Platelet augmentation activity of mature leaf juice of Sri Lankan wild type cultivar of Carica papaya L: Insights into potential cellular mechanisms.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Carica papaya L., a common fruit crop of the family Caricaceae and its leaf juice/extract is a traditionally commended preparation against dengue and other thrombocytopenic diseases by many Asian countries.

Aim Of The Study: The present study posits the potential cellular mechanisms of platelet augmentation activity of mature leaf juice of Sri Lankan wild-type Carica papaya.

Plant based radioprotectors as an adjunct to radiotherapy: advantages and limitations.

Radioprotectors are agents that have the potential to act against radiation damage to cells. These are equally invaluable in radiation protection, both in intentional and unintentional radiation exposure. It is however, complex to use a universal radioprotector that could be beneficial in diverse contexts such as in radiotherapy, nuclear accidents, and space travel, as each of these circumstances have unique requirements.

Effect of urbanization on zoonotic gastrointestinal parasite prevalence in endemic toque macaque () from different climatic zones in Sri Lanka.

Understanding variations in host-parasite relationships with urbanization is vital for both, public health management and conservation of endemic animals with high anthropogenic interactions. Toque macaques () are such endemic old-world monkeys in Sri Lanka. Three macaque sub species inhabit the main climatic zones of the island; and inhabit the dry zone, wet zone, and montane regions of the island, respectively.

Gastrointestinal parasites of six large mammals in the Wasgomuwa National Park, Sri Lanka.

Gastrointestinal (GI) parasites may impose detrimental consequences on wildlife populations due to their capacity to cause mortality and reduce fitness. Additionally, wild animals play an important role in the transmission of zoonoses. Despite this importance, information on GI parasites of tropical wild mammals is critically lacking.

Therapeutic uses of post-partum tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cell secretome.

Human post-partum tissue mesenchymal stromal cells (hPPT-MSCs) are widely used in research to investigate their differentiation capabilities and therapeutic effects as potential agents in cell-based therapy. This is ascribed to the advantages offered by the use of MSCs isolated from hPPT over other MSC sources. A paradigm shift in related research is evident that focuses on the secretome of the human MSCs (hMSCs), as therapeutic effects of hMSCs are attributed more so to their secreted growth factors, cytokines and chemokines and to the extracellular vesicles (EVs), all of which are components of the hMSC secretome.

Cytogenotoxicity evaluation of a heavy metal mixture, detected in a polluted urban wetland: Micronucleus and comet induction in the Indian green frog (Euphlyctis hexadactylus) erythrocytes and the Allium cepa bioassay.

Heavy metal contamination in wetland ecosystems is a serious environmental and health concern. This study evaluated the cytogenotoxicity of a previously evidenced heavy metal contamination (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn ∼5 ppm each) in a polluted urban wetland, the Bellanwila-Attidiya sanctuary (BAS) in Sri Lanka, using a battery of cytogenotoxic assays. Micronucleus and comet assays evaluated the genotoxicity in erythrocytes of a common amphibian, the Indian green frog (Euphlyctis hexadactylus), under natural metal exposure in the wetland, and in vitro exposure, respectively.

Effective delivery of hydrophobic drugs to breast and liver cancer cells using a hybrid inorganic nanocarrier: A detailed investigation using cytotoxicity assays, fluorescence imaging and flow cytometry.

This study was focused on developing a drug carrier system composed of a polymer containing hydroxyapatite (HAp) shell and a magnetic core of iron oxide nanoparticles. Doxorubicin and/or curcumin were loaded into the carrier via a simple diffusion deposition approach, with encapsulation efficiencies (EE) for curcumin and doxorubicin of 93.03 ± 0.

Heavy metal-induced toxicity in the Indian green frog: Biochemical and histopathological alterations.

Heavy metal contamination may have adverse effects on wetland biota, particularly on amphibians. Severe immunotoxic effects elicited in Euphlyctis hexadactylus (Indian green frog) because of metal exposure (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in the Bellanwila-Attidiya Sanctuary, a polluted urban wetland in Sri Lanka, provided the rationale for the present study. We evaluated the biochemical and histopathological effects of this metal contamination with a reference E.

Mature leaf concentrate of Sri Lankan wild type Carica papaya Linn. modulates nonfunctional and functional immune responses of rats.

Background: The leaf concentrate of Carica papaya is a traditionally acclaimed immunomodulatory remedy against numerous diseases; nonetheless comprehensive scientific validation of this claim is limited. The present study thus investigated the immunomodulatory potential of Carica papaya mature leaf concentrate (MLCC) of the Sri Lankan wild type cultivar using nonfunctional and functional immunological assays.

