scholarly journals In Silico Identification of Potential Natural Product Inhibitors of Human Proteases Key to SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (17) ◽  
pp. 3822 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.P. Vivek-Ananth ◽  
Abhijit Rana ◽  
Nithin Rajan ◽  
Himansu S. Biswal ◽  
Areejit Samal

Presently, there are no approved drugs or vaccines to treat COVID-19, which has spread to over 200 countries and at the time of writing was responsible for over 650,000 deaths worldwide. Recent studies have shown that two human proteases, TMPRSS2 and cathepsin L, play a key role in host cell entry of SARS-CoV-2. Importantly, inhibitors of these proteases were shown to block SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we perform virtual screening of 14,011 phytochemicals produced by Indian medicinal plants to identify natural product inhibitors of TMPRSS2 and cathepsin L. AutoDock Vina was used to perform molecular docking of phytochemicals against TMPRSS2 and cathepsin L. Potential phytochemical inhibitors were filtered by comparing their docked binding energies with those of known inhibitors of TMPRSS2 and cathepsin L. Further, the ligand binding site residues and non-covalent interactions between protein and ligand were used as an additional filter to identify phytochemical inhibitors that either bind to or form interactions with residues important for the specificity of the target proteases. This led to the identification of 96 inhibitors of TMPRSS2 and 9 inhibitors of cathepsin L among phytochemicals of Indian medicinal plants. Further, we have performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to analyze the stability of the protein-ligand complexes for the three top inhibitors of TMPRSS2 namely, qingdainone, edgeworoside C and adlumidine, and of cathepsin L namely, ararobinol, (+)-oxoturkiyenine and 3α,17α-cinchophylline. Interestingly, several herbal sources of identified phytochemical inhibitors have antiviral or anti-inflammatory use in traditional medicine. Further in vitro and in vivo testing is needed before clinical trials of the promising phytochemical inhibitors identified here.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
abdirahman elmi ◽  
S. al jawad sayem ◽  
Mohamed Ahmed ◽  
fatouma mohamed

The new coronavirus type SARS-Cov 2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which appeared in autumn 2019 in China, became a global pandemic in a few months. In this work, we looked for the potential anti SARS-Cov 2 of the compounds isolated from three Djiboutian medicinal plants namely Acacia seyal, Cymbopogon commutatus, and Indigofera caerulea. For this we carried out a docking with nine biomolecules, β-Sitosterol , Quercetin, Catechin, Lupeol, Rutin, Kaempferol, Gallic acid, Piperitone and Limonene on three target sites which are SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mp), SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) and human furin protease. These targets are chosen because of their role in the process of penetration of the virus into human cells and its multiplication. The phenolic compounds have a very good afinity on these three target sites with binding energies of up to -9.098 kcal/mol for rutin on SARS-CoV-2 Mp, much better than the two reference drugs hydroxychloroquine (-5.816 kcal / mol) and remdesivir (-7.194 kcal/mol). These natural compounds do not present toxicities and can be used pending In vitro and In vivo evaluations.


Author(s):  
ABDIRAHMAN ELMI ◽  
S. AL-JAWAD SAYEM ◽  
MOHAMED AHMED ◽  
FATOUMA ABDOUL-LATIF

Objective: The new coronavirus type SARS-Cov 2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which appeared in autumn 2019 in China, became a global pandemic in a few months. In this work, we looked for the potential anti SARS-Cov 2 of the compounds isolated from three Djiboutian medicinal plants, namely Acacia seyal, Cymbopogon commutatus, and Indigofera caerulea. Methods: We carried out a molecular docking with nine biomolecules, β-Sitosterol, Quercetin, Catechin, Lupeol, Rutin, Kaempferol, Gallic acid, Piperitone and Limonene on three target sites which are SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mp), SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) and human furin protease. These targets are chosen because of their role in the process of penetration of the virus into human cells and its multiplication. Moreover, the predictions of pharmacokinetic parameters as well as toxicological properties have been determined using an online bioinformatics tool named SwissADME and AdmetSAR respectively. Results: The phenolic compounds have a very good affinity on these three target sites with binding energies of up to-9.098 kcal/mol for rutin on SARS-CoV-2 Mp, much better than the two reference drugs hydroxychloroquine (-5.816 kcal/mol) and remdesivir (-7.194 kcal/mol). Except for β-Sitosterol, the tested biomolecules have weak toxicity. Conclusion: These natural compounds can be used against covid 19 pending In vitro and In vivo evaluations.


