scholarly journals Potential of guggulsterone, a farnesoid X receptor antagonist, in the prevention and treatment of cancer

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sosmitha Girisa ◽  
Dey Parama ◽  
Choudhary Harsha ◽  
Kishore Banik ◽  
Ajaikumar B. Kunnumakkara

Cancer is one of the most dreadful diseases in the world with a mortality of 9.6 million annually. Despite the advances in diagnosis and treatment during the last couple of decades, it still remains a serious concern due to the limitations associated with currently available cancer management strategies. Therefore, alternative strategies are highly required to overcome these glitches. The importance of medicinal plants as primary healthcare has been well-known from time immemorial against various human diseases, including cancer. Commiphora wightii that belongs to Burseraceae family is one such plant which has been used to cure various ailments in traditional systems of medicine. This plant has diverse pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antimutagenic, and antitumor which mostly owes to the presence of its active compound guggulsterone (GS) that exists in the form of Z- and E-isomers. Mounting evidence suggests that this compound has promising anticancer activities and was shown to suppress several cancer signaling pathways such as NF-κB/ERK/MAPK/AKT/STAT and modulate the expression of numerous signaling molecules such as the farnesoid X receptor, cyclin D1, survivin, caspases, HIF-1α, MMP-9, EMT proteins, tumor suppressor proteins, angiogenic proteins, and apoptotic proteins. The current review is an attempt to summarize the biological activities and diverse anticancer activities (both in vitro and in vivo) of the compound GS and its derivatives, along with its associated mechanism against various cancers.

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuzana Solárová ◽  
Alena Liskova ◽  
Marek Samec ◽  
Peter Kubatka ◽  
Dietrich Büsselberg ◽  
...  

Lichens produce different classes of phenolic compounds, including anthraquinones, xanthones, dibenzofuranes, depsides and depsidones. Many of them have revealed effective biological activities such as antioxidant, antiviral, antibiotics, antifungal, and anticancer. Although no clinical study has been conducted yet, there are number of in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrating anticancer effects of lichen metabolites. The main goal of our work was to review most recent published papers dealing with anticancer activities of secondary metabolites of lichens and point out to their perspective clinical use in cancer management.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 498
Author(s):  
Mariaevelina Alfieri ◽  
Antonietta Leone ◽  
Alfredo Ambrosone

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.


2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1400900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaopeng Wang ◽  
Caihua Zhang ◽  
Guang Yang ◽  
Yanzong Yang

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.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (07) ◽  
pp. 1477-1496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Hee Jeong ◽  
You-Chang Oh ◽  
Won-Kyung Cho ◽  
Hye Jin Yang ◽  
Jin Yeul Ma

Maydis Stigma (MS) is an herb traditionally used in many parts of the world. Previous studies have reported that MS plays a role in several biological activities, including antidiabetic and anticancer activities. However, the effects of a MS ethanolic extract (MSE) on the anti-inflammatory cellular mechanism remain unclear. Here, we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of MSE and its molecular mechanism both in vitro and in vivo. The effects of MSE on the production of inflammatory mediators, cytokines, and related proteins and the identification of target genes were determined using LPS-stimulated macrophages. We also determined the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of MSE by examining acetic acid-induced writhing responses and xylene-induced ear edema in mice. Our results indicated that MSE markedly decreased iNOS and COX-2 levels without causing cytotoxicity and suppressed the secretion of NO in LPS-stimulated macrophages. MSE also inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-[Formula: see text], IL-6, and IL-1[Formula: see text], and induced the expression of HO-1. Moreover, MSE treatment significantly reduced the LPS-stimulated activation of MAPK, NF-[Formula: see text]B, and AP-1. Furthermore, MSE exerted an analgesic effect on the acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing response test and an anti-inflammatory effect on xylene-induced ear edema in ICR mice. Finally, we investigated the components of MSE using UPLC-ESI-MS and found that it contains the maysin as a marker component. Overall, these observations demonstrate that MSE has anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects both in vitro and in vivo, which may provide new scientific evidence for its use as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of inflammation.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 2455
Author(s):  
Eungyeong Jang ◽  
Jang-Hoon Lee

The flowering plant genus Alisma, which belongs to the family Alismataceae, comprises 11 species, including Alisma orientale, Alisma canaliculatum, and Alisma plantago-aquatica. Alismatis rhizome (Ze xie in Chinese, Takusha in Japanese, and Taeksa in Korean, AR), the tubers of medicinal plants from Alisma species, have long been used to treat inflammatory diseases, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, bacterial infection, edema, oliguria, diarrhea, and dizziness. Recent evidence has demonstrated that its extract showed pharmacological activities to effectively reverse cancer-related molecular targets. In particular, triterpenes naturally isolated from AR have been found to exhibit antitumor activity. This study aimed to describe the biological activities and plausible signaling cascades of AR and its main compounds in experimental models representing cancer-related physiology and pathology. Available in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that AR extract possesses anticancer activity against various cancer cells, and the efficacy might be attributed to the cytotoxic and antimetastatic effects of its alisol compounds, such as alisol A, alisol B, and alisol B 23-acetate. Several beneficial functions of triterpenoids found in AR might be due to p38 activation and inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways. Moreover, AR and its triterpenes inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells that are resistant to chemotherapy. Thus, AR and its triterpenes may play potential roles in tumor attack, as well as a therapeutic remedy alone and in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs.


Author(s):  
Sonia Singh ◽  
Aman Kumar ◽  
Bhupesh C. Semwal

Introduction:: Herb, Zanthoxylum armatum DC., commonly called as Indian prickly ash, and Nepal pepper (family Rutaceae), that commonly utilized in the traditional medicinal system. Objective:: The current review provides a requisite data collecting descriptive information on the organoleptic, microscopical, ethnobotanical use, phytochemicals and pharmacological properties of Z. armatum; therefore, helps in forming a bridge between research gaps and the upcoming future findings for most of the researches. Materials and methods:: The systematic literature survey was conducted using the PRISMA methodology. The collective information was gathered from books, renowned journals, and electronic databases including Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed from 1966 to 2020. Results:: Most of the bioactive metabolites have been isolated and characterized till dates, such as monoterpenes in essential oil and lignan components are reported to present in the herb. Several in-vitro and in-vivo pharmacological bioassays revealed the potential of Z. armatum as antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, cardiovascular effects and so on. Conclusion:: Therefore, the current review will summarize the organoleptic, microscopy, phytochemistry and biological activities of Z. armatum providing more emphasis on in-vitro as well as in-vivo studies along with clinical research, helpful in exploring the potential efficacy of the plant.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (14) ◽  
pp. 1324-1337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Gaglione ◽  
Elio Pizzo ◽  
Eugenio Notomista ◽  
Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez ◽  
Angela Arciello

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.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Liu ◽  
Jiaqi Liu ◽  
Renmei Zhang ◽  
Yan Guo ◽  
Hongbo Wang ◽  
...  

3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one compounds (DHPMs) possess extensive biological activities and are mainly prepared via Biginelli reaction and N-alkylation. In the present study, selective alkylation of N1 was investigated by using tetrabutylammonium hydroxide. In vitro cytotoxicity study on all synthesized compounds demonstrated that introduction of the aryl chain in the R3 as well as the low electron-donating group in the R1 of DHPMs contributed to the anti-proliferative potency. A larger value of the partition coefficient (Log P) and suitable polar surface area (PSA) values were both found to be important in order to maintain the antitumor activity. The results from in vivo study indicated the great potential of compound 3d to serve as a lead compound for novel anti-tumor drugs to treat glioma. Pharmacophore study regarding the structure-activity relations of DHPMs were also conducted. Our results here could provide a guide for the design of novel bioactive 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one compounds.


Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 531
Author(s):  
Javier Ávila-Román ◽  
Sara García-Gil ◽  
Azahara Rodríguez-Luna ◽  
Virginia Motilva ◽  
Elena Talero

Acute inflammation is a key component of the immune system’s response to pathogens, toxic agents, or tissue injury, involving the stimulation of defense mechanisms aimed to removing pathogenic factors and restoring tissue homeostasis. However, uncontrolled acute inflammatory response may lead to chronic inflammation, which is involved in the development of many diseases, including cancer. Nowadays, the need to find new potential therapeutic compounds has raised the worldwide scientific interest to study the marine environment. Specifically, microalgae are considered rich sources of bioactive molecules, such as carotenoids, which are natural isoprenoid pigments with important beneficial effects for health due to their biological activities. Carotenoids are essential nutrients for mammals, but they are unable to synthesize them; instead, a dietary intake of these compounds is required. Carotenoids are classified as carotenes (hydrocarbon carotenoids), such as α- and β-carotene, and xanthophylls (oxygenate derivatives) including zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, fucoxanthin, lutein, α- and β-cryptoxanthin, and canthaxanthin. This review summarizes the present up-to-date knowledge of the anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of microalgal carotenoids both in vitro and in vivo, as well as the latest status of human studies for their potential use in prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer.


Author(s):  
Satbir Mor ◽  
Mohini Khatri ◽  
Ravinder punia ◽  
Suchita Sindhu

: The search of new anticancer agents is considered as a dynamic field of medicinal chemistry. In recent years, the synthesis of compounds with anticancer potential has increased and a large number of structurally varied compounds displaying potent anticancer activities have been published. Pyrazole is an important biologically active scaffold that possessed nearly all types of biological activities. The aim of this review is to collate literature work reported by researchers to provide an overview on in vivo and in vitro anticancer activities of pyrazole based derivatives among the diverse biological activities displayed by them and also presents recent efforts made on this heterocyclic moiety regarding anticancer activities. This review has been driven from the increasing number of publications, on this issue, which have been reported in the literature since the ending of the 20th century (from 1995-to date).


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