ABSTRACT
Objective: The genus Thymus L. is a cushion plant that was previously used for the treatment of bronchitis and rheumatism. The present investigation was carried out to study the effects of root, shoot, leaf and seed extracts of five Thymus species and subspecies on peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs] toxicity and HIV-1 replication
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, the activity of the Thymus extracts on HIV-1 replication and lymphocytes population were examined respectively using HIV-1 p24 Antigen kit and flow-cytometer. The Thymus species effect was investigated, including Thymus kotschyanus, Thymus vulgaris, Thymus carmanicus, Thymus daenensis subspecies lancifolius and Thymus daenensis subspecies daenensis
Results: The effect of root methanol extracts of all species on PBMCs proliferation was significantly higher than the other extracts. The intensity of CD4, CD3 and CD45 were decreased in the presence of all root extracts. Although the average median fluorescence intensity [MFI] values of CD19 were increased in the cells treated with these extracts. All methanol extracts showed anti-HIV-1 activity at high concentrations [200 and 500 microg/ml]. Anti-HIV-1 activity of Thymus daenensis subspecies daenensis was significantly more than the other species
Conclusion: These results demonstrated that root extracts of Thymus species might be a good candidate to investigate anti-HIV infection in vivo
ABSTRACT
BoswelIia has been widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of different diseases such as cancer in Iran. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the gum methanol extract of Boswe/lia thurifera on the viability and P53 gene expression of cultured breast cancer cells. The gum methanol extract was obtained in various concentrations using the maceration method. Normal [HEK-293] and cancer [MDA-MB-231] human cells were cultured and treated with various concentrations of the extract. Then MTT assay was used for the study of cytotoxic effect of the extract and real time PCR method was also applied for the investigation of P53 gene expression in cancer cells. The IC[50] of the extract against cancer cells was 80 microg/mL and had less cytotoxic effect in normal cells. The effect of the extract was dose dependent. Induction of P53 expression by extract was also significantly more in treated cancer cells than untreated cells. This inductive effect in cells was higher after 12 h treatment than it was after 6 h. The results of the current study show that gum methanol extract of Boswe/lia thurifera has probably anti-cancer effects and could induce P53 gene transcription and toxicity in the cultured breast cancer cell line. The increase of P53 gene specific mRNA may be a mechanism of gum methanol extract induced Cytotoxicity. However, for a definitive conclusion, further studies on other cell lines as well as animal models and subsequent clinical studies are warranted
ABSTRACT
Grape virus diseases are a serious problem in Iran. Leaves and fruits of grape have been used for different purposes like cooking in Iran. The present investigation was carried out to study on the cytotoxic-activities of extracts of fruits and leaves of Vitis vinifera from both virus-free and virus-infected grape cultivars against breast cancer cell line [MDA-MB-231] and human embryonic kidney normal cell line [HEK 293]. In this experimental study, the considered grape cultivars were as follows: Rish Baba Sefid, Shahani Ghasre Shirin, Rotabi Zarghan, Asgari Najaf Abad, Fars, Kaj Angor Bojnord, Sarkesh Shiraz and Siahe Zarqan. A real-time multiplex polymerase chain reaction [real-time Multiplex PCR] assay was applied to detect virus infected cultivars. The cytotoxic effect of the methanol extracts of different Vitis vinifera varieties on cultured cells was monitored using [3- [4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl] -2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide [MTT] assay at different concentrations [62.5, 125, 250, 500, 750, 1000 micro g mL[-1]]. Among these cultivars, Grapevine fanleaf virus [GFLV] along with related symptoms was detected in Siahe Zarqan and Fars. Methanolic extracts of leaves and fruits of Vitis vinifera from both virus free and virus infected cultivars showed a range of limited to moderate cytotoxic activity. However, methanol extract of leaves belonged to virus infected cultivars was found to have strong cytotoxic effect against MDA-MB-231 at different concentrations. Grapevine fanleaf virus [GFLV] can potentially increase the cytotoxicity of grape cultivars
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents , Fruit , Plant Leaves , Plant Extracts , Plant VirusesABSTRACT
Avicennia marina [Avicenniaceae] is a species of mangrove tree used for treatment of small pox lesions in Persian folk medicine. The antiviral activity of methanol, ethanol, water, chloroform and n-hexane extracts was evaluated against HIV-1 and HSV. Methanol extract had the highest antiviral activity and the most polar fraction of this extract [fraction D] inhibited HSV with TI and SI values of 57.1 and 133; however, it showed mild activity against HIV with SI value of 6.25 [fraction 3]. The anti-HSV activity of active fraction was confirmed using FLASH-PCR. Phytochemical investigation revealed that fraction D encompasses flavonoids compounds. The time-of-addition study demonstrated that fraction D disturbs viral replication after penetrating to the cell. A. marina was endowed with fragments by which found to be able to inhibit replication of HSV after entry but did not show significant potency against HIV-1. This promotes further investigation in anti-HSV drug discovery