Evaluation of the antineoplastic activity of guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) in cultured HeLa cells

Tinospora cordifolia ameliorates paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain in albino rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Tinospora cordifolia (T. cordifolia) (Willd.) Miers, a member of the Menispermaceae, family documented in the ancient textbooks of the Ayurveda System of Medicine, has been used in the management of sciatica pain and diabetic neuropathy.

AIM

The study has been designed to evaluate the antinociceptive potential of various extracts of T. cordifolia stem in Paclitaxel (PT)-generated neuropathic pain model in albino rats and explore its possible mechanism employing molecular docking studies.

METHODS

Stems of T. cordifolia were shade dried, grinded in fine powder, and extracted separately with different solvents viz. ethanol, water & hydro-alcoholic and characterized using LCMS/MS. The antinociceptive property of T. cordifolia stem (200 and 400 mg/kg) was examined in albino rats using a PT-induced neuropathic pain model. Further, the effect of these extracts was also observed using different behavioral assays viz. cold allodynia, mechanical hyperalgesia (pin-prick test), locomotor activity test, walking track test, and Sciatic Functional Index (SFI) in rats. Tissue lysate of the sciatic nerve was used to determine various biochemical markers such as GSH, SOD, TBARS, tissue protein, and nitrite. Further to explore the possible mechanism of action, the most abundant and therapeutically active compounds available in aqueous extract were analyzed for binding affinity towards soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) enzyme (PDB ID: 3wk4) employing molecular docking studies.

RESULTS

The results of the LCMS/MS study of different extracts of T. cordifolia indicated presence of alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids, sterols and sugars such as amritoside A, tinocordin, magnoflorine, N-methylcoclaurine, coridine, 20β-hydroxyecdysone and menaquinone-7 palmatin, cordifolioside A and tinosporine etc. Among all the three extracts, the hydroalcoholic extract (400 mg/kg) showed the highest response followed by aqueous and ethanolic extracts as evident in in vivo behavioral and biochemical evaluations. Furthermore, docking studies also exposed that these compounds viz. N-methylcoclaurine tinosporin, palmatine, tinocordin, 20β-hydroxyecdysone, and coridine exhibited well to excellent affinity towards target sEH protein.

CONCLUSION

T. cordifolia stem could alleviate neuropathic pain via soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitory activity.

Unveiling Various Facades of Tinospora cordifolia Stem in Food: Medicinal and Nutraceutical Aspects

Natural products with curative properties are gaining immense popularity in scientific and food research, possessing no side effects in contrast to other drugs. Guduchi, or Tinospora cordifolia, belongs to the menispermaceae family of universal drugs used to treat various diseases in traditional Indian literature. It has received attention in recent decades because of its utilization in folklore medicine for treating several disorders. Lately, the findings of active phytoconstituents present in herbal plants and their pharmacological function in disease treatment and control have stimulated interest in plants around the world. Guduchi is ethnobotanically used for jaundice, diabetes, urinary problems, stomachaches, prolonged diarrhea, skin ailments, and dysentery. The treatment with Guduchi extracts was accredited to phytochemical constituents, which include glycosides, alkaloids, steroids, and diterpenoid lactones. This review places emphasis on providing in-depth information on the budding applications of herbal medicine in the advancement of functional foods and nutraceuticals to natural product researchers.

Role of Phytochemicals in Cancer Chemoprevention: Insights

Cancer is a condition where the body cells multiply in an uncontrollable manner. Chemoprevention of cancer is a broad term that describes the involvement of external agents to slow down or suppress cancer growth. Synthetic and natural compounds are found useful in cancer chemoprevention. The occurrence of global cancer type varies, depending on many factors such as environmental, lifestyle, genetic etc. Cancer is often preventable in developed countries with advanced treatment modalities, whereas it is a painful death sentence in developing and low-income countries due to the lack of modern therapies and awareness. One best practice to identify cancer control measures is to study the origin and risk factors associated with common types. Based on these factors and the health status of patients, stage, and severity of cancer, type of treatment is decided. Even though there are well-established therapies, cancer still stands as one of the major causes of death and a public health burden globally. Research shows that most cancers can be prevented, treated, or the incidence can be delayed. Phytochemicals from various medicinal plants were reported to reduce various risk factors associated with different types of cancer through their chemopreventive role. This review highlights the role of bioactive compounds or natural products from plants in the chemoprevention of cancer. There are many plant based dietary factors involved in the chemoprevention process. The review discusses the process of carcinogenesis and chemoprevention using plants and phytocompounds, with special reference to five major chemopreventive phytocompounds. The article also summarizes the important chemopreventive mechanisms and signaling molecules involved in the process. Since the role of antioxidants in chemoprevention is inevitable, an insight into plant-based antioxidant compounds that fight against this dreadful disease at various stages of carcinogenesis and disease progression is discussed. This will fill the research gap in search of chemopreventive natural compounds and encourage scientists in clinical trials of anticancer agents from plants.

