Modeling Kaempferol as a Potential Pharmacological Agent for COVID-19/PF Co-Occurrence Based on Bioinformatics and System Pharmacological Tools

Inhibitory effect of food-functioned phytochemicals on dysregulated inflammatory pathways triggered by SARS-CoV-2: a mechanistic review

Inflammatory cascades of the dysregulated inflammatory pathways in COVID-19 can cause excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines leading to cytokine storm syndrome (CSS). The molecular cascades involved in the pathways may be targeted for discovery of new anti-inflammatory agents. Many plant extracts have been used clinically in the management of COVID-19, however, their immunosuppressive activities were mainly investigated based on in silico activity. Dietary flavonoids of the extracts such as quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, naringenin, isorhamnetin, baicalein, wogonin, and rutin were commonly identified as responsible for their inhibitory effects. The present review critically analyzes the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of phytochemicals, including dietary compounds against cytokine storm (CS) and hyperinflammation via inhibition of the altered inflammatory pathways triggered by SARS-CoV-2, published since the emergence of COVID-19 in December 2019. Only a few phytochemicals, mainly dietary compounds such as nanocurcumin, melatonin, quercetin, 6-shagoal, kaempferol, resveratrol, andrographolide, and colchicine have been investigated either in in silico or preliminary clinical studies to evaluate their anti-inflammatory effects against COVID-19. Sufficient pre-clinical studies on safety and efficacy of anti-inflammatory effects of the phytochemicals must be performed prior to proper clinical studies to develop them into therapeutic adjuvants in the prevention and treatmemt of COVID-19 symptoms.

Identification of active compounds in Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) willd by targeted metabolome MRM and kaempferol promotes HaCaT cell proliferation and reduces oxidative stress

Introduction: Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Willd. is a traditional treatment for vitiligo in Xinjiang. However, its therapeutic mechanism remains unclear owing to its complex composition and limited research on its chemical profile. Methods: We employed a targeted metabolome approach, combining selective reaction monitoring/multiple response monitoring (SRM/MRM) with high-performance liquid chromatography and MRM mass spectrometry to quantitatively analyze the flavonoid constituents of Vernonia anthelmintica. We also used network pharmacology and molecular docking to identify potential vitiligo-linked compounds and targets of V. anthelmintica seeds. Additionally, we assessed HaCaT cell proliferation by AAPH-induced, alongside changes in SOD activity and MDA content, following treatment with V. anthelmintica components. Finally, flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis and ROS levels. Results and Discussion: We identified 36 flavonoid compounds in V. anthelmintica seeds, with 14 compounds exhibiting druggability. AKT1, VEGFA, ESR1, PTGS2, and IL2 have been identified as key therapeutic target genes, with PI3K/AKT signaling being an important pathway. Notably, kaempferol, one of the identified compounds, exhibited high expression in network pharmacology analysis. Kaempferol exhibited a strong binding affinity to important targets. Further, kaempferol enhanced HaCaT cell viability, inhibited apoptosis, reduced MDA levels, suppressed ROS activity, and upregulated SOD activity, increase the expression of cellular antioxidant genes, including HO-1, GCLC, GCLM, Nrf2, NQO1 and Keap1, providing significant protection against oxidative stress damage in vitro. Here, we present the first comprehensive study integrating SRM/MRM approaches and network analysis to identify active flavonoid compounds within V. anthelmintica (L.) Willd. Moreover, we revealed that its active ingredient, kaempferol, offers protection against AAPH-induced damage in keratinocytes, highlighting its potential as a clinical resource.

Bioinformatics analysis of photoexcited natural flavonoid glycosides as the inhibitors for oropharyngeal HPV oncoproteins

The presence of oropharyngeal human papillomavirus (HPV)-18 E6 and E7 oncoproteins is highly significant in the progression of oropharyngeal cancer. Natural flavonoid compounds have potential as photosensitizers for light-activated antimicrobial therapy against HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer. This study evaluated five natural flavonoid glycosides including Fisetin, Kaempferol, Morin, Myricetin, and Quercetin as photosensitizers against HPV-18 E6 and E7 oncoproteins using computational methods. After obtaining the amino acid sequences of HPV-18 E6 and E7, various tools were used to predict and verify their properties. The PubChem database was then examined to identify potential natural flavonoid glycosides, followed by predictions of their drug-likeness and ADMET properties. Subsequently, molecular docking was conducted to enhance the screening accuracy and to gain insights into the interactions between the natural compounds and the active sites of HPV-18 E6 and E7 oncoproteins. The protein structures of E6 and E7 were predicted and validated to be reliable. The results of molecular docking demonstrated that Kaempferol exhibited the highest binding affinity to both E6 and E7. All compounds satisfied Lipinski's rules of drug-likeness, except Myricetin. They showed high absorption, distribution volume and similar ADMET profiles with no toxicity. In summary, natural flavonoid glycosides, especially Kaempferol, show potential as photosensitizers for antimicrobial photodynamic therapy against HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer through inhibition of E6 and E7 oncoproteins. These findings provide insights into the development of novel therapeutic strategies based on antimicrobial photodynamic therapy.

