Displaying publications 4361 - 4380 of 10390 in total

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  1. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities contribute to the prophylactic effect of semi-purified fractions obtained from the crude methanol extract of Muntingia calabura leaves against gastric ulceration in rats
    Balan T, Sani MH, Mumtaz Ahmad SH, Suppaiah V, Mohtarrudin N, Zakaria ZA
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2015 Apr 22;164:1-15.
    PMID: 25540923 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2014.12.017
    In traditional medicine, the leaves, flowers, barks and roots of Muntingia calabura L. (Muntingiaceae) have been employed as a treatment for various ailments including dyspepsia and to relieve pain caused by gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. The methanolic extract of Muntingia calabura leaves (MEMC) has been proven in the previous study to possess significant antiulcer activity. In this study, we attempted to determine the prophylactic effect of the fractions obtained from MEMC against ethanol-induced gastric lesion in rats and the involvement of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory mediators.
    Matched MeSH terms: Methanol/chemistry; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry; Anti-Ulcer Agents/chemistry; Antioxidants/chemistry; Biphenyl Compounds/chemistry; Picrates/chemistry; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Solvents/chemistry; Superoxides/chemistry
  2. Fulltext Development of a highly biocompatible antituberculosis nanodelivery formulation based on para-aminosalicylic acid-zinc layered hydroxide nanocomposites
    Saifullah B, Arulselvan P, El Zowalaty ME, Fakurazi S, Webster TJ, Geilich B, et al.
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:401460.
    PMID: 25050392 DOI: 10.1155/2014/401460
    Tuberculosis is a lethal epidemic, difficult to control disease, claiming thousands of lives every year. We have developed a nanodelivery formulation based on para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS) and zinc layered hydroxide using zinc nitrate salt as a precursor. The developed formulation has a fourfold higher efficacy of PAS against mycobacterium tuberculosis with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) found to be at 1.40 μg/mL compared to the free drug PAS with a MIC of 5.0 μg/mL. The newly developed formulation was also found active against Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and Candida albicans. The formulation was also found to be biocompatible with human normal lung cells MRC-5 and mouse fibroblast cells-3T3. The in vitro release of PAS from the formulation was found to be sustained in a human body simulated phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution at pH values of 7.4 and 4.8. Most importantly the nanocomposite prepared using zinc nitrate salt was advantageous in terms of yield and free from toxic zinc oxide contamination and had higher biocompatibility compared to one prepared using a zinc oxide precursor. In summary, these promising in vitro results are highly encouraging for the continued investigation of para-aminosalicylic acid and zinc layered hydroxide nanocomposites in vivo and eventual preclinical studies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antitubercular Agents/chemistry*; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Hydroxides/chemistry*; Nitrates/chemistry; Aminosalicylic Acid/chemistry*; Zinc/chemistry*; Zinc Oxide/chemistry; Zinc Compounds/chemistry; Nanocomposites/chemistry*
  3. Fulltext Growth inhibition of human gynecologic and colon cancer cells by Phyllanthus watsonii through apoptosis induction
    Ramasamy S, Abdul Wahab N, Zainal Abidin N, Manickam S, Zakaria Z
    PLoS One, 2012;7(4):e34793.
