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Pharmacological Activities (pharmacological + activity)
Selected AbstractsStudies on Synthesis and Pharmacological Activities of 1,2,4-Triazolo[3,4- b]1,3,4-thiadiazoles and their Dihydro AnaloguesARCHIV DER PHARMAZIE, Issue 4 2009Vinod Mathew Abstract 4-Amino-5-substituted aryl-3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazoles are versatile synthons for constructing various biologically active heterocycles. Starting from 4-amino-5-substituted aryl-3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole 3a,c, a series of new 3,5-disubstituted-1,2,4-triazolo-[3,4- b]1,3,4-thiadiazoles and their 5,6-dihydrotriazolothiadiazoles were prepared. The structures of all the newly synthesized compounds have been confirmed by elemental analysis, IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and mass spectra. The antimicrobial effects of the synthesized compounds were investigated using the paper disc method. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of the synthesized compounds were assessed by carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema method and by Eddy's hot plate method, respectively. Some of the compounds exhibited promising antimicrobial activities as well as moderate to good anti-inflammatory activity and analgesic activity. [source] ChemInform Abstract: Synthesis and Pharmacological Activities of 1,2,4-Triazolo[3,4-b]1,3,4-thiadiazoles and Their Dihydro Analogues.CHEMINFORM, Issue 32 2009Vinod Mathew Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a "Full Text" option. The original article is trackable via the "References" option. [source] ChemInform Abstract: Condensed Bridgehead Nitrogen Heterocyclic System: Synthesis and Pharmacological Activities of 1,2,4-Triazolo-[3,4-b]-1,3,5-thiadiazole Derivatives of Ibuprofen and Biphenyl-4-yloxy Acetic Acid.CHEMINFORM, Issue 28 2009Mohd. Amir Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a "Full Text" option. The original article is trackable via the "References" option. [source] ChemInform Abstract: Selenium-Containing Heterocycles: Synthesis and Pharmacological Activities of Some New 4-Methylquinoline-2(1H) Selenone Derivatives.CHEMINFORM, Issue 32 2008Shams H. Abdel-Hafez Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a "Full Text" option. The original article is trackable via the "References" option. [source] Synthesis of New 4-Heteroaryl-2-phenylquinolines and Their Pharmacological Activity as NK-2/NK-3 Receptor Ligands.CHEMINFORM, Issue 18 2007Anna Borioni Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF. [source] Synthesis and Pharmacological Activity of 2-(Methoxyphenyl)-Substituted 9-(Dialkylaminoethyl)imidazo[1,2-a]benzimidazolesCHEMINFORM, Issue 7 2006V. A. Anisimova Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access the actual ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF. [source] Synthesis and Pharmacological Activity of N-[,-(para-Substituted Benzoyl)ethyl]isoleucine and -methionine.CHEMINFORM, Issue 50 2005A. G. Agababyan Abstract For Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text. [source] Synthesis of Regioisomeric Functionalized Benzodifurans and AngelicinsHELVETICA CHIMICA ACTA, Issue 7 2009Elías Quezada Abstract Arenofurans have important biological and pharmacological activities. Compared to benzofurans, the reports on the synthesis of benzodifurans are rather limited. Here, we report the synthesis of a linear and an angular 3,3,-bis(carboxymethyl)substituted benzodifuran and 4,-carboxymethyl-substituted angelicins from phloroglucinol, using 4-halomethyl-substituted dipyrones as key intermediates in the synthetic route. This strategy shows that the stability of a pyrone ring depends on the type of substituent at C(4) and the conditions used. [source] Phytotherapeutics: an evaluation of the potential of 1000 plantsJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 1 2010G. Cravotto MD Summary Objective:, The aim of this review is to evaluate and summarize the available scientific information on the commonest plant extracts marketed in Western countries. In view of the intense, ongoing search for new plant extracts with powerful anti-inflammatory activity, we paid particular attention to this topic. The aim is to provide broad coverage of as many potentially useful plants as possible and then to focus on those with the greatest therapeutic potential. Methods:, Our bibliographic sources were the SciFinder databases: CAPLUS, MEDLINE, REGISTRY, CASREACT, CHEMLIST, CHEMCATS (update to October 2007). In order to assess the value of clinical trials, we focused a specific search on clinical investigations concerning nine plants with the most trial data, viz., Althaea officinalis, Calendula officinalis, Centella asiatica, Echinacea purpurea, Passiflora incarnata, Punica granatum, Vaccinium macrocarpon, Vaccinium myrtillus, Valeriana officinalis. This was carried out in several databases (update to June 2008): ISI Web of KnowledgeSM (ISI WoK), SciFinder (CAPLUS, MEDLINE, REGISTRY, CASREACT, CHEMLIST, CHEMCATS) and PubMed (indexed for MEDLINE). Results:, Our