Materials and methods Our work aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity, protective properties and anti-proliferative capacity of Lycium europeaum and Jatropha podagrica extracts on the proliferation and evolution of A547 (ovarian cancer cell line), OVCAR-3 (human ovary adenocarcinoma cell line), A549 (Human lung adenocarcinoma cell line) and PC12 (rat adrenal medulla Pheochromocytoma cells)....

Idiopathic gingival fibromatosis, a benign, slow-growing proliferation of the gingival tissues, is genetically heterogeneous. This condition is usually part of a syndrome or, rarely, an isolated disorder. Aggressive periodontitis, another genetically transmitted disorder of the periodontium, typically results in severe, rapid destruction of the toothsupporting apparatus. The increased susceptib...

Lactoquinomycin A (LQM-A), an antibiotic containing a quinone moiety in the molecule, inhibited biosyntheses of DNA, RNA and protein to a similar extent in doxorubicin-resistant mouse leukemia L5178Y cells at concentrations higher than 0.08 micrograms/ml. The antibiotic caused cell death in a short period of incubation and the degree of cell death correlated with that of the inhibition of macro...

The Clostridium kluyveri bfmBC gene encoding a putative dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase (DLD; EC 1.8.1.4) was expressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant enzyme rBfmBC was characterized. UV-visible absorption spectrum and thin layer chromatography analysis of rBfmBC indicated that the enzyme contained a noncovalently but tightly attached FAD molecule. rBfmBC catalyzed the oxidation of dihydr...

The ability to scavenge superoxide anion radicals ((*)O(2)(-)) was determined using an oxygen electrode. The method is based on the determination of (*)O(2)(-) generated by the reaction of nitrilotriacetatoiron(III) with hydrogen peroxide and a decrease in the concentration of (*)O(2)(-) by a scavenging reaction, converting into a change in the generation of oxygen molecules through an electron...

Complex formation and liquid-liquid extraction were studied in systems containing iron(III), 4-nitrocatechol (4NC),tetrazolium salt (TZS), water and organic solvent. Three different TZS were used: 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazol)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), 3-(2-naphtyl)-2,5diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium chloride (Tetrazolium violet, TV) and 2-(4-iodophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)5-phenyl-2H-tetra...

Despite the development of successful selective media favoring the more pathogenic members of the Enterobacteriaceae, media of primarily differential nature have not been entirely satisfactory for several reasons, such as the following: (1) Generally only colonies of lactose fermenters are colored, whereas the colorless colonies of nonfermenters tend to be masked by the diffusion of dye from fe...

2-Deoxy-D-glucose-6-phosphate ketol-isomerase (EC 2.6.1.16) forms glucosamine-6-phosphate and glutamate from fructose-6-phosphate and glutamine and plays an important role in chitin synthesis in fungi. We have established a new assay for fungal ketol-isomerase activity that is amenable to high throughput screening to identify enzyme inhibitors. Aspergillus fumigatus crude lysate was incubated w...

Gel filtration chromatography using a Superose 12 HR column gave well-resolved and similar elution patterns for the maize extract, Baxtin and Polbax samples. Fractions exhibiting superoxide dismutase activity, determined by direct KO2 assay, were combined, dialysed and evaporated to dryness. The molecular weight of these fractions was approximately 30000 d. These fractions were also analyzed by...

Endotoxin was shown to depress neutrophil bactericidal activity while enhancing Nitro Blue Tetrazolium reduction and hexose monophosphate shunt activity. Separation of bactericidal action from oxidative metabolism suggests that the effect of endotoxin might involve the formation of reactive oxygen radicals such as superoxide. Chemiluminescence often accompanies metabolic activation of polymorph...