Intrinsic anticarcinogenic effects of Piper sarmentosum ethanolic extract on a human hepatoma cell line

In silico identification of compounds from Piper sarmentosum Roxb leaf fractionated extract inhibit interleukin-6 to prevent rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: Medicinal herbs with a phytonutrient background has been applied globally as major alternatives to ameliorate the continuous increase in rheumatoid arthritis cases worldwide. We herein aimed to critically examine the bioactive components of the medicinal herb Piper sarmentosum Roxb leaf fractionated extract for its potential to inhibit the influx of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: The Schrödinger platform was employed as the main computational acumen for the screening of bioactive compounds identified and reference compounds subjected to molecular simulation (MDS) for analyzing the stability of docked complexes to assess fluctuations and conformational changes during protein-ligand interactions. Results: The values of the simulatory properties and principal component analysis (PCA) revealed the good stability of these phytochemicals in the active pocket of interleukin-6 (IL-6). Discussion: Our findings reveal new strategies in which these phytochemicals are potential inhibitory agents that can be modified and further evaluated to develop more effective agents for the management of rheumatoid arthritis, thereby providing a better understanding and useful model for the reproduction and/or discovery of new drugs for the management of rheumatoid arthritis and its complications.

Reproducible generation of human liver organoids (HLOs) on a pillar plate platform via microarray 3D bioprinting

Human liver organoids (HLOs) hold significant potential for recapitulating the architecture and function of liver tissues in vivo. However, conventional culture methods of HLOs, forming Matrigel domes in 6-/24-well plates, have technical limitations such as high cost and low throughput in organoid-based assays for predictive assessment of compounds in clinical and pharmacological lab settings. To address these issues, we have developed a unique microarray 3D bioprinting protocol of progenitor cells in biomimetic hydrogels on a pillar plate with sidewalls and slits, coupled with a clear bottom, 384-deep well plate for scale-up production of HLOs. Microarray 3D bioprinting, a droplet-based printing technology, was used to generate a large number of small organoids on the pillar plate for predictive hepatotoxicity assays. Foregut cells, differentiated from human iPSCs, were mixed with Matrigel and then printed on the pillar plate rapidly and uniformly, resulting in coefficient of variation (CV) values in the range of 15 - 18%, without any detrimental effect on cell viability. Despite utilizing 10 - 50-fold smaller cell culture volume compared to their counterparts in Matrigel domes in 6-/24-well plates, HLOs differentiated on the pillar plate exhibited similar morphology and superior function, potentially due to rapid diffusion of nutrients and oxygen at the small scale. Day 25 HLOs were robust and functional on the pillar plate in terms of their viability, albumin secretion, CYP3A4 activity, and drug toxicity testing, all with low CV values. From three independent trials of in situ assessment, the IC50 values calculated for sorafenib and tamoxifen were 6.2 ± 1.6 μM and 25.4 ± 8.3 μM, respectively. Therefore, our unique 3D bioprinting and miniature organoid culture on the pillar plate could be used for scale-up, reproducible generation of HLOs with minimal manual intervention for high-throughput assessment of compound hepatotoxicity.

Antioxidant properties and cytotoxic effects of Oxalis corniculata on human Hepatocarcinoma (Hep-G2) cell line: an in vitro and in silico evaluation

Background

Oxalis corniculata is a well-known medicinal plant used in folk medicine for the management of many diseases. The aim is to determine the physico-chemical properties, microscopic study, phytochemical properties, in-silico, in-vitro antioxidant and anticancer activity on human Hepatocarcinoma (Hep-G2) cell line of O. corniculata plant extract.

Results

Microscopical study reaveals that presence of pericyclic fibres, starch gains, trichomes etc, and phytochemical screening is carried to find out secondary metabolites. The molecular docking study concluded that some of the phytocompounds showed inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase domain (PDB ID: 1M17) inhibitor. Furthermore, ADMET and drug likeness study hints some of phytocompounds may act as lead for anticancer drug discovery and development. Among selected phytocompounds, compound apigenin possesses − 7.90 kcal/mol as compared to standard drug doxorubicin possesses − 7.63 kcal/mol against the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase. The plant extract shown antioxidant activities based on the different tests were performed. The hydroalcoholic plant extracts were found to be selectively cytotoxic in vitro to human Hepatocarcinoma (Hep-G2) cell line with IC50values 34.494 ± 0.42 µg/ml and EAF showed at IC50 value 30.245 ± 0.58 µg/ml of the cells were inhibited at the concentration of 50 µg/ml as compared with standard doxorubicin at IC50 value 24.8939 ± 0.25 µg/ml, respectively.

Conclusion

The present study concluded that O. corniculata possesses potential antioxidant and cytotoxic properties based upon the computer aided drug design models and in-vitro activity.

Characterization and Bioactive Potential of Secondary Metabolites Isolated from Piper sarmentosum Roxb

Piper sarmentosum Roxb. (Piperaceae) is a traditional medicinal plant in South-East Asian countries. The chemical investigation of leaves from this species resulted in the isolation of three previously not described compounds, namely 4″-(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaroyl)-2″-β-D-glucopyranosyl vitexin (1), kadukoside (2), and 6-O-trans-p-coumaroyl-D-glucono-1,4-lactone (3), together with 31 known compounds. Of these known compounds, 21 compounds were isolated for the first time from P. sarmentosum. The structures were established by 1D and 2D NMR techniques and HR-ESI-MS analyses. The compounds were evaluated for their anthelmintic (Caenorhabditis elegans), antifungal (Botrytis cinerea, Septoria tritici and Phytophthora infestans), antibacterial (Aliivibrio fischeri) and cytotoxic (PC-3 and HT-29 human cancer cells lines) activities. Methyl-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)propionate (8), isoasarone (12), and trans-asarone (15) demonstrated anthelmintic activity with IC₅₀ values between 0.9 and 2.04 mM. Kadukoside (2) was most active against S. tritici with IC₅₀ at 5.0 µM and also induced 94% inhibition of P. infestans growth at 125 µM. Trans-asarone (15), piperolactam A (23), and dehydroformouregine (24) displayed a dose-dependent effect against B. cinerea from 1.5 to 125 µM up to more than 80% inhibition. Paprazine (19), cepharadione A (21) and piperolactam A (23) inhibited bacterial growth by more than 85% at 100 µM. Only mild cytotoxic effects were observed.

