Pub Date : 2023-08-24DOI: 10.3390/scipharm91030042
A. Oriola, G. Miya, Moganavelli Singh, A. Oyedeji
In view of the extensive use of Eugenia uniflora leaves for the management of tumours and other chronic inflammatory diseases in traditional medicine, an activity-guided fractionation of its leaf ethanolic extract led to the isolation of two flavonol glycosides. Cytotoxicity study was based on the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) viability assay against the non-tumourigenic human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cells, and the cancerous liver (Hep-G2) and cervical (HeLa) cell lines. Antioxidant tests were carried out using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) radical scavenging assays, while an in vitro anti-inflammatory test was conducted using egg albumin denaturation (EAD) assay. Based on comprehensive spectroscopic and spectrometric evidence, the compounds were elucidated as myricitrin (1) and a newly described compound, 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyltetrahydropyran-2-yloxy)-2-(2,4,5-trihydroxyphenyl)chromen-4-one, named “unifloratrin (2)”. The cytotoxicity of myricitrin (1) was comparable to 5-fluorouracil (standard drug), with a CC50 of 8.5 ± 2.2 µg/100 µL against HeLa cells. It also demonstrated better antioxidant activity, with an IC50 of 6.23 ± 1.09, 22.01 ± 2.59 and 30.46 ± 1.79 µM against DPPH, NO and H2O2 free radicals, respectively. At 20 µg/mL and an incubation time of 2 h, myricitrin was comparable to diclofenac (standard drug) in anti-inflammatory activity. This report may serve as a justification for the ethnomedicinal use of E. uniflora, while flavonol glycosides, such as myricitrin (1), could be further exploited as a candidate cytotoxic agent.
{"title":"Flavonol Glycosides from Eugenia uniflora Leaves and Their In Vitro Cytotoxicity, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities","authors":"A. Oriola, G. Miya, Moganavelli Singh, A. Oyedeji","doi":"10.3390/scipharm91030042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/scipharm91030042","url":null,"abstract":"In view of the extensive use of Eugenia uniflora leaves for the management of tumours and other chronic inflammatory diseases in traditional medicine, an activity-guided fractionation of its leaf ethanolic extract led to the isolation of two flavonol glycosides. Cytotoxicity study was based on the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) viability assay against the non-tumourigenic human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cells, and the cancerous liver (Hep-G2) and cervical (HeLa) cell lines. Antioxidant tests were carried out using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) radical scavenging assays, while an in vitro anti-inflammatory test was conducted using egg albumin denaturation (EAD) assay. Based on comprehensive spectroscopic and spectrometric evidence, the compounds were elucidated as myricitrin (1) and a newly described compound, 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyltetrahydropyran-2-yloxy)-2-(2,4,5-trihydroxyphenyl)chromen-4-one, named “unifloratrin (2)”. The cytotoxicity of myricitrin (1) was comparable to 5-fluorouracil (standard drug), with a CC50 of 8.5 ± 2.2 µg/100 µL against HeLa cells. It also demonstrated better antioxidant activity, with an IC50 of 6.23 ± 1.09, 22.01 ± 2.59 and 30.46 ± 1.79 µM against DPPH, NO and H2O2 free radicals, respectively. At 20 µg/mL and an incubation time of 2 h, myricitrin was comparable to diclofenac (standard drug) in anti-inflammatory activity. This report may serve as a justification for the ethnomedicinal use of E. uniflora, while flavonol glycosides, such as myricitrin (1), could be further exploited as a candidate cytotoxic agent.","PeriodicalId":21601,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Pharmaceutica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2023-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46612029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-22DOI: 10.3390/scipharm91030041
Scientia Pharmaceutica, Andisiwe Mnqika, A. Aremu, H. D. J. V. Rensburg, Makhotso Lekhooa
In South African traditional medicine, Gomphocarpus fruticosus (L.) W.T. Aiton, Hypoxis hemerocallidea Fisch. & C.A. Mey., and Leonotis leonurus. (L.) R.Br. have been recorded among different ethnic groups to be a valuable herbal remedy for the management of depression-related conditions. The current study investigated the affinity of these three plants toward the serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) and adenosine A1/A2 receptors. Six solvents (water, methanol, acetone, dichloromethane, petroleum ether, and hexane) were used to extract the selected plants. We established that eight extracts exerted potential affinity based on the applied in vitro binding experiment. The methanol and acetone extracts of Hypoxis hemerocallidea had 60% specific binding of [3H]citalopram, an indication that almost 40% of the plant extracts were bound to the SERT. For the adenosine receptor binding assays, methanol and hexane extracts of Leonotis leonurus were the most active, with rA1Ki values of 0.038 and 0.176 mg/mL, respectively. In addition, the dichloromethane extract of Gomphocarpus fruticosus had an rA1Ki value of 6.46 mg/mL. Extracts from the more polar solvents methanol and dichloromethane had higher binding affinity. Additionally, these plant extracts acted as antagonists at the adenosine A1 receptor. Overall, the current findings provide an indication of the potential antidepressant effects of some of the tested extracts based on their binding to the receptors evaluated. However, a combination of other in vitro assays is needed to establish possible mechanisms of action. In addition, computational analysis and profiling of plant extracts is crucial to identify the bioactive compounds with a higher affinity to the receptors. Ultimately, in vivo studies remain essential to allow for an in-depth elucidation of the mechanisms of action.
