Future Directions for the Discovery of Natural Product-Derived Immunomodulating Drugs

Comprehensive experimental and computational analysis of endemic Allium tuncelianum: Phytochemical profiling, antimicrobial activity, and In silico studies for potential therapeutic applications

Allium tuncelianum (TG), an endemic garlic species from Tunceli, Turkey, was investigated using a multidisciplinary approach combining experimental and computational methods. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations with B3LYP/def2-SVP/def2-TZVP basis sets were employed to analyze electronic properties, reactivity, and stability under gas and ethanol conditions. Headspace/GC-MS identified 10 major components, with diallyl disulfide (48.03 %) and 1-propene (20.72 %) as predominant. Antimicrobial assays revealed potent activity against MRSA, Salmonella paratyphi A, and E. coli, with MIC values as low as 0.063 mg/mL. Antioxidant capacity, evaluated via DPPH, metal chelating, and FRAP assays, showed promising results, with the water extract exhibiting the highest activity (1.74 mg BHT equivalent/mL). DFT and molecular docking studies highlighted key compounds as potential inhibitors of E. coli Gyrase B, with binding energies of -5.68 and -6.07 kcal/mol. ADME predictions indicated favorable drug-like properties, though some compounds showed potential CYP450 interactions and toxicity. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of TG's biochemical profile and therapeutic potential, offering insights for future research and optimization.

NanoFlora: Unveiling the therapeutic potential of Ipomoea aquatica nanoparticles

INTRODUCTION

Improving the pharmacokinetics of drugs is achieved through nano formulations and the role of natural product in the synthesis of nanomaterials is gaining prominence due to its eco-friendly nature, cost-effectiveness, and demonstrated efficacy. Metal nanoparticles (NPs) derived from Ipomoea aquatica Forsskal have been synthesized and evaluated for their antioxidant and antidiabetic properties towards enhancing the anticancer activity of the plant extracts.

METHODOLOGY

Hydroalcoholic extract was obtained from the entire Ipomoea aquatica plant and utilized as a key ingredient in the green synthesis of metal NPs. The characterization of the synthesized NPs involved UV/visible and FT-IR spectroscopic analyses, along with particle size determination using Zetasizer technology. Antioxidant activity was assessed through DPPH radical scavenging assays, while antidiabetic potential was evaluated via alpha-amylase inhibitory activity using HPTLC bioautography.

RESULTS

The formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was confirmed by a color change from light brown to dark brown. UV-VIS spectrum analysis showed strong absorbance between 380 and 400 nm, with a peak at 428 nm, indicating successful synthesis via bioreduction by Ipomoea aquatica extract. FT-IR spectra revealed phytochemicals like flavonoids and proteins, with shifts in peak positions confirming AgNP formation. DLS showed an average particle size of 36.27 nm, and TEM images confirmed spherical morphology. The AgNPs exhibited significant antioxidant and antidiabetic activities, outperforming standards such as ascorbic acid and Glibenclamide. Toxicity prediction identified the extract as slightly toxic, guiding safe dose administration.

CONCLUSION

The study underscores the potential of plant-based nanoparticles in scavenging free radicals and supporting cytotoxicity, thus hinting at their potential role in cancer therapy. Moreover, the nanoparticles derived from Ipomoea aquatica exhibit promising antioxidant and antidiabetic activities compared to the crude plant extract. This research paves the way for further exploration of Ipomoea aquatica nanoparticles as a novel therapeutic intervention for various diseases.

Advances in bioinformatic methods for the acceleration of the drug discovery from nature

BACKGROUND

Drug discovery from nature has a long, ethnopharmacologically-based background. Today, natural resources are undeniably vital reservoirs of active molecules or drug leads. Advances in (bio)informatics and computational biology emphasized the role of herbal medicines in the drug discovery pipeline.

PURPOSE

This review summarizes bioinformatic approaches applied in recent drug discovery from nature.

STUDY DESIGN

It examines advancements in molecular networking, pathway analysis, network pharmacology within a systems biology framework and AI for assessing the therapeutic potential of herbal preparations.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted using Pubmed, SciFinder, and Google Database. Obtained data was analyzed and organized in subsections: AI, systems biology integrative approach, network pharmacology, pathway analysis, molecular networking, structure-based virtual screening.

RESULTS

Bioinformatic approaches is now essential for high-throughput data analysis in drug target identification, mechanism-based drug discovery, drug repurposing and side-effects prediction. Large datasets obtained from "omics" approaches require bioinformatic calculations to unveil interactions, and patterns in disease-relevant conditions. These tools enable databases annotations, pattern-matching, connections discovery, molecular relationship exploration, and data visualisation.