Effects of Piper sarmentosum Roxb. on hypertension and diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are among the most prevalent diseases affecting people from all walks of life. Medicinal herbs have garnered interest as potential agents for the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus and hypertension due to their multiple beneficial effects. Piper sarmentosum Roxb. (PS) is an edible medicinal plant that has been traditionally used in Asia for treating hypertension and diabetes mellitus. This review is aimed to provide comprehensive information from the literature on the effects of PS on hypertension and diabetes mellitus. A computerized database search was performed on Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science databases with the following set of keywords: Piper sarmentosum AND diabetes mellitus OR diabetic OR diabetes OR hyperglyc*emia OR blood glucose OR HbA1c OR glycated h*emoglobin OR h*emoglobin A1c OR hyperten* OR blood pressure. A total of 47 articles were screened and 14 articles published between the years 1998 until 2021 were included for data extraction, comprising of six articles on antihypertensive and eight articles on antidiabetic effects of PS. These studies consist of two in vitro studies and eleven in vivo animal studies. Meta-analysis of three studies on hypertension showed that PS versus no treatment significantly lowered the systolic blood pressure with mean difference (MD) -39.84 mmHg (95% confidence interval (CI) -45.05, -34.62; p < 0.01), diastolic blood pressure with MD -26.68 mmHg (95% CI -31.48, -21.88; p < 0.01), and mean arterial pressure with MD -30.56 mmHg (95% CI -34.49, -26.63; p < 0.01). Most of the studies revealed positive effects of PS against hypertension and diabetes mellitus, suggesting the potential of PS as a natural source of antidiabetic and antihypertensive agents.

Dietary supplementation with Piper sarmentosum extract on gut health of chickens infected with Eimeria tenella

To explore the potential alternative of anti-coccidials, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of dietary Piper sarmentosum extract (PSE) on induced coccidia infection in chickens. A total of 96-day-old chickens were randomly distributed to 1 of 3 treatment groups, including (1) control negative untreated uninfected (CN), (2) control positive untreated infected (CP), and (3) Piper sarmentosum (P. sarmentosum) extract-treated infected group (PSE). Our results demonstrated that E. tenella challenged untreated group showed a reduction (P < 0.05) in post-infection (PI) body weight compared to control negative group. However, supplementation of P. sarmentosum extract had no significant effects on body weight and cecal lesions compared with control positive group. Infected chickens fed PSE diet decreased (P < 0.05) the bloody diarrhea scores and oocyst shedding (during the day 5 to 8 post-infection) than that of CP chickens. E. tenella-challenged chickens upregulated (P < 0.05) the mRNA expression of IL-8 and Bcl-2 compared to PSE chickens, while IFN-γ compared to CN chickens. On the other hand, treatment of P. sarmentosum extract tended to increase (P < 0.05) the transcription patterns of IL-4, IL-10, CLDN 1, SOD 1, and Bax with the comparison of control positive group; however, there were no significant effects on IL-8, ZO 1, and CAT expression between the PSE and CP groups. Collectively, these findings elaborated that dietary P. sarmentosum extract exhibit potential anti-coccidial effects in controlling the coccidia infection in chickens.

Development of a Simple High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Based Method to Quantify Synergistic Compounds and Their Composition in Dried Leaf Extracts of Piper Sarmentosum Roxb

There is a growing demand to enhance pharmaceutical and food safety using synergistic compounds from Piper sarmentosum Roxb., such as polyphenols and water-soluble vitamins. However, information on standardized analytical methods to identify and quantify these compounds of interest is limited. A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD)-based method was developed to simultaneously detect and quantify the amounts of tannin, flavonoid, cinnamic acid, essential oil, and vitamins extracted from P. sarmentosum leaves using methanol, chloroform, and hexane. Commercially and non-commercially-cultivated P. sarmentosum leaves were subjected to seven different drying treatments (shade; sun; air oven at 40 °C, 60 °C, 80 °C, and 100 °C; and freeze-drying) for three consecutive months. Most compounds were detected most efficiently at a detection wavelength of 272 nm. The developed method displayed good detection limits (LOD, 0.026–0.789 µg/mL; LOQ, 0.078–2.392 µg/mL), linearity (R2 > 0.999), precision (%RSD, <1.00), and excellent accuracy (96–102%). All P. sarmentosum leaf extracts were simultaneously tested and analytically compared without time-consuming fractionation. Methanolic plant extracts showed better peak area and retention time splits compared to chloroformic and hexanoic extracts. Differences in synergistic compound composition were dependent on the type of drying treatment but not on cultivation site and time of sampling. Flavonoid was identified as the dominant phytochemical component in P. sarmentosum leaves, followed by the essential oil, cinnamic acid, ascorbic acid, and tannin. Overall, we present a simple and reproducible chromatographic method that can be applied to identify different plant compounds.

The Role of Piper sarmentosum Aqueous Extract as a Bone Protective Agent, a Histomorphometric Study

Glucocorticoids are one of the causes of secondary osteoporosis. The aqueous extract of Piper sarmentosum contains flavonoids that possess antioxidant effects. In this study, we determined the effects of aqueous Piper sarmentosum leaf extract on structural, dynamic and static histomorphometric changes from osteoporotic bones of rats induced with glucocorticoids. Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were divided equally into four groups—Sham control group given vehicles (intramuscular (IM) olive oil and oral normal saline); AC: Adrenalectomised (Adrx) control group given IM dexamethasone (DEX) (120 μg/kg/day) and vehicle (oral normal saline); AP: Adrx group administered IM DEX (120 μg/kg/day) and aqueous Piper sarmentosum leaf extract (125 mg/kg/day) orally; and AG: Adrx group administered IM DEX (120 μg/kg/day) and oral glycyrrhizic acid (GCA) (120 mg/kg/day). Histomorphometric measurements showed that the bone volume, trabecular thickness, trabecular number, osteoid and osteoblast surfaces, double-labelled trabecular surface, mineralizing surface and bone formation rate of rats given aqueous Piper sarmentosum leaf extract were significantly increased (p < 0.05), whereas the trabecular separation and osteoclast surface were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). This study suggests that aqueous Piper sarmentosum leaf extract was able to prevent bone loss in prolonged glucocorticoid therapy. Thus, Piper sarmentosum has the potential to be used as an alternative medicine against osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures in patients undergoing long-term glucocorticoid therapy.

The effects of Piper sarmentosum aqueous extracts on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and caudal fin tissue regeneration

In Malaysia, Piper sarmentosum or ‘kaduk’ is commonly used in traditional medicines. However, its biological effects including in vivo embryonic toxicity and tissue regenerative properties are relatively unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo toxicities and caudal fin tissue regeneration in the presence of P. sarmentosum aqueous extracts. The phytochemical components and antioxidant activity of the extract were studied using GC–MS analysis and DPPH assay, respectively. Embryo toxicity tests involving survival, heartbeat, and morphological analyses were conducted to determine P. sarmentosum extract toxicity (0–60 µg/mL); concentrations of 0–400 µg/mL of the extract were used to study tissue regeneration in the zebrafish caudal fin. The extract contained several phytochemicals with antioxidant activity and exhibited DPPH scavenging activity (IC₅₀ = 50.56 mg/mL). Embryo toxicity assays showed that a concentration of 60 μg/mL showed the highest rates of lethality regardless of exposure time. Slower embryogenesis was observed at 40 µg/mL, with non-viable embryos first detected at 50 µg/mL. Extracts showed significant differences (p < 0.01) for tissue regeneration at all concentrations when compared to non-treated samples. In conclusion, Piper sarmentosum extracts accelerated tissue regeneration, and extract concentrations at 60 µg/mL showed the highest toxicity levels for embryo viability.

