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Background and Objective: Curcumin is an effective anti-cancer agent used in thyroid cancer treatments. However, its use in clinical applications is limited due to low solubility and bioavailability. In this study, a novel combination strategy was applied by combining curcumin with suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) to increase both bioavailability of curcumin and the efficiency of SAHA, which has limited efficiency when used alone. Methods: MTT assay was used to determine the cell viability of B-CPAP cells upon treatment with SAHA, curcumin and their combinations. Synergistic interactions between two agents were analyzed by Calcusyn software. Apoptosis and cell cycle assays were measured by flow cytometry. Expressions of apoptotic and cell cycle-related proteins (PARP, P21/CDKN1A/WAF1, P27/KIP1) were examined by western blot analysis. Broth microdilution assay was performed to determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against S.aureus. Results: Based on MTT assay, IC50 values for SAHA and curcumin were determined as 0.91 μM and 20.97 μM, respectively. The combination index CI value was determined as 0.891 in B-CPAP cells, which demonstrate synergistic activity. The apoptotic effect was achieved by combination treatment (51.85%) on B-CPAP cells by using half of the dose required for SAHA and curcumin alone. Combination treatment showed significant increase in percentage of B-CPAP cells in S-phase due to the cell arrest. Cleaved-PARP, P21/CDKN1A/WAF1 and P27/KIP1 protein expressions were upregulated. Curcumin was found to have better antimicrobial activity than SAHA as having a lower MIC value and checkerboard synergy analysis revealed that, the two compounds co-operate synergistically for the in-vitro killing of S. aureus. Conclusion: In the present study, synergistic combinations of SAHA and curcumin were shown to have both anticancer and antibacterial activities that would provide a novel thyroid cancer treatment strategy.

Pullulan/poly(N‐vinylimidazole) (PNVI) hybrid cryogels were synthesized under free radical polymerization and chemical crosslinking conditions in an alkaline, aqueous solution of pullulan (PUL), N‐vinylimidazole (NVI), ammonium persulfate and epicholorohydrin (ECH) at −18°C. PUL and PNVI cryogels alone were also synthesized under similar conditions. Optimum cryogel formation conditions were determined by considering product yields and gel fractions of the samples. The products were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR‐ATR spectrometry, Thermal gravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. It has been found that PUL/PNVI hybrid samples bear improved physicochemical properties compared to ECH crosslinked PUL and PNVI samples alone. They act as hydrogels in aqueous medium reaching equilibrium swelling capacity values of the order of 600%. Dried PUL/PNVI cryogels show higher thermal stability than the dried cryogels of the parent polymers and maintain their physical integrity over a prolonged time period. Macroporous morphology was revealed by SEM analysis. Having 54.2 mg/g maximum equilibrium adsorption capacity in 200 ppm methyl orange solution and maintaining 95% of its adsorption capacity at the end of seven consecutive adsorption/desorption cycles, PUL/PNVI cryogel proved to be an efficient and durable dye adsorbent using methyl orange as the model compound in aqueous solution.

BackgroundAsparagus horridus is an edible plant known as “Ayrelli” in North Cyprus. The scientific literature has not yet submitted a report about the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities of A. horridus plant from North Cyprus until now. The purpose of the research was to determine the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities of A. horridus.Materials and methodsSoxhlet extraction of A. horridus was performed using methanol. Antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH, TFC, FRAP and TPC assays. Protein-denaturation assay was performed to determine the anti-inflammatory effect. The anti-cancer effects of the extract on HepG2 and B-CPAP cell lines were determined with MTT assay.ResultsAntioxidant activity for A. horridus extract was determined by DPPH (50%), TFC (266.26 μg QUE/mg extract), FRAP (1.27 μg FeSO4/mg extract) and TPC (167.613 μg GAE/mg extract) assays at 25 mg/mL. Inhibition of protein-denaturation activity was found as 29.42% at 25 mg/mL. After 24 h of the extract treatment, cell proliferation of HepG2 and B-CPAP cancer cells were inhibited at IC50 values 63.24 μg/mL and 101.24 μg/mL, respectively.ConclusionThese results have shown that the methanol extract of A. horridus grows in North Cyprus has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities.