Natural flavonols: actions, mechanisms, and potential therapeutic utility for various diseases

Investigation of the potential effects of estrogen receptor modulators on immune checkpoint molecules

Immune checkpoints regulate the immune system response. Recent studies suggest that flavonoids, known as phytoestrogens, may inhibit the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. We explored the potential of estrogens and 17 Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) as inhibiting ligands for immune checkpoint proteins (CTLA-4, PD-L1, PD-1, and CD80). Our docking studies revealed strong binding energy values for quinestrol, quercetin, and bazedoxifene, indicating their potential to inhibit PD-1 and CTLA-4. Quercetin and bazedoxifene, known to modulate EGFR and IL-6R alongside estrogen receptors, can influence the immune checkpoint functionality. We discuss the impact of SERMs on PD-1 and CTLA-4, suggesting that these SERMs could have therapeutic effects through immune checkpoint inhibition. This study highlights the potential of SERMs as inhibitory ligands for immune checkpoint proteins, emphasizing the importance of considering PD-1 and CTLA-4 inhibition when evaluating SERMs as therapeutic agents. Our findings open new avenues for cancer immunotherapy by exploring the interaction between various SERMs and immune checkpoint pathways.

Computational biology of antibody epitope, tunnels and pores analysis of protein glutathione S-transferase P, and quantum mechanics

Different tissues of various plants contain allelochemicals such as phenolics, flavonoids, etc., which exhibit antioxidants and protect the plants from harmful infections. The widespread group of plant allelochemicals in the ecosystem is phenolic compounds. They are substances composed of an aromatic hydrocarbon group and a hydroxyl group. The 3-Hydroxyflavone skeleton of flavonol has a phenolic and a hydroxyl substitution. A comparison of experimental and calculated data of FT-IR and Raman was studied for the vibrational assessment of these allelochemicals. PES scan and molecular geometry analysis are done for the conformation of the 3-Hydroxyflavone ligand. 3-Hydroxyflavone is docked with the three proteins of Homo sapiens such as Prothrombin with 622 amino acids synthesized in the liver, human neutrophils found within intracellular granules with 467 amino acids, Glutathione S-transferase P is produced from exogenous xenobiotics with 210 amino acids. The active site residues by using the Prothrombin (1A2C), Neutrophil collagenase (1A86), Glutathione S-transferase P(18 GS) protein with ligand 3-Hydroxyflavone, fair binding affinity was found for the Glutathione S-transferase P (18 GS). The MOLE online server web interface's ability to see and analyze tunnels and pores allows for simple, online interaction with bio-macromolecule investigation. The automatic transmembrane channel calculation on the MOLE web generates the quickest list of ligands for transport analysis and tunnel identification. Pore-forming proteins (PFPs) are recognized as crucial agents in immunity and infection. They target membranes by opening channels through them. ElliPro is thought to be a potentially effective method for identifying antibody epitopes in protein antigens. Molecular dynamics result the general time-dependent structural deviation/degree of similarity among the structures that the trajectory records. The epitope technique sought to examine the effectiveness of its web tool on linear and discontinuous epitopes known from the structures of antibodies of 18 GS with 3-Hydroxyflavone complexes and find effective scores.

Selective Recovery of Polyphenols from Discarded Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) Using Hot Pressurized Liquid Extraction Combined with Isopropanol as an Environmentally Friendly Solvent

The use of water-ethanol mixtures in hot pressurized liquid extraction (HPLE) to recover phenolic compounds from agro-industrial waste has been successfully investigated. However, the unresolved challenge of reducing solvent costs associated with the process hinders the scaling of this eco-friendly technology. This study evaluated the use of isopropanol as an alternative, lower-cost solvent for recovering polyphenols from discarded blueberries through the HPLE process. HPLE was carried out using water-isopropanol mixtures (0, 15 and 30%) at 70, 100, and 130 °C. The total polyphenol content (TPC), antioxidant capacity (DPPH and ORAC), glucose and fructose contents, and polyphenol profile of the extracts were determined. HPLE extracts obtained using high isopropanol concentrations (30%) and high temperatures (130 °C) presented the highest TPC (13.57 mg GAE/gdw) and antioxidant capacity (IC50: 9.97 mg/mL, ORAC: 246.47 µmol ET/gdw). Moreover, the use of 30% water-isopropanol resulted in higher yields of polyphenols and removal of reducing sugars compared to atmospheric extraction with water-acetone (60%). The polyphenolic profiles of the extracts showed that flavanols and phenolic acids were more soluble at high concentrations of isopropanol (30%). Contrarily, flavonols and stilbenes were better recovered with 15% isopropanol and pure water. Therefore, isopropanol could be a promising solvent for the selective recovery of different bioactive compounds from discarded blueberries and other agro-industrial residues.