    PMID: 22536331 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034793
    Phyllanthus watsonii Airy Shaw is an endemic plant found in Peninsular Malaysia. Although there are numerous reports on the anti cancer properties of other Phyllanthus species, published information on the cytotoxicity of P. watsonii are very limited. The present study was carried out with bioassay-guided fractionation approach to evaluate the cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction capability of the P. watsonii extracts and fractions on human gynecologic (SKOV-3 and Ca Ski) and colon (HT-29) cancer cells. P. watsonii extracts exhibited strong cytotoxicity on all the cancer cells studied with IC(50) values of ≤ 20.0 µg/mL. Hexane extract of P. watsonii was further subjected to bioassay-guided fractionation and yielded 10 fractions (PW-1→PW-10). PW-4→PW-8 portrayed stronger cytotoxic activity and was further subjected to bioassay-guided fractionation and resulted with 8 sub-fractions (PPWH-1→PPWH-8). PPWH-7 possessed greatest cytotoxicity (IC(50) values ranged from 0.66-0.83 µg/mL) and was selective on the cancer cells studied. LC-MS/MS analysis of PPWH-7 revealed the presence of ellagic acid, geranic acid, glochidone, betulin, phyllanthin and sterol glucoside. Marked morphological changes, ladder-like appearance of DNA and increment in caspase-3 activity indicating apoptosis were clearly observed in both human gynecologic and colon cancer cells treated with P. watsonii especially with PPWH-7. The study also indicated that P. watsonii extracts arrested cell cycle at different growth phases in SKOV-3, Ca Ski and HT-29 cells. Cytotoxic and apoptotic potential of the endemic P. watsonii was investigated for the first time by bioassay-guided approach. These results demonstrated that P. watsonii selectively inhibits the growth of SKOV-3, Ca Ski and HT-29 cells through apoptosis induction and cell cycle modulation. Hence, P. watsonii has the potential to be further exploited for the discovery and development of new anti cancer drugs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acetates/chemistry; Methanol/chemistry; Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry; Ellagic Acid/chemistry; Hexanes/chemistry; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Solvents/chemistry; Plant Leaves/chemistry; Phyllanthus/chemistry*
  4. Development of a probiotic delivery system from agrowastes, soy protein isolate, and microbial transglutaminase
    Yew SE, Lim TJ, Lew LC, Bhat R, Mat-Easa A, Liong MT
    J Food Sci, 2011 Apr;76(3):H108-15.
    PMID: 21535834 DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2011.02107.x
    Probiotic delivery system was developed via the use of microbial transglutaminase (MTG) cross-linked soy protein isolate (SPI) incorporated with agrowastes such as banana peel (BE), banana pulp (BU), and pomelo rind (PR). Inoculums of Lactobacillus bulgaricus FTDC 1511 were added to the cross-linked protein matrix. The incorporation of agrowastes had significantly (P<0.05) reduced the strength, pH value, and the lightness of the SPI gel carriers, while sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis profiles revealed that the occurring cross-links within the SPI gel carriers were attributed to the addition of MTG. Scanning electron microscope micrographs illustrated that SPI carriers containing agrowastes have exhibited a less-dense protein matrix. All the SPI carriers possessed maximum swelling ratio at 4 to 4.5 within 15 min in simulated gastric fluid (SGF), whereas the maximum swelling ratios of SPI/BE, SPI/BU, and SPI/PR were higher compared to that of control in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). Additionally, SPI carriers in SGF medium did not show degradation of structure, whereas a major collapse of network was observed in SIF medium, indicating controlled-release in the intestines. The addition of agrowastes into SPI carriers led to a significantly (P<0.0001) lower release of L. bulgaricus FTDC 1511 in SGF medium and a higher release in SIF medium, compared to that of the control. SPI carriers containing agrowastes may be useful transports for living probiotic cells through the stomach prior to delivery in the lower intestines.
    Matched MeSH terms: Bacterial Proteins/chemistry*; Citrus/chemistry; Fruit/chemistry; Gastric Juice/chemistry; Intestinal Secretions/chemistry; Transglutaminases/chemistry*; Vegetable Proteins/chemistry*; Musa/chemistry; Soybean Proteins/chemistry*
  5. Fulltext Annona muricata (Annonaceae): A Review of Its Traditional Uses, Isolated Acetogenins and Biological Activities
    Moghadamtousi SZ, Fadaeinasab M, Nikzad S, Mohan G, Ali HM, Kadir HA
    Int J Mol Sci, 2015;16(7):15625-58.
    PMID: 26184167 DOI: 10.3390/ijms160715625
    Annona muricata is a member of the Annonaceae family and is a fruit tree with a long history of traditional use. A. muricata, also known as soursop, graviola and guanabana, is an evergreen plant that is mostly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The fruits of A. muricata are extensively used to prepare syrups, candies, beverages, ice creams and shakes. A wide array of ethnomedicinal activities is contributed to different parts of A. muricata, and indigenous communities in Africa and South America extensively use this plant in their folk medicine. Numerous investigations have substantiated these activities, including anticancer, anticonvulsant, anti-arthritic, antiparasitic, antimalarial, hepatoprotective and antidiabetic activities. Phytochemical studies reveal that annonaceous acetogenins are the major constituents of A. muricata. More than 100 annonaceous acetogenins have been isolated from leaves, barks, seeds, roots and fruits of A. muricata. In view of the immense studies on A. muricata, this review strives to unite available information regarding its phytochemistry, traditional uses and biological activities.
    Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Infective Agents/chemistry; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/chemistry; Antioxidants/chemistry; Central Nervous System Agents/chemistry; Hypoglycemic Agents/chemistry; Oils, Volatile/chemistry; Annona/chemistry*; Acetogenins/chemistry*
  6. Mucoadhesive guargum hydrogel inter-connected chitosan-g-polycaprolactone micelles for rifampicin delivery
    Yuan X, Amarnath Praphakar R, Munusamy MA, Alarfaj AA, Suresh Kumar S, Rajan M
    Carbohydr Polym, 2019 Feb 15;206:1-10.
    PMID: 30553301 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.10.098
    Natural polymer guar gum has one of the highest viscosities in water solution and hence, these are significantly used in pharmaceutical applications. Guar gum inter-connected micelles as a new carrier has been developed for poor water soluble rifampicin drug. The hydrogel inter-connected micelle core was formulated as a hydrophilic inner and hydrophobic outer core by using guar gum/chitosan/polycaprolactone and the carrier interaction with rifampicin was confirmed by FT-IR. The morphological observations were carried out through TEM, SEM and AFM analysis. The encapsulation efficiency and in-vitro drug release behavior of prepared hydrogel based micelle system was analyzed by UV-vis spectrometry. The anti-bacterial activity against K. pneumoniae and S. aureus was studied by observing their ruptured surface by SEM. The cytotoxicity study reveals that the pure polymeric system has no toxic effect whereas drug loaded ones showed superior activity against THP-1 cells. From the cell apoptosis analyses, the apoptosis was carried out in a time dependent manner. The cell uptake behavior was also observed in THP-1 cells which indicate that the hydrogel based micelle system is an excellent material for the mucoadhesive on intracellular alveolar macrophage treatment.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antibiotics, Antitubercular/chemistry; Drug Carriers/chemistry*; Galactans/chemistry; Mannans/chemistry; Polyesters/chemistry; Polymers/chemistry*; Rifampin/chemistry; Hydrogels/chemistry*; Plant Gums/chemistry
  7. Fulltext Uridine from Pleurotus giganteus and Its Neurite Outgrowth Stimulatory Effects with Underlying Mechanism
    Phan CW, David P, Wong KH, Naidu M, Sabaratnam V
    PLoS One, 2015;10(11):e0143004.
    PMID: 26565787 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143004
    Neurodegenerative diseases are linked to neuronal cell death and impairment of neurite outgrowth. An edible mushroom, Pleurotus giganteus was found to stimulate neurite outgrowth in vitro but the chemical constituents and the underlying mechanism is yet to be elucidated. The chemical constituents of P. giganteus (linoleic acid, oleic acid, cinnamic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, succinic acid, benzoic acid, and uridine) were tested for neurite outgrowth activity. Uridine (100 μM) was found to increase the percentage of neurite-bearing cells of differentiating neuroblastoma (N2a) cells by 43.1 ± 0.5%, which was 1.8-fold higher than NGF (50 ng/mL)-treated cells. Uridine which was present in P. giganteus (1.80 ± 0.03 g/100g mushroom extract) increased the phosphorylation of extracellular-signal regulated kinases (ERKs) and protein kinase B (Akt). Further, phosphorylation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) was also increased. MEK/ERK and PI3K-Akt-mTOR further induced phosphorylation of cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) and expression of growth associated protein 43 (GAP43); all of which promoted neurite outgrowth of N2a cells. This study demonstrated that P. giganteus may enhance neurite outgrowth and one of the key bioactive molecules responsible for neurite outgrowth is uridine.
    Matched MeSH terms: Caffeic Acids/chemistry; Cinnamates/chemistry; Coumaric Acids/chemistry; Uridine/chemistry*; Oleic Acid/chemistry; Linoleic Acid/chemistry; Succinic Acid/chemistry; Benzoic Acid/chemistry; Pleurotus/chemistry*
  8. Anti-acne, anti-dandruff and anti-breast cancer efficacy of green synthesised silver nanoparticles using Coriandrum sativum leaf extract
    Sathishkumar P, Preethi J, Vijayan R, Mohd Yusoff AR, Ameen F, Suresh S, et al.
