Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 81 in total

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  1. Alzheimer's Disease and Natural Products: Future Regimens Emerging from Nature
    Islam MA, Khandker SS, Alam F, Khalil MI, Kamal MA, Gan SH
    Curr Top Med Chem, 2017;17(12):1408-1428.
    PMID: 28049401 DOI: 10.2174/1568026617666170103163054
    Alzheimer's disease (AD), which largely affects the elderly, has become a global burden. Patients with AD have both short- and long-term memory impairments. The neuronal loss in AD occurs due to abnormally folded amyloid beta proteins and aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins in the brain. Eventually, amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are formed, which subsequently disintegrate the neuronal transport system. There are several factors which are involved in AD pathogenesis, including oxidative stress, inflammation and the presence of metal ions. The modern therapies utilized for AD treatment have many adverse effects, driving the quest for more safe and effective medications. Many dietary components, including different types of fruits, vegetables, spices, and marine products as well as a Mediterranean diet, are a good source of antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties, with many showing substantial potential against AD pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the potential of these foods for treating AD and opportunities for developing disease-targeted drugs from active compounds extracted from natural dietary products.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  2. Fulltext Effects of naturally-produced lovastatin on feed digestibility, rumen fermentation, microbiota and methane emissions in goats over a 12-week treatment period
    Candyrine SCL, Mahadzir MF, Garba S, Jahromi MF, Ebrahimi M, Goh YM, et al.
    PLoS One, 2018;13(7):e0199840.
    PMID: 29975711 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199840
    Twenty male Saanen goats were randomly assigned to four levels of lovastatin supplementation and used to determine the optimal dosage and sustainability of naturally produced lovastatin from fermentation of palm kernel cake (PKC) with Aspergillus terreus on enteric methane (CH4) mitigation. The effects on ruminal microbiota, rumen fermentation, feed digestibility and health of animal were determined over three measuring periods (4-, 8- and 12-weeks) and the accumulation of lovastatin in tissues was determined at the end of the experiment. The diets contained 50% rice straw, 22.8% concentrates and 27.2% of various proportions of untreated or treated PKC to achieve the target daily intake level of 0 (Control), 2, 4 or 6 mg lovastatin/kg body weight (BW). Enteric CH4 emissions per dry matter intake (DMI), decreased significantly (P<0.05) and equivalent to 11% and 20.4%, respectively, for the 2 and 4 mg/kg BW groups as compared to the Control. No further decrease in CH4 emission thereafter with higher lovastatin supplementation. Lovastatin had no effect on feed digestibility and minor effect on rumen microbiota, and specifically did not reduce the populations of total methanogens and Methanobacteriales (responsible for CH4 production). Similarly, lovastatin had little effect on rumen fermentation characteristics except that the proportion of propionate increased, which led to a decreasing trend (P<0.08) in acetic: propionate ratio with increasing dosage of lovastatin. This suggests a shift in rumen fermentation pathway to favor propionate production which serves as H+ sink, partly explaining the observed CH4 reduction. No adverse physiological effects were noted in the animals except that treated PKC (containing lovastatin) was less palatable at the highest inclusion level. Lovastatin residues were detected in tissues of goats fed 6 mg lovastatin/kg BW at between 0.01 to 0.03 μg/g, which are very low.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology
  3. HMG-CoA Reductase as Target for Drug Development
    Gunasekaran B, Shukor MY
    Methods Mol Biol, 2020;2089:245-250.
    PMID: 31773659 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0163-1_16
    The main strategy for lowering blood cholesterol levels is through the inhibition of the NADPH-dependent HMG-CoA reductase (3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase). The enzyme catalyses the reduction of HMG-CoA to mevalonate and this process is inhibited by statins that form the bulk of the therapeutic agents to treat high cholesterol since the 1970s. Newer drugs that are safer than statins are constantly being developed. The inhibition of candidate drugs to HMG-CoA reductase remains the mainstay of drug development research. The determination of the enzyme activity is important for the correct assessment of potency of the enzyme as well as determining the inhibition of potential therapeutic agents from the plant and microbial extracts. Also, this chapter covers the use of the popular four-parameter logistics model that can yield accurate estimation of the IC50 values of therapeutic agents and their 95% confidence intervals.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology
  4. Actinobacteria-a promising natural source of anti-biofilm agents
    Azman AS, Mawang CI, Khairat JE, AbuBakar S
    Int Microbiol, 2019 Dec;22(4):403-409.
