Pandima Devi Kasi

Alagappa University · Department of Biotechnology

Objective NSCLC is the predominant form of lung cancer, often exhibiting resistance to chemotherapy. Thymol and citral have shown promise as anticancer agents in different cancer cell lines but have not been evaluated in combination against NSCLC. Hence, we planned to investigate the anticancer effect of thymol-citral combination and explore its me...

This study examined the safety and potential anti-lung cancer effects of combinations of phytol and α-bisabolol in Swiss albino mice. Both acute and subacute toxicity assessments showed that the combination of phytol and α-bisabolol is safe, with no adverse effects observed at higher concentrations. Hematological, biochemical, and histopathological...

Plant-based medicines have been practised since ancient times to prevent and treat diseases. The growing interest in phytotherapy demonstrates that it is beneficial in treating ailments ranging from dementia to cancer. The majority of currently available FDA-approved drugs are derived from natural compounds. The research findings on phytocompounds...

Background Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is a malignancy with a significant prevalence and aggressive nature, posing a considerable challenge in terms of therapeutic interventions. Autophagy and apoptosis, two intricate cellular processes, are integral to NSCLC pathophysiology, each affecting the other through shared signaling pathways. Phytol...

This study explored the potential of poly-(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles to enhance the effectiveness of anticancer treatments through combination therapy with phytol and α-bisabolol. The encapsulation efficiency of the nanoparticles was investigated, highlighting the role of ionic interactions between the drugs and the polymer. Cha...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the major devastating neurodegenerative disorders associated with the gradual decline of an individual's memory, cognition, and ability to carry out day‐to‐day activities. In the present study, the neuroprotective ability of α‐bisabolol β‐ d ‐fucopyranoside (ABFP) was assessed via measurement of antioxidant parame...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the leading cause of gastrointestinal cancer death. 90% of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer are over the age of 50; nevertheless, the illness is more aggressive among those detected at a younger age. Chemotherapy-based treatment has several adverse effects on both normal and maligna...

The human oral cavity is comprised of dynamic and polynomial microbes which uniquely reside in the microenvironments of oral cavities. The cumulative functions of the symbiotic microbial communities maintain normal homeostasis; however, a shifted microbiota yields a dysbiosis state, which produces local and systemic diseases including dental caries...

β-amyloid (Aβ)25-35 peptide-induced oxidative stress is one of the primary reasons for the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the present study, α-bisabolol β-D-fucopyranoside (ABFP) was evaluated for its protective effect against β-amyloid (Aβ)25-35 peptide-induced toxicity in Neuro-2a cells. The results of the current study revealed that...

Redox-responsive resveratrol (RES)-loaded nanocarrier (R-NC) was fabricated using stearic acid-disulfide-methoxy poly (ethylene glycol) (SA-SS-mPEG) as a potential carrier for stimuli-responsive drug release. The synthesized redox responsive SA-SS-mPEG was evaluated through FTIR, ¹H NMR, DTA/TGA and XRD analysis and was further utilized to develop...

The inflammatory response is a highly self-regulated process that arises due to the common consequence of injury or infection and it has been observed that chronic inflammations cause tissue damage. The complexity of this process attracted huge scientific interest which deals with understanding inflammatory responses at their molecular level. Gener...

Thymol is a plant-derived natural phenolic compound abundantly present in Thymus vulgaris species. In the present study, we developed a chitosan-based drug delivery system to deliver thymol to A549 cells. The physicochemical properties of thymol-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (thymol-NP) were characterized using polyphasic techniques viz., FTIR, XRD...

Currently, the world is facing a pandemic of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. Identifying key targets in the viral infection lifecycle is urgently needed for designing therapeutic strategies to combat the virus. Furin is a subtilisin-like proprotein convertase with diverse cellular functions. Emerging evidence suggests that furi...