    J. Photochem. Photobiol. B, Biol., 2016 Oct;163:69-76.
    PMID: 27541567 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2016.08.005
    In this present investigation, AgNPs were green synthesised using Coriandrum sativum leaf extract. The physicochemical properties of AgNPs were characterised using UV-visible spectrophotometer, field emission scanning microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray (FESEM/EDX), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. Further, in vitro anti-acne, anti-dandruff and anti-breast cancer efficacy of green synthesised AgNPs were assessed against Propionibacterium acnes MTCC 1951, Malassezia furfur MTCC 1374 and human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell line, respectively. The flavonoids present in the plant extract were responsible for the AgNPs synthesis. The green synthesised nanoparticles size was found to be ≈37nm. The BET analysis result shows that the surface area of the synthesised AgNPs was found to be 33.72m(2)g(-1). The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of AgNPs for acne causative agent P. acnes and dandruff causative agent M. furfur was found to be at 3.1 and 25μgmL(-1), respectively. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of the AgNPs for MCF-7 cells was calculated as 30.5μgmL(-1) and complete inhibition was observed at a concentration of 100μgmL(-1). Finally, our results proved that green synthesised AgNPs using C. sativum have great potential in biomedical applications such as anti-acne, anti-dandruff and anti-breast cancer treatment.
    Matched MeSH terms: Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry; Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry; Silver/chemistry*; Plant Leaves/chemistry*; Coriandrum/chemistry*; Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry*; Green Chemistry Technology; Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic; Phytochemicals/chemistry
  9. Zeolite-iron oxide nanocomposite from fly ash formed a 'clubbell' structure: integration of cardiac biocapture macromolecules in serum on microelectrodes
    Liu Z, Gopinath SCB, Wang Z, Li Y, Anbu P, Zhang W
    Mikrochim Acta, 2021 05 15;188(6):187.
    PMID: 33990848 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-021-04834-w
    A new zeolite-iron oxide nanocomposite (ZEO-IO) was extracted from waste fly ash of a thermal power plant and utilized for capturing aptamers used to quantify the myocardial infarction (MI) biomarker N-terminal prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP); this was used in a probe with an integrated microelectrode sensor. High-resolution microscopy revealed that ZEO-IO displayed a clubbell structure and a particle size range of 100-200 nm. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the presence of Si, Al, Fe, and O in the synthesized ZEO-IO. The limit of detection for NT-ProBNP was 1-2 pg/mL (0.1-0.2 pM) when the aptamer was sandwiched with antibody and showed the doubled current response even at a low NT-ProBNP abundance. A dose-dependent interaction was identified for this sandwich with a linear plot in the concentration range 1 to 32 pg/mL (0.1-3.2 pM) with a determination coefficient R2 = 0.9884; y = 0.8425x-0.5771. Without  sandwich, the detection limit was 2-4 pg/mL (0.2-0.4 pM) and the determination coefficient was R2 = 0.9854; y = 1.0996x-1.4729. Stability and nonfouling assays in the presence of bovine serum albumin, cardiac troponin I, and myoglobin revealed that the aptamer-modified surface is stable and specific for NT-Pro-BNP. Moreover, NT-ProBNP-spiked human serum exhibited selective detection. This new nanocomposite-modified surface helps in detecting NT-Pro-BNP and diagnosing MI at stages of low expression.
    Matched MeSH terms: Oxides/chemistry; Peptide Fragments/chemistry; Biomarkers/chemistry; Zeolites/chemistry*; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain/chemistry; Aptamers, Nucleotide/chemistry; Nanocomposites/chemistry*; Iron Compounds/chemistry; Immobilized Nucleic Acids/chemistry
  10. Fulltext Antimicrobial activities of green synthesized gums-stabilized nanoparticles loaded with flavonoids
    Anwar A, Masri A, Rao K, Rajendran K, Khan NA, Shah MR, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2019 02 28;9(1):3122.
