Review of Pharmacotherapeutic Targets in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Management Using Traditional Medicinal Plants.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline, memory loss, and impaired daily functioning. While there is currently no cure for AD, several pharmacotherapeutic targets and management strategies have been explored. Additionally, traditional medicinal plants have gained attention for their potential role in AD management. Pharmacotherapeutic targets in AD include amyloid-beta (Aß) aggregation, tau protein hyperphosphorylation, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and cholinergic dysfunction. Traditional medicinal plants, such as Ginkgo biloba, Huperzia serrata, Curcuma longa (turmeric), and Panax ginseng, have demonstrated the ability to modulate these targets through their bioactive compounds. Ginkgo biloba, for instance, contains flavonoids and terpenoids that exhibit neuroprotective effects by reducing Aß deposition and enhancing cerebral blood flow. Huperzia serrata, a natural source of huperzine A, has acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting properties, thus improving cholinergic function. Curcuma longa, enriched with curcumin, exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, potentially mitigating neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Panax ginseng's ginsenosides have shown neuroprotective and anti-amyloidogenic properties. The investigation of traditional medicinal plants as a complementary approach to AD management offers several advantages, including a lower risk of adverse effects and potential multi-target interactions. Furthermore, the cultural knowledge and utilization of these plants provide a rich source of information for the development of new therapies. However, further research is necessary to elucidate the precise mechanisms of action, standardize preparations, and assess the safety and efficacy of these natural remedies. Integrating traditional medicinal-plant-based therapies with modern pharmacotherapies may hold the key to a more comprehensive and effective approach to AD treatment. This review aims to explore the pharmacotherapeutic targets in AD and assess the potential of traditional medicinal plants in its management.

Design, synthesis and mechanistic anticancer activity of new acetylated 5-aminosalicylate-thiazolinone hybrid derivatives.

The development of hybrid compounds has been widely considered as a promising strategy to circumvent the difficulties that emerge in cancer treatment. The well-established strategy of adding acetyl groups to certain drugs has been demonstrated to enhance their therapeutic efficacy. Based on our previous work, an approach of accommodating two chemical entities into a single structure was implemented to synthesize new acetylated hybrids (HH32 and HH33) from 5-aminosalicylic acid and 4-thiazolinone derivatives. These acetylated hybrids showed potential anticancer activities and distinct metabolomic profile with antiproliferative properties. The in-silico molecular docking predicts a strong binding of HH32 and HH33 to cell cycle regulators, and transcriptomic analysis revealed DNA repair and cell cycle as the main targets of HH33 compounds. These findings were validated using in vitro models. In conclusion, the pleiotropic biological effects of HH32 and HH33 compounds on cancer cells demonstrated a new avenue to develop more potent cancer therapies.

Design, Synthesis, and Potent Anticancer Activity of Novel Indole-Based Bcl-2 Inhibitors.

The Bcl-2 family plays a crucial role in regulating cell apoptosis, making it an attractive target for cancer therapy. In this study, a series of indole-based compounds, U1-6, were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anticancer activity against Bcl-2-expressing cancer cell lines. The binding affinity, safety profile, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis effects of the compounds were tested. The designed compounds exhibited potent inhibitory activity at sub-micromolar IC50 concentrations against MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and A549 cell lines. Notably, U2 and U3 demonstrated the highest activity, particularly against MCF-7 cells. Respectively, both U2 and U3 showed potential BCL-2 inhibition activity with IC50 values of 1.2 ± 0.02 and 11.10 ± 0.07 µM using an ELISA binding assay compared with 0.62 ± 0.01 µM for gossypol, employed as a positive control. Molecular docking analysis suggested stable interactions of compound U2 at the Bcl-2 binding site through hydrogen bonding, pi-pi stacking, and hydrophobic interactions. Furthermore, U2 demonstrated significant induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase. Importantly, U2 displayed a favourable safety profile on HDF human dermal normal fibroblast cells at 10-fold greater IC50 values compared with MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of compound U2 as a Bcl-2 inhibitor and provide insights into its molecular mechanisms of action.

The Anti-Candida Activity of Tephrosia apollinea Is More Superiorly Attributed to a Novel Steroidal Compound with Selective Targeting.

