Essential oils obtained from the NR (normal roots) and HR (hairy roots) of the medicinal plant Leonurus sibiricus root were used in this study. The essential oil compositions were detected by GC‐MS. Eighty‐five components were identified in total. Seventy components were identified for NR essential oil. The major constituents in NR essential oil were β‐selinene (9.9%), selina‐4,7‐diene (9.7%), (E)‐β‐caryophyllene (7.3%),myli‐4(15)‐ene (6.4%), and guaia‐1(10),11‐diene (5.9%). Sixty‐seven components were identified in HR essential oil, the main constituents being (E)‐β‐caryophyllene (22.6%), and germacrene D (19.8%). The essential oils were tested for cytotoxic effect, antimicrobial, anti‐inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. Both essential oils showed activity against grade IV glioma cell lines (IC₅₀ = 400 μg/mL), antimicrobial (MIC and MFC values of 2500 to 125 μg/mL), and anti‐inflammatory (decreased level of IL‐1β, IL‐6, TNF‐α, and IFN‐γ in LPS‐stimulated cells).The essential oils exhibited moderate antioxidant activity in ABTS (EC₅₀ = 98 and 88 μg/mL) assay. This is the first study to examine composition of the essential oils and their antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiproliferative, and anti‐inflammatory activities. The results indicate that essential oils form L. sibiricus root may be used in future as an alternative to synthetic antimicrobial agents with potential application in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Key Points: FLT3 inhibitor AC220 caused DNA repair defects and sensitized FLT3(ITD)-positive AML stem and progenitor cells to PARP1 inhibitors. Quiescent and proliferating FLT3(ITD)-positive AML cells were eliminated by the combination of FLT3 and PARP1 inhibitors.

Menyanthes trifoliata L. has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. It exists in Asia, Europe, North America and in Morocco and is exploited as a remedy for anemia and lack of appetite. This plant shows many pharmacological properties, but its most interesting one is its anti-cancer potential. The present study examines the induction of apoptosis in grade IV glioma cells after treatment with the extracts from aerial part and root of M. trifoliata plants derived from in vitro (MtAPV and MtRV, respectively) and from soil (MtAPS and MtRS, respectively) and presents the first comparison of the biological effects of four different extracts of M. trifoliata against glioblastoma cells. The root extracts of M. trifoliata plants were found to exhibit cytotoxic effects against grade IV glioma cells, but not normal human astrocytes. HPLC analysis demonstrated the presence of various polyphenolic compounds, including sinapinic acid, ferulic acid, syringic acid and vanilic acid. Higher amount of pentacyclic triterpene (betulinic acid) was also found in MtRV extract. The growth inhibition of human grade IV glioma cells mediated by MtRV extract appears to be associated with apoptosis and G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, and altered expression of the pro- and anti-apoptotic genes (Bax, Bcl-2, Cas-3 and TP53) and proteins (Bax, Bcl-2, Cas-3 and p53), as well as decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. Our results indicate that M. trifoliata gives promising results as an anti-cancer agent for human glioblastoma cell lines. However, further research is necessary in view of its therapeutic use.

Metal oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs and Al2O3-NPs) are used in many fields, including consumer products and biomedical applications. As a result, exposure to these NPs is highly frequent, however, no conclusive information on their potential cytotoxicity and genotoxicity mechanisms are available. For this reason, we studied cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of ZnO-NPs and Al2O3-NPs on human peripheral blood lymphocytes. We obtained our goals by using MTT assay, Annexin V-FITC flow cytometry, and alkaline, neural and pH 12.1 versions of comet assay. Exposure of lymphocytes to both NPs for 24 h slightly decreased viability of lymphocytes at ≥ 0.5 mM. For the first time, we revealed using the comet assays that both ZnO-NPs and Al2O3-NPs caused a concentration-dependent increase of DNA single-strand breaks, but not alkali-labile sites. Treatment with DNA glycosylases showed that the NPs induced oxidative DNA damage. DNA damage caused by both nanoparticles at 0.05 mM was removed within 120 min, however lymphocytes did not repair DNA damage induced by 0.5 mM NPs. Studied nanoparticles did not induce apoptosis in lymphocytes. Our results suggest that ZnO-NPs and Al2O3-NPs at concentration up to 0.5 mM did not exhibit cytotoxic effect but may exert genotoxic effect on lymphocytes, at least partially by the generation of oxidative DNA damage and strand breaks.