Cellular delivery and enhanced anticancer activity of berberine complexed with a cationic derivative of γ–cyclodextrin

Biochemical profiling of berberine-enriched extract in aluminum chloride induced oxidative damage and neuroinflammation

Despite the numerous treatment strategies used for Alzheimer's disease (AD), only a few cholinesterase inhibitor drugs, such as memantine, are effective in symptomatically relieving the hallmarks of AD, providing momentary recovery of memory and cognitive decline. These available drugs do not treat the underlying causes of AD, and their chronic use is associated with serious adverse effects and disease progression. Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid that has been reported to possess therapeutic potential against AD. Therefore, its activity was evaluated against an aluminum chloride (AlCl3)-induced AD rat model, and a berberine-enriched extract (BEE) was used to determine if its activity is equivalent to pure berberine (PB). The rats were administered 300 mg/kg of oral AlCl3 to induce AD and were then treated with oral PB at a dosage of 50 mg/kg, BEE at a dosage of 50 mg/kg, and rivastigmine at a dosage of 1 mg/kg as a standard drug for 21 days. In this study, various parameters were assessed to evaluate cognitive functions, such as behavioral analysis, antioxidant enzyme levels, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, proinflammatory cytokine levels, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of different biomarkers (AChE, IL-1α, IL-1β, BACE-1, TNF-α) linked to AD, and histopathological changes in the rats' brains. After 21 days, the disease control group showed a significant decline in cognitive function, decreased levels of antioxidant enzymes, upregulated activity of the AChE enzyme, increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and marked elevation in mRNA expression of AD-associated biomarkers. On the other hand, the treatment groups showed significant improvements in memory deficits, elevated levels of antioxidant enzymes, reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, decreased AChE activity, and significant downregulation of the expression of predefined biomarkers. Histological examination of the treatment groups showed less neuroinflammation and fewer amyloid plaques compared to the disease control group. In conclusion, both PB and BEE have comparable neuroprotective potential to mitigate the pathological hallmarks of AD. However, controlled clinical trials are needed to assess their efficacy and safety.

Effects of Berberine on Liver Cancer

Liver cancer, otherwise known as hepatocellular carcinoma, is a chronic disease condition with an excessive deposition and growth of malignant cells in the body. The high incidence and prevalence rates of liver cancer continue to be problems, as well as its poor prognosis and therapeutic limitations involving severe drug adverse reactions linked to the use of synthetic chemotherapeutic compounds. Continuous experimental studies, as well as utilization of pure herbal-based compounds, are essential towards finding more potent cures for liver cancer. Natural bioactive compounds, particularly alkaloids (eg, berberine), have been shown to be highly beneficial in the treatment of various diseases. Berberine (BBR), an isoquinoline alkaloid, is obtained from stem, bark, roots, rhizomes, and leaves of several medicinal plants, including Berberis species. It is commonly synthesized from the benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline system with the incorporation of an additional carbon atom as a bridge. The multiple attributes of BBR involving effective inhibitory and cytotoxic actions against the proliferation of cancer cells have been demonstrated. The use of BBR in experimental studies (in vivo and in vitro) for over a decade for liver cancer treatment has proven to be highly effective, safe, and potent. Until now, the poor solubility of BBR remains one of the contributing factors leading to its minimal clinical bioavailability. Therefore, BBR could serve as a prospective drug candidate in the future towards drug formulation for liver cancer treatment. The relevant information regarding this review was obtained electronically through the use of databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Springer, Hindawi, Embase, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. All the aforementioned databases were searched from 1981 to 2020. This literature represents an update of previous review papers discussing the various positive pharmacological and mechanistic effects (oxidative stress regulation, inflammation reduction, apoptosis activation, overcoming drug resistance, and metastasis inhibition) of BBR for liver cancer treatment, which would be of great significance to drug development and clinical research.

