From Traditional Medicine to Advanced Therapeutics: The Renaissance of Phyto-nano Interventions in Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune systemic chronic inflammatory disease that exhibits characteristic detrimental effects on the skin, often leading to infections or comorbid conditions. The multifaceted nature of psoriasis has made it very challenging to treat, especially with current chemotherapy options. Therefore, it is essential to consider phytoconstituents as novel alternatives. However, despite demonstrating higher anti-inflammatory, anti-psoriasis, and immunomodulatory potential, their clinical usage is hindered due to their poor physicochemical properties. To address these drawbacks, nanoparticulate drug delivery systems have been developed, helping to achieve better permeation of phytoconstituents through topical administration. This has breathed new life into traditional systems of medicine, particularly in the context of treating psoriasis. In this current review, we present a detailed, comprehensive, and up-to-date analysis of the literature, which will contribute to affirming the clinical role of phyto-nano interventions against psoriasis.

Enhanced Pharmacokinetics and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Curcumin Using Dry Emulsion as Drug Delivery Vehicle.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Many naturally available dietary molecules such as curcumin have not seen the market due to poor solubility, bioavailability, and photodegradability. Successful development of a lipid-based dry emulsion may overcome these issues and help in reaching the markets for natural dietary molecules such as curcumin. The current study aims to develop a dry emulsion formulation of curcumin using natural oil and evaluate its dissolution, photostability, pharmacokinetics, and anti-inflammatory activity. METHODS: Dry emulsions were prepared using emu oil and corn oil as the lipid phase, Caproyl 90 and Cremophor RH 40 as surfactants, and dextrin as a hydrophilic carrier. RESULTS: Microscopic studies showed the formation of spherical porous particles, and solid-state characterization using differential scanning calorimetry and powder X-ray diffraction showed the conversion of curcumin to an amorphous form. About 80% drug release was observed from formulation, whereas pure drug showed only 50% drug release in 30 min. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies showed fivefold improvement in the maximum concentration of curcumin in plasma (Cmax) and sevenfold improvement in the area under the concentration-time curve of curcumin from emu oil formulation compared with pure curcumin. Significant differences were observed in the anti-inflammatory activity of curcumin dry emulsion and plain curcumin. Emu-oil-based formulations showed synergistic anti-inflammatory activity over corn-oil-based formulations with improved photostability. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that the dry emulsion may enhance the bioavailability with synergistic anti-inflammatory activity and photostability of curcumin when given orally.

Design and In Vitro Evaluation of Novel Cationic Lipids for siRNA Delivery in Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer mortality in Western nations, with a terrible prognosis. Many studies show that siRNA plays a role in the development of tumors by acting as a tumor suppressor and apoptosis inhibitor or both. siRNAs may be used as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer. Antisurvivin siRNA was chosen as a therapeutic target in breast cancer treatment because it directly targets survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis protein, that causes cell death. However, siRNA-based treatment has significant limitations, including a lack of tissue selectivity, a lack of effective delivery mechanisms, low cellular absorption, and the possibility of systemic toxicity. To address some of these issues, we provide a siRNA delivery method based on cationic lipids. In the recent past, cationic liposomes have displayed that they offer a remarkable perspective in proficient siRNA delivery. The presence of a positive charge plays a vital role in firm extracellular siRNA binding along with active intracellular siRNA separation and low biological adversities. Consequently, the methods for developing innovative cationic lipids through rendering and utilization of appropriate positive charges would certainly be helpful for benign and effective siRNA delivery. In the current study, an effort was made to synthesize a 3,4-dimethoxyaniline lipid (DMA) to improve the effectiveness and protection of successful siRNA delivery. DMA cationic lipid successfully delivered survivin siRNA that reduced the survivin mRNA expression, indicating the possibility of utilizing siRNA therapeutics for breast cancer. It is expected that this innovative quaternary amine-based liposome can open up new avenues in the process of developing an easy and extensively used platform for siRNA delivery. Cationic lipoplexes, a potential carrier system for siRNA-based therapies in the treatment of breast cancer, were proven by our data.

Effect of Cationic Lipid Nanoparticle Loaded siRNA with Stearylamine against Chikungunya Virus.

