A Systematic Study of the Antibacterial Activity of Basidiomycota Crude Extracts

The excessive consumption of antibiotics in clinical, veterinary and agricultural fields has resulted in tremendous flow of antibiotics into the environment. This has led to enormous selective pressures driving the evolution of antimicrobial resistance genes in pathogenic and commensal bacteria. In this context, the World Health Organization (WHO) has promoted research aiming to develop medical features using natural products that are often competitive with synthetic drugs in clinical performance. Fungi are considered an important source of bioactive molecules, often effective against other fungi and/or bacteria, and thus are potential candidates in the search of new antibiotics. Fruiting bodies of sixteen different fungal species of Basidiomycota were collected in the Italian Alps. The identification of fungal species was performed through Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequencing. Most species belong to genera Cortinarius, Mycena and Ramaria, whose metabolite contents has been scarcely investigated so far. The crude extracts obtained from the above mushrooms were tested for their inhibition activity against five human pathogens: Candida albicans ATCC 14053, C. glabrata ATCC 15126, Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 6571, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 13883. Twelve crude extracts showed activity against P. aeruginosa ATCC27853. Highest activity was shown by some Cortinarius species, as C. nanceiensis.

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Phytoconstituents in the Management of Covid-19: Demystifying the Fact

Drug Research ◽

10.1055/a-1697-5365 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Md. Abul Barkat ◽

Pawan Kaushik ◽

Harshita Abul Barkat ◽

Mohammad Idreesh Khan ◽

Hazrina Ab Hadi

Keyword(s):

Therapeutic Agent ◽

Clinical Development ◽

World Health ◽

Therapeutic Drug ◽

Scientific Communities ◽

Synthetic Drugs ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

Deadly Disease ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Health Organization

AbstractThe 2019-nCoV (COVID-19; novel coronavirus disease-2019) outbreak is caused by the coronavirus, and its continued spread is responsible for increasing deaths, social and economic burden. COVID-19 created a chaotic situation worldwide and claimed the lives of over 5,027,183 and 248,467,363 confirmed cases have been reported so far as per the data published by WHO (World Health Organization) till 5th November 2021. Scientific communities all over the world are toiling to find a suitable therapeutic drug for this deadly disease. Although till date no promising drug has been discovered for this COVID-19. However, as per the WHO, over 102 COVID-19 vaccines are in clinical development and 185 in pre-clinical development. Naturally occurring phytoconstituents possess considerable chemical richness in the form of anti-viral and anti-parasitic potential and have been extensively exploited for the same globally. Still, phytomedicine-based therapies are considered as the best available treatment option to minimize and treat the symptoms of COVID-19 because of the least possible side effects compared to synthetic drugs recommended by the physicians/clinicians. In this review, the use of plant chemicals as a possible therapeutic agent for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV2) is highlighted with their proposed mechanism of action, which will prove fruitful and effective in finding a cure for this deadly disease.

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Strengths and weaknesses of the Brazilian regulation on biosimilars: A critical view of the regulatory requirements for biosimilars in Brazil

Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease ◽

10.1177/1759720x18809683 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 253-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marcos Renato de Assis ◽

Valdair Pinto

Keyword(s):

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Expression System ◽

World Health ◽

Regulatory Requirements ◽

Biological Products ◽

Synthetic Drugs ◽

Comparability Exercise ◽

The Face ◽

The Usa ◽

Health Organization

Biological products or biopharmaceuticals are medicinal products derived from living systems and manufactured by modern biotechnological methods that differ widely from the traditional synthetic drugs. Monoclonal antibodies are the most rapidly growing type of biologic. They are much larger and more complex molecules with inherent diversity; therefore, different manufacturers cannot produce identical biological products, even with the same type of host expression system and equivalent technologies. Thus, legal follow-on biologics manufactured and marketed after patent expiration are usually referred to as biosimilars. Biosimilarity is based on a comparability exercise whereby unavoidable clinical differences are evaluated and must meet equivalence or non-inferiority criteria. Biosimilars need to comply with different regulatory requirements for market authorization in different sites. There are several other related issues that need to be defined by the national authorities, such as interchangeability, labeling and prescribing information. The Brazilian health surveillance agency follows the key principles established by the World Health Organization for the assessment of biosimilarity, although does not adopt the name ‘biosimilar’. However, the agency also made a compromise on a standalone application pathway that does not require the usual comparability exercise with the reference product, originating nonbiosimilar copies. Interchangeability and the use of nonproprietary names are not regulated, giving rise to pressures on physicians and conflicts of interest in the decision making on biosimilar use. The scope of this article is to present the Brazilian regulation on biosimilars, its strengths and weaknesses, and to discuss it in the face of regulations in the USA and Europe.

