In Silico Evaluation of Food Derived Bioactive Peptides as Inhibitors of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE)

From Sea to Lab: Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Inhibition by Marine Peptides-Mechanisms and Applications

To reveal potent ACE inhibitors, researchers screen various bioactive peptides from several sources, and more attention has been given to aquatic sources. This review summarizes the recent research achievements on marine peptides with ACE-inhibitory action and application. Marine peptides are considered excellent bioactives due to their large structural diversity and unusual bioactivities. The mechanisms by which these marine peptides inhibit ACE include competitive binding to ACEs' active site, interfering with ACE conformational changes, and avoiding the identification of substrates. The unique 3D attributes of marine peptides confer inhibition advantages toward ACE activity. Because IC50 values of marine peptides' interaction with ACE are low, structure-based research assumes that the interaction between ACE and peptides increased the therapeutic application. Numerous studies on marine peptides focused on the sustainable extraction of ACE-inhibitory peptides produced from several fish, mollusks, algae, and sponges. Meanwhile, their potential applications and medical benefits are worth investigating and considering. Due to these peptides exhibiting antioxidant, antihypertensive, and even antimicrobial properties simultaneously, their therapeutic potential for cardiovascular disease and other illnesses only increases. In addition, as marine peptides show better pharmacological benefits, they have increased absorption rates and low toxicity and could perhaps be modified for better stability and bioefficacy. Biotechnological advances in peptide synthesis and formulation have greatly facilitated the generation of peptide-based ACE inhibitors from marine sources, which subsequently offer new treatment models. This article gives a complete assessment of the present state of knowledge about marine organism peptides as ACE inhibitors. In addition, it emphasizes the relevance of additional investigation into their mechanisms of action, the optimization of manufacturing processes, and assessment in in vivo, preclinical, and clinical settings, underlining the urgency and value of this study. Using marine peptides for ACE inhibition not only broadens the repertory of bioactive compounds but also shows promise for tackling the global health burden caused by cardiovascular diseases.

In Vitro and In Silico Characterization of Curcumin-Loaded Chitosan-PVA Hydrogels: Antimicrobial and Potential Wound Healing Activity

Curcumin has been used in traditional medicine forages. The present study aimed to develop a curcumin-based hydrogel system and assess its antimicrobial potential and wound healing (WH) activity on an invitro and in silico basis. A topical hydrogel was prepared using chitosan, PVA, and Curcumin in varied ratios, and hydrogels were evaluated for physicochemical properties. The hydrogel showed antimicrobial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms. In silico studies showed good binding energy scores and significant interaction of curcumin components with key residues of inflammatory proteins that help in WH activity. Dissolution studies showed sustained release of curcumin. Overall, the results indicated wound healing potential of chitosan-PVA-curcumin hydrogel films. Further in vivo experiments are needed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of such films for wound healing.

In Vitro and In Silico Studies on Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Peptides Found in Hydrophobic Domains of Porcine Elastin

One of the most striking aspects of the primary structure in the hydrophobic domains of the tropoelastin molecule is the occurrence of the VAPGVG repeating sequence. Since the N-terminal tripeptide VAP of VAPGVG showed a potent ACE inhibitory activity, the ACE inhibitory activity of various derivatives of VAP was examined in vitro. The results showed that VAP derivative peptides VLP, VGP, VSP, GAP, LSP, and TRP exhibited potent ACE inhibitory activities, while the non-derivative peptide APG showed only weak activity. In in silico studies, the docking score S value showed that VAP derivative peptides VLP, VGP, VSP, LSP, and TRP had stronger docking interactions than APG. Molecular docking in the ACE active pocket showed that TRP, the most potent ACE inhibitory peptide among the VAP derivatives, had a larger number of interactions with ACE residues in comparison with APG and that the TRP molecule appeared to spread widely in the ACE pocket, while the APG molecule appeared to spread closely. Differences in molecular spread may be a reason why TRP exhibits more potent ACE inhibitory activity than APG. The results suggest that the number and strength of interactions between the peptide and ACE are important for the ACE- inhibitory potency of the peptide.

Virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation analysis of Forsythoside A as a plant-derived inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a more severe strain of coronavirus (CoV) that was first emerged in China in 2019. Available antiviral drugs could be repurposed and natural compounds with antiviral activity could be safer and cheaper source of medicine for SARS-CoV-2. 78 natural antiviral compounds database was identified from literature and virtual screening technique was applied to identify potential 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) inhibitors. Molecular docking studies were conducted to analyze the main protease (3CLpro) and inhibitors interactions with key residues of active site of target protein (PDB ID: 6LU7), active site constitute the part of active domain I and II of 3CLpro. 10 compounds with highest dock score were subjected to calculate ADMET parameters to figure out drug-likeness. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulation of the selected lead was performed by Amber simulation package to understand the conformational changes in docked complex. MD simulations analysis (RMSD, RMSF, Rg, BF, HBs, and SASA plots) of lead bounded with 3CLpro, hence revealed the important structural turns and twists during MD simulations from 0 to 100 ns. MM-PBSA/GBSA methods has also been applied for the estimation binding free energy (BFE) of the selected lead-complex. The present study has identified lead compound “Forsythoside A” an active extract of Forsythia suspense as SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitor that can block the viral replication and translation. Structural analysis of target protein and lead compound performed in this study could contribute to the development of potential drug against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Identification of α-Glucosidase Inhibitors from Scutellaria edelbergii: ESI-LC-MS and Computational Approach

The recent study investigated the in vitro anti-diabetic impact of the crude extract (MeOH) and subfractions ethyl acetate (EtOAc); chloroform; n-butanol; n-hexane; and aqueous fraction of S. edelbergii and processed the active EtOAc fraction for the identification of chemical constituents for the first time via ESI-LC-MS analysis through positive ionization mode (PIM) and negative ionization mode (NIM); the identified compounds were further validated through computational analysis via standard approaches. The crude extract and subfractions presented appreciable activity against the α-glucosidase inhibitory assay. However, the EtOAc fraction with IC₅₀ = 0.14 ± 0.06 µg/mL revealed the maximum potential among the fractions used, followed by the MeOH and n-hexane extract with IC₅₀ = 1.47 ± 0.14 and 2.18 ± 0.30 µg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the acarbose showed an IC₅₀ = 377.26 ± 1.20 µg/ mL whereas the least inhibition was observed for the chloroform fraction, with an IC₅₀ = 23.97 ± 0.14 µg/mL. Due to the significance of the EtOAc fraction, when profiled for its chemical constituents, it presented 16 compounds among which the flavonoid class was dominant, and offered eight compounds, of which six were identified in NIM, and two compounds in PIM. Moreover, five terpenoids were identified-three and two in NIM and PIM, respectively-as well as two alkaloids, both of which were detected in PIM. The EtOAc fraction also contained one phenol that was noticed in PIM. The detected flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenols are well-known for their diverse biomedical applications. The potent EtOAc fraction was submitted to computational analysis for further validation of α-glucosidase significance to profile the responsible compounds. The pharmacokinetic estimations and protein-ligand molecular docking results with the support of molecular dynamic simulation trajectories at 100 ns suggested that two bioactive compounds-dihydrocatalpol and leucosceptoside A-from the EtOAc fraction presented excellent drug-like properties and stable conformations; hence, these bioactive compounds could be potential inhibitors of alpha-glucosidase enzyme based on intermolecular interactions with significant residues, docking score, and binding free energy estimation. The stated findings reflect that S. edelbergii is a rich source of bioactive compounds offering potential cures for diabetes mellitus; in particular, dihydrocatalpol and leucosceptoside A could be excellent therapeutic options for the progress of novel drugs to overcome diabetes mellitus.

Preparation and Evaluation of Chitosan/PVA Based Hydrogel Films Loaded with Honey for Wound Healing Application

In the present study, chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based honey hydrogel films were developed for potential wound healing application. The hydrogel films were developed by a solvent-casting method and were evaluated in terms of thickness, weight variation, folding endurance, moisture content and moisture uptake. The water vapor transmission rate was found to range between 1650.50 ± 35.86 and 2698.65 ± 76.29 g/m²/day. The tensile strength and elongation at break were found to range between 4.74 ± 0.83 and 38.36 ± 5.39 N, and 30.58 ± 3.64 and 33.51 ± 2.47 mm, respectively, indicating significant mechanical properties of the films. SEM images indicated smooth surface morphology of the films. FTIR, DSC and in silico analysis were performed, which highlighted the docking energies of the protein–ligand complex and binding interactions such as hydrogen bonding, Pi–Pi bonding, and Pi–H bonding between the selected compounds and target proteins; hence, we concluded, with the three best molecules (lumichrome, galagin and chitosan), that there was wound healing potential. In vitro studies pointed toward a sustained release of honey from the films. The antimicrobial performance of the films was investigated against Staphylococcus aureus. Overall, the results signaled the potential application of chitosan/PVA based hydrogel films as wound dressings. Furthermore, in vivo experiments may be required to evaluate the clinical efficacy of honey-loaded chitosan/PVA hydrogel films in wound healing.