Search results for "plants"
showing 10 items of 1914 documents
Potential of Central, Eastern and Western Africa Medicinal Plants for Cancer Therapy: Spotlight on Resistant Cells and Molecular Targets
2017
Cancer remains a major health hurdle worldwide and has moved from the third leading cause of death in the year 1990 to second place after cardiovascular disease since 2013. Chemotherapy is one of the most widely used treatment modes; however, its efficiency is limited due to the resistance of cancer cells to cytotoxic agents. The present overview deals with the potential of the flora of Central, Eastern and Western African (CEWA) regions as resource for anticancer drug discovery. It also reviews the molecular targets of phytochemicals of these plants such as ABC transporters, namely P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multi drug-resistance-related proteins (MRPs), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP,…
A systems-wide understanding of photosynthetic acclimation in algae and higher plants
2017
The ability of phototrophs to colonise different environments relies on robust protection against oxidative stress, a critical requirement for the successful evolutionary transition from water to land. Photosynthetic organisms have developed numerous strategies to adapt their photosynthetic apparatus to changing light conditions in order to optimise their photosynthetic yield, which is crucial for life on Earth to exist. Photosynthetic acclimation is an excellent example of the complexity of biological systems, where highly diverse processes, ranging from electron excitation over protein protonation to enzymatic processes coupling ion gradients with biosynthetic activity, interact on drasti…
Multi-approach metabolomics analysis and artificial simplified phytocomplexes reveal cultivar-dependent synergy between polyphenols and ascorbic acid…
2017
Fruits of the sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) accumulate a range of antioxidants that can help to prevent cardiovascular disease, inflammation and cancer. We tested the in vitro antioxidant activity of 18 sweet cherry cultivars collected from 12 farms in the protected geographical indication region of Marostica (Vicenza, Italy) during two growing seasons. Multiple targeted and untargeted metabolomics approaches (NMR, LC-MS, HPLC-DAD, HPLC-UV) as well as artificial simplified phytocomplexes representing the cultivars Sandra Tardiva, Sandra and Grace Star were then used to determine whether the total antioxidant activity reflected the additive effects of each compound or resulted from synergis…
Ethnobotanical uses of wild taxa as galactagogues in Sicily (Italy)
2018
<p>Breastfeeding furnishes optimal nutrition, immune support, and a multitude of health benefits to mothers and newborns. Since ancient times plants have been employed as galactagogues in the folk medicine of many human cultures. In Sicily, a region with great floristic diversity in the Mediterranean area, where a conspicuous pool of species is traditionally used for food and aromatic, cosmetic, handicraft, agricultural, forestry, and medicinal purposes, some people recognize the galactagogue properties of some spontaneous plants.</p><p>The goal of this study was to identify wild plants with galactagogue properties and vegetable-food remedies traditionally used by women du…
Cytomegalovirus infection management in solid organ transplant recipients across European centers in the time of molecular diagnostics: An ESGICH sur…
2017
Background Scant information is available about how transplant centers are managing their use of quantitative molecular testing (QNAT) assays for active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection monitoring in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. The current study was aimed at gathering information on current practices in the management of CMV infection across European centers in the era of molecular testing assays. Methods A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey study was conducted by the European Study Group of Infections in Immunocompromised Hosts (ESGICH) of the Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID). The invitation and a weekly reminder with a personal link to …
Alterations in Tight- and Adherens-Junction Proteins Related to Glaucoma Mimicked in the Organotypically Cultivated Mouse Retina Under Elevated Press…
2020
Purpose To scrutinize alterations in cellular interactions and cell signaling in the glaucomatous retina, mouse retinal explants were exposed to elevated pressure. Methods Retinal explants were prepared from C57bl6 mice and cultivated in a pressure chamber under normotensive (atmospheric pressure + 0 mm Hg), moderately elevated (30 mm Hg), and highly elevated (60 mm Hg) pressure conditions. The expression levels of proteins involved in the formation of tight junctions (zonula occludens 1 [ZO-1], occludin, and claudin-5) and adherens junctions (VE-cadherin and β-catenin) and in cell-signaling cascades (Cdc42 and activated Cdc42 kinase 1 [ACK1]), as well as the expression levels of the growth…
Importance of Sequence and Timing in Parasite Coinfections
2019
Coinfections by multiple parasites predominate in the wild. Interactionsbetween parasites can be antagonistic, neutral, or facilitative, and they canhave significant implications for epidemiology, disease dynamics, and evolu-tion of virulence. Coinfections commonly result from sequential exposure ofhosts to different parasites. We argue that the sequential nature of coinfectionsis important for the consequences of infection in both natural and man-madeenvironments. Coinfections accumulate during host lifespan, determining thestructure of the parasite infracommunity. Interactions within the parasite com-munity and their joint effect on the host individual potentially shape evolution ofparasi…
Maristem stem cells of marine/aquatic invertebrates: from basic research to innovative applications
2018
The “stem cells” discipline represents one of the most dynamic areas in biomedicine. While adult marine/aquatic invertebrate stem cell (MISC) biology is of prime research and medical interest, studies on stem cells from organisms outside the classical vertebrate (e.g., human, mouse, and zebrafish) and invertebrate (e.g., Drosophila, Caenorhabditis) models have not been pursued vigorously. Marine/aquatic invertebrates constitute the largest biodiversity and the widest phylogenetic radiation on Earth, from morphologically simple organisms (e.g., sponges, cnidarians), to the more complex mollusks, crustaceans, echinoderms, and protochordates. These organisms contain a kaleidoscope of MISC-type…
Evaluating ancient Egyptian prescriptions today: Anti-inflammatory activity of Ziziphus spina-christi.
2015
Abstract Background Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf. (Christ's Thorn Jujube) is a wild tree today found in Jordan, Israel, Egypt, and some parts of Africa, which was already in use as a medicinal plant in Ancient Egypt. In ancient Egyptian prescriptions, it was used in remedies against swellings, pain, and heat, and thus should have anti-inflammatory effects. Nowadays, Z. spina-christi, is used in Egypt (by Bedouins, and Nubians), the Arabian Peninsula, Jordan, Iraq, and Morocco against a wide range of illnesses, most of them associated with inflammation. Pharmacological research undertaken to date suggests that it possesses anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, hypotensive and anti-microbial e…
North African Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used in Cancer Therapy.
2017
Background: Cancer is a major cause of mortality worldwide with increasing numbers by the years. In North Africa, the number of cancer patients is alarming. Also shocking is that a huge number of cancer patients only have access to traditional medicines due to several factors, e.g., economic difficulties. In fact, medicinal plants are widely used for the treatment of several pathologies, including cancer. Truthfully, herbalists and botanists in North African countries prescribe several plants for cancer treatment. Despite the popularity and the potential of medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer, scientific evidence on their anticancer effects are still scarce for most of the describe…