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Abstract Gac, Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng., Cucurbitaceae, is an indigenous South Asian edible fruit and has been used therapeutically in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Previous studies have shown that M. cochinchinensis seed (Momordicae Semen) has various pharmaceutical properties such as antioxidant and anti-ulcer effects as well as contains secondary metabolites with potential anticancer activities such as triterpenoids and saponins. However, its biological activities in cancer have not yet been investigated. In this study, we found that its ethanol extract reduced cell proliferation in four human lung cancer cell lines, A549, H1264, H1299 and Calu-6. Phytochemical investigation of the ethanol extract was carried out, and resulted in isolation of two major saponins, which were identified as gypsogenin 3-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl(1 → 2)-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl(1 → 3)]-β-d-glucuronopyranoside (1) and quillaic acid 3-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl(1 → 2)-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl(1 → 3)]-β-d-glucuronopyranoside (2). Treatment with these isolated compounds (1 and 2) decreased cel1 proliferation in all human lung cancer cell lines tested. In addition, the compounds attenuated primary lung endothelial cell proliferation. Taken together, these findings suggest M. cochinchinensis seeds have antiproliferative activity on human lung cancer cells as well as angiostatic effect on lung endothelial cells.

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This study evaluated the toxicity and cellular stresses of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and its co-metabolic removal in a freshwater microalga Chlamydomonas mexicana. The toxicological effects of CIP on C. mexicana were assessed by studying the growth and biochemical characteristics of the microalga including total chlorophyll, carotenoid content, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The calculated effective concentration (EC50) of CIP on C. mexicana was 65±4mgL-1 at 96h. The growth of C. mexicana was significantly inhibited at increased concentrations of CIP, showing 36±1, 75±3. and 88±3% inhibition at 40, 60 and 100mgL-1 CIP, respectively, compared to the control after 11days of cultivation. The total chlorophyll, carotenoid, MDA and SOD activity were significantly increased as a result of relatively high concentrations of CIP stress. C. mexicana showed 13±1% removal of CIP (2mgL-1) after 11days of cultivation; however, the addition of an electron donor (sodium acetate, 4gL-1) highly enhanced the removal of CIP (2mgL-1) by>3-fold after 11days. Kinetic studies showed that removal of CIP followed a first-order model (R2 0.94-0.97) with the apparent rate constants (k) ranging from 0.0121 to 0.079 d-1.

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A freshwater microalga Chlamydomonas mexicana was grown on municipal wastewater with different levels of salinity up to 400 mmol/L NaCl, and the biochemical properties were characterized after 10 days of cultivation. C. mexicana showed the higher specific growth rates for 100 and 200mmol/L NaCl. Nitrogen was completely removed within 10 days as a result of algal growth promoted by the addition of 200-400 mmol/L NaCl. Phosphorus removal increased from 77-84% as the concentration of NaCI increased from 100 to 400 mmol/L. The highest removal of total inorganic carbon (66%) was obtained with the addition of 200 mmol/L NaCl. The lipid content increased from 17% to 38% as the concentration of NaCl increased from 0 to 400mmol/L. The total fatty acid content and glycerol yield of C. mexicana increased 1.8- and 4-fold in wastewater amended with NaCl, respectively. Fatty acids accumulated in the algal biomass were mainly composed of palmitic (27-29%), y-linolenic (27-30%), and linolelaidic acids (16-18%). The optimal condition for fatty acids production in C. mexicana was observed when the municipal wastewater was amended with 100-200 mmol/L NaCl with a simultaneous removal of nutrients.

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