CONCLUSION

Despite the complexity of plant metabolites, bioinformatic approaches assist in characterization of herbal preparations and selection of bioactive molecule. It is perceived as powerful tool for uncovering multi-target effects and potential molecular mechanisms of compounds. By integrating multiple networks that connect gene-disease, drug-target and gene-drug-target, drug discovery from natural sources is experiencing a remarkable comeback.

Natural product extract fractions as potential arthritis treatments: A detailed analysis using in-silico, in-vivo, and in-vitro methods

Two characteristics of the systemic autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis (RA) include extra-articular involvement and inflammatory arthritis. It is a long-term inflammatory condition that mostly affects the synovial joints and is often triggered by a confluence of environmental factors, including tobacco use, and genetics. The review investigates natural products' role in arthritis through three key approaches. In-silico analysis identifies molecular mechanisms and targets of these products, revealing their potential for therapeutic use. In-vivo studies evaluate how well these products work and their safety in reducing joint inflammation. In-vitro studies focus on how these compounds interact at the cellular level and their effects on signaling pathways. Together, these approaches offer a comprehensive understanding of how natural products could benefit arthritis management. This review focuses on translational studies and highlights the possible role of natural compounds as adjunctive therapies to conventional arthritis treatments. In conclusion, this study indicates that natural products have potential advantages in treating osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis based on in-silico analysis which shows anti-inflammatory effects, in-vivo studies that reduce joint inflammation, and in-vitro studies that amplify arthritis management. To improve the therapeutic advantages of natural products utilized for treating arthritis, an all-inclusive examination has been done to give direction for the following research efforts.

Pseudoalteromonas agarivorans-derived novel ulvan lyase of polysaccharide lyase family 40: Potential application of ulvan and partially hydrolyzed products in cosmetic industry

Ulvan is a complex sulfated polysaccharide in the cell walls of green algae with extensive applications in food, pharmaceutical, and agricultural industries, prompting extensive studies on ulvan, its oligosaccharides, monosaccharides, and cost-effective depolymerization methods. Our primary objectives were to investigate novel ulvan-utilizing marine bacteria, perform recombinant engineering of genes responsible for ulvan depolymerization, and determine their potential industrial applications. Samples were collected from Jeju Island, which is a South Korean region with significant excessive green algal growth, especially that of Ulva species. The marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas agarivorans efficiently uses ulvan as its primary carbon source, indicating its potential for ulvan degradation. Through whole-genome sequencing the paul40 gene, which is a polysaccharide lyase family 40 (PL40) member, was identified and subsequently engineered into the pET-16b vector for expression as a His-tagged 95 kDa fusion protein. The ulvan depolymerization process was evaluated and confirmed using various analytical techniques including dinitrosalicylic acid assay, thin-layer chromatography, and gel permeation chromatography. Optimal enzyme activity occurred at 35°C, pH 8.0 in phosphate buffer, and 2.5 mM of NaCl. Furthermore, enzyme characterization and specific activity measurements were performed. This study is the first to report hyaluronidase and elastase inhibition by ulvan and its derivatives along with the characterization of an ulvan lyase enzyme from the PL40 family.

ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY

This study reports the identification and recombinant expression of a novel ulvan-degrading enzyme from Pseudoalteromonas agarivorans, demonstrating its potential for cosmetic industrial applications by revealing ulvan's and partially hydrolyzed ulvan's hyaluronidase and elastase inhibition properties.

GC-MS Analysis, Neuropharmacological, and Antidiarrheal Activities of the Acetone Extract of Najas gracillima Seaweed: In Vivo and In Silico Study

Najas gracillima, a marine seaweed found in North America and Asia, was investigated for its neuropharmacological and antidiarrheal properties. Acetone extracts of N. gracillima (ANG) were analyzed using both in vivo and in silico methods. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was conducted to identify bioactive compounds present in the extract. In vivo assessments, including the elevated plus maze, light-dark box, and hole board tests, showed that ANG at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg exhibited significant (p < 0.001) anxiolytic effects. Both doses also demonstrated antidepressant effects in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests by significantly (p < 0.001) reducing immobility time, with the 200 mg/kg dose showing more pronounced effects. Sedative activity was confirmed through open field and hole cross tests, where both doses exhibited significant (p < 0.001) sedative effects. ANG also demonstrated significant antidiarrheal effects at 400 mg/kg in castor oil-induced diarrhea (p < 0.05) and gastrointestinal motility tests (p < 0.01). Molecular docking simulations revealed that compounds from ANG had strong binding affinities to critical drug targets involved in anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and diarrhea. These findings suggest that N. gracillima holds potential for therapeutic use in treating neuropharmacological disorders and diarrhea, warranting further investigation.

