Model tiga dimensi (3D) menyerupai ciri-ciri persekitaran tisu asli, justeru
morfologi dan isyarat-isyarat sel daripada kultur 3D selalunya lebih menyerupai
fisiologi asal berbanding sel kultur dua dimensi (2D). Diketahui juga, rembesan
sel mempunyai kesan parakrin kepada pertumbuhan sel-sel lain. Dalam kajian
ini, pengkulturan fibroblast hidung menggunakan system kultur sel 3D telah
dioptimumkan dan kesan bahan rembesan (BR) daripada kultur 3D terhadap kadar
pertumbuhan dan perlindungan sel telah dikaji. Fibroblas hidung dipencilkan
daripada turbinate hidung manusia. Mikrosfera yang sesuai telah dipilih melalui
pengkulturan fibroblast pemindahan ke-3 pada pelbagai jenis mikro sferapolisterin
PolyGEM™. Kemudian, sel-sel telah dikulturkan pada mikrosfera yang terpilih
menggunakan system kultur 3D dan media terkondisi (MT) telah dikumpulkan.
Media terkondisi tiga dimensi (MT3D) telah ditambah kepada fibroblast untuk
mengkaji kadar perlekatan sel, kadar proliferasi, dan perlindungan sel terhadap
kesitotoksikan Centella asiatica. Asai protein asid bicinchonic dijalankan untuk
mengetahui kuantiti protein di dalam BR. Elektroforesis gel poliakrilamida-Sodium
Dodesil Sulfat (SDS-PAGE) telah dilakukan untuk memperoleh profil awal protein
dan membandingkan profil MT3D dengan protein media terkondisi dua dimensi
(MT2D). Kajian ini menunujukkan MT3D tidak menggalakkan perlekatan dan
proliferasi sel secara signifikan. BR didapati memberikan perlindungan sel yang
signifikan pada fibroblast hidung terhadap kesitotoksikan Centella asiatica. MT3D
mempunyai kepekatan protein yang lebih tinggi berbanding MT2D. SDS-PAGE
menunjukkan MT3D mempunyai 3 jalur ekslusif manakala MT2D mempunyai 4 jalur eksklusif. Kajian masa depan harus dijalankan keatas penggunaan BR
fibroblast hidung untuk perlindungan sel terhadap agen-agen yang memudaratkan
di alam sekitar dan produk herba yang sitotoksik.
Eurycoma longifolia, locally known as 'Tongkat Ali' is a popular local medicinal plant that possess a lot of medicinal properties as claimed traditionally, especially in the treatment of malaria. The claims have been proven scientifically on isolated compounds from the plant. The present study is to investigate the anti malaria properties of Eurycoma longifolia standardized extract (root) (TA164) alone and in combination with artemisinin in vivo. Combination treatment of the standardized extract (TA164) with artemisinin suppressed P. yoelii infection in the experimental mice. The 4 day suppressive test showed that TA164 suppressed the parasitemia of P. yoelii-infected mice as dose dependent manner (10, 30 and 60 mg/kg BW) by oral and subcutaneous treatment. By oral administration, combination of TA164 at 10, 30 and 60 mg/kg BW each with artemisinin respectively showed a significant increase in the parasitemia suppression to 63, 67 and 80 percent as compared to artemisinin single treatment (31%). Using subcutaneous administration, at 10 mg/kg BW of TA164 in combination with 1.7 mg/kg BW of artemisinin gave a suppression of 80% of infection. This study showed that combination treatment of TA164 with artemisinin gives a promising potential anti malaria candidate using both oral and subcutaneous route, the later being the most potent.
The methanol, n-butanol, chloroform and water extracts obtained from the root of Eurycoma longifolia Jack were assayed using methylene blue assay to evaluate its cytotoxic effect against KB, DU-145, RD, MCF-7, CaOV-3, MDBK cell lines. The results showed that all the root extracts except the water extract of E. longifolia produced significant cytotoxic effect on these cell lines. However, no significant cytotoxic effect was detected on MDBK (kidney) normal cell line. 9-methoxycanthin-6-one, an alkaloid, was detected in each extract with different intensities by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography.
Endothelial cell death due to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) may contribute to the initial endothelial injury, which promotes atherosclerotic lesion formation. Piper sarmentosum (PS), a natural product, has been shown to have an antioxidant property, which is hypothesized to inhibit production of ROS and prevent cell injury. Thus, the present study was designed to determine the effects of PS on the hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced oxidative cell damage in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In this experiment, HUVECs were obtained by collagenase perfusion of the large vein in the umbilical cord and cultured in medium M200 supplemented with low serum growth supplementation (LSGS). HUVECs were treated with various concentrations of H(2)O(2) (0-1000 micromol/L) and it was observed that 180 micromol/L H(2)O(2) reduced cell viability by 50% as denoted by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Using the above concentration as the positive control, the H(2)O(2)-induced HUVECs were concomitantly treated with various concentrations (100, 150, 250 and 300 microg/ml) of three different extracts (aqueous, methanol and hexane) of PS. Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) levels showed a significant increase (P<0.05) in HUVECs compared to the negative control. However, PS extracts showed a protective effect on HUVECs from H(2)O(2)-induced cell apoptosis with a significant reduction in MDA, SOD, CAT and GPX levels (P<0.05). Furthermore, PS had exhibited ferric reducing antioxidant power with its high phenolic content. Hence, it was concluded that PS plays a beneficial role in reducing oxidative stress in H(2)O(2)-induced HUVECs.
Essential oil from Cymbopogon nardus was evaluated for activity against Trypanosoma brucei brucei BS221 (IC50 = 0.31 ± 0.03 μg/mL) and cytotoxic effect on normal kidney (Vero) cells (IC50 = >100 μg/mL). The crude essential oil was subjected to various chromatography techniques afforded active sub fractions with antitrypanosomal activity; F4 (IC50 = 0.61 ± 0.06 μg/mL), F6 (IC50= 0.73 ± 0.33 μg/mL), F7 (IC50 = 1.15 ± 0 μg/mL) and F8 (IC50 = 1.11 ± 0.01 μg/mL). These active fractions did not exhibit any toxic effects against Vero cell lines and the chemical profiles investigation indicated presence of α-and γ-eudesmol, elemol, α-cadinol and eugenol by GC/MS analysis.