Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar .
Published: January 2015
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the most common malignancies and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Its prognosis remains poor for patients with several grades of this disease. This underscores the need for alternative modalities, such as herbal medicines, to treat this disease. A commonly used plant that appears to be of high medicinal value is Thymus vulgaris L. However, the effects of this plant on the malignant behavior of human CRC cells remains poorly investigated. This study was undertaken to determine the anticancer efficacy of T. vulgaris extract (TVE) in CRC cells. Our results show that TVE inhibits proliferation in a concentration- and time-dependent fashion. This decreased proliferation was concomitant with increased apoptotic cell death as evidenced by increased caspase3/7 activity. Moreover, TVE also decreased adhesion to fibronectin in a concentration-dependent manner. The migratory and invasive capacities of HCT116 cells were significantly inhibited by TVE. Taken together, these data suggest that the TVE inhibits malignant phenotype of colon cancer cells. Therefore, T. vulgaris could have an anticancer effect and that some of its bioactive compounds may prove to be effective treatment modalities for human CRC.
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Food Packaging using antibacterial substances plays a vital role in food industry in controlling contamination caused by food borne pathogens. Stability and pH dependent degradation characteristics of zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) makes its suitable candidate for biomedical applications. The present study focuses on thyme essential oil (TEO) encapsulated in ZIF-8 to achieve a synergistic antibacterial effect and prolonged drug release, aiming to extend the shelf life of food products.
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory, estrogenic disorder caused by endometrial tissue growth places other than uterine lumen, resulting in infertility and severe pelvic pain. Thymol, an extract of , processes diverse biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, local anesthetic, decongestant, and antiseptic effects. However, the efficacy of thymol in treating endometriosis has still not been explored.
An eco-friendly approach was used to fabricate zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using thyme, L., leaf extract. The produced ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by XRD and SEM analysis.
Due to their effectiveness at low doses and relative safety for non-target species, plant essential oils (EOs) are considered ideal alternatives to conventional pesticides for pest control. In this study, the chemical composition of () EO was construed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), and its larvicidal and ovicidal activity against omnivorous pests () was assessed. The effects of EO on the activities of antioxidant detoxification enzymes were also measured.
