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BackgroundThe wound healing process is complex and still poorly understood. Sericin is a silk protein synthesized by silk worms (Bombyx mori). The objective of this study was to evaluate in vivo wound healing effects of a sericin-containing gel formulation in an incision wound model in rats.Material/MethodsTwenty-eight Wistar-Albino rats were divided into 4 groups (n=7). No intervention or treatment was applied to the Intact control group. For other groups, a dorsal skin flap (9×3 cm) was drawn and pulled up with sharp dissection. The Sham operated group received no treatment. The Placebo group received placebo gel without sericin applied to the incision area once a day from day 0 to day 9. The Sericin Group 3 received 1% sericin gel applied to the incision area once a day from day 0 to day 9. Hematoxylin and eosin stain was applied for histological analysis and Mallory-Azan staining was applied for histoimmunochemical analysis of antibodies and iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase), and desmin was applied to paraffin sections of skin wound specimens. Parameters of oxidative stress were measured in the wound area.ResultsEpidermal thickness and vascularization were increased, and hair root degeneration, edema, cellular infiltration, collagen discoloration, and necrosis were decreased in Sericin group in comparison to the Placebo group and the Sham operated group. Malonyldialdehyde (MDA) levels were decreased, but superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were increased in the sericin group.ConclusionsWe found that sericin had significant positive effects on wound healing and antioxidant activity. Sericin-based formulations can improve healing of incision wounds.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a major public health problem in many areas of the world. Many anticancer drugs in current clinical use have been isolated from plant species or are based on such substances. Thymol (5-methyl-2-isopropylphenol) is an oxygenated aromatic compound from monoterpene group. It is the main constituent of thyme essential oil and shows antioxidant, antiseptic and antiproliferative properties. The aim of this study is to determine the antiproliferative activity and apoptotic effect of thymol on prostate cancer (PC-3, DU145), breast cancer (MDA-MB-231), and lung cancer (KLN205) cell lines. METHODS: The cancer cells were treated with different concentrations of thymol (100, 200, 400, 600, 800 μM) at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h. The cell viability was investigated by MTT assay and analysis of apoptosis was determined with annexin V assay. RESULTS: The study showed the dose and time-dependent cytotoxic effect of thymol in PC-3, DU145, MDA-MB-231, and KLN205 cancer cell lines. Thymol signifi cantly induced apoptosis in all groups in a dosedependent manner. Statistical analysis showed a signifi cant difference between thymol-treated cell lines compared to the control (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The data in the present study demonstrated that thymol has apoptotic and antiproliferative properties in lung, breast and prostate cancer cell lines. Thymol could serve as a potential therapeutic agent in the future (Fig. 5, Ref. 26).

Background. Although Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disease and characterized by memory impairment, only symptomatic treatments are available.

These results suggest a possible link between the chronic maternal metabolic stress, such as long-term fructose intake, and neurodevelopmental disturbances in the offspring.

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The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of artificial sweeteners (aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose) on rat brain. Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were included in the study. The control group (n = 6) received regular tap water, whereas other groups received aspartame (3 mg/kg/day, n = 6,) or saccharin (3 mg/kg/day, n = 6) or sucralose (1.5 mg/kg/day, n = 6) in the drinking water. Following 6 weeks, the passive avoidance learning (PAL) test was performed to evaluate the neurobehavioral effects of sweeteners. The brains were assessed for lipid peroxides, neuron count, and Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunohistochemistry. Our results demonstrated that chronic intake of sweeteners significantly impaired PAL performance in all groups. Hippocampal CA1-CA3 areas revealed significantly lower neuronal count in aspartame and increased GFAP expression in all groups. Brain lipid peroxides were significantly higher in all groups. Our findings suggest that long-term consumption of artificial sweeteners may have harmful effects on cognition and hippocampal integrity in rats.