scholarly journals Nanoceria and Its Biomedical Relevance

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (01) ◽  
pp. 014-017
Author(s):  
Jyotsna Kailashiya ◽  
Debabrata Dash

AbstractNanoceria is a nanosized particle preparation of cerium oxide. It shows mixture of cerium in the 3+ and 4+ states on the nanoparticle surface, giving it interesting redox properties. Nanoceria shows effective biological antioxidant properties, which makes it a great candidate for biomedical applications. Many studies have shown promising results on therapeutic potential of nanoceria in diseases like cancer, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative diseases. Meanwhile, other studies explored biodistribution and toxicity of nanoceria. This review article describes nanoceria, its relevant biomedical applications, and adverse effects, based on previously reported studies.

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nayana Keyla Seabra de Oliveira ◽  
Marcos Rafael Silva Almeida ◽  
Franco Márcio Maciel Pontes ◽  
Mariana Pegrucci Barcelos ◽  
Carlos Henrique Tomich de Paula da Silva ◽  
...  

Introduction:Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are progressive, directly affecting the central nervous system (CNS), the most common and recurrent are Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). One factor frequently mentioned in the etiology of NDDs is the generation of free radicals and oxidative stress, producing cellular damages. Studies have shown that the consumption of foods rich in polyphenols, especially those of the flavonoid class, has been related to the low risk in the development of several diseases. Due to the antioxidant properties present in the food, a fruit that has been gaining prominence among these foods is the Euterpe oleracea Mart. (açaí), because it presents in its composition significant amounts of a subclass of the flavonoids, the anthocyanins.Methods:In the case review, the authors receive a basic background on the most common NDDs, oxidative stress and antioxidants. In addition, revisiting the various studies related to NDDs, including flavonoids and consumption of açaí.Results:Detailed analysis of the recently reported case studies reveal that dietary consumption of flavonoid-rich foods, such as açaí fruits, suggests the efficacy to attenuate neurodegeneration and prevent or reverse the age-dependent deterioration of cognitive function.Conclusion:This systematic review points out that flavonoids presenting in açaí have the potential for the treatment of diseases such as PD and AD and are candidates for drugs in future clinical research. However, there is a need for in vitro and in vivo studies with polyphenol that prove and ratify the therapeutic potential of this fruit for several NDDs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (20) ◽  
pp. 2283-2302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian B. Neis ◽  
Priscila B. Rosa ◽  
Morgana Moretti ◽  
Ana Lucia S. Rodrigues

Heme oxygenase (HO) family catalyzes the conversion of heme into free iron, carbon monoxide and biliverdin. It possesses two well-characterized isoforms: HO-1 and HO-2. Under brain physiological conditions, the expression of HO-2 is constitutive, abundant and ubiquitous, whereas HO-1 mRNA and protein are restricted to small populations of neurons and neuroglia. HO-1 is an inducible enzyme that has been shown to participate as an essential defensive mechanism for neurons exposed to oxidant challenges, being related to antioxidant defenses in certain neuropathological conditions. Considering that neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS)) and neuropsychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, Bipolar Disorder (BD) and schizophrenia) are associated with increased inflammatory markers, impaired redox homeostasis and oxidative stress, conditions that may be associated with alterations in HO-levels/activity, the purpose of this review is to present evidence on the possible role of HO-1 in these Central Nervous System (CNS) diseases. In addition, the possible therapeutic potential of targeting brain HO-1 is explored in this review.


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanoo Suroowan ◽  
Fawzi Mahomoodally

Background: Common auto-inflammatory disorders (CAIDs) constitute a wide array of ailments ranging from acute allergies to chronic conditions. Globally, CAIDs remain one of the leading causes of disability and morbidity. Despite playing a leading therapeutic role, the vast profusion of anti-inflammatory synthetic agents have not been able to fully resolve a panoply of CAIDs. Additionally, contemporary synthetic therapy approaches remain bounded by a wide array of limitations essentially being adverse effects and unaffordable costs. In this advent, the use of herbal products provides an interesting avenue to explore in view of developing such treatment regimens. Objective: This review article endeavors to highlight potential herbal products and isolated phytochemicals which can be of benefit in the prophylaxis, management, and treatment alongside avoiding the relapse of CAIDs. Conclusion: This review article has highlighted that herbals, herbal products, and isolated metabolites hold a huge potential in the prophylaxis, management, and treatment of CAIDs. Herbals can act on various targets involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders. In addition, novel approaches for the management of CAIDs are numerous. Indeed, nanoparticles loaded with phytochemicals have been developed to specifically target the colon for IBD treatment. In silico approaches using herbals also offer unlimited avenues to decipher new pharmacophores. Investigating the potential of polyherbal formulations is another unique approach which can be investigated. Given the inefficacy of conventional medicines, the concomitant use of conventional and herbal medicines can also be explored.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 1134-1146
Author(s):  
Priyanka Kriplani ◽  
Kumar Guarve ◽  
Uttam S. Baghel

Objective: Helenalin is a natural anti-inflammatory agent that is proving its efficacy to treat various medical conditions. Though many plants are proving their effectiveness but their mechanisms are still not well understood. The objective of the review is to summarize various mechanisms of helenalin to treat inflammatory disorders and cancers, adverse effects, and avenues of further research. Methods: Structured research was carried out including Pub med, Science direct Medline, Research Gate and Google Scholar to find all articles published on helenalin. Various keywords used were “helenalin”, “Arnica”, “cancer”, “anti-inflammatory”, “cardiovascular”, “IBD”, “pharmacokinetics” etc. The aim of the review was to find out the problem prevailing in the data published to date which will help the researchers to investigate the molecule clinically. Results: Seventy articles are included in the review. Helenalin is found to cure chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, ulcers and malignancies like stomach, colon, breast, larynx, lung and skin cancers via multiple mechanisms. These diseases do not proceed via a unilateral pathway. So, it can be a useful molecule to treat numerous diseases. Conclusion: This review article will help us to systemically analyze the wealth of information concerning the medicinal properties of helenalin and to recognize the gaps which have vetoed its pervasive application in the medical community.


Author(s):  
Minu Anoop ◽  
Indrani Datta

: Most conventional treatments for neurodegenerative diseases fail due to their focus on neuroprotection rather than neurorestoration. Stem cell‐based therapies are becoming a potential treatment option for neurodegenerative diseases as they can home in, engraft, differentiate and produce factors for CNS recovery. Stem cells derived from human dental pulp tissue differ from other sources of mesenchymal stem cells due to their embryonic neural crest origin and neurotrophic property. These include both dental pulp stem cells [DPSCs] from dental pulp tissues of human permanent teeth and stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth [SHED]. SHED offer many advantages over other types of MSCs such as good proliferative potential, minimal invasive procurement, neuronal differentiation and neurotrophic capacity, and negligible ethical concerns. The therapeutic potential of SHED is attributed to the paracrine action of extracellularly released secreted factors, specifically the secretome, of which exosomes is a key component. SHED and its conditioned media can be effective in neurodegeneration through multiple mechanisms, including cell replacement, paracrine effects, angiogenesis, synaptogenesis, immunomodulation, and apoptosis inhibition, and SHED exosomes offer an ideal refined bed-to-bench formulation in neurodegenerative disorders. However, in spite of these advantages, there are still some limitations of SHED exosome therapy, such as the effectiveness of long-term storage of SHED and their exosomes, the development of a robust GMP-grade manufacturing protocol, optimization of the route of administration, and evaluation of the efficacy and safety in humans. In this review, we have addressed the isolation, collection and properties of SHED along with its therapeutic potential on in vitro and in vivo neuronal disorder models as evident from the published literature.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 779-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre LeBlanc ◽  
Miroslava Cuperlovic-Culf ◽  
Pier Jr. Morin ◽  
Mohamed Touaibia

Background:: The current therapeutic options available to patients diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) are limited and edaravone is a compound that has gained significant interest for its therapeutic potential in this condition. Objectives: : The current work was thus undertaken to synthesize and characterize a series of edaravone analogues. Methods: A total of 17 analogues were synthesized and characterized for their antioxidant properties, radical scavenging potential and copper-chelating capabilities. Results: Radical scavenging and copper-chelating properties were notably observed for edaravone. Analogues bearing hydrogen in position 1 and a phenyl at position 3 and a phenyl in both positions of pyrazol-5 (4H)-one displayed substantial radical scavenging, antioxidants and copper-chelating properties. High accessibility of electronegative groups combined with higher electronegativity and partial charge of the carbonyl moiety in edaravone might explain the observed difference in the activity of edaravone relative to the closely related analogues 6 and 7 bearing hydrogen at position 1 and a phenyl at position 3 (6) and a phenyl in both positions (7). Conclusion: Overall, this study reveals a subset of edaravone analogues with interesting properties. Further investigation of these compounds is foreseen in relevant models of oxidative stress-associated diseases in order to assess their therapeutic potential in such conditions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 428
Author(s):  
Douglas Kemboi Magozwi ◽  
Mmabatho Dinala ◽  
Nthabiseng Mokwana ◽  
Xavier Siwe-Noundou ◽  
Rui W. M. Krause ◽  
...  

