Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 44 in total

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  1. Prioritization of natural extracts by LC-MS-PCA for the identification of new photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy
    Samat N, Tan PJ, Shaari K, Abas F, Lee HB
    Anal Chem, 2014 Feb 4;86(3):1324-31.
    PMID: 24405504 DOI: 10.1021/ac403709a
    Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an alternative treatment for cancer that involves administration of a photosensitive drug or photosensitizer that localizes at the tumor tissue followed by in situ excitation at an appropriate wavelength of light. Tumour tissues are then killed by cytotoxic reactive oxygen species generated by the photosensitizer. Targeted excitation and photokilling of affected tissues is achieved through focal light irradiation, thereby minimizing systemic side effects to the normal healthy tissues. Currently, there are only a small number of photosensitizers that are in the clinic and many of these share the same structural core based on cyclic tetrapyrroles. This paper describes how metabolic tools are utilized to prioritize natural extracts to search for structurally new photosensitizers from Malaysian biodiversity. As proof of concept, we analyzed 278 photocytotoxic extracts using a hyphenated technique of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with principal component analysis (LC-MS-PCA) and prioritized 27 extracts that potentially contained new photosensitizers for chemical dereplication using an in-house UPLC-PDA-MS-Photocytotoxic assay platform. This led to the identification of 2 new photosensitizers with cyclic tetrapyrrolic structures, thereby demonstrating the feasibility of the metabolic approach.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use
  2. Anti-Cancer Natural Products Inducing Cross-talk between Apoptosis and Autophagy Mutual Proteins to Regulate Cancer Cell Death: Design of Future Green Anticancer Therapies
    Vijayarathna S, Jothy SL, Chen Y, Kanwar JR, Sasidharan S
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2015;16(14):6175-6.
    PMID: 26320517
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use*
  3. Deactivation of Telomerase Enzyme and Telomere Destabilization by Natural Products: a Potential Target for Cancer Green Therapy
    Sasidharan S, Jothy SL, Kavitha N, Chen Y, Kanwar JR
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2015;16(18):8671.
    PMID: 26745135
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use*
  4. Fulltext Discovery of potential anti-infectives against Staphylococcus aureus using a Caenorhabditis elegans infection model
    Kong C, Yehye WA, Abd Rahman N, Tan MW, Nathan S
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2014;14:4.
    PMID: 24393217 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-14-4
    The limited antibiotic options for effective control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections has led to calls for new therapeutic approaches to combat this human pathogen. An alternative approach to control MRSA is through the use of anti-infective agents that selectively disrupt virulence-mediated pathways without affecting microbial cell viability or by modulating the host natural immune defenses to combat the pathogen.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use
  5. Fulltext Pleurotus giganteus (Berk.) Karunarathna & K.D. Hyde: Nutritional value and in vitro neurite outgrowth activity in rat pheochromocytoma cells
    Phan CW, Wong WL, David P, Naidu M, Sabaratnam V
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2012;12:102.
    PMID: 22812497 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-12-102
    Drugs dedicated to alleviate neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's have always been associated with debilitating side effects. Medicinal mushrooms which harness neuropharmacological compounds offer a potential possibility for protection against such diseases. Pleurotus giganteus (formerly known as Panus giganteus) has been consumed by the indigenous people in Peninsular Malaysia for many years. Domestication of this wild mushroom is gaining popularity but to our knowledge, medicinal properties reported for this culinary mushroom are minimal.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use
  6. Fulltext Malaysian endophytic fungal extracts-induced anti-inflammation in Lipopolysaccharide-activated BV-2 microglia is associated with attenuation of NO production and, IL-6 and TNF-α expression
    Harun A, Vidyadaran S, Lim SM, Cole AL, Ramasamy K
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2015;15:166.
    PMID: 26047814 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-015-0685-5
    Excessive production of inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) and proinflammatory cytokines like tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) from activated microglia contributes to uncontrolled inflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. This study investigated the protective role of five endophytic extracts (HAB16R12, HAB16R13, HAB16R14, HAB16R18 and HAB8R24) against LPS-induced inflammatory events in vitro. These endophytic extracts were previously found to exhibit potent neuroprotective effect against LPS-challenged microglial cells.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use
  7. Fulltext Regulation of microRNAs by natural agents: new strategies in cancer therapies
    Phuah NH, Nagoor NH
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:804510.
