Objective: To investigate the antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of the flower of Acanthus ilicifolius (A. ilicifolius). Methods: Antioxidant activity was determined as antiradical efficiency with diphenyl picrylhydrazil (DPPH) method and cytotoxic assay was undertaken using brine shrimp lethal toxicity test. Results: A. ilicifolius flower contained terpenoid, phenolic compounds, and alkaloid. The methanol extract of A. ilicifolius flower showed the highest antiradical efficiency (AE=1.41í10-3) against DPPH radicals and the highest cytotoxicity (LC50=22 μg/mL) against brine shrimp nauplii. Conclusions: It is suggested that active compounds of A. ilicifolius flower solved in methanol play a role to inhibit free radical activity and kill Artemia salina nauplii. The substances can be considered as potential antioxidant and cytotoxic agents as well as imminent candidate for cancer therapy.

Aims: Benzalkonium chloride is used to disinfect hospital instruments to prevent nosocomial infection caused by microorganisms, such as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). There are strains of MRSA isolated from hospitals that were found to be resistant towards benzalkonium chloride. This research was aimed to compare the affectivity of different concentrations of benzalkonium chloride to inhibit the growth of Hospital-Associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) and determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of benzalkonium chloride against HA-MRSA. Methodology and results: The samples were five HA-MRSA isolates obtained from Dr. Soetomo Hospital Surabaya. It was identified by amplification of SCCmec genes. The HA-MRSA with SCCmec type III was divided into six flasks based on the concentration of benzalkonium chloride in their inoculation media (0 μg/mL, 0.625 μg/mL, 1.25 μg/mL, 2.5 μg/mL, 5 μg/mL, and 10 μg/mL). The growth of HA-MRSA in media was determined by the number of colonies after treatment. The result showed that the MIC of benzalkonium chloride for HA-MRSA was 5 μg/mL, where no growth of bacterial was observed. There was significant difference in MRSA colony count between different groups of benzalkonium chloride concentrations (p = 0.001), and there was negative correlation between benzalkonium chloride concentration and HA-MRSA growth (p = 0.0001 and r = -0.880). Conclusion, significance and impact of study The concentration of benzalkonium chloride influences the growth of HA-MRSA. The higher the concentration, the fewer HA-MRSA growth. Application of benzalkonium chloride according to MIC will prevent HA-MRSA resistance towards benzalkonium chloride.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of the flower of Acanthus ilicifolius (A. ilicifolius).

METHODSAntioxidant activity was determined as antiradical efficiency with diphenyl picrylhydrazil (DPPH) method and cytotoxic assay was undertaken using brine shrimp lethal toxicity test.

RESULTSA. ilicifolius flower contained terpenoid, phenolic compounds, and alkaloid. The methanol extract of A. ilicifolius flower showed the highest antiradical efficiency (AE=1.41×10(-3)) against DPPH radicals and the highest cytotoxicity (LC50=22 µg/mL) against brine shrimp nauplii.

CONCLUSIONSIt is suggested that active compounds of A. ilicifolius flower solved in methanol play a role to inhibit free radical activity and kill Artemia salina nauplii. The substances can be considered as potential antioxidant and cytotoxic agents as well as imminent candidate for cancer therapy.

Acanthaceae ; chemistry ; Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Artemia ; drug effects ; Biphenyl Compounds ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cytotoxins ; toxicity ; Flowers ; chemistry ; Lethal Dose 50 ; Picrates ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo determine the in vitro possible clastogenic and cytotoxic activities of Ulva rigida crude extracts (URE), and identify their antigenotoxic and protective effects on chemotherapeutic agent mitomycine-C (MMC).

METHODSAnti-clastogenic and anti-genotoxic activities of Ulva rigida crude extracts (URE) were studied using chromosome aberration (CA), sister chromatid exchange (SCE), and micronuclei (MN) tests in human lymphocytes cultured in vitro.