The initiation of human cancer is primarily driven by carcinogenic substances including chemicals, radiations, viruses, and parasites. The carcinogenesis mechanism is a complex process in which cellular DNA mutations contribute to the initiation, which is the first step, and seems to be irreversible. The second stage is promoted over a long period...

Vascular diseases arise due to vascular endothelium dysfunction in response to several pro-inflammatory stimuli and invading pathogens. Thickening of the vessel wall, formation of atherosclerotic plaques consisting of proliferating smooth muscle cells, macrophages and lymphocytes are the major consequences of impaired endothelium resulting in ather...

The present work describes the neuroprotective efficacy of DHAc under escalated oxidative stress condition in scopolamine-induced amnesic mice. During the toxicity test of DHAc in mice, the acute dose (LD50) is found to be 3.468 mg/kg bw and the sub-acute dose is 0.68 mg/kg bw. Improved cognitive and learning abilities are observed in Morris water...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) etiology has been studied for a long time and it is found to be multifaceted involving the accumulation of amyloid β and tau protein. Oxidative stress is an early event in AD associated neurodegeneration provoking neuronal death through mitochondrial dysfunction and activation of caspase-3. Therefore we tested the efficacy...

Obesity is a major health concern for a growing fraction of the population, with the prevalence of obesity and its related metabolic disorders not being fully understood. Over the last decade, many attempts have been undertaken to understand the mechanisms at the basis of this condition, in which the accumulation of fat occurring in adipose tissue,...

Background: Thymol is a monoterpene phenol found in thyme species plants. The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of thymol and its molecular mechanism on non-small lung cancer (A549) cells. Methods: The cytotoxic effect of thymol on A549 cells was assessed via MTT assay. ROS production, macromolecular damage, apoptosis were...

Nowadays due to the concern with the environmental impact of analytical techniques and in order to reduce the ecological footprint there is a tendency to use more efficient and faster procedures that use a smaller amount of organic solvents. Polyphenols have been widely studied in plant‐based matrices due to their wide and potent biological propert...

People growing old face several problems like loss of body function and increased risk for diseases. Maintaining good health and body function is vital for healthy ageing. Biological complexity and diversity of the ageing process render no simple, reliable and single technique to measure someone’s healthy ageing. Hence to know about the key feature...

Objective: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an acquired neurological disorder of cognitive and behavioral impairments, with a long and progressive route. Currently, efforts are being made to develop potent drugs that target multiple pathological mechanisms that drive the successful treatment of AD in human beings. The development of nano-drug delivery s...

Emulsifiers are high molecular weight surface active agents that facilitate the formation and stabilization of emulsions. It is employed in food products to get uniform quality with improved texture and long shelf life. It is commonly found in packaged and prepared foods such as baked goods, soft drinks, candy, gum, whipped cream, biscuits, breads,...

Nanoparticles based drug delivery system offers an alternative strategy to overcome several therapeutic limitations of various human ailments, particularly in age-linked Alzheimer’s disease. Results of our previous cell-free studies indicated that α-bisabolol loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (ABS) significantly inhibited the aggregation of Aβ25-35....

Autophagy is a conserved biological phenomenon that maintains cellular homeostasis through the clearing of damaged cellular components under cellular stress and offers the cell building blocks for cellular survival. Aberrations in autophagy subsidize to various human pathologies, such as dementia, cardiovascular diseases, leishmaniosis, influenza,...

Cardiovascular diseases comprise of non-communicable disorders that involve the heart and/or blood vessels and have become the leading cause of death worldwide with increased prevalence by age. mTORis a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase which play a central role in many physiological processes including cardiovascular diseases, and also inte...

Amyloid β (Aβ) induced neurotoxicity has been postulated to initiate synaptic loss and subsequent neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The nanoparticles based drug carrier system is considered as a promising therapeutic strategy to combat this incurable disease. It was also found to inhibit cholinesterase activity and apoptosis mediat...

Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) consisted of 11 subtypes (PDE1 to PDE11) and over 40 isoforms that regulate levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), the second messengers in cell functions. PDE inhibitors (PDEIs) have been attractive therapeutic targets due to their involvement in diverse medical conditio...

The inhibition of Aβ peptide development and aggregation is a hopeful curative approach for the discovery of disease modifying drugs for Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment. Recent research mainly focuses on the discovery of drugs from marine setting due to their immense therapeutic potential. The present study aims to evaluate the brown macroalga P...

Daucosterol (DS)is a plant phytosterol which is shown to induce oxidative stress mediated apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. However, the molecular mechanism underlying its cellular action has not been documented against Non- Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Therefore, we attempted to decipher the mechanisms responsible for DS-induced anti-prol...

Turmeric that is the distinctive yellow-colored spice, derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, is a member of Zingiberaceae family and is widely cultivated in India and Southeast Asia where it has been used in cooking, medicine, cosmetics, and fabric dyes for more than 2000 years. Throughout the world, it has several synonyms such as ukon, India...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifaceted neurodegenerative disorder affecting the elderly people. For the AD treatment, there is inefficiency in the existing medication, as these drugs reduce only the symptoms of the disease. Since multiple pathological proteins are involved in the development of AD, searching for a single molecule targeting mult...

Autophagy is an important biological mechanism involved in the regulation of numerous funda- mental cellular processes that are mainly associated with cellular growth and differentiation. Autophagic pathways are vital for maintaining cellular homeostasis by enhancing the turnover of nonfunctional proteins and organelles. Neuronal cells, like other...

Nature is a rich source of numerous bioactive compounds that are categorized as secondary metabolites. Lignans are group of such compounds, generally called phytoestrogens widely present in many plants and vegetables, grains, seeds, nuts and tea. They have been used as folk medicine for the treatment of several clinical conditions like asthma, card...

In the present study, the modulatory effect of phytol against benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P] induced lung carcinogenesis was investigated in Swiss albino mice. During the experimental period, phytol treatment showed no adverse toxic effect and mortality to the experimental animals. Lung tumor was observed in B(a)P treated group and also in animals post‐tre...

JAK/STAT transduction pathway is a highly conserved pathway implicated in regulating cellular proliferation, differentiation, survival and apoptosis. Dysregulation of this pathway is involved in the onset of autoimmune, haematological, oncological, metabolic and neurological diseases. Over the last few years, the research of anti-neuroinflammatory...

p300/CBP Associated Factor (PCAF), a GNAT family member protein, represent a valid target for therapeutic interventions since its dysfunction has implicated in variety of diseases like cancer, diabetes, inflammatory diseases, etc. Despite its potential for therapeutics, only a small number of PCAF inhibitors were reported. Hence, in this study, the...

Synthesis of natural products has speeded up drug discovery process by minimizing the time for their purification from natural source. Several diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD) demand exploring multi targeted drug candidates, and for the first time we report the multi AD target inhibitory potential of synthesized dihydroactinidiolide (DA). Tho...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with multiple pathological consequences such as oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, cholinergic deficit, amyloid plaques, and tangles formation. Hence, development of drugs with multiple targets will be effective in the treatment of AD. The present study aims at evaluation...

In the present study, the antiproliferative activity of phytol and its mechanism of action against human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 were studied in detail. Results showed that phytol exhibited potent antiproliferative activity against A549 cells in a dose and time-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 70.81 ± 0.32 μM and 60.7 ± 0.47 μM at...

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are considered as a promising nanocarrier for increasing the oral delivery of hydrophobic drugs. The primary objective of the present study is to formulate α-bisabolol loaded SLNs through hot homogenization method and to evaluate its neuroprotective effect in Neuro-2a cells. The physico-chemical characterization of...

Urinary tract infections are the utmost common bacterial infections caused by Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Serratia marcescens. These uropathogens resist the action of several antibiotics due to their ability to form biofilms. Most of these bacterial pathogens use the quorum sensing (QS) machinery to co-ordinate...