Author(s):  
Ayman Farag ◽  
Ping Wang ◽  
Mahmoud Ahmed ◽  
Hesham Sadek

<div>The new strain of Coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2), and the resulting Covid-19 disease has spread swiftly across the globe after its initial detection in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China, resulting in a pandemic status declaration by WHO within 3 months. Given the heavy toll of this pandemic, researchers are actively testing various strategies including new and repurposed drugs as well as vaccines. In the current brief report, we adopted a repositioning approach using insilico molecular modeling screening using FDA approved drugs with established safety profiles for potential inhibitory effects on Covid-19 virus. We started with structure based drug design by screening more than 2000 FDA approved drugs</div><div>against Covid-19 virus main protease enzyme (Mpro) substrate-binding pocket to identify potential hits based on their binding energies, binding modes, interacting amino acids, and therapeutic indications. In addition, we elucidate preliminary pharmacophore features for candidates bound to Covid-19 virus Mpro substratebinding pocket. The top hits include anti-viral drugs such as Darunavir, Nelfinavirand Saquinavir, some of which are already being tested in Covid-19 patients. Interestingly, one of the most promising hits in our screen is the hypercholesterolemia drug Rosuvastatin. These results certainly do not confirm or indicate antiviral activity, but can rather be used as a starting point for further in vitro and in vivo testing, either individually or in combination.</div>


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serdar Durdagi

<p>Currently, the world suffers from a new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need for the urgent development of novel drugs and vaccines for COVID-19. Since it can take years to develop new drugs against this disease, here we used a hybrid combined molecular modeling approach in virtual drug screening repurposing study to identify new compounds against this disease. One of the important SARS-CoV-2 targets namely type 2 transmembrane serine protease (TMPRSS2) was screened with NPC’s NIH small molecule library which includes approved drugs by FDA and compounds in clinical investigation. We used 6654 small molecules in molecular docking and top-50 docking scored compounds were initially used in short (10-ns) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Based on average MM/GBSA binding free energy results, long (100-ns) MD simulations were employed for the identified hits. Both binding energy results as well as crucial residues in ligand binding were also compared with a positive control TMPRSS2 inhibitor, Camostat mesylate. Based on these numerical calculations we proposed a compound (benzquercin) as strong TMPRSS2 inhibitor. If these results can be validated by in vitro and in vivo studies, benzquercin can be considered to be used as inhibitor of TMPRSS2 at the clinical studies.</p>


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serdar Durdagi

<p>Currently, the world suffers from a new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need for the urgent development of novel drugs and vaccines for COVID-19. Since it can take years to develop new drugs against this disease, here we used a hybrid combined molecular modeling approach in virtual drug screening repurposing study to identify new compounds against this disease. One of the important SARS-CoV-2 targets namely type 2 transmembrane serine protease (TMPRSS2) was screened with NPC’s NIH small molecule library which includes approved drugs by FDA and compounds in clinical investigation. We used 6654 small molecules in molecular docking and top-50 docking scored compounds were initially used in short (10-ns) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Based on average MM/GBSA binding free energy results, long (100-ns) MD simulations were employed for the identified hits. Both binding energy results as well as crucial residues in ligand binding were also compared with a positive control TMPRSS2 inhibitor, Camostat mesylate. Based on these numerical calculations we proposed a compound (benzquercin) as strong TMPRSS2 inhibitor. If these results can be validated by in vitro and in vivo studies, benzquercin can be considered to be used as inhibitor of TMPRSS2 at the clinical studies.</p>


Author(s):  
abdirahman elmi ◽  
S. al jawad sayem ◽  
Mohamed Ahmed ◽  
fatouma mohamed

The new coronavirus type SARS-Cov 2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which appeared in autumn 2019 in China, became a global pandemic in a few months. In this work, we looked for the potential anti SARS-Cov 2 of the compounds isolated from three Djiboutian medicinal plants namely Acacia seyal, Cymbopogon commutatus, and Indigofera caerulea. For this we carried out a docking with nine biomolecules, β-Sitosterol , Quercetin, Catechin, Lupeol, Rutin, Kaempferol, Gallic acid, Piperitone and Limonene on three target sites which are SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mp), SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) and human furin protease. These targets are chosen because of their role in the process of penetration of the virus into human cells and its multiplication. The phenolic compounds have a very good afinity on these three target sites with binding energies of up to -9.098 kcal/mol for rutin on SARS-CoV-2 Mp, much better than the two reference drugs hydroxychloroquine (-5.816 kcal / mol) and remdesivir (-7.194 kcal/mol). These natural compounds do not present toxicities and can be used pending In vitro and In vivo evaluations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kondeti Ramudu Shanmugam ◽  
Bhasha Shanmugam ◽  
Gangigunta Venkatasubbaiah ◽  
Sahukari Ravi ◽  
Kesireddy Sathyavelu Reddy

Background : Diabetes is a major public health problem in the world. It affects each and every part of the human body and also leads to organ failure. Hence, great progress made in the field of herbal medicine and diabetic research. Objectives: Our review will focus on the effect of bioactive compounds of medicinal plants which are used to treat diabetes in India and other countries. Methods: Information regarding diabetes, oxidative stress, medicinal plants and bioactive compounds were collected from different search engines like Science direct, Springer, Wiley online library, Taylor and francis, Bentham Science, Pubmed and Google scholar. Data was analyzed and summarized in the review. Results and Conclusion: Anti-diabetic drugs that are in use have many side effects on vital organs like heart, liver, kidney and brain. There is an urgent need for alternative medicine to treat diabetes and their disorders. In India and other countries herbal medicine was used to treat diabetes. Many herbal plants have antidiabetic effects. The plants like ginger, phyllanthus, curcumin, aswagandha, aloe, hibiscus and curcuma showed significant anti-hyperglycemic activities in experimental models and humans. The bioactive compounds like Allicin, azadirachtin, cajanin, curcumin, querceitin, gingerol possesses anti-diabetic, antioxidant and other pharmacological properties. This review focuses on the role of bioactive compounds of medicinal plants in prevention and management of diabetes. Conclusion: Moreover, our review suggests that bioactive compounds have the potential therapeutic potential against diabetes. However, further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to validate these findings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 1227-1243
Author(s):  
Hina Qamar ◽  
Sumbul Rehman ◽  
D.K. Chauhan