    PMID: 25254214 DOI: 10.1155/2014/804510
    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNA which regulate gene expression by messenger RNA (mRNA) degradation or translation repression. The plethora of published reports in recent years demonstrated that they play fundamental roles in many biological processes, such as carcinogenesis, angiogenesis, programmed cell death, cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and differentiation by acting as tumour suppressor or oncogene, and aberrations in their expressions have been linked to onset and progression of various cancers. Furthermore, each miRNA is capable of regulating the expression of many genes, allowing them to simultaneously regulate multiple cellular signalling pathways. Hence, miRNAs have the potential to be used as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis as well as therapeutic targets. Recent studies have shown that natural agents such as curcumin, resveratrol, genistein, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, indole-3-carbinol, and 3,3'-diindolylmethane exert their antiproliferative and/or proapoptotic effects through the regulation of one or more miRNAs. Therefore, this review will look at the regulation of miRNAs by natural agents as a means to potentially enhance the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy through combinatorial therapies. It is hoped that this would provide new strategies in cancer therapies to improve overall response and survival outcome in cancer patients.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use*
  8. Fulltext Medicinal practice of bioactive compounds (natural/synthetic): an insight into gastrointestinal disorders
    Abdulla MA, Banat I, Naughton P
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:401698.
    PMID: 24809048 DOI: 10.1155/2014/401698
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use*
  9. Fulltext Molecular modulators of celastrol as the keystones for its diverse pharmacological activities
    Ng SW, Chan Y, Chellappan DK, Madheswaran T, Zeeshan F, Chan YL, et al.
    Biomed Pharmacother, 2019 Jan;109:1785-1792.
    PMID: 30551432 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.11.051
    In the recent years, much attention has been focused on identifying bioactive compounds from medicinal plants that could be employed in therapeutics, which is attributed to their potent pharmacological actions and better toxicological profile. One such example that has come into the light with considerable interest is the pentacyclic triterpenoid, celastrol, which has been found to provide substantial therapeutic properties in a variety of diseases. In an effort to further accelerate its potential to be utilized in clinical practice in the future; along with advancing technologies in the field of drug discovery and development, different researchers have been investigating on the various mechanisms and immunological targets of celastrol that underlie its broad spectrum of pharmacological properties. In this review, we have collated the various research findings related to the molecular modulators responsible for different pharmacological activities shown by celastrol. Our review will be of interest to the herbal, biological, molecular scientist and by providing a quick snapshot about celastrol giving a new direction in the area of herbal drug discovery and development.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use
  10. Animal models and natural products to investigate in vivo and in vitro antidiabetic activity
    Hasan MM, Ahmed QU, Mat Soad SZ, Tunna TS
    Biomed Pharmacother, 2018 May;101:833-841.
    PMID: 29635892 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.02.137
    Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease which has high prevalence. The deficiency in insulin production or impaired insulin function is the underlying cause of this disease. Utilization of plant sources as a cure of diabetes has rich evidence in the history. Recently, the traditional medicinal plants have been investigated scientifically to understand the underlying mechanism behind antidiabetic potential. In this regard, a substantial number of in vivo and in vitro models have been introduced for investigating the bottom-line mechanism of the antidiabetic effect. A good number of methods have been reported to be used successfully to determine antidiabetic effects of plant extracts or isolated compounds. This review encompasses all the possible methods with a list of medicinal plants which may contribute to discovering a novel drug to treat diabetes more efficaciously with the minimum or no side effects.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use*
  11. Andrographolide and its analogues: versatile bioactive molecules for combating inflammation and cancer
    Lim JC, Chan TK, Ng DS, Sagineedu SR, Stanslas J, Wong WS
    Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol, 2012 Mar;39(3):300-10.