Biogenic Gold Nanoparticles as Potent Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Nano-Antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Plant-based synthesis of eco-friendly nanoparticles has widespread applications in many fields, including medicine. Biofilm—a shield for pathogenic microorganisms—once formed, is difficult to destroy with antibiotics, making the pathogen resistant. Here, we synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using the stem of an Ayurvedic medicinal plant, Tinospora cordifolia, and studied the action of AuNPs against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 biofilm. The synthesized AuNPs were characterized by techniques such as ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy. The AuNPs were spherically shaped with an average size of 16.1 nm. Further, the subminimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of AuNPs (50, 100, and 150 µg/mL) greatly affected the biofilm-forming ability of P. aeruginosa, as observed by crystal violet assay and SEM, which showed a decrease in the number of biofilm-forming cells with increasing AuNP concentration. This was further justified by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), which showed irregularities in the structure of the biofilm at the sub-MIC of AuNPs. Further, the interaction of AuNPs with PAO1 at the highest sub-MIC (150 µg/mL) showed the internalization of the nanoparticles, probably affecting the tendency of PAO1 to colonize on the surface of the nanoparticles. This study suggests that green-synthesized AuNPs can be used as effective nano-antibiotics against biofilm-related infections caused by P. aeruginosa.

In vitro antitubercular, anticancer activities and IL-10 expression in HCT-116 cells of Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merr. leaves extract

Considering the importance of Tinospora sinensis in folklore as immunomodulant, the leaves subjected to cold maceration using ethanol, ethyl acetate and n-hexane and then screened for their antitubercular, anticancer and IL-10 expression (HCT-116) properties using luciferase reporter phage, MTT and flow cytometry assay methods, respectively. The results revealed that ethyl acetate and n-hexane extracts demonstrated the promising (p < 0.05) antitubercular activity with inhibition (%) of 92% and 86%, at 100 µg/ml, respectively and the respective IC₅₀ values of 63.99 and 113.7 µg/ml on HeLa and HCT-166 cells. The n-hexane extract demonstrated the significant (p < 0.05) IL-10 expression (44.12 MFU) in HCT-116 cells against the control cells (8.48 MFU). The GC-MS analyses of n-hexane extract showed presence of tembatarine, berberine, cordifoliside E, and magnoflorine as major constituents. Among all extracts, n-hexane leaf extract was found to be potent against inhibition of colon cancer cells (HCT-116) and Mycobacteria, with significant immunostimulant activity.

Semisynthesis and Kappa-Opioid Receptor Activity of Derivatives of Columbin, a Furanolactone Diterpene

Columbin (1) is a furanolactone diterpene isolated from the roots of Jateorhiza and Tinospora species. These species generally grow in Asia and Africa and have been used in folk medicine for their apparent analgesic and antipyretic activities. Columbin (1) is of particular interest due to its structural similarity to the known kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) agonist salvinorin A. Given that the KOR is of interest in the study of many serious diseases, such as anxiety, depression, and drug addiction, obtaining natural or semisynthetic molecules with KOR activity recently has gained much interest. For this reason, in the present study, derivatives of 1 were designed and synthesized using known structure-activity relationships of salvinorin A at KORs. The structures of the columbin analogues prepared were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy, and their KOR activity was investigated in vitro by inhibition of forskolin-induced cAMP accumulation. Slight improvements in KOR activity were observed in columbin derivatives over their parent compound. However, despite the structural similarities to salvinorin A, neither columbin (1) nor its derivatives were potent KOR ligands. This work represents not only the first evaluation of columbin (1) at the KOR but also one of the first works to explore synthetic strategies that are tolerated on the columbin core.

Chemistry and Pharmacology of Tinospora cordifolia

Tinospora cordifolia (Menispermaceae) is an Ayurvedic medicinal plant distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and China. The whole plant is used in folk and the Ayurvedic system of medicine alone and in combination with other plants. Due to its commercial importance, T. cordifolia has been of intense research interest for the last four decades with the isolation of diverse compounds such as alkaloids, sesquiterpenoids, diterpenoids, phenolics, steroids, aliphatic compounds and polysaccharides, along with the discovery of a wide spectrum of pharmacological properties like immunomodulation, anticancer, hepatoprotective and hypoglycemic. Although pharmacological activities of extracts and compounds of T. cordifolia have been studied both in vitro and in vivo, only few mechanisms of action have been explored and need further elaboration. In the present review, the pharmacological activities of compounds and different extracts of T. cordifolia are highlighted, along with those of the marketed products, showing the relevance of phytochemicals and the standardization of the marketed products for medicinal use. This compilation of the extensive literature of T. cordifolia here will be a referral point for clinical study and the development of standardized phytomedicines in healthcare.