{"title":"Preliminary Screening of South African Plants for Binding Affinity to the Serotonin Reuptake Transporter and Adenosine A1/A2A Receptors","authors":"Scientia Pharmaceutica, Andisiwe Mnqika, A. Aremu, H. D. J. V. Rensburg, Makhotso Lekhooa","doi":"10.3390/scipharm91030041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/scipharm91030041","url":null,"abstract":"In South African traditional medicine, Gomphocarpus fruticosus (L.) W.T. Aiton, Hypoxis hemerocallidea Fisch. & C.A. Mey., and Leonotis leonurus. (L.) R.Br. have been recorded among different ethnic groups to be a valuable herbal remedy for the management of depression-related conditions. The current study investigated the affinity of these three plants toward the serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) and adenosine A1/A2 receptors. Six solvents (water, methanol, acetone, dichloromethane, petroleum ether, and hexane) were used to extract the selected plants. We established that eight extracts exerted potential affinity based on the applied in vitro binding experiment. The methanol and acetone extracts of Hypoxis hemerocallidea had 60% specific binding of [3H]citalopram, an indication that almost 40% of the plant extracts were bound to the SERT. For the adenosine receptor binding assays, methanol and hexane extracts of Leonotis leonurus were the most active, with rA1Ki values of 0.038 and 0.176 mg/mL, respectively. In addition, the dichloromethane extract of Gomphocarpus fruticosus had an rA1Ki value of 6.46 mg/mL. Extracts from the more polar solvents methanol and dichloromethane had higher binding affinity. Additionally, these plant extracts acted as antagonists at the adenosine A1 receptor. Overall, the current findings provide an indication of the potential antidepressant effects of some of the tested extracts based on their binding to the receptors evaluated. However, a combination of other in vitro assays is needed to establish possible mechanisms of action. In addition, computational analysis and profiling of plant extracts is crucial to identify the bioactive compounds with a higher affinity to the receptors. Ultimately, in vivo studies remain essential to allow for an in-depth elucidation of the mechanisms of action.","PeriodicalId":21601,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Pharmaceutica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2023-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43540327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-16DOI: 10.3390/scipharm91030040
O. A. Jaramillo-Morales, E. Díaz-Cervantes, L. D. Via, A. García-Argáez, J. Espinosa-Juárez, José-Carlos Ovando-Zambrano, V. Muñoz-Pérez, Cármen Valadez-Vega, M. Bautista
There is an urgent need for scientists to verify the pharmacological properties of medicinal plants. Leucophyllum frutescens (Lf) belongs to the family Scrophulariaceae, and it is used in the treatment of airway diseases such as cough, tuberculosis, and asthma. The methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Lf allows for the isolation and identification of verbascoside (Vb). This study aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of Vb, a caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycoside (CPG), on post-necrotic liver damage induced by thioacetamide (TA) via in vivo and in silico studies, with the latter considering a cancerous process. The aerial parts of Lf were extracted by maceration using hexane methanol (5 L/500 g/8 days). Vb was isolated from methanol extract at approximately 30%. Wistar rats were intragastrically pretreated or not with a single dose of Vb (20 mg/kg) for four days. On the fourth day, a single dose of TA (6.6 mmol/kg) was intraperitoneally injected. Blood samples and parameters related to liver damage, like AST and ALT, were obtained. Vb significantly reduced the level of liver injury following thioacetamide-induced necrosis. This was corroborated by in silico assay and docking studies, demonstrating that Vb can interact with a HeLa target through hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions, achieving better performance than commercial chemotherapeutic Taxol®, by 0.34 kcal/mol. AST and ALT were significantly lower in the rats pretreated with Vb. Furthermore, Vb did not induce cytotoxicity and had a median lethal dose (LD50) greater than 5000 mg/kg. These results suggest that Vb may be used as an alternative to reduce liver damage.