Kaempferol is a novel antiviral agent against channel catfish virus infection through blocking viral attachment and penetration in vitro

Channel catfish virus (CCV, Ictalurid herpesvirus 1) is the causative pathogen of channel catfish virus disease, which has caused high mortality and substantial economic losses in the catfish aquaculture industry. Due to the lack of licensed prophylactic vaccines and therapeutic drugs, the prevention and control of CCV infection seem to remain stagnant. Active compounds from medicinal plants offer eligible sources of pharmaceuticals and lead drugs to fight against endemic and pandemic diseases and exhibit excellent effect against viral infection. In this study, we evaluated the antiviral ability of 12 natural compounds against CCV with cell models in vitro and found kaempferol exhibited the strongest inhibitory compound against CCV infection among all the tested compounds. Correspondingly, kaempferol decreased transcription levels of viral genes and the synthesis of viral proteins, as well as reduced proliferation and release of viral progeny, the severity of the CPE induced by CCV in a dose-dependent manner, based on quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), western blotting, viral cytopathic effects (CPE) and viral titer assessment. Moreover, time-of-drug-addition assays, virus attachment, and penetration assays revealed that kaempferol exerted anti-CCV activity probably by blocking attachment and internalization of the viral entry process. Altogether, the present results indicated that kaempferol may be a promising candidate antiviral agent against CCV infection, which shed light on the development of a novel and potent treatment for fish herpesvirus infection.

Molecular mechanism of the effect of Gegen Qinlian decoction on COVID-19 comorbid with diabetes mellitus based on network pharmacology and molecular docking: A review

To explore the potential mechanism of Gegen Qinlian decoction (GGQL) in the treatment of COVID-19 comorbid with diabetes mellitus (DM) through network pharmacology and molecular docking, and to provide theoretical guidance for clinical transformation research. Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform was used to screen the active compounds and targets of GGQL, the targets of COVID-19 comorbid with DM were searched based on Genecards database. Protein-protein interaction network was constructed using String data platform for the intersection of compounds and disease targets, the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis of the intersection targets was performed using DAVID database. Cytoscape software was used to construct the "compound target-pathway (C-T-P)" of GGQL in the treatment of COVID-19 comorbid with DM, the molecular docking platform was used to complete the simulated docking of key compounds and targets. We obtained 141 compounds from GGQL, revealed 127 bioactive compounds and 283 potential targets of GGQL. Quercetin, kaempferol and formononetin in GGQL play a role by modulating the targets (including AR, GSK3B, DPP4, F2, and NOS3). GGQL might affect diverse signaling pathways related to the pathogenesis of coronavirus disease - COVID-19, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, IL-17 signaling pathway, human cytomegalovirus infection and Th17 cell differentiation. Meanwhile, molecular docking showed that the selected GGQL core active components had strong binding activity with the key targets. This study revealed that GGQL play a role in the treatment of COVID-19 comorbid with DM through multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway mode of action, which provided good theoretical basis for further verification research.

Integration of Omics Data and Network Models to Unveil Negative Aspects of SARS-CoV-2, from Pathogenic Mechanisms to Drug Repurposing

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the COVID-19 health emergency, affecting and killing millions of people worldwide. Following SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 patients show a spectrum of symptoms ranging from asymptomatic to very severe manifestations. In particular, bronchial and pulmonary cells, involved at the initial stage, trigger a hyper-inflammation phase, damaging a wide range of organs, including the heart, brain, liver, intestine and kidney. Due to the urgent need for solutions to limit the virus' spread, most efforts were initially devoted to mapping outbreak trajectories and variant emergence, as well as to the rapid search for effective therapeutic strategies. Samples collected from hospitalized or dead COVID-19 patients from the early stages of pandemic have been analyzed over time, and to date they still represent an invaluable source of information to shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the organ/tissue damage, the knowledge of which could offer new opportunities for diagnostics and therapeutic designs. For these purposes, in combination with clinical data, omics profiles and network models play a key role providing a holistic view of the pathways, processes and functions most affected by viral infection. In fact, in addition to epidemiological purposes, networks are being increasingly adopted for the integration of multiomics data, and recently their use has expanded to the identification of drug targets or the repositioning of existing drugs. These topics will be covered here by exploring the landscape of SARS-CoV-2 survey-based studies using systems biology approaches derived from omics data, paying particular attention to those that have considered samples of human origin.