Peruvian plants of traditional use as potential sources of molecules with activity against COVID-19

RESUMEN Introducción: La situación actual de la COVID-19 es un gran problema para la población humana. En la actualidad, no hay medicamentos curativos disponibles en el mercado. Los investigadores están haciendo todo lo posible para producir fármacos con que luchar contra la enfermedad. Se están considerando varios esfuerzos basados en diferentes orientaciones del conocimiento científico y en las tecnologías para el tratamiento de la enfermedad. Desafortunadamente, ninguno de estos medicamentos funciona absolutamente contra la corriente pandémica. Por lo tanto, las moléculas bioactivas de plantas, animales y microorganismos podrían ser una mejor opción para tratar la COVID-19. Objetivo: Revisar la literatura sobre especies de la flora del Perú utilizadas en el tratamiento de enfermedades respiratorias y destacar las plantas con posible producción de metabolitos secundarios y lectinas vegetales potencialmente útiles como alternativa frente a la COVID-19. Métodos: Se revisaron artículos de literatura científica relacionados con el uso de la medicina tradicional en Perú, China e India para el tratamiento de enfermedades respiratorias, así como la información sobre lectinas vegetales y metabolitos secundarios con potencial utilidad contra la COVID-19. Resultados: Se presenta una amplia relación de géneros y especies de la flora del Perú con gran potencial contra la COVID-19. La mayoría de estas especies pertenecen a las familias Asteraceae, Loranthaceae, Piperaceae, Viscaceae y Zingiberaceae. Numerosas especies son endémicas del Perú. Conclusiones: La flora del Perú tiene más de 22 000 especies de plantas. Muchas de estas especies se utilizan tradicionalmente en el tratamiento de enfermedades respiratorias y pueden ser potencialmente útiles en el tratamiento de la COVID-19.

ABSTRACT Introduction: The current situation of COVID-19 is a big issue for the human population. At present, no healing drug is available in the market. Researchers are doing their best to produce drugs to fight the disease. Various efforts are being considered based on different directions of scientific knowledge and technologies for the treatment of the disease. Unfortunately, none of these drugs works absolutely against the pandemic. Therefore, bioactive molecules from plants, animals and microorganisms could be a better option to treat COVID-19. Objective: Review the literature about species of the flora of Peru used for the treatment of respiratory diseases and highlight the plants with potential in the production of secondary metabolites and plant lectins as an alternative against COVID-19. Methods: A review was conducted of scientific articles related to the use of traditional medicine in Peru, China, and India for the treatment of respiratory diseases, as well as information about plant lectins and secondary metabolites potentially useful against COVID-19. Results: A long list is presented of genera and species of the flora of Peru with great potential against COVID-19. Most of these species belong to the Asteraceae, Loranthaceae, Piperaceae, Viscaceae and Zingiberaceae families. Numerous species are endemic to Peru. Conclusions: The flora of Peru has more than 22 000 plant species. Many of these species are traditionally used in the treatment of respiratory diseases and are potentially useful for the treatment of COVID-19.

Leguminosae Lectins as Biological Tools in Medical Research: a Review

Abstract Lectins were discovered first in plants and later in other living things, and nowadays it is known that they are present in almost all many life forms. These proteins can bind to specific carbohydrates, which make them perform a number of biological activities and can be used as tools in the study of glycoconjugate structures present on the cell surface, being effective in medical research. Plant lectins, leguminosae lectins particularly, are among the most studied plant proteins. They are very versatile molecules, which show several interesting biological properties. Thus, the present paper reviewed the advances about the leguminosae lectins biological properties studies in the last ten years, taking into account their possible applications in the fields of Clinical Microbiology, Pharmacy and Cancerology through a search in the electronic databases, providing opportunity to exchange information about the theme. Leguminosae lectins can neutralize pathogenic organisms, be they viruses, prokaryotes and eukaryotes, in addition carcinogenic cells, besides decreasing oxidative stress, conditions which increases the possibility of alternative substances for the design of new drugs to be used in current therapeutic, expanding the possibilities of diseases cure.