    PMID: 22017767 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2011.05633.x
    1. Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f) Nees, commonly known as 'king of bitters', is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Family Acanthaceae. It has been widely used for centuries in Asian countries like China, India, Thailand and Malaysia for the treatment of sore throat, flu and upper respiratory tract infections. 2. Andrographolide, 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide and neoandrographolide are examples of the major labdane diterpenoids isolated from A. paniculata. These bioactive molecules have exhibited varying degrees of anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities in both in vitro and in vivo experimental models of inflammation and cancer. 3. Extensive libraries of andrographolide analogues have been synthesised mainly by modifying the α,β-unsaturated γ-butyrolactone moiety, the two double bonds Δ(8,(17)) and Δ(12,(13)) and the three hydroxyls at C-3 (secondary), C-14 (allylic) and C-19 (primary). Many of these synthetic analogues exhibit superior anticancer activity over the naturally occurring andrographolides. 4. Andrographolide and its derivatives have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects in experimental models of asthma, stroke and arthritis, as well as in patients with upper respiratory tract infections. Andrographolide reduces the production of cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules, nitric oxide and lipid mediators, probably via inhibition of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB signalling pathway. 5. The anticancer mechanisms for andrographolide include inhibition of Janus tyrosine kinases-signal transducers and activators of transcription, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and NF-κB signalling pathways, suppression of heat shock protein 90, cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases, metalloproteinases and growth factors, and the induction of tumour suppressor proteins p53 and p21, leading to inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, survival, metastasis and angiogenesis. 6. Andrographolide drug discovery is a promising strategy for the development of a novel class of anti-inflammatory and anticancer drugs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use*
  12. Relation of Doppler ultrasound synovitis versus clinical synovitis with changes in native complement component levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs
    Montoro Alvarez M, Chong OY, Janta I, González C, López-Longo J, Monteagudo I, et al.
    Clin Exp Rheumatol, 2015 Mar-Apr;33(2):141-5.
    PMID: 25665178
    The complement system plays a fundamental role in mediating the activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Biologic therapy can reduce native complement component levels and its activation. We aimed to study the relation of Doppler ultrasound (US) synovitis versus clinical synovitis with changes in native complement component levels in RA patients on biologic therapy.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use*
  13. Zebrafish: predictive model for targeted cancer therapeutics from nature
    Zulkhernain NS, Teo SH, Patel V, Tan PJ
    Curr Cancer Drug Targets, 2014;14(8):764-73.
    PMID: 25348017 DOI: 10.2174/1568009614666141028121347
    Targeted therapy, the treatment of cancer based on an underlying genetic alteration, is rapidly gaining favor as the preferred therapeutic approach. To date, although natural products represent a rich resource of bio-diverse drug candidates, only a few have been identified to be effective as targeted cancer therapies largely due to the incompatibilities to current high-throughput screening methods. In this article, we review the utility of a zebrafish developmental screen for bioactive natural product-based compounds that target signaling pathways that are intimately shared with those in humans. Any bioactive compound perturbing signaling pathways identified from phenotypic developmental defects in zebrafish embryos provide an opportunity for developing targeted therapies for human cancers. This model provides a promising tool in the search for targeted cancer therapeutics from natural products.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use*
  14. Exploring Antimicrobials from the Flora and Fauna of Marine: Opportunities and Limitations
    Venkateskumar K, Parasuraman S, Chuen LY, Ravichandran V, Balamurgan S
    Curr Drug Discov Technol, 2020;17(4):507-514.
    PMID: 31424372 DOI: 10.2174/1570163816666190819141344
    About 95% of earth living space lies deep below the ocean's surface and it harbors extraordinary diversity of marine organisms. Marine biodiversity is an exceptional reservoir of natural products, bioactive compounds, nutraceuticals and other potential compounds of commercial value. Timeline for the development of the drug from a plant, synthetic and other alternative sources is too lengthy. Exploration of the marine environment for potential bioactive compounds has gained focus and huge opportunity lies ahead for the exploration of such vast resources in the ocean. Further, the evolution of superbugs with increasing resistance to the currently available drugs is alarming and it needs coordinated efforts to resolve them. World Health Organization recommends the need and necessity to develop effective bioactive compounds to combat problems associated with antimicrobial resistance. Based on these factors, it is imperative to shift the focus towards the marine environment for potential bioactive compounds that could be utilized to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Current research trends also indicate the huge strides in research involving marine environment for drug discovery. The objective of this review article is to provide an overview of marine resources, recently reported research from marine resources, challenges, future research prospects in the marine environment.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use
  15. Fulltext Neuroprotective Strategies for Neurological Disorders by Natural Products: An update
    Rehman MU, Wali AF, Ahmad A, Shakeel S, Rasool S, Ali R, et al.
