Effects of β-glucan polysaccharide revealed by the dominant lethal assay and micronucleus assays, and reproductive performance of male mice exposed to cyclophosphamide

The Ethanolic Extract of Gomphrena celosioides Mart. Does Not Alter Reproductive Performance or Embryo-Fetal Development, nor Does It Cause Chromosomal Damage

Gomphrena celosioides is a native Brazilian plant found in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. It is used in folk medicine to treat kidney diseases, skin diseases, infections, rheumatism, gastrointestinal diseases, and respiratory diseases. It is also used as an abortifacient. To evaluate the effects of the ethanolic extract of Gomphrena celosioides (EEGc) on reproductive performance, embryo development, and chromosome stability, Swiss mice were randomly divided into experimental groups (n = 10). The animals in the control group received the vehicle Tween 80-1% in the proportion of 0.1 mL/10 g of body weight orally, from the first to the 18th gestational day. The animals in the treatment groups received the EEGc (100, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg) from the first to the 18th gestational day. The animals underwent evaluations of their reproductive performance and embryofetal development. The results showed that the EEGc did not change the animals' final weight, weight gain, uterine weight, or net weight gain. The evaluation showed that the absolute and relative organs' weights did not vary between the different experimental groups. In addition, the EEGc did not change the numbers of implants, live fetuses, dead fetuses, or fetal resorptions. There were no differences in post-operative loss rates, implantations, or resorptions, nor were there differences in fetal viability or sex ratio. The use of the EEGc did not result in different frequencies of malformations. In addition, the EEGc did not alter the frequency of chromosomal damage or frequency of micronuclei. Based on our findings, we considered the extract of Gomphrena celosioides to be safe for use during pregnancy, although some parameters indicated caution in its use.

Derivation of an occupational exposure limit for β-glucans

β-Glucans are abundant bacterial, yeast, and fungal cell wall polysaccharides that have been shown to activate the immune system. Establishment of an occupational exposure limit (OEL) for β-glucan exposure is critical to the protection of worker health, as these exposures have been linked to immunosuppressive and inflammatory reactions and possibly the development of respiratory diseases. Detectable concentrations of β-glucans have been identified in common occupational inhalation exposure scenarios, such as in the agricultural and waste management sectors. However, no published exposure benchmarks for inhalation of β-glucans are available for workers or the general population. Thus, a health-based OEL for inhalation exposure of workers to β-glucans was derived based on consideration of human and non-human effect data for this class of compounds and contemporary risk assessment methods. The weight of the evidence indicated that the available data in humans showed significant methodological limitations, such as lack of a representative study size, appropriate control population, and clear dose-response relationship. Thus, an OEL of 150 ng/m³ was derived for β-glucans based on the most relevant nonclinical study. This OEL provides an input to the occupational risk assessment process, allows for comparisons to worker exposure, and can guide risk management and exposure control decisions.

Biological Properties of Yeast-based Mannoprotein for Prospective Biomedical Applications

BACKGROUND

Natural products constitute more than half of all biomolecules lately being used in clinical settings. Mannoprotein derived from the yeast cell wall has found full biotechnological applications.

OBJECTIVE

This study was intended to investigate the antioxidant, anticancer, and toxicological properties of Kluyveromyces marxianus mannoprotein (KM).

METHODS

The KM extract was obtained through a sequence of operations, including centrifugation for cell isolation, precipitation with potassium citrate/sodium metabisulfite, and recovery and purification. Its antioxidant, growth inhibition, macrophage mitogenic, and toxic activities were evaluated for its future use in the biomedical field.

RESULTS

Significant inhibitory effects of KM were obtained on reactive species. It showed antiproliferative activity against HeLa (human cervical adenocarcinoma) and MCF-7 (human breast cancer) cell lines with no toxic effects on HUVECs (human umbilical vein endothelial cells). The in vitro model of CHO-K1 (Chinese hamster ovary) cell lines did not show the cytotoxic and genotoxic of KM. Moreover, it enhanced macrophage activity in terms of nitric oxide (NO) production and viability. No sign of acute toxicity was found in BALB/c mice, and body weight remained unchanged in guinea pigs over three months.

