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Hexavalent chromium induces nephrotoxicity and carcinogenesis by oxidative stress. Decoction of Selaginella lepidophylla (Hook. & Grev.) Spring, Selaginellaceae, is widely used against kidney diseases in Mexican traditional medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the protective activity of decoction of S. lepidophylla in chromium 6+-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Nephrotoxicity was induced by the administration of potassium dichromate (15 mg/kg) in rats. Animals were distributed into control and chromium-intoxicated rats without treatment and treated with decoction of the plant at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg for 7 days. Blood, urine, and kidneys were obtained at days 1, 3, 5, and 7 of treatments. Rats with nephrotoxicity showed a decrease of urinary volume, creatinine clearance, active tubular secretion, and electrolyte balance, but an increment in serum creatinine, ROS production, and lipid peroxidation in the kidney. After treatment with decoction of the plant, renal function was recovered since days 3 and 5 at tested doses.

Curcumin, the most important secondary metabolite isolated from Curcuma longa, is known for its numerous purported therapeutic properties and as a natural dye. Herein, based on curcumin&rsquo, s intrinsic fluorescence, a search for improved curcumin-based fluorophores was conducted. Within the set of semi-synthetic curcumin derivatives i.e. mono (1), di (2), tri (3), tetra (4) benzylated and dibenzyl-fluoroborate (5), the fluorescence properties of 2 and 5 in solution outstood with a two-fold quantum yield compared to curcumin. Furthermore, all benzylated derivatives showed a favorable minimal cytotoxic activity upon screening at 25 &mu, M against human cancer and non-tumoral COS-7 cell lines, with a reduction of its cytotoxic effect related to the degree of substitution. Fluorophores 2 and 5 are versatile bioimaging tools, as revealed by Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy (CFM), and showed permeation of living cell membranes of astrocytes and astrocytomas. When 2 is excited with a 405- (blue) or 543-nm (green) laser, it is possible to exclusively and intensively visualize the nucleus. However, the fluorescence emission fades as the laser wavelength moves towards the red region. In comparison, 5 allows selective visualization of cytoplasm when a 560-nm laser is used, showing emission in the NIR region, while it is possible to exclusively observe the nucleus at the blue region with a 405-nm laser.

The structures of methoxymethyl (E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)acrylate, 2; (E)-3-(3-methoxy-4-(methoxymethoxy)phenyl)acrylic acid, 3; methyl (E)- 3-(4-(benzyloxy)-3-methoxyphenyl)acrylate, 4; benzyl (E)-3-(4-(benzyloxy)- 3-methoxyphenyl)acrylate, 6; and (E)-3-(4-(benzyloxy)-3-methoxyphenyl)- acrylic acid, 7; were established by spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction studies. Structure 2 is a new com-pound. Compounds with free phenolic hydroxyls v.gr. methyl (E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)acrylate 1, 2 and ben-zyl(E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)acrylate 5, showed scavenging free- radical and antioxidant activity while moderate scavenging free-radical was observed in compound 3. Moderate inhibition of lipid peroxidation was observed for 7. Compound 5 exerted significant inhibition of cell growth in PC-3, K562 tumor cell lines and 4 exhibited the largest cytotoxic effect upon the K562 cell line.

