Sunil Mittal

Essential Oils and Their Constituents as Anticancer Agents: A Mechanistic View

Exploring natural plant products as an option to find new chemical entities as anticancer agents is one of the fastest growing areas of research. Recently, in the last decade, essential oils (EOs) have been under study for their use in cancer therapy and the present review is an attempt to collect and document the available studies indicating EOs and their constituents as anticancer agents. This review enlists nearly 130 studies of EOs from various plant species and their constituents that have been studied so far for their anticancer potential and these studies have been classified as in vitro and in vivo studies for EOs and their constituents. This review also highlights in-depth various mechanisms of action of different EOs and their constituents reported in the treatment strategies for different types of cancer. The current review indicates that EOs and their constituents act by multiple pathways and mechanisms involving apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, antimetastatic and antiangiogenic, increased levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS), DNA repair modulation, and others to demonstrate their antiproliferative activity in the cancer cell. The effect of EOs and their constituents on tumour suppressor proteins (p53 and Akt), transcription factors (NF-κB and AP-1), MAPK-pathway, and detoxification enzymes like SOD, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase has also been discussed.

Advances in arsenic biosensor development - A comprehensive review

Biosensors are analytical devices having high sensitivity, portability, small sample requirement and ease of use for qualitative and quantitative monitoring of various analytes of human importance. Arsenic (As), owing to its widespread presence in nature and high toxicity to living creatures, requires frequent determination in water, soil, agricultural and food samples. The present review is an effort to highlight the various advancements made so far in the development of arsenic biosensors based either on recombinant whole cells or on certain arsenic-binding oligonucleotides or proteins. The role of futuristic approaches like surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and aptamer technology has also been discussed. The biomethods employed and their general mechanisms, advantages and limitations in relevance to arsenic biosensors developed so far are intended to be discussed in this review.

Characterization and antioxidant activity of essential oils from fresh and decaying leaves of Eucalyptus tereticornis.

The composition of essential oils hydrodistilled from fresh and decaying leaves of Eucalyptus tereticornis was analyzed by means of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, and a total of 68 constituents were identified. The essential oils were assayed for antioxidant activity in terms of scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) and hydroxyl (OH(*)) radical, and superoxide anion (O2(-*)).The major constituents of the fresh leaf oil were alpha-pinene (28.53%) and 1,8-cineole (19.48%), whereas in the decaying leaf oil, beta-citronellal (14.15%), (-)-isopulegol (13.35%), and (+)-beta-citronellol (10.73%) were the major components. Both essential oils exhibited a strong radical scavenging activity against DPPH radical with IC50 values of 110 and 139.8 microg/mL for fresh and decaying leaf oil, respectively (IC50 of BHT = 164.2 microg/mL). Further, the essential oils (at 400 microg/mL) also exhibited OH(*) (56-62%) and O2(-*) (65-69%) scavenging activity parallel to the commercial antioxidant BHT/ascorbic acid. However, unlike the essential oils, the major monoterpene constituents exhibited significantly less scavenging activity (<35% DPPH or OH(*); at 400 microg/mL). The study concluded that fresh and decaying leaves of E. tereticornis are a source of monoterpenoid rich oil exhibiting antioxidant activity.

Biosensors for breast cancer diagnosis: A review of bioreceptors, biotransducers and signal amplification strategies

Breast cancer is highly prevalent in females and accounts for second highest number of deaths, worldwide. Cumbersome, expensive and time consuming detection techniques presently available for detection of breast cancer potentiates the need for development of novel, specific and ultrasensitive devices. Biosensors are the promising and selective detection devices which hold immense potential as point of care (POC) tools. Present review comprehensively scrutinizes various breast cancer biosensors developed so far and their technical evaluation with respect to efficiency and potency of selected bioreceptors and biotransducers. Use of glycoproteins, DNA biomarkers, micro-RNA, circulatory tumor cells (CTC) and some potential biomarkers are introduced briefly. The review also discusses various strategies used in signal amplification such as nanomaterials, redox mediators, p19 protein, duplex specific nucleases (DSN) and redox cycling.

In vitro screening of essential oil from young and mature leaves of Artemisia scoparia compared to its major constituents for free radical scavenging activity.

The present study investigated the chemical characterization, and antioxidant activity of essential oil hydrodistilled from young and mature leaves of Artemisia scoparia. GC-MS analyses revealed a monoterpenoid nature (64-67%) with 44 and 31 constituents in young and mature leaves oil, respectively. The oil from young leaf contained greater amount of oxygenated compounds. Beta-myrcene (24.13%) and p-cymene (27.06%) were the major constituents in young and mature leaves oil, respectively. A. scoparia leaf oils (25-200 microg/ml) exhibited a strong 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity and antioxidant activity against hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide. However, the activities of major constituent monoterpenes, beta-myrcene and p-cymene, were less. In general, the DPPH radical scavenging and antioxidant activity was in the order: mature leaf oil > young leaf oil > beta-myrcene > p-cymene.

