Free Radical-related Diseases Research Articles

Panax notoginseng: Pharmacological Aspects and Toxicological Issues.

Current evidence suggests a beneficial role of herbal products in free radical-induced diseases. Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen has long occupied a leading position in traditional Chinese medicine because of the ergogenic, nootropic, and antistress activities, although these properties are also acknowledged in the Western world. The goal of this paper is to review the pharmacological and toxicological properties of P. notoginseng and discuss its potential therapeutic effect. A literature search was carried out on Pubmed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. The following search terms were used: "notoginseng", "gut microbiota", "immune system", "inflammation", "cardiovascular system", "central nervous system", "metabolism", "cancer", and "toxicology". Only peer-reviewed articles written in English, with the full text available, have been included. Preclinical evidence has unraveled the P. notoginseng pharmacological effects in immune-inflammatory, cardiovascular, central nervous system, metabolic, and neoplastic diseases by acting on several molecular targets. However, few clinical studies have confirmed the therapeutic properties of P. notoginseng, mainly as an adjuvant in the conventional treatment of cardiovascular disorders. Further clinical studies, which both confirm the efficacy of P. notoginseng in free radical-related diseases and delve into its toxicological aspects, are mandatory to broaden its therapeutic potential.

In vitro assessment of antioxidant and anti-aging properties of ethanol extracts from Amaranthus dubius, Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton, and Phyllanthus emblica: Promising natural agents for age-related disease prevention

Age-related diseases (ARDs) and cellular senescence are significant concerns as the aging population increases in Thailand and the ASEAN region. Oxidative stress, induced by free radicals that result in the formation of senescent cells (SCs), is a primary contributor to ARDs. Antioxidant-rich plants have potential in mitigating free radical-related diseases, but their safety for normal cells requires careful investigation. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-oxidative and anti-senescence properties of Amaranthus dubius leaves (AD), Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton seeds (PF), and Phyllanthus emblica fruits (PE), commonly used in culinary and traditional medicine in northern Thailand. The study assessed the phytochemical composition of the plant extracts by GC-MS, their total phenolic content, ability to scavenge free radicals and H2O2, and their potential for DNA damage protection, cellular senescence prevention, and restoration. The results showed that all plant extracts possessed antioxidant, H2O2 scavenging, and DNA damage protection properties, with PE displaying the highest efficacy. AD and PF were potentially non-toxic, whereas PE was observed to be harmful to HDF-a after 24-h treatment, with all extracts exhibiting potential harm after 72 h. Additionally, all extracts showed preventive properties against oxidative stress and cellular senescence but were not restorative, with PE exhibiting the greatest performance. In conclusion, PE displayed the most significant preventive properties against oxidative stress and cellular senescence, making it a potential candidate for supplement development to potentially mitigate the risk of ARDs occurrence.

Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seed extracts using soxhlet method

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the oldest fruit crops grown in the arid regions of the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, and the Middle East. It has numerous uses in medicine, pharmacognosy, and even religion, making it more than just a valuable food source. The aim of the study is to assess the yield percentage, total phenolic content (TPC), phenolic compositions, and antioxidant activity of three P. dactylifera cultivars, namely, Khudori, Sabaka, and Nabtat Ali, using methanol and hexane as solvents for Soxhlet extraction. The antioxidant potential of the extract was evaluated based on total phenolic content, the 2,2, diphenyl-2-picryl-hydroxyl (DPPH) assay, and the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, whereas phenolic compounds were identified and quantified using HPLC. Methanolic extracts of various seed cultivars showed higher yield recovery and TPC than hexane extracts. Khudori seeds demonstrated the highest antioxidant capacities compared to the other cultivars, with 124.54 ± 2.89 mg GAE /100 g for TPC, 79.67 ± 4.53 percentage inhibition for DPPH, and 1.49 ± 0.53 mMTE/100g for FRAP. It shows the potential of the Khudori seed extracts as a good source of antioxidant nutraceutical food and useful drug development that can help with free radical-related diseases.

V2CTx MXene Nanosheets as Enhanced Free-Radical Scavengers for Alleviating Oxidative Stress

The development of antioxidants with high efficiency and biocompatibility is highly desired to prevent and treat free radical-related diseases. MXene, a two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin nanosheet, is a promising antioxidant material. Herein, we report a V2CTx MXene antioxidant that shows a significant scavenging effect on a variety of free radicals (DPPH·, ·OH, ·O2–, and 1O2.). The scavenging efficiency for DPPH· is ∼100% in 10 min, and the EC50 value is calculated to be 6.7 μg/mL, superior to that of most 2D and zero-dimensional materials reported so far. Furthermore, a combination of H-donation and the electron transfer mechanism was proposed based on the analysis of the free radical scavenging behavior of V2CTx and the reaction process. We hope that this study will provide new ideas for the treatment and prevention of ROS-mediated inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases.

