Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the functional and molecular expression of a carrier mediated system responsible for folate uptake in breast cancer (BC) (T47D) cells and to delineate the mechanism of intracellular regulation of this transport system. Materials and Methods: [ ³ H]-folic acid uptake was studied in T47D cells with respect to time, pH, temperature, sodium and chloride ion dependency. Inhibition studies were conducted in the presence structural analogs, vitamins, metabolic and membrane transport inhibitors. [ ³ H]-folic acid uptake was also determined with varying concentrations of cold folic acid. Uptake kinetics was studied in the presence of various modulators of intracellular regulatory pathways; calcium-calmodulin, protein kinases A and C (PKA and PKC) and protein tyrosine kinase (PTK). Molecular evidence was studied by qualitative and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot analysis. Results: Linear increase in [ ³ H]-folic acid uptake was observed over 30 min. The process followed saturation kinetics with an apparent K _m of 11.05 nM, V _max of 1.54 * 10⁻⁸ μmoles/min/mg proteins and K _d of 9.71 * 10⁻⁶ /min for folic acid. Uptake process was found to be dependent on pH, sodium ions, chloride ions, temperature and energy. Uptake was inhibited in the presence of structural analogs (cold folic acid, methyltetrahydro folate and methotrexate), but structurally unrelated vitamins did not show any effect. Membrane transport inhibitors such as SITC, DIDS, probenecid and endocytic inhibitor colchicine significantly inhibited the [ ³ H]-folic acid uptake process. PKA, PTK and Ca ²⁺ /calmodulin pathways positively regulate the uptake process. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) analysis had shown mRNA expression of folate receptor (FR)-α at 407 bp. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed significantly higher FR-α mRNA levels in T47D cells compared to MCF-7 cells and Western blot analysis confirmed the FR-α protein expression at 37 kDa. Conclusions: This work demonstrated the functional characterization and molecular presence of FR-α in the T47D cell line. The high expression of FRs in T47D human breast carcinoma cells supports their validity as molecular therapeutic targets in BC.

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Purpose: The objective of this study was to develop a novel peptide prodrug of doxorubicin which can evade over-expressed efflux pumps in breast cancer cells. This approach may lead to increased uptake and higher drug accumulation in nuclei of cancer cells. Materials and Methods: L-val-L-val doxorubicin prodrug was synthesized following standard f-moc chemistry. The prodrug was analyzed for stability, cellular and nuclear uptake and interaction with efflux and peptide transporters. Breast cancer cells (T47D) were grown on polystyrene 12-well plates. Result: The prodrug Val-Val-doxorubicin was found to be very stable in breast cancer cell homogenate. It was able to evade efflux pumps. The prodrug penetrated cytoplasm and nucleus of cancer cells by interacting with peptide transporters.These transporters (pepT1 and pepT2) are expressed both on plasma and nuclear membrane of breast cancer cells. Uptake of prodrug was found to be 10 times more than parent drug. Conclusion: Peptide prodrug derivatization of doxorubicin has potential to evade efflux pumps and increase availability and nuclear accumulation of doxorubcin in breast cancer cells.

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Background: Contamination with aflatoxin, by Aspergillus flavus, is one the major challenges in agriculture and food industry. Preparation of organic products using natural components is widely considered these days. Aims: In this study, effects of aqueous extracts of five medicinal herbs, including thyme, senna, mentha, basil, and safflower on the growth of the A. flavus were investigated. Mterials and Methods: The extracts with different concentrations (200-800 µg/mL) and polyethylene glycol with the equal osmotic potential of plant extracts were added to the potato dextrose agar medium to evaluate fungus growth after 7 days using agar dilution method. Benomyl, a fungicide, was used as a positive standard. The tests were performed in triplicate, and the mean diameters of fungus growth were calculated as well. Results and Conclusion: All concentrations of the plants extracts significantly inhibited the fungus growth in comparison with each other and control treatments, while the extracts of thyme and safflower manifested the most effective prohibition compared to benomyl with minimum inhibitory concentration of 200 and 400 µg/mL, respectively.