survey covers roughly a 1000 plants, although clinical trials have been published only for 156 plants supporting specific pharmacological activities and therapeutic applications. However, for about half of the plants, in vitro and in vivo studies provide some support for therapeutic use. For one-fifth of the plants included in our search, only phytochemical studies were found. Their properties and indications were often attributed to the presence of certain compounds, but no evidence concerning the activities of the whole extracts was presented. We found that for about 12% of the plants, currently available on the Western market, no substantial studies on their properties had been published, while there was strong evidence that 1 in 200 were toxic or allergenic, so that their use ought to be discouraged or forbidden. Nine plants had considerable evidence of therapeutic effect, viz., A. officinalis, Calendula officinalis, Centella asiatica, E. purpurea, Passiflora incarnata, Punica granatum, Vaccinium macrocarpon, Vaccinium myrtillus, Valeriana officinalis. Conclusion:, The present review provides a baseline on the level of evidence available on many herbal preparations and should be of help to those intending to research further on these topics. [source] A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE POTENTIAL ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF GINSENOSIDESJOURNAL OF FOOD BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 2010SUNGWOOK CHAE ABSTRACT Ginseng roots are believed to contain over 20 different types of ginsenosides. However, no reports exist on the antioxidant activity of ginsenosides according to their various structures. The present study involves a comparison of the various forms of ginsenosides, a series of derivatives originating from the attachment of different sugar moieties to triterpene dammarane, with respect to their intracellular reactive oxygen species scavenging activity. Among the ginsenosides, Rb2 and Rc showed the strongest antioxidant activity, followed by (in decreasing order) Rg2, Rh2, Rh1, Rf, Rg3, Rg1, Rb1, Re and Rd. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity ranks of the various forms of ginsenosides were influenced by the types of dammarane, as well as the number of sugar moieties, and substitutive groups. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report evaluating the antioxidant properties of ginsenosides with the goal of determining their structure,activity relationship. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), a member of the Araliaceae family, is traditionally considered as one of the most important medicinal plants with high ginsenoside content. Ginsenoside is a triterpenoid glycoside, which is known to have diverse physiological and pharmacological activities. However, the correlation of structure and antioxidant activity has never been studied thus far in ginsenosides. A relationship exists between the type and position of the sugar moieties in ginsenoside. From these results, ginsenosides Rb2 and Rc might be very useful for the development of functional food and raw materials of medicine for antioxidants preventing oxidative stress-related diseases. And structure and antioxidant relationship may be potential for evaluating the structure and function relationship of other ginsenosides in order to elucidate which part of ginsenoside is essential with regards to increasing antioxidant activity and the development of novel antioxidants to treat diseases associated with free radicals. [source] Novel ,-conotoxins identified by gene sequencing from cone snails native to Hainan, and their sequence diversityJOURNAL OF PEPTIDE SCIENCE, Issue 11 2006Sulan Luo Abstract Conotoxins (CTX) from the venom of marine cone snails (genus Conus) represent large families of proteins, which show a similar precursor organization with surprisingly conserved signal sequence of the precursor peptides, but highly diverse pharmacological activities. By using the conserved sequences found within the genes that encode the ,-conotoxin precursors, a technique based on RT-PCR was used to identify, respectively, two novel peptides (LiC22, LeD2) from the two worm-hunting Conus species Conus lividus, and Conus litteratus, and one novel peptide (TeA21) from the snail-hunting Conus species Conus textile, all native to Hainan in China. The three peptides share an ,4/7 subfamily ,-conotoxins common cysteine pattern (CCX4CX7C, two disulfide bonds), which are competitive antagonists of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChRs). The cDNA of LiC22N encodes a precursor of 40 residues, including a propeptide of 19 residues and a mature peptide of 21 residues. The cDNA of LeD2N encodes a precursor of 41 residues, including a propeptide of 21 residues and a mature peptide of 16 residues with three additional Gly residues. The cDNA of TeA21N encodes a precursor of 38 residues, including a propeptide of 20 residues and a mature peptide of 17 residues with an additional residue Gly. The additional residue Gly of LeD2N and TeA21N is a prerequisite for the amidation of the preceding C -terminal Cys. All three sequences are processed at the common signal site -X-Arg- immediately before the mature peptide sequences. The properties of the ,4/7 conotoxins known so far were discussed in detail. Phylogenetic analysis of the new conotoxins in the present study and the published homologue of ,4/7 conotoxins from the other Conus species were performed systematically. Patterns of sequence divergence for the three regions of signal, proregion, and mature peptides, both nucleotide acids and residue substitutions in DNA and peptide levels, as well as Cys codon usage were analyzed, which suggest how these separate branches originated. Percent identities of the DNA and amino acid sequences of the signal region exhibited high conservation, whereas the sequences of the mature peptides ranged from almost identical to highly divergent between inter- and intra-species. Notably, the diversity of the proregion was also high, with an intermediate percentage of divergence between that observed in the signal and in the toxin regions. The data presented are new and are of importance, and should attract the interest of researchers in this field. The elucidated cDNAs of these toxins will facilitate a better understanding of the relationship of their structure and function, as well as the process of their evolutionary relationships. Copyright © 2006 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Analytical aspects of pharmaceutical grade chondroitin sulfatesJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 12 2007Nicola Volpi Abstract Chondroitin sulfate is a very heterogeneous polysaccharide in terms of relative molecular mass, charge density, chemical properties, biological and pharmacological activities. It is actually recommended by EULAR as a symptomatic slow acting drug (SYSADOA) in Europe in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis based on meta-analysis of numerous clinical studies. Chondroitin sulfate is also utilized as a nutraceutical in dietary supplements mainly in the United States. On the other hand, chondroitin sulfate is derived from animal sources by extraction and purification processes. As a consequence, source material, manufacturing processes, the presence of contaminants, and many other factors contribute to the overall biological and pharmacological actions of these agents. The aim of this review is to evaluate new possible more specific analytical approaches to the determination of the origin and purity of chondroitin sulfate preparations for pharmaceutical application and in nutraceuticals, such as the evaluation of the molecular mass values, the constituent disaccharides, and the specific and sensitive agarose-gel electrophoresis technique. Furthermore, a critical evaluation is presented, together with a discussion of the limits of these analytical approaches. Finally, the necessity for reference standards having high specificity, purity and well-known physico-chemical properties useful for accurate and reproducible quantitative analyses will be discussed. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 96: 3168,3180, 2007 [source] Antimalarial compounds isolated from plants used in traditional medicineJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 11 2009Joanne Bero Abstract Objectives This review covers the compounds with antiplasmodial activity isolated from plants published from 2005 to the end of 2008, organized according to their phytochemical classes. Details are given for substances with IC50 values , 11 ,M. Key findings Malaria is a major parasitic disease in many tropical and subtropical regions and is responsible for more than 1 million deaths each year in Africa. The rapid spread of resistance encourages the search for new active compounds. Nature and particularly plants used in traditional medicine are a potential source of new antimalarial drugs as they contain molecules with a great variety of structures and pharmacological activities. Summary A large number of antimalarial compounds with a wide variety of structures have been isolated from plants and can play a role in the development of new antimalarial drugs. Ethnopharmacological approaches appear to be a promising way to find plant metabolites that could be used as templates for designing new derivatives with improved properties. [source] Anti-angiogenic, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of Lonicera japonica extractJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 6 2008Hye-Jung Yoo This study aimed to elucidate some novel pharmacological activities of Lonicera japonica (Caprifoliaceae), which is widely used in Oriental folk medicine. The ethanolic extract of L. japonica (LJ) dose dependently inhibited chick chorioallantoic membrane angiogenesis. The antinociceptive activity of LJ was assessed using the acetic acid-induced constriction model in mice. LJ showed anti-inflammatory activity in two in-vivo models: the vascular permeability and air pouch models. LJ suppressed the production of nitric oxide via down-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. However, LJ was unable to suppress induction of