    PMID: 30816269 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39528-0
    Herein, we report green synthesized nanoparticles based on stabilization by plant gums, loaded with citrus fruits flavonoids Hesperidin (HDN) and Naringin (NRG) as novel antimicrobial agents against brain-eating amoebae and multi-drug resistant bacteria. Nanoparticles were thoroughly characterized by using zetasizer, zeta potential, atomic force microscopy, ultravoilet-visible and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopic techniques. The size of these spherical nanoparticles was found to be in the range of 100-225 nm. The antiamoebic effects of these green synthesized Silver and Gold nanoparticles loaded with HDN and NRG were tested against Acanthamoeba castellanii and Naegleria fowleri, while antibacterial effects were evaluated against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and neuropathogenic Escherichia coli K1. Amoebicidal assays revealed that HDN loaded Silver nanoparticles stabilized by gum acacia (GA-AgNPs-HDN) quantitatively abolished amoeba viability by 100%, while NRG loaded Gold nanoparticles stabilized by gum tragacanth (GT-AuNPs-NRG) significantly reduced the viability of A. castellanii and N. fowleri at 50 µg per mL. Furthermore, these nanoparticles inhibited the encystation and excystation by more than 85%, as well as GA-AgNPs-HDN only completely obliterated amoeba-mediated host cells cytopathogenicity. Whereas, GA-AgNPs-HDN exhibited significant bactericidal effects against MRSA and E. coli K1 and reduced bacterial-mediated host cells cytotoxicity. Notably, when tested against human cells, these nanoparticles showed minimal (23%) cytotoxicity at even higher concentration of 100 µg per mL as compared to 50 µg per mL used for antimicrobial assays. Hence, these novel nanoparticles formulations hold potential as therapeutic agents against infections caused by brain-eating amoebae, as well as multi-drug resistant bacteria, and recommend a step forward in drug development.
    Matched MeSH terms: Amebicides/chemistry; Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry; Citrus/chemistry; Gum Arabic/chemistry; Hesperidin/chemistry; Flavanones/chemistry; Plant Gums/chemistry*; Nanoparticles/chemistry*; Green Chemistry Technology
  11. Aptamer-Mediated Polymeric Vehicles for Enhanced Cell-Targeted Drug Delivery
    Tan KX, Danquah MK, Sidhu A, Yon LS, Ongkudon CM
    Curr Drug Targets, 2018 02 08;19(3):248-258.
    PMID: 27321771 DOI: 10.2174/1389450117666160617120926
    BACKGROUND: The search for smart delivery systems for enhanced pre-clinical and clinical pharmaceutical delivery and cell targeting continues to be a major biomedical research endeavor owing to differences in the physicochemical characteristics and physiological effects of drug molecules, and this affects the delivery mechanisms to elicit maximum therapeutic effects. Targeted drug delivery is a smart evolution essential to address major challenges associated with conventional drug delivery systems. These challenges mostly result in poor pharmacokinetics due to the inability of the active pharmaceutical ingredients to specifically act on malignant cells thus, causing poor therapeutic index and toxicity to surrounding normal cells. Aptamers are oligonucleotides with engineered affinities to bind specifically to their cognate targets. Aptamers have gained significant interests as effective targeting elements for enhanced therapeutic delivery as they can be generated to specifically bind to wide range of targets including proteins, peptides, ions, cells and tissues. Notwithstanding, effective delivery of aptamers as therapeutic vehicles is challenged by cell membrane electrostatic repulsion, endonuclease degradation, low pH cleavage, and binding conformation stability.

    OBJECTIVE: The application of molecularly engineered biodegradable and biocompatible polymeric particles with tunable features such as surface area and chemistry, particulate size distribution and toxicity creates opportunities to develop smart aptamer-mediated delivery systems for controlled drug release.

    RESULTS: This article discusses opportunities for particulate aptamer-drug formulations to advance current drug delivery modalities by navigating active ingredients through cellular and biomolecular traffic to target sites for sustained and controlled release at effective therapeutic dosages while minimizing systemic cytotoxic effects.

    CONCLUSION: A proposal for a novel drug-polymer-aptamer-polymer (DPAP) design of aptamer-drug formulation with stage-wise delivery mechanism is presented to illustrate the potential efficacy of aptamer- polymer cargos for enhanced cell targeting and drug delivery.