Phytochemical and Antioxidant studies on Stem Bark of Aubrevillea kerstingii

Antioxidants are believed to play a role in preventing the development of some chronic diseases. Medicinal plants with antioxidant activity have continuously been utilized both in traditional and contemporary medicine for management of free radical related diseases. There is need to search for medicinal plants with antioxidant potentials and to isolate compounds responsible for the activity. The aim of this research was to carry out the phytochemical and antioxidant studies on stem bark extract of Aubrevillea kerstingii. The powdered stem bark of Aubrevillea kerstingii (1.5kg) was extracted with n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol using sequential maceration. Qualitative screening for antioxidant activity was carried out using thin layer chromatographic TLC autographic screening on pre-coated silica plate. The determination of 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of the 3 stem bark extracts was carried out according to a standard method. The ethyl acetate extract (5g) was pre-adsorbed on silica gel and loaded into a column pre-packed with 100g silica gel (60-120 Merck). The extract was eluted with n-hexane: ethyl acetate in a gradient elution starting from n-hexane (100%) to ethyl acetate methanol (90:10). The DPPH scavenging activity of the extracts revealed a concentration dependent increase in free radical scavenging activity. The n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts showed IC50 values of 98.58μg/ml, 36.79μg/ml and 49.27μg/ml respectively compared with ascorbic acid which had IC50 of 17.89μg/ml. The isolated compound was identified as oleanolic acid using NMR. The 1H-NMR and13C-NMR spectra obtained in CDCl3 with NMR spectrometer showed chemical shifts characteristic of oleanolic acid. The methanol extract and ethyl acetate extracts showed significant antioxidant activity. Oleanolic acid isolated from the ethyl acetate extract may be responsible for the antioxidant activity.

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Ammi visnaga L. Essential Oil.

The present study evaluated the chemical composition and the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant potential of Ammi visnaga L. essential oil to provide a scientific basis for the use of this plant in the traditional pharmacopoeia. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to identify the volatile constituents present of the oil. The in vitro antioxidant capacity was evaluated by the DPPH and the reducing power assays. For the in vivo tests, oral administration of Ammi visnaga L. oil (600 and 1200 mg/kg body weight) was performed in Swiss albino mice treated with acetaminophen (400 mg/kg). The toxic effect of acetaminophen and the action of the essential oil were measured by determining the levels of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in liver and kidneys homogenates. The major components identified were butanoic acid, 2-methyl-, pentyl ester, (Z)-β-ocimene, D-limonene, linalool, pulegone and lavandulyl-butyrate. The in vitro DPPH and reducing power assays showed moderate to low free radical scavenging activity and the antioxidant power was positively correlated with the polyphenols’ concentration. In vivo, the Ammi visnaga L. essential oil showed a high antioxidant capacity at both concentrations (600 and 1200 mg/kg), effectively increasing the levels of reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase and significantly reducing the lipid peroxidation. The results obtained from this study suggest that Ammi visnaga L. could represent a source of molecules with antioxidant potential in the prevention of free radical-related diseases.

Antioxidant Properties and In-Vitro Radical Scavenging Activities of Tannin-Rich and Flavonoid-Rich Fraction of Annona senegelensis and Vernonia amygdalina leaves

