First report of a glutamine-rich antifungal peptide with immunomodulatory and antiproliferative activities from family Amaryllidaceae

The Use of Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Alopecia in the Canon of Avicenna: An Evidence-Based Review

Although mostly seen in the scalp, alopecia can occur in any hair- bearing site of the body. In spite of various modern treatments, total cost, efficacy, safety and drug dependency have caused a global willing towards natural remedies. The aim of this chapter is to focus on medicinal plants mentioned in Canon of Avicenna, one of the most primary medicinal books, for the treatment of alopecia. Databases like PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar were searched for plants mentioned in Canon for managing alopecia to find studies on their clinical efficacy or mechanisms, which may have attributed to the treatment of alopecia. 25 plants belonging to 16 families have been mentioned in Canon. Most of them have a history of use in ethno-medicine and some are used in hair growth products nowadays. Investigating literatures has shown that anti- inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties are the proposed mechanisms for the treatment of some types of alopecia. Islamic traditional medicine can give new insights for development of multiple natural treatment, which their use in human have been tested for thousands of years. By confirming their efficacy and safety, traditional herbal remedies are appropriate alternatives for chemicals mainly used for alopecia.

Antifungal constituents of the plant family Amaryllidaceae

Globalization, the modern lifestyle, immuno-suppressive agents, invasive surgical procedures, the loss of efficacies of existing drugs, and multidrug resistance are some of the factors used to explain the rise in fungal infections in recent years. Significant advances have been made in attempts to replace existing antifungal schedules, especially with synthetic targets. The identification of other platforms for drug discovery is now entrenched in research programs across the globe. Plants offer significant benefits owing to their numerical superiority, exceedingly broad chemical basis and appealing sustainability characteristics. Furthermore, plants have a long and rich historical association with traditional approaches towards fungal diseases. These have in numerous instances served as markers in the bioassay-guided identification of the active constituents. Although the plant family Amaryllidaceae is conventionally associated with cancer and motor-neuron disease chemotherapies, around 30 of its species have been examined for antifungal activities with microgram per millilitre inhibitory activities detected in several instances. This review focuses on the nearly 40 constituents from the family, mainly isoquinoline alkaloids, which have been screened against around 50 fungal pathogens. Encouragingly, microgram per millilitre growth inhibitory activities were applicable for several of the compounds with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 4 μg/ml seen to be the lowest.

bHLH093/NFL and bHLH061 are required for apical meristem function in Arabidopsis thaliana

The basic Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) transcription factors SCREAM/ICE1 and SCREAM2 have well-characterized roles in the terminal differentiation of stomatal guard cells in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we report on the characterization of the functional roles of the remaining members of sub-group IIIB, bHLH093 and bHLH061. The bhlh093/bhlh061 double mutant failed to produce a primary inflorescence shoot and displayed greater phenotypic severity than bhlh093 and bhlh061 single mutants. An ultrastructural investigation revealed structural defects that develop in tissues surrounding the meristem prior to inflorescence emergence. The transition to flowering was restored in bhlh093/bhlh061 with the application of gibberellin to the apex. We also demonstrate that gibberellin application alleviates structural defects that develop in tissues surrounding the meristem and restore meristem activity. Furthermore, the bhlh093/bhlh061 double mutant was affected by delayed flowering, and the severity of the phenotype correlated with photoperiod and light intensity. Our results indicate that bHLH093 and bHLH061 function in the gibberellin-mediated establishment of functional apical meristems during the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth.

Scientific Evaluation of Pharmacological Treatment of Osteoarthritis in the Canon of Medicine

Osteoarthritis is the most common articular disease worldwide. Nonetheless, common osteoarthritis treatments are either not effective or associated with side effects. Now the materials derived from plants have found a relevant place in drug discovery. Until the mid-18th century, osteoarthritis in all medical schools worldwide had been managed as general arthritis. Avicenna, the famous scholar of Iranian traditional medicine has provided a long list of herbs that have been used traditionally to treat arthritis. To gain this worthy list, we searched his most famous medical masterpiece: Canon of Medicine. Some of these materials are investigated and employed by modern medicine. However, it is difficult to ignore that still more of these naturally occurring materials could be of use in modern medicine not only to prevent osteoarthritis progression but also osteoarthritis management as natural anti-inflammatory drugs.