Effects of Environmental Pesticides on the Health of Rural Communities in the Malwa Region of Punjab, India: A Review

ABSTRACT The Malwa region of Punjab, India, is facing an unprecedented crisis of environmental health linked to indiscriminate, excessive, and unsafe use of pesticides, fertilizers, and poor groundwater quality. The region has been described as Indias “cancer capital” due to abnormally high number of cancer cases, which have increased 3-fold in the last 10 years. Studies of this region have also highlighted a sharp increase in many other pesticide-related diseases, such as mental retardation and reproductive disorders. The most affected individuals are the agricultural workers who are directly exposed to pesticides. The Malwa region of Punjab, India, is less than 15% of the total area of Punjab (only 0.5% of the total geographical area of India), but it consumes nearly 75% of the total pesticides used in Punjab. The high use of pesticides, along with environmental and social factors, is responsible for the high concentration of pesticide residues in the food chain of this region. Moreover, many banned and restricted pesticides are still in use in this region, warranting strict periodical health checkups and other interventions. The present review describes occupational, environmental, and social factors associated with pesticide use in the Malwa region of Punjab, India, and proposes some risk reduction interventions.

Chemical composition of essential oil from leaves of Chenopodium ambrosioides from Chandigarh, India

Chenopodium ambrosioides L., commonly known as Mexican tea or American wormwood or West Indian Goosefoot or Epazote (family Chenopodiaceae), is a native of Central and South America and now distributed throughout the tropical parts of the world. It is an aromatic plant with grooved red-colored stem and oblong-lanceolate and toothed leaves, green flowers, and possesses a strong camphoraceous aroma. It often reaches a height up to ~125 cm. The plant has anthelminthic properties [1] and is analgesic [2]. The plant finds use in dysentery and for treatment of rectal bleeding, stomachache, and as a flavoring agent in soups in Mexico [3]. The plant and its oil have been in use since the 18th century to remove intestinal worms – ascarids and hookworms – in humans, cats, dogs, horses and, even pigs [1]. The oil also possesses vermifugal [4], antifungal [5], nematicidal [6], and insect-repellant [7] activity. The anthelminthic properties of the oil are due to the presence of ascaridole – an endoperoxide monoterpene. Generally, the oil with more than 60-70% ascaridole rich fractions is suitable for commercial exploitation. It is still under use in South America as an anthelminthic. However, excessive use of the oil has toxicological implications and health concerns to humans. Further, the toxicity of the oil depends largely upon its ascaridole content, which varies greatly with the region. The aim of present study was to explore the chemical composition of essential oil from the leaves of Chenopodium ambrosioides.

Constituents of Leaf Essential Oil of Mentha longifolia from India

1) Centre for Environment and Vocational Studies, Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160 014,India; 2) Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160 014, India, e-mail: daizybatish@yahoo.com. Publishedin Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 426-427, July-August, 2008. Original article submitted February 5, 2007. 528 0009-3130/08/4404-0528

Phytotoxicity of Major Constituents of the Volatile Oil from Leaves of Artemisia scoparia Waldst. & Kit.

The phytotoxicity of the three major monoterpene constituents of the essential oil from leaves of Artemisia scoparia Waldst. & Kit. (redstem wormwood) was investigated. GC/GCMS analysis revealed that the essential oil (yield 0.84%) is a complex mixture containing 19 monoterpenes, 7 sesquiterpenes and 15 other compounds - aliphatic alcohols, ketones, aromatic hydrocarbons and esters. The three major monoterpenes were β-myrcene (30.2%), p-cymene (12.8%) and dl-limonene (12.4%). The essential oil and the three monoterpenes exhibited phytotoxicity and reduced germination, seedling growth, chlorophyll content and percent respiration of Avena sativa and Triticum aestivum in a dose-response manner. The inhibitory effect of monoterpenes was comparatively smaller than of the crude essential oil and β-myrcene was most toxic followed by p-cymene, whereas limonene was least toxic. The study suggests that A. scoparia oil and β-myrcene can be explored for phytotoxicity against weeds.

Characterization, activity and process optimization with a biomass-based thermal power plant's fly ash as a potential catalyst for biodiesel production

A typical thermal power plant operated using a solid biomass mixture as fuel, which comprised 70–80% gram straw, 10–15% cotton straw, 5–10% wheat straw and leaves (2%) with a small quantity of coal (1–2%) initially used for smooth ignition, produces a residue called Biomass-Based Thermal Power Plant Fly Ash (BBTPFS). BBTPFS was investigated for composition and structural characterization using different techniques. The versatile composition of the BBTPFS was confirmed by XRF analysis that indicated the weight percent of different components viz. CaO (30.74%), SiO2 (27.87%), K2O (13.96%), MgO (6.67%), SO3 (4.83%), Cl (3.36%), Al2O3 (2.83%), Fe2O3 (2.36%), P2O5 (1.34%), Na2O (1.14%), small quantities of TiO2, SrO, MnO, BaO, ZrO2, ZnO, Rb2O, Br, Cr2O3, CuO, NiO and As2O3 as active ingredients. The SEM and TEM image analysis showed the surface morphology of the BBTPFS which was found to be mixed in nature, having 1 to 500 nm range particles with meso, micro and macro porosity. BBTPFS was used as a catalyst for transesterification of Jatropha curcas oil having a high percentage of free fatty acids and appropriate process optimization was achieved using the Taguchi-ANOVA method. It was observed that at a temperature of 225 °C and an internal vapour pressure of 3.2 MPa in a batch reactor with 5% catalyst loading, 1:9 mol mol−1 of oil–alcohol and 3 h reaction time, the optimum yield of biodiesel obtained was ∼93.9%, which is in agreement with the theoretical value. The product quality was assessed and found to conform to ASTM and EN-standards.