Cell and Tissue Journal

Abstract Aim: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of shallot on breast cancer cells compared to carboplatin and taxol treatments. Material and methods: Different concentrations of drugs taxol and carboplatin and aqueous and alcoholic extracts of shallots were prepared. Using Trypan blue and MTT, cytotoxicity on breast cancer cells, in different times and concentrations were evaluated. Utilized Hoechst and propidum iodide staining morphological changes and possible apoptosis of cells were determined. The data statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and the mean level of P Results: The results indicate that shallot alcoholic extract has more inhibitory effects on cancer cells than aqueous extract at concentration range (0.01 to 0.05 g/L). Also, the simultaneous effect of shallot’s extract, accompaniment with carboplatin, caused enhancement in cytotoxicity of carboplatin. On the other hand, accompaniment of aqueous extract with taxol led to reduction of taxol cytotoxicity. Conclusions: This study showed aqueous and alcoholic extracts of shallots has cytotoxicity effects on breast cancer cells on rats affected by breast cancer. This plant is a herb which can be used against breast cancer  can be subjects for further research.

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was investigation of the presence DBAT gene, a key gene in the biosynthetic pathway of taxol, in yew (Taxus baccata) and its taxol producing endophytic fungus and also assessment the similarity of these sequences with sequences available in GenBank.
Material and Methods: In this study, endophytic fungi were isolated from the bark of Taxus baccata and purified, using hyphal tip method. Genomic DNA of yew tree and a taxol producing fungus (T9 isolate) was extracted. Using polymerase chain reaction, presence of DBAT gene was investigated. After sequencing, similarity of sequences obtained from yew and T9 isolate with other taxus species and endophyticn fungi sequences, available in GenBank, were compared.
Results: Using specific primers, a 125 bp fragment of DBAT gene from Taxus baccata and T9 isolate was amplified. Nucleotide and amino acid sequences alignment showed that theses sequences had a high similarity (over 98%) in fungus and host plant. Alignment results of these sequences with other species of yew trees and endophytic fungi sequences also showed very high similarity (98-100%). Besides, relatively high similarity between the nucleotides and amino acid sequences of DBAT and other acyl/aroyltransferases enzymes involved in taxol biosynthesis were observed.
Conclusion: Based on the results, the presence of DBAT gene in taxol producing endophytic fungus and also very high homology of its sequence, in nucleotide and amino acid levels, with host plant (Taxus baccata) and other yew species and fungal endophytes were proved.

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) extracts on cancerous cells derived from DMBA induced mammary tumor in SD rats.
Materials and methods: Treatment group were gavaged by DMBA (10mg/kg) dissolved in 1ml sesame oil. After tumor development, a part of tissue samples were used for pathological studies using H&E staining to determine the type of the tumor. Cancerous cells were prepared after breaking the tissue using mechanical method. Dried leaves of Rosemary were extracted using digestion method with the help of methanol and filtrated by filter paper. One part of extract was kept away, and to separate the non polar compounds, the rest of the extract was washed with non polar solvents (hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate). Then the solvents were removed by rotary evaporator and then the desirable dilutions of extracts as well as Taxol were prepared. After 24 hours treatment of the cells with the extract and taxol the cell viability was evaluated by Trypan blue dye exclusion and MTT colorimetric assay.
Results: Alcoholic extract and Taxol showed significant cytotoxic effects on cancerous cells but the effect of aqueous extract was weaker.
Conclusion: according to this study alcoholic extract of Rosemary had a dose dependent cytotoxic effect on cancerous cells which was comparable to Taxol cytotoxicity. Moreover these data demonstrated that the induced breast cancer in rat is an appropriate model to simulate human breast cancer.