Black cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.) fruit extracts exhibit apoptotic activity against lung cancer cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The dried fruits of Amomum subulatum Roxb. (A. subulatum) are widely used as a spice. It is a part of official ayurvedic formulations used in folklore medicine to treat cancer.A. subulatum has been used in ayurvedic formulations to treat various lung conditions such as cough, lung congestion, pulmonary tuberculosis. The present traditional knowledge highlights the effectiveness of A. subulatum in treating cancer and its lung-specific efficacy. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aims to investigate the cytotoxic potential of A. subulatum on the phenomenal and mechanistic level of lung cancer cells and identify the presence of A. subulatum actives. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The bioactivity of the extracts was tested using MTT assay, apoptotic assay, cell cycle analysis, superoxide production assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay, and western blot analysis. Firstly, five different extracts were prepared using sequential extraction, and then screening of cell lines was performed using MTT assay. RESULTS: Lung cancer cells were selected as the most sensitive target, and dichloromethane extract (DE) was the most active extract. Annexin assay confirmed the mode of cell death as apoptosis. SubG1 peak found in cell cycle analysis substantiated this finding. ROS generation and superoxide showed association with apoptotic death. The upregulation and overexpression of cleaved poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 (PARP-1) showed the failure of DNA repairing machinery contributes to apoptosis. LC-MS findings show the presence of cytotoxic actives cardamonin and alpinetin. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, this study shows the apoptosis-inducing potential of A. subulatum fruit extracts and confirms DNA damage as one of the causes of cell death. Further explorations using bio-fractionation and in-vivo studies are required to determine the most active constituents in A. subulatum.

Polymeric Hydrogels for Controlled Release of Black Tea and Coffee Extracts for Topical Applications.

Tea and coffee are popular beverages. Both are also used in topical applications, such as ultraviolet (UV) protection, anti-aging, and wound healing. However, the impact of tea and coffee extract on skin cells is minimally explored. This study investigated the direct exposure of tea and coffee extract on skin cells using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. It was found that direct exposure of tea and coffee to skin cells can be toxic at a high dose on prolonged exposure (72 h). Therefore, it was hypothesized that a formulation providing a controlled release of tea and coffee could improve their skin compatibility. Thermally cross-linked poly(acrylic acid) hydrogels loaded with tea and coffee extracts (with and without milk) were formulated and optimized. The release profiles of these hydrogels were studied at varying loading efficiency. Milk addition with tea extract retarded the tea extract release from hydrogel while minimally affecting the coffee release. This effect was due to the molecular interaction of tea with milk components, showing changes in size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index. The release study best fitted the Korsmeyer-Peppas release model. Skin cells exposed to tea or coffee-loaded hydrogel showed normal skin cell morphology under fluorescence microscopic analysis. In conclusion, the hydrogels controlled the tea and coffee release and showed biocompatibility with skin cells. It can potentially be used for skin applications.

Ginkgolic Acids Confer Potential Anticancer Effects by Targeting Pro- Inflammatory and Oncogenic Signaling Molecules.

BACKGROUND: Medicinal plants and herbal preparations in the form of traditional medicines have been used in healthcare worldwide. The extracts of Ginkgo biloba L. seeds and leaves contain a complex mixture of numerous components, such as flavonol glycosides, terpene lactones, and a group of alkylphenols (anacardic or ginkgolic acids, cardanols and cardols) that have been a part of traditional Chinese medicine. These extracts are also sold as dietary supplements worldwide. G. biloba extract (EGb 761 and LI 1370) represent the standard form of G. biloba extract. Six different 6-alkylsalicylic acids (syn. ginkgolic acids) with alkyl substituents (C13:0, C15:0, C15:1, C17:0, C17:1, and C17:2) have been identified. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to unravel scientific evidence on anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of ginkgolic acids to understand its therapeutic potential against inflammatory and oncologic diseases. METHODS: A structured literature search was independently performed by the authors on PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science. Accordingly, this review article critically analyses available scientific evidence on anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of ginkgolic acids. Moreover, the review only included articles written in the English language. RESULTS: Several forms of ginkgolic acids, especially C13:0, C15:0 and C17:1, isolated from the leaves of G. biloba exhibited cytotoxic activity against a variety of human cancers by suppressing various pro-inflammatory signaling cascades and oncogenic transcription factors through multiple modes of action in various in vitro and in vivo preclinical models. Ginkgolic acids have also been reported to be potent post-translational small ubiquitin-related modifiers (SUMO)ylation inhibitors. CONCLUSION: In this review, we present updated information on the anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties of ginkgolic acids both in vitro and in vivo. Although ginkgolic acids show significant therapeutic potential in inflammatory and oncologic diseases, more investigations regarding the safety and efficacy of these natural agents are warranted before the clinical transition.

