Communicable Disease Research Laboratory, St. Joseph's College, Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, India.
Department of Zoology, St.Joseph's College, Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, Kerala, 680121, India.
Appl Biochem Biotechnol. 2018 Sep;186(1):1-11. doi: 10.1007/s12010-018-2713-7. Epub 2018 Feb 24.
Mosquito control with naturally derived herbal insecticides has gained much momentum, with the increased insecticide resistance of vectors and the multiple infectious diseases spread by them. Yet, recent studies also suggest that mosquitoes could probably transmit some cancerous cells or cancer-causing viruses from one individual to another between their blood meals. The current research thus focused on the screening and characterization of novel plants with both mosquitocidal and anticancerous properties. Accordingly, different solvent extracts of Hypericum japonicum, a key plant in Chinese medicine, were screened for its larvicidal efficacy using the fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti (major vector of Dengue and chikungunya). Methanolic extracts of the plant showed effective larvicidal property with LC 7.37 ppm and LC11.59 ppm values. The anticancerous property of the plant extract was also evaluated by in vitro cytotoxicity assay against Daltons Lymphoma Ascites (DLA) cells. The results indicated that H. japonicum plant extracts at very low concentrations of LC0.95 ppm and LC1.85 ppm were potent cytotoxic agents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first and the foremost report of Hypericum japonicum as a potent mosquitocidal and anticancerous agent. Identification and characterization of such plant-derived bioactive plants thus could serve as a double-headed sword against the spread of infectious diseases and cancer.
利用天然草本杀虫剂进行蚊虫控制已经取得了很大进展，这是由于病媒昆虫的抗药性增加以及它们传播的多种传染病。然而，最近的研究还表明，蚊子在吸血过程中可能会将一些癌细胞或致癌病毒从一个个体传播到另一个个体。因此，目前的研究集中在筛选和鉴定具有杀蚊和抗癌特性的新型植物。相应地，用第四龄埃及伊蚊幼虫（登革热和基孔肯雅热的主要病媒）对贯叶连翘这一中草药关键植物的不同溶剂提取物进行了杀幼虫效果筛选。该植物的甲醇提取物表现出有效的杀幼虫特性，LC 7.37 ppm 和 LC11.59 ppm 值。还通过体外细胞毒性测定对达尔顿淋巴瘤腹水（DLA）细胞评估了植物提取物的抗癌特性。结果表明，贯叶连翘植物提取物在非常低的 LC0.95 ppm 和 LC1.85 ppm 浓度下具有很强的细胞毒性。据我们所知，这是首次报道贯叶连翘作为一种有效的杀蚊和抗癌剂。因此，鉴定和表征这种植物来源的生物活性植物可以成为对抗传染病和癌症传播的双刃剑。
