Search results for "complementary and alternative medicine"
showing 10 items of 632 documents
Biopiracy and the right to self-determination of indigenous peoples.
2018
Abstract Background: Since over thirty years, I work on the unclear legal situation of in which indigenous peoples find themselves today in the beginning mainly in the USA and later also in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The status of indigenous people and native nations is characterized as a mixture of national and international law. Hypothesis/Purpose: To clarify the status of indigenous people it is necessary to analyze and interpret carefully hundreds of old treaties, international declarations and covenants, national statutes and jurisprudence, especially the old leading decisions of the US-Supreme Court. Such an analysis and interpretation should prove that indigenous people have …
Development of resistance towards artesunate in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells.
2011
Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in industrialized countries. Systemic treatment of breast cancer is effective at the beginning of therapy. However, after a variable period of time, progression occurs due to therapy resistance. Artesunate, clinically used as anti-malarial agent, has recently revealed remarkable anti-tumor activity offering a role as novel candidate for cancer chemotherapy. We analyzed the anti-tumor effects of artesunate in metastasizing breast carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. Unlike as expected, artesunate induced resistance in highly metastatic human breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231. Likewise acquired resistance led to abol…
Cardioprotective effects of phytopigments via multiple signaling pathways.
2021
Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the deadliest non-communicable diseases, and millions of dollars are spent every year to combat CVDs. Unfortunately, the multifactorial etiology of CVDs complicates the development of efficient therapeutics. Interestingly, phytopigments show significant pleiotropic cardioprotective effects both in vitro and in vivo. Purpose This review gives an overview of the cardioprotective effects of phytopigments based on in vitro and in vivo studies as well as clinical trials. Methods A literature-based survey was performed to collect the available data on cardioprotective activities of phytopigments via electronic search engines such as Pub…
Saponins-mediated potentiation of cisplatin accumulation and cytotoxicity in human colon cancer cells.
2002
The triterpene saponins jenisseensosides A, B, C, D were found to increase the accumulation and cytotoxicity of the anticancer agent cisplatin in human colon tumor cells. These compounds are glycosides of quillaic acid whose fucose residue was acylated by a trans- or cis-p methoxycinnamic acid. In contrarst, other saponins derivatives without this acyl moiety were not found to potentiate the accumulation and cytotoxicity of cisplatin. These results suggested the importance of the acyl moiety for activity.
In vitro pro-apoptotic and anti-migratory effects of Treculia africana Decne. (Moraceae) and Entandrophragma angolense Welw (Meliaceae) extracts on p…
2021
Abstract Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men and there is an increasing interest in chemoprevention to fight it. The authors sought a scientific rationale for the traditional use of six Cameroonian medicinal plants for the treatment of prostate inflammation/tumour. The prostate cells viability incubated with each ethanolic plant extract was determined after 24, 48 and 72 h using the MTT assay. The antitumor mechanisms of promising extracts [Treculia africana (TA) and Entandrophragma angolense (EA)] were further assessed by evaluating cell growth, cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell death mechanisms and cell migration. Only TA and EA significantly inhibited L…
Cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis by cajanin stilbene acid from Cajanus cajan in breast cancer cells
2015
Abstract Background: The low abundant cajanin stilbene acid (CSA) from Pigeon Pea ( Cajanus cajan ) has been shown to kill estrogen receptor α positive cancer cells in vitro and in vivo . Downstream effects such as cell cycle and apoptosis-related mechanisms have not been analyzed yet. Material and methods: We analyzed the activity of CSA by means of flow cytometry (cell cycle distribution, mitochondrial membrane potential, MMP), confocal laser scanning microscopy (MMP), DNA fragmentation assay (apoptosis), Western blotting (Bax and Bcl-2 expression, caspase-3 activation) as well as mRNA microarray hybridization and Ingenuity pathway analysis. Results: CSA induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis …
Lanostanoids from fungi: a group of potential anticancer compounds.
2012
Lanostanes are a group of tetracyclic triterpenoids derived from lanosterol. They have relevant biological and pharmacological properties, such as their cytotoxic effects via induction of apoptosis. This review compiles the most relevant lanostanoids studied from 2000 to 2011, principally those isolated from Ganoderma lucidum and other related fungi, such as Poria cocos, Laetiporus sulphureus, Inonotus obliquus, Antrodia camphorata, Daedalea dickinsii, and Elfvingia applanata, which have great potential as anticancer agents because of their cytotoxic or apoptotic effects. The compounds were selected on the basis of their proapoptotic mechanisms, through their ability to modify transcription…
Comparison between tumors in plants and human beings: Mechanisms of tumor development and therapy with secondary plant metabolites
2019
Abstract Background Human tumors are still a major threat to human health and plant tumors negatively affect agricultural yields. Both areas of research are developing largely independent of each other. Treatment of both plant and human tumors remains unsatisfactory and novel therapy options are urgently needed. Hypothesis The concept of this paper is to compare cellular and molecular mechanisms of tumor development in plants and human beings and to explore possibilities to develop novel treatment strategies based on bioactive secondary plant metabolites. The interdisciplinary discourse may unravel commonalities and differences in the biology of plant and human tumors as basis for rational …
Chemical composition of the essential oil of the local endemics Centaurea davidovii and C. parilica (Asteraceae, sect. Lepteranthus) from Bulgaria
2014
In the present study the chemical compositions of the essential oils from aerial parts of Centaurea davidovii Urum. and C. parilica Stoj. & Stef., both endemic to Bulgaria, were evaluated by GC and GC-MS. The main components of C. davidovii were β-eudesmol (13.9%), spathulenol (13.3%), caryophyllene oxide (10.1%) and ( Z)-phytol (5.4%). The main components of C parilica were hexadecanoic acid (39.2%), ( Z, Z)-9,12-octadecadienoic acid (11.9%), caryophyllene oxide (6.8%) and spathulenol (6.6%). In order to compare the essential oils composition of these taxa and of related species a PCA analysis was carried out.
Cytotoxicity of two naturally occurring flavonoids (dorsmanin F and poinsettifolin B) towards multi-factorial drug-resistant cancer cells.
2015
Abstract Introduction The expression of diverse resistance mechanisms in cancer cells is one of the major barriers to successful cancer chemotherapy. Methods In the present study, we assessed the cytotoxicity of two naturally occurring flavonoids dorsmanin F ( 1 , a flavanone) and poinsettifolin B ( 2 , a chalcone) against 9 drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer cell lines. The resazurin reduction assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of these compounds, whilst caspase-Glo assay was used to detect caspase activation. Cell cycle, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were all analysed via flow cytometry. Results Compounds 1 and…