Plants of the genus Euphorbia are widely distributed across temperate, tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Asia and Africa with established Ayurvedic, Chinese and Malay ethnomedical records. The present review reports the isolation, occurrence, phytochemistry, biological properties, therapeutic potential and structure–activity relationship of Euphorbia flavonoids for the period covering 2000–2020, while identifying potential areas for future studies aimed at development of new therapeutic agents from these plants. The findings suggest that the extracts and isolated flavonoids possess anticancer, antiproliferative, antimalarial, antibacterial, anti-venom, anti-inflammatory, anti-hepatitis and antioxidant properties and have different mechanisms of action against cancer cells. Of the investigated species, over 80 different types of flavonoids have been isolated to date. Most of the isolated flavonoids were flavonols and comprised simple O-substitution patterns, C-methylation and prenylation. Others had a glycoside, glycosidic linkages and a carbohydrate attached at either C-3 or C-7, and were designated as d-glucose, l-rhamnose or glucorhamnose. The structure–activity relationship studies showed that methylation of the hydroxyl groups on C-3 or C-7 reduces the activities while glycosylation loses the activity and that the parent skeletal structure is essential in retaining the activity. These constituents can therefore offer potential alternative scaffolds towards development of new Euphorbia-based therapeutic agents.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1094
Author(s):  
Allan Radaic ◽  
Nam E. Joo ◽  
Soo-Hwan Jeong ◽  
Seong-II Yoo ◽  
Nicholas Kotov ◽  
...  

Prostate and breast cancer are the current leading causes of new cancer cases in males and females, respectively. Phosphatidylserine (PS) is an essential lipid that mediates macrophage efferocytosis and is dysregulated in tumors. Therefore, developing therapies that selectively restore PS may be a potential therapeutic approach for carcinogenesis. Among the nanomedicine strategies for delivering PS, biocompatible gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have an extensive track record in biomedical applications. In this study, we synthesized biomimetic phosphatidylserine-caped gold nanoparticles (PS-AuNPs) and tested their anticancer potential in breast and prostate cancer cells in vitro. We found that both cell lines exhibited changes in cell morphology indicative of apoptosis. After evaluating for histone-associated DNA fragments, a hallmark of apoptosis, we found significant increases in DNA fragmentation upon PS-AuNP treatment compared to the control treatment. These findings demonstrate the use of phosphatidylserine coupled with gold nanoparticles as a potential treatment for prostate and breast cancer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a phosphatidylserine-capped AuNP has been examined for its therapeutic potential in cancer therapy.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1609
Author(s):  
Lutfun Nahar ◽  
Shaymaa Al-Majmaie ◽  
Afaf Al-Groshi ◽  
Azhar Rasul ◽  
Satyajit D. Sarker

Dihydrofuranocoumarin, chalepin (1) and furanocoumarin, chalepensin (2) are 3-prenylated bioactive coumarins, first isolated from the well-known medicinal plant Ruta chalepensis L. (Fam: Rutaceae) but also distributed in various species of the genera Boenminghausenia, Clausena and Ruta. The distribution of these compounds appears to be restricted to the plants of the family Rutaceae. To date, there have been a considerable number of bioactivity studies performed on coumarins 1 and 2, which include their anticancer, antidiabetic, antifertility, antimicrobial, antiplatelet aggregation, antiprotozoal, antiviral and calcium antagonistic properties. This review article presents a critical appraisal of publications on bioactivity of these 3-prenylated coumarins in the light of their feasibility as novel therapeutic agents and investigate their natural distribution in the plant kingdom, as well as a plausible biosynthetic route.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 3671
Author(s):  
Magdalena Ulanowska ◽  
Beata Olas

Eugenol is a phenolic aromatic compound obtained mainly from clove oil. Due to its known antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, it has long been used in various areas, such as cosmetology, medicine, and pharmacology. However, high concentrations can be toxic. A dose of 2.5 mg/kg body weight is regarded as safe. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge regarding the activities and application of eugenol and its derivatives and recent research of these compounds. This review is based on information concerning eugenol characteristics and recent research from articles in PubMed. Eugenol remains of great interest to researchers, since its multidirectional action allows it to be a potential component of drugs and other products with therapeutic potential against a range of diseases.


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