Spices were some of the most valuable items of trade in the ancient and medieval world. Herbalist and folk practitioners have used plant remedies for centuries, but only recently have scientist begun to study the powers of common herbs and spices. In the current set-up, the anti-proliferative, anti-hypercholesterolemic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory effects of spices have overriding importance, as the key health concern of mankind nowadays is diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases, arthritis and cancer. Spices or their active compounds could be used as possible ameliorative or preventive agents for these health disorders. Spices are rich in antioxidants, and scientific studies suggest that they are also potent inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of blood sugar and circulating lipids. Because spices have very low calorie content and are relatively inexpensive, they are reliable sources of antioxidants and other potential bioactive compounds in diet. This review outlines the role of some spices used in the Indian kitchen for its flavour and taste which are potential to maintain a healthy heart.

Tocotrienols are a class of vitamin E which modulates several mechanisms associated with cardioprotection, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and neuroprotection. Unlike other Vitamin E-like compounds, tocotrienols possess inimitable properties. Quite a lot of studies have determined the cardioprotective abilities of tocotrienols and have been shown to possess novel hypocholesterolemic effects together with an ability to reduce the atherogenic apolipoprotein and lipoprotein plasma levels. In addition, tocotrienol has been suggested to have an antioxidant, anti-thrombotic, and antitumor effect indicating that tocotrienol may serve as an effective agent in the prevention and/or treatment of cardiovascular disease and cancer. The bioactivity exhibited is due to the structural characteristics of tocotrienols. Rich sources of tocotrienols which include rice bran, palm oil, and other edible oils exhibit protective effect against cardiovascular disorders. The conclusions drawn from the early literature that vitamin E group of compounds provides an inevitable role in cardioprotection is sustained in many more recent studies.

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Two imidazole terpyridine (itpy) based complexes, [Cu(itpy)(OAc)(H2O)]NO3·H2O (1) and [Zn(itpy)(OAc)]OAc (2) have been synthesised and characterized. The crystal structure of complex 1 shows distorted octahedral geometry with an anti-parallel stacking arrangement. The interactions of the two complexes with Calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) have been studied using absorption titration and circular dichroism. Complex 1 shows coordinate binding to DNA bases, and complex 2 shows an intercalative mode of binding with DNA. Complex 1 cleaves the DNA via an oxidative pathway in the presence of additives, because of the presence of a redox active copper(II) centre. However, complex 2 cleaves DNA hydrolytically. Interactions of the two complexes with bovine serum albumin have been studied using fluorescence quenching and circular dichroism experiments. Circular dichroic analysis reveals that both the complexes strongly influence the secondary structure of the protein. Fluorescence quenching experiments indicate that there are different binding sites for complexes 1 and 2 on the protein. Furthermore, the complexes show potential cytotoxicity towards the A549 lung cancer cell line. Both the complexes have been found to induce apoptosis.

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