Brine Shrimp Cytotoxicity Research Articles

Brine shrimp cytotoxicity potential of alpha-mangostin and dulxanthone D from Garcinia mangostana

Brine shrimp cytotoxicity potential of alpha-mangostin and dulxanthone D from Garcinia mangostana

Phytochemical analysis and evaluation of antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities of Euphorbia dendroides L. (Euphorbiaceae) latex

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase properties and phytochemical constituents of the latex from Euphorbia dendroides L. (Euphorbiaceae) growing wild in Sicily. Phytochemical analysis revealed that into E. dendroides latex the triterpenoids were the most abundant among the identified compounds. Furthermore, a high content of polyphenols mainly as phenolic acids, was found. The antioxidant and free-radical scavenging properties, by several in vitro assays such as DPPH, TEAC and FRAP, have been evaluated. The results showed that E. dendroides latex has significant antioxidant activity, as measured by DPPH assay (2927.01 ± 98.03 µmols of Trolox equivalent (TE)/100g FW). Reactivity towards ABTS radical cation and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) values were 7580.95 ± 97.65 µmols of TE/100g FW and 4383.13 ± 95.30 μmol of TE/100g FW, respectively. The latex exhibited also significant inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity with an IC50 value of 4.46 µg/mL (C.L. = 2.002–9.947). Furthermore, Brine shrimp (Artemia salina) cytotoxicity bioassay showed that the larvae viability was significantly affected at higher concentrations than those capable to induce significant antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase effects (LD50 25 µg/mL). The results suggest that polyphenols and terpenoids can contribute significantly to antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities of E. dendroides latex.

Antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, brine shrimp lethality and polyphenolic content of <i>Holarrhena</i> <i>mitis</i> (Vahl) R.Br. ex Roem. & Schult

Holarrhena mitis (Vahl) R.Br. ex Roem. & Schult. which is an endemic plant growing mainly in the dry regions of the low-country has been used in the treatment of dysentery in Ayurvedic medicine. During the present study, we tested antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant activities and brine shrimp lethality, as well as the total phenolic content of the dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of the bark and leaves of H. mitis . The methanol extract of bark produced a measurable zone of inhibition against two Candida species, namely Candida albicans , Candida krusei among all five tested species and against both dermatophytes, Microsporum gypseum and Tricophyton mentagrophytes . In addition, the methanol extract of bark showed very strong antifungal activity against C . krusei (20 mm), which is very close to that of the positive control ketoconazole (22 mm). Both dicholoromethane extracts of bark and leaves and methanol extracts of leaves showed an activity against both tested strains of Staphylococcus aureus but were negative against Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis . However, the rest of the extracts exerted an active against all the tested bacterial strains. In the brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay, the dichloromethane extracts of both leaves and bark showed lower LC 50 values (27.13 ppm and 9.38 ppm, respectively) than that of positive control, K 2 Cr 2 O 7 , (35.74 ppm) indicating cell toxicity. Compared to the positive control, DL-α-tocopherol (IC 50 : 12.2 ppm), the antioxidant activity of the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of leaves exhibited comparable activity (IC 50 :16.9 ppm and 29.8 ppm, respectively). Antioxidant activity correlated well with the polyphenol content of methanol and ethyl acetate extracts (473.25 and 138.74 mg (GAE) /g, respectively) of leaves, with respect to gallic acid. These empirical results revealed that methanol extract of bark of H. mitis showed strong antifungal activity as well as very low brine shrimp lethality indicating that it would be a potential nontoxic anti-fungal natural product. The dichloromethane extracts exhibited strong brine shrimp lethality and may contain potential natural anticancer lead compounds. Ethyl acetate extracts of both leaves and bark having significant antibacterial activity, would be source of potential antibacterial lead compounds.

Brine shrimp cytotoxicity, phytochemical screening and larvicidal activities of plectranthus barbatus extracts

Brine shrimp cytotoxicity, phytochemical screening and larvicidal activities of plectranthus barbatus extracts

Cytotoxic, larvicidal, nematicidal, and antifeedant activities of piperidin-connected 2-thioxoimidazolidin-4-one derivatives.