cyclooxygenase-2 in the stimulated macrophage cells. LJ decreased the reactive oxygen species level in the stimulated macrophage cells. In brief, the flowers of L. japonica possess potent anti-angiogenic and antinociceptive activities, in addition to anti-inflammatory activity, which partly supports its therapeutic efficacy. [source] Curcumin and its analogues: Potential anticancer agentsMEDICINAL RESEARCH REVIEWS, Issue 5 2010Dinesh Kumar Agrawal Abstract This review chronicles the exploration of the curcumin in terms of development of analogues for the anticancer activity over the last century. Curcumin is a natural phytochemical obtained from dried root and rhizome of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa). It has been shown to interfere with multiple cell signaling pathways, including apoptosis (activation of caspases and downregulation of antiapoptotic gene products), proliferation (HER-2, EGFR, and AP-1), angiogenesis (VEGF), and inflammation (NF-,B, TNF, IL-6, IL-1, COX-2, and 5-LOX). In the last decade it has been much explored and various synthetic analogues have been prepared and evaluated for various pharmacological activities. Most of the analogues have shown very good anticancer activity in various models and various cell lines. However, some analogues have also shown antioxidant, anti-HIV, antimutagenic, antiangiogenic, antimalarial, antitubercular, antiandrogenic, COX inhibitory activities. Few analogues have shown very potent results and may be considered as clinical candidates for the development of future anticancer agent. This review contains 728 curcumin analogues and covers the literature from 1815 to mid 2009 and 93 references are cited. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 30, No. 5, 818,860, 2010 [source] Antiproliferative effects of different plant parts of Panax notoginseng on SW480 human colorectal cancer cellsPHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue 1 2009Chong-Zhi Wang Abstract The chemical constituents and antiproliferative effects on SW480 human colorectal cancer cells of different plant parts of P. notoginseng were evaluated. The contents of saponins in extracts from root, rhizome, flower and berry of P. notoginseng were determined using high performance liquid chromatography. The contents and proportions of saponins were different among the four plant parts. Using the cell counting method, the antiproliferative effects were evaluated and the results indicated all four extracts, at 0.05,1.0 mg/mL, showed concentration-related antiproliferative effects on the cancer cells. The flower extract had stronger effects compared with the other three extracts; at 1.0 mg/mL, it inhibited the cell growth by 93.1% (p < 0.01). The antiproliferative effects of major saponins in notoginseng, notoginsenoside R1, ginsenosides Rb1, Rb3 and Rg1, were also evaluated, and the observed effects of major constituents support the pharmacological activities of extracts. The effects of notoginseng extracts on cell cycle and apoptosis of SW480 cells were determined using flow cytometry. Notoginseng extract can arrest the cells in S and G2/M phases. Remarkably apoptosis induction activities of notoginseng extracts were observed with the flower extract possessing the most potent effect, supporting the antiproliferative effect. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Isatin-binding proteins of rat and mouse brain: Proteomic identification and optical biosensor validationPROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 1 2010Olga Buneeva Abstract Isatin (indole-2,3-dione) is an endogenous indole that has a distinct and discontinuous distribution in the brain and in other mammalian tissues and body fluids. Its output is increased under conditions of stress and anxiety. Isatin itself and its analogues exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities but its specific biological targets still are not well characterized. Affinity chromatography of Triton X-100 lysates of soluble and particulate fractions of mouse and rat whole brain homogenates on 5-aminocaproyl-isatin-Sepharose followed by subsequent proteomic analysis resulted in identification of 65 and 64 individual proteins, respectively. Isatin-binding capacity of some of the identified proteins has been validated in an optical biosensor study using a Biacore 3000 optical biosensor, 5-aminocarproyl-isatin, and 5-aminoisatin as the affinity ligands. The Kd values (of 0.1,20,,M) obtained during the optical biosensor experiments were consistent with the range of Kd values recently reported for [3H]isatin binding to brain sections. Although the number of isatin-binding proteins identified in the mouse and rat brain was similar, only 21 proteins (about one-third) were identical in the two species. This may be one reason for the differences in isatin effects in rats and mice reported in the literature. [source] A gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method for the determination of sildenafil, vardenafil and tadalafil and their metabolites in human urineRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 11 2010Sabina