Apoptosis Induction, a Sharp Edge of Berberine to Exert Anti-Cancer Effects, Focus on Breast, Lung, and Liver Cancer

Cancer is the leading cause of death and one of the greatest barriers to increased life expectancy worldwide. Currently, chemotherapy with synthetic drugs remains one of the predominant ways for cancer treatment, which may lead to drug resistance and normal organ damage. Increasing researches have suggested that apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, is a promising way for cancer therapy. Furthermore, natural products are important sources for finding new drugs with high availability, low cost and low toxicity. As a well-known isoquinoline alkaloid, accumulating evidence has revealed that berberine (BBR) exerts potential pro-apoptotic effects on multiple cancers, including breast, lung, liver, gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers. The related potential signal pathways are AMP-activated protein kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and protein kinase B pathways. In this review, we provide a timely and comprehensive summary of the detailed molecular mechanisms of BBR in treating three types of cancer (breast, lung and liver cancer) by inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, we also discuss the existing challenges and strategies to improve BBR’s bioavailability. Hopefully, this review provides valuable information for the comprehension of BBR in treating three types of cancer and highlight the pro-apoptotic effects of BBR, which would be beneficial for the further development of this natural compound as an effective clinical drug for treating cancers.

Increase in Dissolution Rate of Zotepine via Nanomilling Process - Impact of Dried Nanocrystalline Suspensions on Bioavailability

Zotepine is an atypical antipsychotic drug used in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, its poor dissolution properties limit its therapeutic efficacy. In this investigation, a series of nanosuspension-containing zotepine were prepared employing media milling method with an aim to improve its dissolution properties and oral bioavailability. Briefly, Box-Behnken design was applied to investigate the influence of various independent variables such as X₁- amount of stabilizer, X₂- amount of milling agent, and X₃- milling time on the performance of the formulation. Dissolution studies revealed enhancement of dissolution rate as compared to pure drug. Solid state characterization (DSC, PXRD, and SEM) studies demonstrated no polymorphic changes in drug after lyophilization of media-milled nanosuspension. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies of lyophilized nanosuspension was carried out in rat and the results exhibited significant improvement in C_max and AUC_0-t, about 450.0 and 287.45%, respectively, suggesting amelioration in oral bioavailability by 2.87-fold higher as compared to pure drug. Accelerated stability studies of the optimized lyophilized formulation at 40°C and 75% RH suggested stability of the nanocrystals for at least a 6-month period. The obtained nanocrystals successfully showed dissolution enhancement and improved oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drug, zotepine.

A review of the berberine natural polysaccharide nanostructures as potential anticancer and antibacterial agents

Despite the promising medicinal properties, berberine (BBR), due to its relatively poor solubility in plasma, low bio-stability and limited bioavailability is not used broadly in clinical stages. Due to these drawbacks, drug delivery systems (DDSs) based on nanoscale natural polysaccharides, are applied to address these concerns. Natural polymers are biodegradable, non-immunogenic, biocompatible, and non-toxic agents that are capable of trapping large amounts of hydrophobic compounds in relatively small volumes. The use of nanoscale natural polysaccharide improves the stability and pharmacokinetics of the small molecules and, consequently, increases the therapeutic effects and reduces the side effects of the small molecules. Therefore, this paper presents an overview of the different methods used for increasing the BBR solubility and bioavailability. Afterwards, the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic of BBR nanostructures were discussed followed by the introduction of natural polysaccharides of plant (cyclodextrines, glucomannan), the shells of crustaceans (chitosan), and the cell wall of brown marine algae (alginate)-based origins used to improve the dissolution rate of poorly soluble BBR and their anticancer and antibacterial properties. Finally, the anticancer and antibacterial mechanisms of free BBR and BBR nanostructures were surveyed. In conclusion, this review may pave the way for providing some useful data in the development of BBR-based platforms for clinical applications.

