Abstract:The present study reports a bioassay-guided isolation of β-caryophyllene from the essential oil of Aquilaria crassna. The structure of β-caryophyllene was confirmed using FT-IR, NMR and MS. The antimicrobial effect of β-caryophyllene was examined using human pathogenic bacterial and fungal strains. Its anti-oxidant properties were evaluated by DPPH and FRAP scavenging assays. The cytotoxicity of β-caryophyllene was tested against seven human cancer cell lines. The corresponding selectivity index was determined by testing its cytotoxicity on normal cells. The effects of β-caryophyllene were studied on a series of in vitro antitumor-promoting assays using colon cancer cells. Results showed OPEN ACCESSMolecules 2015, 20 11809 that β-caryophyllene demonstrated selective antibacterial activity against S. aureus (MIC 3 ± 1.0 µM) and more pronounced anti-fungal activity than kanamycin. β-Caryophyllene also displayed strong antioxidant effects. Additionally, β-caryophyllene exhibited selective anti-proliferative effects against colorectal cancer cells (IC50 19 µM). The results also showed that β-caryophyllene induces apoptosis via nuclear condensation and fragmentation pathways including disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential. Further, β-caryophyllene demonstrated potent inhibition against clonogenicity, migration, invasion and spheroid formation in colon cancer cells. These results prompt us to state that β-caryophyllene is the active principle responsible for the selective anticancer and antimicrobial activities of A. crassnia. β-Caryophyllene has great potential to be further developed as a promising chemotherapeutic agent against colorectal malignancies.

With the rising epidemic of type 2 diabetes worldwide, including the United States, the death and disability due to the suboptimal control of cardiovascular disease associated with this epidemic has made prevention of type 2 diabetes emerge as a primary strategic intervention. Several modalities have been assessed in large randomized controlled trials for diabetes prevention such as lifestyle interventions and various pharmacologic agents. Included in these agents are metformin, thiazolidinediones, acarbose, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, as well as angiotensin receptor blockers. Abrogation of oxidative stress appears to be a common soil hypothesis that explains the favorable effects of these agents on glucose metabolism, including the prevention of diabetes and its complications. This comprehensive review highlights the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of diabetes, with emphasis on the major clinical trials conducted on prevention of type 2 diabetes.

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International audienceRaman spectroscopy has been used to identify the biochemical changes associated with the presence of the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) in infected human blood plasma samples as compared with healthy samples, as control. The aim of the study was to establish the Raman spectral markers of hepatitis infection, which could be used for diagnostic purposes. Moreover, multivariate data analysis techniques, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), coupled with Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), and Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR) are employed to further demonstrate the diagnostic capability of the technique. The PLSR model is developed to predict the viral loads of the HCV infected plasma on the basis of the biochemical changes caused by the viral infection.Specific Raman spectral features are observed in the mean spectra of HCV plasma samples which are not observed in the control mean spectra. PCA differentiated the ‘normal’ and ‘HCV’ groups of the Raman spectra and PCA-LDA was employed to increase the efficiency of prediction of the presence of HCV infection, resulting in a sensitivity and specificity 98.8% and 98.6%, with corresponding Positive Predictive Value of 99.2%, and Negative Predictive Value of 98%. PLSR modelling was found to be 99% accurate in predicting the actual viral loads of the HCV samples, as determined clinically using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique, on the basis of the Raman spectral changes caused by the virus during the process of the development of Hepatitis C

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