Cellular Stress and p53-Associated Apoptosis by Juniperus communis L. Berry Extract Treatment in the Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells.

Plant phenolics have shown to activate apoptotic cell death in different tumourigenic cell lines. In this study, we evaluated the effects of juniper berry extract (Juniperus communis L.) on p53 protein, gene expression and DNA fragmentation in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

Mass spectrometric tools for cell and tissue studies.

Mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful tool for identification and quantitation of organic molecules from various matrices, especially when combined with liquid chromatography (LC). The aim of this review is to present different MS techniques and methods which can be utilized in drug and metabolism studies using cells and tissues. The first part focuses on the use of LC/MS in permeability studies across cell lines as well as in ABC transporter protein experiments.

Impact of protein binding on the analytical detectability and anticancer activity of thymoquinone.

Unlabelled: Thymoquinone (TQ), an active component of Nigella sativa L., is known to have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects; however, no studies on its analytical detection in serum and its protein binding have been published. Using high performance liquid chromatography analysis, we show that the average recovery of TQ from serum is 2.

Degradation of coeliac disease-inducing rye secalin by germinating cereal enzymes: diminishing toxic effects in intestinal epithelial cells.

Currently the only treatment for coeliac disease is a lifelong gluten-free diet excluding food products containing wheat, rye and barley. There is, however, only scarce evidence as to harmful effects of rye in coeliac disease. To confirm the assumption that rye should be excluded from the coeliac patient's diet, we now sought to establish whether rye secalin activates toxic reactions in vitro in intestinal epithelial cell models as extensively as wheat gliadin.

Glucuronidation of psilocin and 4-hydroxyindole by the human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases.

We have examined the glucuronidation of psilocin, a hallucinogenic indole alkaloid, by the 19 recombinant human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) of subfamilies 1A, 2A, and 2B. The glucuronidation of 4-hydroxyindole, a related indole that lacks the N,N-dimethylaminoethyl side chain, was studied as well. UGT1A10 exhibited the highest psilocin glucuronidation activity, whereas the activities of UGTs 1A9, 1A8, 1A7, and 1A6 were significantly lower.