To overcome the problems in liverwort collecting such as small size and easily mixed with other species in the wild, we have successfully cultivated Marchantia polymorpha L. under in vitro conditions in the previous study. The aim of this study is to evaluate the biological activities of this in vitro biomass as a confirmation of the sufficient protocol in cultivation this species. Cultured biomass was dried at a temperature of 45-50 oC to constant weight and ground into a fine powder. The coarse powder was extracted with organic solvents of increasing polarization including n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and ethanol using the maceration technique. Four extracts were investigated antioxidant (iron reduction power, DPPH), antibacterial (agar diffusion), tyrosinase inhibitory activity, anti-proliferation on MCF-7 cells. Additionally, the presence of natural metabolite groups of the extracts was detected by using specific reagents. For antioxidant activity, ethyl acetate fraction extract had the highest iron reducing power and DPPH free radical scavenging ability with IC50 = 439.31 µg ml-1. All three n-hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate extracts possessed resistance to the bacterial strain tested. At a concentration of 2 mg ml-1, n-hexane and chloroform extracts had the highest percentage of tyrosinase inhibition (69.54 and 69.10%, respectively). The n-hexane extract is a potent extract that inhibits the proliferation of MCF-7 cells with the lowest IC50 of 38.15 µg ml-1. A preliminary chemical composition survey showed that the cultured biomass liverwort contains many bioactive compounds, particularly the compounds of range of non- and less-polarized fractions.

Marchantia polymorpha L. is used as a folk medicine in India, China and some European countries for the treatment of inflammation, cure cuts, wounds, diuretics, etc. Natural compounds and biological activities of this liverwort have been studied in the world for few years. At present time, the studies on bryophytes (non-vascular plants) are quite limited, especially in Vietnam. Therefore, this research focused on investigating some biological activities and analyzing of major secondary metabolites of M. polymorpha L. collected at Da Lat, Lam Dong. Among four extracted fractions (nhexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and ethanol), the chloroform extract exhibited the best antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-proliferation of MCF-7 cell line activities. The ethyl acetate extract exhibited better activity of tyrosinase and α-glucosidase inhibition than others. Main secondary compounds in this species were phenolics, steroids and glycosidederivatives. These results were scientific evidences that might help us to understand rigorously about the ultilization of Marchantia liverwort in the traditional treatment and new potential applications in the contemporary medicine.

White mulberry (Morus alba L.) root was reported to contain potential tyrosinase inhibitors such as norartocarpetin, streppogenin, oxyresveratrol (5, 7, 2′, 4′-tetrahydroxy-flavavone) and 2-arylbenzofuran. This study aims at investigating Morus alba L. hairy root culture to create a source of tyrosinase inhibitors for skin-whitening application. Morus alba L. leaf (including mesophyll and petiole) and stem explants were randomly wounded and inoculated with Agrobacterium rhizogenes ATCC 15834 in 10-40 minutes, and coculturing for 4 days. After inoculation, Agrobacterium rhizogenes were removed by using MS medium adding 200mg/L cefotaxime as antibiotics. Then, fresh inducted hairy roots were grown in nonphytohormone liquid medium (MS, White, Gamborg B5 or WPM) on a shaker (80rpm) at 25 ±1°C. Inducted hairy roots were tested for the present of rolB by PCR analysis and its effect on tyrosinase activity using a 96-well plate reader. The suitable explants for hairy root induction are leaves, especially petioles in 10 minutes (root induction frequency: 83%). After induction, hairy roots on MS was grown more efficiently (increased 3.933 times in FW) than on WPM, B5 and White medium. Inducted hairy roots were successfully transgenes by the present of rolB in their genome and had the same anti-tyrosinase activity as the natural roots without significance differences (IC50: 3.860 and 3.597 μg/mL, respectively). Cultured Morus alba L. hairy roots are potential source of tyrosinase inhibitors for future skin-whitening ingredient.

Resistance to cancer chemotherapy is a major problem. Herb-drug combinations can offer a new potential to overcome such resistance. To quantitatively assess chemosensitizing effects of herb-drug combinations (HDC), a new approach that takes into account both the chemosensitizing effect (CE) and "safety" considerations of the HDC is proposed and used in describing the cytotoxic activity of Tripterygium wilfordii-docetaxel (TW-Dtx) combination on prostate cancer cell lines.

No abstract