Chikungunya is an infectious disease caused by mosquito-transmitted chikungunya virus (CHIKV). It was reported that NS1 and E2 siRNAs administration demonstrated CHIKV inhibition in in vitro as well as in vivo systems. Cationic lipids are promising for designing safe non-viral vectors and are beneficial in treating chikungunya. In this study, nanodelivery systems (hybrid polymeric/solid lipid nanoparticles) using cationic lipids (stearylamine, C9 lipid, and dioctadecylamine) and polymers (branched PEI-g-PEG -PEG) were prepared, characterized, and complexed with siRNA. The four developed delivery systems (F1, F2, F3, and F4) were assessed for stability and potential toxicities against CHIKV. In comparison to the other nanodelivery systems, F4 containing stearylamine (Octadecylamine; ODA), with an induced optimum cationic charge of 45.7 mV in the range of 152.1 nm, allowed maximum siRNA complexation, better stability, and higher transfection, with strong inhibition against the E2 and NS1 genes of CHIKV. The study concludes that cationic lipid-like ODA with ease of synthesis and characterization showed maximum complexation by structural condensation of siRNA owing to high transfection alone. Synergistic inhibition of CHIKV along with siRNA was demonstrated in both in vitro and in vivo models. Therefore, ODA-based cationic lipid nanoparticles can be explored as safe, potent, and efficient nonviral vectors overcoming siRNA in vivo complexities against chikungunya.

In vitro and in vivo studies reveal α-Mangostin, a xanthonoid from Garcinia mangostana, as a promising natural antiviral compound against chikungunya virus.

BACKGROUND: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a serious health problem in several tropical countries, is the causative agent of chikungunya fever. Approved antiviral therapies or vaccines for the treatment or prevention of CHIKV infections are not available. As diverse natural phenolic compounds have been shown to possess antiviral activities, we explored the antiviral activity of α-Mangostin, a xanthanoid, against CHIKV infection. METHODS: The in vitro prophylactic and therapeutic effects of α-Mangostin on CHIKV replication in Vero E6 cells were investigated by administering it under pre, post and cotreatment conditions. The antiviral activity was determined by foci forming unit assay, quantitative RT-PCR and cell-based immune-fluorescence assay. The molecular mechanism of inhibitory action was further proposed using in silico molecular docking studies. RESULTS: In vitro studies revealed that 8 µM α-Mangostin completely inhibited CHIKV infectivity under the cotreatment condition. CHIKV replication was also inhibited in virus-infected mice. This is the first in vivo study which clearly showed that α-Mangostin is effective in vivo by significantly reducing virus replication in serum and muscles. Molecular docking indicated that α-Mangostin can efficiently interact with the E2-E1 heterodimeric glycoprotein and the ADP-ribose binding cavity of the nsP3 macrodomain. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that α-Mangostin can inhibit CHIKV infection and replication through possible interaction with multiple CHIKV target proteins and might act as a prophylactic/therapeutic agent against CHIKV.

Antiviral activity of stearylamine against chikungunya virus.

Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne disease that causes high fever and severe joint pain in humans, is a profound global threat because of its high rate of contagion and lack of antiviral interventions or vaccines for controlling the infection. The present study was aimed to investigate the antiviral activity of Stearylamine (SA) against Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in both in vitro and in vivo. The antiviral activity of SA was determined by foci forming unit (FFU) assay, quantitative RT-PCR and cell-based immune-fluorescence assay (IFA). Further in vivo studies were carried out to see the effect of SA treatment in CHIKV infected C57BL/6 mice. The anti-CHIKV activity was evaluated using qRT-PCR in serum and muscle tissues at different time points and by histopathology. In vitro treatment with SA at a concentration of 50 µM showed a reduction of 1.23 ± 0.19 log10 FFU/mL at 16 h and 1.56 ± 0.12 log10 FFU/mL at 24 h posttreatment by FFU assay. qRT-PCR studies indicated that SA treatment at 50µM concentration showed a singnificant reduction of 1.6 ± 0.1 log10 and 1.27 ± 0.12 log10 RNA copies when compared with that of virus control at 16 and 24 h post incubation. Treatments in the C57BL/6 mice model revealed that SA at 20 mg/kg dose per day up to 3, 5 and 7 days, produced stronger inhibition against CHIKV indicating substantially decrease viral loads and inflammatory cell migration in comparison to a dose of 10 mg/kg. This first in vivo study clearly indicates that SA is effective by significantly reducing virus replication in serum and muscles. As a next-generation antiviral therapeutic, these promising results can be translated for the use of SA to rationalize and develop an ideal delivery system alone or in combination against CHIKV.

