Avicenna Journal of Medical Biochemistry
Volume:9 Issue: 2, Dec 2021

To date, various derivatives of thiazolidinone in a variety of cell lines have been investigated. The present study aimed to evaluate the toxicity and inhibitory effects of a thiazolidinone derivative called 5-(2,4-bis- 4-ethoxy-phenyl azo)-3-hydroxy-benzylidine)-2,4-thiazolidinone (TZD-OCH2CH3) on the expression of NF-кB in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cell lines. Different concentrations of the MTT assay (0-120 μg/mL) were performed to estimate the biological rate of the cells. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of TZD-OCH2CH3-treated RAW264.7 cells was found to be 115 μg/mL. To determine the inhibitory effect of the synthesized compound on the expression changes of NF-кB, the RAW264.7 cells were initially induced with LPS and then treated by 15, 30 and 60 μg/mL of TZD-OCH2CH3. Real- time PCR results confirmed a strong inhibitory effect of TZD-OCH2CH3 on the expression of NF- кB in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells (IC50 = 48 μg/mL). Overall, these findings suggested that the derivative TZD- OCH2CH3 had a significant anti-inflammatory ef

Candida albicans is one of the important infectious yeasts that is associated with candidiasis, including oral candidiasis. The extracts of various herbal materials are potential for treating candidiasis.

The objectives of this study were to determine phytochemical constituents of the leaf ethanolic extract of Citrus aurantifolia with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and to investigate the inhibiting effect of this extract on the planktonic growth of C. albicans.

The fresh leaves of C. aurantifolia were macerated overnight with ethanol. The extract was analysed with GC-MS. C. albicans ATCC 10231 was used in this study. The well-diffusion procedure was applied to detect the anti-candida activity qualitatively. Finally, real-time planktonic growth was employed for detecting the anti-candida activity quantitatively.

GC-MS analysis revealed four dominant components in the ethanolic leaf extract of C. aurantifolia, namely, limonene, geraniol, phytol, and caryophyllene. The extract inhibited the growth of C. albicans either under the agar diffusion test or real-time planktonic growth. The specific growth rate of C. albicans was slower in the liquid culture with the extract. The specific growth rates of the 0 (control), 13.3, and 26.6 μg/mL were 0.582, 0.384, and 0.272, respectively. Eventually, the yields of the treated growth with 0 (control), 13.3, and 26.6 μg/mL were OD850 of 4.5, 3.0, and 3.7, respectively.

The leaf ethanolic extract of C. aurantifolia contains bioactive compounds which have anti- candida activity. Thus, it is a good material for new anti-candida ingredients in the f

Based on positive role of the tannins for pain relief, there is no report for possible antinociceptive activity of the Quebracho tannin.

This study aimed to determine the anti-nociceptive activity of the Quebracho tannin extract (QTE) on pain in mice.

For this purpose, 340 mice were used for formalin and writhing tests each including 4 experiments with 4 sub-groups. In experiment 1, mice were injected with saline, QTE (100 mg/kg), QTE (200 mg/kg), QTE (400 mg/kg), and morphine (5 mg/kg). In the second experiment, injections included saline, QTE (400 mg/kg), naloxone (2 mg/kg), and QTE + naloxone. Experiments 3 and 4 were similar to experiment 2, except that mice injected were with NG-nitro arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10 mg/kg) and cyproheptadine (4 mg/kg) instead of naloxone. Then, formalin (1%) was injected, and time spent for licking the injected paw was recorded until 30 minutes following injection in the first and second phases. Finally, injections in 4 experiment groups were the same, and animals were intraperitoneally injected with acetic acid, and contractions were recorded in the writhing test category.

According to the results, QTE (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) decreased pain in the injected paw (P=0.001) and inhibited the pain response by 59.37% (P=0.001). Moreover, the injection of naloxone + QTE significantly decreased pain in the injected paw (P=0.021). Eventually, the injection of the L-NAME + QTE significantly reduced the anti-nociception effect of the QTE on the formalin test (P=0.031) and writhing contractions (55.75%, P=0.033).

These findings suggested anti-nociceptive properties of the QTE mediated by opioidergic and nitrergic systems.

Anti-cancer agents encapsulated in nanoparticles (NPs) can result in higher efficiency. Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage, and previous reports support its anti-cancer properties.

The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) loaded Kombucha NPs (PLGA-K-NPs) against the A2780 human ovarian cancer cell line.

The antioxidant activity was analyzed using ferric reducing ability of plasma and 2,2’-azino- bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assays, along with the measurement of catalase (CAT) gene expression. The gene expression of three interleukins (IL-1 β, IL-6, and IL-10) was also determined to demonstrate the anti-inflammatory properties of NPs.

The results revealed the antioxidant effects of PLGA-K-NPs on the studied cell lines by increasing Fe3+ reduction, inhibiting the free radical formation (P < 0.001), and increasing the expression of the CAT gene (P < 0.001). In addition, NPs could significantly elevate the gene expression of IL-10 (P < 0.01) as an anti-inflammatory cytokine at a 40 μg/mL concentration, while reducing the expression of IL-1β and IL-6, and inflammatory cytokines at all tested concentrations (P < 0.01).