Changes in expression of IB4 and CGRP in neurons in dorsal root ganglia of rats with neuropathic pain / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective To evaluate the changes in the expression of isolectin B4 (IB4) and calcium gene-related peptide (CGRP) in neurons in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of rats with neuropathic pain (NP).Methods Forty healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 250-280 g,were divided into 2 groups (n =20 each) using a random number table method:solvent group (group S) and group NP.NP was induced by intraperitoneally injecting resiniferatoxin 210 μg/kg,and the solvent of resiniferatoxin was intraperitoneally injected in group S.The mechanical paw withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal paw withdrawal latency (TWL) were measured in 5 rats selected before establishing the model and at 1,3,7 and 42 days after establishing the model.Five rats were sacrificed at 1,3,7 and 42 days after establishing the model,and the L4-6 segments of the DRGs were removed to determine the expression of CGRP and IB4 in neurons using immunofluorescence.Results Compared with the baseline before establishing the model,the MWT was signilicantly decreased at 3,7 and 42 days after establishing the model,and the TWL was prolonged at 1,3,7 and 42 days after establishing the model in group NP (P＜0.05).Compared with group S,the MWT was significantly decreased at 3,7 and 42 days after establishing the model,the TWL was prolonged at 1,3,7 and 42 days after establishing the model,and the expression of IB4 and CGRP in neurons in DRGs was down-regulated at 1,3,7 and 42 days after establishing the model in group NP (P＜0.05).Conclusion Down-regulated expression of IB4 expression in neurons in DRGs may be involved in the development and maintenance of mechanical hypersensitivity to pain,and down-regulated expression of CGRP may be involved in the development and maintenance of thermal analgesia in rats with NP.

Phytohaemagglutinin stimulates the proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and expression of secretory cytokines / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) can stimulate the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) into cellcycle, and cause their immune activation, which is a common immune proliferation model. However, the role of non-PBMC ingredient of peripheral blood is unclear, as wel as the expression of endothelial cells related cytokines. OBJECTIVE:To study the effect of whole blood culture and PBMCs alone culture with PHA on the PBMC proliferation and apoptosis, expression of inflammatory cytokine and endothelial cellsecreted cytokine markers. METHODS:Morphological changes of PBMCs separated from normal karyotype human peripheral blood individual y cultured with or without PHA were observed. The PBMCs were col ected by whole blood culture or PBMC separated culture. mRNA was extracted for the fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR, which was applied to detect the cellproliferation, apoptosis, and expression of inflammatory cytokine and endothelial cellsecreted cytokines. The statistic analysis was used for the significance explication. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:PBMCs alone cultured ere different from those undergoing whole blood culture. The PHA could up-regulate the gene expression of Ki67, proliferating cellnuclear antigen, Caspase 3, interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-βand interleukin-6, but down-regulate Protein C. This indicted that PHA could promote the proliferation and apoptosis of PBMCs and up-regulate the expression of inflammatory cytokines, but down-regulate the expression of endothelial cells secreted coagulation cytokines.

Plant lectins, chemical and biological aspects

Lectins, carbohydrate-binding proteins of non-immune origin, that agglutinate cells or precipitate polysaccharides and glycoconjugates, are well distributed in nature, mainly in the Plant Kingdom. The great majority of the plante lectins are present in seed cotyledons where they are found in the cytoplasm or int he protein bodies, although they have also been found in roots, stems and leaves. Due to their peculiar properties, the lectins are used as a tool both for analytical and preparative purposes in biochemistry, cellular biology, immunology and related areas. In agriculture and medicine the use of lectins greatly improved in the last few years. The lextins, with few exceptions, are glycoproteins, need divalent cations to display full activity and are, in general, oligomers with variable molecular weight. Although the studies on lectins have completed a century, their role in nature is yet ynknown . Several hypotheses on their physiological functions have been suggested. Thus, lectins could play important roles in defense against pathogens, plant-microorganism symbiosis, cell organization, embryo morphogenesis, phagocytosis, cell wall elongation, pollen recognition and as reserve proteins. A brief review on the general properties and roles of the lectins is given.