Local administration of 4-Thiouridine, a novel molecule with potent anti-inflammatory properties, protects against experimental colitis and arthritis.

Previous studies in a rat model of Sephadex induced lung inflammation showed that 4-Thiouridine (4SU), a thiol substituted nucleoside, was very effective in reducing edema, leukocyte influx and TNF levels in bronchoalvelolar lavage fluid. However, little is known about the factors and mechanisms underlying these effects. In the present study, we have used two separate mouse models of chronic inflammation, a model of dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) induced colitis and a model of antigen induced arthritis, to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of 4-thiouridine. We have analyzed a broad spectrum of inflammatory mediators in order to delineate the mechanisms behind a potential anti-inflammatory effect of 4SU. Colitis was induced in C57BL/6 mice by administration of 3.5% DSS in drinking water for 5 days and the potential anti-colitic effect of 4SU was assessed by monitoring the disease activity index (DAI), measurement of colon length and histopathological analysis of colon tissue. We analyzed tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, serum pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF), mRNA and protein expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, COX-2, and NF-κB activity in colitis tissue. Intracolonic administration of 4SU (5 mg/kg & 10 mg/kg.) significantly inhibited MPO activity and reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF) as well as COX-2. Further, NF-κB activation was also blocked by attenuating the phosphorylation of IkB kinase (IKK α/ß) in DSS-induced colitis tissues. Arthritis was induced by intra-articular injection of mBSA in the knee of NMRI mice pre-immunized with mBSA and 4SU was administered locally by direct injection into the knee joint. The antiarthritic potential of 4SU was calculated by histopathological scores and histochemical analysis of joint tissue. Further, immunohistochemistry was used to study inflammatory cell infiltration and expression of cytokines and adhesion molecules in the synovium. Local administration of 50-100 mg/kg 4SU at the time of arthritis onset clearly prevented development of joint inflammation and efficiently inhibited synovial expression of CD18, local cytokine production and recruitment of leukocytes to the synovium. Taken together, our data clearly demonstrates a potent anti-inflammatory effect of 4SU in two experimental models. In conclusion 4SU could be a new promising candidate for therapeutic modulation of chronic inflammatory diseases like ulcerative colitis and arthritis.

Uridine Ameliorates Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)-Induced Colitis in Mice.

Uridine, one of the four components that comprise RNA, has attracted attention as a novel therapeutic modulator of inflammation. However, very little is known about its effect on intestinal inflammation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential protective effect of intracolonic administered uridine against DSS induced colitis in male C57BL/6 mice. Intracolonic instillation of 3 doses of uridine 1 mg/Kg (lower dose), 5 mg/Kg (medium dose), and 10 mg/Kg (higher dose) in saline was performed daily. Uridine at medium and high dose significantly reduced the severity of colitis (DAI score) and alleviated the macroscopic and microscopic signs of the disease. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF in serum as well as mRNA expression in colon were significantly reduced in the uridine treated groups. Moreover, colon tissue myloperoxidase activities, protein expression of IL-6, TNF- α, COX-2, P-NFkB and P-Ikk-ßα in the colon tissues were significantly reduced in medium and high dose groups. These findings demonstrated that local administration of uridine alleviated experimental colitis in male C57BL/6 mice accompanied by the inhibition of neutrophil infiltration and NF-κB signaling. Thus, Uridine may be a promising candidate for future use in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Cardamonin, a chalcone, inhibits human triple negative breast cancer cell invasiveness by downregulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling cascades and reversal of epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Cardamonin (CD), an active chalconoid, has shown potent anticancer effects in preclinical studies; however, the effect and underlying mechanism of CD for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is unclear. This study aims to examine the cytotoxic effects of CD and investigate the underlying mechanism in human TNBC cells. The results show that CD exhibits cytotoxicity by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in TNBC cells via modulation of Bcl-2, Bax, cyt-C, cleaved caspase-3, and PARP. We find that CD significantly increases expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin, while reciprocally decreasing expression of mesenchymal markers such as snail, slug, and vimentin in BT-549 cells. In parallel with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) reversal, CD down regulates invasion and migration of BT-549 cells. CD markedly reduces stability and nuclear translocation of ß-catenin, accompanied with downregulation of ß-catenin target genes. Using the TopFlash luciferase reporter assay, we reveal CD as a specific inhibitor of the Wnt3a-induced signaling. These results suggest the involvement of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in the CD-induced EMT reversion of BT-549 cells. Notably, CD restores the glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK3ß) activity, required for ß-catenin destruction via the proteasome-mediated system, by inhibiting the phosphorylation of GSK3ß by Akt. These occurrences ultimately lead to the blockage of EMT and the invasion of TNBC cells. Further antitumor activity of CD was tested in 4T1 (TNBC cells) induced tumor and it was found that CD significantly inhibited the tumor volume at dose of 5 mg/kg-treated mice. © 2016 BioFactors, 43(2):152-169, 2017.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of oxindole linked indolyl-pyrimidine derivatives as potential cytotoxic agents.