Methanolic Extract Isolated from Root of Lycoris aurea Inhibits Cancer Cell Growth and Endothelial Cell Tube Formation In Vitro

In this study, we investigated the effect of methanolic extract isolated from the root of Lycoris aurea (LA) on the growth of cancer cells and the tube formation activity of endothelial cells. Various cancer cells were treated with LA at doses of 0.3, 1, 3, 10 or 30 μg/ml and LA significantly suppressed the growth of several cancer cell lines, including ACHN, HCT-15, K-562, MCF-7, PC-3 and SK-OV-3, in a dose-dependent manner. We also found that LA induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase in ACHN renal cell adenocarcinoma cells. Further study demonstrated that LA concentration-dependently inhibited the tube formation, which is a widely used in vitro model of reorganization stage of angiogenesis, in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Collectively, these results show that LA inhibits the growth of cancer cells and tube formation of endothelial cells and the growth-inhibitory effect of LA might be mediated, at least in part, by blocking cell cycle progression.

Brassiparin, an antifungal peptide from Brassica parachinensis seeds

Aims:  To isolate and characterize an antifungal peptide from the seeds of Brassica parachinensis L.H.Bailey.

Methods and Results:  An antifungal peptide designated as brassiparin was isolated. It exhibited a molecular mass of 5716 Da. It potently inhibited mycelial growth in a number of fungal species including Fusarium oxysporum, Helminthosporium maydis, Mycosphaerella arachidicola and Valsa mali. The antifungal activity of brassiparin toward M. arachidicola exhibited pronounced thermostability and pH stability. It inhibited proliferation of hepatoma (HepG2) and breast cancer (MCF7) cells and the activity of HIV‐1 reverse transcriptase. Its N‐terminal sequence differed from those of antifungal proteins which have been reported to date.

Conclusions:  Brassiparin can be purified by using a protocol involving ion exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography and gel filtration. It manifests potent, thermostable and pH‐stable antifungal activity. It demonstrates antiproliferative activity toward tumour cells, and inhibitory activity toward HIV‐1 reverse transcriptase. Thus, brassiparin is a defense protein.

Significance and Impact of the Study:  Brassiparin represents one of the few antifungal proteins reported to date from Brassica species. Its antifungal activity has pronounced pH stability and thermostability. Brassiparin exhibits other exploitable activities such as antiproliferative activity toward hepatoma and breast cancer cells and inhibitory activity toward HIV‐reverse transcriptase.

Characterization of a cellular immunostimulating peptide from a soybean protein fraction digested with peptidase R

An immunostimulating glutamine-rich peptide was purified from a soybean protein fraction digested with Peptidase R produced by Rhizopus oryzae (Ro-digest) by a combination of SP-Sepharose column chromatography and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The purified peptide was supposed to be located at or near the glutamine-rich region 202 to 222 of the glycinin G4 subunit. The peptide significantly increased the number of CD8(+), CD11b(+), and CD49b(+) cells in C3H/HeN mouse spleen cell cultures, while 2 chemically synthesized glutamine-rich peptides corresponding to residues 202 to 213 (QQQQQQKSHGGR) and residues 214 to 225 (KQGQHQQEEEEE) of the glycinin G4 subunit increased the number of interleukin (IL)-12(+)CD11b(+) cells. The peptide 202-213 also significantly increased the number of CD49b(+), IL-2(+)CD4(+), and interferon-gamma(+)CD4(+) cells and stimulated the cytotoxic activity of spleen cells toward the human erythroleukemia cell line K562. These results indicate that the glutamine-rich region of the soybean glycinin G4 subunit stimulates the cellular immune system in mouse spleen cell cultures.