    PMID: 30847714 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-019-00066-4
    A biofilm is a community of microorganisms attached to a surface and embedded in a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances. Biofilms confer resistance towards conventional antibiotic treatments; thus, there is an urgent need for newer and more effective antimicrobial agents that can act against these biofilms. Due to this situation, various studies have been done to investigate the anti-biofilm effects of natural products including bioactive compounds extracted from microorganisms such as Actinobacteria. This review provides an insight into the anti-biofilm potential of Actinobacteria against various pathogenic bacteria, which hopefully provides useful information, guidance, and improvements for future antimicrobial studies. Nevertheless, further research on the anti-biofilm mechanisms and compound modifications to produce more potent anti-biofilm effects are required.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  5. Antimicrobial discovery from natural and unusual sources
    Ali SM, Siddiqui R, Khan NA
    J Pharm Pharmacol, 2018 Oct;70(10):1287-1300.
    PMID: 30003546 DOI: 10.1111/jphp.12976
    OBJECTIVES: Whether vertebrates/invertebrates living in polluted environments are an additional source of antimicrobials.

    KEY FINDINGS: Majority of antimicrobials have been discovered from prokaryotes and those which are of eukaryotic origin are derived mainly from fungal and plant sources. With this in mind, it is important to note that pests, such as cockroaches come across pathogenic bacteria routinely, yet thrive in polluted environments. Other animals, such as snakes thrive from feeding on germ-infested rodents. Logically, such species must have developed an approach to protect themselves from these pathogens, yet they have largely been ignored as a potential source of antimicrobials despite their remarkable capability to fight disease-causing organisms.

    SUMMARY: Animals living in polluted environments are an underutilized source for potential antimicrobials, hence it is believed that several novel bioactive molecule(s) will be identified from these sources to counter increasingly resistant bacterial infections. Further research will be necessary in the development of novel antimicrobial(s) from these unusual sources which will have huge clinical impact worldwide.

    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  6. Fulltext Therapeutic Potential of Complementary and Alternative Medicines in Peripheral Nerve Regeneration: A Systematic Review
    Yow YY, Goh TK, Nyiew KY, Lim LW, Phang SM, Lim SH, et al.
    Cells, 2021 08 25;10(9).
    PMID: 34571842 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092194
    Despite the progressive advances, current standards of treatments for peripheral nerve injury do not guarantee complete recovery. Thus, alternative therapeutic interventions should be considered. Complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) are widely explored for their therapeutic value, but their potential use in peripheral nerve regeneration is underappreciated. The present systematic review, designed according to guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols, aims to present and discuss the current literature on the neuroregenerative potential of CAMs, focusing on plants or herbs, mushrooms, decoctions, and their respective natural products. The available literature on CAMs associated with peripheral nerve regeneration published up to 2020 were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. According to current literature, the neuroregenerative potential of Achyranthes bidentata, Astragalus membranaceus, Curcuma longa, Panax ginseng, and Hericium erinaceus are the most widely studied. Various CAMs enhanced proliferation and migration of Schwann cells in vitro, primarily through activation of MAPK pathway and FGF-2 signaling, respectively. Animal studies demonstrated the ability of CAMs to promote peripheral nerve regeneration and functional recovery, which are partially associated with modulations of neurotrophic factors, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and anti-apoptotic signaling. This systematic review provides evidence for the potential use of CAMs in the management of peripheral nerve injury.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  7. Molecular understanding of the protective role of natural products on isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction: A review
    Wong ZW, Thanikachalam PV, Ramamurthy S
    Biomed Pharmacother, 2017 Oct;94:1145-1166.
