Phytochemical Investigation and In-vitro Antifungal Activity of Essential Oil from the Roots of Selinum vaginatum C. B. Clarke

Aim: The study was to evaluate the phytogenic chemical compounds and Antifungal Activity of essential oil from roots of Selinum vaginatum C.B. Clarke, growing in the Himalayan region of Jammu & Kashmir. Methodology: The essential oil was analyzed by Gas Chromatography & Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry in relation with their Kavot indices and mass spectra. Results: The oil was found completely dominated by oxygenated sesquiterpenoids (71.9%) which includes 14-hydroxy-δ-cadinene (37.5%), khusinol (20.7%), viridiflorol (8.0%), acorenone -B (4.2%) and 14-oxy-α-muurolene (1.1%) whereas δ-cadinene (8.9%), α-copaene (6.8%), germacrene-A (2.5%), and β-caryophyllene (1.3%) were the major compounds among sesquiterpenoids. Monoterpenoids constituted as the minor portion (3.8%) of essential oil. The oil was found almost free from oxygenated monoterpenoids (0.2%). The roots of S. vaginatum are used in folk lore medicines in Jammu & Kashmir. The oil from the roots showed marked antifungal activity. The oil had shown 100% mycelia growth inhibition against A. tenuis, C. graminicola, R. solani and S. sclerotiorum at a concentration of 500 µg/ml, 2000 µg/mL, 2000 µg/mL and 300 µg/mL respectively. However F. oxysporum was found less susceptible to the root oil of S. vaginatum. The IC50 values showed a range from 57.4 µg/mL–74.7 µg/mL as compared to standard fungicides with IC50 values 32.8 µg/mL–98.6 µg/mL. The spore germination inhibition test revealed the root oil as a potent inhibitor with IC50 values as 201.4 µg/mL, 414.7 µg/mL and 784.7 µg/mL for A. tenuis, C. graminicola and F. oxysporum. Conclusion: Our study showed that14-hydroxy-δ-cadinene (37.5%), khusinol (20.7%), & viridiflorol (8.0%) are the major components in this oil and possessed potent antifungal activity against test fungal strain, respectively.

Modification of radiation induced damage in mouse intestine by WR-2721.

Intestinal protection in mice against radiation injury by WR-2721 (300 mg/kg body wt, i.p., 30 min before irradiation) was studied after whole body gamma irradiation (0.5, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, or 6.0 Gy). Crypt survival and induction of apoptosis, and abnormal mitoses in crypt cells in the jejunum were studied on day 1, 3 and 7 after irradiation. Irradiation produced a significant decrease in crypt survival, whereas apoptosis and abnormal mitoses showed a significant increase from sham-treated control animals. Maximum changes in all the parameters were observed on day 1 after irradiation and the effect increased linearly with radiation dose. There was recovery at later intervals, which was inversely related to radiation dose. WR-2721 pre-treatment resulted in a significant increase in the number of surviving crypts, whereas the number of apoptotic cells in the crypts showed a significant decrease from respective irradiated controls on day 1 after exposure. The recovery was also faster in WR-2721 pre- treated animals. It is concluded that WR-2721 protects against gastrointestinal death by reducing radiation induced cell death, thereby maintaining a higher number of stem cells in the proliferating compartment.

Hyperthermia in cancer research: current status.

There are critical maximum temperatures above which irreversible damage occurs in cells and tissues. Exposure to high temperature, referred to as hyperthermia (HT), can result in cell death, tissue damage or even death of the organism. Clinical application of HT as a primary treatment or as an adjuvant to radio-/chemo- therapy of cancer is based on its ability to cause localized tumor tissue damage. Experimental data provide HT with a strong biological rationale. Early clinical experience suggested that HT will become an important modality as an adjuvant to radiotherapy in the treatment of human malignancies, but its application is currently limited to mainly superficial tumors. Its full realization as a treatment modality for cancer therapy awaits further laboratory investigations as well as controlled clinical trials. A better understanding of the biological mechanisms of its action, interaction with chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation damage, role of tumor microenvironment such as oxygen status and pH of tumors, and kinetics of thermotolerance can lead to refinement in its clinical implementation. The present review attempts to analyse the published literature during the last one and half decades.

Effect of gamma radiation on fetal haemopoiesis of mouse.

Effect of a single acute exposure to gamma-rays during the late fetal period on the fetal haemopoietic tissue of mouse was studied. Pregnant Swiss albino mice were exposed to 1 Gy of gamma-rays on day 17 post coitus (late fetal period) and 24 hr after exposure the fetuses were observed for changes in the liver weight, cytogenetic damage in liver cells by micronucleus (MN) induction and stem cell survival by spleen colony (CFU-S) assay. Irradiation resulted in a significant (P < 0.01) decrease in fetal liver weight. A significant (P < 0.001) increase in MN count was observed after exposure, while CFU-S displayed a significant (P < 0.001) reduction in the cell survival as compared to the sham-treated control. These results demonstrate the high susceptibility of mouse fetal haemopoietic system to radiation.

Differentiation of mouse embryonal carcinoma cells PCC4 by heat shock and the kinetics of induction of heat shock proteins.

Heat shock to embryonal carcinoma cells PCC4 at 45 degrees C for 30 min resulted in the differentiation of cells although heat shock response was induced on exposure to 42 degrees C for 60 min. Differentiated cells were large and well spread with reduced nuclear/cytoplasmic ratios as compared to undifferentiated cells. Change in cell morphology was associated with the disappearance and appearance of stage specific embryonic antigens 1 and 3 respectively. We also found a change in intracellular pH in PCC4 cells within 30 min of heat shock as measured by the change in fluorescence intensity of a probe incorporated into cells during heat shock.