Evidence suggests that reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate tissue homeostasis, cellular signaling, differentiation, and survival. ROS and antioxidants exert both beneficial and harmful effects on cancer. ROS at different concentrations exhibit different functions. This creates necessity to understand the relation between ROS, antioxidants, and cancer, and methods for detection of ROS. This review highlights various sources and types of ROS, their tumorigenic and tumor prevention effects; types of antioxidants, their tumorigenic and tumor prevention effects; and abnormal ROS detoxification in cancer; and methods to measure ROS. We conclude that improving genetic screening methods and bringing higher clarity in determination of enzymatic pathways and scale-up in cancer models profiling, using omics technology, would support in-depth understanding of antioxidant pathways and ROS complexities. Although numerous methods for ROS detection are developing very rapidly, yet further modifications are required to minimize the limitations associated with currently available methods.

Swertia alata C.B Clarke (Gentianaceae) is a well-reported plant in the traditional system of medicine. The present study was intended to isolate the phytoconstituents from the ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of S. alata; and evaluate for in vitro COX-1/COX-2 inhibition activity, in vivo anti-inflammatory and ulcerogenic activity. Phytoisolation involved partitioning of S. alata ethanolic extract into petroleum ether and chloroform soluble fractions using silica gel-based column chromatography. The isolation afforded two phytoisolates, namely oleanolic acid (SA-1) and 3-hydroxylup-12-(13)-ene-17-carboxylic acid (SA-4). Phytoisolates structures were established by melting point, ultraviolet (UV), attenuated total reflection-Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and HMBC) and mass spectrometry. Phytoisolates were further evaluated for in vitro cyclooxygenase (COX-1/COX-2) inhibitory activity, in vivo anti-inflammatory and ulcerogenic activity. The study revealed SA-4 (COX-1/COX-2 inhibition activity of 104/61.68 µM with % inhibition of 61.36) to be more effective than SA-1 (COX-1/COX-2 inhibition activity of 128.4/87.25 µM, with % inhibition of 47.72). SA-1 and SA-4, when subjected to ulcerogenic study, exhibited significant gastric tolerance. The current study reports chromatographic isolation and spectrometric characterization of SA-1 and SA-4. The present study concludes that compound SA-4 possess significant anti-inflammatory activity and less irritant property over gastric mucosa with no significant ulcerogenicity in comparison to indomethacin.

Periimplantitis due to pathogenic bacteria is considered as a major cause for dental implants failures. Biogenic zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnPs) are known to inhibit periimplantitis triggering pathogens. The current investigation intended to perform ZnPs biosynthesis and evaluation against periimplantitis triggering bacteria. The current study involved ZnPs biosynthesis using Andrographis paniculata leaves aqueous extract (APLAE), followed by optimization, stability, characterization, and in vitro evaluation against periimplantitis triggering bacteria. The experimental results indicated the success of ZnPs biosynthesis based on the optimization of zinc acetate (1.5 g), plant extract (5 mL), pH 12, and temperature (25 °C), and using the stability study (absorbance between 365–370 nm) and characterization data exhibiting broad and shifted bands (in FTIR spectrum), the size was found to be below 98.61 nm (determined by FESEM and XRD spectra) and 71.54% zinc was observed in the EDX spectrum. Biogenic ZnPs exhibited a high inhibitory activity against periimplantitis-triggering pathogens (E. coli and S. aureus). Based on the experimental results, the present study concludes that biogenic ZnPs possess a high inhibitory potential against periimplantitis-triggering bacteria, and it is established that the biosynthesis of ZnPs using APLAE is a useful method.

