BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies最新文献

Background: Maerua edulis (Gilg & Gilg-Ben.) DeWolf) was traditionally used in the treatment and/ or management of various diseases, including cancer. However, limited studies have evaluated whether M. edulis can suppress the proliferation of cervical cancer cells, and its putative mechanism for antiproliferative activity remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted this study to evaluate the in-vitro antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of M. edulis root extracts against human cervical cancer cells and their underlying mechanism of action.

Methods: To achieve this goal, we performed MTT assay, microscopic analyses, and wound-healing assay to assess the antiproliferative activity of M. edulis extract and its fractions. Qualitative phytochemical and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses were performed to characterize the phytochemicals in bioactive extracts, and network pharmacology was utilized to predict putative molecular targets and the mechanism of action of the active extract's fractions. Target validation was accomplished through molecular docking and real-time PCR methods.

Results: Bioactive M. edulis extracts exhibited significant antiproliferative activity against HeLa cells, with hexane fraction (essential oil) and ethyl acetate extracts demonstrating IC₅₀ values of 0.02% (v/v) and 47.42 µg/mL, respectively. GC-MS analysis identified key phytochemicals such as methyl stearate, (8Z)-14-methylhexadec-8-enal, squalene, and stigmasta-3,5-diene, which were associated with the demonstrated bioactivities, possibly mechanistically through regulation of apoptosis and cell cycle-related genes (BCL2, CDK2, TP53). Interestingly, gene expression analysis revealed the modulation of these target genes.

Conclusions: The results of our study suggest the potential therapeutic benefits of M. edulis in the treatment and management of cervical cancer. Further in-vivo studies are recommended to validate these findings and establish their safety profile.

Background: The study was conducted to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of herbal cough medications available on the market that contain either whole plant extracts from ivy, thyme, Pelargonium or the active plant-derived compound cineole on human lung epithelial cells in order to evaluate their potential in the treatment of viral inflammatory processes.

Methods: Different concentrations of the commercial plant medications (five medications that contained total ivy, thyme or Pelargonium extracts and one plant medication that contains cineole) were analyzed for their cytotoxicity and immunomodulatory potential on the human epithelial lung cancer cell line A549 and the hTERT-immortalized cell line NuLi-1. Viability was tested using WST-1 assays. AnnexinV/PI staining and flow cytometry analysis were used to investigate apoptosis and necrosis. A549 and NuLi-1 cells were stimulated with toll-like receptor (TLR)7- and TLR8-agonists, mimicking viral infection. Cytokine secretion was analyzed using the bead-based LEGENDplex™ assay.

Results: Non-toxic concentrations of the ivy-, thyme- or Pelargonium - containing medications, but not the medication containing cineole, significantly reduced the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines after the stimulation of TLR7 and TLR8 in A549 and NuLi-1 cells.

Conclusion: Medications derived from ivy, thyme and Pelargonium extracts exhibit anti-inflammatory properties in a model mimicking viral infection in human lung epithelial cells.