    PMID: 28826162 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.08.009
    Modern medicine has been used to treat myocardial infarction, a subset of cardiovascular diseases, and have been relatively effective but not without adverse effects. Consequently, this issue has stimulated interest in the use of natural products, which may be equally effective and better tolerated. Many studies have investigated the cardioprotective effect of natural products, such as plant-derived phytochemicals, against isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial damage; these have produced promising results on the basis of their antioxidant, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory activities. This review briefly introduces the pathophysiology of myocardial infarction (MI) and then addresses the progress of natural product research towards its treatment. We highlight the promising applications and mechanisms of action of plant extracts, phytochemicals and polyherbal formulations towards the treatment of ISO-induced myocardial damage. Most of the products displayed elevated antioxidant levels with decreased oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, along with restoration of ionic balance and lowered expression of myocardial injury markers, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and apoptotic parameters. Likewise, lipid profiles were positively altered and histopathological improvements could be seen from, for example, the better membrane integrity, decreased necrosis, edema, infarct size, and leukocyte infiltration. This review highlights promising results towards the amelioration of ISO-induced myocardial damage, which suggest the direction for future research on natural products that could be used to treat MI.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  8. Biofilm formation by staphylococci in health-related environments and recent reports on their control using natural compounds
    Yong YY, Dykes GA, Choo WS
    Crit Rev Microbiol, 2019 Mar;45(2):201-222.
    PMID: 30786799 DOI: 10.1080/1040841X.2019.1573802
    Staphylococci are Gram-positive bacteria that are ubiquitous in the environment and able to form biofilms on a range of surfaces. They have been associated with a range of human health issues such as medical device-related infection, localized skin infection, or direct infection caused by toxin production. The extracellular material produced by these bacteria resists antibiotics and host defence mechanism which complicates the treatment process. The commonly reported Staphylococcus species are Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis as they inhabit human bodies. However, the emergence of other staphylococci, such as S. haemolyticus, S. lugdunensis, S. saprophyticus, S. capitis, S. saccharolyticus, S. warneri, S. cohnii, and S. hominis, is also of concern and they have been associated with biofilm formation. This review critically assesses recent cases on the biofilm formation by S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and other staphylococci reported in health-related environments. The control of biofilm formation by staphylococci using natural compounds is specifically discussed as they represent potential anti-biofilm agents which may reduce the burden of antibiotic resistance.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  9. Fulltext Edible Bird's Nest attenuates high fat diet-induced oxidative stress and inflammation via regulation of hepatic antioxidant and inflammatory genes
    Yida Z, Imam MU, Ismail M, Hou Z, Abdullah MA, Ideris A, et al.
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2015;15:310.
    PMID: 26341858 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-015-0843-9
    Edible Bird's nest (EBN) is an antioxidant-rich supplement that is popular in many parts of Asia. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties have been reported using in vitro system. This paper aimed to determine the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of EBN in in high fat diet induced rats model.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  10. Fulltext Angiotensin-I Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitory and Anti-Oxidant Activities of Sea Cucumber (Actinopyga lecanora) Hydrolysates
    Ghanbari R, Zarei M, Ebrahimpour A, Abdul-Hamid A, Ismail A, Saari N
    Int J Mol Sci, 2015 Dec 04;16(12):28870-85.
    PMID: 26690117 DOI: 10.3390/ijms161226140
    In recent years, food protein-derived hydrolysates have received considerable attention because of their numerous health benefits. Amongst the hydrolysates, those with anti-hypertensive and anti-oxidative activities are receiving special attention as both activities can play significant roles in preventing cardiovascular diseases. The present study investigated the angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory and anti-oxidative activities of Actinopyga lecanora (A. lecanora) hydrolysates, which had been prepared by alcalase, papain, bromelain, flavourzyme, pepsin, and trypsin under their optimum conditions. The alcalase hydrolysate showed the highest ACE inhibitory activity (69.8%) after 8 h of hydrolysis while the highest anti-oxidative activities measured by 2,2-diphenyl 1-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging (DPPH) (56.00%) and ferrous ion-chelating (FIC) (59.00%) methods were exhibited after 24 h and 8 h of hydrolysis, respectively. The ACE-inhibitory and anti-oxidative activities displayed dose-dependent trends, and increased with increasing protein hydrolysate concentrations. Moreover, strong positive correlations between angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory and anti-oxidative activities were also observed. This study indicates that A. lecanora hydrolysate can be exploited as a source of functional food owing to its anti-oxidant as well as anti-hypertension functions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  11. Fulltext Effect of acacia honey on cultured rabbit corneal keratocytes
    Ker-Woon C, Abd Ghafar N, Hui CK, Mohd Yusof YA
    BMC Cell Biol., 2014;15:19.