In our endeavor towards the development of effective cytotoxic agents, a series of oxindole linked indolyl-pyrimidine derivatives were synthesized and characterized by IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and Mass spectral analysis. All the newly synthesized target compounds were assessed against PA-1 (ovarian), U-87MG (glioblastoma), LnCaP (prostate), and MCF-7 (Breast) cancer cell lines for their cytotoxic potential, with majority of them showing inhibitory activity at low micro-molar concentrations. Significantly, compound 8e was found to be most potent amongst all the tested compounds with an IC50 value of (2.43±0.29µM) on PA-1 cells. The influence of the most active cytotoxic compound 8e on the cell cycle distribution was assessed on the PA-1 cell line, exhibiting a cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. Moreover, acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining and annexin V binding assay confirmed that compound 8e can induce cell apoptosis in PA-1 cells. These preliminary results persuade further investigation on the synthesized compounds aiming to the development of potential cytotoxic agents.

Amelioration of FCA induced arthritis on topical application of curcumin in combination with emu oil.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the skin penetration potential of emu oil and the possibility of enhancing the antiarthritic potential of lipophilic bioactive curcumin, which has poor permeability through biological membranes. METHODS: Solubility and ex vivo skin permeation studies were performed with water, corn oil, and emu oil as a vehicle using curcumin as a model drug. Carrageenan induced inflammation and Freund's complete adjuvant-induced arthritic rat models were used to evaluate enhanced antiinflammatory and antiarthritic effect of curcumin in combination of emu oil via topical route. RESULTS: The skin permeation study resulted in the combination of emu oil with curcumin enhancing the flux 1.84 and 4.25 times through the rat skin compared to corn oil and water, respectively. Results of carrageenan induced rat paw edema model demonstrated that percentage of paw inhibition shown by curcumin-emu oil combination was 1.42-fold more compared to the total effect shown by both groups treated with curcumin aqueous suspension and emu oil per se. In Freund's complete adjuvant-induced arthritic model, the combined treatment was effective in bringing significant changes in the functional, biochemical, histopathologic, and radiologic parameters. Topical application of curcumin-emu oil combination resulted in significant reduced levels of proinflammatory mediators TNF-α, IL-1 ß, and IL-6 (P < 0.05, 0.001, and 0.01, respectively) compared to arthritic animals. CONCLUSION: Topical delivery of curcumin with emu oil holds promise as a noninvasive and efficacious intervention for the treatment of inflammatory arthritis and it assists in further development of a topical formulation of curcumin using emu oil as a vehicle.

Emu oil based nano-emulgel for topical delivery of curcumin.

Curcumin and emu oil derived from emu bird (Dromaius novaehollandiae) has shown promising results against inflammation. However, the delivery of curcumin is hindered due to low solubility and poor permeation. In addition, till date the role of emu oil in drug delivery has not been explored systemically. Hence, the current investigation was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of curcumin in combination with emu oil from a nanoemulgel formulation in experimental inflammation and arthritic in vivo models. Nanoemulsion was prepared using emu oil, Cremophor RH 40 and Labrafil M2125CS as oil phase, surfactant and co-surfactant. The optimized curcumin loaded nanoemulsion with emu oil was incorporated into carbopol gel for convenient application by topical route. The anti-inflammatory efficacy was evaluated in carrageenan induced paw edema and FCA induced arthritic rat model in terms of paw swelling, weight indices of the liver and spleen, pathological changes in nuclear factor kappa B, iNOS, COX-2 expression and inflammatory cytokines. Arthritic scoring, paw volume, biochemical, molecular, radiological and histological examinations indicated significant improvement in anti-inflammatory activity with formulations containing curcumin in combination with emu oil compared to pure curcumin. These encouraging results demonstrate the potential of formulations containing curcumin and emu oil combination in rheumatoid arthritis.