    Matched MeSH terms: Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry; Drug Carriers/chemistry; Polymers/chemistry; Aptamers, Nucleotide/chemistry
  12. Phyto-enhanced remediation of soil co-contaminated with lead and diesel fuel using biowaste and Dracaena reflexa: A laboratory study
    Dadrasnia A, Pariatamby A
    Waste Manag Res, 2016 Mar;34(3):246-53.
    PMID: 26675494 DOI: 10.1177/0734242X15621375
    In phytoremediation of co-contaminated soil, the simultaneous and efficient remediation of multiple pollutants is a major challenge rather than the removal of pollutants. A laboratory-scale experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of 5% addition of each of three different organic waste amendments (tea leaves, soy cake, and potato skin) to enhance the phytoaccumulation of lead (60 mg kg(-1)) and diesel fuel (25,000 mg kg(-1)) in co-contaminated soil by Dracaena reflexa Lam for a period of 180 day. The highest rate of oil degradation was recorded in co-contaminated soil planted with D. reflexa and amended with soy cake (75%), followed by potato skin (52.8%) and tea leaves (50.6%). Although plants did not accumulate hydrocarbon from the contaminated soil, significant bioaccumulation of lead in the roots and stems of D. reflexa was observed. At the end of 180 days, 16.7 and 9.8 mg kg(-1) of lead in the stems and roots of D. reflexa were recorded, respectively, for the treatment with tea leaves. These findings demonstrate the potential of organic waste amendments in enhancing phytoremediation of oil and bioaccumulation of lead.
    Matched MeSH terms: Solanum tuberosum/chemistry; Soybeans/chemistry; Plant Leaves/chemistry; Camellia sinensis/chemistry
  13. Molecular docking study on platelet-activating factor antagonistic activity of bioactive compounds isolated from Guttiferae and Ardisia species
    Jasamai M, Jalil J, Jantan I
    Nat Prod Res, 2015;29(11):1055-8.
    PMID: 25332053 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2014.971317
    A handful of bioactive compounds from plants have been reported to possess platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonist activity. However, their mode of action is not well understood. Selected bioactive compounds that exhibit PAF antagonist activity and synthetic PAF antagonists were subjected to docking simulations using the MOE 2007.09 software package. The docking study of PAF antagonists was carried out on the PAF receptor (PAFR) protein which involves in various pathological responses mediated by PAF. The docking results revealed that amentoflavone (3) showed good interactions with the PAFR model where the flavone and phenolic moieties were mostly involved in these interactions. Knowledge on PAF antagonists' interactions with the PAFR model is a useful screening tool of potential PAF antagonists prior to performing PAF inhibitory assay.
    Matched MeSH terms: Resorcinols/chemistry; Clusiaceae/chemistry*; Ardisia/chemistry*; Biflavonoids/chemistry
  14. Neuroprotective effect from stem bark extracts of Knema laurina against H₂O₂- and Aβ(1-42)-induced cell death in human SH-SY5Y cells
    Ismail N, Akhtar MN, Ismail M, Zareen S, Shah SA, Lajis NH, et al.
    Nat Prod Res, 2015;29(16):1571-4.
    PMID: 25471591 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2014.985676
    The stem bark extracts of Knema laurina inhibited the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)- and aggregated amyloid β-peptide 1-42 length (Aβ(1-42))-induced cell death in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. Exposure of 250 μM H2O2 or 20 μM Aβ(1-42) to the cells for 24 h reduced 50% of cell viability. Pretreatment of cells with ethyl acetate extract (EAE) or n-butanol extract (BE) at 300 μg/mL and then exposure to H2O2 protected the cells against the neurotoxic effects of H2O2. Besides, methanolic extract (ME) at 1 and 10 μg/mL exerted neuroprotective effect on Aβ(1-42)-induced toxicity to the cells. These results showed that EAE, BE and ME exhibited neuroprotective activities against H2O2- and Aβ(1-42)-induced cell death. Flavonoids (3-6) and β-sitosterol glucoside (8) were isolated from the EAE. Compound 1 was isolated from hexane extract, and compounds 2 and 7 were isolated from dichloromethane extract. All these observations provide the possible evidence for contribution in the neuroprotective effects.