Senolytic and senomorphic secondary metabolites as therapeutic agents in Drosophila melanogaster models of Parkinson's disease

Drosophila melanogaster is a valuable model organism for a wide range of biological exploration. The well-known advantages of D. melanogaster include its relatively simple biology, the ease with which it is genetically modified, the relatively low financial and time costs associated with their short gestation and life cycles, and the large number of offspring they produce per generation. D. melanogaster has facilitated the discovery of many significant insights into the pathology of Parkinson's disease (PD) and has served as an excellent preclinical model of PD-related therapeutic discovery. In this review, we provide an overview of the major D. melanogaster models of PD, each of which provide unique insights into PD-relevant pathology and therapeutic targets. These models are discussed in the context of their past, current, and future potential use for studying the utility of secondary metabolites as therapeutic agents in PD. Over the last decade, senolytics have garnered an exponential interest in their ability to mitigate a broad spectrum of diseases, including PD. Therefore, an emphasis is placed on the senolytic and senomorphic properties of secondary metabolites. It is expected that D. melanogaster will continue to be critical in the effort to understand and improve treatment of PD, including their involvement in translational studies focused on secondary metabolites.

The multifaceted role of quercetin derived from its mitochondrial mechanism

Quercetin is a flavonoid with promising therapeutic applications; nonetheless, the phenotype exerted in some diseases is contradictory. For instance, anticancer properties may be explained by a cytotoxic mechanism, whereas antioxidant-related neuroprotection is a pro-survival process. According to the available literature, quercetin exerts a redox interaction with the electron transport chain (ETC) in the mitochondrion, affecting its membrane potential. It also affects ATP generation by oxidative phosphorylation, where ATP deprivation could partly explain its cytotoxic effect. Moreover, quercetin may support the generation of free radicals through redox reactions, causing a prooxidant effect. The nutrimental stress and prooxidant effect induced by quercetin might promote pro-survival properties such as antioxidant processes. Thus, in this review, we discuss the evidence supporting that quercetin redox interaction with the ETC could explain its beneficial and toxic properties.

Phytochemical Profile and Composition of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): Varietal Differences and Effect of Germination under Elicited Conditions

Germination is a simple process that improves the nutritional and medicinal values of seeds such as chickpeas. However, the detailed analysis of the phytochemical profile after chemical elicitation during chickpea germination is indispensable when making inferences about its biological properties. Therefore, an evaluation was made of the effect of the chemical inducers salicylic acid (SA, 1 and 2 mM), chitosan (CH, 3.3 and 7 μM), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 20 and 30 mM) during germination at 25 °C with 70% RH for 4 days on the content of antinutritional and bioactive compounds, including phenolics, sterols, and saponins, in three Mexican chickpea varieties (Blanoro, Patron, and San Antonio) using UPLC-ELSD-ESI-QqQ-MS/MS, UPLC-DAD-ESI-QqQ-MS/MS, and HPLC-DAD-sQ-MS. The highest increase in phenolics and saponins was found in the Blanoro sprouts induced with SA 2 mM, whereas the highest phytosterol content was detected in San Antonio sprouts induced with CH 7 μM. In addition, significant increases in mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides and decreases in antinutritional contents were achieved after germination with most of the elicitation conditions. More importantly, we identified new compounds in chickpea sprouts, such as the lignans matairesinol and secoisolariciresinol, the phenolic compounds epicatechin gallate and methyl gallate, some phytosterols, and the saponin phaseoside 1, which further increased after chemical elicitation.