Promelanogenic Effects by an Annurca Apple-Based Natural Formulation in Human Primary Melanocytes

Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Genoprotective Effects of Callus Cultures Obtained from the Pulp of Malus pumila cv Miller (Annurca Campana Apple)

Apples are rich in phytochemicals useful for human health. However, environmental factors can greatly affect the accumulation of these compounds. To face this problem, the callus culture technique was used to obtain large quantities of phytochemicals. Specifically, two callus cultures were obtained from ripe Annurca apple pulp (Malus pumila cv Miller) and cultivated under different light conditions: darkness and an 18-h photoperiod. The hydro-alcoholic extracts from the calli underwent analysis using GC-MS, GC-FID, and HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn to determine the qualitative and quantitative content of phenolic and triterpenic acids. The study revealed the predominant presence of triterpenic compounds in both calli. Furthermore, we investigated their radical scavenging and antioxidant activities through DPPH, ABTS, ORAC assays, and lipoxygenase inhibition activity. Genoprotection was evaluated via nicking assay, and the anti-inflammatory effect was investigated via Griess assay on LPS-injured murine macrophages. All the analyses performed were compared with peel and pulp hydroalcoholic extracts. The results showed that both calli primarily show anti-inflammatory activity and moderate antioxidant effect and can protect DNA against oxidative stimuli. This data encouraged further research aimed at utilizing callus as a bioreactor to produce secondary metabolites for use in preventive and therapeutic applications to combat acute or chronic age-associated diseases.

An Exploratory In Vivo Study on the Effect of Annurca Apple Extract on Hair Growth in Mice

Hair loss is an important problem affecting the quality of life in modern society. Recent studies show that Annurca apple extract (AAE), enriched in procyanidin B2 and nutraceuticals, promotes hair growth and induces keratin production. In this study, we investigated the effects of AAE by orally administering AAE in six-week-old C57BL/6 mice once a day for 21 d. We observed improvement in hair length, thickness, weight, and density. The gene expression of two growth factors related to hair growth, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF-7), were measured using the quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The gene expression of both VEGFA and FGF-7 increased significantly in the AAE-treated group. Additionally, treatment with AAE suppressed the gene expression of type 1 5α-reductase. Histological analysis showed that protein levels of cytokeratin 5 and 10 were increased in the skin tissues of the AAE-treated group. These results suggest that AAE might be a potential therapeutic natural product that prevents hair loss by promoting the expression of hair growth-related factors.

Coupling Interrupted Fischer and Multicomponent Joullié-Ugi to Chase Chemical Diversity: from Batch to Sustainable Flow Synthesis of Peptidomimetics

The generation of peptidomimetic substructures for medicinal chemistry purposes requires effective and divergent synthetic methods. We present in this work an efficient flow process that allows quick modulation of reagents for Joullié-Ugi multicomponent reaction, using spiroindolenines as core motifs. This sterically hindered imine equivalent could successfully be diversified using various isocyanides and amino acids in generally good space-time yields. A telescoped flow process combining interrupted Fischer reaction for spiroindolenine synthesis and subsequent Joullié-Ugi-type modification resulted in product formation in very good overall yield in less than 2 hours compared to 48 hours required in batch mode. The developed protocol can be seen as a general tool for rapid and facile generation of peptidomimetic compounds. We also showcase preliminary biological assessments for the prepared compounds.

Introducing structure-based three-dimensional pharmacophore models for accelerating the discovery of selective BRD9 binders

A well-structured in silico workflow is here reported for disclosing structure-based pharmacophore models against bromodomain-containing protein 9 (BRD9), accelerating virtual screening campaigns and facilitating the identification of novel binders. Specifically, starting from 23 known ligands co-crystallized with BRD9, three-dimensional pharmacophore models, namely placed in a reference protein structure, were developed. Specifically, we here introduce a fragment-related pharmacophore model, useful for the identification of new promising small chemical probes targeting the protein region responsible of the acetyllysine recognition, and two further pharmacophore models useful for the selection of compounds featuring drug-like properties. A pharmacophore-driven virtual screening campaign was then performed to facilitate the selection of new selective BRD9 ligands, starting from a large library of commercially available molecules. The identification of a promising BRD9 binder (7) prompted us to re-iterate this computational workflow on a second focused in-house built library of synthesizable compounds and, eventually, three further novel BRD9 binders were disclosed (8-10). Moreover, all these compounds were tested among a panel comprising other nine bromodomains, showing a high selectivity for BRD9. Preclinical bioscreens for potential anticancer activity highlighted compound 7 as that showing the most promising biological effects, proving the reliability of this in silico pipeline and confirming the applicability of the here introduced structure-based three-dimensional (3D) pharmacophore models as straightforward tools for the selection of new BRD9 ligands.