Production of marine-derived bioactive peptide molecules for industrial applications: A reverse engineering approach

This review examines a wide range of marine microbial-derived bioactive peptide molecules, emphasizing the significance of reverse engineering in their production. The discussion encompasses the advancements in Marine Natural Products (MNPs) bio-manufacturing through the integration of omics-driven microbial engineering and bioinformatics. The distinctive features of non-ribosomally synthesised peptides (NRPs), and ribosomally synthesised precursor peptides (RiPP) biosynthesis is elucidated and presented. Additionally, the article delves into the origins of common peptide modifications. It highlights various genome mining approaches for the targeted identification of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs) and novel RiPP and NRPs-derived peptides. The review aims to demonstrate the advancements, prospects, and obstacles in engineering both RiPP and NRP biosynthetic pathways.

Phytochemicals in Parkinson's Disease: a Pathway to Neuroprotection and Personalized Medicine

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder marked by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. While current treatments primarily manage symptoms, there is increasing interest in alternative approaches, particularly the use of phytochemicals from medicinal plants. These natural compounds have demonstrated promising neuroprotective potential in preclinical studies by targeting key pathological mechanisms such as oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and protein aggregation. However, the clinical translation of these phytochemicals is limited due to a lack of robust clinical trials evaluating their safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the neuroprotective potential of phytochemicals in PD management, examining the mechanisms underlying PD pathogenesis and emphasizing neuroprotection. It explores the historical and current research on medicinal plants like Mucuna pruriens, Curcuma longa, and Ginkgo biloba, and discusses the challenges in clinical translation, including ethical and practical considerations and the integration with conventional therapies. It further underscores the need for future research to elucidate mechanisms of action, optimize drug delivery, and conduct rigorous clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of phytochemicals, aiming to shape future neuroprotective strategies and develop more effective, personalized treatments for PD.

Computational investigations of potential inhibitors of monkeypox virus envelope protein E8 through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency, as there is no specific therapeutics for monkeypox virus (MPXV) disease. This study focused on docking various commercial drugs and plant-derived compounds against the E8 envelope protein crucial for MPXV attachment and pathogenesis. The target protein structure was modeled based on the vaccinia virus D8L protein. Notably, maraviroc and punicalagin emerged as potential ligands, with punicalagin exhibiting higher binding affinity (- 9.1 kcal/mol) than maraviroc (- 7.8 kcal/mol). Validation through 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulations demonstrated increased stability of the E8-punicalagin complex, with lower RMSD, RMSF, and Rg compared to maraviroc. Enhanced hydrogen bonding, lower solvent accessibility, and compact motions also attributed to higher binding affinity and stability of the complex. MM-PBSA calculations revealed van der Waals, electrostatic, and non-polar solvation as principal stabilizing energies. The binding energy decomposition per residue favored stable interactions between punicalagin and the protein's active site residues (Arg20, Phe56, Glu228, Tyr232) compared to maraviroc. Overall study suggests that punicalagin can act as a potent inhibitor against MPXV. Further research and experimental investigations are warranted to validate its efficacy and safety.

Antibacterial, antidiabetic and antioxidant bioevaluation of Calamus leptospadix Griff. and isolation of a flavan type compound

The plant based natural products have always been a rich source of bioactive molecules for drug discovery. The tender shoots of Calamus leptospadix Griff., an edible medicinal plant was extracted using methanol, water and ethanol as three different solvents to study the effect of the extracting solvents and temperature on their antioxidant, antidiabetic and antibacterial properties and total phenolic and flavonoid contents. The antioxidant properties were determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The α-glucosidase inhibitory assay was carried out to determine the antidiabetic potential. The antibacterial properties of the extracts were determined against four strains of bacterial species viz. Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Citrobacter freundii using Broth macro dilution method. The methanolic extracts of the plant were found to possess the highest total phenolic and total flavonoid contents. In the antioxidant assays, the cold methanolic extract was found to exhibit the highest DDPH radical scavenging activity and ferric-reducing antioxidant power. In the antidiabetic assay, the extract exhibited better α-glucosidase inhibitory potential than that of the positive control acarbose. It was also found to be effective against both gram-positive and gram-negative strains in the antibacterial assay. A flavan-type compound 4-(5,7-dimethoxychroman-2-yl)phenol was isolated from the most bioactive cold methanolic extract of the plant and characterised from its XRD, 1H and 13C NMR, HRMS and IR data.

