Cytotoxic effect of Rotheca serrata on cancer cell lines MCF-7 and neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y.

INTRODUCTION: Rotheca serrata (Lamiaceae), a highly medicinal plant is used as an antidote for snakebite and the plant possesses medicinal properties like hepatoprotective, antitussive, antioxidant, anticancer, neuro-protective, used in rheumatoid arthritis and is also a α-glucoside inhibitor. AIM OF THE STUDY: This work aimed to study the anticancerous effect of Rotheca serrata (root and leaf) on cancer cell lines MCF-7 (breast cancer cell line) and Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This investigation was a preliminary one which supported the retrospective and safe use of plants as described in Ayurveda. Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium with High Glucose (DMEM-HG) for culturing MCF-7- Human Breast cancer cell line and Minimum essential Medium (MEM)+F12 medium for culturing SH-SY5Y- Homo sapiens bone marrow neuroblast were used. MTT assay measured the cell proliferation rate and conversely, when metabolic events lead to apoptosis or necrosis, the reduction in cell viability. RESULTS: The results indicated that the Methanolic extract of Rotheca serrata (root and leaf) showed high anticancer activity. Different concentrations of plant extracts (25, 50, 100, 200, 400 µg/ml) were used to study the anticancerous activity, amongst which the significant results were obtained for 400 µg/ml concentration (both root & leaf). Effective anticancer activity against MCF - 7 breast cancer cells was shown in methanoilc extracts and were expressed as IC 50 values; in root (IC 50 value = 61.8259 ± 7.428 µg/ml) and in leaf (IC 50 value = 78.1497 ± 6.316 µg/ml). The MTT assay in case of neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cell lines revealed that 400 µg/ml concentration of leaf methanolic extract showed effective inhibition of cancer cells with IC 50 value 37.8462 ± 2.957 µg/ml as compared to IC 50 value of root methanolic extract which was 57.0895 ± 2.351 µg/ml. CONCLUSION: R. serrata possess anticancer activity against breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and neuroblastoma (SH-SY 5Y) cell lines. This study may to design plant-based drugs without side effects. Dosage compensation for specific type of cancer needs to be monitored in patients with 1st stage.

Impact of Climate Change on Altered Fruit Quality with Organoleptic, Health Benefit, and Nutritional Attributes.

As a consequence of global climate change, acute water deficit conditions, soil salinity, and high temperature have been on the rise in their magnitude and frequency, which have been found to impact plant growth and development negatively. However, recent evidence suggests that many fruit plants that face moderate abiotic stresses can result in beneficial effects on the postharvest storage characters of the fruits. Salinity, drought, and high temperature conditions stimulate the synthesis of abscisic acid (ABA), and secondary metabolites, which are vital for fruit quality. The secondary metabolites like phenolic acids and anthocyanins that accumulate under abiotic stress conditions have antioxidant activity, and therefore, such fruits have health benefits too. It has been noticed that fruits accumulate more sugar and anthocyanins owing to upregulation of phenylpropanoid pathway enzymes. The novel information that has been generated thus far indicates that the growth environment during fruit development influences the quality components of the fruits. But the quality depends on the trade-offs between productivity, plant defense, and the frequency, duration, and intensity of stress. In this review, we capture the current knowledge of the irrigation practices for optimizing fruit production in arid and semiarid regions and enhancement in the quality of fruit with the application of exogenous ABA and identify gaps that exist in our understanding of fruit quality under abiotic stress conditions.

Comparison of actigraphy indices among patients with depression and schizophrenia: A preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia (SCZ) and depression (MDD) are associated with changes in sleep and activity patterns. However, because of a lack of objective evaluation, the diagnostic or clinical value of these sleep-activity patterns is unknown. In this study, we attempted to assess and compare the sleep and activity patterns using actigraphy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have recruited 35 patients with SCZ (mean age: 29.29 ± 7.54 years) and 42 patients with MDD (mean age: 27.5 ± 5.59 years) in this cross-sectional study. The actigraphy indices [Time in bed (minutes), Onset latency (minutes), Total sleep time (Minutes), Sleep efficiency (%), WASO (minutes), number of awakening, and activity duration (minutes) were compared among the two groups using unpaired t-test and Fisher exact test. RESULTS: In the MDD group, the time in bed (minutes) was significantly higher than in the SCZ group (402.7 ± 41.97 vs. 379.1 ± 40.45, P = 0.01), while the sleep efficiency was lower in the SCZ group than in the MDD group (60.04 ± 9.25 vs. 65.05 ± 7.16, P = 0.0092). An increase in onset latency (minutes) was observed in the SCZ group compared to the MDD group (49.06 ± 16.09 vs. 43.6 ± 10.14, P = 0.074). The difference in WASO (minutes), the number of awakenings, and activity duration (minutes) among the two groups were insignificant. CONCLUSION: Actigraphy parameters such as sleep efficiency and time in bed may be a useful sleep process, etiological, and prognostic markers in patients with SCZ and MDD. The longitudinal studies are needed to estimate the predictive role of these parameters for therapeutic outcome in these patients.