In vitro and in vivo bactericidal activity of Tinospora sagittata (Oliv.) Gagnep. var. craveniana (S.Y.Hu) Lo and its main effective component, palmatine, against porcine Helicobacter pylori

Background

Tinospora sagittata (Oliv.) Gagnep. var. craveniana (S.Y.Hu) Lo (TSG) is a traditional Chinese herb that has been used for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infection and has anti-bacterial and anti-ulcer activity. Our study investigated the bactericidal effects of TSG and its major component, palmatine, against a Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) strain isolated from pig and the standard strain H. pylori SS1 in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

H. pylori was isolated from pig and named H. pylori SCYA201401. For in vitro experiments, the inhibitory activity of TSG and palmatine against H. pylori SCYA201401 and H. pylori SS1 were tested by use of the agar cup diffusion technique. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined from the absence of H. pylori colonies on agar plates. Time-kill curves were used to evaluate bactericidal activity; the average number of colonies was calculated at 0 to 48 h after liquid incubation, with concentrations of drugs at 0.5, 1, and 2 × MIC. For in vivo experiments, H. pylori SCYA201401-infected mice were randomly divided into TSG, palmatine, triple therapy (omeprazole, clarithromycin, and amoxicillin), blank control, and model groups. The eradication ratios were determined by use of rapid urease tests and bacterial culture.

Results

In vitro, the MIC and MBC of TSG against H. pylori SCYA201401 and SS1 were both 6250 μg/mL, whereas palmatine against H. pylori SCYA201401 was 6.25 μg/mL and against H. pylori SS1 was 3.12 μg/mL. The time-kill curves showed a dose-dependent, progressive decline in the numbers of viable bacteria up to 40 h. In vivo, the eradication ratios in the TSG and palmatine groups of mice were 80 and 50 % compared with 70 % in the triple-therapy group.

Conclusion

TSG and its major component, palmatine, have bactericidal activity against H. pylori in vitro and in vivo. The possibility that TSG or palmatine can be effective in the treatment of human and animals H. pylori infection deserves investigation.

Tinospora crispa (L.) Hook. f. & Thomson: A Review of Its Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical, and Pharmacological Aspects

Tinospora crispa (L.) Hook. f. & Thomson (Menispermaceae), found in the rainforests or mixed deciduous forests in Asia and Africa, is used in traditional medicines to treat numerous health conditions. This review summarizes the up-to-date reports about the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, toxicology, and clinical trials of the plant. It also provides critical assessment about the present knowledge of the plant which could contribute toward improving its prospect as a source of lead molecules for drug discovery. The plant has been used traditionally in the treatment of jaundice, rheumatism, urinary disorders, fever, malaria, diabetes, internal inflammation, fracture, scabies, hypertension, reducing thirst, increasing appetite, cooling down the body temperature, and maintaining good health. Phytochemical analyses of T. crispa revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, and flavone glycosides, triterpenes, diterpenes and diterpene glycosides, cis clerodane-type furanoditerpenoids, lactones, sterols, lignans, and nucleosides. Studies showed that the crude extracts and isolated compounds of T. crispa possessed a broad range of pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, cytotoxic, antimalarial, cardioprotective, and anti-diabetic activities. Most pharmacological studies were based on crude extracts of the plant and the bioactive compounds responsible for the bioactivities have not been well identified. Further investigations are required to transform the experience-based claims on the use of T. crispa in traditional medicine practices into evidence-based information. The plant extract used in pharmacological and biological studies should be qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed based on its biomarkers. There should be detail in vitro and in vivo studies on the mechanisms of action of the pure bioactive compounds and more elaborate toxicity study to ensure safety of the plant for human use. More clinical trials are encouraged to be carried out if there are sufficient preclinical and safety data.

Aqueous Extract of Anticancer Drug CRUEL Herbomineral Formulation Capsules Exerts Anti-proliferative Effects in Renal Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines

PURPOSE

Anti-cancer activity evaluation of aqueous extract of CRUEL (herbomineral formulation) capsules on renal cell carcinoma cell lines, and exploration of mechanisms of cell death.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To detect the cytotoxic dose concentration in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells, MTT assays were performed and morphological changes after treatment were observed by inverted microscopy. Drug effects against RCC cell lines were assessed with reference to cell cycle distribution (flow cytometry), anti-metastatic potential (wound healing assay) and autophagy(RT-PCR).

RESULTS

CRUEL showed anti-proliferative effects against RCC tumor cell lines with an IC50 value of approximately 4mg/mL in vitro, while inducing cell cycle arrest at S-phase of the cell cycle and inhibiting wound healing. LC3 was found to be up-regulated after drug treatment by RT-PCR resulting in an autophagy mode of cell death.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides experimental validation for antitumor activity of CRUEL.