Medicinal Plants have demonstrated history of managing some ailments caused by free radicals as a result of some chemical constituents they possess. This study was aimed at assessing antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties of Tannin-rich and Flavoniod-rich fraction of Annona senegelensis and Vernonia amygdalina leaves via in vitro assays such as; reducing power, nitric oxide scavenging activity, Hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity and Lipid peroxidation scavenging activity. The results obtained indicated that both medicinal plants are antioxidant reservoir. The values for Tannin rich fraction of Annona senegelensis (TRFAS) and Tannin rich fraction of Vernonia amygdalina (TRFVA) are Reducing power absorbance TRFAS (0.077-0.187), TRFVA (0.168-0239). % Nitric oxide scavenging: TRFAS (4.46-30.40), TRFVA (5.23-42.24). % H2O2 scavenging: TRFAS (7.30-20.35), TRFVA (8.12-22.32). % Lipid Perioxidation: TRFAS (6.81-32.76), TRFVA (5.16-26.16). Also the values for Flavonoid rich fraction of Annona senegelensis (FRFAS) and Flavonoid rich fraction of Vernonia amygdalina (FRFVA) are reducing power absorbance: FRFAS (0.109-0.342), FRFVA (0.124-0.388). % Nitric oxide scavenging: FRFAS (33.55-43.57), FRFVA (21.10-47.46). % H2O2 scavenging: FRFAS (39.01-74.96), FRFVA (45.80-75.20). % Lipid Perioxidation: FRFAS (24.81-59.69), FRFVA (41.43-59.98). The Tannin-rich and Flavonoid-rich fraction of both plants exhibited good antioxidant activity on all models employed at increasing concentrations but Flavoniod-rich fraction of Vernonia amygdalina had the highest inhibitory effect than the Tannin fraction. The findings from this study validated the pharmacological potency of the two plants and their potential use in combating free radical-related diseases, which are often triggered by oxidative stress.

509 Ultrasmall prussian blue nanoparticles protect human skin fibroblasts from ultraviolet A stress induced premature senescence

Background: Skin aging is one of the major challenges our society faces, and the generation of reactive oxygen species(ROS)seems to play a major role in age-related skin modifications.Thus, ROS scavengers that can block excessive production of ROS have great therapeutic potential. Ultrasmall prussian blue nanoparticles(USPBNPs),which belong to the iron-based metal-organic frameworks, exhibited an intensive ability of scavenging free radicals as nanozyme and showed great application potential in the treatment of free radical-related diseases. Herein, we propose an efficient treatment strategy in which an artificial nanozyme with multienzyme activity drives photoprotection against ultraviolet A stress induced premature senescence(UVA-SIPS) primarily by scavenging ROS. Methods: In the present study, UVA-SIPS model was established by UVA radiation on human skin fibroblasts .Cell viability was determined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). Senescent cells were detected by senescence β-galactosidase staining.Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry were used to assay the intracellular ROS concentration.Cell cycle was measured by flow cytometry.The expression of cellular γH2A.X,p16,p21 and p53 were also measured. Results: The results revealed that UVA radiation could cause premature senescence in human skin fibroblasts. Interestingly, the pretreatment of USPBNPs significantly reduced senescent cells and attenuated several features of cellular senescence, including morphological and metabolic changes,senescence related DNA damage, cell cycle arrest and more senescence-associated secretory phenotypes (SASPs). Conclusions: This study provides a proof of concept for a novel class of protective nanoagents that might be beneficial for prevention of skin photoaging and other age-related disorders.

Antioxidant Activity Evaluation of FlexirubinType Pigment from Chryseobacterium artocarpi CECT 8497 and Related Docking Study.

The current research is focused on studying the biological efficacy of flexirubin, a pigment extracted from Chryseobacterium artocarpi CECT 8497.Different methods such as DPPH, H2O2, NO•, O2•−, •OH, lipid peroxidation inhibition by FTC and TBA, ferric reducing and ferrous chelating activity were carried out to evaluate the antioxidant activity of flexirubin. Molecular docking was also carried out, seeking the molecular interactions of flexirubin and a standard antioxidant compound with SOD enzyme to figure out the possible flexirubin activity mechanism. The new findings revealed that the highest level of flexirubin exhibited similar antioxidant activity as that of the standard compound according to the H2O2, •OH, O2•−, FTC and TBA methods. On the other hand, flexirubin at the highest level has shown lower antioxidant activity than the positive control according to the DPPH and NO• and even much lower when measured by the FRAP method. Molecular docking showed that the interaction of flexirubin was in the binding cavity of the SOD enzyme and did not affect its metal-binding site. These results revealed that flexirubin has antioxidant properties and can be a useful therapeutic compound in preventing or treating free radical-related diseases.