Methods: Wistar rats (N = 6/ group) were orally gavaged with 3 doses (0.

Potential role of herbal remedies in stem cell therapy: proliferation and differentiation of human mesenchymal stromal cells.

Stem cell therapy has revolutionized modern clinical therapy with the potential of stem cells to differentiate into many different cell types which may help to replace different cell lines of an organism. Innumerous trials are carried out to merge new scientific knowledge and techniques with traditional herbal extracts that may result in less toxic, affordable, and highly available natural alternative therapeutics. Currently, mesenchyamal stromal cell (MSC) lines are treated with individual and mixtures of crude herbal extracts, as well as with purified compounds from herbal extracts, to investigate the mechanisms and effects of these on stem cell growth and differentiation.

Heavy metal mediated innate immune responses of the Indian green frog, Euphlyctis hexadactylus (Anura: Ranidae): Cellular profiles and associated Th1 skewed cytokine response.

Immune cell and cytokine profiles in relation to metal exposure though much studied in mammals has not been adequately investigated in amphibians, due mainly to lack of suitable reagents for cytokine profiling in non-model species. However, interspecies cross reactivity of cytokines permitted us to assay levels of IFNγ, TNFα, IL6 and IL10in a common anuran, the Indian green frog (Euphlyctis hexadactylus), exposed to heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn and Pb, at ~5ppm each) under field and laboratory settings in Sri Lanka. Enumeration of immune cells in blood and melanomacrophages in the liver, assay of serum and hepatic cytokines, and Th1/Th2 cytokine polarisation were investigated.

A shifting paradigm in the aetiology of oral and pharyngeal cancer in Sri Lanka: a case-control study providing serologic evidence for the role of oncogenic HPV types 16 and 18.

Background: Oral and pharyngeal cancer (OPC) of multifactorial aetiology is a major health problem globally. Ranking first in all cancers, OPC poses a significant impact on the Sri Lankan male population. As Human Papillomavirus (HPV) high risk (HR) types are found to be significant risk factors for OPC globally, the current study was undertaken to examine the association between HR-HPV16 and 18 types with OPC in Sri Lanka.

Artemisia vulgaris L. ethanolic leaf extract reverses thrombocytopenia/thrombocytosis and averts end-stage disease of experimental severe Plasmodium berghei murine malaria.

Background & Objectives: Artemisinin isolated from Artemisia annua is the most potent antimalarial against chloroquine resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria. We previously reported that the ethanolic leaf extract of Artemisia vulgaris, an invasive weed and the only Artemisia species in Sri Lanka, possess both potent and safe antimalarial activity (in terms of antiparasitic properties) in a P. berghei murine malaria model.

Antimalarial properties of Artemisia vulgaris L. ethanolic leaf extract in a Plasmodium berghei murine malaria model.

Background & Objectives: Artemisinin isolated from Artemisia annua is the most potent antimalarial drug against chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Artemisia vulgaris, an invasive weed, is the only Artemisia species available in Sri Lanka. A pilot study was undertaken to investigate the antiparasitic activity of an A.

Population genetic structure of the Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite protein (Pvcsp) in Sri Lanka.

Molecular methods elucidate evolutionary and ecological processes in parasites, where interaction between hosts and parasites enlighten the evolution of parasite lifestyles and host defenses. Population genetics of Plasmodium vivax parasites accurately describe transmission dynamics of the parasites and evaluation of malaria control measures. As a first generation vaccine candidate against malaria, the Circumsporozoite Protein (CSP) has demonstrated significant potential in P.

Evaluation of the genetic diversity of domain II of Plasmodium vivax Apical Membrane Antigen 1 (PvAMA-1) and the ensuing strain-specific immune responses in patients from Sri Lanka.

Antigenic polymorphism displayed by malaria parasites is a skewed schema to escape the host immune system. The prevailing genetic diversity at domain II of the Plasmodium vivax Apical Membrane Antigen-1 (Pvama-1DII) was characterized in 64 single clone P. vivax isolates from Sri Lanka, where unstable malaria prevails with low intensity.

Genetic diversity of Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein II (PvDBPII) under unstable transmission and low intensity malaria in Sri Lanka.

Elucidating the genetic diversity of the Duffy Binding Protein II (PvDBPII), a leading vaccine candidate for vivax malaria, in different geographical settings is vital. In Sri Lanka malaria transmission is unstable with low intensity. A relatively high level of allelic diversity, with 27 polymorphic nucleotides and 33 (aa) haplotypes was detected among the PvdbpII gene in 100 local Plasmodium vivax isolates collected from two hypoendemic areas, and from a non endemic area of the country.