The objective of this study was to investigate brine shrimp cytotoxicity, larvicidal, nematicidal, and antifeedant activities of novel piperidin-connected 2-thioxo-imidazolidin-4-one derivatives. The activities of target compounds were compared with some naturally occurring (−)-pinidinol, hydantocidin, and positive controls. Target compounds were synthesized via cyclocondensation method. The compounds were synthesized and then characterized by infrared spectroscopy, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, mass spectral, and elemental analyses. Brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay was investigated using freshly hatched, free-swimming nauplii of Artemiasalina. Larvicidal screening was performed against urban mosquito larvae (Culex quinquefasciatus). Nematicidal activity was evaluated using juvenile nematodes of Meloidogyne javanica. Regarding antifeedant activity, marine-acclimated Oreochromis mossambicus fingerlings were used. Compounds 3a-c (piperidin-connected 2-thioxoimidazolidin-4-one) were found to be lethal to the second instar larvae of mosquito, which produced LD50 values of 1.37, 6.66, 6.51 μg/mL, compared to compounds (−) pinidinol and hyantocidin LD50 values of 18.28 and 22.11 μg/mL respectively. Compound 3a-c was found to kill 100% of fish fingerlings within 6 h at 20 µg/mL, with LD50 values of 1.54, 1.79, 1.52 µg/mL, compared to compounds (−) pinidinol and hyantocidin with LD50 values of 10.21 and 21.05 μg/mL respectively. Compound 3c with LD50 value of 1.57 μg/mL demonstrated high nematicidal activity compared to compound 3a, 3b, (−) Pinidinol and Hyantocidin LD50 values of 6.45, 2.42, 14.25, 26.30 μg/mL respectively. Therefore, the 2-thioxoimidazolidin-4-one with piperidin ring showed high potential cytotoxic, larvicidal, nematicidal, and antifeedent activities.

In vitro and in silico anticancer effect of combined crude acetone extracts of Plumbago zeylanica L., Limonia acidissima L. and Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam

Abstract Objective The aim of the present work was to study the anticancer activity of acetone extracts of Plumbago zeylanica L., Limonia acidissima L. and Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam against human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), in vitro and in silico molecular docking analyses were also carried out. Methods The Combined Crude Acetone Extract (CCAE) had exhibited antimicrobial activity in our earlier studies. Hence this was selected for further studies. The CCAE was prepared and analyzed for antioxidant property, brine shrimp lethality and cytotoxicity using standard methods The phytochemical analysis of CCAE was done using GC–MS. In silico molecular docking was done using Autodock Vina for receptors relevant to cancer. Results The antioxidant activity of acetone extract for ABTS, DPPH and Superoxide radical scavenging showed significant scavenging activities of 62.85%, 54.38% and 32.69% respectively. The brine shrimp toxicity of the acetone extract after 24 h exposure showed an LD50 value of 0.157 mg/ml. The MTT assay revealed that acetone extract had an antiproliferative activity towards MCF7 and NIH/3T3 cell lines with IC50 values of 43.27 and 69.88 μg/ml respectively. The acetone extract was analyzed using GC–MS which showed the presence of with a number of active compounds. In silico results revealed significant interaction of ten compounds binding with eight receptors present in breast cancer cells such as CDK2, P21, P53, Caspases 3, 8 and 9, Bcl2 and ER-α. Among all the eight receptors docked with ten ligands, the amino acids GLN 388 and ASN 335 caspases 8 showed a significant binding energy of −8.5 kcal/mol towards Hexadecanoic acid, 1-(hydroxymethyl)-1,2-ethanediyl ester ligand. Conclusion The CCAE showed significant antioxidant activity, brine shrimp toxicity and anticancer activity. The GC–MS analysis revealed with a number of active compounds; the binding energy was high in several ligands for certain cancer receptors. The CCAE should be further investigated in the context of breast cancer and synergistic activities of its constituents.