A New Approach for β-Cyclodextrin Conjugated Drug Delivery System in Cancer Therapy

Natural cyclodextrins (CDs) are macrocyclic starch molecules discovered a decade ago, in which α-, β-, and γ-CD were commonly used. They originally acted as pharmaceutical excipients to enhance the aqueous solubility and alter the physicochemical properties of drugs that fall under class II and IV categories according to the Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BPS). The industrial significance of CDs became apparent during the 1970s as scientists started to discover more of CD's potential in chemical modifications and the formation of inclusion complexes. CDs can help in masking and prolonging the half-life of drugs used in cancer. Multiple optimization techniques were discovered to prepare the derivatives of CDs and increase their complexation and drug delivery efficiency. In recent years, due to the advancement of nanotechnology in pharmaceutical sectors, there has been growing interest in CDs. This review mainly focuses on the formulation of cyclodextrin conjugated nanocarriers using graphenes, carbon nanotubes, nanosponges, hydrogels, dendrimers, and polymers to achieve drug-release characteristics specific to cells. These approaches benefit the discovery of novel anti-cancer treatments, solubilization of new drug compounds, and cell specific drug delivery properties. Due to these unique properties of CDs, they are essential in achieving and enhancing tumor-specific cancer treatment.

Neuroprotective potential of berberine in modulating Alzheimer's disease via multiple signaling pathways

Berberine is one of the most important quinoline alkaloids, which has shown numerous pharmacological activities. There are pieces of evidence that berberine serves as a promising substance for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, numerous studies on animal models have shown the neuroprotective role of berberine. AD is a complex disease having multiple pathological factors. Berberine restrains the deposition of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Substantial studies have demonstrated that berberine may also exhibit the protective effect against the risk factors associated with AD. This review illustrates the role of berberine in neuroinflammation, oxidative stress and its activity against acetylcholinesterase enzyme. It also focuses on the bioavailability and safety of berberine in AD. However, more investigations are required to explore the bioavailability and safety assessment of berberine and its new perspectives in limiting the AD-related pathogenesis and risk factors. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Current therapeutic measures only provide symptomatic relief against AD by slowing memory loss, resolving thinking problems and behavioral issues. In recent past years, many biological actions and potential therapeutic applications have been observed by berberine particularly in neurological diseases. Berberine has been investigated by various researchers for its activity against AD. This review demonstrates a variety of mechanisms by which berberine imparts its neuroprotective roles and provides the possible mechanism of action of berberine by which it prevents the formation of neurofibrillary tangles and disaggregation of amyloid beta plaques in AD. It also focuses that berberine limits the neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in AD. Pre-clinical aspects of berberine against AD are also discussed. Eventually, a prospect is formulated that berberine might be a therapeutically significant agent for treating and preventing AD.

Plant isoquinoline alkaloids: Advances in the chemistry and biology of berberine

Alkaloids are one of the most important classes of plant bioactives. Among these isoquinoline alkaloids possess varied structures and exhibit numerous biological activities. Basically these are biosynthetically produced via phenylpropanoid pathway. However, occasionally some mixed pathways may also occur to provide structural divergence. Among the various biological activities anticancer, antidiabetic, antiinflammatory, and antimicrobial are important. A few notable bioactive isoquinoline alkaloids are antidiabetic berberine, anti-tussive codeine, analgesic morphine, and muscle relaxant papaverine etc. Berberine is one of the most discussed bioactives from this class possessing broad-spectrum pharmacological activities. Present review aims at recent updates of isoquinoline alkaloids with major emphasis on berberine, its detailed chemistry, important biological activities, structure activity relationship and implementation in future research.

Stimuli Responsive Confinement of a Molecular Rotor Based BODIPY Dye inside a Cucurbit[7]uril Nanocavity

Present study reports the interaction of a molecular rotor based BODIPY dye, 8-anilino-BODIPY (ABP), with a versatile macrocyclic molecule, cucurbit[7]uril (CB7), investigated through various techniques such as ground-state absorption, steady-state fluorescence, time-resolve emission, proton NMR, and quantum chemical studies. Although BODIPY dyes have widespread applications due to their intriguing photochemical properties, studies on their noncovalent interactions with different macrocyclic hosts, especially regarding their supramolecularly induced modulations in photophysical properties are very limited. The investigated BODIPY dye, especially its protonated ABPH⁺ form (pH ∼ 1), shows a large fluorescence enhancement on its interaction with the CB7 host, due to large reduction in the structural flexibility for the bound dye, causing a suppression in its nonradiative de-excitation process in the excited state. Unlike ABPH⁺, the neutral ABP form (pH ∼ 7) shows considerably weaker interaction with CB7. For ABPH⁺-CB7 system, observed photophysical results indicate formation of both 1:1 and 1:2 dye-to-host complexes. Plausible geometries of these complexes are obtained from quantum chemical studies which are substantiated nicely from ¹H NMR results. The response of the ABPH⁺-CB7 system toward changing temperature of the solution have also been investigated elaborately to understand the potential of the system in different stimuli-responsive sensor applications.

