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Bertoli A, LoBue A, Quattrini L, Sartini S, Polini B, Carpi S, Frontini FP, Di Giuseppe G, Guella G, Nieri P, La Motta C. Complexing the Marine Sesquiterpene Euplotin C by Means of Cyclodextrin-Based Nanosponges: A Preliminary Investigation. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:682. [PMID: 36355005 PMCID: PMC9692710 DOI: 10.3390/md20110682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Euplotin C is a sesquiterpene of marine origin endowed with significant anti-microbial and anti-tumor properties. Despite the promising functional profile, its progress as a novel drug candidate has failed so far, due to its scarce solubility and poor stability in aqueous media, such as biological fluids. Therefore, overcoming these limits is an intriguing challenge for the scientific community. In this work, we synthesized β-cyclodextrin-based nanosponges and investigated their use as colloidal carriers for stably complex euplotin C. Results obtained proved the ability of the carrier to include the natural compound, showing remarkable values of both loading efficiency and capacity. Moreover, it also allowed us to preserve the chemical structure of the loaded compound, which was recovered unaltered once extracted from the complex. Therefore, the use of β-cyclodextrin-based nanosponges represents a viable option to vehiculate euplotin C, thus opening up its possible use as pharmacologically active compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Bertoli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Marine Pharma Centre, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Anthea LoBue
- Myocardial Infarction Research Laboratory, Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Angiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitätstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Luca Quattrini
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefania Sartini
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Beatrice Polini
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara Carpi
- NEST, Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR and Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Graziano Di Giuseppe
- Marine Pharma Centre, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Luca Ghini 13, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Graziano Guella
- Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, Department of Physic, University of Trento, Via Sommarive 14, 38050 Povo Trento, Italy
| | - Paola Nieri
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Marine Pharma Centre, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Concettina La Motta
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Marine Pharma Centre, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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Catalani E, Proietti Serafini F, Zecchini S, Picchietti S, Fausto AM, Marcantoni E, Buonanno F, Ortenzi C, Perrotta C, Cervia D. Natural products from aquatic eukaryotic microorganisms for cancer therapy: Perspectives on anti-tumour properties of ciliate bioactive molecules. Pharmacol Res 2016; 113:409-420. [PMID: 27650755 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2016.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Several modern drugs, including those for cancer therapy, have been isolated from natural sources, are based on natural products and its derivatives, or mime natural products. Some of them are in clinical use, others in clinical trials. The success of natural products in drug discovery is related to their biochemical characteristics and to the technologic methods used to study their feature. Natural compounds may acts as chemo-preventive agents and as factors that increase therapeutic efficacy of existing drugs, thus overcoming cancer cell drug resistance that is the main factor determining the failure in conventional chemotherapy. Water environment, because of its physical and chemical conditions, shows an extraordinary collection of natural biological substances with an extensive structural and functional diversity. The isolation of bioactive molecules has been reported from a great variety of aquatic organisms; however, the therapeutic application of molecules from eukaryotic microorganisms remains inadequately investigated and underexploited on a systematic basis. Herein we describe the biological activities in mammalian cells of selected substances isolated from ciliates, free-living protozoa common almost everywhere there is water, focusing on their anti-tumour actions and their possible therapeutic activity. In particular, we unveil the cellular and molecular machine mediating the effects of cell type-specific signalling protein pheromone Er-1 and secondary metabolites, i.e. euplotin C and climacostol, in cancer cells. To support the feasibility of climacostol-based approaches, we also present novel findings and report additional mechanisms of action using both in vitro and in vivo models of mouse melanomas, with the scope of highlighting new frontiers that can be explored also in a therapeutic perspective. The high skeletal chemical difference of ciliate compounds, their sustainability and availability, also through the use of new organic synthesis/modifications processes, and the results obtained so far in biological studies provide a rationale to consider some of them a potential resource for the design of new anti-cancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Catalani
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Francesca Proietti Serafini
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Silvia Zecchini
- Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital "Luigi Sacco"-ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, Milano, Italy
| | - Simona Picchietti
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Fausto
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Enrico Marcantoni
- School of Sciences and Technologies, Section of Chemistry, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Italy
| | - Federico Buonanno
- Laboratory of Protistology and Biology Education, Department of Education, Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Università degli Studi di Macerata, Italy
| | - Claudio Ortenzi
- Laboratory of Protistology and Biology Education, Department of Education, Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Università degli Studi di Macerata, Italy
| | - Cristiana Perrotta
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
| | - Davide Cervia
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.
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Torday JS. Life Is Simple-Biologic Complexity Is an Epiphenomenon. BIOLOGY 2016; 5:E17. [PMID: 27128951 PMCID: PMC4929531 DOI: 10.3390/biology5020017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Life originated from unicellular organisms by circumventing the Second Law of Thermodynamics using the First Principles of Physiology, namely negentropy, chemiosmosis and homeostatic regulation of calcium and lipids. It is hypothesized that multicellular organisms are merely contrivances or tools, used by unicellular organisms as agents for the acquisition of epigenetic inheritance. The First Principles of Physiology, which initially evolved in unicellular organisms are the exapted constraints that maintain, sustain and perpetuate that process. To ensure fidelity to this mechanism, we must return to the first principles of the unicellular state as the determinants of the primary level of selection pressure during the life cycle. The power of this approach is reflected by examples of its predictive value. This perspective on life is a "game changer", mechanistically rendering transparent many dogmas, teleologies and tautologies that constrain the current descriptive view of Biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Torday
- Evolutionary Medicine Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Structures, biological activities and phylogenetic relationships of terpenoids from marine ciliates of the genus Euplotes. Mar Drugs 2010; 8:2080-116. [PMID: 20714425 PMCID: PMC2920544 DOI: 10.3390/md8072080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2010] [Revised: 07/06/2010] [Accepted: 07/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last two decades, large scale axenic cell cultures of the marine species comprising the family Euplotidae have resulted in the isolation of several new classes of terpenoids with unprecedented carbon skeletons including the (i) euplotins, highly strained acetylated sesquiterpene hemiacetals; (ii) raikovenals, built on the bicyclo[3.2.0]heptane ring system; (iii) rarisetenolides and focardins containing an octahydroazulene moiety; and (iv) vannusals, with a unique C30 backbone. Their complex structures have been elucidated through a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, molecular mechanics and quantum chemical calculations. Despite the limited number of biosynthetic experiments having been performed, the large diversity of ciliate terpenoids has facilitated the proposal of biosynthetic pathways whereby they are produced from classical linear precursors. Herein, the similarities and differences emerging from the comparison of the classical chemotaxonomy approach based on secondary metabolites, with species phylogenesis based on genetic descriptors (SSU-rDNA), will be discussed. Results on the interesting ecological and biological properties of ciliate terpenoids are also reported.
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