    Curr Neuropharmacol, 2019;17(3):247-267.
    PMID: 30207234 DOI: 10.2174/1570159X16666180911124605
    Nature has bestowed mankind with surplus resources (natural products) on land and water. Natural products have a significant role in the prevention of disease and boosting of health in humans and animals. These natural products have been experimentally documented to possess various biological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities. In vitro and in vivo studies have further established the usefulness of natural products in various preclinical models of neurodegenerative disorders. Natural products include phytoconstituents, like polyphenolic antioxidants, found in herbs, fruits, nuts, vegetables and also in marine and freshwater flora. These phytoconstituents may potentially suppress neurodegeneration and improve memory as well as cognitive functions of the brain. Also, they are known to play a pivotal role in the prevention and cure of different neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and other neuronal disorders. The large-scale neuro-pharmacological activities of natural products have been documented due to the result of either the inhibition of inflammatory processes, or the up-regulation of various cell survival proteins or a combination of both. Due to the scarcity of human studies on neuroprotective effects of natural products, this review focuses on the various established activities of natural products in in vitro and in vivo preclinical models, and their potential neuro-therapeutic applications using the available knowledge in the literature.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use*
  16. Natural Products Towards the Discovery of Potential Future Antithrombotic Drugs
    Islam MA, Alam F, Khalil MI, Sasongko TH, Gan SH
    Curr Pharm Des, 2016;22(20):2926-46.
    PMID: 26951101
    Globally, thrombosis-associated disorders are one of the main contributors to fatalities. Besides genetic influences, there are some acquired and environmental risk factors dominating thrombotic diseases. Although standard regimens have been used for a long time, many side effects still occur which can be life threatening. Therefore, natural products are good alternatives. Although the quest for antithrombotic natural products came to light only since the end of last century, in the last two decades, a considerable number of natural products showing antithrombotic activities (antiplatelet, anticoagulant and fibrinolytic) with no or minimal side effects have been reported. In this review, several natural products used as antithrombotic agents including medicinal plants, vegetables, fruits, spices and edible mushrooms which have been discovered in the last 15 years and their target sites (thrombogenic components, factors and thrombotic pathways) are described. In addition, the side effects, limitations and interactions of standard regimens with natural products are also discussed. The active compounds could serve as potential sources for future research on antithrombotic drug development. As a future direction, more advanced researches (in quest of the target cofactor or component involved in antithrombotic pathways) are warranted for the development of potential natural antithrombotic medications (alone or combined with standard regimens) to ensure maximum safety and efficacy.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use*
  17. Fulltext Promising Natural Products in New Drug Design, Development, and Therapy for Skin Disorders: An Overview of Scientific Evidence and Understanding Their Mechanism of Action
    Mohd Zaid NA, Sekar M, Bonam SR, Gan SH, Lum PT, Begum MY, et al.
    Drug Des Devel Ther, 2022;16:23-66.
    PMID: 35027818 DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S326332
    The skin is the largest organ in the human body, composed of the epidermis and the dermis. It provides protection and acts as a barrier against external menaces like allergens, chemicals, systemic toxicity, and infectious organisms. Skin disorders like cancer, dermatitis, psoriasis, wounds, skin aging, acne, and skin infection occur frequently and can impact human life. According to a growing body of evidence, several studies have reported that natural products have the potential for treating skin disorders. Building on this information, this review provides brief information about the action of the most important in vitro and in vivo research on the use of ten selected natural products in inflammatory, neoplastic, and infectious skin disorders and their mechanisms that have been reported to date. The related studies and articles were searched from several databases, including PubMed, Google, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. Ten natural products that have been reported widely on skin disorders were reviewed in this study, with most showing anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer effects as the main therapeutic actions. Overall, most of the natural products reported in this review can reduce and suppress inflammatory markers, like tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), induce cancer cell death through apoptosis, and prevent bacteria, fungal, and virus infections indicating their potentials. This review also highlighted the challenges and opportunities of natural products in transdermal/topical delivery systems and their safety considerations for skin disorders. Our findings indicated that natural products might be a low-cost, well-tolerated, and safe treatment for skin diseases. However, a larger number of clinical trials are required to validate these findings. Natural products in combination with modern drugs, as well as the development of novel delivery mechanisms, represent a very promising area for future drug discovery of these natural leads against skin disorders.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use*
  18. Decreasing major surgical rates for Crohn's disease in an emerging economy over two decades: Is it due to biologic therapy?