    Matched MeSH terms: Plant Extracts/chemistry*; Neuroprotective Agents/chemistry*; Plant Bark/chemistry; Myristicaceae/chemistry*
  15. Alkaloid extracts of Ficus species and palm oil-derived tocotrienols synergistically inhibit proliferation of human cancer cells
    Abubakar IB, Lim KH, Loh HS
    Nat Prod Res, 2015;29(22):2137-40.
    PMID: 25515603 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2014.991927
    Tocotrienols have been reported to possess anticancer effects other than anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. This study explored the potential synergism of antiproliferative effects induced by individual alkaloid extracts of Ficus fistulosa, Ficus hispida and Ficus schwarzii combined with δ- and γ-tocotrienols against human brain glioblastoma (U87MG), lung adenocarcinoma (A549) and colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29) cells. Cell viability and morphological results demonstrated that extracts containing a mixture of alkaloids from the leaves and bark of F. schwarzii inhibited the proliferation of HT-29 cells, whereas the alkaloid extracts of F. fistulosa inhibited the proliferation of both U87MG and HT-29 cells and showed synergism in combined treatments with either δ- or γ-tocotrienol resulting in 2.2-34.7 fold of reduction in IC50 values of tocotrienols. The observed apoptotic cell characteristics in conjunction with the synergistic antiproliferative effects of Ficus species-derived alkaloids and tocotrienols assuredly warrant future investigations towards the development of a value-added chemotherapeutic regimen against cancers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Plant Oils/chemistry*; Plant Leaves/chemistry; Plant Bark/chemistry; Ficus/chemistry*
  16. Application of lemongrass oil in vapour phase for the effective control of anthracnose of 'Sekaki' papaya
    Ali A, Wee Pheng T, Mustafa MA
    J Appl Microbiol, 2015 Jun;118(6):1456-64.
    PMID: 25727701 DOI: 10.1111/jam.12782
    To evaluate the potential use of lemongrass essential oil vapour as an alternative for synthetic fungicides in controlling anthracnose of papaya.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fungicides, Industrial/chemistry; Oils, Volatile/chemistry; Plant Oils/chemistry; Terpenes/chemistry
  17. Fulltext Experimental design and optimization of raloxifene hydrochloride loaded nanotransfersomes for transdermal application
    Mahmood S, Taher M, Mandal UK
    Int J Nanomedicine, 2014;9:4331-46.
    PMID: 25246789 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S65408
    Raloxifene hydrochloride, a highly effective drug for the treatment of invasive breast cancer and osteoporosis in post-menopausal women, shows poor oral bioavailability of 2%. The aim of this study was to develop, statistically optimize, and characterize raloxifene hydrochloride-loaded transfersomes for transdermal delivery, in order to overcome the poor bioavailability issue with the drug. A response surface methodology experimental design was applied for the optimization of transfersomes, using Box-Behnken experimental design. Phospholipon(®) 90G, sodium deoxycholate, and sonication time, each at three levels, were selected as independent variables, while entrapment efficiency, vesicle size, and transdermal flux were identified as dependent variables. The formulation was characterized by surface morphology and shape, particle size, and zeta potential. Ex vivo transdermal flux was determined using a Hanson diffusion cell assembly, with rat skin as a barrier medium. Transfersomes from the optimized formulation were found to have spherical, unilamellar structures, with a homogeneous distribution and low polydispersity index (0.08). They had a particle size of 134±9 nM, with an entrapment efficiency of 91.00%±4.90%, and transdermal flux of 6.5±1.1 μg/cm(2)/hour. Raloxifene hydrochloride-loaded transfersomes proved significantly superior in terms of amount of drug permeated and deposited in the skin, with enhancement ratios of 6.25±1.50 and 9.25±2.40, respectively, when compared with drug-loaded conventional liposomes, and an ethanolic phosphate buffer saline. Differential scanning calorimetry study revealed a greater change in skin structure, compared with a control sample, during the ex vivo drug diffusion study. Further, confocal laser scanning microscopy proved an enhanced permeation of coumarin-6-loaded transfersomes, to a depth of approximately160 μM, as compared with rigid liposomes. These ex vivo findings proved that a raloxifene hydrochloride-loaded transfersome formulation could be a superior alternative to oral delivery of the drug.
