Recent developments in the literature have demonstrated that curcumin exhibit antioxidant properties supporting its anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive and antitumoral activities against aggressive and recurrent cancers. Despite the valuable findings of curcumin against different cancer cells, the clinical use of curcumin in cancer treatment is limited due to its extremely low aqueous solubility and instability,which lead to poor in vivo bioavailability and limited therapeutic effects. We therefore focused in the present study to evaluate the anti-tumor potential of curcumin analogues on the human breast carcinoma cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, as well as their effects on non-tumorigenic normal breast epithelial cells (MCF-10). The IC50 values of curcumin analogue J1 in these cancer cell lines were determined to be 5 ng/ml and 10 ng/ml, in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells respectively. Interestingly, at these concentrations,the J1 did not affect the viability of non-tumorigenic normal breast epithelial cells MCF-10. Furthermore, we found that J1 strongly induced growth arrest of these cancer cells by modulating the mitochondrial membrane potentials without significant effect on normal MCF-10 cells using JC-1 staining and flow cytometry analysis. Using annexin-V/PI double staining assay followed by flow cytometry analysis, we found that J1 robustly enhanced the induction of apoptosis by increasing the activity of caspases in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cancer cells. In addition, treatment of breast cancer cells with J1 revealed that, in contrast to the expression of cyclin B1, this curcumin analogue vigorously decreased the expression of cyclin A, CDK2 and cyclin E and subsequently sensitized tumor cells to cell cycle arrest. Most importantly, the phosphorylation of AKT, mTOR and PKC-theta in J1-treated cancer cells was markedly decreased and hence affecting the survival of these cancer cells. Most interestingly, J1-treated cancer cells exhibited a significant inhibition in the activation of RhoA followed by reduction in actin polymerization and cytoskeletal rearrangement in response to CXCL12. Our data reveal the therapeutic potential of the curcumin analogue J1 and the underlying mechanisms to fight breast cancer cells.

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The present study aimed to investigate the protective effect of yeast against mycotoxicosis induced by Aspergillus parasiticus and Fusarium tricinctum as common fungal contaminants on albino rats. 60 albino rats were randomly divided into three experimental groups: (A, B and C), each contain 20 animals. Group A: rats were kept as a control group was feed on uncontaminated feed and drinking water without any treatments. Group B: animals were feed contaminated diet with aflatoxins in level of 0.5 mg/kg ration and diacetoxyscirpenol in level of 10mg/kg ration. Group C: animals were feed contaminated diet as in group B. mixed with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (2g/kg of feed) during the whole time of the experiment. At the end of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th month, respectively, five animals from each group were weighted and dissected. Tissue samples were obtained from liver, kidneys and intestine for histopathological examination by light and electron microscope. The rats showed reduction of body weight and weight gain in group B. Addition of yeast to contaminated diet in the group C improved this reduction. Histopathological and ultrastructural studies revealed pathological changes in liver and kidney in group B. administration of yeast improve the intensity and the prevalence of the lesions and enhances the immune response of the body against mycotoxicosis (Lymphocytes and plasma cells).

The present study aimed to investigate the protective effect of yeast against mycotoxicosis induced by Aspergillus parasiticus and Fusarium tricinctum as common fungal contaminants on albino rats. 60 albino rats were randomly divided into three experimental groups: (A, B and C), each contain 20 animals. Group A: rats were kept as a control group was feed on uncontaminated feed and drinking water without any treatments. Group B: animals were feed contaminated diet with aflatoxins in level of 0.5 mg/kg ration and diacetoxyscirpenol in level of 10mg/kg ration. Group C: animals were feed contaminated diet as in group B. mixed with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (2g/kg of feed) during the whole time of the experiment. At the end of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th month, respectively, five animals from each group were weighted and dissected. Tissue samples were obtained from liver, kidneys and intestine for histopathological examination by light and electron microscope. The rats showed reduction of body weight and weight gain in group B. Addition of yeast to contaminated diet in the group C improved this reduction. Histopathological and ultrastructural studies revealed pathological changes in liver and kidney in group B. administration of yeast improve the intensity and the prevalence of the lesions and enhances the immune response of the body against mycotoxicosis (Lymphocytes and plasma cells).