Lactoferrin bioconjugated solid lipid nanoparticles: a new drug delivery system for potential brain targeting.

BACKGROUND: Delivery of drugs to brain is a subtle task in the therapy of many severe neurological disorders. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) easily diffuse the blood-brain barrier (BBB) due to their lipophilic nature. Furthermore, ligand conjugation on SLN surface enhances the targeting efficiency. Lactoferin (Lf) conjugated SLN system is first time attempted for effective brain targeting in this study. PURPOSE: Preparation of Lf-modified docetaxel (DTX)-loaded SLN for proficient delivery of DTX to brain. METHODS: DTX-loaded SLN were prepared using emulsification and solvent evaporation method and conjugation of Lf on SLN surface (C-SLN) was attained through carbodiimide chemistry. These lipidic nanoparticles were evaluated by DLS, AFM, FTIR, XRD techniques and in vitro release studies. Colloidal stability study was performed in biologically simulated environment (normal saline and serum). These lipidic nanoparticles were further evaluated for its targeting mechanism for uptake in brain tumour cells and brain via receptor saturation studies and distribution studies in brain, respectively. RESULTS: Particle size of lipidic nanoparticles was found to be optimum. Surface morphology (zeta potential, AFM) and surface chemistry (FTIR) confirmed conjugation of Lf on SLN surface. Cytotoxicity studies revealed augmented apoptotic activity of C-SLN than SLN and DTX. Enhanced cytotoxicity was demonstrated by receptor saturation and uptake studies. Brain concentration of DTX was elevated significantly with C-SLN than marketed formulation. CONCLUSIONS: It is evident from the cytotoxicity, uptake that SLN has potential to deliver drug to brain than marketed formulation but conjugating Lf on SLN surface (C-SLN) further increased the targeting potential for brain tumour. Moreover, brain distribution studies corroborated the use of C-SLN as a viable vehicle to target drug to brain. Hence, C-SLN was demonstrated to be a promising DTX delivery system to brain as it possessed remarkable biocompatibility, stability and efficacy than other reported delivery systems.

H2O-mediated isatin spiro-epoxide ring opening with NaCN: Synthesis of novel 3-tetrazolylmethyl-3-hydroxy-oxindole hybrids and their anticancer evaluation.

A simple method for isatin spiro-epoxide ring-opening by sodium cyanide in water to obtain a variety of isatin hydroxy nitriles has been developed. Further, these intermediates have been converted into new 3-tetrazolylmethyl-3-hydroxy-oxindole hybrids via azide-nitrile cycloaddition reaction in a sealed tube. These compounds were evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity on five human cancer cell lines i.e. breast (BT549 and MDA MB-231), prostate (PC-3 and DU-145) and ovarian (PA-1). The compounds 6d and 6r showed potent anticancer activity against DU-145 cell line with IC50 values in the range of 7.01 ± 0.91 and 4.26 ± 0.09 µM respectively. The compounds 6d, 6g, 6q and 6r were also tested on human normal prostate epithelial (RWPE-1) cells and found to be safer with lesser cytotoxicity. The morphology and long term clonogenic survival of DU-145 cells were severely affected by compound 6r. Cell cycle analysis revealed that the compounds arrest the cells in G2/M phase. Acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining, DAPI staining, annexin-V binding assay and DNA fragmentation analysis showed that cell proliferation was inhibited through induction of apoptosis. Moreover, one of the compounds 6r treatment led to collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential (DΨm) and increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in DU-145 cells.

One-pot synthesis of podophyllotoxin-thiourea congeners by employing NH2SO3H/NaI: Anticancer activity, DNA topoisomerase-II inhibition, and apoptosis inducing agents.

