OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of annatto-tocotrienol on the bone turnover markers and bone histomorphometry in a model of male osteoporosis induced by buserelin (a GnRH agonist).

METHODS: Forty-six three-months-old male Sprague-Dawley rats (three months old; 300-350 g) were randomly divided into six groups. The baseline control group (n = 6) was sacrificed at the onset of the study. The normal control group (n = 8) received corn oil (the vehicle of tocotrienol) orally daily and normal saline (the vehicle of buserelin) subcutaneously daily. The buserelin control (n = 8) received corn oil orally daily and subcutaneous buserelin injection 75 μg/kg/day daily. The calcium control (n = 8) received 1% calcium in drinking water and subcutaneous buserelin injection 75 μg/kg/day. The remaining rats were treated with two different treatments, i.e., (1) oral annatto tocotrienol at 60 mg/kg/day plus subcutaneous buserelin injection 75 μg/kg/day (n = 8); (2) oral annatto tocotrienol at 100 mg/kg/day plus subcutaneous buserelin injection 75 μg/kg/day (n = 8). The rats were injected with calcein twice before being sacrificed to label the bones. The rats were euthanized, and their blood and right femur were harvested at the end of the treatment for bone turnover markers and bone histomorphometry examination.

OBJECTIVE: This review was aimed to critically analyze the therapeutic viability and anticancer efficacy of Eurycoma longifolia in the treatment of cancer and also to propose its molecular and translational mechanism of cytotoxicity against cancerous cells.

RESULTS: Among a range of medicinally active compounds isolated from various parts (roots, stem, bark and leaves) of Eurycoma longifolia, 16 compounds have shown promising anti-proliferative and anticancer efficacies. Eurycomanone, one of the most active medicinal compounds of Eurycoma longifolia, displayed a strong dose-dependent anticancer efficacy against lung carcinoma (A-549 cells) and breast cancer (MCF-7 cells); however, showed moderate efficacy against gastric (MGC-803 cells) and intestinal carcinomas (HT-29 cells). The prime mode of cytotoxicity of Eurycoma longifolia and its medicinal compounds is the induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death) via the up-regulation of the expression of p53 (tumor suppressor protein) and pro-apoptotic protein (Bax) and downregulation of the expression of anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2). A remarkable alleviation in the mRNA expression of various cancer-associated biomarkers including heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP), prohibitin (PHB), annexin-1 (ANX1) and endoplasmic reticulum protein-28 (ERp28) has also been evidenced.

METHODS AND RESULTS: The pulp of red pitahaya and the leaves of red spinach were extracted using methanol followed by subfractionation to obtain betacyanin fraction. The anti-biofilm activity was examined using broth microdilution assay on polystyrene surfaces and expressed as minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC). The betacyanin fraction from red spinach showed better anti-biofilm activity (MBIC: 0·313-1·25 mg ml-1 ) against five Staph. aureus strains while the betacyanin fraction from red pitahaya showed better anti-biofilm activity (MBIC: 0·313-0·625 mg ml-1 ) against four P. aeruginosa strains. Both betacyanin fraction significantly reduced hydrophobicity of Staph. aureus and P. aeruginosa strains. Numbers of Staph. aureus and P. aeruginosa attached to polystyrene were also reduced without affecting their cell viability.

CONCLUSION: Betacyanins can act as anti-biofilm agents against the initial step of biofilm formation, particularly on a hydrophobic surface like polystyrene.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-proliferative potential of D. linearis leaves and determine possible mechanistic pathways.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: MTT assay was used to determine the cytotoxic effects of D. linearis methanol (MEDL) and petroleum ether (PEEDL) extracts at concentrations of 100, 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25 and 3.125 µg/mL against a panel of cancer cell lines (breast [MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231], cervical [HeLa], colon [HT-29], hepatocellular [HepG2] and lung [A549]), as compared to negative (untreated) and positive [5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-treated] control groups. Mouse fibroblast cells (3T3) were used as normal cells. The mode of cell death was examined using morphological analysis via acridine orange (AO) and propidium iodide (PI) double staining. Cell cycle arrest was determined using flow cytometer, followed by annexin V-PI apoptosis detection kit.

RESULTS: MEDL demonstrated the most significant growth inhibition against MDA-MB-231 cells (IC50 22.4 µg/mL). PEEDL showed no cytotoxic effect. Induction of apoptosis by MEDL was evidenced via morphological analysis and acridine orange propidium iodide staining. MEDL could induce S phase cell cycle arrest after 72 h of incubation. Early apoptosis induction in MDA-MB-231 cells was confirmed by annexin V-FITC and PI staining. Significant increase in apoptotic cells were detected after 24 h of treatment with 15.07% cells underwent apoptosis, and the amount escalated to 18.24% with prolonged 48 h incubation.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the effect of methanol extract of M. calabura leaves (MMCL) on hepatic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in CCl4-induced hepatotoxic rat.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sprague Dawley rats (n = 6) were treated (p.o.) with 10% DMSO (Groups 1 and 2), 50 mg/kg N-acetylcysteine (Group 3) or, 50, 250, or 500 mg/kg MMCL (Groups 4-6) for 7 consecutive days followed by pretreatment (i.p.) with vehicle (Group 1) or 50% CCl4 in olive oil (v/v) (Groups 2-6) on day 7th. Plasma liver enzymes and hepatic antioxidant enzymes and pro-inflammatory cytokines concentrations were measured while liver histopathology was examined.

MAIN METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with either normal diet or high-fat diet for 8weeks. Firstly, OB rats were divided into (1) OB and (2) OB+R (100mg/kg, p.o, 28days). Then, OB rats were subjected to MI (ISO, 85mg/kg, s.c, 2days) and divided into three groups: (1) OB+MI, (2) OB+MI+R and (3) OB+MI+enalapril for another 4weeks.

KEY FINDINGS: Roselle ameliorated OB and OB+MI's cardiac systolic dysfunction and reduced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. The increased oxidative markers and decreased antioxidant enzymes in OB and OB+MI groups were all attenuated by roselle.

METHODS AND RESULTS: The leaves of D. linearis were subjected to sonication-assisted extraction using hexane (HEX), dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol (MeOH). It was found that only the MeOH fraction exhibited antimicrobial activity using broth microdilution assay; while all four fractions do not exhibit biofilm inhibition activity against S. aureusATCC 6538P, S. aureusATCC 43300, S. aureusATCC 33591 and S. aureusATCC 29213 using crystal violet assay. Among the four fractions tested, only the HEX fraction showed biofilm disrupting ability, with 60-90% disruption activity at 5 mg ml-1against all four S. aureus strains tested. Bioassay-guided purification of the active fraction has led to the isolation of α-tocopherol. α-Tocopherol does not affect the cells within the biofilms but instead affects the biofilm matrix in order to disrupt S. aureus biofilms.

CONCLUSIONS: α-Tocopherol was identified to be the bioactive component of D. linearis with disruption activity against S. aureus biofilm matrix.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to study the chemoprevention effects of MEMCL against azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon cancer and to examine the involvement of endogenous antioxidants Materials and methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats, divided into five groups (n = 7), were injected intraperitoneally once weekly for 2 weeks with 15 mg/kg AOM, except for the normal group (received saline). The animals were then administered orally for 8 weeks with 8% Tween-80 (vehicle; normal group), 8% Tween-80 (vehicle; cancer group) or, 50, 250 or 500 mg/kg MEMC. After treatments, colon samples were collected from each rat for the histopathological analysis, quantification of aberrant crypt foci formed and determination of colon antioxidant levels. MEMC was also subjected to HPLC analysis.