ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The development of digital technologies and the evolution of open innovation approaches have enabled the creation of diverse virtual organizations and enterprises coordinating their activities primarily online. The open innovation platform titled "International Natural Product Sciences Taskforce" (INPST) was established in 2018, to bring together in collaborative environment individuals and organizations interested in natural product scientific research, and to empower their interactions by using digital communication tools. METHODS: In this work, we present a general overview of INPST activities and showcase the specific use of Twitter as a powerful networking tool that was used to host a one-week "2021 INPST Twitter Networking Event" (spanning from 31st May 2021 to 6th June 2021) based on the application of the Twitter hashtag #INPST. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The use of this hashtag during the networking event period was analyzed with Symplur Signals (https://www.symplur.com/), revealing a total of 6,036 tweets, shared by 686 users, which generated a total of 65,004,773 impressions (views of the respective tweets). This networking event's achieved high visibility and participation rate showcases a convincing example of how this social media platform can be used as a highly effective tool to host virtual Twitter-based international biomedical research events.
Subject(s)
Biological Products , Social Media , HumansABSTRACT
Ethnopharmacological relevance: The genus Alternanthera (Amaranthaceae) comprises 139 species including 14 species used traditionally for the treatment of various ailments such as hypertension, pain, inflammation, diabetes, cancer, microbial and mental disorders. Aim of the review: To search research gaps through critical assessment of pharmacological activities not performed to validate traditional claims of various species of Alternanthera. This review will aid natural product researchers in identifying Alternanthera species with therapeutic potential for future investigation. Materials and methods: Scattered raw data on ethnopharmacological, morphological, phytochemical, pharmacological, toxicological, and clinical studies of various species of the genus Alternanthera have been compiled utilizing search engines like SciFinder, Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, and Open J-Gate for 100 years up to April 2021. Results: Few species of Alternanthera genus have been exhaustively investigated phytochemically, and about 129 chemical constituents related to different classes such as flavonoids, steroids, saponins, alkaloids, triterpenoids, glycosides, and phenolic compounds have been isolated from 9 species. Anticancer, antioxidant, antibacterial, CNS depressive, antidiabetic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulator effects have been explored in the twelve species of the genus. A toxicity study has been conducted on 3 species and a clinical study on 2 species. Conclusions: The available literature on pharmacological studies of Alternanthera species reveals that few species have been selected based on ethnobotanical surveys for scientific validation of their traditional claims. But most of these studies have been conducted on uncharacterized and non-standardized crude extracts. A roadmap of research needs to be developed for the isolation of new bioactive compounds from Alternanthera species, which can emerge out as clinically potential medicines.
ABSTRACT
Bergenin, 4-O-methyl gallic acid glucoside, is a bioactive compound in various plants belonging to different families. The present work compiles scattered information on pharmacology, structure-activity relationship and nanotechnological aspects of bergenin, collected from various electronic databases such as Sci Finder, PubMed, Google Scholar, etc. Bergenin has been reported to exhibit hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, neuroprotective, antiviral, and antimicrobial activities. Molecular docking studies have shown that isocoumarin pharmacophore of bergenin is essential for its bioactivities. Bergenin holds a great potential to be used as a lead molecule and also as a therapeutic agent for the development of more efficacious and safer semisynthetic derivatives. Nanotechnological concepts can be employed to overcome the poor bioavailability of bergenin. Finally, it is concluded that bergenin can emerge as clinically potential medicine in modern therapeutics.
Subject(s)
Benzopyrans , Benzopyrans/pharmacology , Humans , Molecular Docking Simulation , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
Background: With prostate cancer being the fifth-greatest cause of cancer mortality in 2020, there is a dire need to expand the available treatment options. Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) progresses despite androgen depletion therapy. The mechanisms of resistance are yet to be fully discovered. However, it is hypothesized that androgens depletion enables androgen-independent cells to proliferate and recolonize the tumor. Objectives: Natural bioactive compounds from edible plants and herbal remedies might potentially address this need. This review compiles the available cheminformatics-based studies and the translational studies regarding the use of natural products to manage CRPC. Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar searches for preclinical studies were performed, while ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed were searched for clinical updates. Studies that were not in English and not available as full text were excluded. The period of literature covered was from 1985 to the present. Results and Conclusion: Our analysis suggested that natural compounds exert beneficial effects due to their broad-spectrum molecular disease-associated targets. In vitro and in vivo studies revealed several bioactive compounds, including rutaecarpine, berberine, curcumin, other flavonoids, pentacyclic triterpenoids, and steroid-based phytochemicals. Molecular modeling tools, including machine and deep learning, have made the analysis more comprehensive. Preclinical and clinical studies on resveratrol, soy isoflavone, lycopene, quercetin, and gossypol have further validated the translational potential of the natural products in the management of prostate cancer.
ABSTRACT
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer among men and the second most frequent cause of cancer-related mortality around the world. The progression of advanced prostate cancer to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) plays a major role in disease-associated morbidity and mortality, posing a significant therapeutic challenge. Resistance has been associated with the activation of androgen receptors via several mechanisms, including alternative dehydroepiandrosterone biosynthetic pathways, other androgen receptor activator molecules, oncogenes, and carcinogenic signaling pathways. Tumor microenvironment plays a critical role not only in the cancer progression but also in the drug resistance. Numerous natural products have shown major potential against particular or multiple resistance pathways as shown by in vitro and in vivo studies. However, their efficacy in clinical trials has been undermined by their unfavorable pharmacological properties (hydrophobic molecules, instability, low pharmacokinetic profile, poor water solubility, and high excretion rate). Nanoparticle formulations can provide a way out of the stalemate, employing targeted drug delivery, improved pharmacokinetic drug profile, and transportation of diagnostic and therapeutic agents via otherwise impermeable biological barriers. This review compiles the available evidence regarding the use of natural products for the management of CRPC with a focus on nanoparticle formulations. PubMed and Google Scholar search engines were used for preclinical studies, while ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed were searched for clinical studies. The results of our study suggest the efficacy of natural compounds such as curcumin, resveratrol, apigenin, quercetin, fisetin, luteolin, kaempferol, genistein, berberine, ursolic acid, eugenol, gingerol, and ellagic acid against several mechanisms leading to castration resistance in preclinical studies, but fail to set the disease under control in clinical studies. Nanoparticle formulations of curcumin and quercetin seem to increase their potential in clinical settings. Using nanoparticles based on betulinic acid, capsaicin, sintokamide A, niphatenones A and B, as well as atraric acid seems promising but needs to be verified with preclinical and clinical studies.