A facile one-pot method for the synthesis of novel podophyllotoxin-thiourea congeners has been developed by using NH2SO3H/NaI system. Interestingly, 4ß-azido podophyllotoxin reduction with concomitant aryl isothiocyanates coupling under mild reaction conditions has been achieved. These compounds have been investigated for their in vitro cytotoxicity against A549, MDA MB-231, DU-145, LNCaP, and HGC-27 cancer cell lines. Some of the representative compounds have selectively exhibited cytotoxicity on DU-145 (human prostate cancer) cells and the most potent compound was 4a (IC50 of 0.50 ± 0.03 µM) with optimal safety therapeutic window (81.7 fold) on normal human prostate cell line (RWPE-1, IC50 of 40.85 ± 0.78). The flow-cytometric analysis of the compound 4a in prostate cancer cells indicated a strong G2/M-phase arrest and significant topoisomerase II inhibition activity. Furthermore, these compounds induce apoptosis as observed by Acridine Orange and Ethidium Bromide (AO/EB) staining and Annexin V binding assay. Molecular docking results of the title compounds with topoisomerase-IIα were presented as theoretical support for the experimental data.

Spirooxindole-derived morpholine-fused-1,2,3-triazoles: Design, synthesis, cytotoxicity and apoptosis inducing studies.

A series of new spirooxindole-derived morpholine-fused-1,2,3-triazole derivatives has been synthesized from isatin spiro-epoxides. The protocol involves regiospecific isatin-epoxide ring opening with azide nucleophile followed by sequential O-propargylation, and intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction. These compounds have been evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against selected human tumor cell lines of lung (A549), breast (MCF-7), cervical (HeLa), and prostate (DU-145). Among the tested compounds, 6i, 6n and 6p showed potent growth inhibition against A549 cell line with IC50 values in the range of 1.87-4.36 µM, which are comparable to reference standards doxorubicin and 5-flourouracil. The compounds 6i and 6p treated A549 cells displayed typical apoptotic morphological features such as cell shrinkage, nuclear condensation, fragmentation, and decreased migration potential. Flow-cytometry analysis revealed that the compounds arrested the cells in G2/M phase of cell cycle. Hoechst and acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining studies also showed that the cell proliferation was inhibited through induction of apoptosis. Moreover, the compounds treatment led to collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential (DΨm) and increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were noted in A549 cells.

Thymoquinone prevents RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis activation and osteolysis in an in vivo model of inflammation by suppressing NF-KB and MAPK Signalling.

Osteoclasts are multinuclear giant cells responsible for bone resorption in inflammatory bone diseases such as osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis. Because of deleterious side effects with currently available drugs the search continues for novel effective and safe therapies. Thymoquinone (TQ), the major bioactive component of Nigella sativa has been investigated for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activities. However, its effects in osteoclastogenesis have not been reported. In the present study we show for the first time that TQ inhibits nuclear factor-KB ligand (RANKL) induced osteoclastogenesis in RAW 264.7 and primary bone marrow derived macrophages (BMMs) cells. RANKL induced osteoclastogenesis is associated with increased expression of multiple transcription factors via activation of NF-KB, MAPKs signalling and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Mechanistically TQ blocked the RANKL induced NF-KB activation by attenuating the phosphorylation of IkB kinase (IKKα/ß). Interestingly, in RAW 264.7 cells TQ inhibited the RANKL induced phosphorylation of MAPKs and mRNA expression of osteoclastic specific genes such as TRAP, DC-STAMP, NFATc1 and c-Fos. In addition, TQ also decreased the RANKL stimulated ROS generation in macropahges (RAW 264.7) and H2O2 induced ROS generation in osteoblasts (MC-3T3-E1). Consistent with in vitro results, TQ inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced bone resorption by suppressing the osteoclastogenesis. Indeed, micro-CT analysis showed that bone mineral density (BMD) and bone architecture parameters were positively modulated by TQ. Taken together our data demonstrate that TQ has antiosteoclastogenic effect by inhibiting inflammation induced activation of MAPKs, NF-KB and ROS generation followed by suppressing the gene expression of c-Fos and NFATc1 in osteoclast precursors.

Adenosine conjugated lipidic nanoparticles for enhanced tumor targeting.