{"title":"Hepatoprotective Activity, In Silico Analysis, and Molecular Docking Study of Verbascoside from Leucophyllum frutescens in Rats with Post-Necrotic Liver Damage","authors":"O. A. Jaramillo-Morales, E. Díaz-Cervantes, L. D. Via, A. García-Argáez, J. Espinosa-Juárez, José-Carlos Ovando-Zambrano, V. Muñoz-Pérez, Cármen Valadez-Vega, M. Bautista","doi":"10.3390/scipharm91030040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/scipharm91030040","url":null,"abstract":"There is an urgent need for scientists to verify the pharmacological properties of medicinal plants. Leucophyllum frutescens (Lf) belongs to the family Scrophulariaceae, and it is used in the treatment of airway diseases such as cough, tuberculosis, and asthma. The methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Lf allows for the isolation and identification of verbascoside (Vb). This study aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of Vb, a caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycoside (CPG), on post-necrotic liver damage induced by thioacetamide (TA) via in vivo and in silico studies, with the latter considering a cancerous process. The aerial parts of Lf were extracted by maceration using hexane methanol (5 L/500 g/8 days). Vb was isolated from methanol extract at approximately 30%. Wistar rats were intragastrically pretreated or not with a single dose of Vb (20 mg/kg) for four days. On the fourth day, a single dose of TA (6.6 mmol/kg) was intraperitoneally injected. Blood samples and parameters related to liver damage, like AST and ALT, were obtained. Vb significantly reduced the level of liver injury following thioacetamide-induced necrosis. This was corroborated by in silico assay and docking studies, demonstrating that Vb can interact with a HeLa target through hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions, achieving better performance than commercial chemotherapeutic Taxol®, by 0.34 kcal/mol. AST and ALT were significantly lower in the rats pretreated with Vb. Furthermore, Vb did not induce cytotoxicity and had a median lethal dose (LD50) greater than 5000 mg/kg. These results suggest that Vb may be used as an alternative to reduce liver damage.","PeriodicalId":21601,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Pharmaceutica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2023-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45279697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-15DOI: 10.3390/scipharm91030039
H. Polonini, C. C. V. Silva
An increasing number of pharmacies around the world are producing hair solutions and foams containing minoxidil for alopecia, commonly using ready-to-use vehicles such as TrichoSolTM or TrichoFoamTM. However, it is paramount to determine the chemical and microbiological compatibility of these formulations so they can be safely implemented as vehicles of choice. Also, these products usually suffer from a change of color over time, which leads to many patients prematurely discontinuing treatment. As long-term treatment is recommended, this study aimed to assess the physical–chemical and microbiological stability and investigate the color change of compounded minoxidil formulations. For that, HPLC analyses and antimicrobial effectiveness testing were conducted in a bracketed study covering concentrations from 1.0% to 7.0% of minoxidil. HPLC, pH, and metals in 5.0% minoxidil compounded products were determined using ICP-MS to evaluate the mechanisms involved in their color change. The stability of the products varied from 120 to 380 days. The color change was remarkably noticeable, but apart from this parameter, no other quality attribute was affected throughout this period, including minoxidil content, which presented only minor fluctuations. No precipitation was observed, and pH was relatively stable. It is not expected that this yellow color will impact effectiveness. Finally, we created an indicative color chart of the behavior of minoxidil in the studied vehicles.