Development of 13-Cys-BBR as an Agent Having Dual Action of Anti-Thrombosis and Anti-Inflammation

Background

There is a correlation between tumor and inflammation. The activity of 13-[CH₂CO-Cys(Bzl)-OBzl]-berberine (13-Cys-BBR) slowing tumor growth is higher than that of BBR. Whether the anti-inflammation activity of 13-Cys-BBR is higher than that of BBR remains unknown. There is a correlation between thrombosis and inflammation. Whether 13-Cys-BBR is an inhibitor of thrombosis remains unknown.

Purpose

The object of this investigation is to compare the activities of 13-Cys-BBR inhibiting thrombosis and inflammation to those of BBR.

Methods

In vivo anti-thrombosis assay was performed on rat model of arterial and venous thrombosis. In vivo anti-inflammation assay was performed on mouse model of xylene induced ear edema.

Results

At oral dose of 66.7 nmol/kg, 13-Cys-BBR, but not BBR, inhibited the rats to form both venous thrombus and arterial thrombus. At oral dose of 2 μmol/kg, 13-Cys-BBR, but not BBR, inhibited the ears of the mice to occur edema.

Conclusion

The anti-venous thrombosis activity, anti-arterial thrombosis activity and anti-inflammation activity of 13-Cys-BBR were significantly higher than those of BBR. 13-Cys-BBR is a promising preclinical candidate.

Cyclodextrin as a magic switch in covalent and non-covalent anticancer drug release systems

Cancer has been a threat to human health, so its treatment is a huge challenge to the present medical field. One of commonly used methods is the controlled release of anticancer drug to reduce the dose for patients, increase the stability of drug treatment and minimize side effects. Cyclodextrin is a kind of cyclic oligosaccharide produced by amylase hydrolysis. Because cyclodextrin contains a cavity structure and active hydroxyl groups, it has a positive effect on the study of the controlled release of anticancer drugs. This article reviews the controlled release of current anticancer drugs based on cyclodextrins as a "flexible switch", and discusses the classification of different types of release systems, highlighting their role in cancer treatment. Moreover, the opportunities and challenges of cyclodextrin as a magic switch in the controlled release of anticancer drugs are discussed.

Recent Advances in Berberine Inspired Anticancer Approaches: From Drug Combination to Novel Formulation Technology and Derivatization

Berberine is multifunctional natural product with potential to treat diverse pathological conditions. Its broad-spectrum anticancer effect through direct effect on cancer cell growth and metastasis have been established both in vitro and in vivo. The cellular targets that account to the anticancer effect of berberine are incredibly large and range from kinases (protein kinase B (Akt), mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), cell cycle checkpoint kinases, etc.) and transcription factors to genes and protein regulators of cell survival, motility and death. The direct effect of berberine in cancer cells is however relatively weak and occur at moderate concentration range (10–100 µM) in most cancer cells. The poor pharmacokinetics profile resulting from poor absorption, efflux by permeability-glycoprotein (P-gc) and extensive metabolism in intestinal and hepatic cells are other dimensions of berberine’s limitation as anticancer agent. This communication addresses the research efforts during the last two decades that were devoted to enhancing the anticancer potential of berberine. Strategies highlighted include using berberine in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents either to reduce toxic side effects or enhance their anticancer effects; the various novel formulation approaches which by order of magnitude improved the pharmacokinetics of berberine; and semisynthetic approaches that enhanced potency by up to 100-fold.