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Introduction: Glucosamine-6-phosphate (GlcN6P) synthase biosynthetic pathway has been identified as potential targets for the development of new antimicrobial agents. Aim: A series of 2-chloro-N-(42-phenylthiazol-25-yl)acetamide derivatives (3a-r) was synthesized and evaluated their antimicrobial activity. Materials and Methods: The 2-chloro-N-(Para substituted phenylthiazol-25-yl) acetamide (2a-c) were synthesized by stirring intermediates (1a-c) with 2-chloroacetylchloride in dichloromethane in the presence of K2CO3. The intermediate (2a-c) were further reacted with different secondary amine such as pyrrolidine, N-methyl piperazine, N-ethyl piperazine, thiomorpholine, morpholine, piperidine etc in ethanol in presence of TEA Triethylamine (TEA) to get desired compounds (3a-r). Compounds were characterized by a spectroscopic technique such as Fourier transform infraredFTIR, ¹ H-NMR, ¹³ C-NMR, and mass spectrometry. The synthesized thiazole derivatives (3a-r) were screened for anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 6571, Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCTC 10662, CandidaC. albicans (MTCC-183), AspergillusA. niger (MTCC 281) NCTC 10418 and AspergillusA. flavus (MTCC 277). Result and Conclusion: The results of anti-bacterial screening revealed that among all the screened compounds, eight compounds viz. 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3i, 3j, 3k, and 3p showed moderate to good anti-bacterial and antifungal activity having minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) between 6.25- and 25 µg/ml. While compound 3d showed the most promising antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus, while the compound 3j showed promising antifungal activity with MIC value 6.25 µg/ml against C. albicans, A. niger and A. flavus. In addition, all these eight potential molecules were also examined for possible binding on enzyme GlcN6Pglucosamine-6-phosphate synthase by molecular docking studies on (PDB ID 1JXA).

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Introduction: This study investigated the hepatoprotective activity of aqueous root bark extracts of Anogeissus leiocarpus, Terminalia avicennioides, and their 1:1 mixture in diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-treated rats. Materials and Methods: Rats were orally pretreated with extracts and 1:1 mixture (200, 400, and 800 mg/kg body weight) for 2 weeks before being challenged with DEN (30 mg/kg body weight) once a week on weeks 3 and 4. Curcumin (200 mg/kg body weight) was used as reference antioxidant agent, and distilled water was used as a control. The whole experiment lasted for 4 weeks. The activities of liver and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate and alanine aminotransferases (AST and ALT), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), as well as the levels of serum total protein, albumin, total, and conjugated bilirubin were evaluated. Results: The extracts and their mixture significantly (P < 0.05) prevented the DEN-induced alterations in the activities of ALP, AST, ALT, and GGT in the liver and serum of the animals; as well as the altered levels of serum total and conjugated bilirubin. Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study revealed that the extracts possess hepatoprotective activities against DEN-induced liver damage in rats.

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Cichorium intybus L. (chicory) is a Mediterranean plant species belonging to the Asteraceae family. Chicory is gaining interests because of its culinary features, nutritional values and medicinal characteristics. C. intybus has been implemented in folk medicine from North Africa to South Asia for several 100 years. In Indian medicine, it has been used to treat fever, diarrhea, spleen enlargement, jaundice, liver enlargement, gout, and rheumatism. In China, it is valued for its tonic effects upon the liver and digestive tract. In Germany, chicory has been used as a folk medicine for everyday ailments. Thus, C. intybus is a plant of great economic potential due to high concentrations of fructooligosacharide, known as inulin, in its roots, used as a replacement ingredient for sugar and fat. The other various phytoconstituents reported in chicory are sucrose, cellulose, proteins, caffeic acid derivatives, flavonoids, polyphenols, carotenoids, anthocyanins, tannins, coumarins, sesquiterpene lactones, fatty acids, pectin, cholins, benzo-isochromenes, alkaloids, vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. The therapeutic investigations reveal that C. intybus is useful for maintaining normal health and has nematicidal, antihepatotoxic, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, antiallergic, antihyperlipidemic, anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, calcium homeostater, bulking agent, immunostimulatory, prebiotic, protective against pancreatitis, antimicrobial, and antioxidant effects. This review encompasses botany, ethnomedicinal uses, phytoconstituents, pharmacological uses, and toxicity studies of C. intybus L.

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