{"title":"Compounded Hair Solutions and Foams Containing Minoxidil: Does the Color Change Impact Stability?","authors":"H. Polonini, C. C. V. Silva","doi":"10.3390/scipharm91030039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/scipharm91030039","url":null,"abstract":"An increasing number of pharmacies around the world are producing hair solutions and foams containing minoxidil for alopecia, commonly using ready-to-use vehicles such as TrichoSolTM or TrichoFoamTM. However, it is paramount to determine the chemical and microbiological compatibility of these formulations so they can be safely implemented as vehicles of choice. Also, these products usually suffer from a change of color over time, which leads to many patients prematurely discontinuing treatment. As long-term treatment is recommended, this study aimed to assess the physical–chemical and microbiological stability and investigate the color change of compounded minoxidil formulations. For that, HPLC analyses and antimicrobial effectiveness testing were conducted in a bracketed study covering concentrations from 1.0% to 7.0% of minoxidil. HPLC, pH, and metals in 5.0% minoxidil compounded products were determined using ICP-MS to evaluate the mechanisms involved in their color change. The stability of the products varied from 120 to 380 days. The color change was remarkably noticeable, but apart from this parameter, no other quality attribute was affected throughout this period, including minoxidil content, which presented only minor fluctuations. No precipitation was observed, and pH was relatively stable. It is not expected that this yellow color will impact effectiveness. Finally, we created an indicative color chart of the behavior of minoxidil in the studied vehicles.","PeriodicalId":21601,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Pharmaceutica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2023-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45399336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-10DOI: 10.3390/scipharm91030038
Rania Elkeeb, Anomeh Avartoomian, A. Gouda, A. Abdel-Megied, Ola M. Abdallah, E. Atef
The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the pediatric sofosbuvir weight-based dosing strategy in providing an equitable drug exposure compared to the marketed dose. The physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling and simulation is a valuable tool in assessing drug dosing and toxicity in populations with physiological, pathological, and genetic pharmacokinetic (PK) variability. The PBPK model of the sofosbuvir compound was developed using Simcyp® V20. The model was developed and verified using the published sofosbuvir’s physicochemical properties and clinical data from multiple studies on healthy adult volunteers, hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected adults, and HCV-infected pediatrics. The AUC and Cmax fold ratio of (predicted/observed) fell within the acceptable range of 0.5–2 in all tested adults’ data, confirming the successful development of the sofosbuvir Simcyp® compound model. Using this model, a weight-based dosing regimen of 6 mg/kg in pediatric patients was simulated and compared to the 150 mg and 200 mg approved dose for 3–6 and 6–12 y/o pediatric patients, respectively. No dose adjustment was recommended in patients ages 6–12 y/o. However, compared to the approved 150 mg for 3–6 y/o, the weight base dose provided an equitable drug exposure to adults. Further clinical studies are warranted to verify this finding.
{"title":"PBPK Evaluation of Sofosbuvir Dose in Pediatrics Using Simcyp®","authors":"Rania Elkeeb, Anomeh Avartoomian, A. Gouda, A. Abdel-Megied, Ola M. Abdallah, E. Atef","doi":"10.3390/scipharm91030038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/scipharm91030038","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the pediatric sofosbuvir weight-based dosing strategy in providing an equitable drug exposure compared to the marketed dose. The physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling and simulation is a valuable tool in assessing drug dosing and toxicity in populations with physiological, pathological, and genetic pharmacokinetic (PK) variability. The PBPK model of the sofosbuvir compound was developed using Simcyp® V20. The model was developed and verified using the published sofosbuvir’s physicochemical properties and clinical data from multiple studies on healthy adult volunteers, hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected adults, and HCV-infected pediatrics. The AUC and Cmax fold ratio of (predicted/observed) fell within the acceptable range of 0.5–2 in all tested adults’ data, confirming the successful development of the sofosbuvir Simcyp® compound model. Using this model, a weight-based dosing regimen of 6 mg/kg in pediatric patients was simulated and compared to the 150 mg and 200 mg approved dose for 3–6 and 6–12 y/o pediatric patients, respectively. No dose adjustment was recommended in patients ages 6–12 y/o. However, compared to the approved 150 mg for 3–6 y/o, the weight base dose provided an equitable drug exposure to adults. Further clinical studies are warranted to verify this finding.","PeriodicalId":21601,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Pharmaceutica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2023-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44907134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-09DOI: 10.3390/scipharm91030037
V. Milkova, K. Kamburova, Petar Martinov, Neli Vilhelmova-Ilieva, Viktor Rashev
Stable multicomponent capsules for the delivery of remdesivir (Veklury®) are produced through subsequent electrostatic adsorption of oppositely charged components on oil emulsion droplets. For the first time, the encapsulation and release of the medicine Veklury® from polymer capsules was reported. In this study, the effect of the physicochemical properties of chitosan on the size and stability of the produced structures is investigated, on the loaded amount of drug and on the kinetics of drug release in conditions close to the physiological ones. Microbiological studies of the capsules and their constituents were performed via in vitro assays against HCT-8 cell lines and human coronavirus HCoV-OC43. A detailed analysis was performed on the influence of the properties of produced capsules on cytotoxicity against the chosen cell line, as well as their effect on the replication cycle of the virus, the virucidal activity of the samples against the viability of the extracellular virions, and their effect on viral adsorption on the cell membrane.
