scholarly journals Therapeutic Potential of Croton Blanchetianus for the Treatment of Gastric Ulcers: A Brief Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 8219-8230

Natural products are considered one of the main sources that contribute to advances in research in medical science, in such a way that the elucidation of the mechanism of action enables the industry to design new drugs, providing new applications, inputs, and alternatives for the treatment of various pathologies. Studies show the importance of secondary metabolites, presenting pharmacological, microbiological, and food functions. Given the above, this review aims to describe the importance of studies with natural products, emphasizing the gastroprotective activity of the Croton genus. The genus Croton (Euphorbiaceae) is characteristic of the Brazilian biome, especially in the semiarid climate. The species of the genus have anti-inflammatory and curative properties, correlating their gastroprotective effect. Among the plurality of species, one that has therapeutic and economic potential is Croton blanchetianus. The population widely uses the species as it has medicinal properties, used to prepare teas and compresses, helping with inflammatory processes and pain. Thus, it was observed that Croton species have great potential in anti-inflammatory activity and gastroprotection. Therefore, studies with the Croton blanchetianus species should be deepened regarding this activity, providing greater knowledge about this plant.

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joice Nascimento Barboza ◽  
Carlos da Silva Maia Bezerra Filho ◽  
Renan Oliveira Silva ◽  
Jand Venes R. Medeiros ◽  
Damião Pergentino de Sousa

The bioactive compounds found in foods and medicinal plants are attractive molecules for the development of new drugs with action against several diseases, such as those associated with inflammatory processes, which are commonly related to oxidative stress. Many of these compounds have an appreciable inhibitory effect on oxidative stress and inflammatory response, and may contribute in a preventive way to improve the quality of life through the use of a diet rich in these compounds. Eugenol is a natural compound that has several pharmacological activities, action on the redox status, and applications in the food and pharmaceutical industry. Considering the importance of this compound, the present review discusses its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, demonstrating its mechanisms of action and therapeutic potential for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reyaz Hassan Mir ◽  
Abdul Jalil Shah ◽  
Roohi Mohi-ud-din ◽  
Faheem Hyder Potoo ◽  
Mohd. Akbar Dar ◽  
...  

: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative brain disorder characterized by memory impairment, dementia, oxidative stress in elderly people. Currently, only a few drugs are available in the market with various adverse effects. So to develop new drugs with protective action against the disease, research is turning to the identification of plant products as a remedy. Natural compounds with anti-inflammatory activity could be good candidates for developing effective therapeutic strategies. Phytochemicals including Curcumin, Resveratrol, Quercetin, Huperzine-A, Rosmarinic acid, genistein, obovatol, and Oxyresvertarol were reported molecules for the treatment of AD. Several alkaloids such as galantamine, oridonin, glaucocalyxin B, tetrandrine, berberine, anatabine have been shown anti-inflammatory effects in AD models in vitro as well as in-vivo. In conclusion, natural products from plants represent interesting candidates for the treatment of AD. This review highlights the potential of specific compounds from natural products along with their synthetic derivatives to counteract AD in the CNS.


Marine Drugs ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Laura Llorach-Pares ◽  
Alfons Nonell-Canals ◽  
Conxita Avila ◽  
Melchor Sanchez-Martinez

Computer-aided drug design (CADD) techniques allow the identification of compounds capable of modulating protein functions in pathogenesis-related pathways, which is a promising line on drug discovery. Marine natural products (MNPs) are considered a rich source of bioactive compounds, as the oceans are home to much of the planet’s biodiversity. Biodiversity is directly related to chemodiversity, which can inspire new drug discoveries. Therefore, natural products (NPs) in general, and MNPs in particular, have been used for decades as a source of inspiration for the design of new drugs. However, NPs present both opportunities and challenges. These difficulties can be technical, such as the need to dive or trawl to collect the organisms possessing the compounds, or biological, due to their particular marine habitats and the fact that they can be uncultivable in the laboratory. For all these difficulties, the contributions of CADD can play a very relevant role in simplifying their study, since, for example, no biological sample is needed to carry out an in-silico analysis. Therefore, the amount of natural product that needs to be used in the entire preclinical and clinical study is significantly reduced. Here, we exemplify how this combination between CADD and MNPs can help unlock their therapeutic potential. In this study, using a set of marine invertebrate molecules, we elucidate their possible molecular targets and associated therapeutic potential, establishing a pipeline that can be replicated in future studies.