CONCLUSION

Comprehensive biological evaluations in this study are expected to expand the potential of KM as a natural material.

Dietary supplementation of barley and/or dates attenuate hypercholesterolemic-induced endometrial dysfunction in Wistar albino rats via alleviation of apoptotic pathways and enhancing oxidative capacity

Our study was conducted to characterize the efficacy of barley and/or date palm fruits (10%) in alleviation of hypercholesterolemic endometrial insults in obese rat model. Sixty-four Wistar albino rats were randomized into eight groups (n = 8); control, hypercholesterolemic- and hypercholesterolemic-treated groups. Animals were subjected to treatment for 4 months. After sacrifice, serum and uterine tissues were collected and processed for biochemical, histological, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic investigations. In hypercholesterolemic rats, the endometrium displayed hyperplasia with necrotic patches in the surface epithelium and its glandular lining cells. Also, there was a remarkable increase in the endometrial thickness and significant decrease in corresponding glandular numbers. Prompted by these findings, immunohistochemical localization revealed that expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen was downregulated, while cleaved caspase-3 was upregulated in the endometrial cells in hypercholesterolemic group. Accordingly, there was remarkable depletion of antioxidant enzymatic activities associated with increased lipid peroxidation and apoptotic markers. Contradictory, supplementation of barley and/or dates to hypercholesterolemic groups showed intriguing amelioration for the histological architecture of the endometrium and balancing its oxidative redox. In conclusion, the administration of barley and/or dates confers enhanced synergistic effects in attenuation of hypercholesterolemic induced-endometrial dysfunction. This is clear evidence that endometrial amelioration was directly linked to the implication of highly potential antioxidant capacity of barley and/or dates phytochemicals, β-glucan, polyphenols, and other trace elements, which can be utilized to establish a phyto-therapeutic strategy for activating endometrial cell regeneration. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Barley and dates confer both hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic potentials. Therefore, their ingredients would be implicated in the amelioration of uterine functions in obese women. These favorable potentials were directly linked to the restraining of endometrial inflammation and retrieving the oxidative capacity. Furthermore, our findings demonstrated that barley and dates substantially diminished the expression of TNF-α, mitigated DNA damage and prevented leukocytic infiltration in the endometrial tissue; based on their high content of dietary phytochemicals, β-glucan, polyphenols, and other trace elements.

Evaluating the reproductive toxicology of tannery effluent in male SWISS mice

The transformation of skin in-natura into leather in tannery industries generates large volumes of organic matter that attract small mammals. i.e., rodents living close to these facilities. Animals foraging in the backyards of such industries get exposed to the effluent produced by them; however, attention has not been given to the impacts of such exposure on the reproductive biology of these animals. Thus, our study assessed whether the direct exposure to this effluent for periods longer than 90 days leads to reproductive loss in male Swiss mice. We assessed animals' sexual behavior at the end of the experimental period and analyzed their testicular histology, as well as semen quality and volume, besides measuring pro-inflammatory markers and assessing the reproductive performance of the exposed animals. Based on the herein collected data, mice exposed to the gross effluent collected in the backyard of a tannery industry, as well as to the effluent diluted in 5% of water, presented behavioral and histological changes in the testes, disorganized germinal cells in the seminiferous tubules and inflammatory process in intertubular spaces. The inflammatory process resulted from increased proinflammatory cytokine (IFN-gamma and CCL2) concentrations in the testes, fact that explained the larger number of sperm abnormalities and the reduced number of produced sperms. These factors, along with the previously reported changes, may have led to the low reproductive performance of animals exposed to the tested pollutant, which was assessed through the lethal dominant test. This pioneering article addressed the reproductive impact caused by the direct exposure of small rodents to tannery effluents. The research helped better understanding how these pollutants can influence natural ecosystems.

