Biological Evaluation of Library of Natural and Synthetic Compounds

Abstract

Natural and synthetic compounds are a useful source for the drug development for the treatment of various diseases. Environment is full of natural resources which includes plants, microbes and animals. There are several diseases which need to be cured and these natural compounds serve as the best resource for the therapeutic products. Cancer is the second most deadliest disease in the world and there is a strond need to develop treatments and drugs to cure this disease. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of deaths worldwide, therefore in this study we have used colon cancer cell lines. A series of different molecules were tested through MTT assay to screen the cytotoxicity of the molecules in colon cancer cell lines HCT 116 wild type and HCT 116 p53-/-. p53 is a tumor suppressor protein encoded by Tp53 gene. To determine the p53 dependent/independent mechanisms of the molecules under investigation, both types of cell lines were used. Isoborreverine and flinderoles were the main natural compounds extracted from Flindersia acuminata, and further modified versions of these molecules were made and screened for cytotoxic studies. Some promising results were seen through these cytotoxic studies. Cell cycle analysis was also done with few molecules, which didnt show any positive results and hence they must be following some other pathway of cytotoxicity other than the cell cycle pathway. Antibacterial screening was also done to determine the molecules having any antibacterial properties. For determining the antibacterial property, microbroth dilution method was used and penicillin and kanamycin were used as controls in this study. Bacterial cultures of E. coli and S. aureus were used for the screening. But all these molecules were not antibacterial in nature therefore, no further antibacterial studies were done.