Selenotriapine – An isostere of the most studied thiosemicarbazone with pronounced pro-apoptotic activity, low toxicity and ability to challenge phenotype reprogramming of 3-D mammary adenocarcinoma tumors

Triapine, the most studied α-N-heterocyclic thiosemicarbazone, revealed potent activity against advanced leukemia, but was ineffective against a variety of solid tumors. Moreover, methemoglobinemia, which is a side effect of triapine administration, may limits all clinical application. To enhance anticancer activity and reduce side effects, we applied an isosteric replacement of sulfur to selenium atom was performed by synthesis and characterization of selenium triapine analog, 3-aminopyridine-2-carboxaldehyde selenosemicarbazone (selenotriapine). Compared to triapine, selenotriapine revealed superior pro-apoptotic activity with activation of intrinsic apoptotic pathway in both human monocytic leukemia (THP-1) and mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines. For MCF-7 2-D cultures, selenotriapine induced notable increase in mitochondrial superoxide radical generation and dissipation of mitochondrial transmembrane potential. A significant delay in growth of MCF-7 spheroids (3-D culture) was accompanied by phenotypic stem cell reprogramming (Oct-4 expression). Additionally, selenotriapine demonstrated a very low toxicity profile as compared to triapine, confirmed over alleviated extent of methemoglobin formation and higher IC50 value in brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay.

Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Passiflora suberosa L. Leaf Extracts

In the Ayruvedic herbal system in Sri Lanka, Passiflora suberosa is used to treat many diseases including diabetes. The present study was conducted to evaluate in vitro antioxidant potential and cytotoxic activities of methanol and water extracts, obtained from P. suberosa leaves. P. suberosa leaves were powdered and extracted with methanol and water to obtain the crude extracts. Antioxidant capacity of different concentrations of aqueous and methanol extracts were determined by their ability to scavenge free radical using 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH) and by antihaemolytic activity. Similar concentrations were further tested for cytotoxicity using brine shrimps cytotoxicity assay. IC50 values were calculated to evaluate both antioxidant properties and toxicity of plant extracts. According to DPPH assay, IC50 values of both aqueous and methanol leaf extracts were 74.33 μg/ml and 418.67 μg/ml respectively. The IC50 value of the aqueous extract of P. suberosa leaf was significantly less than that of the standard ascorbic acid, which was found to be 166.17 μg/ml. Whereas IC50 values of antihaemolytic activity were 80.08 μg/ml and 610.25μg/ml in aqueous and methanol leaf extracts respectively. Results from brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay, showed that IC50 values for aqueous and methanol extracts of P. suberosa leaves were 60.26 μg/ml and 309.02 μg/ml respectively. The aqueous extract of P. suberosa leaves exhibited better antioxidant activity and cytotoxic activity than the methanol extract. Hence, present findings suggest that extracts of P. suberosa leaves possess applicable natural antioxidant and cytotoxic potential. Further, P. suberosa leaves possess better antioxidant activity than ascorbic acid, which is a well-established antioxidant. Hence, extracts from P. suberosa leaves can be considered as potential antioxidant and cytotoxic agents as well as imminent candidate for cancer therapy. Keywords: Passiflora suberosa, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, IC50 values

Nickel(II) and palladium(II) triphenylphosphine complexes incorporating tridentate Schiff base ligands: Synthesis, characterization and biocidal activities

Nickel(II) and palladium(II) triphenylphosphine complexes incorporating tridentate Schiff bases have been prepared and characterized by elemental analysis as well as by spectroscopic techniques (FTIR & NMR). The synthesized compounds were assessed to check their potential biocidal activity by using different biological assays (brine shrimp cytotoxicity, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor and drug-DNA interaction). Results of brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay showed that ligand molecules are more bioactive than metal complexes with LD50 as low as 12.4 μg/mL. The prominent antitumor activity was shown by nickel complexes while the palladium complexes exhibited moderate activity. The synthesized compounds have shown high propensity for DNA binding either through intercalation or groove binding which represents the mechanism of antitumor effect of these compounds. Additionally, ligand molecules and nickel metal complexes showed significant antioxidant activity with IC50 values as low as 3.1 μg/mL and 18.9 μg/mL respectively while palladium complexes exhibited moderate activity. Moreover, in antimicrobial assays H2L1, Ni(L1)PPh3 and H2L3 showed dual inhibition against bacterial and fungal strains while for the rest of the compounds varying degree of activity was recorded against different strains. Overall comparison of results suggests that the synthesized compounds can be promising candidate for drug formulation and development.