Delivering chemotherapeutics by nanoparticles into tumor is impeded majorly by two factors: nonspecific targeting and inefficient penetration. Targeted delivery of anti-cancer agents solely to tumor cells introduces a smart strategy because it enhances the therapeutic index compared with untargeted drugs. The present study was performed to investigate the efficiency of adenosine (ADN) to target solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) to over expressing adenosine receptor cell lines such as human breast cancer and prostate cancer (MCF-7 and DU-145 cells), respectively. SLN were prepared by emulsification and solvent evaporation process using docetaxel (DTX) as drug and were characterized by various techniques like dynamic light scattering, differential scanning calorimeter and transmission electron microscopy. DTX loaded SLNs were surface modified with ADN, an adenosine receptors ligand using carbodiimide coupling. Conjugation was confirmed using infrared spectroscopy and quantified using phenol-sulfuric acid method. Conjugated SLN were shown to have sustained drug release as compared to unconjugated nanoparticles and drug suspension. Compared with free DTX and unconjugated SLN, ADN conjugated SLN showed significantly higher cytotoxicity of loaded DTX, as evidenced by in vitro cell experiments. The IC50 was 0.41 µg/ml for native DTX, 0.30 µg/ml for unconjugated SLN formulation, and 0.09 µg/ml for ADN conjugated SLN formulation in MCF-7 cell lines. Whereas, in DU-145, there was 2 fold change in IC50 of ADN-SLN as compared to DTX. IC50 was found to be 0.44 µg/ml for free DTX, 0.39 µg/ml for unconjugated SLN and 0.22 µg/ml for ADN-SLN. Annexin assay and cell cycle analysis assay further substantiated the cell cytotoxicity. Fluorescent cell uptake and competitive ligand-receptor binding assay corroborated the receptor mediated endocytosis pathway indicated role of adenosine receptors in internalization of conjugated particles. Pharmacokinetic studies of lipidic formulations depicted significant improvement in pharmacokinetic parameters than marketed formulation. ADN conjugated SLN proved to be an efficient drug delivery vehicle. Hence, ADN can be used as a potential ligand to target breast and prostate cancer.

p-Aminophenyl-α-D-mannopyranoside engineered lipidic nanoparticles for effective delivery of docetaxel to brain.

Lipidic systems are considered to be the most promising carrier for drug delivery to brain. Metabolic substrates like carbohydrates and amino acids are able to traverse the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by specific carrier-mediated transport systems like glucose transporters present on the both luminal and abluminal side of the BBB. With this objective, the docetaxel (DTX) loaded solid lipidic nanoparticles were formulated and surface modified with a mannose derived ligand p-aminophenyl-α-D-mannopyranoside (MAN) to develop MAN conjugated lipidic nanoparticles for targeting DTX to brain. Lipidic nanoparticles were prepared using emulsification and solvent evaporation method using stearic acid as charge modifying lipid and conjugated with MAN using carbodimide coupling. These lipidic nanoparticles were successfully characterized using various techniques like DLS, TEM, DSC and FTIR spectroscopy. Cytotoxicity and cell uptake unveiled enhanced efficacy of conjugated lipidic nanoparticles. Pharmacokinetic and brain distribution studies demonstrated increased DTX concentrations using lipidic nanoparticles in brain and conjugating MAN on surface of lipidic nanoparticles further augmented the inflow of the drug to brain. Present study revealed the prospective of mannose analog, MAN-conjugated lipidic nanoparticles as efficient vehicle for anticancer drug delivery to brain.

Anticancer effect of celastrol on human triple negative breast cancer: possible involvement of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis and PI3K/Akt pathways.

Signaling via the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is crucial for divergent physiological processes including transcription, translation, cell-cycle progression and apoptosis. The aim of work was to elucidate the anti-cancer effect of celastrol and the signal transduction pathways involved. Cytotoxic effect of celastrol was assessed by MTT assay on human triple negative breast cancer cells (TNBCs) and compared with that of MCF-7. Apoptosis induction was determined by AO/EtBr staining, mitochondrial membrane potential by JC-1, Annexin binding assays and modulation of apoptotic proteins and its effect on PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway by western blotting. Celastrol induced apoptosis in TNBC cells, were supported by DNA fragmentation, caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage. Meanwhile, celastrol triggered reactive oxygen species production with collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax expression. Celastrol effectively decreased PI3K 110α/85α enzyme activity, phosphorylation of Akt(ser473) and p70S6K1 and 4E-BP1. Although insulin treatment increased the phosphorylation of Akt(ser473), p70S6K1, 4E-BP1, celastrol abolished the insulin mediated phosphorylation. It clearly indicates that celastrol acts through PI3k/Akt/mTOR axis. We also found that celastrol inhibited the Akt/GSK3ß and Akt/NFkB survival pathway. PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitor, PF-04691502 and mTOR inhibitor rapamycin enhanced the apoptosis-inducing effect of celastrol. These data demonstrated that celastrol induces apoptosis in TNBC cells and indicated that apoptosis might be mediated through mitochondrial dysfunction and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.