Antioxidant Potential of Four Species of Natural Product and Therapeutic Strategies for Cancer through Suppression of Viability in the Human Multiple Myeloma Cell Line U266 / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#This research aimed to evaluate the protective effects of bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins present in four species extracted with methanol.@*METHODS@#The total phenolic content of the methanolic extracts was measured spectrophotometrically. The effect of the extracts on cell viability in U266 cells was measured. The effects of extracts on free radical scavenging were assessed by the DPPH test and FRAP assay. Antibacterial effects of the natural products in this report were investigated by using the disc diffusion method.@*RESULTS@#Our results clearly demonstrated that the methanolic extracts were characterized by a high amount of phenolic compounds. It has been speculated that ME-TA and ME-TAl exhibit a significant (P < 0.05) and dose-dependent antiradical potential. The exposure of cells to high doses of extracts almost completely suppressed cell growth in vitro. ME-TA and ME-TAl showed significant cytotoxic effects at a concentration of 100 μg/mL in the U266 cell line. ME-TAl and ME-CF inhibited the growth of B. subtilis and S. aureus, respectively, to the same extent as 10 μg/μL of chloramphenicol at a concentration of 1 mg/mL.@*CONCLUSION@#Overall, these results suggest that plants used in traditional medicine have a novel application as free radical scavengers, bacterial inhibitors and tumor suppressors.

Pathological Overview and Antioxidant Status of Thyme on H2O2-induced Spleen Tissues Damage

Objectives: To study the preventive effect of Thymus algeriensis essential oil (TAS) against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced spleen toxicity in rats. Materials and Methods: Rats were treated with Hydrophobic fractions of Thymus algeriensis (180 mg/kg body weight, n=6), H2O2 (0.1, 1 mmol/L body weight, n=6) and the exposure to both drugs orally for 15 days. Histological examination was performed and the levels of biochemical parameters and lipid peroxides were determined. Results: In spleen tissue protein, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione (GST, GPx and GSH) levels were increased significantly (P<0.05) in the essential oil pretreated rats when compared to H2O2. TAS decreased the intracellular malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in spleen tissues. Vascular congestion was seen in spleen of high dose H2O2-treated rats and normal architecture of tissues was observed in other groups. Conclusion: The biochemical parameters and histopathology examination support the cytoprotective effect of Thyme which could be attributed to terpenes.

Investigation of Extracts from Tunisian Ethnomedicinal Plants as Antioxidants, Cytotoxins, and Antimicrobials / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the medicinal potential of various plants and their parts extracted with different solvents.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The total phenolic content of acetonitrile/water (60%-40%) (ACN/W) and aqueous (W) extract fractions was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and terpenic compounds were detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Antioxidant activity of the samples was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and β-carotene bleaching method. Cell viability was investigated by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol)-2-yl 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) assay. The mechanisms involved in cytotoxic activity were investigated in a murine macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) and cancer lines.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Our findings show that 11 plant species exhibited biological activity. In addition, moderate antibacterial activity was reported against one or more of the tested bacterial strains at two concentrations: 300 μg and 3 mg/disc. Furthermore, our data reveal that among all plants investigated, some extract and hydrophobic fractions were potent scavengers of the DPPH radical (6.78 μg/mL < EC50 < 8.55 μg/mL). Taken together, our results show that Nerium oleander (NOACN/W) and Pituranthos tortuosus (PTACN/W) were highly cytotoxic against RAW 264.7 cells with IC80 values of 0.36, and 1.55 μg/mL, respectively. In contrast, murine macrophage cell lines had low growth and were significantly sensitive to water extracts of Thymus hirtus sp. algeriensis (THW), Lavandula multifida (LMW), and ACN/W extract of Erica multiflora (EMACN/W) at doses > 400, 47.20, and 116.74 μg/mL, respectively. The current work demonstrates that RAW 264.7 cell proliferation was inhibited by samples in a dose-dependent manner.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our findings, validated through free radical scavenging activity, agar diffusion assay, and cytotoxicity of essential oils towards cancer cells, show that ethnomedicinal plants used in this work have a novel application as a tumor suppressor.</p>

Prevention of H2O2 Induced Oxidative Damages of Rat Testis by Thymus algeriensis / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>We evaluate the effects of Thymus algeriensis (TEO) against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) toxicity on body and testis weight, testis sperm count, testis lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzyme activities in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rats were treated with low (LD) and high dose (HD) of H2O2 (0.1 and 1 mmol/L) in the presence or absence of TEO (150 mg/kg).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The results exhibited a significant decrease in body weight and testis weight, in total sperm number decrease (P<0.05), sperm motility and percentage of sperm viability, leading to complete arrest, in sperm flagellar beat frequency by the gavage of 1 mmol/L H2O2 compared to controls. The administration of H2O2 resulted in a significant reduction in testis GSH, GPx, CAT, SOD, and GST activity and significant increase (P<0.05) in MDA concentration compared with the untreated control animals. TEO pre-treatment protected testis from the H2O2 generated oxidative stress. These results were confirmed by histological architecture examinations.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>H2O2 has the ability to alter the sperm function, characteristics and development of testis. However, TEO is an efficient natural agent, which can prevent the testis from H2O2-induced oxidative damage in rats.</p>

Antioxidant Machinery Related to Decreased MDA Generation by Thymus Algeriensis Essential Oil-induced Liver and Kidney Regeneration / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study was conducted to determine the histopathological and biochemical effects of Thymus algeriensis essential oil (TEO) on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress in liver and kidney tissues of rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rats were treated in six groups and were exposed for 2 weeks to low (LD; 100 μmol/L) and high doses (HD; 1 mmol/L) of H2O2 in the presence or absence of TEO (180 mg/kg). Liver and kidney atrophy was measured by using biochemical and histopathological assays.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Our study demonstrated that H2O2 induced liver and kidney atrophy, as evidenced by the significant elevation of serum aminotransferase, urea, and creatinine levels compared with those in the control rats. Urea levels were estimated by evaluating the activity of serum urease that hydrolyzes urea into CO2 and ammonia. However, TEO treatment significantly alleviated oxidative stress in the H2O2-induced liver and kidney toxicity model by reducing the levels of malondialdehyde concomitantly with marked elevations in superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione S-transferase, as well as decrease in glutathione activity.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our data demonstrated that TEO protected against H2O2 toxicity by decreasing oxidant levels and DNA damage, as well as increasing antioxidant levels, indicating that TEO has a spectrum of antioxidant and DNA-protective properties.</p>