Immunomodulatory Compounds from the Sea: From the Origins to a Modern Marine Pharmacopoeia

From sea shores to the abysses of the deep ocean, marine ecosystems have provided humanity with valuable medicinal resources. The use of marine organisms is discussed in ancient pharmacopoeias of different times and geographic regions and is still deeply rooted in traditional medicine. Thanks to present-day, large-scale bioprospecting and rigorous screening for bioactive metabolites, the ocean is coming back as an untapped resource of natural compounds with therapeutic potential. This renewed interest in marine drugs is propelled by a burgeoning research field investigating the molecular mechanisms by which newly identified compounds intervene in the pathophysiology of human diseases. Of great clinical relevance are molecules endowed with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties with emerging applications in the management of chronic inflammatory disorders, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Here, we review the historical development of marine pharmacology in the Eastern and Western worlds and describe the status of marine drug discovery. Finally, we discuss the importance of conducting sustainable exploitation of marine resources through biotechnology.

Revisiting edible insects as sources of therapeutics and drug delivery systems for cancer therapy

Cancer has been medicine's most formidable foe for long, and the rising incidence of the disease globally has made effective cancer therapy a significant challenge. Drug discovery is targeted at identifying efficacious compounds with minimal side effects and developments in nanotechnology and immunotherapy have shown promise in the fight against this complicated illness. Since ancient times, insects and insect-derived products have played a significant role in traditional medicine across several communities worldwide. The aim of this study was to inspect the traditional use of edible insects in various cultures and to explore their modern use in cancer therapy. Edible insects are sources of nutrients and a variety of beneficial substances with anticancer and immunomodulatory potential. Recently, insect derived bioactive-components have also been used as nanoparticles either in combination with chemotherapeutics or as a nano-cargo for the enhanced delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs due to their high biocompatibility, low bio-toxicity, and their antioxidant and anticancer effects. The crude extracts of different edible insects and their active components such as sericin, cecropin, solenopsin, melittin, antimicrobial peptides and fibroin produce anti-cancer and immunomodulatory effects by various mechanisms which have been discussed in this review.

Bioactive alkaloids from the venom of Dendrobatoidea Cope, 1865: a scoping review

Bioactive compounds derived from secondary metabolism in animals have refined selectivity and potency for certain biological targets. The superfamily Dendrobatoidea is adapted to the dietary sequestration and secretion of toxic alkaloids, which play a role in several biological activities, and thus serve as a potential source for pharmacological and biotechnological applications. This article constitutes a scoping review to understand the trends in experimental research involving bioactive alkaloids derived from Dendrobatoidea based upon scientometric approaches. Forty-eight (48) publications were found in 30 journals in the period of 60 years, between 1962 and 2022. More than 23 structural classes of alkaloids were cited, with 27.63% for batrachotoxins, 13.64% for pyridinics, with an emphasis on epibatidine, 16.36% for pumiliotoxins, and 11.82% for histrionicotoxins. These tests included in vivo (54.9%), in vitro (39.4%), and in silico simulations (5.6%). Most compounds (54.8%) were isolated from skin extracts, whereas the remainder were obtained through molecular synthesis. Thirteen main biological activities were identified, including acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (27.59%), sodium channel inhibitors (12.07%), cardiac (12.07%), analgesic (8.62%), and neuromuscular effects (8.62%). The substances were cited as being of natural origin in the "Dendrobatidae" family, genus "Phyllobates," "Dendrobates," and seven species: Epipedobates tricolor, Phyllobates aurotaenia, Oophaga histrionica, Oophaga pumilio, Phyllobates terribilis, Epipedobates anthonyi, and Ameerega flavopicta. To date, only a few biological activities have been experimentally tested; hence, further studies on the bioprospecting of animal compounds and ecological approaches are needed.

Anthocyanins as Immunomodulatory Dietary Supplements: A Nutraceutical Perspective and Micro-/Nano-Strategies for Enhanced Bioavailability

Anthocyanins (ACNs) have attracted considerable attention for their potential to modulate the immune system. Research has revealed their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which play a crucial role in immune regulation by influencing key immune cells, such as lymphocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. Moreover, ACNs contribute towards maintaining a balance between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, thus promoting immune health. Beyond their direct effects on immune cells, ACNs significantly impact gut health and the microbiota, essential factors in immune regulation. Emerging evidence suggests that they positively influence the composition of the gut microbiome, enhancing their immunomodulatory effects. Furthermore, these compounds synergize with other bioactive substances, such as vitamins and minerals, further enhancing their potential as immune-supporting dietary supplements. However, detailed clinical studies must fully validate these findings and determine safe dosages across varied populations. Incorporating these natural compounds into functional foods or supplements could revolutionize the management of immune-related conditions. Personalized nutrition and healthcare strategies may be developed to enhance overall well-being and immune resilience by fully understanding the mechanisms underlying the actions of their components. Recent advancements in delivery methods have focused on improving the bioavailability and effectiveness of ACNs, providing promising avenues for future applications.