{"title":"Chitosan-Based Nanocarriers for Delivery of Remdesivir","authors":"V. Milkova, K. Kamburova, Petar Martinov, Neli Vilhelmova-Ilieva, Viktor Rashev","doi":"10.3390/scipharm91030037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/scipharm91030037","url":null,"abstract":"Stable multicomponent capsules for the delivery of remdesivir (Veklury®) are produced through subsequent electrostatic adsorption of oppositely charged components on oil emulsion droplets. For the first time, the encapsulation and release of the medicine Veklury® from polymer capsules was reported. In this study, the effect of the physicochemical properties of chitosan on the size and stability of the produced structures is investigated, on the loaded amount of drug and on the kinetics of drug release in conditions close to the physiological ones. Microbiological studies of the capsules and their constituents were performed via in vitro assays against HCT-8 cell lines and human coronavirus HCoV-OC43. A detailed analysis was performed on the influence of the properties of produced capsules on cytotoxicity against the chosen cell line, as well as their effect on the replication cycle of the virus, the virucidal activity of the samples against the viability of the extracellular virions, and their effect on viral adsorption on the cell membrane.","PeriodicalId":21601,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Pharmaceutica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2023-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42547931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-17DOI: 10.3390/scipharm91030036
Sarunya Chuanphongpanich, Satapat Racha, B. Saengsitthisak, P. Pirakitikulr, Kannika Racha
TAK1 (transforming growth factor-beta-activated kinase 1) is a crucial therapeutic target in inflammation-related diseases. This study investigated the inhibitory potential of cannflavin A, a flavonoid found in Cannabis sativa, against TAK1. Through in silico approaches, including drug-likeness analysis, ADMET assessment, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation, the binding affinity and stability of cannflavin A were evaluated. The results demonstrate that cannflavin A exhibits excellent ADMET properties and displays superior binding affinity and stability at the ATP binding site of TAK1 when compared to the known inhibitor takinib. Notably, the decomposition of binding free energy unveils critical amino acid residues involved in TAK1 binding, underscoring the inhibitory effect of cannflavin A through TAK1 inhibition. These findings highlight the potential of cannflavin A as a TAK1 inhibitor and its significant implications for the development of targeted therapies in inflammation-related diseases. Through modulating inflammatory signaling pathways, cannflavin A holds promise for more effective and tailored treatment strategies, particularly in rheumatoid arthritis. This study contributes to the current understanding of cannflavin A’s application and provides a foundation for further research and innovative approaches in targeted therapies for inflammatory conditions.