According to the obtained results, PLGA-K-NPs have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, therefore, they can be considered as a compound in the treatment of ovarian cancer. However, it needs to be further investigated in animal studies to clarify more d

Co-administration of streptozotocin and fructose is believed to induce type 2 diabetes as well as to cause reproductive toxicity and testicular damage via increasing oxidative stress in rats.

In this study, the potential protective effect of Costus afer leaves methanol extract (CAME) on andrological parameters and pituitary-gonadal axis hormones of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in rats treated with streptozotocin and fructose was investigated.

A total of 35 rats were divided into five groups, each including seven rats. Group 1 received normal saline, whereas T2D was induced in rats from groups 2, 3, 4, and 5. Group 2 served as diabetic control; while groups 3, 4, and 5 were treated orally with 12 mg/kg body weight (BW) of metformin as well as 100 and 200 BW of CAME, respectively, for 4 weeks. Hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal responses, andrological parameters, DNA fragmentation, and oxidative stress parameters of the reproductive organs were examined in all treatment groups.

Administration of CAME reduced the degenerative changes in testes, epididymis and improved pituitary-gonadal axis hormone concentrations, and sperm morphology occasioned by the treatments.

It was concluded that the administration of CAME ameliorated reproductive abnormalities in T2D rat models treated with streptozotocin-fructose administration.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health concern in recent years mainly due to its adverse clinical outcomes. It is most commonly attributed to diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN). Among the several novel biomarkers discovered to detect impaired renal function, serum cystatin C (SCysC) has gained importance.

The aim of the study was to compare SCysC and serum creatinine (SCr) in CKD subjects and apparently healthy controls.

This case-control study comprising of 120 diagnosed cases of CKD and 40 controls was conducted at a tertiary care hospital. SCr and SCysC levels were estimated using modified Jaffe’s method and particle enhanced immunoturbidimetric method, respectively. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using CKD EPI formula. Comparison of SCr and SCysC between cases and controls was done using Mann Whitney U test. Pearson’s correlation test was used to study the correlation between variables. Statistical significance was considered at P<0.05.

Both SCr and SCysC levels were higher in cases compared to controls (P<0.001). In the group comprising of Stage 1 and Stage 2 CKD subjects, all the subjects showed normal SCr levels, while 96.8% of the subjects showed elevated SCysC levels. SCysC (r=-0.800) showed better correlation than SCr (r=-0.724) with eGFR (P<0.001). A strong correlation was found between SCysC and SCr levels (r=-0.887, P<0.001).

SCysC is a good indicator of renal dysfunction and may be used to screen patients with long duration of DM or HTN for CKD.

Paullinia pinnata leaves are employed traditionally for the treatment of various ailments which are of biological origin.

The aim of this study was to explore cytotoxic, antibacterial, and antileishmanial properties of the leaves of Paullinia pinnata using in vitro models.

Brine shrimp lethality bioassay was used to determine the cytotoxic activity of the methanol leaf extract of Paullinia pinnata. The activity of the extract against the growth of cultured Leishmania major (DESTO) promastigotes was used to investigate the leishmanicidal activities. The agar well diffusion method was used to investigate the antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella flexneri, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis.

The methanol leaf extract of P. pinnata had no activity against Artemia salina (brine shrimp) and L. major. It showed a non-significant activity against E. coli and B. subtilis and no activity against P. aeruginosa, S. flexneri, S. typhi, and S. aureus.

The methanol leaf extract of P. pinnata did not exhibit any cytotoxic and anti-leishmanial properties. Moreover, the activity against various species of bacteria was not significant.

The turmeric essential oil of Curcuma species has extensively more useful properties due to its rich phytochemical profile. The concentration of volatile chemical constituents varies according to their type of applied plant part (i.e., root, rhizome, leaves, and flower) for extraction and type of the adopted extraction method. Novel extraction and purification methods, subcritical CO2 , supercritical CO2 , pressurized liquid extraction, and molecular distillation are found to be more efficient for good recovery of this volatile oil, along with increased concentrations of specified compounds. Not only have the curcuminoid compounds had a broad potential in the field of pharmacology but also the turmeric oil is found to have great applicability in treating several diseases and disorders. Turmeric oil possesses good antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-hyperlipidemic anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and hepato-protective properties. Apart from medicinal fields, this oil has also a great future in the cosmetics, pesticide, and food industries due to its rich chemical profile. The present review focuses on providing information about turmeric oil in terms of its physicochemical properties, chemical composition, and available traditional extraction techniques, as well as available novel extraction options, actual health benefits, and other useful applications. It is hoped that the reported information is helpful for further discovery in the area of food, pharmaceutical, and cosmeceutical applications.

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are high molecular weight polysaccharides secreted by microorganisms in the surrounding environment. In addition to the favorable benefits of these compounds for microorganisms, including microbial cell protection, they are used in various food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Investigating the functional and health-promoting characteristics of microbial EPS, identifying the isolation method of these valuable compounds, and their applications in the food industry are the objectives of this study. EPS are used in food industries as thickeners, gelling agents, viscosifiers, and film formers. The antioxidative, anticancer, prebiotic, and cholesterol-lowering effects of some of these compounds make it possible to use them in functional food production.