Aim: Glutamate is a major neurotransmitter involved in several brain functions and glutamate excitotoxicity is involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the current study, the neuroprotective effect of the Indian medicinal plant Grewia tiliaefolia (GT) and its active component vitexin was evaluated in Neuro-2a cells against glutamate toxicity. Mat...

Amyloid beta (Aβ) formation is one of the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which induces the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), further leading to the alteration of several signalling pathways. In the present study, vitexin has been evaluated for its neuroprotective activity against Aβ25-35induced toxicity in Neuro...

β-Sitosterol (BS), a major bioactive constituent present in plants and vegetables has shown potent anticancer effect against many human cancer cells, but the underlying mechanism remain elusive on NSCLC cancers. We found that BS significantly inhibited the growth of A549 cells without harming normal human lung and PBMC cells. Further, BS treatment...

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most dreadful disorders of 21st century with no effective therapy till date, clinically characterized by loss of cognitive function. β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) is considered as the key pathogenic factor in AD, which on aggregation provokes oxidative stress mediated neuronal damage affecting activities of daily life suc...

In the present paper, we will discuss on the importance of autophagy in the central nervous system, and outline the relation between autophagic pathways and the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. The potential therapeutic benefits of naturally occurring phytochemicals as pharmacological modulators of autophagy will also be addressed. Our...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating brain disorder characterized by an increased level of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide deposition and neuronal cell death leading to an impairment of learning and thinking skills. The Aβ deposition is a key factor in senile plaques of the AD brain which cause the elevation of intracellular calcium ions and the pro...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an unfavourable neurological condition of the brain leading to the loss of behavioural and cognitive skills of the aging population. At present, drugs representing cholinesterase inhibitors provide lateral side effects to AD patients. Hence, there is a need for improved fabrication of drugs without side effects, for whic...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a life-threatening neurodegenerative disorder leading to dementia, with a progressive decline in memory and other thinking skills of elderly populace. Of the multiple etiological factors of AD, the accumulation of senile plaques (SPs) particularly as Aβ oligomers correlates with the relentlessness cognitive impairment in...

Flavonoids are major dietary constituents of plant-based food that occur ubiquitously in plant kingdom where they are usually present in substantial amounts. Rutin is a flavonol-type polyphenol and consists of the flavonol quercetin and the disaccharide rutinose. Rutin has been reported to exert divers biological effects such as antitumor and antim...

Over the course of the last three decades, a large body of evidence has shown that polyphenols, the secondary metabolites occurring in plant foods and beverages, exert protective effects due to their antioxidant activity mediated through different mechanisms ranging from direct radical scavenging and metal chelating activities, to the capacity to i...

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related deaths both in developed and developing countries. Since majority of the existing therapeutic methods harms both normal and malignant cells, a viable alternative is to switch into safe and beneficial traditional medicinal plants. Hence the present study was framed to identify selective anti-lung ca...

In the recent years, polyphenols have gained significant attention in scientific community owing to their potential anticancer effects against a wide range of human malignancies. Epidemiological, clinical and preclinical studies have supported that daily intake of polyphenol‐rich dietary fruits have a strong co-relationship in the prevention of dif...

Context: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is believed to develop due to deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide. Hence, efforts are being made to develop potent drug that target amyloid hypothesis. Objective: The present study explores the effect of the seaweed Gelidiella acerosa (Forsskål) Feldmann & Hamel (Gelidiellaceae) against Aβ 25–35 peptide in Swiss a...

Quercetin, a ubiquitous flavonoid that is widely distributed in plants is classified as a cognitive enhancer in traditional and oriental medicine. The protective effects of quercetin for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders and cerebrovascular diseases have been demonstrated in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The free radical scavenging...

Background: The plant milk thistle and silymarin has been traditionally used as a natural remedy for the treatment of various ailments including neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and cerebral ischemia for over 2000 years. Objective: In this article we review the neuroprotective effects of silymarin against variou...

