Isolation, characterization and evaluation of oxypeucedanin and osthol from local endemic Prangos aricakensis Behçet and Yapar root as antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, antibacterial and DNA protection: molecular docking and DFT approaches

Prangos species were previously used against many disorders due to their chemical component. Prangos aricakensis Behçet & Yapar is a newly discovered local endemic species in Turkey's eastern region, and there is no research on P. aricakensis in the literature. In this work, oxypeucedanin and osthol molecules have been isolated from the root part of P. aricakensis for the first time. Oxypeucedanin and osthol structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR analysis. For the bioactivities determination, antioxidant (DPPH· and ABTS·+ scavenging), enzyme inhibition (AChE, BChE, tyrosinase, and urease), antibacterial and DNA protection activity studies were applied for both molecules and compared with standard drug molecules, after applying enzyme kinetic assays and in silico approaches to clarify the mechanism of action for both molecules with enzymes, using molecular docking and density functional theory (DFT). Oxypeucedanin (2.19 ± 0.38 µg/mL) and osthol (4.57 ± 1.28 µg/mL) exhibited better activity than standards in DPPH∙ scavenging activity. Osthol (11.76 ± 0.59 µg/mL) showed a better tyrosinase inhibition effect than kojic acid (12.82 ± 0.91 µg/mL), and oxypeucedanin (3.03 ± 0.01 µg/mL) showed better urease inhibition effect than thiourea (5.37 ± 1.86 µg/mL). Our results showed that the osthol molecule was an excellent skin protective agent while the oxypeucedanin molecule could be a remarkable antiulcer agent. Therefore, although this study is the first in its field, it remained in the in vitro and in silico stages and is thought to pave the way for in vivo studies in the future.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Design, Preparation, and Evaluation of Osthol Poly-Butyl-Cyanoacrylate Nanoparticles with Improved In Vitro Anticancer Activity in Neuroblastoma Treatment

Osthol (osthole), known as a neuroprotective drug, has shown potent anticancer activity. However, the potential clinical application of osthol is limited due to its low water solubility and low bioavailability. Polybutyl cyanoacrylate (PBCA) has been widely used to improve the solubility of drugs with poor water solubility. In this study, an orthogonal experimental design (OED) was applied to design the preparation process of PBCA nanoparticles (NPs). Then, nanoparticles were prepared and evaluated in terms of physicochemical properties, in vitro release, and cellular uptake, etc. Further, the anti-cancer activity of osthol-PBCA NPs was demonstrated in SH-SY5Y cells. The pharmacokinetics and area under the curve (AUC) were investigated. The obtained osthol-NPs presented a spherical shape with a particle size of 110 ± 6.7 nm, a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.126, and a zeta potential of −13 ± 0.32 mV. Compared with the free osthol, the drugs in osthol-NPs presented better stability and sustained release pattern activity. In vitro analysis using SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells showed that osthol-loaded nanoparticles displayed a significantly enhanced intracellular absorption process (three times) and cytotoxicity compared with free osthol (p < 0.05, increased 10−20%). The in vivo pharmacokinetic study revealed that the AUC of osthol-NPs was 3.3-fold higher than that of free osthol. In conclusion, osthol-PBCA NPs can enhance the bioactivity of osthol, being proposed as a novel, promising vehicle for drug delivery.

Synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial evaluation of polyvinylalcohol-osthol composite films

Although poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) has certain mechanical drawbacks such as a weak barrier, it has widely been used in food packaging over the last many years. To increase the suitability of PVA (C2H4O)n and render it ideal for food packaging, a diversity of studies have already been carried out. In the below-mentioned script, we, for the first time, report the use of natural product osthol in making a new composite with PVA for enhancing thermal, physicochemical, and antimicrobial properties. The significant aim of the report is the insertion of osthol (C15H16O3) into PVA polymer, which is to be subsequently used for antimicrobial applications. The synthesis of the polymer composite film is done by solvent casting method and is characterized by SEM, XRD, FT-IR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy analysis. The manifestation of antimicrobial activity against (S. aureus) (ATCC8738P), E. coli (ATCC8739), Aspergillus niger, Alternaria alternata, and Fusarium solani by the film composite is remarkable. The addition of osthol molecule increases the tensile strength of PVA films from 18.73 ± 0.56 Mpa (PVA) to 24.58 ± 0.49 Mpa (15 mL). As a result, tensile strength increases by 23.79% in a film containing a higher concentration of osthol (15 mL). The barrier properties of PVA osthol composite films improve with the incorporation of osthol. OTR and WVTR decrease by 43.03% and 30.24%, respectively, on the addition of 15 mL osthol. Reduction in OTR and WVTR of the films could increase their applicability in the food sector. An increase in contact angle from 43° (pure PVA) to 66.7° increases the hydrophobic character of the composite films which is desirable for food packaging. This noticeable enhancement of the properties of the PVA film like hydrophobicity, mechanical, barrier, and antimicrobial is supporting the potential application of achieved material in packaging of easily perishable foods like fruits and vegetables by extending their shelf life.

