Potential Protective Role of Cyrtopodion Scabrum in Antioxidant Parameters in Serum and Liver of Rats with 5-FU-Induced Oxidative Damage.

Chemotherapy is the main approach for the treatment of cancer; however, it often causes unpleasant oxidative damages. Therefore, the development of an effective alternative/complementary therapy with improved tumor suppression efficiency and lower adverse effects is highly required. Recently, it has been shown that Cyrtopodion scabrum extract (CsE) is an effective and selective tumor suppressor medicine. The present study investigated the antioxidant activity of Cyrtopodion scabrum homogenate (CsH) and CsE and their effects on attenuating 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced liver dysfunction in rats. A total of 60 male rats (weight: 200-220 g) were divided into six groups and treated for 14 days. The control (group I) and 5-FU (group II) groups received distilled water and 5-FU, respectively. The other four groups were orally administered with CsE, CsH, CsE+5-FU, and CsH+5-FU (groups III to VI), respectively by gavages based on a daily schedule. The 5-FU-induced oxidative damage was evaluated by changes in the weight and food and water intake during the treatment and antioxidant parameters in the liver and serum of the treated rats. The obtained data indicated that the administration of CsH and CsE significantly improved liver function and defense system of antioxidants by attenuating the levels or activities of malondialdehyde, superoxide anion, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase and decrease of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, total antioxidant capacity, glutathione, total protein, and albumin in the liver and serum, induced by 5-FU treatment. The obtained data of the current study suggested that CsH and CsE play a protective role in the imbalance elicited by 5-FU and can be used as alternative/complementary supplements with 5-FU to reduce oxidative damages which is the consequence of reactive oxygen species production in cancerous patients.

Composition and Anti-Toxicity Effects of Cichorium intybus Distillate on Serum Antioxidant Status in Carbon Tetrachloride-Treated Rats.

The role of oxidative stress in female fertility is a compelling area for research. According to traditional medicine, Cichorium intybus, known as Kasni, is believed to improve fertility. For this purpose, the effects of C. intybus distillate (CI) on blood antioxidant status were assessed in rats with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced toxicity. The rats were assigned to four experimental groups of Control, CI, CCl4, and CI+CCl410 (n=10 in each group). The level of antioxidant enzymes, such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and catalase (CAT), as well as lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione (GSH) level, were measured in serum samples. In the second part of the study, the antioxidant activity and phytochemical composition of the hydrodistillate of C. intybus aerial parts were determined by DPPH radical scavenging and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, respectively. The administration of CCl4 decreased the enzyme activities of GPx, GR, and CAT which were significantly ameliorated after CI administration. The decreased level of serum GSH following CCl4 administration was not considerably elevated in the CI+CCl4 group. Furthermore, the level of malondialdehyde in the serum of CI+CCl4 rats was decreased, compared to the CCl4 group. The main compositions of the essential oil from the C. intybus distillate were the antioxidants of Pulegone (8.10%), Piperitenone (7.68%), dihydroactinidiolide (5.0%), and carvone (4.18%). The antioxidant activity of the distillate was obtained at 75µg/l using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) test. In general, the results of the present study demonstrated that C. intybus distillate, as a safe herbal remedy, can attenuate CCl4-induced oxidative damages via boosting the endogenous antioxidant defense system.

Expression and Purification of Recombinant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (TB) Antigens, ESAT-6, CFP-10 and ESAT- 6/CFP-10 and Their Diagnosis Potential for Detection of TB Patients.

BACKGROUND: One of the most widely used methods to detect tuberculosis (TB) infection is the tuberculin skin test (TST). The completion of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) genome sequence has led to identification of several antigens that can be utilized for accurate diagnosis and control of TB. The aim of this study was to purify the recombinant M. tuberculosis antigens for the evaluation of their potential in TB diagnosis. METHODS: The recombinant secretory antigens, ESAT-6, CFP-10 and ESAT-6/CFP-10 were produced by PCR and cloning methods. To investigate antigen specific responses of these recombinant antigens in detection of TB, ex vivo enzyme linked immunospot (ELISPOT) test in 30 clinically diagnosed TB patients was evaluated. RESULTS: The selected M. tuberculosis antigens were cloned, expressed and purified in Escherichia coli (BL21). ELISPOT assay for detection of TB showed the sensitivity of 93, 90 and 100% for recombinant ESAT-6, CFP-10 and ESAT-6/CFP-10 proteins respectively, which is significantly higher than conventional TST. CONCLUSION: The recombinant antigens of ESAT-6, CFP-10 and ESAT-6/CFP-10 can be used as an accurate means of detecting TB in Iran.