Context: Grewia tiliaefolia Vahl. (Tiliaceae) is a sub-tropical plant used as an indigenous medicine in India. However, its efficacy has not been evaluated against Alzheimer’s disease. Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate cholinesterase inhibitory, anti-aggregation and neuroprotective activity of G. tiliaefolia. Materials and meth...

Objective: Amyloid hypothesis states that endogenous β-amyloid peptides (Aβ), especially its aggregated oligomers and fibrils are the key pathogenic factors leading to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Therefore, inhibition of Aβ fibrillation rather than blocking its production is considered promising therapeutic intervention. Hence, the present study was...

The use of cholinesterase inhibitors and antioxidants is currently considered as an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). There is also a growing trend to use nutraceuticals for cognitive impairment. Since natural product-based drugs offer better hope for the treatment of AD, the present study was aimed at ev...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by accumulation and deposition of Aβ peptide in human brain. The present study aimed to determine the protective effect of catechin rich extract of MERM (methanolic extract of Rhizophora mucronata) on Aβ (25–35) induced cognitive impairment and neuronal toxicity in...

In recent years, natural edible products have been found to be important therapeutic agents for the treatment of chronic human diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegeneration. Curcumin is a well-known diarylheptanoid constituent of turmeric which possesses anticancer effects under both pre-clinical and clinical conditions....

Current aging research is aimed not only at the promotion of longevity, but also at improving ‎health span‎ through the‎ discovery and development‎ of new therapeutic strategies‎‏‎ by investigating ‎molecular and ‎cellular ‎pathways involved in cellular senescence.‎ Understanding the mechanism of action ‎of ‎polyphenolic compounds targeting mTOR (m...

Biofilm formation, quorum sensing (QS)-regulated virulence and emergence of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens lead to major health problems. In this perspective, antibiofilm agents and QS inhibitors have gained much attention to treat infections caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens. For the first time, this investigation reports the...

Context Gelidiella acerosa (Forsskål) Feldmann & G. Hamel (Rhodophyta-Gelidiales) is a marine red macroalga. Our previous work found that a benzene extract of G. acerosa possesses noticeable neuroprotective activity, when evaluated through in vitro and in vivo systems. Objective Bioactive-guided fractionation and identification of active compounds...

In the present study, the antiproliferative potential of various solvent extracts Gracilaria edulis (GE) was tested against various cancer cell lines. In A549 lung cancer cell line model, maximum and significant (P<0.05) growth inhibition was observed at 48 h in GE ethyl acetate extract (GEEA) treated group with the percentage of viability of 26.56...

Inhibition of β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation in the cerebral cortex of the brain is a promising therapeutic and defensive strategy in identification of disease modifying agents for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Since natural products are considered as the current alternative trend for the discovery of AD drugs, the present study aims at the evaluation of a...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) threatens to become the scourge of the 21st century, hence there is an urgent need for the exploration of multipotent drug in the treatment of AD. Rhizophora mucronata, tropical red mangrove has been widely used in traditional oriental medicine as astringent, antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-ulcerogenic and anti-inflammatory...

Over the past decades, extensive studies have addressed the therapeutic effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 FAs) against different human diseases such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, etc. A growing body of scientific research shows the pharmacokinetic information and safety of these natural occurring su...

Grewia tiliaefolia Vahl., is a subtropical tree used in Ayurvedic formulations and also by tribal communities in India for treatment of wounds, urinary infection and skin diseases. Despite of its medicinal use, the plant has not been previously tested for its safety. This study evaluated the toxicological profile of the methanolic extract of G. til...

Primary prevention through lifestyle interventions is a cost-effective alternative for preventing a large burden of chronic and degenerative diseases, including cancer, which is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the past decade, epidemiologic and preclinical evidence suggested that polyphenolic phytochemicals presen...