Tephrosia is widely distributed throughout tropical, subtropical, and arid regions. This genus is known for several biological activities, including its anti-Candida activity, which is mainly attributed to prenylated flavonoids. The biological activities of most Tephrosia species have been studied, except T. apollinea. This study was conducted to investigate the underlying anti-Candida activity of T. apollinea, wildly grown in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The T. apollinea plant was collected, dried, and the leaves were separated. The leaves were ground and extracted. The dried extract was subjected to successive chromatography to identify unique phytochemicals with a special pharmacological activity. The activity of the compound was validated by homology modeling and molecular docking studies. A novel steroidal compound (ergosta-6, 8(14), 22, 24(28)-tetraen-3-one) was isolated and named TNS. In silico target identification of TNS revealed a high structural similarity with the Candida 14-α-demethylase enzyme substrate. The compound exhibited a significant anti-Candida activity, specifically against the multi-drug-resistant Candida auris at MIC50, 16 times less than the previously reported prenylated flavonoids and 5 times less than the methanol extract of the plant. These findings were supported by homology modeling and molecular docking studies. TNS may represent a new class of Candida 14-α-demethylase inhibitors.

Novel Secreted Peptides From Rhizopus arrhizus var. delemar With Immunomodulatory Effects That Enhance Fungal Pathogenesis.

Secreted fungal peptides are known to influence the interactions between the pathogen and host innate immunity. The aim of this study is to screen and evaluate secreted peptides from the fungus Rhizopus arrhizus var. delemar for their immunomodulatory activity. By using mass spectrometry and immuno-informatics analysis, we identified three secreted peptides CesT (S16), Colicin (S17), and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase/ligand (CAMK/CAMKL; S27). Culturing peripheral blood-derived monocytic macrophages (PBMMs) in the presence of S16 or S17 caused cell clumping, while culturing them with S27 resulted in the formation of spindle-shaped cells. S27-treated PBMMs showed cell cycle arrest at G0 phase and exhibited alternatively activated macrophage phenotype with pronounced reduction in scavenger receptors CD163 and CD206. Homology prediction indicated that IL-4/IL-13 is the immunomodulatory target of S27. Confirming this prediction, S27 initiated macrophage activation through phosphorylation of STAT-6; STAT-6 inhibition reversed the activity of S27 and reduced the formation of spindle-shaped PBMMs. Lastly, S27 treatment of PBMMs was associated with altered expression of key iron regulatory genes including hepcidin, ferroportin, transferrin receptor 1, and ferritin in a pattern consistent with increased cellular iron release; a condition known to enhance Rhizopus infection. Collectively, R. arrhizus var. delemar secretes peptides with immunomodulatory activities that support fungal pathogenesis. Targeting the IL-4/IL-13R/STAT-6 axis is a potential therapeutic approach to enhance the PBMM-mediated fungal phagocytosis. This represents a potential new approach to overcome lethal mucormycosis.

Marine Sponge is a Promising Natural Source of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Scaffold.

The current pandemic caused by SARS-CoV2 and named COVID-19 urgent the need for novel lead antiviral drugs. Recently, United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of remdesivir as anti-SARS-CoV-2. Remdesivir is a natural product-inspired nucleoside analogue with significant broad-spectrum antiviral activity. Nucleosides analogues from marine sponge including spongouridine and spongothymidine have been used as lead for the evolutionary synthesis of various antiviral drugs such as vidarabine and cytarabine. Furthermore, the marine sponge is a rich source of compounds with unique activities. Marine sponge produces classes of compounds that can inhibit the viral cysteine protease (Mpro) such as esculetin and ilimaquinone and human serine protease (TMPRSS2) such as pseudotheonamide C and D and aeruginosin 98B. Additionally, sponge-derived compounds such as dihydrogracilin A and avarol showed immunomodulatory activity that can target the cytokines storm. Here, we reviewed the potential use of sponge-derived compounds as promising therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2. Despite the reported antiviral activity of isolated marine metabolites, structural modifications showed the importance in targeting and efficacy. On that basis, we are proposing a novel structure with bifunctional scaffolds and dual pharmacophores that can be superiorly employed in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method for determination of five ß-blockers after labeling with either hydrazonoyl chloride or dansyl chloride reagent.

A sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method was developed for the screening of five ß-blockers (BBs), including atenolol, metoprolol, bisoprolol, propranolol, and betaxolol, in rabbit plasma. An inhouse prepared hydrazonoyl chloride compound (UOSA54) and dansyl chloride (DNS) were successfully coupled with BBs via the amino functional group and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The excess hydrazonoyl chloride was characterized by a negligible ionization suppression at the electrospray-ionization (ESI) source, which enables the analysis of BBs at a low concentration level. The relative ESI-MS response of derivatized to underivatized BBs was enhanced 2.3 to 3.7-fold. The developed method could be applied for screening of BBs in samples by searching the most abundant MS product ions, including m/z 169 and 211, in addition to the precursor ion and the cleavage of ether moiety. The method could be applied for trace analysis and screening of BBs abuse. The use of UOSA54 was adventitious over dansylated derivatives because of minimal reaction by-products and the negligible ionization suppression effect. The extraction efficiency of BBs from rabbit plasma was improved to reach 77.5-93.9% using tert-butylamine and Chromabond® C18ec-100 mg column. The optimal reaction conditions were optimized and validated. The linear range of analyzed BBs in rabbit plasma was within the range of 0.1 to 25.0 ng/mL, while the limit of quantification (LO Q) was ranged from 0.10 to 0.25 ng/mL.

Induction of DNA damage, apoptosis and cell cycle perturbation mediate cytotoxic activity of new 5-aminosalicylate-4-thiazolinone hybrid derivatives.

Modulation of several targets in cancer cells enhances the effect of anti-cancer drugs. This can be achieved by using combinations of anti-cancer drugs or by designing new drugs with novel pharmacophore structures that target different molecules within cancer cells. We developed a panel of such compounds by accommodating two chemical entities (5-Aminoslicylic acid and thiazolin-4-one) known to have anti-cancer activities into a single framework structure. Using a panel of 7 cancer cell lines, two compounds (HH3 and HH13) showed efficient cytotoxic effects on some types of cancer comparable to the standard anti-cancer drug doxorubicin with tumor specificity and minimal effects on normal fibroblasts. Investigating the molecular mechanisms of the two compounds revealed (i) induction of DNA damage, (ii) cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase and (iii) induction of apoptosis as indicated by annexin-V staining and activation of caspases. These effects were more prominent in HH compounds-sensitive cells (with IC50 < 0.5µM) than -resistant or normal cells (with IC50 > 1µM). Moreover, both compounds modulate the expression and activity of several factors in the DNA damage response pathway (γ-H2AX, ATM, ATR, CHK1, CHK2), cyclins/cyclin dependent kinases and CDC25 phosphatase. Altogether, our results show that both HH3 and HH13 compounds are good candidates as anti-cancer drug leads for certain types of cancer and worth further detailed investigations of their safety and effectiveness on animal/xenograft models.

Conjugation of 4-aminosalicylate with thiazolinones afforded non-cytotoxic potent in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory hybrids.

Eicosanoids like leukotrienes and prostaglandins that produced within the arachidonic acid cascade are involved in the pathogenesis of pain, acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. A promising approach for an effective anti-inflammatory therapy is the development of inhibitors targeting more than one enzyme of this cascade. Aiming to develop balanced COX/LOX inhibitors; 4-aminosalicylate based thiazolinones having different substituents at the 5th position of the 4-thiazolinone ring (2-22) were designed, synthesized, characterized and evaluated in vitro and in vivo for their anti-inflammatory activity. Most of the investigated compounds showed high COX-2 inhibitory potencies (IC50 39-200 nM) with selectivity indexes (30-84). Two compounds, 19 and 21, (IC50 = 41 and 44 nM), are equipotent to celecoxib (IC50 = 49 nM), while compound 22 (IC50 = 39 nM) was the most potent. For 15-LOX, compounds 5, 11, 19, 21 and 22 revealed higher potency (IC50 1.5-2.2 µM) than zileuton (IC50 15 µM). Thus, compounds 5, 11, 19, 21 and 22 are potent dual inhibitors of COX-2 and 15-LOX. In vivo anti-inflammatory testing of these compounds revealed that, compounds 5 and 21 had an anti-inflammatory activity similar to indomethacin and celecoxib (% inhibition of oedema = 60 ±â€¯9) and higher than diclofenac potassium (% inhibition = 52 ±â€¯29), while compound 22 (% inhibition = 63 ±â€¯5) was more active than the reference drugs. The results showed that the activity is controlled by the bulkiness and lipophilicity of the substituent at the 5th position. The cytotoxicity results revealed that all compounds are not cytotoxic, additionally, in an experimental model of ulcerogenic effect, the most active compounds 21 and 22 showed better safety profile than indomethacin. Further, at the active sites of the COX-1, COX-2 and 15-LOX co-crystal, 19, 21, and 22 showed high binding forces in free binding energy study, which is consistent with in vitro and in vivo results. In conclusion, these compounds are good candidates for further biological investigation as potential anti-inflammatory drugs with dual balanced inhibition of COX and 15-LOX and good safety profile.