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Disease Changes: Microbial and Vector Adaptation

Infectious Diseases: A Geographical Analysis ◽

10.1093/oso/9780199244737.003.0014 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

A. D. Cliff ◽

M.R. Smallman-Raynor ◽

P. Haggett ◽

D.F. Stroup ◽

S.B. Thacker

Keyword(s):

Influenza A ◽

Antimicrobial Agents ◽

Pathogen Resistance ◽

World Health ◽

Ecological Change ◽

Human Pathogens ◽

Continuous State ◽

Challenges And Opportunities ◽

Health Organization ◽

Microbial Change

In this and the next four chapters, we examine five change agents which have facilitated the emergence and re-emergence of infectious human diseases. Each agent—microbial and genetic adaptation, technology and industry, changes in host populations, environmental and ecological change, and war as a disease amplifier—has underpinned over the centuries both the appearance of new diseases and the waxing and waning of familiar infections. As shown in Figure II.1, the agents are not independent and commonly interact in complex ways to facilitate microbe emergence and re-emergence at different times and in different geographical locations. Accordingly, we also explore these interactions in our account. We begin here with microbial and vector adaptation. Disease microbes are in a continuous state of evolution, responding and adapting to the challenges and opportunities afforded by their hosts and their environments (Morse 1995). New pathogens are evolving, old pathogens are developing enhanced virulence and new clinical expressions, and susceptible pathogens are acquiring resistance to antimicrobial agents. In parallel, the environmental tolerance bands of both old and new pathogens are also changing (Cohen 1998). Not only are disease microbes in a continuous state of evolution. So, too, are the arthropod vectors that transmit many human pathogens. In the second half of the twentieth century, many of these vectors have developed tolerance to an expanding range of insecticides, larvicides, pupicides, and other chemical agents used in their control (World Health Organization 1992c). Against this background, our examination of microbial change and vector adaptation is structured around the three interlinked themes shown in Figure 4.1. We begin in Section 4.2 by examining the issue of natural variation in pathogens and illustrate this with special reference to the emergence and spread of novel subtypes of influenza A virus. We then examine the topic of selective pressure and genetic change in the context of the man-made problems of pathogen resistance to antimicrobials (Section 4.3) and vector resistance to insecticides (Section 4.4). The processes of microbial change and vector adaptation are not intrinsically geographical but they take place within, and are inextricably linked to, specific geographical environments. This gives a strong geographical emphasis to our discussion.

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Prediction of Epitopes in the Proteome of Helicobacter pylori

Global Journal of Health Science ◽

10.5539/gjhs.v10n7p148 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 148 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Elkin Navarro-Quiroz ◽

Roberto Navarro-Quiroz ◽

Pierine España-Puccini ◽

José Luis Villarreal ◽

Anderson Díaz Perez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

World Health ◽

Phase Variable ◽

Human Pathogens ◽

Web Tool ◽

Group I ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Risk Of Disease ◽

H Pylori ◽

Health Organization

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a group I carcinogen and is one of the most efficient human pathogens with over half of the world's population colonized by this gram-negative spiral bacterium. H. pylori can cause a chronic infection in the stomach during early childhood that persists throughout life due to diverse mechanisms of immune response evasion. H. pylori has several factors strongly associated with increased risk of disease such as toxins, adhesins, and chemoattractants, some of which are highly polymorphic, phase variable, and have different functions. Conventional treatments involve the use of antibiotics. However, treatment frequently fails due to the resistance H. pylori has progressively developed to antibiotics. This creates the need for different treatments made possible by identifying new therapeutic targets in the pathogen’s genome.The purpose of this study was an in silico prediction of T- and B- epitopes in H. pylori proteins. Twenty-two external membrane proteins from H. pylori Strain 26695 (accession number NC_000915) were identified using the web tool Vaxign (http://www.violinet.org/vaxign/). A total of one-hundred epitopes (60 class I epitopes and 40 class II epitopes) that could be used to develop novel non-antibiotics drugs for an H. pylori infection were predicted.