Algae-Derived Natural Products in Diabetes and Its Complications-Current Advances and Future Prospects

Diabetes poses a significant global health challenge, necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies. Natural products and their derivatives have emerged as promising candidates for diabetes management due to their diverse compositions and pharmacological effects. Algae, in particular, have garnered attention for their potential as a source of bioactive compounds with anti-diabetic properties. This review offers a comprehensive overview of algae-derived natural products for diabetes management, highlighting recent developments and future prospects. It underscores the pivotal role of natural products in diabetes care and delves into the diversity of algae, their bioactive constituents, and underlying mechanisms of efficacy. Noteworthy algal derivatives with substantial potential are briefly elucidated, along with their specific contributions to addressing distinct aspects of diabetes. The challenges and limitations inherent in utilizing algae for therapeutic interventions are examined, accompanied by strategic recommendations for optimizing their effectiveness. By addressing these considerations, this review aims to chart a course for future research in refining algae-based approaches. Leveraging the multifaceted pharmacological activities and chemical components of algae holds significant promise in the pursuit of novel antidiabetic treatments. Through continued research and the fine-tuning of algae-based interventions, the global diabetes burden could be mitigated, ultimately leading to enhanced patient outcomes.

Efficacy and Key Materials of East Asian Herbal Medicine Combined with Conventional Medicine on Inflammatory Skin Lesion in Patients with Psoriasis Vulgaris: A Meta-Analysis, Integrated Data Mining, and Network Pharmacology

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that places a great burden on both individuals and society. The use of East Asian herbal medicine (EAHM) in combination with conventional medications is emerging as an effective strategy to control the complex immune-mediated inflammation of this disease from an integrative medicine (IM) perspective. The safety and efficacy of IM compared to conventional medicine (CM) were evaluated by collecting randomized controlled trial literature from ten multinational research databases. We then searched for important key materials based on integrated drug data mining. Network pharmacology analysis was performed to predict the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effect. Data from 126 randomized clinical trials involving 11,139 patients were used. Compared with CM, IM using EAHM showed significant improvement in the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 60 (RR: 1.4280; 95% CI: 1.3783-1.4794; p < 0.0001), PASI score (MD: -3.3544; 95% CI: -3.7608 to -2.9481; p < 0.0001), inflammatory skin lesion outcome, quality of life, serum inflammatory indicators, and safety index of psoriasis. Through integrated data mining of intervention data, we identified four herbs that were considered to be representative of the overall clinical effects of IM: Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) DC., Isatis tinctoria subsp. athoa (Boiss.) Papan., Paeonia × suffruticosa Andrews, and Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. They were found to have mechanisms to inhibit pathological keratinocyte proliferation and immune-mediated inflammation, which are major pathologies of psoriasis, through multiple pharmacological actions on 19 gene targets and 8 pathways in network pharmacology analysis. However, the quality of the clinical trial design and pharmaceutical quality control data included in this study is still not optimal; therefore, more high-quality clinical and non-clinical studies are needed to firmly validate the information explored in this study. This study is informative in that it presents a focused hypothesis and methodology for the value and direction of such follow-up studies.

Recent bioanalytical methods for the isolation of bioactive natural products from genus Codonopsis

INTRODUCTION

Chromatography and spectroscopy are nowadays well-validated techniques allowing to isolate and purify different class of natural products from the genus Codonopsis. Several categories of phytochemicals with drug like properties have been selectively extracted, isolated, characterised by this methodology.

OBJECTIVES

The present review aims to provide up-to-date and comprehensive information on the chromatography, phytochemistry and pharmacology of natural products of Codonopsis with an emphasis on the search for natural products having various biological activities and the semi-synthetic derivatives of bioactive ones and to highlight current gaps in knowledge.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature search was performed in the SciFinder Scholar, PubMed, Medline, and Scopus databases.

