GC-MS ANALYSIS AND ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF METHANOL EXTRACT OF LEAVES OF HYPERICUM HOOKERIANUM WIGHT & ARN
Objective: The present investigation was an attempt to study the anticancer activity of the methanol extract of the leaves of H. hookerianum. GC-MS analysis revealed that the methanol extract of leaves contained important secondary metabolites viz. oxygenated hydrocarbons and phenolic hydrocarbons. These phytochemicals w e r e p r e s u m e d responsible for various pharmacological actions like antioxidant, and anticancer activities. Cytotoxic changes observed in MCF 7 cell line by the treatment of methanol extract included cell aggregation, cell rounding and cell death. The overall result indicates that the methanol extract of leaves of H. hookerianum showed promising baseline information for its potential use as an anti cancer agent.
In vitro cytotoxicity and antitumour properties of Hypericum mysorense and Hypericum patulum
The methanol extracts of the aerial parts of Hypericum mysorense and Hypericum patulum were tested for in vitro cytotoxicity on HEp‐2, RD and Vero cell lines and antitumour activity using DLA and HEp‐2 cell lines. The cell viability and morphological changes were assessed. Of these extracts, Hypericum patulum (stem) extract showed strong cytotoxicity against all the cell lines used. The CTC50 of the Hypericum patulum (stem) extract was 1.71 µg/mL for HEp‐2, 1.53 µg/mL for RD and 2.23 µg/mL for Vero cell lines. The Hypericum patulum (leaves) and Hypericum mysorense (aerial parts) extracts showed moderate cytotoxicity and Hypericum patulum (aerial parts) extract did not show any cytotoxicity up to 1000 µg/mL concentration. In the clonogenic assay, no colony formation was observed at a concentration of 300 µg/mL and above for Hypericum mysorense (aerial parts), 400 µg/mL and above for Hypericum patulum (leaves) and 500 µg/mL and above for Hypericum patulum (stem) extracts. In the short term antitumour studies using DLA cells, 50% viability was observed in the concentration range 100–200 µg/mL for Hypericum patulum (leaves and stem) and 200–400 µg/mL for Hypericum mysorense (aerial) extract. In the long term antitumour activity using the HEp‐2 cell line, no colony formation was observed over a concentration of 1.6 µg/mL for the Hypericum patulum (stem) extract. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Microbial flora of frozen tail meat from captive Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus).
Frozen tail meat samples from nine Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) were evaluated for microbial numbers and types. Microbial analyses yielded a mean aerobic plate count (APC, 30 degrees C) of 4.86 log cfu/g, a mean coliform count (TC, 37 degrees C) of 3.77 log cfu/g and a mean faecal coliform count (FC, 44 degrees C) of 3.40 log cfu/g. Salmonella was isolated from three samples, and beta-haemolytic streptococci from two samples. Yersinia, Aeromonas, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus were not isolated. Typical bacterial genera recovered included Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, Moraxella, Micrococcus, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus.