potential serious side-effects. Normal healthy skin explants may represent a valuable complementary tool, having the advantage of retaining the full skin architecture and the resident immune cell diversity. This study investigated several conditions for the maintenance of good morphological structure after several days of culture and the retention of phase II metabolism for 24 hours in skin explants in vitro. Human skin samples were collected with informed consent from patients undergoing plastic surgery and immediately transferred and processed in our laboratory by removing the underlying dermal fat. Punch biopsies of 4 mm diameter were cultured in an air-liquid interface using transwell filters. Different cultural conditions such as the effect of calcium, temperature and cultivation media were tested for a period of 14 days and explants were histologically examined after Hematoxylin and Eosin staining. Our results demonstrated that the use of Williams E Medium at 32°C maintained the physiological integrity of the skin for approximately one week. Upon prolonged incubation, the upper layers of the epidermis become thickened and some dead cells are present. Interestingly, these effects were prevented by addition of EGFR inhibitors such as Afatinib or Erlotinib. Phase II metabolism of the skin such as glucuronidation (4-methyl umbeliferone), sulfation (minoxidil), N-acetyltransferase (p-toluidene), catechol methylation (2,3-dehydroxy naphthalene), and glutathione conjugation (chlorodinitro benzene) were analyzed by using LCMS. Our results demonstrated that the human skin explants possess metabolic activity for a period of at least 24 hours for all the substrates tested. A time course for glucuronidation with 4-methyl umbeliferone was performed and a linear correlation was obtained over a period of 24 hours. Longer-term culture studies will indicate the possible evolution of such metabolic activities. In summary, these results demonstrate that human skin explants maintain a normal structure for several days in vitro and are metabolically active for at least the first 24 hours. Hence, with further characterisation, this model may be suitable for the study of drug-induced toxicity.

Keywords: human skin explant, phase II metabolism, epidermal growth factor receptor, toxicity

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Authors: Marisa Rio, Sharanya Bola, Richard H. W. Funk, Gerald Gerlach

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Cell migration, wound healing and regeneration are some of the physiological phenomena in which electric fields (EFs) have proven to have an important function. Physiologically, cells experience electrical signals in the form of transmembrane potentials, ion fluxes through protein channels as well as electric fields at their surface. As soon as a wound is created, the disruption of the epithelial layers generates an electric field of ca. 40-200 mV/mm, directing cell migration towards the wound site, starting the healing process. In vitro electrotaxis, experiments have shown cells respond to DC EFs polarizing and migrating towards one of the poles (cathode or anode). A standard electrotaxis experiment consists of an electrotaxis chamber where cells are cultured, a DC power source and agar salt bridges that help delaying toxic products from the electrodes to attain the cell surface. The electric field strengths used in such an experiment are uniform and homogeneous. In contrast, the endogenous electric field strength around a wound tend to be multi-field and non-homogeneous. In this study, we present a custom device that enables electrotaxis experiments in non-homogeneous DC electric fields. Its main feature involves the replacement of conventional metallic electrodes, separated from the electrotaxis channel by agarose gel bridges, through electrolyte-filled microchannels. The connection to the DC source is made by Ag/AgCl electrodes, incased in agarose gel and placed at the end of each microfluidic channel. An SU-8 membrane closes the fluidic channels and simultaneously serves as the single connection from each of them to the central electrotaxis chamber. The electric field distribution and current density were numerically simulated with the steady-state electric conduction module from ANSYS 16.0. Simulation data confirms the application of nonhomogeneous EF of physiological strength. To validate the biocompatibility of the device cellular viability of the photoreceptor-derived 661W cell line was accessed. The cells have not shown any signs of apoptosis, damage or detachment during stimulation. Furthermore, immunofluorescence staining, namely by vinculin and actin labelling, allowed the assessment of adhesion efficiency and orientation of the cytoskeleton, respectively. Cellular motility in the presence and absence of applied DC EFs was verified. The movement of individual cells was tracked for the duration of the experiments, confirming the EF-induced, cathodal-directed motility of the studied cell line. The in vitro monolayer wound assay, or “scratch assay” is a standard protocol to quantitatively access cell migration in vitro. It encompasses the growth of a confluent cell monolayer followed by the mechanic creation of a scratch, representing a wound. Hence, wound dynamics was monitored over time and compared for control and applied the electric field to quantify cellular population motility.

Keywords: DC non-homogeneous electric fields, electrotaxis, microfluidic biochip, wound healing

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