Cisplatin is a widely used antineoplastic agent for the treatment of metastatic tumors, advanced bladder cancer and many other solid tumors. However, at higher doses, toxicities such as nephrotoxicity may appear. Cisplatin leads to DNA damage and subsequently renal cell death. Besides that, oxidative stress is also implicated as one of the main causes of nephrotoxicity. Several studies showed that numerous natural products: ginseng, curcumin, licorice, honey and pomegranate were able to reduce the oxidative stress by restoring the levels of antioxidant enzymes and also at the same time act as an anti-inflammatory agent. Furthermore, pre-treatment with vitamin supplementation, such as vitamin C, E and riboflavin markedly decreased serum urea and increased the levels of antioxidant enzymes in the kidney even after cisplatin induction in cancer patients. These natural products possess potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory medicinal properties, and they can be safely used as a supplementary regime or combination therapy against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. The present review focused on the protective role of a few natural products which is widely used in folk medicines in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

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Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent widely used in treating various types of cancer. However, its usage is restricted due to the adverse hepatoxicity, as seen in approximately 36% of cancer patients receiving cisplatin treatment. Polygonum minus essential oil has high antioxidant capacity, and is enriched with terpenoids and phenolic compounds. The objective of this study was to investigate effects of P. minus essential oil (PmEO) supplementation on cisplatininduced hepatotoxicity in rats. Male rats were divided into seven different groups, namely: control (C), cisplatininduced (CP), positive control with β-caryophyllene 150 mg/kg (BCP), PmEO 100 mg/kg (PmEO100CP), PmEO 200 mg/kg (PmEO200CP), PmEO 400 mg/kg (PmEO400CP) and PmEO 400 mg/kg alone (PmEO400). PmEO and BCP was given orally for 14 days prior to a single dose cisplatin (10 mg/kg) injection on day 15 and rats were sacrificed on day 18. Liver enzymes, histology, ultrastructural morphology and oxidative stress markers such as glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde were assayed. Compared to controls, levels of transaminase enzymes, serum bilirubin and oxidative stress were all increased in CP, PmEO200CP and PmEO400CP groups. However, only PmEO100CP and BCP groups reduced these increases in level of transaminase enzymes and oxidative stress compared to CP group. On both light microscopic and ultrastructural examination, CP and PmEO400CP groups showed hepatotoxicity, exhibited by cytoplasmic vacuolation, congested blood sinusoids and increased number of Kupffer cells. However, these changes were minimized in the PmEO100CP group. Therefore, we concluded that PmEO given at 100 mg/kg has preventive effect against cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. ABSTRAKCisplatin adalah agen kemoterapi yang digunakan secara meluas untuk merawat pelbagai jenis kanser. Walau bagaimanapun, penggunaannya adalah sangat terhad disebabkan oleh berlakunya kehepatoksikan dalam kalangan kira-kira 36% pesakit kanser yang menerima rawatan cisplatin. Minyak pati Polygonum minus mempunyai keupayaan antioksidan yang tinggi dan diperkaya dengan terpenoid dan sebatian fenolik. Objektif kajian ini adalah untuk mengkaji kesan suplemen minyak pati P. minus (PmEO) ke atas cisplatin-aruhan kehepatoksikan di dalam tikus. Tikus jantan dibahagikan kepada tujuh kumpulan yang berbeza iaitu: kawalan (C), cisplatin-aruhan (CP), kawalan positif dengan β-caryophyllene 150 mg/kg (BCP), PmEO 100 mg/kg (PmEO100CP), PmEO 200 mg/kg (PmEO200CP), PmEO 400 mg/kg (PmEO400CP) dan PmEO 400 mg/kg sahaja (PmEO400). PmEO dan BCP diberikan secara oral selama 14 hari sebelum dos tunggal cisplatin (10 mg/kg) disuntik pada hari ke 15 dan tikus dikorbankan pada hari ke 18. Enzim hati, histologi, morfologi ultrastruktur dan penunjuk tekanan oksidatif seperti glutation, glutation peroksida, katalase, superoksida dismutase dan malondialdehid diasai. Berbanding dengan kawalan, tahap enzim transaminase, serum bilirubin dan tekanan oksidatif semuanya meningkat dalam kumpulan ...

Honey and propolis have recently become the key target of attention for treating certain diseases and promoting overall health and well-being. A high content of flavonoids and phenolic acids found in both honey and propolis contributes to the antioxidant properties to scavenge free radicals. Honey and propolis also exhibited antibacterial effects where they act in two ways, namely the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and gluconic acids following the enzymatic activities of glucose oxidase, which exerts oxidative damage on the bacteria. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory effects of honey and propolis are mainly by reducing proinflammatory factors such as interleukins and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Their effects on pain were discovered through modulation at a peripheral nociceptive neuron or binding to an opioid receptor in the higher center. The aforementioned properties of honey have been reported to possess potential therapeutic topical application on the exterior parts of the eyes, particularly in treating conjunctivitis, keratitis, blepharitis, and corneal injury. In contrast, most of the medicinal values of propolis are beneficial in the internal ocular area, such as the retina, optic nerve, and uvea. This review aims to update the current discoveries of honey and propolis in treating various ocular diseases, including their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-nociceptive properties. In conclusion, research has shown that propolis and honey have considerable therapeutic promise for treating various eye illnesses, although the present study designs are primarily animal and in vitro studies. Therefore, there is an urgent need to translate this finding into a clinical setting.

Information on the role of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in preventing adverse pregnancy/neonatal outcomes is limited in Malaysia. This study aims to determine the relationship between the level of maternal 25(OH)D in the first trimester of pregnant women and their pregnancy/neonatal outcomes. A total of 60 pregnant women in the first trimester were recruited and followed until the end of their pregnancy. The occurrence of any antenatal, delivery, and neonatal complications was recorded. Their blood was collected in the first trimester for total serum 25(OH)D determination using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Overall, 10% of the women had vitamin D deficiency, while 57% had vitamin D insufficiency in their first trimester. No statistically significant difference in 25(OH)D level/status was observed between women with or without antenatal and delivery complications (p > 0.05). No difference in maternal serum 25(OH)D level and vitamin D status was observed between neonates with or without complications (p > 0.05). In conclusion, there is a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency among Malaysian pregnant women, but it is not associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. More comprehensive studies should be planned to verify this relationship.