Host Defence Cryptides from Human Apolipoproteins: Applications in Medicinal Chemistry

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (14) ◽  
pp. 1324-1337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Gaglione ◽  
Elio Pizzo ◽  
Eugenio Notomista ◽  
Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez ◽  
Angela Arciello
Keyword(s):  
Bioactive Peptides ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Host Defence ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Protein Cleavage ◽  
Anticancer Activities ◽  
In Vivo Experiments

Several eukaryotic proteins with defined physiological roles may act as precursors of cryptic bioactive peptides released upon protein cleavage by the host and/or bacterial proteases. Based on this, the term “cryptome” has been used to define the unique portion of the proteome encompassing proteins with the ability to generate bioactive peptides (cryptides) and proteins (crypteins) upon proteolytic cleavage. Hence, the cryptome represents a source of peptides with potential pharmacological interest. Among eukaryotic precursor proteins, human apolipoproteins play an important role, since promising bioactive peptides have been identified and characterized from apolipoproteins E, B, and A-I sequences. Human apolipoproteins derived peptides have been shown to exhibit antibacterial, anti-biofilm, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic, antioxidant, or anticancer activities in in vitro assays and, in some cases, also in in vivo experiments on animal models. The most interesting Host Defence Peptides (HDPs) identified thus far in human apolipoproteins are described here with a focus on their biological activities applicable to biomedicine. Altogether, reported evidence clearly indicates that cryptic peptides represent promising templates for the generation of new drugs and therapeutics against infectious diseases.

scholarly journals Plant-Derived Nano and Microvesicles for Human Health and Therapeutic Potential in Nanomedicine

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 498
Author(s):  
Mariaevelina Alfieri ◽  
Antonietta Leone ◽  
Alfredo Ambrosone
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Plant Biotechnology ◽  
Bioactive Metabolites ◽  
Anticancer Activities ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
In Vivo Models ◽  
Therapeutic Tools

Plants produce different types of nano and micro-sized vesicles. Observed for the first time in the 60s, plant nano and microvesicles (PDVs) and their biological role have been inexplicably under investigated for a long time. Proteomic and metabolomic approaches revealed that PDVs carry numerous proteins with antifungal and antimicrobial activity, as well as bioactive metabolites with high pharmaceutical interest. PDVs have also been shown to be also involved in the intercellular transfer of small non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs, suggesting fascinating mechanisms of long-distance gene regulation and horizontal transfer of regulatory RNAs and inter-kingdom communications. High loading capacity, intrinsic biological activities, biocompatibility, and easy permeabilization in cell compartments make plant-derived vesicles excellent natural or bioengineered nanotools for biomedical applications. Growing evidence indicates that PDVs may exert anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anticancer activities in different in vitro and in vivo models. In addition, clinical trials are currently in progress to test the effectiveness of plant EVs in reducing insulin resistance and in preventing side effects of chemotherapy treatments. In this review, we concisely introduce PDVs, discuss shortly their most important biological and physiological roles in plants and provide clues on the use and the bioengineering of plant nano and microvesicles to develop innovative therapeutic tools in nanomedicine, able to encompass the current drawbacks in the delivery systems in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical technology. Finally, we predict that the advent of intense research efforts on PDVs may disclose new frontiers in plant biotechnology applied to nanomedicine.

scholarly journals Antibiotic loaded β-tricalcium phosphate/calcium sulfate for antimicrobial potency, prevention and killing efficacy of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus biofilms

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Jiang ◽  
Devendra H. Dusane ◽  
Jacob R. Brooks ◽  
Craig P. Delury ◽  
Sean S. Aiken ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tricalcium Phosphate ◽  
Calcium Sulfate ◽  
Bone Graft Substitute ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
In Vivo Experiments ◽  
Orthopaedic Infections ◽  
Clinical Investigations ◽  
Antimicrobial Potency