Production of Lipopeptide Biosurfactant by a Marine Nesterenkonia sp. and Its Application in Food Industry.

Biosurfactants are smart biomolecules which have wide spread application in medicines, processed foods, cosmetics as well as in bioremediation. In food industry, biosurfactants are used as emulsion stabilizing agents, antiadhesives, and antimicrobial/antibiofilm agents. Nowadays biosurfactant demands in industries has increased tremendously and therefore new bacterial strains are being explored for large scale production of biosurfactants. In this study, an actinobacterial strain MSA31 was isolated from a marine sponge Fasciospongia cavernosa which showed high activity in biosurfactant screening assays such as drop collapsing, oil displacement, lipase and emulsification. Lipopeptide produced by MSA31 was found to be thermostable which was evident in differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The spectral data obtained in the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the presence of aliphatic groups combined with peptide moiety which is a characteristic feature of lipopeptides. The stability index of lipopeptide MSA31 revealed “halo-alkali and thermal tolerant biosurfactant” which can be used in the food industry. Microtiter plate assay showed 125 μg/ml of lipopeptide was effective in reducing the biofilm formation activity of pathogenic multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The confocal laser scanning microscopic images provided further evidences that lipopeptide MSA31 was an effective antibiofilm agent. The antioxidant activity of lipopeptide MSA31 may be due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acid present in the molecule. The brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay showed lipopeptide MSA31 was non-toxic and can be used as food additives. Incorporation of lipopeptide MSA31 in muffin showed improved organoleptic qualities compared to positive and negative control. This study provides a valuable input for this lipopeptide to be used in food industry as an effective emulsifier, with good antioxidant activity and as a protective agent against S. aureus.

Pharmacological, electrochemical and drug–DNA interaction aspects of tridentate Schiff bases and their triphenylphosphine nickel(II) complexes

The complexes N-(2-oxidophenyl) salicylideneiminatotriphenylphosphine nickel(II) (Ni(L1)PPh3) and N-(2-sulfidophenyl)salicylideneiminatotriphenylphosphine nickel(II) (Ni(L2)PPh3) have been synthesized from Schiff base ligands N-(2-oxidophenyl)salicylideneiminate)(H2L1), N-(2-sulfidophenyl)salicylideneiminate)(H2L2) and bistriphenylphosphine nickel(II) chloride. The synthons were characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopic (FT-IR, 1H, 13C and &31P NMR) methods and electro-analytical techniques. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of complex Ni(L1)PPh3 revealed its square planar geometry where nickel being coordinated through tridentate Schiff base H2L1 and triphenylphosphine ligands. The pharmacological activities (brine shrimp cytotoxicity, antitumor, DPPH, DNA damage, antibacterial & antifungal) of the Schiff bases (H2L1 & H2L2) and their nickel complexes (Ni(L1)PPh3 & Ni(L2)PPh3) were investigated along with drug–DNA interaction studies. Results of brine shrimp lethality and antitumor assay showed highly significant activities which correlate the cytotoxic effect that can be utilized as anticancerous agents. In DPPH assay two compounds (H2L1 & Ni(L1)PPh3) showed significant activity and the remaining two compounds (H2L2 & Ni(L2)PPh3) showed protective behaviour in DNA damage assay. Antifungal assay exhibited varying degree of activities with MIC value ranging from 50 to 200µg/ml. Additionally, Ni(L2)PPh3 was found to be broad spectrum antibacterial agent by showing antibacterial activity against all tested bacterial strains. Schiff bases and their nickel complexes were found electroactive in positive and negative potential ranges respectively, while having single electron transfer process. The compounds were found highly interactive towards DNA molecules with a binding strength of about 104M−1 thus indicating their biological worth.

Identification of Compounds and Insecticidal Activity of the Root of Pride of Barbados (<i>Caesalpinia Pulcherrima</i> L)

Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Caesalpiniaceae) is an ornamental plant with several ethnomedicinal uses. The present study was designed to investigate the brine shrimp cytotoxicity and insecticidal activity of oil obtained from C. pulcherrima root. The powdered root was extracted with methanol and then defatted with petroleum ether (40-60oC) to obtain a viscous oil. The oil was investigated for its brine shrimp cytotoxicity and insecticidal activity in vitro. The chemical constituents were identified by Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry. The oil showed significant lethal effect against Artemia salina (Brine shrimp) with LC50 of 23.85 μg/mL and mild insecticidal activity against Tribolium castaneum and Callosbruchus analis with percentage mortality of 20% and 40% respectively at 1 mg/cm2. GC-MS analysis identified 37 compounds mainly steroids, terpenoids and fatty acids.Keywords: Caesalpinia pulcherrima, chemical constituents, cytotoxicity, insecticidal activity.