Novel betulin derivative is responsible for the anticancer folk use of Ziziphus spina-christi from the hot environmental habitat of UAE.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Several natural products derived from plant sources are developed to remarkable medicines based on their traditional uses. Ziziphus, a worldwide known plant, is proven for potential cytotoxic activity. However, the plant growing at the unique hot environmental climate of UAE was never investigated. Different phytochemicals may be produced from the same plant genotype at different climates leading to variable pharmacological activities. AIM OF THE STUDY: The study was conducted in order to investigate phytochemicals in the UAE native Z. spina-christi plant and its anticancer activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Z. spina-christi plant were collected, dried and dissected into leaves, stems and thorns. The plant organs were subjected to comparative fractionation-based anticancer assay followed by spectroscopic analysis of a uniquely isolated compound. RESULTS: The results indicate that a novel betulin derivative (13-dehydrobetulin) isolated from plant stem exhibited substantial anticancer activity specifically against liver cancer and with wide therapeutic range. CONCLUSIONS: Growth of cytotoxic traditionally-known plant remedy at harsh environmental habitat advances its anticancer activity due to production of novel phytochemical with optimum activity and minimal toxicity. Furthermore, such approach may be a future to develop novel lead compounds with optimum activity.

Design and synthesis of novel 5-aminosalicylate (5-ASA)-4-thiazolinone hybrid derivatives with promising antiproliferative activity.

Two privileged pharmacophores were assembled in one molecular frame involving 5-aminosalicylate and 4-thiazolinones that can be found in different stereochemical features. The compounds were fully characterized and evaluated for antiproliferative activity against four human cancer cell lines and some are equipotent to doxorubicin with lower cytotoxicity to normal cells. The most interesting finding relates to compound 10, which shows an IC50 value of 70nM against MCF-7 cells, while the IC50 against human fibroblasts is 10µM. The results of this study indicate that the new compounds are optimal anti-cancer leading compounds and merit further studies to optimize their structure, detect their biotargets and in vivo activity.

Spectroscopic analytical study for the charge-transfer complexation of certain cephalosporins with chloranilic acid.

Studies were carried out to develop a simple, rapid and accurate spectrophotometric method for the analysis of fifteen cephalosporins. The method depends on the charge-transfer complexation reaction between any of these drugs as an n-electron donor and p-chloranilic acid (p-CA) as a pi-acceptor to form a violet chromogen measured at 520 nm. Different variables affecting the reaction were studied and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, linear relationships with good correlation coefficients (0.9986-0.9996) were found between the absorbances and the concentrations of the studied drugs in the range of 4-1,200 microg ml(-1). The limits of assay detection ranged from 2.54 to 42.83 microg ml(-1). The accuracy and precision of the method were satisfactory. The method was successfully applied to an analysis of the studied drugs in their pharmaceutical formulations; the recovery percentages ranged from 96.76 +/- 0.87% to 100.50 +/- 1.30%. The interaction sites were confirmed by UV/VIS, IR, 1H-NMR techniques. Molecular modeling for the interaction was used for deriving an equation for calculating the epsilon value for a particular drug. This equation gave a perfect prediction for the degree of interaction of the investigated drugs with the p-CA reagent.