    PMID: 24885607 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2121-15-19
    Acacia honey is a natural product which has proven to have therapeutic effects on skin wound healing, but its potential healing effects in corneal wound healing have not been studied. This study aimed to explore the effects of Acacia honey (AH) on corneal keratocytes morphology, proliferative capacity, cell cycle, gene and protein analyses. Keratocytes from the corneal stroma of six New Zealand white rabbits were isolated and cultured until passage 1. The optimal dose of AH in the basal medium (FD) and medium containing serum (FDS) for keratocytes proliferation was identified using MTT assay. The morphological changes, gene and protein expressions of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), marker for quiescent keratocytes and vimentin, marker for fibroblasts were detected using q-RTPCR and immunocytochemistry respectively. Flowcytometry was performed to evaluate the cell cycle analysis of corneal keratocytes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  12. Fulltext Cytotoxic effect of ethanol extract of microalga, Chaetoceros calcitrans, and its mechanisms in inducing apoptosis in human breast cancer cell line
    Ebrahimi Nigjeh S, Yusoff FM, Mohamed Alitheen NB, Rasoli M, Keong YS, Omar AR
    Biomed Res Int, 2013;2013:783690.
    PMID: 23509778 DOI: 10.1155/2013/783690
    Marine microalgae have been prominently featured in cancer research. Here, we examined cytotoxic effect and apoptosis mechanism of crude ethanol extracts of an indigenous microalga, Chaetoceros calcitrans (UPMAAHU10) on human breast cell lines. MCF-7 was more sensitive than MCF-10A with IC50 value of 3.00 ± 0.65, whilst the IC50 value of Tamoxifen against MCF-7 was 12.00 ± 0.52  μg/mL after 24 hour incubation. Based on Annexin V/Propidium iodide and cell cycle flow cytometry analysis, it was found that inhibition of cell growth by EEC on MCF-7 cells was through the induction of apoptosis without cell cycle arrest. The apoptotic cells at subG0/G1 phase in treated MCF-7 cells at 48 and 72 hours showed 34 and 16 folds increased compared to extract treated MCF-10A cells which showed only 6 and 7 folds increased at the same time points, respectively. Based on GeXP study, EEC induced apoptosis on MCF-7 cells via modulation of CDK2, MDM2, p21Cip1, Cyclin A2, Bax and Bcl-2. The EEC treated MCF-7 cells also showed an increase in Bax/Bcl-2 ratio that in turn activated the caspase-dependent pathways by activating caspase 7. Thus, marine microalga, Chaetoceros calcitrans may be considered a good candidate to be developed as a new anti-breast cancer drug.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  13. Fulltext Pulchrin A, a New Natural Coumarin Derivative of Enicosanthellum pulchrum, Induces Apoptosis in Ovarian Cancer Cells via Intrinsic Pathway
    Nordin N, Fadaeinasab M, Mohan S, Mohd Hashim N, Othman R, Karimian H, et al.
    PLoS One, 2016;11(5):e0154023.
    PMID: 27136097 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154023
    Drug resistance presents a challenge in chemotherapy and has attracted research interest worldwide and particular attention has been given to natural compounds to overcome this difficulty. Pulchrin A, a new compound isolated from natural products has demonstrated novel potential for development as a drug. The identification of pulchrin A was conducted using several spectroscopic techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance, liquid chromatography mass spectrometer, infrared and ultraviolet spectrometry. The cytotoxicity effects on CAOV-3 cells indicates that pulchrin A is more active than cisplatin, which has an IC50 of 22.3 μM. Significant changes in cell morphology were present, such as cell membrane blebbing and formation of apoptotic bodies. The involvement of phosphatidylserine (PS) in apoptosis was confirmed by Annexin V-FITC after a 24 h treatment. Apoptosis was activated through the intrinsic pathway by activation of procaspases 3 and 9 as well as cleaved caspases 3 and 9 and ended at the executioner pathway, with the occurrence of DNA laddering. Apoptosis was further confirmed via gene and protein expression levels, in which Bcl-2 protein was down-regulated and Bax protein was up-regulated. Furthermore, the CAOV-3 cell cycle was disrupted at the G0/G1 phase, leading to apoptosis. Molecular modeling of Bcl-2 proteins demonstrated a high- binding affinity, which inhibited the function of Bcl-2 proteins and led to cell death. Results of the current study can shed light on the development of new therapeutic agents, particularly, human ovarian cancer treatments.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  14. Fulltext Capgermacrenes A and B, Bioactive Secondary Metabolites from a Bornean Soft Coral, Capnella sp
    Phan CS, Ng SY, Kim EA, Jeon YJ, Palaniveloo K, Vairappan CS
    Mar Drugs, 2015 May;13(5):3103-15.