AbstractThis study investigated the efficacy of a biphasic synthetic β-tricalcium phosphate/calcium sulfate (β-TCP/CS) bone graft substitute for compatibility with vancomycin (V) in combination with tobramycin (T) or gentamicin (G) evidenced by the duration of potency and the prevention and killing efficacies of P. aeruginosa (PAO1) and S. aureus (SAP231) biofilms in in vitro assays. Antibiotic loaded β-TCP/CS beads were compared with antibiotic loaded beads formed from a well characterized synthetic calcium sulfate (CS) bone void filler. β-TCP/CS antibiotic loaded showed antimicrobial potency against PAO1 in a repeated Kirby-Bauer like zone of inhibition assay for 6 days compared to 8 days for CS. However, both bead types showed potency against SAP231 for 40 days. Both formulations loaded with V + T completely prevented biofilm formation (CFU below detection limits) for the 3 days of the experiment with daily fresh inoculum challenges (P < 0.001). In addition, both antibiotic loaded materials and antibiotic combinations significantly reduced the bioburden of pre-grown biofilms by between 3 and 5 logs (P < 0.001) with V + G performing slightly better against PAO1 than V + T. Our data, combined with previous data on osteogenesis suggest that antibiotic loaded β-TCP/CS may have potential to stimulate osteogenesis through acting as a scaffold as well as simultaneously protecting against biofilm infection. Future in vivo experiments and clinical investigations are warranted to more comprehensively evaluate the use of β-TCP/CS in the management of orthopaedic infections.

scholarly journals Anti-Inflammatory and Antinociceptive Activity of Pollen Extract Collected by Stingless Bee Melipona fasciculata

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (18) ◽  
pp. 4512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Jorge Oliveira Lopes ◽  
Cleydlenne Costa Vasconcelos ◽  
Francisco Assis Nascimento Pereira ◽  
Rosa Helena Moraes Silva ◽  
Pedro Felipe dos Santos Queiroz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Stingless Bee ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Pollen Extract ◽  
Biological Potential ◽  
Anti Inflammatory ◽  
Analgesic Activities

The stingless bee, Melipona fasciculata Smith (Apidae, Meliponini), is a native species from Brazil. Their products have high biotechnological potential, however there are no studies about the biological activities of pollen collected by M. fasciculata. In this context, the present study investigated the chemical composition, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities of hydroethanolic pollen extracts collected by M. fasciculata in three cities in Maranhão State, Brazil. We verified the antioxidant activity of the extracts and inhibitory activity against the cyclooxygenase enzyme using in vitro assays and in allowed to select the extract with higher efficiency to be used on in vivo assays. In these trials, the selected extract showed high anti-inflammatory activity as well as nociceptive effects at central and peripheral level, suggesting that this extract acts on inhibition of histamine release and decreased synthesis of prostaglandins and the in-silico study suggested that polyphenols and acids fatty acids in the extract may be associated with these activities. The results of the present study report the high biological potential of pollen extract and we conclude that the pollen collected by M. fasciculata can be considered as the object of research for new pharmacological alternatives.

scholarly journals In vitro and in vivo activities of flavonoids – apigenin, baicalin, chrysin, scutellarin – in regulation of hypertension – a review for their possible effects in pregnancy-induced hypertension

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Ożarowski ◽  
Radosław Kujawski ◽  
Przemysław Ł. Mikołajczak ◽  
Karolina Wielgus ◽  
Andrzej Klejewski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Chemical Compounds ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Future Application ◽  
Mediators Of Inflammation ◽  
And Function

Summary Flavonoids and their conjugates are the most important group of natural chemical compounds in drug discovery and development. The search for pharmacological activity and new mechanisms of activity of these chemical compounds, which may inhibit mediators of inflammation and influence the structure and function of endothelial cells, can be an interesting pharmacological strategy for the prevention and adjunctive treatments of hypertension, especially induced by pregnancy. Because cardiovascular diseases have multi-factorial pathogenesis these natural chemical compounds with wide spectrum of biological activities are the most interesting source of new drugs. Extracts from one of the most popular plant used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi could be a very interesting source of flavonoids because of its exact content in quercetin, apigenin, chrysin and scutellarin as well as in baicalin. These flavonoids exert vasoprotective properties and many activities such as: anti-oxidative via several pathways, anti-in-flammatory, anti-ischaemic, cardioprotective and anti-hypertensive. However, there is lack of summaries of results of studies in context of potential and future application of flavonoids with determined composition and activity. Our review aims to provide a literature survey of in vitro, in vivo and ex vivo pharmacological studies of selected flavonoids (apigenin, chrysin and scutellarin, baicalin) in various models of hypertension carried out in 2008–2018.