English

In the ongoing phytochemical study, an effort was made to investigate cytotoxicity of various crude fractions of aerial parts of Indigofera heterantha. The results obtained revealed that all the fractions including n-hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and residue showed brine shrimp (Artemia salina Leach) cytotoxicity activity. The data obtained revealed the medicinal importance of the plant and will help the researchers to exploit the phytochemicals for biological activities (cytotoxicity).   Key words: Indigofera heterantha, cytotoxicity, aerial parts.

Radical scavenging and cytotoxicity evaluation of eight extracts of <i>Citrus limon</i> and <i>Citrus aurantifolia</i>

Cancer is a global cause of death characterized by uncontrolled proliferation and spread of abnormal cells. Eight extracts composed of the leaf, stem bark, seeds and juice of each of Citrus limon and C. aurantifolia were subjected to in vitro antioxidant assay using DPPH, brine shrimp lethality bioassay (BSL) and cytotoxicity MTT colorimetric assay using human cancer cell lines. Extracts of C. aurantifolia stem bark and leaf had IC50 of 28.2±0.11 and 47.2±0.39μg/mL, respectively and displayed better radical scavenging activity compared to the other extracts, Ascorbic acid, the reference drug, had an IC50 of 9.2±0.14 μg/mL. Citrus limon stem bark (LC50=10.0±0.33) and C. limon leaf (LC50= 5.0±0.74 μg/mL) extracts were observed to be strongly cytotoxic compared to cyclophosphamide (LC50=98.76±0.15 μg/mL), while the other extracts were either non, weakly, or moderately toxic in BSL assay. Citrus aurantifolia leaf extract (CC50=4.02±2.85 μg/mL, CC50=5.45±2.8 μg/mL) retained a comparable cytotoxicity to cyclophosphamide (CC50=2.23±0.14 μg/ mL, CC50=2.66±0.8 μg/mL) on Rd and Hep-2c human cancer cell lines, respectively. The other extracts exhibited varying degrees of cytotoxicity. This study demonstrated that the extracts of both Citrus species had weak DPPH radical scavenging activity. Citrus aurantifolia leaf extract displayed potent toxicity in BSL assay and on the two human cancer cell lines; Rd and Hep-2c used in the study and were selective to cancer cells than the normal cell, Vero.Keywords: Citrus limon, Citrus aurantifolia, DPPH Antioxidant, Brine Shrimp Lethality, Human cancer cell lines