RESULTSThe chromosome aberration, sister chromatid exchange or micronuclei tests showed that URE at concentrations of 10, 20, and 40 microg/mL had no clastogenic activity in human lymphocyte cell culture. Three doses of URE significantly decreased the number of chromosomal aberrations and the frequencies of SCE and MN when compared with the culture treated with MMC (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONAlthough URE itself is not a clastogenic or cytotoxic substance, it possesses strong antigenotoxic, anti-clastogenic, and protective effects on MMC in vitro.

Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; pharmacology ; Antimutagenic Agents ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Chlorophyta ; Chromosome Aberrations ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Micronucleus Tests ; Mitomycins ; pharmacology ; Mutagens ; toxicity ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Sister Chromatid Exchange ; drug effects

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate the role of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in the pathogenesis of sinonasal polyps. METHODS: Study group (groups 1-3) consisted of nasal polyp samples of patients with sinonasal polyps and the control group consisted of inferior turbinate samples of patients without nasal polyp. In group 1, 14 specimens from ethmoid sinus; in group 2, 10 specimens from nasal cavity; in group 3, 10 specimens from maxillary sinus; and in group 4 (control), 9 specimens from inferior turbinate were included. By immunohistochemical staining technique, the PDGF positivity index (PI) in mucosal layers and in the inflammatory cells were assessed at the epithelium (EP), subepithelial layer of lamina propria (SE), and deep paraglandular layer of the mucosa (D). RESULTS: Polymorphonuclear cell (PMNC)-percentage (%) values of ethmoid and maxillary sinus, and the PDGF PI from all cells of ethmoid sinus and nasal cavity were significantly higher than those of the control group. As mononuclear cell-% (MNC-%) increased, the PDGF_EP_basal PI, PDGF_SE_endothelial PI, and PDGF_D_endothelial PI decreased. As PMNC-PDGF PI increased, the PDGF_D_perivascular PI decreased and PDGF_D_endothelial PI increased. As PDGF-MNC PI increased, the PDGF_EP_apical PI, PDGF_SE_endothelial PI, and PDGF_D_endothelial PI decreased. As PDGF-all cells (PMNCs, MNCs, and fibroblasts) PI increased, the PDGF_EP_basal PI and PDGF_D_endothelial PI decreased, and the PDGF_D_perivascular PI increased. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the PDGF systems play important roles in polyp pathogenesis. Fibroblast-derived PDGF may be more important than MNC-derived PDGF in polyp developing process. Increased perivascular-PDGF-PI in deep layers of the mucosa may result in sinonasal polyp formation by causing an increase in vascular permeability and extracellular edema, and thus promoting migration of inflammatory cells to extracellular area. Tissue oxygenization may be important for the initiation of PDGF release system. Because of this reason, nasal obstruction should be medically treated earlier, and, if necessary, by surgical approaches.
Capillary Permeability ; Edema ; Epithelium ; Ethmoid Sinus ; Humans ; Maxillary Sinus ; Mucous Membrane ; Nasal Cavity ; Nasal Obstruction ; Nasal Polyps ; Oxygen ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; Polyps ; Turbinates

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this prospective study was to demonstrate the influence of some factors on the prognosis of microvascular decompression in 37 patients with trigeminal neuralgia. METHODS: The results of microvascular decompression (MVD) in 37 patients with trigeminal neuralgia were evaluated at 6 months after surgery and were compared with clinical and operative findings. RESULTS: The sex of the patient, the patient's age at surgery, the side of the pain, and the duration of symptoms before surgery did not play any significant roles in prognosis. Also, the visual analogue scale (VAS) of the patient, the duration of each pain attack, and the frequency of pain over 24 hours did not play any significant roles in prognosis. In addition, intraoperative detection of the type of conflicting vessel, the degree of severity of conflict, and the location of the conflict around the circumference of the root did not play any roles in prognosis. The only factors affecting the prognosis in MVD surgery were intraoperative detection of the site of the conflict along the root and neuroradiological compression signs on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrated that if neurovascular compression is seen on preoperative MRI/MRA and/or compression is found intraoperative at the root entry zone, then the patient will most likely benefit from MVD surgery.
Angiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Microvascular Decompression Surgery ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Trigeminal Neuralgia

