Solvent extracts from the carnivorous plant Dionaea muscipula (Venus flytrap) were prepared using eight different organic solvents, and examined for antibacterial activity against food-related pathogenic and putrefactive bacteria. All solvent extracts showed higher antibacterial activity against gram positive bacteria than against gram negative bacteria. The TLC-bioautography analysis of the ex...

In contrast to the conventional belief that systemic arteries dilate under hypoxia, we found that α-adrenergic contraction of rat deep femoral artery (DFA) is largely augmented by hypoxia (HVC(DFA)) while hypoxia (3% Po(2)) alone had no effect. HVC(DFA) was consistently observed in both endothelium-intact and -denuded vessels with partial pretone by phenylephrine (PhE) or by other conditions (e...

Recently, a wide range of food-derived phytochemical compounds and their synthetic derivatives have been proposed for cancer treatment. Unfortunately, data available in related literature focus on the anti-cancer properties of compounds derived from edible plants, while very little is known about those derived from non-edible plants. And thus, the underlying mechanisms of their anti-cancer effe...

Antifungal constituents, 2-isopropenyl-4-methyl-1-oxa-cyclopenta[b]anthracene-5,10-dione and (+)-4-(2'-hydroxy-3'-methylbut-3'-enyloxy)-8H-[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-h]chromen-8-one in addition to known compounds imperatorin, beta-sitosterol, plumbagin, 1-methyl-2-(3'-methyl-but-2'-enyloxy)-anthraquinone, beta-sitosterol glucoside, stigmasterol, vanillin and salicin were isolated during phytochemical inv...

Quinones are plant-derived secondary metabolites that present some anti-proliferation and anti-metastasis effects in various cancer types both in vitro and in vivo. This review focuses on the anti-cancer prospects of plant-derived quinones, namely, aloe-emodin, juglone, β-lapachol, plumbagin, shikonin, and thymoquinone. We intend to summarize their anti-cancer effects and investigate the mechan...

Naphthoquinones represent the group of plant secondary metabolites with cytotoxic properties based on their ability to generate reactive oxygen species and interfere with the processes of cell respiration. Due to this fact, the possible cytotoxic mechanisms on cellular and subcellular levels are investigated intensively. There are many targets of cytotoxic action on the cellular level; however,...

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common pathogens affecting humankind, infecting approximately 50% of the world's population.Of those infected, many will develop asymptomatic gastritis, but 10% develop gastric or duodenal ulcers. The CagA gene is a novel marker for pathogenicity and associated with more severe clinical outcomes and PCR could be rapid and reliable technique to confirm the ...

Disturbances of angiogenesis and oxidative stress can lead to many serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes or ischemic heart disease. Substances neutralizing oxidative stress are known as antioxidants. They can affect angiogenesis process also, and thus, they modulate therapy results. Antioxidants become more and more frequently used in order to maintain homeostasis of the organism and dimini...

Human amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSC) with multilineage differentiation potential are novel source for cell therapy. However, in vitro expansion leads to senescence affecting differentiation and proliferative capacities. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been involved in the regulation of stem cell pluripotency, proliferation, and differentiation. Redox-regulated signal transduction is coordi...