Chemical composition and pharmacological significance of Anethum Sowa L. Root

BackgroundMedicinal herbs are used for the treatment of different ailments since antiquity. Different parts of Anethum sowa L. is used in folk medicine as a carminative for the treatment of flatulence, colic and hiccups of infants and children, antioxidant, antimicrobial and antispasmodic agent. The aim of our present study is to evaluate the chemical composition of the essential oil, proximate and elemental composition, amino acid, fatty acid profile and thermal behaviour of its root part as well as different pharmacological activities like antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity of the root essential oil.MethodsThe air-dried roots of Anethum sowa L. were subjected to hydro-distillation to yield the essential oil. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was studied by DPPH radical scavenging activity. The antimicrobial activity was tested against four Gram-positive, six Gram-negative bacteria and four fungi species. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and Minimum bacterial concentration (MBC) for each examined microorganism were determined using the micro-dilution method. The LC50 value of the oil was also evaluated by brine shrimp lethality assay. The subsequent proximate analysis was also done by AOAC methods. The elemental analysis of the root powder was analysed by ICP-MS, AAS and FP system. The fatty acid was extracted by hot and cold extraction method and the analyses were carried out by GC. The amino acid profile was done by the amino acid analyzer. The DTA, DTG and TG of the root powder were taken by the thermogravimetric analyzer.ResultsA total of 24 constituents was identified and quantified in the essential oil and its water extract portion by GC and GC-MS. Apiol (81.99 and 74.779%) was found the highest phenylpropanoid constituent followed by m-diaminobenzene (10.446 and 8.778%) in the essential oil and aqueous extract portion. On the other hand, β-butyrolactone (5.13%) and isobutyl acetone (3.73%) were found in the major constituents in the water extract part. The IC50 value of the essential oil was found to be 3.07 mg/mL by DPPH radical assay methods. The LC50 value of the brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay of the essential oil was observed at 0.81 μg/mL. The essential oil showed better activity on Gram-negative bacteria than Gram-positive bacteria and fungi. The proximate composition showed that root contained 5.29% ash, 2.01% protein, 54.09% crude fibre, 0.15% essential oil and 1.14% fatty oil for hot extract and 0.23% for cold extract on the dried basis. The palmitic (33.81 & 31.58%) and linoleic acid (30.03 & 23.79%) were the major saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in the cold and hot extracted root powder respectively. Ca (23,600 mg/kg), Mg (7620.33 mg/kg) and K (1286.15 mg/kg) were the most predominant elements followed by Ni (1187.30 mg/kg), Se (913.79 mg/kg), Li (317.84 mg/kg), Na (288.72 mg/kg) and Fe (206.88 mg/kg). The toxic elements were found to be within the permissible limit. Glutamic acid (19.37%), glycine (14.53%) and lysine (17.08%) were found as the major amino acids. The decomposition rates were obtained by TG, DTG and DTA curve of the powder sample at various temperature ranges.ConclusionsThe results demonstrated that the root part of Anethum sowa L. is a rich source of mineral elements, essential amino acid and fatty acids. The essential oil is the highly potential as bioactive oil for pharmaceuticals and medical applications, possessing antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. The thermal analysis suggested as a simple, effective and rapid method to characterize the Anethum sowa L. species as well as to assess for herbal formulation.

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Saccharomyces cerevisiae IFST062013, a potential probiotic

BackgroundProbiotic yeast has become a field of interest to scientists in recent years.MethodsConventional cultural method was employed to isolate and identify yeast and standard methods were used to determine different probiotic attributes, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.ResultsThis study reports potential probiotic properties of a strain of S. cerevisiae IFST 062013 isolated from fruit. The isolate is tolerant to a wide range of temperature and pH, high concentration of bile salt and NaCl, gastric juice, intestinal environment, α-amylase, trypsin and lysozyme. It can produce organic acid and showed resistance against tetracycline, ampicillin, gentamycin, penicillin, polymixin B and nalidixic acid. It can assimilate cholesterol, can produce killer toxin, vitamin B12, glutathione, siderophore and strong biofilm. It showed moderate auto-aggregation ability and cell surface hydrophobicity. The isolate can produce enzymes such as amylase, protease, lipase, cellulose, but unable to produce galactosidase. The isolate can’t produce gelatinase and DNase. The isolate showed moderate anti-microbial activity against bacteria and fungi and cell lysate showed better antimicrobial activity than whole cell and culture supernatant. Again, the isolate showed better anti-bacterial activity against gram negative bacteria than gram positive. The isolate showed strong antioxidant activity, reducing power, nitric oxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, significant brine shrimp cytotoxicity and acute toxicity and metal ion chelating activity. The isolate did not induce any detectable change in general health of mice upon oral toxicity testing and found to be safe in mouse model. The isolate improve lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production in treated mice.ConclusionsSuch isolate could be potential as probiotic to be used therapeutically.

