Title : Cytotoxic potential of culinary herbs
Abstract:
Recent advances in our understanding of the cellular and molecular events of carcinogenesis have led to the development of a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment and prevention of cancer. Chemoprevention can be defined as the use of substances of chemical (natural or synthetic) origin to retard or reverse the process of carcinogenesis and has become the novel approach for cancer control. Numerous commonly used culinary herbs have been identified by the National Cancer Institute to possess cancer-preventive properties. Our previous scientific studies have indicated the cytotoxicity potential of Ocimum basilicum, Mentha spicata, and Centella asiatica extracts using MTT assay against human cancerous cell lines (HL60-promyelocytic blood leukemia cells). Our reports also have shown the potential of culinary herbs by inducing apoptosis in cancer lines The morphological changes such as, cell shrinkage and clumping, vacuolation, distorted cells, cell adhesion and spreading on tissue culture plastic, cell growth inhibition were observed in the HL60 cells treated with Ocimum basilicum, Mentha spicata and Centella asiatica extracts indicating the signs of apoptosis. Hence screening for apoptotic inducers from culinary herbs may be useful in chemoprevention. since most cancer drugs severely affect the host's normal cells, the use of natural products has now been contemplated of exceptional value in the control of cancer cells.
Audience Take Away Notes:
Therapeutic potential of culinary herbs, Cancer apoptosis, Cytotoxicity testing
- The knowledge gained can be used for their research in the fields of Nutrition/ Pharmaceuticals/ Cancer fields.
- To explore new areas on the application of Nutritional compounds in therapeutics & drug development.
- The technique learned may be beneficial
- May be helpful to design the steps in their research