{"title":"Computational Assessment of Cannflavin A as a TAK1 Inhibitor: Implication as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Anti-Inflammation","authors":"Sarunya Chuanphongpanich, Satapat Racha, B. Saengsitthisak, P. Pirakitikulr, Kannika Racha","doi":"10.3390/scipharm91030036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/scipharm91030036","url":null,"abstract":"TAK1 (transforming growth factor-beta-activated kinase 1) is a crucial therapeutic target in inflammation-related diseases. This study investigated the inhibitory potential of cannflavin A, a flavonoid found in Cannabis sativa, against TAK1. Through in silico approaches, including drug-likeness analysis, ADMET assessment, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation, the binding affinity and stability of cannflavin A were evaluated. The results demonstrate that cannflavin A exhibits excellent ADMET properties and displays superior binding affinity and stability at the ATP binding site of TAK1 when compared to the known inhibitor takinib. Notably, the decomposition of binding free energy unveils critical amino acid residues involved in TAK1 binding, underscoring the inhibitory effect of cannflavin A through TAK1 inhibition. These findings highlight the potential of cannflavin A as a TAK1 inhibitor and its significant implications for the development of targeted therapies in inflammation-related diseases. Through modulating inflammatory signaling pathways, cannflavin A holds promise for more effective and tailored treatment strategies, particularly in rheumatoid arthritis. This study contributes to the current understanding of cannflavin A’s application and provides a foundation for further research and innovative approaches in targeted therapies for inflammatory conditions.","PeriodicalId":21601,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Pharmaceutica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2023-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44192536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-12DOI: 10.3390/scipharm91030035
V. Oberemok, K. Laikova, Kseniya A. Yurchenko, I. Novikov, T. Makalish, A. Kubyshkin, O. Andreeva, Anastasiya Bilyk
The main problem in creating anti-coronavirus vaccines that target mainly proteins of the outer membrane of the virus is the rapid variability in the RNA genome of the pathogen that encodes these proteins. In addition, the introduction of technologies that can affordably and quickly produce flexible vaccine formulas that easily adapt to the emergence of new subtypes of SARS-CoV-2 is required. Universal adjuvant oligonucleotide vaccines based on conserved regions of the SARS-CoV-2 genome can take into account the dynamics of rapid changes in the virus genome, as well as be easily synthesized on automatic DNA synthesizers in large quantities in a short time. In this brief report, the effectiveness of four phosphorothioate constructs of the La-S-so-type adjuvant oligonucleotide vaccine is evaluated on B6.Cg-Tg (K18-ACE2)2 transgenic mice for the first time. In our primary trials, the oligonucleotide vaccine increased the survival rate of animals infected with SARS-CoV-2 and also reduced the destructive effects of the virus on the lung tissue of mice, activating both their innate and adaptive immunity. The obtained results show that the development of adjuvant oligonucleotide vaccine constructs of the La-S-so type is an affordable and efficient platform for the prevention of coronavirus infections, including those caused by SARS-CoV-2.
{"title":"Adjuvant Oligonucleotide Vaccine Increases Survival and Improves Lung Tissue Condition of B6.Cg-Tg (K18-ACE2)2 Transgenic Mice","authors":"V. Oberemok, K. Laikova, Kseniya A. Yurchenko, I. Novikov, T. Makalish, A. Kubyshkin, O. Andreeva, Anastasiya Bilyk","doi":"10.3390/scipharm91030035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/scipharm91030035","url":null,"abstract":"The main problem in creating anti-coronavirus vaccines that target mainly proteins of the outer membrane of the virus is the rapid variability in the RNA genome of the pathogen that encodes these proteins. In addition, the introduction of technologies that can affordably and quickly produce flexible vaccine formulas that easily adapt to the emergence of new subtypes of SARS-CoV-2 is required. Universal adjuvant oligonucleotide vaccines based on conserved regions of the SARS-CoV-2 genome can take into account the dynamics of rapid changes in the virus genome, as well as be easily synthesized on automatic DNA synthesizers in large quantities in a short time. In this brief report, the effectiveness of four phosphorothioate constructs of the La-S-so-type adjuvant oligonucleotide vaccine is evaluated on B6.Cg-Tg (K18-ACE2)2 transgenic mice for the first time. In our primary trials, the oligonucleotide vaccine increased the survival rate of animals infected with SARS-CoV-2 and also reduced the destructive effects of the virus on the lung tissue of mice, activating both their innate and adaptive immunity. The obtained results show that the development of adjuvant oligonucleotide vaccine constructs of the La-S-so type is an affordable and efficient platform for the prevention of coronavirus infections, including those caused by SARS-CoV-2.","PeriodicalId":21601,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Pharmaceutica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2023-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44685844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-07DOI: 10.3390/scipharm91030034
J. Adeyemi
Many medicinal plants found in Africa, such as Dovyallis caffra, have been reported to contain various bioactive compounds, which have been found to reduce metal salts into their corresponding metal-based nanoparticles. In this paper, the evaluation of synthesis, characterization, and biological properties of Dovyallis caffra-mediated cassiterite (SnO2) nanoparticles was carried out. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized material were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The characterization studies revealed that the material possessed a single tetragonal cassiterite SnO2 phase, having a cluster-like foam appearance and an irregular spherical morphology with diameters ranging from 6.57 to 34.03 nm. The biological screening revealed that the prepared cassiterite (SnO2) nanoparticles exhibited cytotoxicity against the MCF-7 breast cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 62.33 µg mL−1, better than the standard drug 5-fluorouracil, with an IC50 value of 71.21 µg mL−1. The radical scavenging potential of the nanoparticles, using the DPPH assay, showed that it possessed a slightly better activity than ascorbic acid, a common antioxidant. These results suggest that the Dovyallis caffra-mediated cassiterite (SnO2) nanoparticles possess the potential to simultaneously generate and scavenge excess ROS, which in turn results in the exhibition of good cytotoxicity and antioxidant properties.