    Matched MeSH terms: Drug Carriers/chemistry*; Skin/chemistry; Raloxifene Hydrochloride/chemistry*; Nanostructures/chemistry*
  18. Molecular docking studies and in vitro cholinesterase enzyme inhibitory activities of chemical constituents of Garcinia hombroniana
    Jamila N, Yeong KK, Murugaiyah V, Atlas A, Khan I, Khan N, et al.
    Nat Prod Res, 2015;29(1):86-90.
    PMID: 25219673 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2014.952228
    Garcinia species are reported to possess antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-HIV and anti-Alzheimer's activities. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro cholinesterase enzyme inhibitory activities of garcihombronane C (1), garcihombronane F (2), garcihombronane I (3), garcihombronane N (4), friedelin (5), clerosterol (6), spinasterol glucoside (7) and 3β-hydroxy lup-12,20(29)-diene (8) isolated from Garcinia hombroniana, and to perform molecular docking simulation to get insight into the binding interactions of the ligands and enzymes. The cholinesterase inhibitory activities were evaluated using acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzymes. In this study, compound 4 displayed the highest concentration-dependent inhibition of both AChE and BChE. Docking studies exhibited that compound 4 binds through hydrogen bonds to amino acid residues of AChE and BChE. The calculated docking and binding energies also supported the in vitro inhibitory profiles of IC50. In conclusion, garcihombronanes C, F, I and N (1-4) exhibited dual and moderate inhibitory activities against AChE and BChE.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cholinesterase Inhibitors/chemistry; Lanosterol/chemistry; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry*; Garcinia/chemistry*
  19. Fulltext Synthesis and docking studies of 2,4,6-trihydroxy-3-geranylacetophenone analogs as potential lipoxygenase inhibitor
    Ng CH, Rullah K, Aluwi MF, Abas F, Lam KW, Ismail IS, et al.
    Molecules, 2014;19(8):11645-59.
    PMID: 25100256 DOI: 10.3390/molecules190811645
    The natural product molecule 2,4,6-trihydroxy-3-geranyl-acetophenone (tHGA) isolated from the medicinal plant Melicope ptelefolia was shown to exhibit potent lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitory activity. It is known that LOX plays an important role in inflammatory response as it catalyzes the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid to form hydroperoxides. The search for selective LOX inhibitors may provide new therapeutic approach for inflammatory diseases. Herein, we report the synthesis of tHGA analogs using simple Friedel-Craft acylation and alkylation reactions with the aim of obtaining a better insight into the structure-activity relationships of the compounds. All the synthesized analogs showed potent soybean 15-LOX inhibitory activity in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 = 10.31-27.61 μM) where compound 3e was two-fold more active than tHGA. Molecular docking was then applied to reveal the important binding interactions of compound 3e in soybean 15-LOX binding site. The findings suggest that the presence of longer acyl bearing aliphatic chain (5Cs) and aromatic groups could significantly affect the enzymatic activity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acetophenones/chemistry*; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry; Lipoxygenase/chemistry*; Lipoxygenase Inhibitors/chemistry*
  20. Fulltext The antiacetylcholinesterase and antileishmanial activities of Canarium patentinervium Miq
    Mogana R, Adhikari A, Debnath S, Hazra S, Hazra B, Teng-Jin K, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:903529.
    PMID: 24949478 DOI: 10.1155/2014/903529
    In continuation of our natural and medicinal research programme on tropical rainforest plants, a bioassay guided fractionation of ethanolic extract of leaves of Canarium patentinervium Miq. (Burseraceae Kunth.) led to the isolation of scopoletin (1), scoparone (2), (+)-catechin (3), vomifoliol (4), lioxin (5), and syringic acid (6). All the compounds exhibited antiacetylcholinesterase activity with syringic acid, a phenolic acid exhibiting good AChE inhibition (IC50 29.53 ± 0.19 μ g/mL). All compounds displayed moderate antileishmanial activity with scopoletin having the highest antileishmanial activity (IC50 163.30 ± 0.32 μ g/mL). Given the aforementioned evidence, it is tempting to speculate that Canarium patentinervium Miq. represents an exciting scaffold from which to develop leads for treatment of neurodegenerative and parasitic diseases.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cholinesterase Inhibitors/chemistry; Plant Extracts/chemistry; Plant Leaves/chemistry; Burseraceae/chemistry*
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