In Vitro Evaluation of Cytotoxic Activities of Marketed Herbal Products in Ghana

There are numerous herbal products on the Ghanaian market that are purported to cure various ailments, including cancer. However, scientific investigations on efficacy and toxicity of most of these products are not done. The aim of the study was to assess the anticancer potentials of herbal products on the Ghanaian market. Antiproliferative effects of Kantinka BA (K-BA), Kantinka Herbaltics (K-HER), Centre of Awareness (COA), a stomach (STO) and multicancer (MUT) product were evaluated in vitro using liver (Hep G2), breast (MCF-7), prostate (PC-3 and LNCaP), and blood (Jurkat) cancer cell lines. Cytotoxicity of the medicinal products was assessed using tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay, and total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the products were determined using Folin-Ciocalteau and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays, respectively. Phytochemical screening resulted in the detection of terpenoids and flavonoids in most of the products, and alkaloids were detected in only MUT. Tannins were absent from all the products. The highest and lowest concentrations of phenolics were recorded for MUT and K-BA, respectively. The highest and lowest antioxidant activities were measured for MUT and K-HER, respectively. Only 2 products (STO and MUT) were cytotoxic to Hep G2 cells; with MUT being the only product that was cytotoxic to MCF-7 cells. All but K-BA were cytotoxic to PC-3 cells, while all products except K-HER were cytotoxic to LNCaP and Jurkat cells. The study thus confirms that the herbal products have selective cytotoxic activities against the tested cancer cell lines. However, comprehensive toxicity studies must be conducted to establish their safety.

Biosynthesis, characterization, and evaluation of bioactivities of leaf extract-mediated biocompatible gold nanoparticles from Alternanthera bettzickiana

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The gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesised using leaf extract of Alternanthera bettzickiana.

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The Au NPs were characterized using UV-vis, XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM and Zeta potential.

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A simple, quick and reproducible method for the environmentally friendly synthesis of Au NPs without the need for expensive reducing agents.

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The cytotoxic effect of the green synthesized Au NPs against A549 human lung cancer cell lines provided a vigorous evidence of anticancer activity of Au NPs.

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The toxicity study of the green synthesized Au NPs on Danio rerio (Zebra fish) embryo was evaluated

The objective of the study was to synthesize gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) using leaf extract of Alternanthera bettzickiana (A. bettzickiana). The biosynthesized Au NPs were characterized using UV–vis spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Zeta potential and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Morphologically, the Au NPs showed spherical shaped structures. Size distribution of Au NPs calculated using Scherrer’s formula, showed an average size of 80–120 nm. Au NPs were studied for invitro anti-bacterial and cytotoxic activities. Au NPs exhibited significant anti-microbial activity against Bacillu subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Micrococcus luteus, and Enterobacter aerogenes by agar well diffusion method. The cytotoxic effect of the biogenic synthesized Au NPs against A549 human lung cancer cell lines provided a vigorous evidence of anticancer activity of Au NPs. Further, the toxicity study of the green synthesized Au NPs on Danio rerio (Zebra fish) embryo was evaluated. This study reports that colloidal Au NPs can be synthesized by simple, non-hazardous methods and that bio-synthesized Au NPs have significant therapeutic properties.

Water extract of Semecarpus parvifolia Thw. leaves inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis on HEp-2 cells

BACKGROUND

Semecarpus parvifolia Thw is used as an ingredient of poly herbal decoctions to treat cancer in traditional medicine. The present study aims to investigate the antiproliferative activity on HEp 2 cells by the water extract of S. parvifolia leaves and to evaluate potential mechanisms.

METHODS

The plant extract was exposed to S. parvifolia for 24 hours and antiproliferative activity was quantified by Sulforhodamine B (SRB), 3-(4, 5-dimethythiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. Morphological changes were observed after staining cells with ethidium bromide/acridine orange (EB/AO) and Giemsa dye. Comet assay was performed to evaluate the DNA damage. The toxicity of the plant extract was determined by brine shrimp lethality assay.

RESULTS

S. parvifolia leaves reduced the cell proliferation in a dose and time dependent manner. A two fold increase in NO level was observed at higher concentrations. Morphological changes characteristic to apoptosis were observed in light microscopy, Giemsa and EB/AO stained cells. Fragmented DNA further confirmed its capacity to induce apoptosis. No lethality was observed with brine shrimps.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that Semecarpus parvifolia Thw induces apoptosis in HEp-2 cells through a NO dependent pathway.

Induction of apoptosis by pinostrobin in human cervical cancer cells: Possible mechanism of action

Pinostrobin (PN) is a naturally occurring dietary bioflavonoid, found in various medicinal herbs/plants. Though anti-cancer potential of many such similar constituents has been demonstrated, critical biochemical targets and exact mechanism for their apoptosis-inducing actions have not been fully elucidated. The present study was aimed to investigate if PN induced apoptosis in cervical cancer cells (HeLa) of human origin. It is demonstrated that PN at increasing dose effectivity reduced the cell viability as well as GSH and NO2- levels. Condensed nuclei with fragmented chromatin and changes in mitochondrial matrix morphology clearly indicated the role of mitochondria in PN induced apoptosis. A marked reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential and increased ROS production after PN treatment showed involvement of free radicals, which in turn further augment ROS levels. PN treatment resulted in DNA damage, which could have been triggered by an increase in ROS levels. Decrease in apoptotic cells in the presence of caspase 3 inhibitor in PN-treated cells suggested that PN induced apoptosis via caspase dependent pathways. Additionally, a significant increase in the expression of proteins of extrinsic (TRAIL R1/DR4, TRAIL R2/DR5, TNF RI/TNFRSF1A, FADD, Fas/TNFRSF6) and intrinsic pathway (Bad, Bax, HTRA2/Omi, SMAC/Diablo, cytochrome C, Pro-Caspase-3, Cleaved Caspase-3) was observed in the cells exposed to PN. Taken together, these observations suggest that PN efficiently induces apoptosis through ROS mediated extrinsic and intrinsic dependent signaling pathways, as well as ROS mediated mitochondrial damage in HeLa cells.