Anti-hypercholesterolemic impacts of barley and date palm fruits on the ovary of Wistar albino rats and their offspring

A high cholesterol diet is related to ovarian dysfunction and infertility which has been increased among young ages consuming processed food products. The present study was conducted to evaluate the role of a high cholesterol diet on the ovaries of young female rats via assessments of histopathology, immunohistochemistry, oxidative stress and apoptic markers. Also, mating of hypercholesterolemic female rats was carried out to measure the fertility and numbers of their offspring. At the same time, phytotherapy was carried out through supplementing the diet with barley and/ or date palm fruits (10%) during the experiment to assess the phyto-therapeutic impacts in attenuation of drastic hypercholesterolemic effects. Hypercholesterolemic diet-fed rats exhibited damage of the ovarian follicles and increased follicular atresia. Furthermore, expression of cleaved caspase-3 was upregulated, while PCNA was downregulated in granulosa, theca and stroma cells. Hypercholesterolemic female rats showed marked depletion of antioxidative enzymes, increased lipid peroxidation and apoptotic markers. Alterations to the female serum hormones were detected. Offspring maternally fed on hypercholesterolemic diet showed a significant decrease of body weight and altered sex ratio. However, concomitant supplementation of barley and or date fruits to hypercholesterolemic groups revealed marked improvement of ovarian structure and function. On the basis of these evidences, it is believed that the enhanced synergistic effects of barley and/or date palm fruits in the amelioration of ovarian structure and functions were elicited by the potential antioxidant activity of their phytomicronutrients, polyphenols, β-glucan and trace elements. These materials scavenge free radicals from inflamed cells that can be used to establish an effective and novel therapeutic strategy for activating ovarian cell regeneration.

In vivo chemotherapeutic insight of a novel isocoumarin (3-hexyl-5,7-dimethoxy-isochromen-1-one): Genotoxicity, cell death induction, leukometry and phagocytic evaluation

Chemotherapy is one of the major approaches for the treatment of cancer. Therefore, the development of new chemotherapy drugs is an important aspect of medicinal chemistry. Chemotherapeutic agents include isocoumarins, which are privileged structures with potential antitumoral activity. Herein, a new 3-substituted isocoumarin was synthesized from 2-iodo-3,5-dimethoxy-benzoic acid and oct-1-yne in a cross-coupling Sonogashira reaction followed by a copper iodide-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization as key step using MeOH/Et₃N as the solvent system. The present study also evaluated the leukometry, phagocytic activity, genotoxic potential and cell death induction of three different doses (5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg) of this newly synthesized isocoumarin, alone and in combination with the commercial chemotherapeutic agents cyclophosphamide (100 mg/kg) and cisplatin (6 mg/kg) in male Swiss mice. The results suggest that the isocoumarin has genotoxicity and causes cell death. Noteworthy, this new compound can increase splenic phagocytosis and lymphocyte frequency, which are related to immunomodulatory activity. When combined with either cyclophosphamide or cisplatin, chemopreventive activity led to a reduction in the effects of both chemotherapeutic drugs. Thus, the new isocoumarin is not a candidate for chemotherapeutic adjuvant in treatments using cyclophosphamide or cisplatin. Nevertheless, the compound itself is an important prototype for the development of new antitumor drugs.

Evidence of Some Natural Products with Antigenotoxic Effects. Part 1: Fruits and Polysaccharides

Cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide. The agents capable of causing damage to genetic material are known  as genotoxins and, according to their mode of action, are classified into mutagens, carcinogens or teratogens. Genotoxins are  involved in the pathogenesis of several chronic degenerative diseases including hepatic, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular  disorders, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, chronic inflammation and ageing. In recent decades, researchers have found novel bioactive  phytocompounds able to counteract the effects of physical and chemical mutagens. Several  studies  have  shown potential antigenotoxicity in a variety of fruits. In this review (Part 1), we present an overview of research conducted on some fruits (grapefruit, cranberries, pomegranate, guava, pineapple, and mango) which are frequentl consumed by humans, as well as  the  analysis of some phytochemicals extracted from fruits and yeasts which have demonstrated antigenotoxic capacity in various  tests, including the Ames assay, sister chromatid exchange, chromosomal aberrations, micronucleus and comet assay.