scholarly journals Biological Properties of 6-Gingerol: A Brief Review

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1400900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaopeng Wang ◽  
Caihua Zhang ◽  
Guang Yang ◽  
Yanzong Yang
Keyword(s):  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Zingiber Officinale ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Anticancer Activities ◽  
Inhibition Of Angiogenesis ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Pharmacologically Active

Numerous studies have revealed that regular consumption of certain fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of many diseases. The rhizome of Zingiber officinale (ginger) is consumed worldwide as a spice and herbal medicine. It contains pungent phenolic substances collectively known as gingerols. 6-Gingerol is the major pharmacologically-active component of ginger. It is known to exhibit a variety of biological activities including anticancer, anti-inflammation, and anti-oxidation. 6-Gingerol has been found to possess anticancer activities via its effect on a variety of biological pathways involved in apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, cytotoxic activity, and inhibition of angiogenesis. Thus, due to its efficacy and regulation of multiple targets, as well as its safety for human use, 6-gingerol has received considerable interest as a potential therapeutic agent for the prevention and/or treatment of various diseases. Taken together, this review summarizes the various in vitro and in vivo pharmacological aspects of 6-gingerol and the underlying mechanisms.

scholarly journals Biological Activities of Novel Gyrase Inhibitors of the Aminocoumarin Class

2008 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 1982-1990 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Anderle ◽  
Martin Stieger ◽  
Matthew Burrell ◽  
Stefan Reinelt ◽  
Anthony Maxwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reporter Gene ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Dna Supercoiling ◽  
Binding Energies ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Gene Assay ◽  
Gyrase Inhibitors

ABSTRACT Thirty-one aminocoumarin antibiotics derived from mutasynthesis experiments were investigated for their biological activities. Their inhibitory activities toward Escherichia coli DNA gyrase were determined in two different in vitro assays: an ATPase assay and a DNA supercoiling assay. The assays gave a similar rank order of the activities of the compounds tested, although the absolute 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) obtained in each assay were different. To confirm that the compounds also acted as gyrase inhibitors in vivo, reporter gene assays were carried out with E. coli by using gyrA and sulA promoter fusions with the luxCDABE operon. A strong induction of both promoters was observed for those compounds that showed gyrase inhibitory activity in the biochemical assays. Compounds carrying analogs of the prenylated benzoyl moiety (ring A) of clorobiocin that were structurally very different showed high levels of activity both in the biochemical assay and in the reporter gene assay, indicating that the structure of this moiety can be varied considerably without a loss of affinity for bacterial gyrase. The experimentally determined IC50s were compared to the binding energies calculated in silico, which indicated that a shift of the pyrrole carboxylic acid moiety from the O-3″ to the O-2″ position of the deoxysugar moiety has a significant impact on the binding mode of the compounds. The aminocoumarin compounds were also investigated for their MICs against different bacterial pathogens. Several compounds showed high levels of activity against staphylococci, including a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain. However, they showed only poor activities against gram-negative strains.

EVALUATION OF THE BOVINE TESTICULAR RADIORECEPTOR ASSAY FOR PITUITARY FOLLICLE-STIMULATING HORMONE

1979 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. SAIRAM
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activities ◽  
Follicle Stimulating Hormone ◽  
Radioreceptor Assay ◽  
In Vitro Assays ◽  
Receptor Interactions ◽  
Testicular Receptor ◽  
Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotrophin ◽  
Stimulating Hormone

SUMMARY A modified bovine testicular receptor was used to evaluate highly purified follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) from a number of species. The particulate receptor obtained from adult bovine testes could be stored frozen or lyophilized for long periods without appreciable decrease in the binding of the ligand facility or in loss of specificity. The bovine testis receptor binds twice as much 125I-labelled ovine FSH as 125I-labelled human hormone. When FSH from different species was compared against NIH-FSH-S10, using various FSH ligands, the ovine hormone was clearly the most active, although many had comparable in-vivo biological potencies. The results suggest that there is probably some species specificity in the hormone–receptor interactions. As the ovine hormone is structurally closer to the bovine, from which the receptor was derived, it appears to have the highest activity in vitro. Marked differences in the biological activities of the different preparations between the human chorionic gonadotrophin-augmentation test and the in-vitro assays have been observed. In the in-vitro assays, all preparations, with the exception of the porcine hormone preparation, were less active and the ratio of bioassay/radioreceptor assay varied widely. In the radioreceptor assays, all FSH preparations except pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) showed parallel inhibition curves. The three different PMSG preparations examined gave inhibition lines that were parallel to each other.