Copper (II) complexes bearing ether based ON donor bidentate Schiff bases: Synthesis, characterization, biological and electrochemical investigations

Four novel copper complexes bis((E)-2-((4-phenoxyphenylimino)methyl)phenolate) copper(II) (CuL1), bis((E)-2-((4-(4-biphenyloxy)phenylimino)methyl)phenolate) copper(II) (CuL2), bis((E)-2-((4-(naphthalen-1-yloxy)phenylimino)methyl)phenolate) copper(II) (CuL3) and bis((E)-2-((4-(2-naphthoxy)phenylimino)methyl)phenolate) copper(II) (CuL4) have been synthesized and characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and electro-analytical techniques. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of complex (CuL1) revealed that the compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system. The absolute structure has been determined from the diffraction data. The molecule lies on a 2-fold axis with geometry intermediate between square planar and tetrahedral. In the complexes the ligands are bidentate, coordinating through phenolate oxygen and azomethine nitrogen to the copper ions. The biological studies (cytotoxic and antitumor) have revealed their bioactive nature. Results of brine shrimp cytotoxicity indicated their LD50 values <1μg/ml and IC50 values from 0.7 to 16μg/ml, indicating their antitumor nature. The voltammetric analysis showed that the complexes follow one electron transfer quasi-reversible partially diffusion controlled process. Further, the electro-reduced form of the complexes had substantial interaction with DNA molecules in a concentration dependent manner.

&lt;i&gt;Oxalis corniculata&lt;/i&gt; L. in Tanzania: traditional use, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activities

Objectives: Oxalis corniculata Linn (creeping wood sorrel) is a weed plant species traditionally widely used as a raw vegetable and in folk medicine to treat different human ailments by different Tanzanian ethnic groups. However, not many reports are available on the pharmacological rationale for its wide application in the country. This study presents the traditional use, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activities of Oxalis corniculata indigenous from Tanzania.Methodology and results: Extracts were made from whole plant using water, methanol and ethanol solvents. Traditional uses were collected from interviewing 25 ethnic groups each represented by at least five members using a guided questionnaire. The extracts were tested for antifungal, antibacterial activities and brine shrimp cytotoxicity. Results showed relatively mild cytotoxic activity against brine shrimp larvae LC50 value of 156 μg/ml. The antimicrobial activities were positive against standard fungal and both Grampositive and Gram-negative bacteria strains of medical importance with the highest inhibition zone in a Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (7.5 mm/48 hrs) and a fungi Candida albicans (4 mm/48 hrs).Conclusion and application of findings: The traditional uses of Oxalis corniculata in treating tonsillitis, toothaches, flue, diarrhea and antirust were recorded for the first time. Besides, the plant extracts showed strong antimicrobial activities against pathogens of human importance and less toxic to cells, which support its use as a cure for some human ailments. The study findings thus support its traditional medicinal use and envisage a purposeful thorough study for isolating the bioactive compounds, up scaling for possible developments into nutraceutics and drugs.Key words: Oxalis corniculata, cytotoxicity, folk medicine, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, S. aureus, antimicrobial activity.

Synthesis and Pharmacological Properties of 1,3-Bis[(S)Phenylethyl]Imidazolidine-2-Thione

Enantiomerically and diastereomerically pure thiourea derivative (compound I) has been synthesized in two steps starting from (S)-1-phenylethanamine and 1,2-dibromoethane. Compound I was screened for various biochemical parameters including blood glucose level, serum total cholesterol level, serum bilirubin and triglyceride levels, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. Compound I was also screened for brine shrimp cytotoxicity, antileishmanial and antioxidant activity. Acute toxicity tests in NZW rabbits were performed and the results showed that compound I was safe up to 2 mg/mL/kg rabbit body weight. For the blood parameters, it was found that compound I caused slightly reduced blood glucose level, increased blood serum bilirubin, ALP and SGPT levels, and caused no changes in cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Thus, results show that compound I possesses good cytotoxic, poor antileishmanial activity, and no prominent antioxidant activity.

Pharmacological and phytochemical studies on Acacia modesta Wall; A review

The use of plants with therapeutic properties is as ancient as human civilization. Acacia modesta belongs to family Fabaceae and is a deciduous tree which has medium or small size. Traditionally, it has been used to treat leprosy, wounds, dysentery, venereal diseases, cough, body weakness, bacterial infections and backache. Many pharmacological activities have been reported viz. antibacterial, antifungal, anti-hyperglycemic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet, anti-termite, antioxidant, brine shrimp cytotoxicity, haemagglutination, insecticidal, phytotoxic and spasmolytic. While various flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, tannins, non-protein amino acids, fixed oils and cyclitols have been isolated from this plant. This review is an attempt to provide adequate information on ethno-medicinal uses, general morphology, pharmacological and phytochemical properties of the plant.