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Insulin potentiates JAK/STAT signaling to broadly inhibit flavivirus replication in insect vectors

10.1101/701714 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Laura R.H. Ahlers ◽

Chasity E. Trammell ◽

Grace F. Carrell ◽

Sophie Mackinnon ◽

Brandi K. Torrevillas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Insulin Signaling ◽

World Health ◽

Rnai Pathway ◽

Human Pathogens ◽

Vector Borne Diseases ◽

Antiviral Responses ◽

Mosquito Cells ◽

Health Organization ◽

Insect Immune Response

SUMMARYThe World Health Organization estimates that over half of the world’s population is at risk for vector-borne diseases, such as those caused by arboviral infection. Because many arboviruses are mosquito-borne, investigation of the insect immune response will help identify targets that could reduce the spread of these viruses by the mosquito. In this study, we used a genetic screening approach to identify insulin-like receptor as a novel component of the immune response to arboviral infection. We determined that vertebrate insulin reduces West Nile virus (WNV) replication in Drosophila melanogaster as well as WNV, Zika, and dengue virus titers in mosquito cells. Mechanistically, we showed that insulin signaling activates the JAK/STAT, but not RNAi, pathway to control infection. Finally, we validated that insulin priming of adult female Culex mosquitoes through a blood meal reduces WNV infection, demonstrating an essential role for insulin signaling in insect antiviral responses to emerging human pathogens.

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Molecular Docking Studies on the Anti-viral Effects of Compounds From Kabasura Kudineer on SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro

Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences ◽

10.3389/fmolb.2020.613401 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Author(s):

Savariar Vincent ◽

Selvaraj Arokiyaraj ◽

Muthupandian Saravanan ◽

Manoj Dhanraj

Keyword(s):

Molecular Docking ◽

Critical Role ◽

Drug Repurposing ◽

Docking Studies ◽

World Health ◽

Synthetic Drugs ◽

Energy Score ◽

Main Protease ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Health Organization

The COVID-19 has now been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. No approved drug is currently available; therefore, an urgent need has been developed for any antiviral therapy for COVID-19. Main protease 3CLpro of this novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) play a critical role in the disease propagation, and hence represent a crucial target for the drug discovery. Herein, we have applied a bioinformatics approach for drug repurposing to identify the possible potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main proteases 3CLpro (6LU7). In search of the anti-COVID-19 compound, we selected 145 phyto-compounds from Kabasura kudineer (KK), a poly-herbal formulation recommended by AYUSH for COVID-19 which are effective against fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath (similar to SARS-CoV2-like symptoms). The present study aims to identify molecules from natural products which may inhibit COVID-19 by acting on the main protease (3CLpro). Obtained results by molecular docking showed that Acetoside (−153.06), Luteolin 7 -rutinoside (−134.6) rutin (−133.06), Chebulagic acid (−124.3), Syrigaresinol (−120.03), Acanthoside (−122.21), Violanthin (−114.9), Andrographidine C (−101.8), myricetin (−99.96), Gingerenone -A (−93.9), Tinosporinone (−83.42), Geraniol (−62.87), Nootkatone (−62.4), Asarianin (−79.94), and Gamma sitosterol (−81.94) are main compounds from KK plants which may inhibit COVID-19 giving the better energy score compared to synthetic drugs. Based on the binding energy score, we suggest that these compounds can be tested against Coronavirus and used to develop effective antiviral drugs.

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A review of the two major regulatory pathways for non-proprietary low-molecular-weight heparins

Thrombosis and Haemostasis ◽

10.1160/th11-06-0409 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 107 (02) ◽

pp. 201-214 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Frederick Ofosu

Keyword(s):

Molecular Weight ◽

Drug Application ◽

World Health ◽

European Medicines Agency ◽

Low Molecular Weight ◽

Regulatory Pathways ◽

Synthetic Drugs ◽

Chemical Structures ◽

Asian Society ◽

Health Organization

SummaryWith the expiry or pending expiry of originator low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) patents, pharmaceutical companies have invested in developing non-proprietary versions of LMWHs. LMWHs are manufactured by depolymerising highly purified unfractionated heparin. In contrast to traditional synthetic drugs with well-defined chemical structures, LMWHs contain complex oligosaccharide mixtures and the different manufacturing processes for LMWHs add to the heterogeneity in their physicochemical properties such that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consider existing originator LMWHs to be distinct medicinal entities that are not clinically interchangeable. The FDA views LMWHs as drugs and has approved two non-proprietary (generic) LMWHs, using the Abbreviated New Drug Application pathway. In contrast, the World Health Organization and the EMA view LMWHs as biological medicines. Therefore, the EMA and also the Scientific and Standardization Subcommittee on Anticoagulation of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis and the South Asian Society of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis have all published specific guidelines for assessing non-proprietary (biosimilar) LMWHs. This manuscript reviews why there are two distinct pathways for approving non-proprietary LMWHs. Available literature on non-proprietary LMWHs approved in some jurisdictions is also reviewed in order to assess whether they satisfy the requirements for LMWHs in the three guidance documents. The review also highlights some of the significant difficulties the two pathways pose for manufacturers and an urgent need to develop a consensus governing the manufacture and regulation of non-proprietary LMWHs to make them more widely available.

