Neuroprotective potential of Ginkgo biloba in retinal diseases
AbstractLike other tissues of the central nervous system, the retina is susceptible to damage by oxidative processes that result in several neurodegenerative disease such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, ischaemic retinal disease, retinal disease produced by light oxidation, and detached retina, among other diseases. The use of antioxidant substances is a solution to some health problems caused by oxidative stress, because they regulate redox homeostasis and reduce oxidative stress. This is important for neurodegeneration linked to oxidation processes. In line with this, Ginkgo biloba is a medicinal plant with excellent antioxidant properties whose effect…
Toward a Rational Design of Polyamine-Based Zinc-Chelating Agents for Cancer Therapies.
In vitro viability assays against a representative panel of human cancer cell lines revealed that polyamines L1a and L5a displayed remarkable activity with IC50 values in the micromolar range. Preliminary research indicated that both compounds promoted G1 cell cycle arrest followed by cellular senescence and apoptosis. The induction of apoptotic cell death involved loss of mitochondrial outer membrane permeability and activation of caspases 3/7. Interestingly, L1a and L5a failed to activate cellular DNA damage response. The high intracellular zinc-chelating capacity of both compounds, deduced from the metal-specific Zinquin assay and ZnL2+ stability constant values in solution, strongly sup…