There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

Assay for lipid peroxides in animal tissues by thiobarbituric acid reaction

Flavonoids are nearly ubiquitous in plants and are recognized as the pigments responsible for the colors of leaves, especially in autumn. They are rich in seeds, citrus fruits, olive oil, tea, and red wine. They are low molecular weight compounds composed of a three-ring structure with various substitutions. This basic structure is shared by tocopherols (vitamin E). Flavonoids can be subdivided according to the presence of an oxy group at position 4, a double bond between carbon atoms 2 and 3, or a hydroxyl group in position 3 of the C (middle) ring. These characteristics appear to also be required for best activity, especially antioxidant and antiproliferative, in the systems studied. The particular hydroxylation pattern of the B ring of the flavonoles increases their activities, especially in inhibition of mast cell secretion. Certain plants and spices containing flavonoids have been used for thousands of years in traditional Eastern medicine. In spite of the voluminous literature available, however, Western medicine has not yet used flavonoids therapeutically, even though their safety record is exceptional. Suggestions are made where such possibilities may be worth pursuing.

The Effects of Plant Flavonoids on Mammalian Cells:Implications for Inflammation, Heart Disease, and Cancer

The biochemistry and medical significance of the flavonoids.

Despite the skepticism that once prevailed among immunologists, it is now widely accepted that the normal immune system harbors a T-cell population, called regulatory T cells (Treg cells), specialized for immune suppression. It was first shown that depletion of a T-cell subpopulation from normal rodents produced autoimmune disease. Search for a molecular marker specific for such autoimmune-preventive Treg cells has revealed that the majority, if not all, of them constitutively express the CD25 molecule as depletion of CD25+CD4+ T cells spontaneously evokes autoimmune disease in otherwise normal rodents. The expression of CD25 by Treg cells has made it possible to delineate their developmental pathways, in particular their thymic development, and establish simple in vitro assay for assessing their suppressive activity. The marker and the in vitro assay have helped to identify human Treg cells with similar functional and phenotypic characteristics. Recent efforts have shown that natural Treg cells specifically express the transcription factor Foxp3 and that mutations of the Foxp3 gene produce a variety of immunological diseases in humans and rodents. Specific expression of Foxp3 in natural Treg cells has enabled their functional and developmental characterization by genetic approach. These studies altogether have provided firm evidence for Foxp3+CD25+CD4+ Treg cells as an indispensable cellular constituent of the normal immune system for establishing and maintaining immunologic self-tolerance and immune homeostasis. Treg cells are now within the scope of clinical use to treat immunological diseases and control physiological and pathological immune responses.

Regulatory T Cells

Platelet-rich plasma is a new inductive therapy which is being increasingly used for the treatment of the complications of bone healing, such as infection and nonunion. The activator for platelet-rich plasma is a mixture of thrombin and calcium chloride which produces a platelet-rich gel. We analysed the antibacterial effect of platelet-rich gel in vitro by using the platelet-rich plasma samples of 20 volunteers. In vitro laboratory susceptibility to platelet-rich gel was determined by the Kirby-Bauer disc-diffusion method. Baseline antimicrobial activity was assessed by measuring the zones of inhibition on agar plates coated with selected bacterial strains. Zones of inhibition produced by platelet-rich gel ranged between 6 mm and 24 mm (mean 9.83 mm) in diameter. Platelet-rich gel inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and was also active against Escherichia coli. There was no activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, platelet-rich gel seemed to induce the in vitro growth of Ps. aeruginosa, suggesting that it may cause an exacerbation of infections with this organism. We believe that a combination of the inductive and antimicrobial properties of platelet-rich gel can improve the treatment of infected delayed healing and nonunion.

Antibacterial effect of autologous platelet gel enriched with growth factors and other active substances: an in vitro study.

Ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) is one of the richest sources of phenolic acids and flavonoids. EEP and its phenolic compounds have been known for various biological activities including immunopotentiation, chemopreventive and antitumor effects. Tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a naturally occurring anticancer agent that preferentially induces apoptosis in cancer cells and is not toxic toward normal cells. We examined the cytotoxic and apoptotic effect of EEP and phenolic compounds identified in propolis in combination with TRAIL on HeLa cancer cells. HeLa cells were resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Our study demonstrated that EEP and its components significantly sensitize to TRAIL induced death in cancer cells. The percentage of the apoptotic cell after exposure to 50 μg/mL EEP and 100 ng/mL TRAIL increased to 71.10±1.16%. The strongest cytotoxic effect in combination with TRAIL on HeLa cells exhibited apigenin and CAPE at the concentration of 50 μM (58.87±0.75% and 49.59±0.39%, respectively). In this report, we show for the first time that EEP markedly augmented TRAIL mediated apoptosis in cancer cells and confirmed the importance of propolis in chemoprevention of malignant tumors.

/pdf/ethanolic-extract-of-propolis-eep-enhances-the-apoptosis-3cidke18n5.pdf

Ethanolic Extract of Propolis (EEP) Enhances the Apoptosis- Inducing Potential of TRAIL in Cancer Cells

Propolis (bee glue) has been known for centuries. The ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians were aware of the healing properties of propolis and made extensive use of it as a medicine. In the middle ages propolis was not a very popular topic and its use in mainstream medicine disappeared. However, the knowledge of medicinal properties of propolis survived in traditional folk medicine. The interest in propolis returned in Europe together with the renaissance theory of ad fontes. It has only been in the last century that scientists have been able to prove that propolis is as active and important as our forefathers thought. Research on chemical composition of propolis started at the beginning of the twentieth century and was continued after WW II. Advances in chromatographic analytical methods enabled separation and extraction of several components from propolis. At least 180 different compounds have been identified so far. Its antibacterial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, anesthetic, and healing properties have been confirmed. Propolis has been effectively used in treatment of dermatological, laryngological, and gynecological problems, neurodegenerative diseases, in wound healing, and in treatment of burns and ulcers. However, it requires further research that may lead to new discoveries of its composition and possible applications.

/pdf/historical-aspects-of-propolis-research-in-modern-times-3gndwitec2.pdf

Historical aspects of propolis research in modern times.

Triterpenes are compounds of natural origin, which have numerously biological activities: anti-cancer properties, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. These substances can be isolated from plants, animals or fungi. Nowadays, when neoplasms are main cause of death, triterpenes can become an alternative method for treating cancer because of their cytotoxic properties and chemopreventive activities.

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/20/1/1610/pdf

Triterpenes as Potentially Cytotoxic Compounds

Ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP), known to possess marked antibacterial activity, was incubated with 8 different common antibiotics in culture medium containing a fixed amount of a standard strain of Staphylococcus aureus. The antibiotic compounds used were: penicillin G, doxycycline, streptomycin, cloxacillin, chloramphenicol, cefradine, ampicillin and polymyxin B. They were used in varying levels, ranging between 0.000005-125.0 micrograms/ml or units, resp. Firstly, their minimal inhibitory concentrations were established in the absence of EEP, than EEP was added in concentrations up to 600 micrograms/ml. EEP had a marked synergistic effect on the antibacterial activity of streptomycin and cloxacillin, and a moderate synergistic effect on the others, except ampicillin.

Wojciech Król

Papers

Antibacterial effect of autologous platelet gel enriched with growth factors and other active substances: an in vitro study.

Ethanolic Extract of Propolis (EEP) Enhances the Apoptosis- Inducing Potential of TRAIL in Cancer Cells

Historical aspects of propolis research in modern times.

Triterpenes as Potentially Cytotoxic Compounds

Synergistic effect of ethanolic extract of propolis and antibiotics on the growth of staphylococcus aureus.