Arthrospira maxima ( Spirulina ) is considered a nutraceutical or functional food because it provides health benefits and it is used as nephroprotector because it contains nucleophilic compounds as phycobiliproteins and phycocyanin that prevent oxidative stress and cellular damage process. Also, it is known that inorganic mercury is bioaccumulated and exerted kidney toxicity. Despite the nephroprotective effect of Spirulina and its components, there is not enough information about the effect of them on renal function as well as the apoptosis process inhibition. This work aimed to investigate whether phycobiliproteins and phycocyanin of Spirulina can improve HgCl 2 -related glomerular and tubular renal dysfunction as well as the Bax, Bcl 2 , and effectors caspases alterations. Male mice were administrated with Spirulina , phycobiliproteins or phycocyanin 30 min before 5 mg/Kg HgCl 2 administration. The nutraceuticals were administrated for the next 5 days. Then, the mice were euthanized. The renal function, caspases 3 and 9 activities, as well as Bax and Bcl 2 expression were evaluated. Spirulina and its components prevent HgCl 2 -related apoptosis induction and glomerular dysfunction. We concluded that phycobiliproteins and phycocyanin of Spirulina reduce glomerular damage but not the tubular dysfunction in a mercury-related acute kidney injury.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diuretic activity of aqueous extract of Verbesina crocata at different doses in rat. The aqueous extract (100 and 400 mg/kg for decoction; 200 and 400 mg/kg for smoothie form), furosemide (4 mg/kg and vehicle were administered per os to rat. After 6 hours in metabolic cages, the urinary flow, glomerular filtration rate and electrolyte balance (Na+ and K+) were assessed. All doses produced an increment of urinary flow and Na+/K+ excretion. Glomerular filtration rate was incremented only on smoothie form at 400 mg/kg. These findings provide a basis explaining the traditional folk medicine use of this plant as a diuretic agent.Video Clip of Methodology:Method for diuretic activity: 1 min 37 sec Full Screen Alternate

At the present time, scientists place a great deal of effort worldwide trying to improve the therapeutic potential of metal complexes of curcumin and curcuminoids. Herein, the synthesis of four homoleptic metal complexes with diacetylcurcumin (DAC), using a ligand designed to prevent the interaction of phenolic groups, rendering metal complexes through the &beta, diketone functionality, is reported. Due to their physiological relevance, we used bivalent magnesium, zinc, copper, and manganese for complexation with DAC. The resulting products were characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), fluorescence spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy (IR), liquid and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), magnetic moment, mass spectrometry (MS), single crystal, and powder X-ray diffraction (SCXRD and PXRD). Crystallization was achieved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) as triclinic systems with space group P-1, showing the metal bound to the &beta, diketone function, while the 1H-NMR confirmed the preference of the enolic form of the ligand. Single crystal data demonstrated a 1:2 metal:ligand ratio. The inhibition of lipid peroxidation was evaluated using the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance assay (TBARS). All four metal complexes (Mg, Zn, Cu, and Mn) exhibited good antioxidant effect (IC50 = 2.03 &plusmn, 0.27, 1.58 &plusmn, 0.07, 1.58 &plusmn, 0.15 and 1.24 &plusmn, 0.10 &mu, M respectively) compared with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and &alpha, tocopherol. The cytotoxic activity in human cancer cell lines against colon adenocarcinoma (HCT-15), mammary adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), and lung adenocarcinoma (SKLU-1) was found comparable ((DAC)2Mg), or ca. 2-fold higher ((DAC)2Zn) than cisplatin. The acute toxicity assays indicate class 5 toxicity, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines at doses of 3 g/kg for all complexes. No mortality or changes in the behavior of animals in any of the treated groups was observed. A therapeutic potential can be envisaged from the relevant cytotoxic activity upon human cancer cell lines in vitro and the undetected in vivo acute toxicity of these compounds.

Arthrospira maxima ( Spirulina) is considered a nutraceutical or functional food because it provides health benefits and it is used as nephroprotector because it contains nucleophilic compounds as phycobiliproteins and phycocyanin that prevent oxidative stress and cellular damage process. Also, it is known that inorganic mercury is bioaccumulated and exerted kidney toxicity. Despite the nephroprotective effect of Spirulina and its components, there is not enough information about the effect of them on renal function as well as the apoptosis process inhibition. This work aimed to investigate whether phycobiliproteins and phycocyanin of Spirulina can improve HgCl2-related glomerular and tubular renal dysfunction as well as the Bax, Bcl2, and effectors caspases alterations. Male mice were administrated with Spirulina, phycobiliproteins or phycocyanin 30 min before 5 mg/Kg HgCl2 administration. The nutraceuticals were administrated for the next 5 days. Then, the mice were euthanized. The renal function, caspases 3 and 9 activities, as well as Bax and Bcl2 expression were evaluated. Spirulina and its components prevent HgCl2-related apoptosis induction and glomerular dysfunction. We concluded that phycobiliproteins and phycocyanin of Spirulina reduce glomerular damage but not the tubular dysfunction in a mercury-related acute kidney injury.