Phenolic compounds from Viscum album tinctures enhanced antitumor activity in melanoma murine cancer cells

Cancer is one of the biggest problems in public health worldwide. Plants have been shown important role in anticancer research. Viscum album L. (Santalaceae), commonly known as mistletoe, is a semi-parasitic plant that grows on different host trees. In complementary medicine, extracts from European mistletoe (Viscum album L.) have been used in the treatment of cancer. The study was conducted to identify chemical composition and antitumor potential of Viscum album tinctures. Chemical analysis performed by high resolution chromatography equipped with high resolution mass spectrometer identified caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, sakuranetin, isosakuranetin, syringenin 4-O-glucoside, syringenin 4-O-apiosyl-glucoside, alangilignoside C and ligalbumoside A compounds. Some of these compounds are probably responsible for the reduction of tumoral cellular growth in a dose-dependent manner. It was observed that melanoma murine cells (B16F10) were more sensitive to V. album tinctures than human leukaemic cells (K562), besides non-tumoral cells (MA-104) had a much lower cytotoxicity to them. Apoptotic-like cells were observed under light microscopy and were confirmed by a typical DNA fragmentation pattern. Additionally, flow cytometry results using Annexin-V/FITC permitted to quantify increased expression of early and late apoptotic markers on tumoral cells, confirming augmented Sub G0 population, which was probably associated with a consistent decrease in G1, and an increase in S or G2/M populations. Results indicate the chemical composition of V. album tinctures influences the mechanisms of in vitro tumoral cell death, suggesting a potential use in cancer pharmacotherapy research.

Insecticidal activity and the mechanism of action of three phenylpropanoids isolated from the roots of Piper sarmentosum Roxb

Hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts of the roots of Piper sarmentosum Roxb. were screened for toxicity towards Sitophilus oryzae (L.), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), and Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) and the hexane extract exhibited the highest mortality percentage. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the hexane extract resulted in the isolation of asaricin 1, isoasarone 2, and trans-asarone 3. Asaricin 1 and isoasarone 2 were the most toxic compounds to Sitophilus oryzae, Rhyzopertha dominica, and Plodia interpunctella. Sitophilus oryzae and Rhyzopertha dominica exposed to asaricin 1 and isoasarone 2 required the lowest median lethal time. Insecticidal activity of trans-asarone 3 showed consistent toxicity throughout the 60 days towards all three insects as compared to asaricin 1 and isoasarone 2. Asaricin 1 and isoasarone 2 at different doses significantly reduced oviposition and adult emergence of the three insects in treated rice. Trans-asarone 3 had lowest toxicity with highest LC and LT values in all tested insects relative to its mild oviposition inhibition and progeny activity. Moreover, asaricin 1 and isoasarone 2 significantly inhibited acetylcholinesterase in comparison with trans-asarone 3 and the control. Acetylcholinesterase inhibition of Rhyzopertha dominica and Plodia interpunctella by asaricin 1 and isoasarone 2 were lower than that of Sitophilus oryzae, which correlated with their higher resistance.

Piper sarmentosum Effects on 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Enzyme in Serum and Bone in Rat Model of Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis

Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis is one of the common causes of secondary osteoporosis. Piper sarmentosum (Ps) extract possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, we determined the correlation between the effects of Ps leaf water extract with the regulation of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) type 1 enzyme activity in serum and bone of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporotic rats. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were grouped into following: G1: sham-operated group administered with intramuscular vehicle olive oil and vehicle normal saline orally; G2: adrenalectomized (adrx) control group given intramuscular dexamethasone (120 μg/kg/day) and vehicle normal saline orally; G3: adrx group given intramuscular dexamethasone (120 μg/kg/day) and water extract of Piper sarmentosum (125 mg/kg/day) orally. After two months, the femur and serum were taken for ELISA analysis. Results showed that Ps leaf water extract significantly reduced the femur corticosterone concentration (p < 0.05). This suggests that Ps leaf water extract was able to prevent bone loss due to long-term glucocorticoid therapy by acting locally on the bone cells by increasing the dehydrogenase action of 11β-HSD type 1. Thus, Ps may have the potential to be used as an alternative medicine against osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture in patients on long-term glucocorticoid treatment.

Hydroxytyrosol, a dietary phenolic compound forestalls the toxic effects of methylmercury-induced toxicity in IMR-32 human neuroblastoma cells

This study demonstrates the protective potential of hydroxytyrosol (HT), an olive oil phenol, against methylmercury (MeHg)-induced neurotoxicity using IMR-32 human neuroblastoma cell line. HT inhibited MeHg-induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity as confirmed by MTT, micronucleus, and comet assays. Cells preconditioned with HT showed reduction of MeHg-induced cellular oxidative stress along with the maintenance of glutathione, superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-tranferase, and catalase. Fluorescence microscopy and DNA ladder assays indicated the inhibitory effect of HT against MeHg-induced apoptosis, which was further established by Western blotting. An effective concentration of 5 µM HT caused downregulation of p53, bax, cytochrome c, and caspase 3 and upregulation of prosurvival proteins including nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and metallothionein. This work indicates the cytoprotective potential of HT against MeHg-induced toxicity primarily by the lowering of oxidative stress, which may be endorsed to its antigenotoxic and antiapoptotic potential, in addition to its free radical scavenging ability. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1264-1275, 2016.

Gracilaria edulis exhibit antiproliferative activity against human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 without causing adverse toxic effect in vitro and in vivo

In the present study, the antiproliferative potential of various solvent extracts ofGracilaria edulis(GE) was tested against various cancer cell lines.

Leptospermum flavescens Constituent-LF1 Causes Cell Death through the Induction of Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in Human Lung Carcinoma Cells

Leptospermum flavescens Sm. (Myrtaceae), locally known as 'Senna makki' is a smallish tree that is widespread and recorded to naturally occur in the montane regions above 900 m a.s.l from Burma to Australia. Although the species is recorded to be used traditionally to treat various ailments, there is limited data on biological and chemical investigations of L. flavescens. The aim of the present study was to investigate and understand the ability of L. flavescens in inducing cell death in lung cancer cells. The cytotoxic potentials of the extraction yields (methanol, hexane, ethyl acetate and water extracts as wells as a semi pure fraction, LF1) were evaluated against two human non-small cell lung carcinoma cell lines (A549 and NCI-H1299) using the MTT assay. LF1 showed the greatest cytotoxic effect against both cell lines with IC50 values of 7.12 ± 0.07 and 9.62 ± 0.50 μg/ml respectively. LF1 treated cells showed a sub-G1 region in the cell cycle analysis and also caused the presence of apoptotic morphologies in cells stained with acridine orange and ethidium bromide. Treatment with LF1 manifested an apoptotic population in cells that were evaluated using the Annexin V/ propidium iodide assay. Increasing dosage of LF1 caused a rise in the presence of activated caspase-3 enzymes in treated cells. Blockage of cell cycle progression was also observed in LF1-treated cells. These findings suggest that LF1 induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in treated lung cancer cells. Further studies are being conducted to isolate and identify the active compound as well to better understand the mechanism involved in inducing cell death.

Cytotoxicity effect of degraded and undegraded kappa and iota carrageenan in human intestine and liver cell lines

Background

Carrageenan is a linear sulphated polysaccharide extracted from red seaweed of the Rhodophyceae family. It has broad spectrum of applications in biomedical and biopharmaceutical field. In this study, we determined the cytotoxicity of degraded and undegraded carrageenan in human intestine (Caco-2; cancer and FHs 74 Int; normal) and liver (HepG2; cancer and Fa2N-4; normal) cell lines.

