Ahmed M. Aboul-Enein

Willow Leaves' Extracts Contain Anti-Tumor Agents Effective against Three Cell Types

Many higher plants contain novel metabolites with antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral properties. However, in the developed world almost all clinically used chemotherapeutics have been produced by in vitro chemical synthesis. Exceptions, like taxol and vincristine, were structurally complex metabolites that were difficult to synthesize in vitro. Many non-natural, synthetic drugs cause severe side effects that were not acceptable except as treatments of last resort for terminal diseases such as cancer. The metabolites discovered in medicinal plants may avoid the side effect of synthetic drugs, because they must accumulate within living cells. The aim here was to test an aqueous extract from the young developing leaves of willow (Salix safsaf, Salicaceae) trees for activity against human carcinoma cells in vivo and in vitro. In vivo Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma Cells (EACC) were injected into the intraperitoneal cavity of mice. The willow extract was fed via stomach tube. The (EACC) derived tumor growth was reduced by the willow extract and death was delayed (for 35 days). In vitro the willow extract could kill the majority (75%–80%) of abnormal cells among primary cells harvested from seven patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 13 with AML (acute myeloid leukemia). DNA fragmentation patterns within treated cells inferred targeted cell death by apoptosis had occurred. The metabolites within the willow extract may act as tumor inhibitors that promote apoptosis, cause DNA damage, and affect cell membranes and/or denature proteins.

Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) solms: From water parasite to potential medicinal remedy

Water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart) Solms, originating in the amazonian basin, is a warm water aquatic plant. Water hyacinth is considered one of the most productive plants on earth and, accordingly, is considered one of the top 10 world’s worst weeds. Water hyacinth spread to other tropical and subtropical regions by humans. It invaded about 62 countries in Africa, Asia and North America, and propagated extremely serious ecological, economical and social problems in the region between 40 degrees north and 45 degrees south. The dense weed of water hyacinth forms dense monocultures that can threaten local native species diversity and change the physical and chemical aquatic environment, thus altering ecosystem structure and function by disrupting food chains and nutrient cycling. We have separated and identified nine active fractions from water hyacinth and showed their promising therapeutic activities. Several compounds (alkaloid, phthalate derivatives, propanoid and phenyl derivatives) were identified in the extract of water hyacinth.

Nitric oxide triggers specific and dose-dependent cytosolic calcium transients in Arabidopsis

Calcium (Ca2+) transients have been shown to take place in response to diverse developmental and physiological cues. Also, it is involved in biotic and abiotic stress signaling. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule that plays a crucial role in plant growth and development, starting from germination to flowering, ripening of fruit and senescence of organs. Moreover, it plays a pivotal role in several biotic and abiotic stress signaling processes. In the present work, the ability of NO to trigger increases in cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]cyt) was investigated. For this purpose, transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings constitutively expressing the luminescent Ca2+-sensitive protein apoaequorin (35S::APOAEQUORIN) was employed. In chemiluminescence and in vivo Ca2+ imaging assays, the NO-donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) brought about a strong, instantaneous, reproducible, and dose-dependent rise in [Ca2+]cyt. Moreover, the observed rise in [Ca2+]cyt was shown to be NO-specific and not associated with decomposition products of SNP, as the NO-scavenger 2-4-carboxyphenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3 oxide (C-PTIO) significantly blunted the observed NO-mediated spike in [Ca2+]cyt. Interestingly, preincubation of 35S::APOAEQUORIN Arabidopsis seedlings with the plasma membrane channel blocker lanthanum chloride resulted in partial concentration-dependent blocking of the NO-specific Ca2+ transient. This observation indicates that, in addition to the mobilization of [Ca2+]cyt, as an external source in response to NO treatment, an appreciable contribution of yet unidentified internal pools also exist.

Hepatoprotective effects of antioxidants against non- target toxicity of the bio-insecticide spinosad in rats

1 Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, 12613 Giza, Egypt. 2 Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. BOX 10219, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia. 3 Economic Entomology ands Pesticide Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo Universitry, Giza, Egypt. 4 National Organization for Drug Control and Research (NODCAR), Giza, Egypt. 5 Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. 6 Department of Zoology, and Center for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan StateUniversity, East Lansing, MI, USA. 7 Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, P. O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia 8 Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR, China. 9 School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China. 10 School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.

Biological activities of secondary metabolites from Emericella nidulans EGCU 312

The fungus, Emericella nidulans was isolated from soil. The ITS region of 5.8S rRNA of the isolated fungus was amplified and sequenced. E. nidulans EGCU312 was given an accession number: KC511056 in the NCBI GenBank. Twenty one (21) fractions were obtained from the ethyl acetate extract of fungal filtrate. Fraction no. 12 showed the highest antioxidant activity with 81.54% at 200 µg/ml. High anticancer activities (against EACC cell line) ranging between 64.3 and 87.7% at 200 µg/ml, were exhibited by fractions no. 1, 2, 4, 9, 12 and 20. The mode of action of anticancer activity was studied by measuring activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and caspase-3. Fraction no. 12 gave the highest effect (2249.2 U/l) in LDH released as compared to control cells (1127.7 U/l) and caused a 1.56-fold increase in caspase-3 activity. Interestingly, fraction no. 12 caused 100% inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli at 50 µg/ml, and Aspergillus fumigatus at 100 µg/ml. The minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of this fraction were 4 and 10 µg/ml for S. aureus and E. coli, respectively, while the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 45 µg/ml against A. fumigatus. GC-MS profile of fraction no. 12 showed 21 compounds, six of which, that is, 2-methylbenzylamine, N-heptyl-N-octyl; naphthalene, 2,3,6-trimethyl-; octadecanoic acid, ethyl ester; 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, butyl octyl ester; tributylacetylcitrate; 1,2- and benzenedicarboxylic acid, diisooctyl ester, were of known biological activities. Key words: Emericella nidulans EGCU 312, antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial.