COSMOS caudatus is widely used as a traditional medicine in Southeast Asia. C. caudatus has been reported as a rich source of bioactive compounds such as ascorbic acid, quercetin, and chlorogenic acid. Studies have shown that C. caudatus exhibits high anti-oxidant capacity and various medicinal properties, including anti-diabetic activity, anti-hypertensive properties, anti-inflammatory responses, bone-protective effect, and anti-microbial activity. This review aims to present the potential medicinal benefits of C. caudatus from the available scientific literature. We searched PubMed and ScienceDirect database for articles published from 1995 to January 2015. Overall, 15 articles related to C. caudatus and its medicinal benefits are reviewed. All these studies demonstrated that C. caudatus is effective, having demonstrated its anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, bone-protective, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal activity in both in vitro and animal studies. None of the studies showed any negative effect of C. caudatus related to medicinal use. Currently available evidence suggests that C. caudatus has beneficial effects such as reducing blood glucose, reducing blood pressure, promoting healthy bone formation, and demonstrating anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. However, human clinical trial is warranted.

Background: COSMOS bipinnatus is an important medicinal plant with antioxidative, antigenotoxic, anti-infl ammatory, and antiproliferative eff ects on several cancer cell lines. It has great potential for development as a promising cancer chemo-preventive agent. Hairy root-based culture technology is a new sustainable production platform for producing specifi c pharmaceutical secondary metabolites. Objectives: The current study developed and introduced a reliable transformation system for C. bipinnatus by optimization of aspects important in transformation frequency using Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Methods: Five bacterial strains, including ATCC 15834, ATCC 31798, A7, MAFF-02-10266, and MSU440, 2 explant types (leaf and stem), and 2 co-cultivation media (full MS and ½ MS) were examined. Genomic DNA was extracted using a modifi ed CTAB protocol from putative transgenic root lines and the control root. Transgenic hairy root lines were approved by means of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using specifi c rolB gene primers. Results: The highest ratio of genetically transformed root induction was found from leaf explants using A. rhisogenes strains ATCC15834 and MSU440 (72% to 73%). When ½ MS medium was used as a co-cultivation medium, a signifi cant increase in transformation frequency (84%) was observed. Conclusions: The MSU440 Agrobacterium strain and ½ MS co-cultivation medium could signifi cantly improve genetic transformation effi ciency for establishment of hairy root-based cultures for C. bipinnatus.

Radiotherapy (RT) is a cornerstone of cancer treatment, typically delivered over several weeks in daily fractions. While much attention has been paid to its effects on tumor cells and host tissues. . .

Background: Flavonoid-derived components have been studied for their therapeutic properties. Objectives: Apigenin has shown remarkable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory features, so we should have a reliable source of apigenin. Methods: In this study, we used high-performance liquid chromatography method to compare the amount of apigenin in flower, root, leaf, and stem of three varieties of osmos bipinnatus, i. e., ‘, Dazzler, ’,‘, Xanthos, ’,‘, Sensation Pinkie’, , and in transgenic root culture of C. bipinnatus ‘, Dazzler’, . Besides, the antioxidant activity of C. bipinnatus ‘, Dazzler’,transgenic root culture was evaluated using Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay. Results: Dazzler variety flowers showed the highest recovery of apigenin with 0. 799 mg/100 mg Dry Weight (DW). However, the Sensation pinkie variety leafs had the lowest recovery with 0. 089 mg/100mg. Apigenin content in transformed roots (0. 797 mg/100 mg DW) of C. bipinnatus ‘, Dazzler’,was significantly higher than non-transformed roots (0. 42 mg/100 mg DW). The ethanolic extract of hairy root showed the FRAP value of 668. 1 μ, M Fe2+/mg that was comparatively more than the wild root FRAP value (426. 2 μ, M Fe2+/mg). Conclusion: In conclusion, the presence of apigenin in high amounts in hairy root cultures of C. bipinnatus ‘, Dazzler’,indicates its great potential for the future pharmaceutical industry.

The chemical composition of essential oils isolated from the leaves of COSMOS bipinnatus and its antibacterial activity were analyzed by GC-MS and microbroth dilution assay respectively. The essential oil extracted from this plant was predominantly composed of monoterpenes (69.62%) and sesquiterpenes (22.73%). The antibacterial assay showed that the oil had significant inhibitory effects against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria isolates. The MIC of Gram-positive strains ranged between 0.16 and 0.31 mg/mL while those of Gram-negative bacteria ranged between 0.31 and 0.63 mg/mL. The Gram-positive bacteria were more susceptible to the essential oil than the Gram-negative bacteria. Most of the major components of this oil in other plants have been reported for antimicrobial activities. The antibacterial activity can be attributed to effects of the combination of several components of the oil. The results indicate that the C. bipinnatus might be exploited as natural antibacterial agent and have application in the treatment of several infectious diseases caused by these bacteria. Since this species is endemic to the eastern Free State, the plant could be collected during its bloom and used efficiently in the management of bacterial infections in South Africa.