Heparin-Binding Copolymer as a Complete Antidote for Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins in Rats

Bleeding resulting from the application of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) may be treated with protamine sulfate, but this treatment lacks efficiency; its action against antifactor Xa activity is limited to ∼60%. Moreover, protamine sulfate can cause life-threatening hypersensitivity reactions. We developed diblock heparin-binding copolymer (HBC), which can neutralize the anticoagulant activity of parenteral anticoagulants. In the present study, we explored the safety profile of HBC and its potential to reverse enoxaparin, nadroparin, dalteparin, and tinzaparin in human plasma and at in vivo conditions. HBC-LMWH complexes were characterized using zeta potential, isothermal titration calorimetry, and dynamic light scattering. The rat cardiomyocytes and human endothelial cells were used for the assessment of in vitro toxicity. Male Wistar rats were observed for up to 4 days after HBC administration for clinical evaluation, gross necropsy, and biochemistry and histopathological analysis. Rats were treated with LMWHs alone or followed by short-time intravenous infusion of HBC, and bleeding time and antifactor Xa activity were measured. HBC completely reversed antifactor Xa activity prolonged in vitro by all LMWHs with an optimal weight ratio of 2.5:1. The complexes of HBC-LMWHs were below 5 µm. We observed no effects on the viability of cardiovascular cells treated with HBC at concentrations up to 0.05 mg/ml. Single doses up to 20 mg/kg of HBC were well tolerated by rats. HBC completely reversed the effects of LMWHs on bleeding time and antifactor Xa activity in vivo after 20 minutes and retained ∼80% and ∼60% of reversal activity after 1 and 2 hours, respectively. Well-documented efficacy and safety of HBC both in vitro and in vivo make this polymer a promising candidate for LMWHs reversal. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Over the last decade, there has been significant progress in developing antidotes for the reversal of anticoagulants. Until now, there has been no effective and safe treatment for patients with severe bleeding under low-molecular-weight heparin therapy. Based on our in vitro and in vivo studies, heparin-binding copolymer seems to be a promising candidate for neutralizing all clinically relevant low-molecular-weight heparins.

13-[CH2CO-Cys-(Bzl)-OBzl]-Berberine: Exploring The Correlation Of Anti-Tumor Efficacy With ROS And Apoptosis Protein

Background

The discovery of novel derivative of berberine (BBR) having higher anti-tumor activity in vivo is of clinical importance. In this profile, 13-[CH₂CO-Cys-(Bzl)-OBzl]-berberine (13-Cys-BBR) was prepared for related assays.

Purpose

The object of preparation and evaluation is to show the advantages of 13-Cys-BBR over BBR in both in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor actions, furthermore to correlate the proliferation of cancer cells with ROS formation and anti-apoptosis protein (XIAP) expression inside cancer cells.

Methods

Transwell chamber was used to simulate the intestinal and cell wall for bioavailability evaluation; MTT assay was used to evaluate the in vitro anti-proliferation activity; fluorescein isothiocyanate content was used to represent ROS level in HCT-8 cells; Western blot assay was used to quantify the expression of XIAP, caspase-3, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase in HCT-8 cells; and S180 mouse model was used to evaluate the in vivo anti-tumor activity.

Results

In vitro the IC₅₀ values (~15–40 μM) of 13-Cys-BBR against the proliferation of eight cancer cell lines were significantly lower than those of BBR (~25–140 μM); the content of ROS formed inside HCT-8 cells treated by 13-Cys-BBR was ~3.44-folds higher than that inside HCT-8 cells treated by BBR; the expression of XIAP in HCT-8 cells treated by 13-Cys-BBR was ~1.21-folds lower than that in HCT-8 cells treated by BBR; the tumor weight of S180 mice orally treated by 2 μmol/kg/day of 13-Cys-BBR (~1.5 g) was significantly lower than that of S180 mice orally treated by 2 μmol/kg/day of BBR (~2.5 g); and the active pocket of XIAP was more suitable for 13-Cys-BBR than for BBR.

Conclusion

The anti-tumor action correlates with ROS and apoptosis protein, which suggests 13-Cys-BBR is a promising candidate for preclinical study.