Methods

Food grade k-carrageenan (FGKC), dried sheet k-carrageenan (DKC), commercial grade k-carrageenan (CGKC), food grade i-carrageenan (FGIC) and commercial grade i-carrageenan (CGIC) were dissolved in hydrochloric acid and water to prepare degraded and undegraded carrageenan, respectively. Carrageenan at the concentration range of 62.5 – 2000.0 μg mL⁻¹ was used in the study. MTT assay was used to determine the cell viability while the mode of cell death was determined by May-Grunwald Giemsa (MGG) staining, acridine orange-ethidium bromide (AO/EtBr) staining, agarose gel electrophoresis and gene expression analysis.

Results

Degraded FGKC, DKC and CGKC showed IC₅₀ in 24, 48 and 72 hours treated Caco-2, FHs 74 Int, HepG2 and Fa2N-4 cell lines as tested by MTT assay. Degraded FGIC and CGIC only showed its toxicity in Fa2N-4 cells. The characteristics of apoptosis were demonstrated in degraded k-carrageenan treated Caco-2, FHs 74 Int, HepG2 and Fa2N-4 cells after MGG staining. When Caco-2 and HepG2 cells were undergone AO/EtBr staining, chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation were clearly seen under the microscope. However, DNA ladder was only found in HepG2 cells after gel electrophoresis analysis. Degraded k-carrageenan also inactivated PCNA, Ki-67 and survivin gene in HepG2. On the other hand, undegraded FGKC, DKC, CGKC, FGIC and CGIC treated cells showed no cytotoxic effect after analyzed by the same analyses as in degraded carrageenan.

Conclusion

Degraded k-carrageenan inhibited cell proliferation in Caco-2, FHs 74 Int, HepG2 and Fa2N-4 cell lines and the anti-proliferative effect was related to apoptosis together with inactivation of cell proliferating genes as determined by morphological observation and molecular analysis. However, no cytotoxic effect was found in undegraded carrageenan towards normal and cancer intestine and liver cell lines.

Influence of Cu content on the cell biocompatibility of Ti-Cu sintered alloys

The cell toxicity and the cell function of Ti-Cu sintered alloys with different Cu contents (2, 5, 10 and 25 wt.%, respectively) have been investigated in comparison with commercial pure titanium in order to assess the influence of Cu content on the cell biocompatibility of the Ti-Cu alloys. The cytotoxicity was studied by examining the MG63 cell response by CCK8 assessment. The cell morphology was evaluated by acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) fluorescence and observed under scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The cell function was monitored by measuring the AKP activity. It has been shown by the AO/EB morphology results that the cell death on both cp-Ti sample and Ti-Cu samples is due to apoptosis rather than necrosis. Although more apoptotic cells were found on the Ti-2Cu and Ti-5Cu samples, no evidence of Cu content dependent manner of apoptosis has been found. SEM observation indicated very good cell adhesion and spread on the cp-Ti sample and the Ti-Cu samples with different Cu contents. CCK8 results displayed that increase in the Cu content in Ti-Cu alloys does not bring about any difference in the cell viability. In addition, AKP test results indicated that no difference in the differentiation of MG63 was found between the cp-Ti and the Ti-Cu samples and among the Ti-Cu samples. All results indicated that Ti-Cu alloys exhibit very good cell biocompatibility and the Cu content up to 25 wt.% in the Ti-Cu alloys has no influence on the cell proliferation and differentiation.

Anticancer principles from medicinal piper ( hú jiāo) plants

The ethnomedical uses of Piper (胡椒 Hú Jiāo) plants as anticancer agents, in vitro cytotoxic activity of both extracts and compounds from Piper plants, and in vivo antitumor activity and mechanism of action of selected compounds are reviewed in the present paper. The genus Piper (Piperaceae) contains approximately 2000 species, of which 10 species have been used in traditional medicines to treat cancer or cancer-like symptoms. Studies have shown that 35 extracts from 24 Piper species and 32 compounds from Piper plants possess cytotoxic activity. Amide alkaloids account for 53% of the major active principles. Among them, piplartine (piperlongumine) shows the most promise, being toxic to dozens of cancer cell lines and having excellent in vivo activity. It is worthwhile to conduct further anticancer studies both in vitro and in vivo on Piper plants and their active principles.

Antitumor activity of ethanolic extract of Dendrobium formosum in T-cell lymphoma: an in vitro and in vivo study

Dendrobium, a genus of orchid, was found to possess useful therapeutic activities like anticancer, hypoglycaemic, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and neuroprotective activities. The study was aimed to evaluate the anticancer property of the ethanolic extract of Dendrobium formosum on Dalton's lymphoma. In vitro cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay, apoptosis was determined by fluorescence microscopy, and cell cycle progression was analysed using flow cytometry; in vivo antitumor activity was performed in Dalton's lymphoma bearing mice. The IC₅₀ value of ethanolic extract was obtained at 350 μg/mL in Dalton's lymphoma cells. Fluorescence microscopy analysis showed significant increase in apoptotic cell death in dose- and time-dependent manner which was further confirmed through the resulting DNA fragmentation. Further, flow cytometry analysis showed that the ethanolic extract arrests the cells in G₂/M phase of the cell cycle. The in vivo anticancer activity study illustrates significant increase in the survival time of Dalton's lymphoma bearing mice on treatment with ethanolic extract when compared to control. These results substantiate the antitumor properties of ethanolic extract of Dendrobium formosum and suggest an alternative in treatment of cancer. Further studies are required regarding the isolation and characterization of bioactive components along with the analysis of molecular mechanism involved.

Apoptogenic activity of ethyl acetate extract of leaves of Memecylon edule on human gastric carcinoma cells via mitochondrial dependent pathway

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the anti-proliferative and apoptogenic activity of ethyl acetate extract from the leaves of Memecylon edule (EtAc-LME) in MKN-74, NUGC gastric cancer cells and non cancerous gastric mucous cells (GES-1), and to explore the mechanism of EtAc-LME induced apoptosis.

METHODS

The mechanism of EtAc-LME induced apoptosis was explored by analysing the activation of pro-caspases, PARP cleavage, expression of cytochrome-c (Cyt-c) was determined by western blotting, mRNA expression of Bcl-2, Bax by RT-PCR, loss of mitochondrial potential using DiOC6 dye, annexin binding assay and its influence on cell cycle arrest by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

The results indicated that EtAc-LME inhibited the gastric cancer cell growth in dose-dependent manner and cytotoxicity was more towards the gastric cancer cells (NUGC and MKN-74) compared to normal gastric cells (GES-1), suggesting more specific cytotoxicity to the malignant cells. Over expression of Cyt-c and subsequent activation of caspases-3 and down regulation of Bcl-2 and loss in mitochondrial potential in EtAc-LME treated MKN-74 and NUGC cells suggested that EtAc-LME induced apoptosis by mitochondrial dependent pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings suggest that ethyl acetate extract of Memecylon edule induces apoptosis selectively in gastric cancer cells emphasizing the importance of this traditional medicine for its potential in the treatment of gastric cancer.

