Isolation, characterization and in vitro antioxidant activity screening of pure compound from black pepper (Piper nigrum)

The present study's aims of isolation, characterization and in vitro antioxidant activity screening of pure compound from Black pepper (Piper nigrum) were investigated. Nowadays, scientific exploration of medicinal plants from natural sources has become the prime concern globally. All the crude drugs that have been isolated from natural plant origin (herbs, root, stem, bark, fruit and flower) have great significance in drug discovery as well as a lead compound to demonstrate great synergistic effect on pharmacology. For this research work, methanol was selected as a mother solvent, and the crude methanolic extract of black pepper was partitioned in between the solvent chloroform and di-ethyl-ether. A crystal fraction has been eradicated from the chloroform extract of black pepper (Piper nigrum). The crystal compound (C₁) was isolated and purified by using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and recrystallization technique. The purified crystal compound (C₁) isolated from black pepper possesses a strong in vitro antioxidant activity. The IC₅₀ value of crystal compound (C₁) was 4.1 µg/ml where the standard one had 3.2 µg/ml. Physical, phytochemical and chromatographical characterization of pure crystal compound (C₁) has been explored, and from the analysis of all characteristics, it was found that, crystal compound (C₁) might have resembling features of the standard Piperine of black pepper. The overall research work was really remarkable and introduced a convenient way of isolating pure compound from the natural source which will be a great referential resource in isolating crude drugs for future analysis.

Spontaneous changes in tumour cell dissemination to bone marrow in colorectal cancer

AIM

The study aimed to evaluate the incidence of disseminated tumour cells (DTCs) in bone marrow (BM) preoperatively and during follow up and to correlate these with established risk factors in patients with colorectal cancer.

METHOD

We prospectively studied BM in 57 patients using the anti-cytokeratin antibody A45-B/B3.

RESULTS

The overall detection rate of DTCs was 23% with a similar detection rate through all stages of the disease. No significant association was found between the presence of DTCs and clinicopathological parameters. After a median follow up of 35.4 months, no differences were found in relapse and overall survival between patients with and without DTC preoperatively. In 31 of 45 patients with local disease, we performed a follow-up BM examination after 1 year. In 26% of the patients, the BM status had changed as compared with the preoperative finding.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to report the follow up of DTC in BM in colorectal cancer using the A45-B/B3 antibody. The presence of tumour cells in the preoperative BM had no impact on outcome. The BM status had changed after 12 months in a quarter of patients.