RESULTS

During the period covered in this review, several classes of compounds have been reported from genus Codonopsis. Codonopsis pilosula and Codonopsis lanceolata are the most popular in the genus especially as per phytochemical and bioactive studies. Phytochemical investigation demonstrates that Codonopsis species contain mainly xanthones, flavonoids, alkaloids, polyacetylenes, phenylpropanoids, triterpenoids and polysaccharides, which contribute to numerous bioactivities. The major bioactive compounds isolated were used for semi-synthetic modification to increase the chance to discover lead compound.

CONCLUSIONS

It can be concluded that genus Codonopsis has been used as traditional medicines and food materials around the world over years due to chemical constituents with diverse structural types, exhibiting extensive pharmacological activities in immune system, blood system, cardiovascular system, central nervous system, digestive system, and so forth, with almost no obvious toxicity and side effect. Therefore, Codonopsis can be used as a promising ethnopharmacological plant source.

Optimizing drug discovery using multitasking models for quantitative structure-biological effect relationships: an update of the literature

INTRODUCTION

Drug discovery has provided modern societies with the means to fight against many diseases. In this sense, computational methods have been at the forefront, playing an important role in rationalizing the search for novel drugs. Yet, tackling phenomena such as the multi-genic nature of diseases and drug resistance are limitations of the current computational methods. Multi-tasking models for quantitative structure-biological effect relationships (mtk-QSBER) have emerged to overcome such limitations.

AREAS COVERED

The present review describes an update on the fundamentals and applications of the mtk-QSBER models as tools to accelerate multiple stages/substages of the drug discovery process.

EXPERT OPINION

Computational approaches are extremely important for the rationalization of the search for novel and efficacious therapeutic agents. However, they need to focus more on the multi-target drug discovery paradigm. In this sense, mtk-QSBER models are particularly suited for multi-target drug discovery, offering encouraging opportunities across multiple therapeutic areas and scientific disciplines associated with drug discovery.

Practical Considerations for Next-Generation Adjuvant Development and Translation

Over the last several years, there has been increased interest from academia and the pharmaceutical/biotech industry in the development of vaccine adjuvants for new and emerging vaccine modalities. Despite this, vaccine adjuvant development still has some of the longest timelines in the pharmaceutical space, from discovery to clinical approval. The reasons for this are manyfold and range from complexities in translation from animal to human models, concerns about safety or reactogenicity, to challenges in sourcing the necessary raw materials at scale. In this review, we will describe the current state of the art for many adjuvant technologies and how they should be approached or applied in the development of new vaccine products. We postulate that there are many factors to be considered and tools to be applied earlier on in the vaccine development pipeline to improve the likelihood of clinical success. These recommendations may require a modified approach to some of the common practices in new product development but would result in more accessible and practical adjuvant-containing products.

5-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione derivatives of brefeldin A: Design, synthesis and cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells

27 novel 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3H-1,2-dithiole-3-thione derivatives of brefeldin A were designed and synthesized to make them more conducive to the cancer treatment. The antiproliferative activity of all the target compounds was tested against six human cancer cell lines and one human normal cell line. Compound 10d exhibited nearly the most potent cytotoxicity with IC₅₀ values of 0.58, 0.69, 1.82, 0.85, 0.75, 0.33 and 1.75 μM against A549, DU-145, A375, HeLa, HepG2, MDA-MB-231 and L-02 cell lines. Moreover, 10d inhibited metastasis and induced apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The potent anticancer effects of 10d were prompted based on the aforementioned results, the therapeutic potential of 10d for breast cancer was worth further exploration.

Multicomponent Reaction-Assisted Drug Discovery: A Time- and Cost-Effective Green Approach Speeding Up Identification and Optimization of Anticancer Drugs

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) have emerged as a powerful strategy in synthetic organic chemistry due to their widespread applications in drug discovery and development. MCRs are flexible transformations in which three or more substrates react to form structurally complex products with high atomic efficiency. They are being increasingly appreciated as a highly exploratory and evolutionary tool by the medicinal chemistry community, opening the door to more sustainable, cost-effective and rapid synthesis of biologically active molecules. In recent years, MCR-based synthetic strategies have found extensive application in the field of drug discovery, and several anticancer drugs have been synthesized through MCRs. In this review, we present an overview of representative and recent literature examples documenting different approaches and applications of MCRs in the development of new anticancer drugs.

Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Siebold leaf extract enhanced immunostimulatory effects in a cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed rat model

Background

Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Siebold (EA) is a medicinal plant used in some Asian countries to treat various diseases, including cancer, hyperglycemia, diabetes, urticaria, dysmenorrhea, and arthritis. Owing to the wide range of pharmacological applications of EA, various roles of EA are being studied.