Dichamanetin inhibits cancer cell growth by affecting ROS-related signaling components through mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis

BACKGROUND/AIM

Dichamanetin is a C-benzylated flavanone isolated as a major secondary metabolite from Piper sarmentosum, a plant used as a spice in Southeast Asia. This study aimed to investigate the path through which dichamanetin exerts its antiproliferative effect.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study of several signaling cellular components, namely, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) transcription factor, mitochondrial membrane potential, DNA binding, poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP1) inhibition and proteasome inhibition was performed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay, cell sorting, and western blot.

RESULTS

Dichamanetin significantly reduced the cell viability of various types of human cancer cells (HT-29 colon, DU145 prostate, and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer) in a concentration- and time-dependent manner and induced G1 arrest of the cell cycle. It was also demonstrated that the selective cytotoxic effect of dichamanetin in cancer cells is mediated by the induction of oxidative stress.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that dichamanetin isolated from an edible herb has cancer chemotherapeutic potential.

Does Oral Ingestion of Piper sarmentosum Cause Toxicity in Experimental Animals?

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus has reached epidemic proportion in Malaysia and worldwide. Scientific studies have shown that herbal plant Piper sarmentosum exhibits an antidiabetic property. Despite the extensive usage and studies of this herb as alternative medicine, there is paucity of the literature on the safety information of this plant. Thus, the present study aimed to observe the subacute toxic effects of Piper sarmentosum aqueous extract (PSAE) on the haematological profile, liver, and kidney in rats. The extract was administered by oral gavage to 6 male and female Sprague Dawley rats in daily dose of 50 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg, and 2000 mg/kg for 28 consecutive days. The control group received normal saline. General behavior of the rats, adverse effects, and mortality were observed for 28 days. The haematological and biochemical parameters were determined at baseline and after the treatment. PSAE did not show abnormality on the body weight and gross observation of internal organs. The haematological, biochemical and histopathological profiles showed minimal changes and variation within normal clinical range except for significant increase in serum potassium level that suggests the need of regular monitoring. Nevertheless, these findings suggested that PSAE up to 2000 mg/kg/day did not show subacute toxicity in Sprague Dawley rats.

Growth inhibition and apoptosis induction by (+)-Cyanidan-3-ol in hepatocellular carcinoma

The objective of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of (+)-cyanidan-3-ol (CD-3) in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2) and chemopreventive potential against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Balb/c mice. The HepG2 cell line was treated with CD-3 at various concentrations and the proliferation of the HepG2 cells was measure by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), sulforhodamine B (SRB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. Cell apoptosis was detected by Hoechst 33258 (HO), Acridine orange/ethylene dibromide (AO/EB) staining, DNA fragmentation analysis and the apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry. The HCC tumor model was established in mice by injecting N-nitrosodiethylamine/carbon tetrachloride (NDEA/CCl4) and the effect of CD-3 on tumor growth in-vivo was studied. The levels of liver injury markers, tumor markers, and oxidative stress were measured. The expression levels of apoptosis-related genes in in-vitro and in vivo models were determined by RT-PCR and ELISA. The CD-3 induced cell death was considered to be apoptotic by observing the typical apoptotic morphological changes under fluorescent microscopy and DNA fragmentation analysis. Annexin V/PI assay demonstrated that apoptosis increased with increase in the concentration of CD-3. The expression levels of apoptosis-related genes that belong to bcl-2 and caspase family were increased and AP-1 and NF-κB activities were significantly suppressed by CD-3. Immunohistochemistry data revealed less localization of p53, p65 and c-jun in CD-3 treated tumors as compared to localization in NDEA/CCl4 treated tumors. Taken together, our data demonstrated that CD-3 could significantly inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells in-vitro and suppress HCC tumor growth in-vivo by apoptosis induction.

Anticancer activity of Indian stingless bee propolis: an in vitro study

Indian stingless bee propolis has a complex chemical nature and is reported to possess various medicinal properties. In the present study, anticancer activity of the ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) was explored by testing the cytotoxic and apoptotic effect in four different cancer cell lines, namely, MCF-7 (human breast cancer), HT-29 (human colon adenocarcinoma), Caco-2 (human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma), and B16F1 (murine melanoma), at different concentrations. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay and Trypan blue dye exclusion assay. EEP at a concentration of 250 μg/mL exhibited ≥50% mortality in all cell lines tested (i.e., IC₅₀ value). EEP revealed a concentration and time dependent cytotoxic effect. Apoptosis was estimated by differential staining (ethidium bromide/acridine orange) and TUNEL (deoxynucleotidyl transferase-dUTP nick end labeling) assay. Light microscopy and atomic force microscopy demonstrated morphological features of apoptosis in all the cell lines after treatment with 250 μg/mL EEP for 24 h. Thus, early onset of apoptosis is the reason for anticancer activity of Indian stingless bee propolis. Further, the antioxidant potential of Indian stingless bee propolis was demonstrated to substantiate its anticancer activity.

Discovery and antitumor activities of constituents from Cyrtomium fortumei (J.) Smith rhizomes

Background

Cyrtomium fortumei (J.) Smith is an important Chinese herbal medicine because of its biological functions. However, systematic and comprehensive studies on the phytochemicals from Cyrtomium fortumei (J.) Smith and their bioactivity are limited.

Results

Using the bioassay-guided technique, the ethyl acetate and n-BuOH extracts of the rhizomes of Cyrtomium fortumei (J.) Smith were shown to exhibit good antitumor activities, consequently leading to the isolation of 23 compounds. All compounds were isolated from the plant for the first time. The inhibitory activities of these compounds were investigated on tumor cells MGC-803, PC3, and A375 in vitro by MTT (thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide) assay, and the results showed that pimpinellin (3) had potent cytotoxic activities against the three cell lines, with the IC₅₀ values of 14.4 ± 0.3 μM, 20.4 ± 0.5 μM, and 29.2 ± 0.6 μM, respectively. The mechanism of the antitumor action indicated that pimpinellin inhibited the growth of MGC-803 cells via the induction of tumor cell apoptosis, with apoptosis ratio of 27.44% after 72 h of treatment at 20 μM.

Conclusions

This study suggests that most of the compounds from the roots of Cyrtomium fortumei (J.) Smith could inhibit the growth of human carcinoma cells. Moreover, pimpinellin inhibited the growth of tumor cells via the induction of tumor cell apoptosis.

