Background: The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of in vitro anticancer activity and cytotoxicity of 13 Papaver alkaloids (amurine, armepavine, berberine, isocorydine, isothebaine, macranthine, mecambrine, mecambridine, narkotine, orientalidine, oripavine, salutaridine and thebaine) against the human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) compared to the normal African green monkey kidney epithelial cell line (Vero) using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.
Materials and Methods:The Vero and HeLa cell lines were treated with various concentrations (1-300 μg/mL) of alkaloids for 48 h. Values for cytotoxicity measured by MTT assay were expressed as the concentration that causes a 50% decrease in cell viability (IC 50 ) (μg/mL). Results: Berberine and macranthine were the most active alkaloids. Salutaridine exhibited no cytotoxic activity against two types of cell lines. Dose-dependent studies presented IC 50 of 12.08 μg/mL and IC 50 of 71.14 μg/mL for berberine and IC 50 of 24.16 μg/mL and IC 50 of >300 μg/mL for macranthine on the HeLa cells and the Vero cells respectively.
Conclusion:The degree of selectivity of the compounds can be expressed by its Selectivity Index (SI) value. High SI value (>2) of a compound gives a selective toxicity towards cancer cells (SI = IC 50 for normal cells/IC 50 for cancer cells). Two alkaloids showed significant SI values, which are 12.42 for macranthine and 5.89 for berberine. Hence, macranthine and berberine display potential to be further exploited in the discovery and development of new anticancer agents.
One of the food intoxications encountered in Turkey is the case caused by toxic honey made by bees from Rhododendron species. R. luteum and R. ponticum are the two species which grow in the north regions of Turkey. Grayanotoxins, mainly Grayanotoxin I (Andromedotoxin) occurring only in Ericaceae plants, are the compounds responsible for poisoning. In this investigation, the diagnosis and treatment of 11 cases of poisoning admitted to Kartal Occupational Diseases Hospital between 1983 and 1988 are presented. The results of the light microscopic and chemical analysis of toxic honey samples are compared with those of the ordinary honey samples and the extract of Rhododendron leaves.
Amanita phalloides is responsible for about 90 per cent of all fatal cases of mushroom intoxication. The amatoxins, the main toxic component of these fungi, are responsible for gastro-intestinal symptoms as well as hepatic and renal failure. Three brothers with Amanita phalloides poisoning were admitted with gastro-intestinal symptoms beginning 12 h after ingestion. Jaundice, hepatomegaly and neurological symptoms were not present, but liver enzymes were moderately increased. Alfa-amanitin was detected in sera of all patients. All patients underwent charcoal hemoperfusion and two of them had additional hemodialysis along with conservative therapy. Liver enzymes that showed a marked increase on the second day of therapy decreased to normal levels on the 28th day. All of our patients survived. This life saving role of early haemoperfusion in Amanita phalloides poisoning is emphasized.
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