In Vivo Delivery of Tinospora cordifolia Root Extract Preventing Radiation-Induced Dystrophies in Mice Ovaries

Unconscious and unplanned radiation exposures are a severe threat to gonads particularly ovaries. The present study aims at finding radioprotective effect of Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers root extract (TCRE) in ovaries. Swiss albino mice were divided into four groups: Group 1 served as “normal” and is administered double distilled water and Group 2 is given TCRE with optimum dosage selected as 75 mg/mice. Group 3 serving the purpose of “irradiated control” were exposed to 2.5 Gy gamma radiation. Group 4 (experimental) were administered optimum dosage of TCRE with prior exposure to 2.5 Gy gamma radiation. Follicle cell counts were scored at autopsy intervals of 24 hrs, 3 days, 7 days, 15 days, and 30 days after gamma irradiation. To understand the mechanism of radioprotection, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and glutathione (GSH) levels were also measured in all groups. TCRE supplementation rendered significant protection to ovaries by restoring follicle counts; it also reduced LPO levels and increased GSH levels in ovaries. It implies that TCRE administration protects ovaries against radiation exposure.

Gastroprotective effect of epoxy clerodane diterpene isolated from Tinospora cordifolia Miers (Guduchi) on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats

The present study evaluated the gastroprotective effect of epoxy clerodane diterpene (ECD), isolated from Tinospora cordifolia on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Administration of indomethacin exhibits extreme levels of ulcer index (UI) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. Indomethacin down regulated PGE2, anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10) and pro-angiogenic factors (VEGF and EGF). The ECD pretreatment considerably increased the levels of PGE2, anti-inflammatory cytokines and pro-angiogenic factors. The ulcer-healing activity of ECD was inhibited by pre-administration of the specific COX-1 inhibitor (SC560) and nonspecific NOS inhibitor (L-NAME), which indicates the involvement of PGE2 and NOS in ECD induced ulcer healing activity. These findings suggest that ECD exerts its antiulcer activity by reinforcement of defensive elements and diminishing the offensive elements.

Effect of Botanical Immunomodulators on Human CYP3A4 Inhibition

Purpose. Many botanical immunomodulators are used as adjuvants along with cancer chemotherapy. However, information on the impact of concurrent administration of such botanicals on pharmacokinetics of chemotherapy agents is inadequate. This study investigates inhibitory activities of 3 popular botanical adjuvants: Asparagus racemosus (root aqueous extract; ARE), Withania somnifera (root aqueous extract; WSE), and Tinospora cordifolia (stem aqueous extract, TCE) on human CYP3A4 isoenzyme, responsible for metabolism of several chemotherapy agents. Experimental design. Testosterone 6-β hydroxylation was monitored using high-performance liquid chromatography as an indicator of CYP3A4 catalytic activities. Ketoconazole (positive control) and extracts were studied at their in vivo–relevant concentrations. Results. TCE showed mild inhibition while no significant inhibitory activities were observed in WSE and ARE. TCE was further fractionated to obtain polar and nonpolar fractions. The nonpolar fraction showed significant CYP3A4 inhibition with IC50 13.06 ± 1.38 µg/mL. Major constituents of nonpolar fraction were identified using HPLC-DAD-MS profiling as berberine, jatrorrhizine, and palmatine, which showed IC50 values as 6.25 ± 0.30, 15.18 ± 1.59, and 15.53 ± 1.89 µg/mL, respectively. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that constituents of TCE extract especially protoberberine alkaloids have the potential to interact with cancer chemotherapy agents that are metabolized by CYP3A4 in vivo.

Tinospora cordifolia: One plant, many roles

Natural products with medicinal value are gradually gaining importance in clinical research due to their well-known property of no side effects as compared to drugs. Tinospora cordifolia commonly named as "Guduchi" is known for its immense application in the treatment of various diseases in the traditional ayurvedic literature. Recently the discovery of active components from the plant and their biological function in disease control has led to active interest in the plant across the globe. Our present study in this review encompasses (i) the genetic diversity of the plant and (ii) active components isolated from the plant and their biological role in disease targeting. The future scope of the review remains in exploiting the biochemical and signaling pathways affected by the compounds isolated from Tinospora so as to enable new and effective formulation in disease eradication.

Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Hook. f. and Thoms. (Guduchi) - validation of the Ayurvedic pharmacology through experimental and clinical studies

T. cordifolia (Guduchi) is a large, glabrous, perennial, deciduous, climbing shrub of weak and fleshy stem found throughout India. It is a widely used plant in folk and Ayurvedic systems of medicine. The chemical constituents reported from this shrub belong to different classes, such as alkaloids, diterpenoid lactones, glycosides, steroids, sesquiterpenoid, phenolics, aliphatic compounds and polysaccharides. Various properties of T. cordifolia, described in ancient texts of Ayurveda, like Rasayana, Sangrahi, Balya, Agnideepana, Tridoshshamaka, Dahnashaka, Mehnashaka, Kasa-swasahara, Pandunashaka, Kamla-Kushta-Vataraktanashaka, Jwarhara, Krimihara, Prameha, Arshnashaka, Kricch-Hridroganashak, etc., are acquiring scientific validity through modern research adopting "reverse pharmacological" approach. Potential medicinal properties reported by scientific research include anti-diabetic, antipyretic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, antioxidant, anti-allergic, anti-stress, anti-leprotic, antimalarial, hepato-protective, immuno-modulatory and anti-neoplastic activities. This review brings together various properties and medicinal uses of T. cordifolia described in Ayurveda, along with phytochemical and pharmacological reports.