A novel and exploitable antifungal peptide from kale (Brassica alboglabra) seeds

The aim of this study was to purify and characterize antifungal peptides from kale seeds in view of the paucity of information on antifungal peptides from the family Brassicaceae, and to compare its characteristics with those of published Brassica antifungal peptides. A 5907-Da antifungal peptide was isolated from kale seeds. The isolation procedure comprised affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel, ion exchange chromatography on SP-Sepharose and Mono S, and gel filtration on Superdex Peptide. The peptide was adsorbed on the first three chromatographic media. It inhibited mycelial growth in a number of fungal species including Fusarium oxysporum, Helminthosporium maydis, Mycosphaerella arachidicola and Valsa mali, with an IC(50) of 4.3microM, 2.1microM, 2.4microM, and 0.15microM, respectively and exhibited pronounced thermostability and pH stability. It inhibited proliferation of hepatoma (HepG2) and breast cancer (MCF7) cells with an IC(50) of 2.7microM and 3.4microM, and the activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase with an IC(50) of 4.9microM. Its N-terminal sequence differed from those of antifungal proteins which have been reported to date.

Plant peptides and peptidomics

Extracellular plant peptides perform a large variety of functions, including signalling and defence. Intracellular peptides often have physiological functions or may merely be the products of general proteolysis. Plant peptides have been identified and, in part, functionally characterized through biochemical and genetic studies, which are lengthy and in some cases impractical. Peptidomics is a branch of proteomics that has been developed over the last 5 years, and has been used mainly to study neuropeptides in animals and the degradome of proteases. Peptidomics is a fast, efficient methodology that can detect minute and transient amounts of peptides and identify their post-translational modifications. This review describes known plant peptides and introduces the use of peptidomics for the detection of novel plant peptides.

A relatively stable antifungal peptide from buckwheat seeds with antiproliferative activity toward cancer cells

An antifungal peptide with a molecular mass of approximately 4 kDa was isolated from buckwheat seeds by using ion-exchange chromatography on SP-Sepharose and Q-Sepharose, and gel filtration on Superdex peptide. The peptide was adsorbed on SP-Sepharose in 10 mM NH(4)OAc buffer (pH 4.5) and on Q-Sepharose in 10 mM NH(4)HCO(3) buffer (pH 9.4), and appeared to be highly purified after these two steps. It inhibited mycelial growth in Fusarium oxysporum and Mycosphaerella arachidicola with an IC(50) of 35 and 40 microM, respectively. Its antifungal activity was stable between 0 and 70 degrees C, and between pH 1.0/2.0 and 13. It inhibited proliferation of Hep G2 (hepatoma) cells, L1210 (leukemia) cells, breast cancer (MCF-7) cells, and liver embryonic WRL 68 cells with an IC(50) of 33, 4, 25, and 37 microM, respectively. On the other hand, the peptide was unable to evoke a mitogenic response from splenocytes or induce nitric oxide production by macrophages. It inhibited HIV-1 reverse transcriptase with an IC(50) of 5.5 microM.

An antifungal peptide from red lentil seeds

An antifungal peptide, with a molecular mass of 11 kDa, was isolated from dry seeds of the red lentil (Lens culinaris) using a procedure that involved four chromatographic steps. The antifungal peptide was unadsorbed on DEAE-cellulose, and adsorbed on Affi-gel blue gel and S-Sepharose. The final chromatographic step involved gel filtration by fast protein liquid chromatography on Superdex 75. The antifungal peptide inhibited mycelial growth in Mycosphaerella arachidicola with an IC50 of 36 microM. It also exhibited antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum, but there was no inhibitory activity toward tumor cell lines and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase (RT).

An antifungal protein from the pea Pisum sativum var. arvense Poir

An antifungal protein with a molecular mass of 11 kDa and a lysine-rich N-terminal sequence was isolated from the seeds of the pea Pisum sativum var. arvense Poir. The antifungal protein was unadsorbed on DEAE-cellulose but adsorbed on Affi-gel blue gel and CM-cellulose. It exerted antifungal activity against Physalospora piricola with an IC50 of 0.62 microM, and also antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum and Mycosphaerella arachidicola. It inhibited human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase with an IC50 of 4.7 microM.

