Search results for "NATURAL PRODUCTS"
showing 10 items of 82 documents
Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Citrus bergamia Derivatives: Where Do We Stand?
2016
Inflammatory diseases affect a large portion of the worldwide population, and chronic inflammation is a major risk factor for several dangerous pathologies. To limit the side effects of both synthetic and biological anti-inflammatory drugs, the use of herbal medicines, nutraceuticals and food supplements has increased tremendously as alternative and/or complementary medicine to treat several pathologies, including inflammation. During the last decades, the biological properties of Citrus bergamia (bergamot) derivatives have obtained important scientific achievements, and it has been suggested their use in a context of a multitarget pharmacological strategy. Here, we present an overview of t…
A selective inhibitor of the Polo-box domain of Polo-like kinase 1 identified by virtual screening
2018
Graphical abstract
Retrospective study of small pet tumors treated with Artemisia annua and iron.
2019
Artemisinin from Artemisia annua L. and its derivatives are well‑known antimalarial drugs. In addition, in vitro studies, in vivo studies and clinical trials have demonstrated that these drugs exhibit anticancer activity in human patients with cancer. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether a phytotherapeutic A. annua preparation exerts anticancer activity in veterinary tumors of small pets. Dogs and cats with spontaneous cancer (n=20) were treated with standard therapy plus a commercial A. annua preparation (Luparte®) and compared with a control group treated with standard therapy alone (n=11). Immunohistochemical analyses were performed with formalin‑fixed paraf…
Antiviral Agents From Fungi : Diversity, Mechanisms and Potential Applications
2018
Viral infections are amongst the most common diseases affecting people worldwide. New viruses emerge all the time and presently we have limited number of vaccines and only few antivirals to combat viral diseases. Fungi represent a vast source of bioactive molecules, which could potentially be used as antivirals in the future. Here, we have summarized the current knowledge of fungi as producers of antiviral compounds and discuss their potential applications. In particular, we have investigated how the antiviral action has been assessed and what is known about the molecular mechanisms and actual targets. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of accurate fungal species identification on ant…
Leaf and Root Extracts from Campomanesia adamantium (Myrtaceae) Promote Apoptotic Death of Leukemic Cells via Activation of Intracellular Calcium and…
2017
Phytochemical studies are seeking new alternatives to prevent or treat cancer, including different types of leukemias. Campomanesia adamantium, commonly known as guavira or guabiroba, exhibits pharmacological properties including antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative activities. Considering the anticancer potential of this plant species, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antileukemic activity and the chemical composition of aqueous extracts from the leaves (AECL) and roots (AECR) of C. adamantium and their possible mechanisms of action. The extracts were analyzed by LC-DAD-MS, and their constituents were identified based on the UV, MS, and MS/MS data. The AECL and AECR s…
Mode of Action Analyses of Neferine, a Bisbenzylisoquinoline Alkaloid of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) against Multidrug-Resistant Tumor Cells
2017
Neferine, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the green seed embryos of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn), has been previously shown to have various anti-cancer effects. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of neferine in terms of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibition via in vitro cytotoxicity assays, R123 uptake assays in drug-resistant cancer cells, in silico molecular docking analysis on human P-gp and in silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME), quantitative structure activity relationships (QSAR) and toxicity analyses. Lipinski rule of five were mainly considered for the ADME evaluation and the preset descriptors including number of hydrogen bond d…
Identification of novel compounds against three targets of SARS CoV-2 coronavirus by combined virtual screening and supervised machine learning.
2021
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a major threat worldwide due to its fast spreading. As yet, there are no established drugs available. Speeding up drug discovery is urgently required. We applied a workflow of combined in silico methods (virtual drug screening, molecular docking and supervised machine learning algorithms) to identify novel drug candidates against COVID-19. We constructed chemical libraries consisting of FDA-approved drugs for drug repositioning and of natural compound datasets from literature mining and the ZINC database to select compounds interacting with SARS-CoV-2 target proteins (spike protein, nucleocapsid protein, and 2′-o-ribose methyltransferase). Supported by…
Screening of potent phytochemical inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 protease and its two Asian mutants
2021
Abstract Background COVID-19, declared a pandemic in March 2020 by the World Health Organization is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus has already killed more than 2.3 million people worldwide. Object The principal intent of this work was to investigate lead compounds by screening natural product library (NPASS) for possible treatment of COVID-19. Methods Pharmacophore features were used to screen a large database to get a small dataset for structure-based virtual screening of natural product compounds. In the structure-based screening, molecular docking was performed to find a potent inhibitor molecule against the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-…
Identification and Quantification of Valuable Compounds in Red Grape Seeds
2021
Grape seeds are a by-product of the wine industry. They represent 38–52% of grape pomace and about 5% of the weight of grapes. The main objective of this study is to establish some important characteristics of grape seeds from red varieties cultivated in Romania. The analyzed grape varieties were Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot noir, Burgund Mare, Cadarcă, Syrah, Novac. The grape seeds were dried and ground and the following determinations were made: determination of total polyphenol content, antioxidant capacity, antiradical capacity and determination of phenolic compounds. The analyses were performed on the first day after obtaining the grape extract, on the 14th day and the 30th day. T…
The essentials of marine biotechnology
2021
Coastal countries have traditionally relied on the existing marine resources (e.g., fishing, food, transport, recreation, and tourism) as well as tried to support new economic endeavors (ocean energy, desalination for water supply, and seabed mining). Modern societies and lifestyle resulted in an increased demand for dietary diversity, better health and well-being, new biomedicines, natural cosmeceuticals, environmental conservation, and sustainable energy sources. These societal needs stimulated the interest of researchers on the diverse and underexplored marine environments as promising and sustainable sources of biomolecules and biomass, and they are addressed by the emerging field of ma…