Grape seed extract-soluplus dispersion and its antioxidant activity

Objective The main objective of this work was to formulate a nanodispersion containing grape seed extract and analyzed its release profile, antioxidant potential of the prepared formulations. Methods The grape seed extract (GSE) containing proanthocyanidins (PC’s) has been dispersed in polymer matrix soluplus (SOLU) by the freeze-drying method. The morphological analysis was carried out using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The in-vitro release of the nanodispersion formulations was evaluated by simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). The antioxidant activity of GSE and the formulation were evaluated by employing various in-vitro assays such as 2, 2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), 2, 2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and peroxidation inhibiting activity. Results The formulation FIII (1:5) resulted in a stable formulation with a higher loading efficiency of 95.36%, a particle size of 69.90 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.154 and a zeta potential value of −82.10 mV. The antioxidant efficiency of GSE-SOLU evaluated by DPPH was found to be 96.7%. The ABTS and FRAP model exhibited a dose-dependent scavenging activity. Linoleic model of FIII formulation and GSE exhibited a 66.14 and 86.58% inhibition respectively at 200 µg/l. Conclusions The main reason for excellent scavenging activity of the formulations can be attributed to the presence of monomeric, dimeric, oligomeric procyanidins and the phenolic group. The present work denotes that GSE constitutes a good source of PC’s and will be useful in the prevention and treatment of free radical related diseases.

An Overview of the Antioxidant Effects of Ascorbic Acid and Alpha Lipoic Acid (in Liposomal Forms) as Adjuvant in Cancer Treatment.

Antioxidants are known to minimize oxidative stress by interacting with free radicals produced as a result of cell aerobic reactions. Oxidative stress has long been linked to many diseases, especially tumours. Therefore, antioxidants play a crucial role in the prevention or management of free radical-related diseases. However, most of these antioxidants have anticancer effects only if taken in large doses. Others show inadequate bioavailability due to their instability in the blood or having a hydrophilic nature that limits their permeation through the cell membrane. Therefore, entrapping antioxidants in liposomes may overcome these drawbacks as liposomes have the capability to accommodate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds with a considerable stability. Additionally, liposomes have the capability to accumulate at the cancer tissue passively, due to their small sizes, with enhanced drug delivery. Additionally, liposomes can be engineered with targeting moieties to increase the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to specific tumour cells with decreased accumulation in healthy tissues. Therefore, combined use of liposomes and antioxidants, with or without chemotherapeutic agents, is an attractive strategy to combat varies tumours. This mini review focuses on the liposomal delivery of selected antioxidants, namely ascorbic acid (AA) and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). The contribution of these nanocarriers in enhancing the antioxidant effect of AA and ALA and consequently their anticancer potentials will be demonstrated.

Parameters Affecting Antiradical and Elemental Composition and Microstructural Elucidation in the Extraction of Dried Piper nigrum Seedlings

Background: Black- and white pepper extracts are natural products, which had been extensively used in food industries as a seasoning agent, and in herbal medicine for the treatment of many free radical-related diseases. Owing to the medicinal and nutritive benefits of this functional spice, the need then arises to find a way of extracting its fixed oil at optimum condition. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of extraction parameters on the extraction yield, antioxidant activities, microstructure, functional group characteristics, and elemental composition of fixed oils extracted from the two cultivars. Methods: Extraction of fixed oil was carried out using a heat reflux extraction technique. The dietary elemental composition was conducted using Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). The effect of localized heating on the extracts was evaluated to determine the structural changes in the pepper sample using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Results: The optimal fixed oil yields under the optimum condition were 10.38 mg/g for the black pepper and 15.27 for the white pepper. The antiradical powers (ARP) of 0.007985 and 0.009046 mL/µg were obtained for black- and white pepper fixed oil, respectively. This suggests that the fixed oil from white pepper exhibited higher antiradical characteristics than black pepper fixed oil. The results of BET-parameters revealed the percentage of deformations related to the black- and white pepper under the localized heating was 21.47% and 29.14%, respectively. Conclusions: The results revealed a greater deformation on the microstructure of white pepper than black pepper. Moreover, rich dietary elements present in the extracts succinctly unveiled the potential of fixed oil extracts in curative applications and preventive traditional medicine.

Curcumin and Heme Oxygenase: Neuroprotection and Beyond.

Curcumin is a natural polyphenol component of Curcuma longa Linn, which is currently considered one of the most effective nutritional antioxidants for counteracting free radical-related diseases. Several experimental data have highlighted the pleiotropic neuroprotective effects of curcumin, due to its activity in multiple antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways involved in neurodegeneration. Although its poor systemic bioavailability after oral administration and low plasma concentrations represent restrictive factors for curcumin therapeutic efficacy, innovative delivery formulations have been developed in order to overwhelm these limitations. This review provides a summary of the main findings involving the heme oxygenase/biliverdin reductase system as a valid target in mediating the potential neuroprotective properties of curcumin. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic properties and concerns about curcumin’s safety profile have been addressed.