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An omics-based framework for assessing the health risk of antimicrobial resistance genes

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-25096-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

An-Ni Zhang ◽

Jeffry M. Gaston ◽

Chengzhen L. Dai ◽

Shijie Zhao ◽

Mathilde Poyet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Antimicrobial Resistance ◽

Resistance Genes ◽

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation ◽

Antibiotic Resistance Genes ◽

Fecal Microbiota ◽

Clinical Applications ◽

World Health ◽

Antimicrobial Resistance Genes ◽

Health Organization

AbstractAntibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are widespread among bacteria. However, not all ARGs pose serious threats to public health, highlighting the importance of identifying those that are high-risk. Here, we developed an ‘omics-based’ framework to evaluate ARG risk considering human-associated-enrichment, gene mobility, and host pathogenicity. Our framework classifies human-associated, mobile ARGs (3.6% of all ARGs) as the highest risk, which we further differentiate as ‘current threats’ (Rank I; 3%) - already present among pathogens - and ‘future threats’ (Rank II; 0.6%) - novel resistance emerging from non-pathogens. Our framework identified 73 ‘current threat’ ARG families. Of these, 35 were among the 37 high-risk ARGs proposed by the World Health Organization and other literature; the remaining 38 were significantly enriched in hospital plasmids. By evaluating all pathogen genomes released since framework construction, we confirmed that ARGs that recently transferred into pathogens were significantly enriched in Rank II (‘future threats’). Lastly, we applied the framework to gut microbiome genomes from fecal microbiota transplantation donors. We found that although ARGs were widespread (73% of genomes), only 8.9% of genomes contained high-risk ARGs. Our framework provides an easy-to-implement approach to identify current and future antimicrobial resistance threats, with potential clinical applications including reducing risk of microbiome-based interventions.

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A Review on the Antidiabetic Potential of Medicinal Plants

Sumerianz Journal of Medical and Healthcare ◽

10.47752/sjmh.44.172.189 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 172-189

Author(s):

Razan Bushnak ◽

Mohamad El Hajj ◽

Ali Jaber

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

World Health ◽

Chronic Complications ◽

Major Health ◽

Traditional Medicines ◽

Synthetic Drugs ◽

Sugar Regulation ◽

Alternate Source ◽

Health Organization ◽

Substantial Economic Burden

Diabetes mellitus has long been seen as a substantial economic burden on patients, their families, and society. Impairment in blood sugar regulation has major health repercussions. Furthermore, untreated diabetes causes major chronic complications like blindness, renal failure, and heart failure, as well as an increase in associated mortality. New anti-diabetic medicines are being researched to help alleviate this issue. Conventional Anti-diabetic medications are beneficial, several synthetic drugs are available in the market to treat diabetes, but they are costly and come with inevitable adverse effects. Medicinal plants, on the other hand, may serve as an alternate source of anti-diabetic agents. According to the World Health Organization, 80 % of the population in underdeveloped nations still relies on traditional medicines or folk medicines, which are largely made from plants, for disease prevention or treatment. For instance, anti- proliferative, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperglycemic effects. In order to find a natural anti-diabetic source that comes with less side effects, several studies have been conducted. The aim of this work is to review these studies and highlight the potential of plants when it comes to their anti-diabetic effect.

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An Overview on Ethnopharmacology of Different Medicinal Plants of Odisha State of India in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus

Asian Journal of Chemistry ◽

10.14233/ajchem.2021.23389 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 33 (11) ◽

pp. 2589-2598

Author(s):

Deepankar Rath ◽

Gurudutta Pattnaik ◽

Biswakanth Kar

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Medicinal Plants ◽

Ricinus Communis ◽

Cocos Nucifera ◽

Aloe Vera ◽

Traditional Healers ◽

World Health ◽

Herbal Remedies ◽

Synthetic Drugs ◽

Health Organization

Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of metabolic disorder associated with elevated blood glucose level. World health organization recommended the traditional and herbal remedies for the diabetic management. The application of herbal remedies is extremely increased worldwide in the last three decades. Most of the synthetic drugs were discovered from the plant source out of different regions of the world to meet the demand. Several medicinal plants like Gymnema sylvestre, Pterocarpus marsupium, Catharanthus roseus, Trigonella foenum, Annona squamosa, Aegle marmelos, Withania somnifera, Boerhavia diffusa, Boerhavia erecta, Momordica charantia, Cocos nucifera, Ricinus communis, Azadira chtaindica and Aloe vera have been reported to have varying level of hypoglycemic property. One of the factors involved in the evolution of diabetic convolutions is the impairment due to free radicals and hence a compound with antioxidant and antidiabetic potential would be more effective. The present review article was designed to provide an absolute data on these medicinal plant based remedies by using the traditional healers of Odisha state, India.

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