Lycopodine triggers apoptosis by modulating 5-lipoxygenase, and depolarizing mitochondrial membrane potential in androgen sensitive and refractory prostate cancer cells without modulating p53 activity: signaling cascade and drug-DNA interaction

When the prostate cancer cells become unresponsive to androgen therapy, resistance to chemotherapy becomes imminent, resulting in high mortality. To combat this situation, lycopodine, a pharmacologically important bioactive component derived from Lycopodium clavatum spores, was tested against hormone sensitive (LnCaP) and refractory (PC3) prostate cancer cells in vitro. This study aims to check if lycopodine has demonstrable anti-cancer effects and if it has, to find out the possible mechanism of its action. The MTT assay was performed to evaluate the cytotoxic effect. Depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential, cell cycle, EGF receptor activity and apoptosis were recorded by FACS; profiles of different anti- and pro-apoptotic genes and their products were studied by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, indirect-ELISA, western blotting. Drug-DNA interaction was determined by CD spectroscopy. Administration of lycopodine down-regulated the expression of 5-lipoxygenase and the 5-oxo-ETE receptor (OXE receptor1) and EGF receptor, and caused up-regulation of cytochrome c with depolarization of mitochondrial inner membrane potential, without palpable change in p53 activity, resulting in apoptosis, cell arrest at G0/G1 stage and ultimately reduced proliferation of cancer cells; concomitantly, there was externalization of phosphotidyl serine residues. CD spectroscopic analysis revealed intercalating property of lycopodine with DNA molecule, implicating its ability to block cellular DNA synthesis. The overall results suggest that lycopodine is a promising candidate suitable for therapeutic use as an anti-cancer drug.

Role of medicinal plants and natural products on osteoporotic fracture healing

Popularly known as “the silent disease” since early symptoms are usually absent, osteoporosis causes progressive bone loss, which renders the bones susceptible to fractures. Bone fracture healing is a complex process consisting of four overlapping phases—hematoma formation, inflammation, repair, and remodeling. The traditional use of natural products in bone fractures means that phytochemicals can be developed as potential therapy for reducing fracture healing period. Located closely near the equator, Malaysia has one of the world's largest rainforests, which are homes to exotic herbs and medicinal plants. Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali), Labisia pumila (Kacip Fatimah), and Piper sarmentosum (Kaduk) are some examples of the popular ethnic herbs, which have been used in the Malay traditional medicine. This paper focuses on the use of natural products for treating fracture as a result of osteoporosis and expediting its healing.

Therapeutic efficacy of an hTERT promoter-driven oncolytic adenovirus that expresses apoptin in gastric carcinoma

The efficacy and specificity of treatment are the major challenges for cancer gene therapy. Oncolytic virotherapy is an attractive drug delivery platform of cancer gene therapy. Previous studies have determined that apoptin is a p53-independent, Bcl-2-insensitive apoptotic protein that has the ability to induce apoptosis specifically in tumor cells. In this study, we show that the administration of a dual cancer-specific oncolytic adenovirus construct, Ad-hTERT-E1a-apoptin [in which the adenovirus early region 1a (E1a) gene is driven by the cancer-specific promoter of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and that expresses apoptin simultaneously], suppresses tumor growth in gastric carcinoma cells in vitro and reduces the tumor burden in vivo in xenografted nude mice. The observation that infection with the Ad-hTERT-E1a-apoptin construct significantly inhibited the growth of gastric cancer cells and protected normal human gastric epithelium from growth inhibition confirmed the induction of cancer cell-selective adenovirus replication, growth inhibition and apoptosis by this therapeutic approach. In vivo assays were performed using BALB/c nude mice that had established primary tumors. Subcutaneous primary tumor volume was reduced not only in the intratumoral injection group but also in the systemic delivery mice following treatment with Ad-hTERT-E1a-apoptin. Furthermore, treatment of primary models with Ad-hTERT-E1a-apoptin increased the mouse survival time. These data reinforce previous research and highlight the potential therapeutic application of Ad-hTERT-E1a-apoptin for the treatment of neoplastic diseases in clinical trials.

Effect of methanolic extract of Piper sarmentosum leaves on neointimal foam cell infiltration in rabbits fed with high cholesterol diet

Previous research has shown the beneficial effects of aqueous extract of Piper sarmentosum (P.s) on atherosclerosis. The first stage in atherosclerosis is the formation of foam cell. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the methanol extract of P.s on fatty streaks by calculating neointimal foam cell infiltration in rabbits fed with high cholesterol diet. Thirty six male New Zealand white rabbits were divided equally into six groups: (i) C: control group fed normal rabbit chow; (ii) CH: cholesterol diet (1 % cholesterol); (iii) PM1: 1 % cholesterol with methanol extract of P.s (62.5 mg/kg); (iv) PM2: 1 % cholesterol with methanol extract of P.s (125 mg/kg); (v) PM3: 1 % cholesterol with methanol extract of P.s (250 mg/kg); (vi) SMV group fed 1 % cholesterol supplemented with Simvistatin drug (1.2 mg/kg). All animals were treated for 10 weeks. At the end of the treatment, the rabbits were fasted and sacrificed and the aortic tissues were collected for histological studies to measure the area of the neointimal foam cell infiltration using software. The thickening of intima ratio of atherosclerosis and morphological changes by scanning electron microscope were measured. The results showed that the atherosclerotic group had significantly bigger area of fatty streak compared to the control group. The area of fatty streak in the abdominal aorta was significantly reduced in the treatment groups which were similar with the SMV group. Similarly, there was a reduction in the number of foam cell in the treatment groups compared to the atherosclerotic group as seen under scanning microscope. In conclusion, histological study demonstrated that the methanol extract of the P.s could reduce the neointimal foam cell infiltration in the lumen of the aorta and the atherosclerotic lesion.

Histological changes in the fracture callus following the administration of water extract of piper sarmentosum (daun kadok) in estrogen-deficient rats

BACKGROUND

The fracture healing is impaired in osteoporosis. Piper sarmentosum is a plant, which contains potent antioxidant, naringenin that may enhance fracture healing. The present histological study aimed to determine the effects of water extract of Piper sarmentosum on the late phase of fracture healing in estrogen-deficient rats.

METHODS

Twenty four female Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250 gm) were obtained. Six rats underwent sham operation and the rest were ovariectomized. Six weeks post-ovariectomy all the rats were fractured at the mid-diaphysis of the right femur and a K-wire was inserted for internal fixation. The sham group was given vehicle (normal saline) and the ovariectomized group was randomly subdivided into three groups: (i) ovariectomized-control group supplemented with vehicle; (ii) ovariectomized+estrogen replacement therapy group treated with estrogen (100 µg/kg/day) and (iii) ovariectomized+Piper sarmentosum group treated with Piper sarmentosum water extract (125 mg/kg). Following six weeks of treatment, the rats were sacrificed and the right femora were harvested for histological assessment of fracture callus.