Application of orthogonal optimization and feedforward backpropagation model in the microwave extraction of natural antioxidants from tropical white pepper

The tropical white peppercorns are common commodity crops which have been traditionally used for the treatment of many free radical-related diseases. These medicinal properties are due to the presence of natural antioxidants. This study investigated the combination of microwave extraction parameters for the recovery of natural antioxidants from the white pepper matrix. Microwave-assisted technique was used for the extraction of bioactive oleoresin from white pepper. Taguchi experimental design was employed to investigate the combination of independent extraction parameters for optimal recovery of natural antioxidants. The feed backpropagation artificial neural network model was thereafter applied to optimally predict the result for the different combination of operating parameters. This was achieved by evaluating different algorithms, transfer functions, and neurons. The result obtained from the orthogonal parametric study gave an optimal antioxidant activity of 91.02% at irradiation time of 120 min, microwave power level of 350 W, particle size of 0.300 mm, and liquid-to-solid ratio of 6 mL/g. The gradient descent (GD) algorithm, tansigmoid transfer function, and 4-x-3 topology were used to model the experimental data. A better prediction was then obtained with an overall coefficient (R) and mean square error (MSE) of 0.9595 and 1.4381, respectively. In this study, the feedforward backpropagation neural network was successfully applied to optimally evaluate the complex relationship between the input extraction parameters and the response.

Structure–antioxidant activity relationship of β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes with olive tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein: Deep insights from X-ray analysis, DFT calculation and DPPH assay

Olives and olive oil, a key food type of the Mediterranean diets, are packed with various important polyphenols including oleuropein (OLE), hydroxytyrosol (HTY) and tyrosol (TYR). OLE and HTY are highly powerful antioxidants and play a prime role in the therapeutics of free radical-related diseases. Their molecular stabilities and antioxidant properties can be improved by cyclodextrin (CD) encapsulation. Here, we present a systematic investigation on the inclusion complexes of β-CD–TYR (1), β-CD–HTY (2) and β-CD–OLE (3) by combined single-crystal structure determination, DFT complete-geometry optimization and DPPH antioxidant assay. X-ray analysis and DFT calculation reveal the preference of inclusion geometry with deep protrusion of the aromatic ring moieties of TYR, HTY and OLE from the β-CD O6–H-side, and the common host-guest stabilization scheme via intermolecular O–H⋯O hydrogen bonding interactions. No polyphenol OH group is shielded in the β-CD cavity, in contrast to the structures of β-CD–tea catechins complexes. The established host-guest O–H⋯O hydrogen bonds help to elevate antioxidant capacities of the olive polyphenols upon β-CD encapsulation. The order of antioxidant activity 2 >3 ≫ 1 based on the DPPH measurement is in fair agreement with their relative thermodynamic stabilities derived from DFT calculation.

Evaluation of optimization parameters in microwave reflux extraction of piperine-oleoresin from black pepper (Piper nigrum)

Black pepper is a functional plant with nutritional and medicinal benefits. Piperine being the major bioactive compound in black pepper has been applied for the treatment of many free radical-related diseases. This study determined a combination of operating parameters that optimize the microwave extraction of the piperine oil. The effect of irradiation time, microwave power level, feed particle size and feed-solvent ratio on piperine content and absorbed microwave energy were tested using a three-level L9-Taguchi parametric design. The results obtained placed the optimum extraction condition at 90 min of irradiation time, 350 W of microwave power, 0.1 mm of particle size and 1:12 of feed-solvent ratio. Under this optimal condition the optimal piperine oil and absorbed microwave energy of 5.64 w/w and 84.17 J/min were obtained, respectively. The optimal conditions can therefore be employed to design extraction process with higher efficiency and productivity.

β-Cyclodextrin encapsulation elevates antioxidant capacity of tea: A closing chapter on non-epicatechins, atomistic insights from X-ray analysis, DFT calculation and DPPH assay

Polyphenolic catechins prevalent in tea are powerful antioxidants for therapeutics of various free radical-related diseases. The non-epicatechins are thermally obtained from the naturally abundant epicatechins. In our study series on the structure–antioxidant property relationship of the CD inclusion complexes with tea catechins, this closing chapter presents the β-CD encapsulation of three non-epicatechins, i.e., (−)-gallocatechin (GC) 1, (−)-catechin gallate (GC) 2, and (−)-gallocatechin gallate (GCG) 3 investigated by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction, DFT calculation and DPPH radical scavenging activity assay. Detailed structural comparisons of the β-CD inclusion complexes with both non-epi and epi type catechins reveal that a common host-guest hydrogen bonding scheme and the shielding of catechin OH groups inside the host circular wall play a prime role in flourishing antioxidant capacities in the order of 3 > 2 > 1. This is consistent with the relative thermodynamic stabilities derived from DFT energy minimization.