Liver cancer is the fifth (6.3% of all cancers i.e., 548,000 cases/year) and ninth (2.8% of all cancers i.e., 244,000 cases/year) most prevalent cancer worldwide in men and women, respectively. Although multiple choices of therapies are offered for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) like liver resection or transplant, radiofrequency ablation, transarterial chemoembolization, radioembolization, and systemic targeted agent, by the time of diagnosis, most of the cases of HCC are in an advanced stage, which renders therapies like liver transplant or resection and local ablation impractical; and targeted therapy has its shortcomings like general toxicity, imprecise selectivity, several adversative reactions, and resistance development. Therefore, novel drugs with specificity and selectivity are needed to provide the potential therapeutic response. Various researches have shown the potential of phytomedicines in liver cancer by modulating cell growth, invasion, metastasis, and apoptosis. However, their therapeutic potential is held up by their unfavorable properties like stability, poor water solubility, low absorption, and quick metabolism. Nonetheless, the advancement of nanotechnology-based innovative nanocarrier formulations has improved the phytomedicines’ profile to be used in the treatment of liver cancer. Nanocarriers not only improve the solubility and stability of phytomedicines but also extend their residence in plasma and accomplish specificity. In this review, we summarize the advancements introduced by nanotechnology in the treatment of liver cancer. In particular, we discuss quite a few applications of nanophytomedicines like curcumin, quercetin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, berberine, apigenin, triptolide, and resveratrol in liver cancer treatment.

Background: Artabotrys hexapetalus [(L.F) Bhandari] a medicinal plant is commonly known as 'Hari Champa' and its roots and fruits are used for treating malaria and scrofula, respectively. Objective: The aim of this work was to develop a sensitive, fast and reproducible high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method for simultaneous analysis of quercetin and apigenin in various extracts of Artabotrys hexapetalus (L. f.) Bhandari (Family Annonaceae) and further to assess antileishmanic effects of different extracts of A. hexapetalus against Leishmania donovani. Materials and Methods: Metabolic fingerprinting was developed using HPTLC with quantification of markers (quercetin and apigenin). The method was validated for linearity, specificity, precision, accuracy and robustness. Among the different combinations of mobile phases used, best separation was achieved in toluene:ethyl acetate:formic acid (6.5:3:0.5, v/v/v). Densitometric scanning of the plates directly at 254 nm was used for analysis of quercetin as well as apigenin. The concentration-response curve was plotted and IC₅₀ values were determined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay. Results: Compact bands for quercetin and apigenin were obtained at R_f0.52 ± 0.001 and 0.73 ± 0.002, linearity were found satisfactory for quercetin and apigenin. Linearity range for quercetin and apigenin were 100–1000 ng/spot and 100–2000 ng/spot, respectively, with r² = 0.996 ± 0.002 and 0.993 ± 0.003, limit of detection (15.56 and 13.78 ng/spot), limit of quantification (51.8 and 45.94 ng/spot), recovery (98.7%–99.7% and 96.8%–98.8%) and precision with %RSD <2%. Various dried extracts were found to contain quercetin in the range of 0.35%–4.26% (w/w) and apigenin in the range of 0.64%–8.46% (w/w). Cytotoxicity assay of extracts over promastigotes showed that petroleum ether extract was found to be most cytotoxic (IC₅₀ 30.28 ± 1.06 μg/mL) after 96 h in comparison to other extracts. The finding of this study indicates that this plant is effective against L. donovani in vitro. Conclusion: The present HPTLC method is being reported for the first time and can be used for routine quality control. The petroleum ether extract of A. hexapetalus displayed potent antileishmanial activity and can be further explored for the development of antileishmanial treatment regimen.

The present study was intended to evaluate thein vitro(COX-1/COX-2) andin vivoanti-inflammatory and ulcerogenic activity of newer phytoconstituents isolated from the aerial parts ofSwertia alataC.B. Clarke (Gentianaceae). For isolation of newer phytoconstituents, the ethanolic extract of aerial parts ofS. alatawas subjected to column chromatography using mixture of petroleum ether and chloroform in various concentrations, which yielded two phytoisolates characterised as nonacosyl triacontanoate(SA-3)and 8-O-glucpyranosyl-(2-acetyl)-1,3-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-xanthone(SA-9). Identification of compounds was based on melting point, UV, FTIR,H-1-NMR,C-13-NMR and mass spectrometric data. The isolates were screened forin vitroCOX-1/COX-2 inhibitory activity,in vivoanti-inflammatory and ulcerogenic activity. Among the two compounds,SA-3was found to be more effective thanSA-9.The ulcerogenic study revealed significant gastric tolerance ofSA-3andSA-9in comparison to indomethacin.