generally been classified as high-or low-incidence areas, the racial/ethnic distribution of NPC within regions is far from uniform (Chang and Adami, 2006). In the southeastern Chinese province of Guangdong, where the overall NPC incidence rate is >20 per 100,000 personyears among males, rates in Cantonese speakers are double those in other dialect groups such as the Hakka, Hokkien, and Chiu Chau (Parkin et al., 2002;Chang and Adami, 2006). Likewise, in the Malaysian state of Selangor, rates in Chinese residents have historically been highest among Cantonese, intermediate among Khek, and lowest among Hokkien and Teochiu (Parkin et al.

The leaf crude extract of Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz induces genomic DNA fragmentation, comet formation, and the inhibition of cell proliferation in the prostate cancer cell line PC3, as assessed by agarose gel electrophoresis, comet assay and MTT assay, respectively. The bioactive compound was purified through bioassay-guided fractionation using preparative HPLC and MTT assay. The light brown and water-soluble compound was characterized using 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry. The compound was identified as a glycosylated hydroquinone derivative, 2-[p-(2-Carboxyhydrazino)phenoxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl) tetrahy-dro-2H-pyran-3,4,5-triol (molecular formula, C13H18N2O8; molecular mass = 330). The identified phytocompound has not been reported earlier elsewhere. Therefore, the common name of the novel anticancer phytocompound isolated from Oroxylum indicum in this current study is oroxyquinone. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of oroxyquinone on PC3 cells was 58.9 µM (95% CI = 54.5 to 63.7 µM). Treatment of PC3 cells with oroxyquinone induced genomic DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation, increased in the annexin-V positive cells, arrested the cell cycle at S phases, and inhibited the cell migration; as assessed by comet assay, DAPI staining, flow cytometry and a wound healing assay, respectively. On the investigation of the molecular mechanism of the induction of apoptosis, the results indicated that oroxyquinone induced caspase-3 and PARP independent apoptosis but through the p38 pathway and the localization of AIF into the nucleus. The present study identifies a novel anticancer molecule and provides scientific evidence supporting the therapeutic potency of Oroxylum indicum for ethnomedicinal uses.

aims: To investigate anticancer activity of sericin preparation from cocoons of A. proylei. background: In spite of much progress in understanding the biology of cancer disease, advancement in technology for early diagnosis, the expanding array of anticancer drugs and treatment modalities, the global cancer burden is still significant and increasing. It is estimated that the new cases of cancer in the year 2040 will be 29.4 million per year globally. Sericin, an adhesive protein of silk cocoons has been shown to be a potential protein in various biomedical applications including cancer therapeutics. The present study evaluates the anticancer property of sericin from cocoons of Antheraea proylei J (SAP) against human lung cancer (A549) and cervical cancer (HeLa) cell lines. This is the first report of anti-cancer activity of the non-mulberry silkworm A. proylei J. objective: 1. Establish antiproliferative potential of SAP. 2. Identify the molecular mechanism of cell death induced by SAP on two different cell lines. method: SAP was prepared from cocoons of A. proylei J. by the process of degumming method. The amino acid composition of SAP was determined by HPLC. Cytotoxicity activity was assessed by MTT assay and genotoxicity activity was assessed by comet assay. Cleavage of caspase and PARP proteins and phosphorylation of MAPK pathway members were analysed by Western blotting. Cell cycle analysis was done by flow cytometer. result: SAP causes cytotoxicity to A549 and HeLa cell lines with the IC50 values 3.8 and 3.9 µg/µl respectively. SAP induces apoptosis in a dose dependent manner through caspase-3 and p38, MAPK pathways in A549 and HeLa cells. Moreover, in A549 and HeLa cells SAP induces cell cycle arrest at S phase in a dose dependent manner. conclusion: The difference in the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis induced by SAP in A549 and HeLa cell lines may be due to the difference in the genotypes of the cancer cell lines. However, further investigation is warranted. The overall results of the present study envisage the possibility of using SAP as anti-tumorigenic agent. other: This is the first report of sericin preparation from A. proylei to show anticancer activity. Other reports were from domesticated silkworms.

BackgroundIn spite of much progress in understanding the biology of cancer disease, advancement in technology for early diagnosis, the expanding array of anticancer drugs and treatment modalities, the global cancer burden is still significant and increasing. It is estimated that the new cases of cancer in the year 2040 will be 29.4 million per year globally. Sericin, an adhesive protein of silk cocoons has been shown to be a potential protein in various biomedical applications including cancer therapeutics. The present study evaluates the anticancer property of sericin from cocoons of Antheraea proylei J. (SAP) against human lung cancer (A549), cervical cancer (HeLa), and prostate cancer (PC3) cell lines. This is the first report of anti-cancer activity of the non-mulberry silkworm A. proylei J. Methods SAP was prepared from cocoons of A. proylei J. by the process of degumming method. The amino acid composition of SAP was determined by HPLC. Cytotoxicity activity was assessed by MTT assay and genotoxicity activity was assessed by comet assay. Cleavage of caspase and PARP proteins and phosphorylation of MAPK pathway members were analysed by Western blotting. Cell cycle analysis was done by flow cytometery.ResultsSAP causes cytotoxicity to A549, HeLa and PC3 cell lines with the IC50 values ranging from 3.4-3.9 µg/µl. SAP induces apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner through caspase-3 and p38 and ERK pathways in A549 and HeLa cells respectively whereas in PC3 cells, SAP induces apoptosis independent of caspase through p38 pathway. Moreover, in the case of A549 and HeLa cells SAP induces cell cycle arrest at S phase in a dose dependent manner whereas at G0 phase in the case PC3 cells.ConclusionSAP induces apoptosis in A549, HeLa, and PC3. The difference in the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis induced by SAP in A549 and HeLa and in PC3 may be due to the differences in the genotypes of the cancer cell lines. However, further investigation is warranted. The overall results of the present study envisage the possibility of using SAP as anti-tumorigenic agent.

Sericin is a byproduct of silk fibre industries with potential applications in therapeutics and cosmetic industries. Sericin protein differs in amino acid composition pertaining to the habitat and species of the silkworm. Though antiproliferative activity of sericin from B. mori is documented, sericin from A. proylei remains largely unexplored on various cell lines. The study envisages use of sericin protein as an anticancer agent in prostate cancer by using PC3 cells as a model. The study reports a caspase-3 and PARP independent cell death mechanism in PC3 cells treated with sericin and its ability to induce apoptosis through activation of p38 and arrests of cell cycle at G0/G1 phase.