Cancer is the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although chemotherapy and radiotherapy enhance the survival rate of cancerous patients but they have several acute toxic effects. Therefore, there is a need to search for new anticancer agents having better efficacy and lesser side effects. In this regard, herbal treatment is found to be a safe method for treating and preventing cancer. Here, an attempt has been made to screen some less explored medicinal plants like Ammania baccifera, Asclepias curassavica, Azadarichta indica, Butea monosperma, Croton tiglium, Hedera nepalensis, Jatropha curcas, Momordica charantia, Moringa oleifera, Psidium guajava, etc. having potent anticancer activity with minimum cytotoxic value (IC50 >3μM) and lesser or negligible toxicity. They are rich in active phytochemicals with a wide range of drug targets. In this study, these medicinal plants were evaluated for dose-dependent cytotoxicological studies via in vitro MTT assay and in vivo tumor models along with some more plants which are reported to have IC50 value in the range of 0.019-0.528 mg/ml. The findings indicate that these plants inhibit tumor growth by their antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-metastatic and anti-angiogenic molecular targets. They are widely used because of their easy availability, affordable price and having no or sometimes minimal side effects. This review provides a baseline for the discovery of anticancer drugs from medicinal plants having minimum cytotoxic value with minimal side effects and establishment of their analogues for the welfare of mankind.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-231
Author(s):  
Minky Mukhija ◽  
Bhuwan Chandra Joshi

Background: Peptic ulcer is a deep gastrointestinal erosion disorder that involves the entire mucosal thickness and can even penetrate the muscular mucosa. Nowadays, several plants and compounds derived from it have been screened for their antiulcer activity. In the last few years, there has been an exponential growth in the field of herbal medicine. This field has gained popularity in both developing and developed countries because of their natural origin and less side effects. Objective: This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of currently available knowledge of medicinal plants and phytoconstituents reported for their anti-ulcer properties. Methods: The worldwide accepted database like SCOPUS, PUBMED, SCIELO, NISCAIR, ScienceDirect, Springerlink, Web of Science, Wiley, SciFinder and Google Scholar were used to retrieve available published literature. Results: A comprehensive review of the present paper is an attempt to list the plants with antiulcer activity. The review narrates the dire need to explore potential chemical moieties that exert an antiulcer effect, from unexploited traditional plants. Furthermore, the present study reveals the intense requirement to exploit the exact mechanism through which either the plant extracts or their active constituents exhibit their antiulcer properties. Conclusion: This article is the compilation of the plants and its constituents reported for the treatment of peptic ulcers. The Comprehensive data will surely attract the number of investigators to initiate further research that might lead to the drugs for the treatment of ulcers. As sufficient scientific data is not available on plants, most of the herbals cannot be recommended for the treatment of diseases. This can be achieved by research on pure chemical structures derived from plants or to prepare new lead compounds with proven beneficial preclinical in vitro and in vivo effects. However, a lot remains to be done in further investigations for the better status of medicinal plants.


Author(s):  
Hyoung-Jin Moon ◽  
Won Lee ◽  
Ji-Soo Kim ◽  
Eun-Jung Yang ◽  
Hema Sundaram

Abstract Background Aspiration testing before filler injection is controversial. Some believe that aspiration can help prevent inadvertent intravascular injection, while others cite false-negative results and question its value given that the needle position always changes somewhat during injection procedures. Objectives To test the relation of false-negative results to the viscosity of the material within the needle lumen and determine whether a less viscous material within the needle lumen could decrease the incidence of false-negative results. Methods In vitro aspiration tests were performed using 30-G and 27-G needle gauges, two cross-linked hyaluronic acid fillers, normal saline bags pressurized at 140 and 10 mmHg to mimic human arterial and venous pressures, and three needle lumen conditions (normal saline, air, and filler). Testing was repeated three times under each study condition (72 tests in total). For in vivo correlation, aspiration tests were performed on femoral arteries and central auricular veins in three rabbits (4–5 aspirations per site, 48 tests in total). Results In vitro and in vivo testing using 30-G needles containing filler both showed false-negative results on aspiration testing. In vitro and in vivo testing using needles containing saline or air showed positive findings. Conclusions False-negative results from aspiration testing may be reduced by pre-filling the needle lumen with saline rather than a filler. The pressurized system may help overcome challenges of animal models with intravascular pressures significantly different from those of humans. The adaptability of this system to mimic various vessel pressures may facilitate physiologically relevant studies of vascular complications.


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