Author(s):  
Fatima Khan ◽  
Mohd Nayab ◽  
Abdul Nasir Ansari

Ginger has been appreciated for over 2500-3000 years in many parts of the world due to its numerous scientific properties. The ginger plant (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. It is a known food and flavoring ingredient reputed for its wide range of medicinal properties that have been widely used in Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Unāni Tibb worldwide, since antiquity. Ginger has long been used to cure a variety of ailments, including diarrhea, stomach discomfort, indigestion, and nausea. It is a versatile herb with phenomenal phytotherapeutic and medicinal properties. Active ingredients available in ginger such as 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol, 6-paradol, and zingerone are responsible for upgrading enzyme actions and balancing circulation through rejuvenating the body with physical re-strengthening. Gingerols, the key phenolic plant secondary metabolites responsible for its distinct flavor and health benefits, are found in the rhizome of ginger Extensive study has been undertaken over the last two decades to uncover bioactive ingredients and the therapeutic potential of ginger. This review considers ginger's chemical composition and the most recent study findings on its possible health advantages, such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties due to its phytochemistry. Overall, clinical trials are needed to confirm these prospective various health advantages of ginger in human subjects and the most efficacious dosage, based on the current body of scientific literature.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. e5663
Author(s):  
Kessya Lanny Sousa Dantas ◽  
Kassyo Lenno Sousa Dantas ◽  
Eduardo Soares Dos Santos ◽  
Júlio Evangelista De Lucena ◽  
Milena Sousa Freitas ◽  
...  

Objective: To describe the importance of medicinal plants in the social and pharmacological context, demonstrating the anti-inflammatory therapeutic potential and the mechanism of action of drugs present in the chemical composition of four plants present in the Brazilian flora. Methods: A bibliographic survey on the topic was carried out, using the descriptors: Activity, Anti-inflammatory, Plants, Flora, Brazilian. In Scielo, Google Scholar and PUBMED databases. For the inclusion of works, the following criteria were used: Articles from research relevant to the topic (regardless of date) and relevant publications from the year 2007. Results: The inflammatory process is a target for the treatment of various diseases and development new treatments are needed. We discuss here the anti-inflammatory potential and the mechanism of action of the following plants: Uncaria tomentosa, Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi and Mentha piperita demonstrated through in vitro studies and murine models of diseases. The species showed anti-inflammatory action by reducing the production of inflammatory mediators and inhibiting the activity of important pro-inflammatory enzymes, such as phospholipase A2 and cycloxygenase. Final considerations: The four plant species covered in this article had significant anti-inflammatory effects, therefore, they can be suggested as a source of potential new drugs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 244 (13) ◽  
pp. 1062-1069
Author(s):  
Allison Leso ◽  
Syed W Bihaqi ◽  
Anwar Masoud ◽  
Joanna K Chang ◽  
Asma Lahouel ◽  
...  

In the healthy human brain, the protein tau serves the essential function of stabilizing microtubules. However, in a diseased state, tau becomes destabilized and aggregates into a pathogenic form that ultimately creates one of the two major hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), tau tangles. Multiple neurodegenerative diseases, termed tauopathies, such as Pick’s disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy, are also linked to mutations in tau. While AD does include a second hallmark in the form of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, to date all therapeutics aimed at these hallmark features have failed. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug tolfenamic acid (TA) has been shown to reduce the levels of multiple neurodegenerative endpoints viz amyloid precursor protein (APP), Aβ, tau, phosphorylated tau (p-tau) and improve cognitive function, in various murine models, via a new mechanism that targets specificity protein 1 ( SP1). Sp1 is a zinc-finger transcription factor essential for the regulation of tau and CDK5 genes (among others). The impact of TA on these neurodegenerative endpoints occurred in animal models and systems in which both the tau and the APP genes were present. The experimental model utilized in this paper tested whether the same beneficial outcomes of TA can take place after the removal of endogenous murine tau. We found that the impact of TA, both molecular and behavioral, was no longer significant in the absence of the tau gene. This ability of TA occurred independently of its action on anti-inflammatory targets. Therefore, these findings suggest the essentiality of tau for the novel mechanism of action of TA. Impact statement The number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is expected to increase exponentially in the coming decades. It is estimated to cost the economy about $200 billion annually. With the failure of standard therapeutic approaches, there is a need to develop new drugs in order to avoid an “epidemic crisis” in the future. We have discovered that tolfenamic acid (TA) lowers the levels of proteins associated with AD, by targeting common transcriptional mechanisms that regulate genes involved in common pathogenic pathways. Here, we investigated whether TA had effects on both the amyloid and tau pathways, or whether it selectively targets one of these pathways which impacted the other. Behavioral and molecular studies revealed that TA loses its AD therapeutic potential when tau gene is removed. This ability of TA occurred independently of its action on anti-inflammatory targets. These findings suggest that tau is essential for the new action of TA.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (19) ◽  
pp. 4568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayara Castro de Morais ◽  
Jucieudo Virgulino de Souza ◽  
Carlos da Silva Maia Bezerra Filho ◽  
Silvio Santana Dolabella ◽  
Damião Pergentino de Sousa