Alteration in the radiosensitivity of HeLa cells by dichloromethane extract of guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia)

Exposure of HeLa cells to TCE (dichloromethane extract of Tinospora cordifolia) for 4 hours before exposure to 2-Gy γ-radiation caused a significant decrease in the cell viability (approximately 50%). The surviving fraction (SF) was reduced to 0.52 after 4 hours of TCE treatment; thereafter, clonogenecity of HeLa cells declined negligibly with treatment duration up to 6 hours posttreatment. Exposure of HeLa cells to different doses of γ-radiation resulted in a dose-dependent decline in the viability of HeLa cells, whereas treatment of HeLa cells with various doses of TCE further decreased the cell viability depending not only on the irradiation dose but also on the concentration of TCE. Treatment of HeLa cells with various doses of TCE caused a significant decline in cell viability after exposure to 1 to 4 Gy γ-radiation. The increase in TCE concentration before irradiation caused a concentration-dependent reduction in the SF, and a lowest SF was observed for 4 μg/mL TCE for all exposure doses. HeLa cells treated with TCE showed an increase in lactate dehydrogenase and decrease in glutathioneS-transferase activity at all postirradiation times. Lipid peroxidation increased up to 4 hours postirradiation and declined gradually up to 12 hours postirradiation.

Studies on the neuroprotective role of Piper longum in C6 glioma induced rats

Many naturally occurring substances of plant origin ingested in human diet, exhibit anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic effects. One of the active phytochemical which shows the active anticarcinogenic role is Piper longum Linn. (Pl). Pl is widely used in ayurvedic industry due to its property in healing some of the bodily ailments. Despite being known for the antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticarcinogenic effects, its relation to brain and its tumour development is still scarce. Hence, the experimental glioma model was developed in rats using C6 glioma cells and the effect of Pl was evaluated in the brain tissue of experimental group of rats. From the study, the glioma induced animals showed an increased level of lipid peroxides (LPO), tissue marker enzymes lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), 5'nucleotidase (5'ND) and acetylcholine esterase (AChE). But Pl treatment (20 mg/kg body weight) significantly attenuated these alterations thereby showing potent anticancer effect in glioma induced rats. In addition, the anticarcinogenic effect of Pl was confirmed by microscopic analysis and the restoration of increased lipids and protein bound carbohydrates (PBCs) in the brain tissue of glioma induced rats. Hence our results implicate a major role for Pl in preventing the cancer development in the experimental glioma model.

Effect of Tinospora cordifolia on gamma ray-induced perturbations in macrophages and splenocytes

Tinospora cordifolia (RTc) has already been reported to protect whole-body lethally irradiated mice. This study has focussed on certain aspects of immuno-competence, which are adversely affected by irradiation. This study included estimation of spleen size, cell count, DNA fragmentation and apoptosis in splenocytes. The adherence, spreading and phagocytic activities of macrophages were also assessed. Cytokines in serum and anti-oxidants in plasma were also estimated. Administration of RTc (200 mg/kg.b.wt.) one hour before irradiation showed recovery of spleen weight from 49% of control in irradiated group to 93%; apoptosis from 19% to 2.8%; DNA fragmentation from 43% to 20.4%; macrophage adherence form 75% of control to 120% and macrophage spread size from 8 microm to 15 microm. RTc also stimulated proliferation in splenocytes in a dose-dependent manner. RTc administration before irradiation also increased levels of IL-1beta and GM-CSF levels, from 56 pg/ml and 53 pg/ml respectively in irradiated group to 59 pg/ml and 63 pg/ml. Similarly, radiation-induced decrease of anti-oxidant potential of plasma (32 Fe(2+) equiv.) as compared to control (132 Fe(2+) equiv.) was countered by administration of RTc before irradiation (74.2 Fe(2+) equiv.) RTc treatment thus reveals several radio-protective mechanisms.

Evaluation of Cytotoxic Effects of Dichloromethane Extract of Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia Miers ex Hook F & THOMS) on Cultured HeLa Cells

Extracts of Tinospora cordifolia (TCE) have been shown to possess anti-tumor properties, but the mechanism of the anti-tumor function of TCE is poorly understood. This investigation elucidates the possible mechanism underlying the cytotoxic effects of dichlormethane extracts of TCE, after selecting optimal duration and concentration for treatment. HeLa cells were exposed to various concentrations of TCE, which has resulted in a concentration-dependent decline in the clonogenicity, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity and a concentration-dependent increase in lipid peroxidation (TBARS) with a peak at 4 h and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release with a peak at 2 h. Our results suggest that the cytotoxic effect of TCE may be due to lipid peroxidation and release of LDH and decline in GST.