    PMID: 25996100 DOI: 10.3390/md13053103
    Two new bicyclogermacrenes, capgermacrenes A (1) and B (2), were isolated with two known compounds, palustrol (3) and litseagermacrane (4), from a population of Bornean soft coral Capnella sp. The structures of these metabolites were elucidated based on spectroscopic data. Compound 1 was found to inhibit the accumulation of the LPS-induced pro-inflammatory IL-1b and NO production by down-regulating the expression of iNOS protein in RAW 264.7 macrophages.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  15. Fulltext Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neural Lineages as In Vitro Models for Screening the Neuroprotective Properties of Lignosus rhinocerus (Cooke) Ryvarden
    Yeo Y, Tan JBL, Lim LW, Tan KO, Heng BC, Lim WL
    Biomed Res Int, 2019;2019:3126376.
    PMID: 33204680 DOI: 10.1155/2019/3126376
    In the biomedical field, there is growing interest in using human stem cell-derived neurons as in vitro models for pharmacological and toxicological screening of bioactive compounds extracted from natural products. Lignosus rhinocerus (Tiger Milk Mushroom) is used by indigenous communities in Malaysia as a traditional medicine to treat various diseases. The sclerotium of L. rhinocerus has been reported to have medicinal properties, including various bioactivities such as neuritogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. This study aims to investigate the neuroprotective activities of L. rhinocerus sclerotial extracts. Human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived neural lineages exposed to the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone (DEX), were used as the in vitro models. Excess glucocorticoids have been shown to adversely affect fetal brain development and impair differentiation of neural progenitor cells. Screening of different L. rhinocerus sclerotial extracts and DEX on the hESC-derived neural lineages was conducted using cell viability and neurite outgrowth assays. The neuroprotective effects of L. rhinocerus sclerotial extracts against DEX were further evaluated using apoptosis assays and Western blot analysis. Hot aqueous and methanol extracts of L. rhinocerus sclerotium promoted neurite outgrowth of hESC-derived neural stem cells (NSCs) with negligible cytotoxicity. Treatment with DEX decreased viability of NSCs by inducing apoptosis. Coincubation of L. rhinocerus methanol extract with DEX attenuated the DEX-induced apoptosis and reduction in phospho-Akt (pAkt) level in NSCs. These results suggest the involvement of Akt signaling in the neuroprotection of L. rhinocerus methanol extract against DEX-induced apoptosis in NSCs. Methanol extract of L. rhinocerus sclerotium exhibited potential neuroprotective activities against DEX-induced toxicity in hESC-derived NSCs. This study thus validates the use of human stem cell-derived neural lineages as potential in vitro models for screening of natural products with neuroprotective properties.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology
  16. The Medicinal Mushroom Ganoderma neo-japonicum (Agaricomycetes) from Malaysia: Nutritional Composition and Potentiation of Insulin-Like Activity in 3T3-L1 Cells
    Subramaniam S, Sabaratnam V, Heng CK, Kuppusamy UR
    Int J Med Mushrooms, 2020;22(1):65-78.
    PMID: 32463999 DOI: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.2020033250
    Ganoderma neo-japonicum is an annual polypore mushroom that is consumed by Malaysian indigenous tribes to treat various ailments including diabetes. The present study aimed to investigate the nutritive composition and in vitro antihyperglycemic effects of G. neo-japonicum extracts on 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Nutritional analysis of G. neo-japonicum basidiocarps indicated a predominant presence of carbohydrates, proteins, dietary fiber, and microelements. Hot aqueous extract (AE) and its isolated (1,3)(1,6)-β-D-glucan polysaccharide (GNJP) from basidiocarps of G. neo-japonicum were evaluated for their ability to stimulate insulin independent adipogenesis, glucose uptake, adiponectin secretion, and regulate gene expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. GNJP showed a dose dependent stimulation of glucose uptake and adiponectin secretion but attenuated lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. It upregulated the expressions of adiponectin, Aktl (protein kinase B), PPARγ (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma), PRKAG2 (protein kinase, AMP activated), and Slc2a4 (glucose transporter) genes to stimulate glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 cells, which may have contributed to the insulin-mimicking activities observed in this study. In summary, the nutritive compositions and significant glucose uptake stimulatory activities of GNJP indicated that it may have potential use in the formulation of functional food for the management of hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and related complications.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  17. Plant Extracts and their Secondary Metabolites as Modulators of Kinases
    Gill MSA, Saleem H, Ahemad N
    Curr Top Med Chem, 2020;20(12):1093-1104.