    Chuah KH, Raja Ali RA, Hilmi IN
    Indian J Gastroenterol, 2020 06;39(3):261-267.
    PMID: 32613522 DOI: 10.1007/s12664-020-01044-9
    BACKGROUND: Alteration in the natural history of Crohn's disease (CD) since the advent of biologic therapy remains to be proven. Our aim was to look at the intestinal surgical rates and the association with biologic therapy over the last two decades.

    METHODS: This was a retrospective study in which all CD patients seen in two tertiary referral hospitals in Malaysia were recruited. Patients were stratified into two cohorts; cohort 1 was patients diagnosed from year 1991 to 2000 and cohort 2 was patients diagnosed from year 2001 to 2010. These time cohorts were selected based on initial availability of biologic agents in Malaysia in year 2000. Details of demography, disease location, medications and cumulative surgical rates over 7 years were recorded.

    RESULTS: A total of 207 patients were recruited: 70 from cohort 1 and 137 from cohort 2. Differences seen in terms of disease location, phenotype, and use of immunomodulatory therapy between the two cohorts were not significant. Patients who were ever exposed to biologics were significantly different between the two cohorts, approximately two times higher at 35.8% (n = 49) in cohort 2, and 18.6% (n = 13) in cohort 1, p = 0.011. There was a significant reduction in the 7-year cumulative intestinal surgical rates between cohort 1 and cohort 2, from 21.4% (n = 15) to 10.2% (n = 14), p = 0.028. However, there was no statistically significant difference in biologic exposure between those who underwent surgery and those who did not.

    CONCLUSIONS: There has been a significant reduction in intestinal surgical rates for Crohn's disease over the last two decades but does not appear to be associated with the increased use of biologics.

    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use
  19. Fulltext Wound Healing Properties of Selected Natural Products
    Ibrahim N', Wong SK, Mohamed IN, Mohamed N, Chin KY, Ima-Nirwana S, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2018 10 25;15(11).
    PMID: 30366427 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15112360
    Wound healing is a complex process of recovering the forms and functions of injured tissues. The process is tightly regulated by multiple growth factors and cytokines released at the wound site. Any alterations that disrupt the healing processes would worsen the tissue damage and prolong repair process. Various conditions may contribute to impaired wound healing, including infections, underlying diseases and medications. Numerous studies on the potential of natural products with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial and pro-collagen synthesis properties as wound healing agents have been performed. Their medicinal properties can be contributed by the content of bioactive phytochemical constituents such as alkaloids, essential oils, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and phenolic compounds in the natural products. This review highlights the in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies on wound healing promotions by the selected natural products and the mechanisms involved.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use*
  20. Jewel of the seabed: sea cucumbers as nutritional and drug candidates
    Kiew PL, Don MM
    Int J Food Sci Nutr, 2012 Aug;63(5):616-36.
    PMID: 22149726 DOI: 10.3109/09637486.2011.641944
    Marine sources have been attracting the attention of scientists and manufacturers worldwide hoping to find new alternatives for biological active substances. Promising new research indicates that sea cucumber, which is slug-like in appearance and has been a staple in Japan, China and other parts of East Asia since ancient times, is beginning to gain popularity as a dietary supplement in western countries. The roles of sea cucumber extracts in various physiological functions have spurred researchers to investigate the ability of sea cucumber to be an alternative in neutraceutical and medical applications. This article provides a brief introduction to sea cucumber and reviews its numerous bioactive compounds, such as triterpene glycosides, glycosaminoglycans, gangliosides, collagen, branched-chain fatty acid and lectins, which serve as potential sources of neutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic agents, thus providing a new platform in biochemical research.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/therapeutic use*
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