Currently, mucosal infectious diseases are still a very high global health burden, but there are few effective vaccines to prevent mucosal-borne diseases. The development of mucosal vaccines requires the selection of appropriate antigens, delivery system strategies, and adjuvants to increase vaccine efficacy but limited studies have been conducted. The aim of this review is to describe the mucosal immune system, as well as the potential for the development of vaccines and mucosal adjuvants, and their challenges. The study was conducted by applying inclusion criteria for the articles, and a review was conducted by two readers with the agreement. It was known that mucosal vaccination is a potential route to be applied in future preventive efforts through vaccination. However, limited studies have been conducted so far and limited mucosal vaccination has been approved. New technological approaches such as material development involving nano- and micro-patterning are important to intensively open and investigate the potential area of development to provide better vaccination methods.

Artocarpus heterophyllus has been used as traditional medicine. This plant is one of the sources of flavonoid. Flavonoid compounds possessed a wide range of biological properties including anticancer. This study was performed to investigate the cytotoxic effect of flavonoids from A. heterophyllus on H460 and MCF-7 cell lines. The interaction of flavonoids and cisplatin against tested cancer cells was also evaluated. MTT assay was used to determine the cytotoxic effect of flavonoid. Isobologram analysis was selected to evaluate the synergistic effect between flavonoid and cisplatin, their interaction was then confirmed using AO/PI staining method. Amongst of flavonoid compounds, artocarpin exhibited strong cytotoxic effect on both MCF-7 and H460 cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 12.53 µg/mL (28.73 µM) and 9.77 µg/mL (22.40 µM), respectively. This compound enhanced anticancer activity of cisplatin against H460 and MCF-7. The combination produced a synergistic effect on H460 and MCF-7 cell lines with a combination index (CI) values of 0.2 and 0.18, respectively. The AO/PI stained demonstrated that the combination of artocarpin and cisplatin caused morphological changes that indicated apoptosis. Moreover, artocarpanone also significantly increased cytotoxic effect of cisplatin compared to its single concentration with CI below than 1. This result suggested the potency of flavonoid named artocarpin to enhance the anticancer activity of cisplatin on H460 and MCF-7 cell lines.
Apoptosis ; Artocarpus ; Cell Line ; Cisplatin ; Flavonoids ; MCF-7 Cells ; Medicine, Traditional ; Methods ; Plants

Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. (Moraceae) has been traditionally used in treating various diseases such as diabetes, diarrhea, malarial fever, inflammation, wound healing and other diseases. Since various bioactive compounds have been found in this plant, this review focuses on the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of a potent bioactive compound artocarpin. Despite its various functions, a mechanistic review on this compound has not been reviewed specifically. Here, pharmacological studies in vitro and in vivo on artocarpin are discussed thoroughly stressing on anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-tyrosinase, antioxidant and antiinflammatory aspects of artocarpin. This review would be beneficial for future study to show the competency of natural products for theirtherapeutic characteristics.

The magnitude of the problem of stunting is high in low- to middle-income countries, including Indonesia. The government of Indonesia has implemented specific and sensitive intervention programs to reduce this problem. This public health problem requires multidisciplinary management with suitable approaches and programs. In the first 1000 days of life, the quality of life is determined by conception and delivery until two years old.The requirement and fulfillment of nutrients during this period would benefit the growth and development of children. Indonesia is an archipelago country with 100,000 km of coastline and 16,771 islands with great potential for fishing. In coastal areas, optimizing protein consumption from the sea and enhancing educational programs in psychosocial care are appropriate intervention programs that will benefit stunting eradication. The complexity of the stunting problem puts authorities and other stakeholders together to formulate and design appropriate comprehensive intervention programs to improve the quality of life of the next generation.