    PMID: 32091334 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666200224100219
    Natural Products (NP), specifically from medicinal plants or herbs, have been extensively utilized to analyze the fundamental mechanisms of ultimate natural sciences as well as therapeutics. Isolation of secondary metabolites from these sources and their respective biological properties, along with their lower toxicities and cost-effectiveness, make them a significant research focus for drug discovery. In recent times, there has been a considerable focus on isolating new chemical entities from natural flora to meet the immense demand for kinase modulators, and also to overcome major unmet medical challenges in relation to signal transduction pathways. The signal transduction systems are amongst the foremost pathways involved in the maintenance of life and protein kinases play an imperative part in these signaling pathways. It is important to find a kinase inhibitor, as it can be used not only to study cell biology but can also be used as a drug candidate for cancer and metabolic disorders. A number of plant extracts and their isolated secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, phenolics, terpenoids, and alkaloids have exhibited activities against various kinases. In the current review, we have presented a brief overview of some important classes of plant secondary metabolites as kinase modulators. Moreover, a number of phytocompounds with kinase inhibition potential, isolated from different plant species, are also discussed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  18. Natural cholinesterase inhibitors from Myristica cinnamomea King
    Abdul Wahab SM, Sivasothy Y, Liew SY, Litaudon M, Mohamad J, Awang K
    Bioorg Med Chem Lett, 2016 08 01;26(15):3785-92.
    PMID: 27236720 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.05.046
    A new acylphenol, malabaricone E (1) together with the known malabaricones A-C (2-4), maingayones A and B (5 and 6) and maingayic acid B (7) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the fruits of Myristica cinnamomea King. Their structures were determined by 1D and 2D NMR techniques and LCMS-IT-TOF analysis. Compounds 3 (1.84±0.19 and 1.76±0.21μM, respectively) and 4 (1.94±0.27 and 2.80±0.49μM, respectively) were identified as dual inhibitors, with almost equal acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes inhibiting potentials. The Lineweaver-Burk plots of compounds 3 and 4 indicated that they were mixed-mode inhibitors. Based on the molecular docking studies, compounds 3 and 4 interacted with the peripheral anionic site (PAS), the catalytic triad and the oxyanion hole of the AChE. As for the BChE, while compound 3 interacted with the PAS, the catalytic triad and the oxyanion hole, compound 4 only interacted with the catalytic triad and the oxyanion hole.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology*
  19. Fulltext The Physicochemical Characteristics of Gelam Honey and Its Outcome on the Female Reproductive Tissue of Sprague-Dawley Rats: A Preliminary Study
    Ismail NH, Osman K, Zulkefli AF, Mokhtar MH, Ibrahim SF
    Molecules, 2021 Jun 02;26(11).
    PMID: 34199433 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26113346
    Gelam honey (GH) is a prized natural product synthesized from the nectar of flowers from Gelam trees (Melaleuca sp.). Gelam is an evergreen tree species that grows in tropical regions such as Malaysia. GH is a multifloral honey with proven antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the beneficial effect of GH on female reproductive tissue has yet to be substantiated. Herein, we investigated the effects of GH administration on the uterine and vaginal epithelial thickness of sexually mature Sprague-Dawley rats. Epithelia thickness could be an indicator of an atrophy manifesting as a symptom of a cardio syndrome. Rats were given oral doses of GH in four groups for 14 days; the lowest dose was 0.2 g GH/kg body weight (bw) rat/day and the highest dose was 8 g GH/kg bw rat/day. The physicochemical characteristics of GH were assessed through hydroxymethylfurfural and moisture content determination and sugar identification. GH attenuated the atrophy of the uterine and vaginal epithelia and increased the thickness of the endometrial stroma and endometrial surface endothelial layer. However, the dissonance observed in the effect of GH administration on the vaginal epithelium requires further investigation. Nevertheless, GH may have a strong potential in attenuating uterine and vaginal atrophies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biological Products/pharmacology
  20. 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/pharmacology*
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