Azadirachta indica, commonly known as neem, has attracted worldwide prominence in recent years, owing to its wide range of medicinal properties. Neem has been extensively used in Ayurveda, Unani and Homoeopathic medicine and has become a cynosure of modern medicine. Neem elaborates a vast array of biologically active compounds that are chemically diverse and structurally complex. More than 140 compounds have been isolated from different parts of neem. All parts of the neem tree- leaves, flowers, seeds, fruits, roots and bark have been used traditionally for the treatment of inflammation, infections, fever, skin diseases and dental disorders. The medicinal utilities have been described especially for neem leaf. Neem leaf and its constituents have been demonstrated to exhibit immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycaemic, antiulcer, antimalarial, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic properties. This review summarises the wide range of pharmacological activities of neem leaf.

Collaboration among writers-readers-erasers of m6A regulates the stability of tumor-specific genes.

Purpose-Gallic acid, a natural agent present wide-range of fruits and vegetables, has been of potential interest as anti-cancer agent; herein, we evaluated its efficacy in androgen-independent DU145 and androgen-dependent-22Rv1 human prostate cancer (PCa) cells Materials and Methods-Cell viability was determined by MTT and apoptosis by Annexin V-PI assays. In vivo anti-cancer efficacy was assessed by DU145 and 22Rv1 xenograft growth in nude mice given normal drinking water or one supplemented with 0.3% or 1% (w/v) gallic acid. PCNA, TUNEL and CD31 immunostaining was performed in tumor tissues for in vivo anti-proliferative, apoptotic and anti-angiogenic effects of gallic acid.Results-Gallic acid decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner in both DU145 and 22Rv1 cells largely via apoptosis induction. In tumor studies, gallic acid feeding inhibited the growth of DU145 and 22Rv1 PCa xenografts in nude mice. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed significant inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis, and reduction of microvessel density in tumor xenografts from gallic acid-fed mice as compared to controls in both DU145 and 22Rv1 models Conclusion-Taken together, our findings show the anti-PCa efficacy of gallic acid providing a rationale for additional studies with this naturally-occurring agent for its efficacy against PCa.

Carcinogenesis is a multistage process consisting of initiation, promotion and progression phases. Thus, the multistage sequence of events has many phases for prevention and intervention. Chemoprevention, a novel approach for controlling cancer, involves the use of specific natural products or synthetic chemical agents to reverse, suppress or prevent premalignancy before the development of invasive cancer. Several natural products, such as, grains, nuts, cereals, spices, fruits, vegetables, beverages, medicinal plants and herbs and their various phytochemical constituents including, phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, alkaloids, nitrogen containing as well as organosulfur compounds confer protective effects against wide range of cancers including colon cancer. Since diet has an important role in the etiology of colon cancer, dietary chemoprevention received attention for colon cancer prevention. However, identification of an agent with chemopreventive potential requires in vitro studies, efficacy and toxicity studies in animal models before embarking on human clinical trials. A brief introduction about colon cancer and the role of some recent natural products in colon cancer chemoprevention with respect to multiple molecular mechanisms in various in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies are described in this review.

Herein, using transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model, we assessed the ''stage-specific'' efficacy of silibinin feeding against prostate cancer (PCa) initiation, progression, angiogenesis and metastasis, and associated molecular events involved in silibinin effects during these stages. Male TRAMP mice starting at ages 4, 12, 20, and 30 weeks of age were fed with control or 1% silibininsupplemented diet for 8 to 15 weeks in stage-specific manners. At the end of studies, silibinin-fed mice showed less severe prostatic lesions compared with positive controls. During early stages of prostate tumor development, silibinin mediated its efficacy mostly via antiproliferative mechanisms. Feeding of silibinin to animals burdened with higher stages of prostate tumor significantly decreased tumor grade via antiproliferative effect, and inhibition of angiogenesis as evidenced by decreased expressions of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1/CD-31, vascular endothelial growth factor, and associated receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor R2, hypoxia-inducible factor-1A, and inducible nitric oxide synthase. Metastasis to distant organs was decreased in silibinin-fed mice, which was associated with a decreased expression of matrix metalloproteinases, mesenchymal markers snail-1, and fibronectin in the prostatic tissue and retention of epithelial characteristics. Together, these findings are both novel and highly significant in establishing the dual efficacy of silibinin where it inhibits progression of primary prostatic tumor and also shows protective efficacy against angiogenesis and late stage metastasis. These effects of silibinin could have potential implications to improve the morbidity and survival in PCa patients. [Cancer Res 2008;68(16):6822-30]