Smilaxin, a novel protein with immunostimulatory, antiproliferative, and HIV-1-reverse transcriptase inhibitory activities from fresh Smilax glabra rhizomes

A protein, with a novel N-terminal amino acid sequence and a molecular mass of 30 kDa, was purified from fresh Smilax glabra rhizomes by adsorption on DEAE-cellulose, CM-cellulose, Con A-Sepharose, and Mono S, and by fast protein liquid chromatography-gel filtration on Superdex 75. The protein, designated as smilaxin, stimulated uptake of [methyl-3H]thymidine by murine splenocytes, peritoneal macrophages, and bone marrow cells, and production of nitric oxide by peritoneal macrophages. It inhibited uptake of [methyl-3H]thymidine by MBL2 and PU5 tumor cells but not uptake by S180 and L1210 cells. Smilaxin augmented glucose uptake into rat adipose tissue. It attenuated the activity of HIV-1-reverse transcriptase with an IC50 of 5.6 microM. However, it did not display hemagglutinating, antifungal or translation-inhibitory activities, indicating that it is not a lectin, an antifungal protein, or a ribosome-inactivating protein.

Apoptosis of HL-60 cells induced by extracts from Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis

Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis is one member of the Amaryllidaceae family. We found that extracts from N. tazetta var. chinensis (ENT) strongly decreased the survival rate of the following tumor cell lines: HL-60, K562, KT1/A3, and A3R. The cytotoxic effects of ENT on non-cancer cells lines (NHBE and NIH3T3) were smaller than on leukemia cell lines. AO/EB staining and flow cytometry assays showed that ENT induced HL-60 cell apoptosis. Furthermore, the release of cytochrome c and the increase of caspase-8, -9, and -3 activities were tested after HL-60 cells were treated with ENT, which indicated that the mitochondrial pathway and cell death receptor pathway were both involved in the apoptosis signal pathways induced by ENT. Upregulation of Bax showed that the Bcl-2 family was involved in the control of apoptosis. Our results suggest that apoptosis activity can be mediated by ENT in HL-60 cells.

An antifungal protein from flageolet beans

A protein with antifungal and hemagglutinating activities was isolated from dried flageolet beans (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. 'Flageolet Bean'). The protein was unadsorbed on DEAE-cellulose but adsorbed on Affi-gel blue gel and CM-cellulose. The protein demonstrated antifungal activity against Mycophaerella arachidicola with an IC50 of 9.8 microM, but was inactive toward Fusarium oxysporum and Botrytis cinerea. Its hemagglutinating activity could not be inhibited by a variety of the sugars tested. The activity was stable up to 60 degrees C. At 70 degrees C, 75% of the hemagglutinating activity remained while no activity was discernible at and above 100 degrees C. The hemagglutinating activity was stable in the presence of a variety of monovalent, divalent and trivalent chlorides, and also when the ambient pH changed from 3 to 12. It did not exert any mitogenic activity on mouse splenocytes in vitro. Neither did it inhibit HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. It inhibited [3H-methyl]-thymidine incorporation into leukemia L1210 cells with an IC50 of about 4 microM.

An antifungal peptide from the coconut

A chromatographic procedure consisting of ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel, ion exchange chromatography on CM-cellulose, and gel filtration by fast performance liquid chromatography on Supedex 75 was utilized to isolate a 10 kDa antifungal peptide from coconut flesh. The peptide was unadsorbed on DEAE-cellulose, but adsorbed on Affi-gel blue gel and CM-cellulose. It displayed antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum, Mycosphaerella arachidicola and Physalospora piricola. The IC50 values of its inhibitory activities on mycelial growth in M. arachidicola and HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity were respectively 1.2 and 52.5 microM.

Pleurostrin, an antifungal peptide from the oyster mushroom

A 7kDa peptide, with inhibitory activity on mycelial growth in the fungi Fusaerium oxysporum, Mycosphaerella arachidicola and Physalospora piricola, was isolated from fresh fruiting bodies of the oyster mushroom. The isolation procedure entailed extraction with an aqueous buffer, ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel and gel filtration by fast protein liquid chromatography on Superdex 75. The protein was unadsorbed on DEAE-cellulose and adsorbed on Affi-gel blue gel. It demonstrated an N-terminal sequence different from known antifungal proteins and peptides.