Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a global health concern for women of reproductive age, as 6.5% of women worldwide are affected by this syndrome. PCOS is marked by hyperandrogenism, anovulation, menstrual abnormalities, and polycystic ovaries. Metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury are considered to be systemic toxicants/human carcinogens and seem to have devastating effects on humans, even at minimal exposures. One of the probable aetiological factors for PCOS has been identified as oxidative stress. In view of the probable associations among oxidative stress, metal toxicity and PCOS, the present study examined the role of heavy metals in the generation of oxidative stress among females. This prospective study included 106 women (56 women diagnosed with PCOS and 50 women who were not diagnosed with PCOS as control women). There were no significant differences in the sociodemographic characteristics between the two groups except for the irregularity of menses and the presence of acne. The serum As, Cd, Pb, and Hg levels increased and the serum glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels diminished significantly in the PCOS group compared to the control group at P < 0.001. The SOD levels were negatively correlated with the As and Pb levels at P < 0.05. Additionally, the PCOS group exhibited a strong negative correlation between the GSH and As levels (P < 0.01), GSH and Pb levels (P < 0.05) and GSH and Hg levels (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the As levels were positively correlated with increased levels of Cd, Pb and Hg among PCOS women. Significant positive correlations were observed between Pb and Cd and between Cd and Hg at P < 0.001. The outcome of the study provides clear insight into the role of metal-induced oxidative stress, which plays a vital role in the pathophysiology underlying PCOS and suggests the use of these markers as prognostic tools to reduce the consequences of high-risk exposure to these metals among females.
Pregnancy termination consecutively for three or more times during the first trimester is termed as Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). In addition to the abnormal karyotype, heavy metal induced oxidative damage may contribute as prominent etiological factor in pregnancy termination. Oxidative stress is considered crucial in etiology underlying RPL with altered antioxidant status and subsequent DNA damage. The current case controlled study investigated Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), DNA damage (8OHdG) and heavy metals in RPL group (n = 30) and the women with successful pregnancies and no cases of miscarriage as control group (30 women). Heavy metals -Antimony (Sb) and Arsenic (As) were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass spectrophotometry (ICP-MS). There was significant decrease in levels of TAC in RPL group compared to healthy pregnant women ( P < 0.05). On contrary, elevated levels of As and Sb were observed in RPL group with subsequent increase in the levels of 8OHdG ( P < 0.001); indicating extensive DNA damage in these patients. Furthermore, increased levels of As and Sb in RPL group were positively correlated with 8OHdG and negatively with total antioxidant capacity. The outcome of the study provides clear insight of the role of metal induced oxidative stress that plays a vital role in the pathophysiology underlying RPL.
Previous research has shown that propolis has immunomodulatory activity. Extracts from two UK propolis samples were assessed for their anti-inflammatory activities by investigating their ability to alter the production of the cytokines: tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and IL-10 from mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages co-stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The propolis extracts suppressed the secretion of IL-1β and IL-6 with less effect on TNFα. In addition, propolis reduced the levels of nitric oxide formed by LPS-stimulated macrophages. Metabolomic profiling was carried out by liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) on a ZIC-pHILIC column. LPS increased the levels of intermediates involved in nitric oxide biosynthesis; propolis lowered many of these. In addition, LPS produced an increase in itaconate and citrate, and propolis treatment increased itaconate still further while greatly reducing citrate levels. Moreover, LPS treatment increased levels of glutathione (GSH) and intermediates in its biosynthesis, while propolis treatment boosted these still further. In addition, propolis treatment greatly increased levels of uridine diphosphate (UDP)–sugar conjugates. Overall, the results showed that propolis extracts exert an anti-inflammatory effect by the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines and by the metabolic reprogramming of LPS activity in macrophages.
Propolis, is a gummy material produced by honey bees from different parts of plants and is enriched with varied biological active compounds like flavonoids, phenolics and phenolic acids with wide applicability in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. The current report is focused on the characterisation of propolis collected from Asir region, South-west of Saudi Arabia and its effect on Trypanosoma brucei (the causative organism of African sleeping sickness) and cytotoxic effect against U937 human leukemia cells. The Chemical composition and spectral characteristics of Saudi propolis was studied by Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC–MS) and High-performance liquid chromatography–evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC–ELSD).The two main active compounds isolated from Saudi propolis via column chromatography and size exclusion chromatography were fisetinidol and ferulic acid. High resolution electrospray ionization–mass spectrophotometer (HRESI–MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were used to elucidate the structures of the isolated compounds. All crudes extracts, fractions as well as isolated compounds were subjected for biological testing against Trypanosoma brucei (S427 WT), and their cytotoxicity against U937 human leukemia cells. Amongst the various samples investigated, S-6 fraction demonstrated highest anti-trypanosomal activity at 2.4 µg/ml MIC followed by fisetinidol at 4.7 µg/ml reflecting that the anti-trypanosomal activity is attributable to the presence of fisetinidol in the fraction. Similarly, all the tested samples exhibited cytotoxicity with an IC50 > 60 µg/ml. S-6 fractions exhibited highest cytotoxic activity against U937 cells with an IC50 of 58.7 µg/ml followed by ferulic acid with an IC50 87.7 µg/ml indicating that the cytotoxic effect of propolis might be due to the presence of ferulic acid. In conclusion, the biological activity of propolis could be attributed to the synergistic action of the two active compounds-ferulic acid and fisetinidol. The data obtained in the study is thus indicative of the role of propolis as potential anti-trypanosomal and anticancer agent for effective cancer therapy.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and a significant health concern worldwide. The main threat to the elimination of TB is the development of resistance by MTB to the currently used antibiotics and more extended treatment methods, which is a massive burden on the health care system. As a result, there is an urgent need to identify new, effective therapeutic strategies with fewer adverse effects. The traditional medicines found in South Asia and Africa have a reservoir of medicinal plants and plant-based compounds that are considered another reliable option for human beings to treat various diseases. Abundant research is available for the biotherapeutic potential of naturally occurring compounds in various diseases but has been lagging in the area of TB. Plant-based compounds, or phytoproducts, are being investigated as potential anti-mycobacterial agents by reducing bacterial burden or modulating the immune system, thereby minimizing adverse effects. The efficacy of these phytochemicals has been evaluated through drug delivery using nanoformulations. This review aims to emphasize the value of anti-TB compounds derived from plants and provide a summary of current research on phytochemicals with potential anti-mycobacterial activity against MTB. This article aims to inform readers about the numerous potential herbal treatment options available for combatting TB.
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