In vitro gastrointestinal resistance of Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 and Bifidobacterium animalis Bb-12 in soy and/or milk-based synbiotic apple ice creams.

The viability and resistance to simulated gastrointestinal (GI) conditions of Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 and Bifidobacterium animalis Bb-12 in synbiotic ice creams, in which milk was replaced by soy extract and/or whey protein isolate (WPI) with inulin, were investigated. The ice creams were showed to be satisfactory vehicles for La-5 and Bb-12 (populations around 7.5logCFU/g), even after the whole storage period (84days/-18°C). In all formulations, the propidium monoazide qPCR (PMA-qPCR) analysis demonstrated that probiotics could resist the in vitro GI assay, with significant survival levels, achieving survival rates exceeding 50%. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy images evidenced cells with morphological differences, suggesting physiological changes in response to the induced stress during the in vitro assay. Although all formulations provided resistance to the probiotic strains under GI stress, the variation found in probiotic survival suggests that GI tolerance is indeed affected by the choice of the food matrix.

Antitumor activity of kielmeyera coriacea leaf constituents in experimental melanoma, tested in vitro and in vivo in syngeneic mice.

PURPOSE: The antitumor activity of Kielmeyera coriacea (Clusiaceae), a medicinal plant used in the treatment of parasitic, as well as fungal and bacterial infections by the Brazilian Cerrado population, was investigated. METHODS: A chloroform extract (CE) of K. coriacea was tested in the murine melanoma cell line (B16F10-Nex2) and a panel of human tumor cell lines. Tumor cell migration was determined by the wound-healing assay and the in vivo antitumor activity of CE was investigated in a melanoma cell metastatic model. 1H NMR and GC/MS were used to determine CE chemical composition. RESULTS: We found that CE exhibited strong cytotoxic activity against murine melanoma cells and a panel of human tumor cell lines in vitro. CE also inhibited growth of B16F10-Nex2 cells at sub lethal concentrations, inducing cell cycle arrest at S phase, and inhibition of tumor cell migration. Most importantly, administration of CE significantly reduced the number of melanoma metastatic nodules in vivo. Chemical analysis of CE indicated the presence of the long chain fatty compounds, 1-eicosanol, 1-docosanol, and 2-nonadecanone as main constituents. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that K. coriacea is a promising medicinal plant in cancer therapy exhibiting antitumor activity both in vitro and in vivo against different tumor cell lines.