In Vitro Study of the Cytotoxic, Cytostatic, and Antigenotoxic Profile of Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R.Br. (Apocynaceae) Crude Drug Extract on T Lymphoblastic Cells

In traditional Indian medicine, the crude drug Hemidesmus indicus root—commonly known as Indian sarsaparilla—is used alone or in poly-herbal preparations for the treatment of a wide range of diseases. The present study focuses on the cancer chemopreventive and therapeutic potential of H. indicus extracts on an acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line (CCRF-CEM). With this aim in mind, we subjected H. indicus roots to two subsequent extractions (hydro-alcoholic extraction and soxhlet extraction). As DNA damage is an important prerequisite for the induction of mutations/cancer by genotoxic carcinogens, cancer chemoprevention may be achieved by preventing genotoxicity. Through an integrated …

A structural investigation is described of poly(L-lactic acid) by best fitting of powder X-ray diffraction patterns. The examined sample shows the already known pseudo-orthorhombic α-form, and it was possible to determine the location of the two 103 polymeric helices in the unit cell and the size distribution of the crystallites. Furthermore, a study is reported of the crystallization kinetics of the above cited polymer by light depolarization measurements in an optical microscope. The crystallization kinetic constants in bulk were evaluated in a temperature range (70–165°C) wider than that previously resulting from measurements of radial growth of spherulites.

Chemical characterisation and cytotoxicity evaluation of Convolvulus pluricaulis Sieb. ex Spreng. (Convolvulaceae) extracts towards sensitive and multidrug-resistant cancer cells