Met-Hemoglobin Is a Biomarker for Poor Oxygen Delivery in Infants Following Surgical Palliation.

BACKGROUND: Infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease demonstrate wide fluctuations in hemoglobin (Hb), oxygen saturation, and cardiac output following palliation. Methemoglobin (Met-Hb), the product of Hb oxidation, may represent a compensatory mechanism during hypoxia and may be utilized as a biomarker. METHODS: Arterial and venous Met-Hb levels were obtained from infants requiring palliation. The primary outcome was to describe the relationship between Met-Hb and other indices of tissue oxygenation (venous saturation, estimated arteriovenous oxygen difference [Est AV-Diff], and lactate). Secondary outcomes were to determine the impact of elevated Met-Hb levels ≥1.0% and the effect of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion on Met-Hb levels. RESULTS: Fifty infants and 465 Met-Hb values were studied. Venous Met-Hb levels were significantly higher than arterial levels (venous: 0.84% ± 0.36% vs arterial: 0.45% ± 0.18%; P < .001). Venous Met-Hb demonstrated a significant inverse relationship with venous oxygen saturation (R = -0.6; P < .001) and Hb (R = -0.3, P < .001) and a direct relationship with the Est AV-Diff (R = 0.3, P < .001). A total of 129 (29.6%) venous Met-Hb values were elevated (≥1.0%) and were associated with significantly lower Hb and venous saturation levels and higher Est AV-Diff and lactate levels. Methemoglobin levels decreased significantly following 65 RBC transfusions (0.94 ± 0.40 vs 0.77 ± 0.34; P < .001). Linear mixed models demonstrated that higher venous Met-Hb levels were associated with lower measures of tissue oxygenation and not related to any preoperative clinical differences. CONCLUSION: Methemoglobin may be a clinically useful marker of tissue oxygenation in infants following surgical palliation.

Utility of Doppler sonography for renal artery stenosis screening in obese children with hypertension.

Pediatric hypertension guidelines recommend Doppler renal ultrasonography as a screening study for the evaluation of possible renal artery stenosis (RAS) in normal-weight children ≥ 8 years of age who are suspected of having RAS and who will cooperate with the procedure. Obese children are excluded because of technical and vascular concerns. There are no data on RI in obese children. This is a retrospective review of children aged 1.5-18 who received Doppler imaging studies over a 10-year period. A total of 174 patients were studied. There was no significant difference between the RI values based on BMI. Of the 174 individuals in the study 22 obtained follow-up CT/MRA after abnormal Doppler ultrasounds. On advanced imaging 3 were confirmed to have RAS. Obesity does not seem to influence RI.RI alone should not be used as a screening tool for RAS. An approach toward diagnosis is suggested based on BMI, renin levels, and ultrasound.

Left Ventricular Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy in Pediatric Patients: A Case Series of a Clinically Heterogeneous Disease.

Left ventricular noncompaction is a rare form of cardiomyopathy, which results from multiple trabeculations in the left ventricular myocardium. The clinical presentation is highly variable, and spectrum includes asymptomatic patients diagnosed during family screening on one end to patients with depressed systolic function, heart failure, thromboembolic complications, and cardiac arrhythmias on the other (Kim et al in J Am Coll Cardiol 53: 2009, 2009). Further, the progression of the condition is highly variable. Hence, these patients require close follow-up, and management for each patient needs to be individualized and periodically reevaluated. Here, we present a series of five cases that have been followed in our practice and present our experience. A literature review of this rare form of congenital cardiomyopathy is also presented.