Octyl Gallate and Gallic Acid Isolated from Terminalia bellirica Circumvent Breast Cancer Progression by Enhancing the Intrinsic Apoptotic Signaling Pathway and Elevating the Levels of Anti-oxidant Enzymes

Exploration of new strategies and identification of less expensive novel chemoprevention agents against breast cancer progression have become the need of the hour. Thus, the present study aimed at evaluating the anti-cancer efficacies of octyl gallate (OG) and gallic acid (GA) isolated from Terminalia bellirica (T. bellirica) in breast cancer cell lines and DMBA-induced Sprague-Dawley animal model. The results of western blot analysis show significant (p < 0.05) downregulation of anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL) expression and up-regulation of pro-apoptotic protein (Bak and Bax) expression in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Our findings also show that DMBA-induced Sprague-Dawley rats (50-55 days old) orally administered with OG (20 mg/kg body wt.) and GA (20 mg/kg body wt.) for a treatment period of 14 weeks were observed for normalized body weight changes and hematological indices and significant reduction of tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen 15.3 (CA 15.3), and oxidative stress (TBARS) in serum, while the activity of anti-oxidant enzyme (SOD, CAT, and GPx) levels estimated in the mammary tissue was found restored back to normal. Computational molecular interaction study was also performed to substantiate the in vitro obtained results. The tissue histology reveals the therapeutic role of OG and GA. The study conducted brings to limelight of the molecular mechanisms of intrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway through which OG and GA exert their chemopreventive action. Both OG and GA can be explored further as chemotherapeutic natural drugs for their ability to prevent breast cancer progression.

Adenosine protects D-galactose induced alterations in rat model of aging via attenuating neurochemical profile and redox status

Aging is the process that every organism faces. The aging model of brain has been developed by the use of d-galactose (d-Gal). Adenosine (Ad) being a neuroprotective agent that has been utilized in treatment of various neurological disorders. The aim of current study is to evaluate the outcome of Ad on d-Gal induced neurotoxicity which caused behavioral deficits, memory impairment and oxidative stress. Rats were treated with d-Gal at a dose of 300 mg/ml/kg and Ad 1 mg/ml/kg; intraperitoneally for 28 days. Behavioral assessment was performed after the treatment period. Animals were sacrificed after behavioral tests and their brains were collected, hippocampus were removed for biochemical and neurochemical analysis. The results showed that administration of Ad ameliorates the negative effects of d-Gal induced aging in various behavioral tests and increased the time spent in the open arm and light box in elevated plus maze (EPM) and light dark activity (LDA) tests respectively indicate anxiolytic effect; increased the mobility time in tail suspension test (TST) shows antidepressant effect; decreased escape latencies in Morris water maze (MWM) acquisition trials, increase entries and time spent in the target quadrant suggests improvement in learning ability of animals. Administration of Ad also decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, increased antioxidant enzymes activity; decreased acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, increased 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin) metabolism and normalized histopathological alteration in the hippocampus. It is concluded that anxiety, depression and memory impairment induced by d-Gal were protected by Ad through its antioxidant and neuro-modulatory effects.

Anti-diabetic activity of field cricket glycosaminoglycan by ameliorating oxidative stress

BACKGROUND

Field cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) is newly emerged as an edible insect in several countries. Anti-inflammatory effect of glycosaminoglycan derived from this cricket on chronic disease animal model such as diabetic mouse has not been fully investigated yet. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the anti-oxidative effect of such glycosaminoglycan on diabetic mouse.

METHODS

To discover potential therapeutic agents, field cricket glycosaminoglycan (GbG) was tested in the present study. Its anti-oxidative activities in diabetic mice were determined based on its abilities to reduce glucose, ALT, AST, ALP, LDL-cholesterol and BUN levels. Dung beetle (C. molossus) glycosaminoglycan (CaG) was used as a positive control. Db mice were intraperitoneally administered for 1 month according to their group assignments: 1) normal (DB-Hetero); 2) control (DB-Homo); 3) 5 mg/kg treatment of CaG (CaG5); 4) 5 mg/kg treatment of GbG (GbG5); and 5) 10 mg/kg treatment of metformin (Metformin 10).

RESULTS

Blood glucose level decreased after 1st week of treatment with GbG. LDL-cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase levels were also inhibited by GbG. Markers of oxidative damage, such as protein carbonyl content and levels of hepatocellular biomarkers, were reduced in db mice treated with GbG. Especially anti-oxidative activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were significantly increased in GbG treated group compared to those in the control (Db Homo). GbG was composed of heparin disaccharides. Its main N-glycan was identified as Hex₉GlcNAc₂ (m/z 1905.7) with neutral mono-sugar mainly comprising of hexose and L (+) rhamnose by mass spectroscopy.

CONCLUSIONS

Sero-biochemical and hepatocellular anti-oxidant assay results in db mice suggest that cricket (G. bimaculatus) glycosaminoglycan might possess anti-oxidative effect in diabetic state.

Curcumin attenuates surgery-induced cognitive dysfunction in aged mice

Post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is associated with elderly patients undergoing surgery. However, pharmacological treatments for POCD are limited. In this study, we found that curcumin, an active compound derived from Curcuma longa, ameliorated the cognitive dysfunction following abdominal surgery in aged mice. Further, curcumin prevented surgery-induced anti-oxidant enzyme activity. Curcumin also increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-positive area and expression of pAkt in the brain, suggesting that curcumin activated BDNF signaling in aged mice. Furthermore, curcumin neutralized cholinergic dysfunction involving choline acetyltransferase expression induced by surgery. These results strongly suggested that curcumin prevented cognitive impairments via multiple targets, possibly by increasing the activity of anti-oxidant enzymes, activation of BDNF signaling, and neutralization of cholinergic dysfunction, concurrently. Based on these novel findings, curcumin might be a potential agent in POCD prophylaxis and treatment.