The Free Radical Diseases of Prematurity: From Cellular Mechanisms to Bedside.

During the perinatal period, free radicals (FRs) are involved in several physiological roles such as the cellular responses to noxia, the defense against infectious agents, the regulation of cellular signaling function, and the induction of a mitogenic response. However, the overproduction of FRs and the insufficiency of an antioxidant mechanism result in oxidative stress (OS) which represents a deleterious process and an important mediator of damage to the placenta and the developing fetus. After birth, OS can be magnified by other predisposing conditions such as hypoxia, hyperoxia, ischemia, hypoxia ischemia-reperfusion, inflammation, and high levels of nonprotein-bound iron. Newborns are particularly susceptible to OS and oxidative damage due to the increased generation of FRs and the lack of adequate antioxidant protection. This impairment of the oxidative balance has been thought to be the common factor of the so-called “free radical related diseases of prematurity,” including retinopathy of prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, necrotizing enterocolitis, kidney damage, and oxidative hemolysis. In this review, we provide an update focused on the factors influencing these diseases refining the knowledge about the role of OS in their pathogenesis and the current evidences of such relationship. Mechanisms governing FR formation and subsequent OS may represent targets for counteracting tissue damage.

Panchakola Reduces Oxidative Stress in MCF-7 Breast Cancer and HEK293 Cells

ABSTRACTA large number of studies have proven the efficacy of ayurveda in the field of health and wellness. Panchakola, an ayurvedic formulation, is a general health tonic primarily used to cure fever, inflammation, pain, indigestion, and so on. We investigated effects of panchakola on oxidative stress in MCF-7 breast cancer and human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK293) cells. This work was performed to assess the antineoplastic and free radical–scavenging potential of aqueous extract of panchakola, a polyherbal formulation, in normal and breast cancer cell lines (i.e., HEK and MCF-7, respectively) using MTT assay. Activities of antioxidant enzyme, nitric oxide scavenger, superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase, and glutathione peroxidase were assessed in cell lines incubated with and without panchakola. The outcome was analyzed by spectrophotometer. The results demonstrated increased cytotoxicity in MCF-7 (IC50 16.446 μg/ml) comparable to the results obtained with standard anticancer control (curcumin) with IC50 10.265 μg/ml in MCF-7 cell line. Further, the results obtained from antioxidant assays suggested increased antioxidant activity in MCF-7 cells as compared to normal HEK cells. The results derived from this study suggested panchakola is a strong contender in the field of phytomedicines to fight cancer and free radical–related diseases.

Antihemolytic and antioxidant properties of pearl powder against 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride-induced hemolysis and oxidative damage to erythrocyte membrane lipids and proteins

Pearl powder, a well-known traditional mineral medicine, is reported to be used for well-being and to treat several diseases from centuries in Taiwan and China. We investigated the in vitro antihemolytic and antioxidant properties of pearl powder that could protect erythrocytes against 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)-induced oxidative damage to membrane proteins/lipids. Human erythrocytes were incubated with different concentrations of pearl powder (50–200 μg/mL) for 30 minutes and then exposed to AAPH for 2–6 hours. We found that AAPH alone time dependently increased the oxidative hemolysis of erythrocytes, while pearl powder pretreatment substantially inhibited the hemolysis in a concentration-/time-dependent manner. AAPH-induced oxidative damage to erythrocyte membrane lipids was evidenced by the elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. However, pearl powder remarkably inhibited the malondialdehyde formation, and the 200 μg/mL concentration showed almost similar malondialdehyde values to the control. Furthermore, pearl powder suppressed the AAPH-induced high-molecular-weight protein formation and concomitantly increased the low-molecular-weight proteins in erythrocytes. Antioxidant potential that was measured as superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione content was significantly dropped by AAPH incubation, which suggests the vulnerability of erythrocytes to AAPH-induced oxidative stress. Noteworthy, erythrocytes pretreated with pearl powder showed restored superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione levels against AAPH-induced loss. Our findings conclude that pearl powder attenuate free radical-induced hemolysis and oxidative damage to erythrocyte membrane lipids/proteins. The potent antioxidant property of pearl powder may offer protection from free radical-related diseases.