Objective

We evaluated the immune-enhancing effect of EA treatment in a cyclophosphamide (Cy)-induced immunosuppressed rat model.

Design

We analyzed the immune enhancement effect of EA on macrophages by western blotting. In addition, cell viability and natural killer (NK) cell activity were analyzed in splenocytes following EA treatment. For in vivo studies, analysis of weekly body weight, spleen weight, immune cell count, cytokine levels, and spleen histological findings was performed following EA administration in Cy-induced immunocompromised rats.

Results

EA significantly increased cell viability and phospho-nuclear factor-kappa B and phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase protein levels in the macrophages. EA significantly increased NK cell activity in splenocytes compared with the control group. In Cy-induced immunosuppressed rats, EA administration increased spleen tissue weight and the contents of leukocytes, lymphocytes, granulocytes, intermediate cells, and plasma cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ). In addition, improvement in the damaged spleen tissue was observed.

Conclusions

These findings confirm that EA exerts an immune-enhancing effect, thereby suggesting its potential as an immunostimulatory agent or functional food.

Effect of individual substances isolated from Silene jeniseensis Willd on the state of the main links of immunity at experimental immune deficiency

Introduction. The search, development and introduction of new drugs with an immunotropic effect are one of the priority tasks of modern immunopharmacology. Numerous studies have proven the immunotropic activity of individual substances isolated from medicinal plants (flavonoids, polysaccharides, ecdysteroids, terpenoids, etc.). In the present study, it is of interest to determine the immunomodulatory effect of individual substances isolated from Silene jeniseensis Willd.The aim of the study. Determination of the immunomodulatory activity of individual substances isolated from Silene jeniseensis: flavonoid isoorientin-2”-O-rhamnoside, polysaccharide arabino-3.6-galactan and ecdysteroid 20-hydroxyecdysone under conditions of cyclophosphamide induced experimental immunosuppression.Methods. Experiments were carried out on F1 (CBAxC57Bl/6) mice. Immunodeficiency was modeled by intraperitoneal administration of cyclophosphamide to control group animals in the dose 250 mg/kg once. Experimental groups of mice received the test substances intragastrically once a day for 14 days against the background of immunosuppression in the following doses: isoorientin-2”-O-rhamnoside – 10 mg/ kg, arabino-3.6-galactan – 3 mg/kg, 20-hydroxyecdysone – 3 mg/kg. The effect of substances on cellular immunity was determined in a delayed hypersensitivity reaction, humoral immunity was determined in an antibody formation reaction by local hemolysis according to A.J. Cunningham. The phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages was studied in relation to colloidal ink particles.Results. With the introduction of isoorientin-2”-O-rhamnoside, arabino-3.6-galactan and 20-hydroxyecdysone in experimental animals, there was an increase in the index of delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction by 1.3–1.4 times, the absolute and relative number of antibody-forming cells by 1.4–1.7 times, phagocytic index by 1.2–1.5 times compared with the data in the control group, which indicates the leveling of the suppressive effect of cyclophosphamide on cell-mediated immune response, antibody genesis and phagocytosis of macrophages.Conclusion. Isoorientin-2”-O-rhamnoside and arabino-3.6-galactan have the most pronounced immunomodulatory effect. The obtained data allow us to consider the studied substances as promising plant immunomodulators.

Progress and Impact of Latin American Natural Product Databases

Natural products (NPs) are a rich source of structurally novel molecules, and the chemical space they encompass is far from being fully explored. Over history, NPs have represented a significant source of bioactive molecules and have served as a source of inspiration for developing many drugs on the market. On the other hand, computer-aided drug design (CADD) has contributed to drug discovery research, mitigating costs and time. In this sense, compound databases represent a fundamental element of CADD. This work reviews the progress toward developing compound databases of natural origin, and it surveys computational methods, emphasizing chemoinformatic approaches to profile natural product databases. Furthermore, it reviews the present state of the art in developing Latin American NP databases and their practical applications to the drug discovery area.