Boron (B) toxicity often limits crop yield and the quality of production in agricultural areas. Here, we investigated the effects of calcium (Ca), silicon (Si) and salicylic acid (SA) on development of B toxicity, B allocation in canola (Brassica napus cultivar Sarw 4) and its role in non-enzymatic antioxidants in relation to yield of this cultivar under B toxicity. Canola seedlings were subjected to four B levels induced by boric acid in the absence or presence of Ca, Si and SA. The results showed that Ca, Si and SA addition ameliorated the inhibition in canola growth, water content (WC), and improved siliqua number, siliqua weight and seed index. The B content in shoots and roots and total B accumulation in the whole plant were increased in control plants under B-toxicity-stress, and these parameters were significantly decreased by addition of Ca, Si and SA. The shoot ascorbate pool (ascorbate, AsA, and dehydroascorbate, DHA), α-tocopherol and phenolics (free and bound) were increased under B toxicity, and were significantly decreased in most cases by addition of Ca, Si and SA, except α-tocopherol, which increased at low B levels (0, 25 and 50 mg kg soil−1). The glutathione content did not obviously change by B stress, while added Ca, Si and SA inhibited its accumulation under B stress. In addition, B toxicity reduced the shoot flavonoids content; however, this reduction was not alleviated by the use of Ca, Si and SA treatments. It could be concluded that growth and yield of canola plants grown under high B concentration improved after external application of Ca, Si or SA.

Soil salinity and sodicity (alkalinity) are serious land degradation issues worldwide that are predicted to increase in the future. The objective of the present study is to distinguish the effects of NaCl and Na2CO3 salinity in two concentrations on the growth, lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, membrane integrity, total lipids, yield parameters and fatty acids (FAs) composition of seeds of sunflower cultivar Sakha 53. Plant growth, LOX activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were reduced by salts stresses. On the contrary, salinity and alkalinity stress induced stimulatory effects on membrane permeability, leakage of UV-metabolites from leaves and total lipids of sunflower shoots and roots. Crop yield (plant height, head diameter, seed index and number of seeds for each head) that is known as a hallmark of plant stress was decreased by increasing concentrations of NaCl and Na2CO3 in the growth media. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) composition of salt-stressed sunflower seeds varied with different levels of NaCl and Na2CO3.

This study intended to determine the ability of endophytic bacteria recovered from root nodules of Cicer arietinum L. and Vigna unguiculata L. (Walp.) plants to synthesize exopolysaccharide (EPS) and to enhance the production by changing nutritional factors. Twenty endophytic bacteria isolated from root nodules of Cicer arietinum and Vigna unguiculata were tested for their production of EPS. High EPS-producing isolates were identified on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. Among 20 isolates, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (C6) and Brevibacillus parabrevis (V4) isolated from root nodules of Cicer arietinum and Vigna unguiculata produced a high EPS yield in comparison with other isolates. Using 1% of sucrose as sole carbon source increases the concentration of EPS produced by S. maltophilia and B. parabrevis (65 and 107%, respectively). EPS produced by S. maltophilia and B. parabrevis was increased by the addition of fructose and lactose (0.1%). Addition of 1.68 g/L KNO3 or 2.49 g/L glycine to modified yeast extract mannitol medium (YEMB) significantly increased EPS production by S. maltophilia and B. parabrevis. Furthermore, the presence of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (25–50 μg/ mL) in the modified YEMB medium increased EPS yield by B. parabrevis. Chemical characterization of EPS by GC–MS and FTIR indicate that the EPS biochemical composition is dependent on the bioavailability of carbon substrates and is controlled by limiting nutrients. The combination of the best two carbon sources sucrose (0.9%) and fructose or lactose (0.1%) in the presence of KNO3 or glycine as the best nitrogen sources significantly increased EPS yield of S. maltophilia and B. parabrevis, respectively.

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