TNF-α modulation by natural bioactive molecules in mouse RAW 264.7 macrophage cells

BACKGROUND

The present study was designed to examine the anti-inflammatory effects of plant-derived products marketed for human health benefits.

METHODS

The tumor necrotic factor-α (TNF-α) was used as a proinflammatory biomarker generated by mouse macrophage RAW 264.6 cells. The in vitro tested plant products include Saskatoon berry (SKB), quercetin, purified oat beta-glucan (OBG), curcumin, and turmeric. Quantification of TNF-α in cell culture supernatants was carried out using mouse TNF-α assay kit and the cell proliferation was determined by MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The cells were grown in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum and 100 U/mL penicillin and 100 µg/mL streptomycin. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at a concentration of 500 ng/mL was employed to stimulate the TNF-α production in mouse macrophage cells.

RESULTS

Results showed that curcumin at 10 µM (3.7 µg/mL) level effectively attenuated the LPS-induced inflammatory response, and at 100 µM completely inhibited macrophage RAW cell growth (p<0.05). The aqueous turmeric extract caused inhibitory effect on TNF-α at 25, 50, 100, and 500 µg/mL. SKB inhibited TNF-α production at 50, 100, 500, and 1,000 µg/mL. On the other hand, at 10, 25, 500, and 1,000 µg/mL SKB promoted significant cell growth/proliferation. Quercetin at 10, 25, 50 and 100 µg/mL inhibited TNF-α, but at 500 and 1,000 µg/mL stimulated cell growth. OBG at 10, 25, and 50 µg/mL inhibited TNF-α, but in some cases OBG stimulated TNF-α At 1,000 and 10,000 µg/mL OBG proved to be extremely toxic or lethal to the macrophage cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the plant products showed anti-inflammatory effects as well as cell proliferation or inhibition in the in vitro system used in this investigation. The underlying mechanisms of dualistic actions caused by plant-derived ingredients, viz., macrophage cellular growth stimulation or retardation, remain to be elucidated.

Evaluation of the toxicokinetics and apoptotic potential of ethanol extract from Echinodorus macrophyllus leaves in vivo

This study evaluates the toxicological, genotoxic, mutagenic and apoptotic potential of an in vivo assay from Echinodorus macrophyllus extract (EEM). The acute toxicity test used 02 groups (n = 5) of female Wistar rats: negative control group (saline) and experimental group (2000 mg/kg b.w. EEM), both orally administered (gavage) at single doses and monitored for 14 days. To assess the genotoxic, mutagenic and apoptotic potential, 50 male Swiss mice were divided into 5 groups (n = 10): Group I: negative control (saline solution 0.1 ml/10 g b.w.); Group II: positive control (cyclophosphamide 100 mg/kg b.w.) intraperitoneally administered; groups III-V received EEM at 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg b.w., respectively. Groups I, III-V received oral administrations (gavage). The results showed that there was no acute lethality or any signs of acute toxicity, indicating that LD₅₀ is greater than 2000 mg/kg b.w. The groups treated with EEM showed no genotoxic or mutagenic activity and did not induce apoptosis in the liver and kidney. Therefore, EEM showed no acute toxicity and at doses of 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg b.w. absence of genotoxicity, mutagenicity and no apoptotic events were observed.

Cardanol: toxicogenetic assessment and its effects when combined with cyclophosphamide

Cardanol is an effective antioxidant and is a compound with antimutagenic and antitumoral activity. Here, we evaluated the genotoxic and mutagenic potential of saturated side chain cardanol and its effects in combination with cyclophosphamide in preventing DNA damage, apoptosis, and immunomodulation. Swiss mice were treated with cardanol (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg) alone or in combination with cyclophosphamide (100 mg/kg). The results showed that cardanol is an effective chemopreventive compound, with damage reduction percentages that ranged from 18.9 to 31.76% in the comet assay and from 45 to 97% in the micronucleus assay. Moreover, cardanol has the ability to reduce the frequency of apoptosis induced by cyclophosphamide. The compound did not show immunomodulatory activity. A final interpretation of the data showed that, despite its chemoprotective capacity, cardanol has a tendency to induce DNA damage. Hence, caution is needed if this compound is used as a chemopreventive agent. Also, this compound is likely not suitable as an adjuvant in chemotherapy treatments that use cyclophosphamide.

Analysis of the anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive potential and description of the antimutagenic mode of action of the Annona crassiflora methanolic extract

CONTEXT

Annona crassiflora Mart. (Annonaceae) is a medicinal plant that is widely used in folk medicine, which leads to its investigation as a potential source of new pharmacological principles.

OBJECTIVE

This study describes the anti-inflammatory, antiallodynic, and antimutagenic/chemopreventive activities of the leaves A. crassiflora methanolic extract. Its antimutagenic mode of action was analyzed in a plant or animal experimental model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Total flavonoids were quantified by spectrophotometry at 415 nm and its composition was analyzed by (1)H NMR spectra. Animals received orally, 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg of extract in both tests, carrageenan-induced paw edema and myeloperoxidase activity. Animals were treated with 100 and 300 mg/kg, in all the analyzed tests, pleural cell migration and protein exudation, carrageenan-induced cell migration into the pouch, induction of joint inflammation and carrageenan-induced allodynia response in the mouse paw. To evaluate the antimutagenic/chemopreventive activity through the Allium cepa test, we used 5, 10, and 15 mg/L of extract, and for the micronucleus test in the peripheral blood, we used the dose of 15 mg/kg.

RESULTS

The fractionation of the ethyl acetate (EA) fraction, resulting from the partition of the methanol extract of the A. crassiflora, afforded through chromatographic methods resulted in the isolation of kaempferol 3-O-β-glucoside and kaempferol 3-O-β-diglucoside. Oral treatment with 100 and 300 mg/kg of extract significantly inhibited the carrageenan-induced edema formation, with inhibitions of 53 ± 7% and 47 ± 10%; in MPO activity, the observed inhibitions were 60 ± 7% for 100 mg/kg treatment and 63 ± 7% for 300 mg/kg. The ACME reduced significantly the total leukocytes (an inhibition of 78 ± 9% with 100 mg/kg and 90 ± 7% with 300 mg/kg) and protein levels (approximately 100% inhibition with both doses) in the pleurisy model. In carrageenan-induced leukocyte migration into the pouch, the extract inhibited leukocyte migration only when administered 300 mg/kg per dose (the reduction was 43 ± 5%). Pretreatment with extract failed to reduce the zymosan-induced edema formation and did not inhibit the carrageenan-induced mechanical allodynia. Damage reduction in Allium cepa tested with different concentrations (5, 10, and 15 mg/L) was 66.17, 75.75, and 69.19% for the pre-treatment; 72.72, 33.33, and 22.22% for the simple simultaneous treatment; 100.50, 93.93, and 102.52% for the simultaneous treatment with pre-incubation; 89.39, 79.79, and 84.34%; for the post-treatment, and 86.36, 81.31, and 93.43% for the continuous treatment. The antimutagenic evaluation in the micronucleous test showed a damage reduction of 75.00 and 64.58% for the pre-treatment and simultaneous protocols, respectively. The post-treatment protocol increased the cyclophosphamide effects in 45.83%.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that this medicinal plant has chemopreventive and anti-inflammatory therapeutic potential.