Naming of new natural products: Standard, pitfalls and tips-and-tricks

Naming a newly discovered natural product (NP) is a pleasant but difficult exercise. In most cases, the NP name will be given with reference to the species of origin, be it a plant, a marine organism, a mammalian or microbial species. For a long time, the use of biologically-based trivial names has been recommended to identify the parental linkage between the product and the originating genus or species. But the recommendation is not always followed and a multiplicity of trivial names have been attributed to NP, based on locations (country, region, city), foods, music, animals, forenames, etc. Tips-and-tricks associated with the naming of NP are underlined here. Usually, NP are differentiated across a homogeneous chemical series with a letter (from the Latin or Greek alphabet), followed or not with a number. In other cases, the change of a single letter distinguishes a series of NP. Common pitfalls associated with the naming of NP are enumerated, including the complexity of names, use of synonyms, duplicated names, confusing names and inappropriate terminology. The difficulties regularly encountered with the naming of NP are discussed. Four essential recommendations are recalled: (i) a thorough analysis of the existing products to avoid duplicated names and confusion, (ii) the use of a biologically-based trivial name to retrace the origin of the product, (iii) the strict adherence to the codes of chemical nomenclature, and (iv) the preference for simple names to facilitate transmission. Naming a new NP is a rewarding task, which shall be performed with all due skill, care and diligence.

Natural Therapeutics in Aid of Treating Alzheimer's Disease: A Green Gateway Toward Ending Quest for Treating Neurological Disorders

The current scientific community is facing a daunting challenge to unravel reliable natural compounds with realistic potential to treat neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The reported compounds/drugs mostly synthetic deemed the reliability and therapeutic potential largely due to their complexity and off-target issues. The natural products from nutraceutical compounds emerge as viable preventive therapeutics to fill the huge gap in treating neurological disorders. Considering that Alzheimer's disease is a multifactorial disease, natural compounds offer the advantage of a multitarget approach, tagging different molecular sites in the human brain, as compared with the single-target activity of most of the drugs so far used to treat Alzheimer's disease. A wide range of plant extracts and phytochemicals reported to possess the therapeutic potential to Alzheimer's disease includes curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, morin, delphinidins, quercetin, luteolin, oleocanthal, and other phytochemicals such as huperzine A, limonoids, and azaphilones. Reported targets of these natural compounds include inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, amyloid senile plaques, oxidation products, inflammatory pathways, specific brain receptors, etc. We tenaciously aimed to review the in-depth potential of natural products and their therapeutic applications against Alzheimer's disease, with a special focus on a diversity of medicinal plants and phytocompounds and their mechanism of action against Alzheimer's disease pathologies. We strongly believe that the medicinal plants and phytoconstituents alone or in combination with other compounds would be effective treatments against Alzheimer's disease with lesser side effects as compared to currently available treatments.

Triterpenoids as Reactive Oxygen Species Modulators of Cell Fate

The triterpenoid natural products have played an important role in understanding mechanistic models of human diseases. These natural products are diverse, but many have been characterized as reactive oxygen species (ROS) modulators. ROS can regulate cell survival and function, which ultimately affects biological processes leading to disease. The triterpenoids offer an untapped source of creativity to generate tool compounds with high selectivity to regulate ROS. This brief Review highlights the diverse complexity by which these secondary metabolites induce many cell death modalities (apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, etc.) that can affect various complex cell signaling pathways through ROS and ultimately lead to evading or accelerating cell death.

Plant in vitro cultures: A promising and emerging technology for the feasible production of antidiabetic metabolites in Caralluma tuberculata

Caralluma tuberculata, a medicinal and edible plant of the genus Caralluma, belongs to the family Asclepiadaceae. Traditionally, its succulent stems are used as folk medicine for life-threatening diabetes mellitus (DM) disease. Its antidiabetic potential is ascribed to the presence of various secondary metabolites (e.g., pregnane glycosides, flavone glycosides, megastigmane glycosides, polyphenols, ferulic acid, quercetin, and bitter principles, among others) that act as effective and safe antidiabetic agents. The mechanisms of these bioactive secondary metabolites in C. tuberculata herbal medicine include lowering the blood glucose level, stimulating B cells of the pancreas to release more insulin, enhancing the sensitivity of the insulin receptor, inhibiting the action of glucagon and the hydrolysis of glycogen, and increasing the use of glucose in tissues and organ. However, overexploitation, alterations in natural environmental conditions, lower seed viability, and slow growth rate are responsible for the extinction of species from natural habitats, then becoming critically endangered species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List categories. Therefore, its limited availability does not meet the higher worldwide market demand of C. tuberculata as an antidiabetic drug. Thus, for its conservation and sustainable utilization, researchers across the globe are working on devising strategies to conserve and improve biomass along with the secondary metabolite profiles of C. tuberculata using in vitro approaches. The current review describes the recent progress on antidiabetic phytoconstituents, their cellular mechanisms, and their subsequent clinical outcomes in the drug discovery management of DM. Moreover, in vitro methods such as callus culture, micropropagation, and nano-elicitation strategies for conserving and producing bioactive secondary metabolites have been concisely reviewed and discussed.