RESULTS

The ovariectomized-control group showed a significant delay in fracture healing compared to the sham, ovariectomized-estrogen replacement therapy and ovariectomized-Piper sarmentosum groups. The median callus score for the ovariectomized-Piper sarmentosum group was 4.50 (range, 4-5), which was significantly higher than the median callus score 3.50 (range, 3-4) for the ovariectomized-control group (P=0.019). However, there was no significant (P>0.05) difference in the callus score among the sham, ovariectomized-estrogen replacement therapy and ovariectomized-Piper sarmentosum groups groups.

CONCLUSION

Treatment with water extract of Piper sarmentosum proved beneficial in the fracture healing in estrogen-deficient rats.

Piper sarmentosum inhibits ICAM-1 and Nox4 gene expression in oxidative stress-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells

BACKGROUND

Aqueous extract of Piper sarmentosum (AEPS) is known to possess antioxidant and anti-atherosclerotic activities but the mechanism responsible for it remains unclear. In early part of atherosclerosis, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) induces the expression of cellular adhesion molecules such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and E-selectin. NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) is the predominant source of superoxide in the endothelial cells whereas superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) are the antioxidant enzymes responsible for inactivating reactive oxygen species. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of AEPS on the gene expression of NF-κB, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, E-selectin, Nox4, SOD1, CAT and GPx in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).

METHODS

HUVECs were divided into four groups:- control; treatment with 180 μM hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂); treatment with 150 μg/mL AEPS and concomitant treatment with AEPS and H₂O₂ for 24 hours. Total RNA was extracted from all the groups of HUVEC using TRI reagent. Subsequently, qPCR was carried out to determine the mRNA expression of NF-κB, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, E-selectin, Nox4, SOD1, CAT and GPx. The specificity of the reactions was verified using melting curve analysis and agarose gel electrophoresis.

RESULTS

When stimulated with H₂O₂, HUVECs expressed higher level of ICAM-1 (1.3-fold) and Nox4 (1.2-fold) mRNA expression. However, AEPS treatment led to a reduction in the mRNA expression of ICAM-1 (p < 0.01) and Nox4 (p < 0.05) in the H₂O₂-induced HUVECs. AEPS also upregulated the mRNA expression of SOD1 (p < 0.05), CAT (p < 0.01) and GPx (p < 0.05) in oxidative stress-induced HUVECs. There was no significant change in the mRNA expression of VCAM-1 and E-selectin.

CONCLUSION

The expressional suppression of ICAM-1 and Nox4 and induction of antioxidant enzymes might be an important component of the vascular protective effect of AEPS.

Changes in the vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and c-reactive protein following administration of aqueous extract of piper sarmentosum on experimental rabbits fed with cholesterol diet

BACKGROUND

Inflammation process plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. Hypercholesterolemia is one of the major risk factors for atherosclerosis. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of aqueous extract of Piper sarmentosum (P.s) on inflammatory markers like vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and C-reactive protein (CRP).

METHODS

Forty two male New Zealand white rabbits were divided equally into seven groups; (i) C- control group fed normal rabbit chow (ii) CH- cholesterol diet (1%cholesterol) (iii) X1- 1% cholesterol with water extract of P.s (62.5 mg/kg) (iv) X2- 1% cholesterol with water extract of P.s (125 mg/kg (v) X3- 1% cholesterol with water extract of P.s (250 mg/kg) (vi) X4- 1% cholesterol with water extract of P.s (500 mg/kg) and (vii) SMV group fed with 1% cholesterol supplemented with simvistatin drug (1.2 mg/kg). All animals were treated for 10 weeks. Blood serum was taken for observing the inflammatory markers at the beginning and end of the experiment.

RESULTS

Rabbits fed with 1% cholesterol diet (CH) showed significant increase in the level of VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and CRP compared to the C group. The levels of VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and CRP in the 1% cholesterol group and supplemented with P.s (500 mg/kg) were significantly reduced compared to the cholesterol group. Similar results were also reported with simvistatin group.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that the supplementation of Piper sarmentosum extract could inhibit inflammatory markers which in turn could prevent atherosclerosis.

Piper sarmentosum increases nitric oxide production in oxidative stress: a study on human umbilical vein endothelial cells

OBJECTIVE

Nitric oxide produced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) possesses multiple anti-atherosclerotic properties. Hence, enhanced expression of eNOS and increased Nitric oxide levels may protect against the development of atherosclerosis. Piper sarmentosum is a tropical plant with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Piper sarmentosum on the eNOS and Nitric oxide pathway in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).

METHODS

HUVECS WERE DIVIDED INTO FOUR GROUPS: control, treatment with 180 microM hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), treatment with 150 microg/mL aqueous extract of Piper sarmentosum, and concomitant treatment with aqueous extract of PS and H(2)O(2) for 24 hours. Subsequently, HUVECs were harvested and eNOS mRNA expression was determined using qPCR. The eNOS protein level was measured using ELISA, and the eNOS activity and Nitric oxide level were determined by the Griess reaction.

RESULTS

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells treated with aqueous extract of Piper sarmentosum showed a marked induction of Nitric oxide. Treatment with PS also resulted in increased eNOS mRNA expression, eNOS protein level and eNOS activity in HUVECs.

CONCLUSION

Aqueous extract of Piper sarmentosum may improve endothelial function by promoting NO production in HUVECs.

Aqueous extract of Piper sarmentosum decreases atherosclerotic lesions in high cholesterolemic experimental rabbits

BACKGROUND

Piper sarmentosum (P.s) has flavonoid component in its leaves which has antioxidative effect. To date, its effect on atherosclerosis has not been studied histologically.

AIM

The study aimed to investigate the effect of P.s on atherosclerotic changes in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

METHODS

Forty two male New Zealand white rabbits were divided into seven groups. C - control group fed normal rabbit chow, CH - cholesterol diet (1% cholesterol), W1 - 1% cholesterol with water extract of P.s (62.5 mg/kg), W2 - 1% cholesterol with water extract of P.s (125 mg/kg), W3 - 1% cholesterol with water extract of P.s (250 mg/kg), W4 - 1% cholesterol with water extract of P.s (500 mg/kg) and Smv - 1% cholesterol supplemented with simvistatin drug (1.2 mg/kg). All rabbits were treated for 10 weeks. Following 10 weeks of supplementation, the animals were sacrificed and the aortic tissue was taken for histological study.

RESULTS

Rabbits fed only with high cholesterol diet 1% cholesterol (CH) showed focal fatty streak lesions compared to the C group and 1% cholesterol supplemented with simvistatin drug (Smv) group. Atherosclerotic lesions in the 1% cholesterol group supplemented with P.s (500 mg/kg) i.e. W4 group showed significant reduction (30 + or - 6.0%, p < 0.05) in fatty streak compared to the high cholesterol group (85.6 + or - 4.1%) under Sudan IV stain. The atherosclerotic lesions under transmission electron microscope showed reduction in foam cells in the treatment groups compared to the CH groups.

CONCLUSION

Administration of P.s extract has protective effect against atheroscleros.