Background: Anti-cancer activity of some lactic acid bacterial strains is well documented in several literatures. Lactobacillus strains have received considerable attention as a beneficial microbiota. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of anti-tumor activities of L. acidophilus ATCC4356 culture supernatants on the MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Materials and methods: Anti-cancer effect of 24h and 48h culture supernatants at various concentrations (1.25, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 µg/ml) were determined by various in vitro and in vivo assays including MTT, tumor volume measurement as well as 99mTc-MIBI biodistribution in MCF-7 tumor bearing nude mice and histopathology test. For evaluation of the related mechanism of action, quantitative PCR was conducted. Results: The 48h culture supernatants at 10 and 20 µg/ml exhibited significant in vitro inhibition of MCF-7 cell proliferation. However, this inhibition was not observed for HUVEC human endothelial normal cells. Q-PCR indicated that treatment by the supernatant led to a significant downregulation of VEGFR ( ̴ 0.009 fold) and Bcl-2 ( ̴ 0.5 fold) and upregulation of p53 ( ̴ 1.3 fold). In vivo study using MCF-7 xenograft mouse models demonstrated reduction in tumor weight and volume by both 24h and 48h supernatants (10 µg/ml and 20 µg/ml) after 15 days. According to the 99mTc-MIBI biodistribution result, treatment of MCF-7 bearing nude mice with both 24h and 48h supernatant (20 µg/ml) led to significant decrease in tumor uptake compared with the control group. Conclusion: These results suggest that the culture supernatants of L. acidophilus ATCC4356 at suitable concentrations can be considered as a good alternative nutraceutical with promising therapeutic indexes for breast cancer.

Aim: Recently polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been considered as the supplementation with no side effects for epilepsy treatment. Echium oil (EO) has been recommended as a novel plant-based source with a significant amount of omega-3 and omega-6. Introduction: This study evaluates the effects of the sub-chronic consumption of Iranian EO on seizure threshold, antioxidant status, and biochemical parameters in mice with pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures. Methods: The study was performed on 5 groups of mice (10 in each group). Group1 and control, had no treatment. Group 2 received sesame oil as a vehicle and groups 3-5 received EO doses of 1gr/kg, 3gr/kg and 5gr/kg, respectively. Administration was performed daily by gavage for 4 weeks. Then, the mice received intravenous PTZ for induction seizure and the threshold of seizure was evaluated. Finally, the animals were sacrificed and the concentration of lipid, Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate Transaminase (AST), Creatinine, and the SOD activity of the serum were determined. Results: Compared to vehicle groups, the sub-chronic administration of EO could increase the seizure threshold dose-dependently. The level of ALT, AST, ALP, Creatinine, HDL, and LDL in EO treatment groups did not change significantly. The level of cholesterol, VLDL (P<0.05), and TG (P<0.01) decreased in the 3gr/kg and 5gr/kg of EO groups. Moreover, the level of SOD activity increased in groups with EO of 1gr/kg and 3gr/kg (P<0.01) but had no change in the group with 5gr/kg EO. Conclusion: We found that the supplementation of Echium Oil attenuated the seizure induced by iv PTZ and had beneficial effects on the blood lipids and antioxidant system with no side effects on effects on the liver and kidney.