In-Vitro Cytotoxicity Screening of Plant Extracts

The new SARS-CoV-2 belonging to the coronaviruses family has caused a pandemic affecting millions of people around the world. This pandemic has been declared by the World Health Organization as an international public health emergency. Although several clinical trials involving a large number of drugs are currently underway, no treatment protocol for COVID-19 has been officially approved so far. Here we demonstrate through a search in the scientific literature that the traditional Moroccan pharmacopoeia, which includes more than 500 medicinal plants, is a fascinating and promising source for the research of natural molecules active against SARS-CoV-2. Multiple in-silico and in-vitro studies showed that some of the medicinal plants used by Moroccans for centuries possess inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2. These inhibitory activities are achieved through the different molecular mechanisms of virus penetration and replication, or indirectly through stimulation of immunity. Thus, the potential of plants, plant extracts and molecules derived from plants that are traditionally used in Morocco and have activity against SARS-CoV-2, could be explored in the search for a preventive or curative treatment against COVID-19. Furthermore, safe plants or plant extracts that are proven to stimulate immunity could be officially recommended by governments as nutritional supplements.

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In vitro Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity Analysis of Ten Tannery Chemicals Using SOS/umu Tests and High-content In vitro Micronucleus Tests

Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening ◽

10.2174/1386207321666180330120248 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 262-270 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Zehao Huang ◽

Na Li ◽

Kaifeng Rao ◽

Cuiting Liu ◽

Zijian Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Micronucleus Test ◽

A549 Cells ◽

Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship ◽

In Vitro Cytotoxicity ◽

Cytotoxic Effects ◽

Qsar Analysis ◽

Cell Assays ◽

Micronucleus Tests ◽

Damaging Effects

Background: More than 2,000 chemicals have been used in the tannery industry. Although some tannery chemicals have been reported to have harmful effects on both human health and the environment, only a few have been subjected to genotoxicity and cytotoxicity evaluations. Objective: This study focused on cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of ten tannery chemicals widely used in China. Materials and Methods: DNA-damaging effects were measured using the SOS/umu test with Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002. Chromosome-damaging and cytotoxic effects were determined with the high-content in vitro Micronucleus test (MN test) using the human-derived cell lines MGC-803 and A549. Conclusion: The cytotoxicity of the ten tannery chemicals differed somewhat between the two cell assays, with A549 cells being more sensitive than MGC-803 cells. None of the chemicals induced DNA damage before metabolism, but one was found to have DNA-damaging effects on metabolism. Four of the chemicals, DY64, SB1, DB71 and RR120, were found to have chromosome-damaging effects. A Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) analysis indicated that one structural feature favouring chemical genotoxicity, Hacceptor-path3-Hacceptor, may contribute to the chromosome-damaging effects of the four MN-test-positive chemicals.

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