{"title":"In Vitro Cytotoxicity and Antioxidant Studies of Dovyallis caffra-Mediated Cassiterite (SnO2) Nanoparticles","authors":"J. Adeyemi","doi":"10.3390/scipharm91030034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/scipharm91030034","url":null,"abstract":"Many medicinal plants found in Africa, such as Dovyallis caffra, have been reported to contain various bioactive compounds, which have been found to reduce metal salts into their corresponding metal-based nanoparticles. In this paper, the evaluation of synthesis, characterization, and biological properties of Dovyallis caffra-mediated cassiterite (SnO2) nanoparticles was carried out. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized material were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The characterization studies revealed that the material possessed a single tetragonal cassiterite SnO2 phase, having a cluster-like foam appearance and an irregular spherical morphology with diameters ranging from 6.57 to 34.03 nm. The biological screening revealed that the prepared cassiterite (SnO2) nanoparticles exhibited cytotoxicity against the MCF-7 breast cancer cells, with an IC50 value of 62.33 µg mL−1, better than the standard drug 5-fluorouracil, with an IC50 value of 71.21 µg mL−1. The radical scavenging potential of the nanoparticles, using the DPPH assay, showed that it possessed a slightly better activity than ascorbic acid, a common antioxidant. These results suggest that the Dovyallis caffra-mediated cassiterite (SnO2) nanoparticles possess the potential to simultaneously generate and scavenge excess ROS, which in turn results in the exhibition of good cytotoxicity and antioxidant properties.","PeriodicalId":21601,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Pharmaceutica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2023-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45468461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In the new antibiotic era, the exponential increase in multiresistant bacterial strains has become the main global health problem. Many researchers have focused their efforts on exploring novel or combined strategies for combating bacterial resistance. Good knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of resistance and bacterial virulence factors as key targets provides us with a good basis for resolving the problem. One particularly attractive and promising strategy is to attack the main regulatory “network” of bacterial virulence determinants known as quorum sensing (QS). The inhibition of QS signals will be a novel means of screening more effective quorum-sensing inhibitors (QSIs) and will play a key role in the use of next-generation antimicrobials in the battle against resistance. This motivated the present review to provide a comprehensive clarification of the regulatory mechanisms of quorum-sensing signaling pathways in Chromobacterium violaceum and the discovery of potential plant quorum-sensing inhibitors.
{"title":"Chromobacterium Violaceum: A Model for Evaluating the Anti-Quorum Sensing Activities of Plant Substances","authors":"Petya Dimitrova, Tsvetozara Damyanova, Tsvetelina Paunova-Krasteva","doi":"10.3390/scipharm91030033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/scipharm91030033","url":null,"abstract":"In the new antibiotic era, the exponential increase in multiresistant bacterial strains has become the main global health problem. Many researchers have focused their efforts on exploring novel or combined strategies for combating bacterial resistance. Good knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of resistance and bacterial virulence factors as key targets provides us with a good basis for resolving the problem. One particularly attractive and promising strategy is to attack the main regulatory “network” of bacterial virulence determinants known as quorum sensing (QS). The inhibition of QS signals will be a novel means of screening more effective quorum-sensing inhibitors (QSIs) and will play a key role in the use of next-generation antimicrobials in the battle against resistance. This motivated the present review to provide a comprehensive clarification of the regulatory mechanisms of quorum-sensing signaling pathways in Chromobacterium violaceum and the discovery of potential plant quorum-sensing inhibitors.","PeriodicalId":21601,"journal":{"name":"Scientia Pharmaceutica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2023-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41527960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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