scholarly journals Propolis: A Complex Natural Product with a Plethora of Biological Activities That Can Be Explored for Drug Development

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Silva-Carvalho ◽  
Fátima Baltazar ◽  
Cristina Almeida-Aguiar
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Alternative Source ◽  
Scientific Attention

The health industry has always used natural products as a rich, promising, and alternative source of drugs that are used in the health system. Propolis, a natural resinous product known for centuries, is a complex product obtained by honey bees from substances collected from parts of different plants, buds, and exudates in different geographic areas. Propolis has been attracting scientific attention since it has many biological and pharmacological properties, which are related to its chemical composition. Severalin vitroandin vivostudies have been performed to characterize and understand the diverse bioactivities of propolis and its isolated compounds, as well as to evaluate and validate its potential. Yet, there is a lack of information concerning clinical effectiveness. The goal of this review is to discuss the potential of propolis for the development of new drugs by presenting published data concerning the chemical composition and the biological properties of this natural compound from different geographic origins.

scholarly journals Cardamonin Promotes the Apoptosis and Chemotherapy Sensitivity to Gemcitabine of Pancreatic Cancer Through Modulating the FOXO3a-FOXM1 Axis

Dose-Response ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 155932582110421
Author(s):  
Huapeng Sun ◽  
Na Zhang ◽  
Yiqiang Jin ◽  
Haisheng Xu
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Cell Counting ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Chemotherapy Sensitivity ◽  
In Vivo Experiments ◽  
Pathway Expression ◽  
Foxm1 Expression

Cardamonin (CAR), a flavone existing in the Alpinia plant, has been found to modulate multiple biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. Nevertheless, the influence of CAR on pancreatic cancer (PC) is less understood. Here, we conducted in vitro and in vivo experiments to explore the functions of CAR on PC cells’ proliferation, apoptosis and chemosensitivity to gemcitabine (GEM). The growth of PC cells (including PANC-1 and SW1990) was evaluated by the cell counting kit-8 assay, colony formation assay and xenograft tumor experiment. Besides, the apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry and western blot (WB). Moreover, the FOXO3a-FOXM1 pathway expression was tested by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and WB. Our data suggested that CAR restrained cell proliferation, growth and expedited apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, CAR sensitized PC cells to GEM. Mechanistically, CAR heightened FOXO3a while repressed FOXM1. Further loss-of-function assays revealed that down-regulating FOXO3a markedly dampened the anti-tumor effect induced by CAR and accelerated the FOXM1 expression. Our data confirmed that CAR exerted an anti-tumor function in PC dependently by modulating the FOXO3a-FOXM1 axis.

scholarly journals Scrophulariae Radix: An Overview of Its Biological Activities and Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Applications

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (17) ◽  
pp. 5250
Author(s):  
Hae-Jin Lee ◽  
Hae-Lim Kim ◽  
Dong-Ryung Lee ◽  
Bong-Keun Choi ◽  
Seung-Hwan Yang
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activities ◽  
Neuroprotective Effect ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Amnesic Effect ◽  
In Vivo Experiments ◽  
Toxicological Studies ◽  
Apoptotic Effect ◽  
Pharmaceutical Industries

Scrophulariae Radix (SR) has an important role as a medicinal plant, the roots of which are recorded used to cure fever, swelling, constipation, pharyngitis, laryngitis, neuritis, sore throat, rheumatism, and arthritis in Asia for more than two thousand years. In this paper, the studies published on Scrophularia buergeriana (SB) and Scrophularia ningpoensis (SN) in the latest 20 years were reviewed, and the biological activities of SB and SN were evaluated based on in vitro and in vivo studies. SB presented anti-inflammatory activities, immune-enhancing effects, bone disorder prevention activity, neuroprotective effect, anti-amnesic effect, and anti-allergic effect; SN showed a neuroprotective effect, anti-apoptotic effect, anti-amnesic effect, and anti-depressant effect; and SR exhibited an immune-enhancing effect and cardioprotective effects through in vitro and in vivo experiments. SB and SN are both known to exert neuroprotective and anti-amensice effects. This review investigated their applicability in the nutraceutical, functional foods, and pharmaceutical industries. Further studies, such as toxicological studies and clinical trials, on the efficacy and safety of SR, including SB and SN, need to be conducted.

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