Trypanosomiases are diseases caused by parasitic protozoan trypanosomes of the genus Trypanosoma. In humans, this includes Chagas disease and African trypanosomiasis. There are few therapeutic options, and there is low efficacy to clinical treatment. Therefore, the search for new drugs for the trypanosomiasis is urgent. This review describes studies of the trypanocidal properties of essential oils, an important group of natural products widely found in several tropical countries. Seventy-seven plants were selected from literature for the trypanocidal activity of their essential oils. The main chemical constituents and mechanisms of action are also discussed. In vitro and in vivo experimental data show the therapeutic potential of these natural products for the treatment of infections caused by species of Trypanosoma.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhizhen Li ◽  
Jianping Wu ◽  
Ji Zhou ◽  
Baoshi Yuan ◽  
Jiqiao Chen ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTDamage in COVID-19 results from both the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its triggered overreactive host immune responses. Therapeutic agents that focus solely on reducing viral load or hyperinflammation fail to provide satisfying outcomes in all cases. Although viral and cellular factors have been extensively profiled to identify potential anti-COVID targets, new drugs with significant efficacy remain to be developed. Here, we report the potent preclinical efficacy of ALD-R491, a vimentin-targeting small molecule compound, in treating COVID-19 through its host-directed antiviral and anti-inflammatory actions. We found that by altering the physical properties of vimentin filaments, ALD-491 affected general cellular processes as well as specific cellular functions relevant to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Specifically, ALD-R491 reduced endocytosis, endosomal trafficking, and exosomal release, thus impeding the entry and egress of the virus; increased the microcidal capacity of macrophages, thus facilitating the pathogen clearance; and enhanced the activity of regulatory T cells, therefore suppressing the overreactive immune responses. In cultured cells, ALD-R491 potently inhibited the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and human ACE2-mediated pseudoviral infection. In aged mice with ongoing, productive SARS-CoV-2 infection, ALD-R491 reduced disease symptoms as well as lung damage. In rats, ALD-R491 also reduced bleomycin-induced lung injury and fibrosis. Our results indicate a unique mechanism and significant therapeutic potential for ALD-R491 against COVID-19. We anticipate that ALD-R491, an oral, fast-acting, and non-toxic agent targeting the cellular protein with multipart actions, will be convenient, safe, and broadly effective, regardless of viral mutations, for patients with early- or late-stage disease, post-COVID complications and other related diseases.IMPORTANCEWith the Delta variant currently fueling a resurgence of new infections in the fully-vaccinated population, developing an effective therapeutic drug is especially critical and urgent in fighting COVID-19. In contrast to the many efforts to repurpose existing drugs or address only one aspect of COVID-19, we are developing a novel agent with first-in-class mechanism-of-actions that address both the viral infection and the overactive immune system in the pathogenesis of the disease. Unlike virus-directed therapeutics that may lose efficacy due to viral mutations and immunosuppressants that require ideal timing to be effective, this agent, with its unique host-directed antiviral and anti-inflammatory actions, can work against all variants of the virus, be effective during all stages of the disease, and even resolve post-disease damage and complications. A further development of the compound will provide an important tool in the fight against COVID-19, its complications, as well as future outbreaks of new viruses.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 636-654
Author(s):  
Miryam Nava Catorce ◽  
Goar Gevorkian

It is known that peripheral infections, accompanied by inflammation, represent significant risk factors for the development of neurological disorders by modifying brain development or affecting normal brain aging. The acute effects of systemic inflammation on progressive and persistent brain damage and cognitive impairment are well documented. Anti-inflammatory therapies may have beneficial effects on the brain, and the protective properties of a wide range of synthetic and natural compounds have been extensively explored in recent years. In our previous review, we provided an extensive analysis of one of the most important and widely-used animal models of peripherally induced neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration - lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mice. We addressed the data reproducibility in published research and summarized basic features and data on the therapeutic potential of various natural products, nutraceuticals, with known antiinflammatory effects, for reducing neuroinflammation in this model. Here, recent data on the suitability of the LPS-induced murine neuroinflammation model for preclinical assessment of a large number of nutraceuticals belonging to different groups of natural products such as flavonoids, terpenes, non-flavonoid polyphenols, glycosides, heterocyclic compounds, organic acids, organosulfur compounds and xanthophylls, are summarized. Also, the proposed mechanisms of action of these molecules are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcin Ożarowski ◽  
Tomasz M. Karpiński

: There is increasing interest in evaluating anti-inflammatory activities of plant substances such as extracts and flavonoid rich fractions. A promising source of new medicinal drugs may be species from the Passifloraceae family. The most interesting group of principal chemical compounds in Passiflora species are polyphenolic compounds, including flavonoids due to their antioxidant activity demonstrated in various studies (quercetin, rutin, apigenin, luteolin, chrysin, and Cglycosylflavones i.e., vitexin, isovitexin, orientin, isoorientin). However, each extracts from Passiflora spp. as multi-component mixtures should be estimated for chemical composition (in the standardization process) and their activity using in vitro and in vivo tests. The current standard for drug discovery and development from plants indicates that only collective assessment allows estimating plant substances by definition of the origin of raw materials and their quality, methods of extractions, and metabolite profiles. Increasingly, due to complex phytochemical procedures to obtain extracts, individual flavonoid compounds are also tested for anti-inflammatory action. However, it should be emphasized that various sources of potential new drugs from plant origin are not mutually exclusive, but are complementary. A review of bibliographic data includes the following information about Passiflora species, such as distribution, classification, phytochemical compounds, antiinflammatory activity of extracts, anti-inflammatory activity of flavonoids, and antioxidant potential. The review allows concluded that extracts and flavonoids (mainly quercetin, apigenin, and vitexin) from Passiflora spp. can be a valuable source of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative medications for the prevention and treatment of many diseases, which occur with complex inflammatory processes.


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