Evaluation of anticancer activity of the alkaloid fraction of Alstonia scholaris (Sapthaparna) in vitro and in vivo

The anticancer effect of various doses of an alkaloid fraction of Sapthaparna, Alstonia scholaris (ASERS), was studied in vitro in cultured human neoplastic cell lines (HeLa, HepG(2), HL60, KB and MCF-7) and in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma bearing mice. Treatment of HeLa cells with 25 microg/mL ASERS resulted in a time dependent increase in the antineoplastic activity and the greatest activity was observed when the cells were exposed to ASERS for 24 h. However, exposure of cells to ASERS for 4 h resulted in 25% viable cells and hence this time interval was considered to be the optimum time for treatment and further studies were carried out using this time. Treatment of various cells with ASERS resulted in a concentration dependent decline in the viable cells and a nadir was reached at 200 microg/mL in all the cell lines studied. The IC50 was found to be 5.53, 25, 11.16, 10 and 29.76 microg/mL for HeLa, HePG2, HL60, KB and MCF-7 cells, respectively. Similarly, administration of ASERS, once daily for 9 consecutive days to the tumor bearing mice caused a dose dependent remission of the tumor up to 240 mg/kg body weight, where the greatest antitumor effect was observed. Since 240 mg/kg ASERS showed toxic manifestations, the next lower dose of 210 mg/kg was considered as the best effective dose, in which 20% of the animals survived up to 120 days post-tumor-cell inoculation as against no survivors in the saline treated control group. The ASERS treatment resulted in a dose dependent elevation in the median survival time (MST) and the average survival time (AST) up to 240 mg/kg ASERS and declined thereafter. The surviving animals were healthy and disease free. The effect of ASERS was better than cyclophosphamide, which was used as a positive control, where all the animals succumbed to death by 40 days and the MST and AST were 19.5 and 18.3 days, respectively. The effective dose of 210 mg of ASERS was 3/10 of the LD50 dose, which increased the MST and AST up to 54 and 49.5 days, respectively.

From traditional Ayurvedic medicine to modern medicine: identification of therapeutic targets for suppression of inflammation and cancer

Cancer is a hyperproliferative disorder that involves transformation, dysregulation of apoptosis, proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis. Extensive research during the last 30 years has revealed much about the biology of cancer. Drugs used to treat most cancers are those that can block cell signalling, including growth factor signalling (e.g., epidermal growth factor); prostaglandin production (e.g., COX-2); inflammation (e.g., inflammatory cytokines: NF-kappaB, TNF, IL-1, IL-6, chemokines); drug resistance gene products (e.g., multi-drug resistance); cell cycle proteins (e.g., cyclin D1 and cyclin E); angiogenesis (e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor); invasion (e.g., matrix metalloproteinases); antiapoptosis (e.g., bcl-2, bcl-X(L), XIAP, survivin, FLIP); and cellular proliferation (e.g., c-myc, AP-1, growth factors). Numerous reports have suggested that Ayurvedic plants and their components mediate their effects by modulating several of these recently identified therapeutic targets. However, Ayurvedic medicine requires rediscovery in light of our current knowledge of allopathic (modern) medicine. The focus of this review is to elucidate the Ayurvedic concept of cancer, including its classification, causes, pathogenesis and prevention; surgical removal of tumours; herbal remedies; dietary modifications; and spiritual treatments.

A comparison between hairy root cultures and wild plants of Saussurea involucrata in phenylpropanoids production

Saussurea involucrata is an important medicinal plant that produces a few bioactive secondary metabolites, such as hispidulin, rutin, and syringin. Previously, we established a hairy root culture system for this species through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The present study addressed the issue as how hairy root cultures perform in phenylpronoid accumulation. From the ethanolic extract of a hairy root culture established for Saussurea involucrata, syringin, rutin and hispidulin, were isolated and their chemical structures were confirmed by HPLC-ESI-MS. A quantitative study of the compounds showed great levels of syringin and hispidulin (being 43.5+/-1.13 and 0.34+/-0.023 mg g-1 dry weight, respectively), about 40 and 3 times, respectively, higher than those from wild plants. But, the levels of rutin from hairy roots were much lower (0.71+/-0.043 vs. 6.59+/-0.56 mg g-1 dry weight). Compared with untransformed root cultures, syringin and hispidulin levels were also higher. An experiment on culture media showed that MS was superior to others for phenylpropanoids accumulation in hairy roots, a 28-day culture produced 405 mg l-1 syringin.