Evaluation of the Physicochemical Properties, Pharmacokinetics, and In Vitro Anticancer Effects of Docetaxel and Osthol Encapsulated in Methoxy Poly(ethylene glycol)-b-Poly(caprolactone) Polymeric Micelles

Docetaxel (DTX), a taxane-based anticancer drug, and osthol (OTH), a coumarin-derivative compound, have shown anticancer effects against different types of cancers through various mechanisms. However, these drugs have low solubility in water and low oral bioavailability, and thus their clinical application is difficult. To overcome these problems, we encapsulated DTX and OTH in methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(caprolactone) (mPEG-b-PCL) and conducted studies in vitro and in vivo. We selected a 1:4 ratio as the optimal ratio of DTX and OTH, through combination index analysis in A549 cancer cells, and prepared micelles to evaluate the encapsulation efficiency, drug loading, particle size, and zeta potential. The in vitro drug-release profile showed that DTX/OTH-loaded mPEG-b-PCL micelles could slowly release DTX and OTH. In the clonogenic assay, DTX/OTH-loaded mPEG-b-PCL micelles showed 3.7 times higher inhibitory effect than the DTX/OTH solution. Pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated that micelles in combination with DTX and OTH exhibited increased area under curve and decreased clearance values, as compared with single micelles.

Effects of Osthol Isolated from Cnidium monnieri Fruit on Urate Transporter 1

(1) Background: Crude drugs used in traditional Japanese Kampo medicine or folk medicine are major sources of new chemical entities for drug discovery. We screened the inhibitory potential of these crude drugs against urate transporter 1 (URAT1) to discover new drugs for hyperuricemia. (2) Methods: We prepared the MeOH extracts of 107 different crude drugs, and screened their inhibitory effects on URAT1 by measuring the uptake of uric acid by HEK293/PDZK1 cells transiently transfected with URAT1. (3) Results: We found that the extract of the dried mature fruit of Cnidium monnieri inhibited urate uptake via URAT1. We isolated and identified osthol as the active ingredient from this extract. Osthol noncompetitively inhibited URAT1 with an IC₅₀ of 78.8 µM. We evaluated the effects of other coumarins and found that the prenyl group, which binds at the 8-position of coumarins, plays an important role in the inhibition of URAT1. (4) Conclusions: Cnidium monnieri fruit may be useful for the treatment of hyperuricemia or gout in traditional medicine, and its active ingredient, osthol, is expected to be a leading compound for the development of new drugs for hyperuricemia.

Potential Anticancer Properties of Osthol: A Comprehensive Mechanistic Review

Cancer is caused by uncontrolled cell proliferation which has the potential to occur in different tissues and spread into surrounding and distant tissues. Despite the current advances in the field of anticancer agents, rapidly developing resistance against different chemotherapeutic drugs and significantly higher off-target effects cause millions of deaths every year. Osthol is a natural coumarin isolated from Apiaceaous plants which has demonstrated several pharmacological effects, such as antineoplastic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. We have attempted to summarize up-to-date information related to pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of osthol as a lead compound in managing malignancies. Electronic databases, including PubMed, Cochrane library, ScienceDirect and Scopus were searched for in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies on anticancer effects of osthol. Osthol exerts remarkable anticancer properties by suppressing cancer cell growth and induction of apoptosis. Osthol's protective and therapeutic effects have been observed in different cancers, including ovarian, cervical, colon and prostate cancers as well as chronic myeloid leukemia, lung adenocarcinoma, glioma, hepatocellular, glioblastoma, renal and invasive mammary carcinoma. A large body of evidence demonstrates that osthol regulates apoptosis, proliferation and invasion in different types of malignant cells which are mediated by multiple signal transduction cascades. In this review, we set spotlights on various pathways which are targeted by osthol in different cancers to inhibit cancer development and progression.

Fusarium graminearum growth inhibition due to glucose starvation caused by osthol

The effects of osthol, a plant coumarin, on morphology, sugar uptake and cell wall components of Fusarium graminearum were examined in vitro by electron microscopy,¹⁴C-labelling and enzyme activity detection. The results revealed that osthol could inhibit the hypha growth of F. graminearum by decreasing hyphal absorption to reducing sugar. After treatment with 100 μg·mL⁻¹ osthol for 24 h, many hyphal fragments of F. graminearum appeared. Microscopy observation showed that the cell walls of hyphal fragments blurred and the organelles of the cells degraded with the increasing vacuoles. The N-acetyl-D-glucosamine contents and chitinase activity both increased when hypha were treated with 100 μg·mL⁻¹ osthol, whereas the activity of β-1,6-glucanase remained unchanged. When F. graminearum fed with ¹⁴C glucose was treated with 100 μg·mL⁻¹osthol, glucose contents decreased to the lowest level, while the contents in non-osthol treated controls remained unchanged. These results suggested that chitinase activity might be related to glucose starvation under osthol treatment, and that the appearance of hyphae fragments maybe the results of the promoted chitinase activity which itself triggered chitin degradation.

Application of Osthol Induces a Resistance Response Against Powdery Mildew in Pumpkin Leaves

Plants can defend themselves against fungal infection by natural means induced by biotic and abiotic elicitors. Osthol is a natural compound extracted from dried fruits of Cnidii Monnieri Fructus. In this study, it has been shown to not only be a fungicide with acceptable curative properties (control efficacy of 68.72), but it also showed a significant prophylactic effect (with control efficacy of 77.36) against pumpkin powdery mildew at a concentration of 100 μg·mL⁻¹. In pumpkin leaves with/or without inoculation of Sphaerotheca fuliginea, osthol treatment induced the accumulation of chitinase and peroxidase and enhanced the transcription of chitinase gene in non-inoculated leaves. The potentiation of phenylalanine amonia-lyase activity in leaves by osthol application and following inoculation was absent in that with inoculation or osthol treatment, indicating that induced PAL in osthol-pretreated plants was inoculation-mediated. In conclusion, this natural compound could induce resistance response in the plant against powdery mildew.