Plant-derived anticancer agents: A green anticancer approach

Cancer is a frightful disease and represents one of the biggest health-care issues for the human race and demands a proactive strategy for cure.Plants are reservoirs for novel chemical entities and provide a promising line for research on cancer.Hitherto,being effective,chemotherapy is accompanied by certain unbearable side effects.Nevertheless,plants and plant derived products is a revolutionizing field as these are Simple,safer,ecofriendly,low-cost,fast,and less toxic as compared with conventional treatment methods.Phytochemicals are selective in their functions and acts specifically on tumor cells without affecting normal cells.Carcinogenesis is complex phenomena that involves many signaling cascades.Phytochemicals are considered suitable candidates for anticancer drug development due to their pleiotropic actions on target events with multiple manners.The research is in progress for developing potential candidates (those can block or slow down the growth of cancer cells without any side effects) from these phytochemicals.Many phytochemicals and their derived analogs have been identified as potential candidates for anticancer therapy.Effort has been made through this comprehensive review to highlight the recent developments and milestones achieved in cancer therapies using phytomolecules with their mechanism of action on nuclear and cellular factors.Furthermore,drags for cancer treatment and their limitations have also been discussed.

HIV prevalence in blood donors and recipients in Pakistan: a meta-analysis and analysis of blood-bank data.

Background: The first instances of HIV-antibody detection in donated blood in Pakistan were reported in 1988. Since then, documentation of HIV in blood donors and of rates of transmission via transfusion has been limited. Previously assumed to have a low prevalence, HIV is an increasing health concern in Pakistan. Since there is no national, centralized blood-banking system, there are no reliable data on which to base estimated risks of transfusion-associated HIV infection. This study was therefore conducted to estimate the prevalence of HIV in blood donors and recipients in Pakistan between 1988 and 2012. Methods: Meta-analyses were undertaken of reported prevalences of HIV in blood donors and recipients published during 1988–2012. Papers were identified by searching PubMed, Google, CINAHL and PakMediNet and the websites of the World Health Organization, the national HIV/AIDS Surveillance Project and the National AIDS Control Programme of Pakistan. In addition, the 1998–2012 records of the Aga Khan University blood bank were analysed. Results: The 254 abstracts identified at the preliminary search were reviewed and, after removal of duplications, case-reports, editorials and reviews, 32 papers were selected that met the inclusion criteria. All studies that reported on HIV antibodies in blood donors/recipients were included, irrespective of the methodology used. Since seroconversion had only been confirmed through supplemental testing in a few papers, the results were analysed separately for reports based on screening only and confirmed cases. A total of 142 of 2 023 379 blood donors and 4 of 3632 blood recipients were HIV positive, giving an overall pooled seroprevalence of 0.00111% in blood donors and 0.00325% in blood recipients. The annual prevalences of HIV in donors at the Aga Khan University blood banks were similar, ranging from 0.013% to 0.116%. Conclusion: Very few reports on HIV in blood donors in Pakistan could be retrieved, and the overall pooled prevalence is low. However, the limited data and confounding factors mean that that these results may significantly underestimate the true situation. It is recommended that a complete survey of blood banks should be conducted throughout the country, in order to provide a more reliable estimate of the risk of transfusion-associated HIV infection in Pakistan.

A review on zizyphus as antidiabetic.

The present review paper aims to highlight the effects of extracts of genus zizyphus for the treatment of Diabetes clinically throughout the world. The basic aim is to study the hyperglycemic effect of this genus and its use. So as the effect of herbal medicine is more friendly then synthetic medicines. The effects of three species Ziziphus spinacristi, Zizyphus jojoba, and Zizyphus vulgaris have been studied clinically and have great effect on insulin secretion. While work on Zizyphus maritiana have also been done. It is concluded that genus zizyphus have potential of antidiabetic activity. Many species of Zizyphus grow widely. As natural drugs are with no or less side effects and safe for human health so they can greatly replace synthetic drugs in the forth coming future.

Element Content of Some Ethnomedicinal Ziziphus Linn. Species Using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Technique.

Ziziphus species have wide distribution and uses worldwide traditionally as medicine. The flame atomic absorption spectroscopy was employed for the estimation of element contents of different plant parts of Ziziphus species collected from different areas of Pakistan. The results of the present study provide justification for the medicinal usage in the treatment of different diseases. The metal contents in the samples were found at different levels which play a vital role in cure of diseases. These results can give the importance about the herbal drugs prepared from these plant materials in herbal remedies and in pharmaceutical companies.

Hypoglycemic potential of genus Ficus L.: A review of ten years of Plant Based Medicine used to cure Diabetes (2000-2010).

Medicinal plants play an important role in cure of Diabetes mellitus all over the world. The aim of this paper is compile data to investigate the effects of plant extract, compounds and active constituents against diabetes. The present review is therefore, an effort to give specifically literature on the pharmaceutically important species of genus Ficus L. (Moraceae) with anti diabetic properties, reported in the literature from 2000-2010. Our literature survey showed that there is no comprehensive and systematic data on genus Ficus with particularly emphasis on antidiabetic potential based on clinical trials is published elsewhere. There are about 850 species of genus Ficus worldwide and among them only 6 species reported to use against diabetes. The profile presented includes its methodology used and their bioactive agents with anti diabetic activity. The species of genus ficus include: Ficus bengalensis L., Ficus carica L., Ficus racemosa L., Ficus hispida L. f., Ficus microcarpa L.f., and Ficus religiosa L. Among these, Ficus microcarpa L. f., and Ficus hispida L.f., are incorporated first time in this review to be used against diabetes by using experimental animals. Based on biochemical and histological findings, it can be concluded that these plants may develop the healing action of diabetic complications and reflected anti diabetic potential through its glucose lowering activity in alloxan or streptozotocin induced diabetic laboratory animals.

Ethno-medicinal Species of genus Ficus L. Used to Treat Diabetes in Pakistan.

The present paper deals with species of genus Ficus L. used for the treatment of diabetes by different communities in Pakistan. Diabetes Mellitus is a syndrome of disordered metabolism in which β cells damaged or work improperly, it is caused by hereditary and environmental causes, resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels. In this present investigation, it is observed that the local communities and herbal practitioners use 8 species of genus Ficus (Moraceae) F. bengalensis, F. virens, F. racemosa, F. carica, F. lacor, F. hispida and F. microcarpa to treat diabetes in Pakistan. Plant specimens collected, identified, preserved and mounted were deposited in the department of Plant sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan for future references.