Evaluation of the Antineoplastic Activity of Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) in Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma Bearing Mice

The anticancer activity of dichloromethane extract of guduchi [Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers ex Hook. F. & Thoms. Family: Menispermaceae (TCE)] in the mice transplanted with Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) was investigated. The EAC mice receiving 25, 30, 40, 50 and 100 mg/kg, TCE showed a dose dependent elevation in tumor-free survival and a highest number of survivors were observed at 50 mg/kg TCE, which was considered as an optimum dose for its neoplastic action. The average survival time (AST) and median survival time (MST) for this dose were approximately 56 and 55 d, respectively when compared with 19 d of non-drug treated controls. Administration of 50 mg/kg TCE resulted in 100% long-term survivors (up to 90 d). An attempt was also made to evaluate the effectiveness of TCE in the various stages of tumor development, where 50 mg/kg TCE was administered intraperitoneally after 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 or 15 d of tumor inoculation and these days have been arbitrarily designated as stage I, II, III, IV or V, respectively for reasons of clarity. The greatest anticancer activity was recorded for stage I, II and III where number of long term survivors (LTS) was approximately 33, 25 and 17%, respectively. However, treatment of mice at stage IV and V did not increase LTS, despite an increase in AST and MST. The EAC mice receiving 50 mg/kg TCE showed a time dependent depletion in the glutathione (GSH) activity up to 12 h post-treatment and marginal elevation thereafter. This depletion in GSH was accompanied by a drastic elevation in lipid peroxidation (LPx) and a maximum elevation in LPx was observed at 6 h that declined gradually thereafter. TCE exerted cytotoxic effect on tumor cells by reducing the GSH concentration and increase in LPx simultaneously.

Radioprotective potential of an herbal extract of Tinospora cordifolia

A preparation of Tinospora cordifolia (RTc) administered i.p. (200 mg/kg b.w.) to strain "A" male mice 1 h before whole body gamma-irradiation was evaluated for its radioprotective efficacy in terms of whole body survival, spleen colony forming units (CFU), hematological parameters, cell cycle progression, and micronuclei induction. Preirradiation treatment with RTc rendered 76.3% survival (30 days), compared to 100% mortality in irradiated control and prevented radiation induced weight loss. On 10th postirradiation day, the endogenous CFU counts in spleen were decreased with increasing radiation doses 12.0 (5 Gy), 2.16 (7.5 Gy) and 0.33 (10 Gy) but pre-irradiation administration of 200 mg/kg b.w. of RTc increased CFU counts to 31.16, 21.83 and 3.00 respectively. Pre-irradiation RTc treatment could restore total lymphocyte counts (TLC) by the 15th day to normal. It also increased the S-phase cell population that was reduced following 2 Gy irradiation in a time dependent manner. 2 Gy irradiation-induced micronuclei were also decreased by a pre-irradiation administration of RTc from 2.9 to 0.52%. Because the radioprotective manifestation of RTc observed in several systems in experimental animals can be exploited for human applications.

The grapefruit flavanone naringin protects against the radiation-induced genomic instability in the mice bone marrow: a micronucleus study

The effect of various doses, viz. 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 mg/kg body weight of naringin (NIN) (a citrus flavanone) was studied on the alteration in the radiation-induced micronucleated polychromatic (MPCE) and normochromatic (MNCE) erythrocytes in mouse bone marrow exposed to 2 Gy of 60Co gamma-radiation. The treatment of mice with various doses of NIN before exposure to 2 Gy resulted in a significant decline in the frequency of MPCE when compared to the non-drug-treated irradiated control. However, the greatest reduction in MPCE was observed for 2mg/kg body weight NIN, accompanied by a highest PCE/NCE ratio when compared with the non-drug-treated irradiated control. Therefore, further studies were carried out using this dose of NIN, where the animals were administered with 2mg/kg body weight of NIN before exposure to 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4 Gy of gamma-radiation. The frequency of MPCE and MNCE increased in a dose-dependent manner in both the non-drug-treated irradiated control and NIN-pretreated irradiated groups up to a dose of 2 Gy, while a further increase in the irradiation dose resulted in a significant decline in MPCE and MNCE frequencies in both groups. Pretreatment of mice with 2mg/kg body weight of NIN resulted in a significant decline in the frequencies of MPCE and MNCE. NIN treatment not only reduced the frequency of MPCE with one micronucleus, but also of MPCE with multiple micronuclei (MN), indicating its ability to reduce complex chromosome aberrations. Conversely, the PCE/NCE ratio declined in a dose-dependent manner in both groups. The treatment of mice with NIN before exposure to different doses of gamma-radiation resulted in the inhibition in this decline in the PCE/NCE ratio. Our study demonstrates that NIN is able to protect mouse bone marrow cells against the radiation-induced DNA damage and decline in the cell proliferation as observed by a reduction in the micronucleus frequency and an increase in PCE/NCE ratio, respectively, in the NIN-pretreated irradiated group.

Hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory properties of Tinospora cordifolia in CCl4 intoxicated mature albino rats

Effect of Tinospora cordifolia extract on modulation of hepatoprotective and immunostimulatory functions in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intoxicated mature rats is reported here. Administration of CCl4 (0.7 ml/kg body weight for 7 days) produces damage in the liver as evident by estimation of enzymes such as serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transminase (SGPT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) as well as serum bilirubin level. CCl4 administration also causes immunosuppressive effects as indicated by phagocytic capacity, chemotactic migration and cell adhesiveness of rat peritoneal macrophages. However, treatment with T. cordifolia extract (100 mg/kg body weight for 15 days) in CCl4 intoxicated rats was found to protect the liver, as indicated by enzyme level in serum. A significant reduction in serum levels of SGOT, SGPT, ALP, bilirubin were observed following T. cordifolia treatment during CCl4 intoxication. Treatment with T. cordifolia extract also deleted the immunosuppressive effect of CCl4, since a significant increment in the functional capacities of rat peritoneal macrophages (PM phi) was observed following T. cordifolia treatment. The results of our experiment suggest that treatment by T. cordifolia extract may be the critical remedy for the adverse effect of CCl4 in liver function as well as immune functions.

Effect of acyclovir on the radiation-induced micronuclei and cell death

Treatment of HeLa cells with 0.1 microM Acyclovir [9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl)guanine] (ACV) before exposure to 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 Gy of gamma-radiation resulted in a dose-dependent decline in the growth kinetics and cell proliferation indices at 20, 30 and 40 h post-irradiation when compared with the PBS+irradiation group. These results were reflected in the cell survival, which declined in a dose-dependent manner and the surviving fraction of cells was significantly lower in ACV+irradiation group than that of PBS+irradiation group. The effect of ACV+1 Gy irradiation was almost similar to PBS+3 Gy irradiation suggesting an enhancement of the radiation effect by ACV pretreatment. The frequency of micronuclei increased in a dose-dependent manner at all the post-irradiation time periods in both PBS+irradiation and ACV+irradiation group and it was significantly elevated in the latter when compared with the former group. The dose-response for both groups was linear. The surviving fraction of HeLa cells declined with the increasing MN frequency and a close linear quadratic correlation between cell survival and micronuclei-induction was observed.

Correlation between cell survival and micronuclei formation in V79 cells treated with vindesine before exposure to different doses of gamma-radiation

Effect of 20 nM vindesine sulphate (VDS) treatment was studied on cell survival, growth kinetics and micronuclei induction in V79 cells exposed to 0-300 cGy of gamma-radiation at 16, 22 and 28 h post-irradiation. Treatment of V79 cells with VDS before exposure to different doses of gamma radiation resulted in a significant decline in cell survival and growth kinetic when compared with the concurrent PBS+irradiation group. The decline in cell survival and growth kinetics was dose related. Similarly, the cell proliferation indices also declined in a dose dependent manner in both PBS+irradiation and VDS+irradiation groups and this decline was higher in VDS+irradiation group in comparison with the PBS+irradiation group. In contrast, the frequency of micronuclei increased in a dose related manner in both PBS+irradiation and VDS+irradiation groups. However, the frequency of micronuclei was significantly greater in the VDS+irradiation group when compared to the PBS+irradiation group at all the post-irradiation time periods studied and the dose response for both groups was linear for all the scoring time periods. The biological response was determined by plotting surviving fraction and micronuclei frequencies on X- and Y-axes, respectively. The plot between surviving fraction and micronuclei induction showed a close correlation. The surviving fraction of V79 cells reduced with the increasing frequency of micronuclei in both groups and the relationship between micronuclei induction and cell survival could be fitted on a linear quadratic model.

Effect of various concentrations of acyclovir on cell survival and micronuclei induction on cultured HeLa cells

The HeLa cells were treated with 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 microM acyclovir (ACV) for 8 h duration and the growth kinetics, cell survival and micronuclei induction were determined. Treatment of HeLa cells with various concentrations of ACV resulted in a concentration-dependent decline in growth kinetics, cell proliferation indices and cell survival. ACV, 100 microM, completely inhibited cell division, where no appreciable changes in cell number were observed from 1 to 5 days post-treatment. This is reflected in cell survival, where the surviving fraction of cells was reduced to 1/2 at 100 microM ACV. Conversely, the frequency of micronuclei showed a concentration-dependent elevation at 20, 30 and 40 h post-treatment. ACV not only induced one micronuclei-bearing binucleate cell but also binucleate cells bearing two and multiple micronuclei in a concentration-dependent manner. The micronuclei frequency increased with time up to 30 h post-treatment and declined thereafter. The relationship between micronuclei induction and cell survival was determined by plotting the former on Y- and the latter on X-axes, respectively. The surviving fraction of cells declined with the elevation in micronuclei frequency and a best fit was observed for linear quadratic formalism.