Strano-Rossi Sildenafil (SDF), vardenafil (VDF) and tadalafil (TDF) are phosphodiesterase type 5 enzyme inhibitors (PDE5Is), used in the treatment of erectile disorders and to improve breathing efficiency in pulmonary hypertension. The increasing incidence of their use among young athletes has drawn the attention of the anti-doping authorities to the possible abuse of PDE5Is by athletes due to their pharmacological activities. This paper describes a method for the determination in urine of PDE5Is and their metabolites by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) after liquid/liquid extraction of the analytes from urine and derivatisation to obtain trimethylsilyl derivatives. The metabolic profile was studied on real samples collected from subjects taking PDE5Is (Viagra®, Levitra® or Cialis®); the main urinary metabolites were identified and their MS fragmentation characterized. The sample pre-treatment and GC/MS conditions for the detection of the metabolites have been optimised. A method for their preliminary screening and subsequent confirmation is described that takes into account the general requirements of a routine doping analysis to be used for the screening of large numbers of samples. The main metabolites identified can be included in a general purpose screening method and all the metabolites in a more specific confirmation method. The method developed has been applied for the screening of PDE5Is in 5000 urine samples. Based on the obtained results, the proposed method appears to be of practical use in analytical and forensic toxicology, including doping analysis. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Synthesis and Antidepressant Evaluation of Five Novel Heterocyclic Tryptophan-Hybrid DerivativesARCHIV DER PHARMAZIE, Issue 5 2010Gamal A. Elmegeed Abstract This study aimed at evaluating the reactivity of L -Tryptophan (TRP) 1 towards various chemical reagents to produce new bi- and tri-heterocyclic systems providing basic pharmacological activities. Indol-3-yl hydroxyoxazol-2-yl acetonitrile derivatives 5 and 6, indol-3-yl-hydroxyoxazol-2-yl-1,2,4-triazine derivatives 8 and 9, indol-3-yl-hydroxyoxazol-2-yl-aminopyrazole derivatives 11a, b, and indol-3-yl-hydroxyoxazol-2-yl-aminoisoxazole derivative 12 were synthesized via straightforward and efficient methods. The structures were characterized by spectral data (IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and MS) and the purity was ascertained by microanalysis. Also, this work was extended to study the potential role of the novel synthesized TRP derivatives 5, 6, 9, 11a, and 12 as antidepressant and sedative agents in comparison with TRP. All compounds showed significant antidepressant activity in the forced-swimming test at two doses (50 or 100 mg/kg). Also, all tested compounds (at 50 or 100 mg/kg) produced a significant decrease in locomotor activity of mice during a 30 min observation period. The most potent antidepressant and sedative effect was produced by the tri-heterocyclic compounds 9 and 12, followed by 11a and TRP. [source] Structure of BthA-I complexed with p -bromophenacyl bromide: possible correlations with lack of pharmacological activityACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 12 2005Angelo J. Magro The crystal structure of an acidic phospholipase A2 isolated from Bothrops jararacussu venom (BthA-I) chemically modified with p -bromophenacyl bromide (BPB) has been determined at 1.85,Å resolution. The catalytic, platelet-aggregation inhibition, anticoagulant and hypotensive activities of BthA-I are abolished by ligand binding. Electron-density maps permitted unambiguous identification of inhibitor covalently bound to His48 in the substrate-binding cleft. The BthA-I,BPB complex contains three structural regions that are modified after inhibitor binding: the Ca2+ -binding loop, ,-wing and C-terminal regions. Comparison of BthA-I,BPB with two other BPB-inhibited PLA2 structures suggests that in the absence of Na+ ions at the Ca2+ -binding loop, this loop and other regions of the PLA2s undergo structural changes. The BthA-I,BPB structure reveals a novel oligomeric conformation. This conformation is more energetically and conformationally stable than the native structure and the abolition of pharmacological activities by the ligand may be related to the oligomeric structural changes. A residue of the `pancreatic' loop (Lys69), which is usually attributed as providing the anticoagulant effect, is in the dimeric interface of BthA-I,BPB, leading to a new hypothesis regarding the abolition of this activity by BPB. [source] Structure of the heterodimeric neurotoxic complex viperotoxin F (RV-4/RV-7) from the venom of Vipera russelli formosensis at 1.9,Å resolutionACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 10 2003Markus Perbandt The presynaptic viperotoxin F is the major lethal component of the venom of Vipera russelli formosensis (Taiwan viper). It is a heterodimer of two highly homologous (65% identity) but oppositely charged subunits: a basic and neurotoxic PLA2 (RV-4) and an acidic non-toxic component with a very low enzymatic activity (RV-7). The crystal structure of the complex has been determined by molecular replacement and refined to 1.9,Å resolution and an R factor of 22.3% with four RV-4/RV-7 complexes in the asymmetric unit, which do not exhibit any local point-group symmetry. The complex formation decreases the accessible surface area of the two subunits by ,1425,Å2. Both PLA2s are predicted to have very low, if any, anticoagulant activity. The structure of viperotoxin F is compared with that of the heterodimeric neurotoxin vipoxin from the venom of another viper, V. ammodytes meridionalis. The structural basis for the differences between the pharmacological activities of the two toxins is discussed. The neutralization of the negative charge of the major ligand for Ca2+, Asp49, by intersubunit salt bridges is probably a common mechanism of self-stabilization of heterodimeric Viperinae snake-venom neurotoxins in the absence of bound calcium. [source] Expression of Human Recombinant Antibody Fragments Capable of Partially Inhibiting the Phospholypase Activity of Crotalus durissus terrificus VenomBASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Juliana G. Oliveira It is composed of two different subunits: CA, crotapotin, and CB (basic subunit of cortoxin isolated from C. d. terrificus), a weakly toxic phospholipase A2 with high enzymatic activity. The phospholipases A2 are abundant in snake venoms and are responsible for disruption of cell membrane integrity via hydrolysis of its phospholipids. However, in addition to their normal digestive action, a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as neurotoxic, myotoxic, oedema-inducing, hypotensive, platelet-aggregating, cardiotoxic, and anticoagulant effects have been attributed to venom phospholipases A2. In this study, we used a non-immune human single-chain fragment variable library, Griffin.1 (Medical Research Council, Cambridge, UK) for selection of recombinant antibodies against antigens present in C. d. terrificus venom and identification of specific antibodies able to inhibit the phospholipase activity. Two clones were identified as capable of inhibiting partially this activity in vitro. These clones were able to reduce in vivo the myotoxic and oedema-inducing activity of CB and the lethality of C. d. terrificus venom and crotoxin, but had no effect on the in vitro anticoagulant activity of CB. These results demonstrate the potential of using recombinant single-chain fragment variable libraries in the production of antivenoms. [source] Preparative isolation and purification of alkannin/shikonin derivatives from natural products by high-speed counter-current chromatography,BIOMEDICAL CHROMATOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2009Andreana N. Assimopoulou Abstract Alkannin and shikonin (A/S) and their derivatives have been found in the roots of several Boraginaceous species and are also produced through plant tissue cultures. The chiral compounds A/S are potent pharmaceutical substances with a wide spectrum of biological and pharmacological activities like wound healing, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidant activity. High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was applied for the first time to the separation, preparative isolation and purification of A/S and their esters from extracts of Alkanna tinctoria roots, as well as commercial samples. The constituents of HSCCC fractions and their purity were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography,diode array detection,mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS), since DAD cannot detect oligomeric A/S derivatives that are present in most of the samples containing the respective monomeric derivatives. The purity of HSCCC fractions was compared with the one of fractions isolated by column chromatography (CC) using as stationary phases silica gel and Sephadex LH-20. As shown, the purity of monomeric alkannin/shikonin was greater by HSCCC than CC separation of commercial A/S samples. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Binding of bioactive phytochemical piperine with human serum albumin: A spectrofluorometric studyBIOPOLYMERS, Issue 4 2007Dodda Venkatanna Suresh Abstract Piperine, the bioactive alkaloid compound of the spice black pepper (Piper nigrum) exhibits a wide range of beneficial physiological and pharmacological activities. Being essentially water-insoluble, piperine is presumed to be assisted by serum albumin for its transport in blood. In this study, the binding of piperine to serum albumin was examined by employing steady state and time resolved fluorescence techniques. Binding constant for the interaction of piperine with human serum albumin, which was invariant with temperature in the range of 17,47°C, was found to be 0.5 × 105M,1, having stoichiometry of 1:1. At 27°C, the van't Hoff enthalpy ,H° was zero; ,S° and ,G° were found to be 21.4 cal mol,1 K,1 and ,6.42 kcal mol,1. The binding constant increased with the increase of ionic strength from 0.1 to 1.0M of sodium chloride. The decrease of Stern,Volmer constant with increase of temperature suggested that the fluorescence quenching is static. Piperine fluorescence showed a blue shift upon binding to serum albumin, which reverted with the addition of ligands ,triiodobenzoic acid and hemin. The distance between piperine and tryptophan after binding was found to be 2.79 nm by Förster type resonance energy transfer calculations. The steady state and time resolved fluorescence measurements suggest the binding of piperine to the subdomain IB of serum albumin. These observations are significant in understanding the transport of piperine in blood under physiological conditions. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 86: 265,275, 2007. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The "Published Online" date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com [source] In this issue: Biotechnology Journal 9/2010BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 9 2010Article first published online: 10 SEP 2010 Linking obesity and colorectal cancer Sung and Bae, Biotechnol. J. 2010, 5, 930,941 Obesity is known as one of the most closely related risk factors of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, due to the complicated nature of the diet, it has been very difficult to provide clear explanations and molecular mechanisms for the role of dietary components in carcinogenesis. Nutrigenomics has become a powerful tool to study the relationships between food components and genes. It includes nutrigenetics (dealing with genetic variations related to phenotypic changes in response to diet), nutritional epigenomics and nutritional transcriptomics/proteomics/metabolomics. This review summarizes data on genes, proteins and metabolites that are related to either obesity or CRC and candidate molecules that may link obesity and CRC. The application of bioinformatics helps to perform large-scale network analysis to study cause-effect relationships between dietary components and CRC in the future. Hepatoprotective effects of oleuropein Kim et al., Biotechnol. J. 2010, 5, 950,960 Oleuropein, an active constituent of olive leaf, has a variety of pharmacological activities associated with its capacity to scavenge reactive oxygen species and has a protective effect against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in vivo. To gain insights into the molecular mechanisms of its hepatoprotective action the group of Taesun Park (Seoul, Korea) fed mice with a high fat diet supplemented with oleuropein. Then, liver tissue was subjected to DNA microarray analysis. Oleuropein in high fat diet reduced the mRNA level of regulators of hepatic fatty acid uptake and transport. The expression of a number of genes involved in oxidative stress responses, detoxification of lipid peroxidation products and proinflammatory cytokine genes were reduced, while highly regulated transcription factors were implicated in the lipogenesis, inflammation, insulin resistance and fibrosis, underlying the multifactorial effect of oleuropein on NAFLD. Genetic variations in obesity and diabetes Varma et al., Biotechnol. J. 2010, 5, 942,949 Obesity is a state of metabolic deregulation and a leading cause for development of type 2 diabetes, which are complex polygenic diseases. Here, authors from the National Centre of Toxicological Research at the FDA (Jefferson, Arizona, USA) used a data mining approach to evaluate the role of carbohydrate metabolic pathway genes in the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Data from public databases were used to map the position of these genes to known quantitative trait loci (QTL) and to find sequence and structural genetic variants such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The results demonstrated that a majority of carbohydrate metabolic pathways genes are associated with QTL for obesity and many for type 2 diabetes. This data mining approach can establish a strategy for interpreting an individual's risk factor for disease development, instead of population attributable risks. [source] Hepatoprotective effect of oleuropein in mice: Mechanisms uncovered by gene expression profilingBIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL, Issue 9 2010Yunjung Kim Abstract Oleuropein, an active constituent of olive leaf, has a variety of pharmacological activities associated with its capacity to scavenge reactive oxygen species. Oleuropein is also reported to have protective effects against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in vivo. In this study, gene expression profiling of hepatic tissues was examined, and transcription factors (TFs) with target genes that were modulated by oleuropein were identified to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms for the hepatoprotective action of this compound. C57BL/6N mice were fed either a high-fat diet (HFD) or 0.03% oleuropein-supplemented HFD for 10 weeks, after which their livers were subjected to oligo DNA microarray analysis. The oleuropein with which the HFD was supplemented reduced the hepatic mRNA level of the genes that encoded the key regulators of the hepatic fatty acid uptake and transport. In addition, the oleuropein reduced the expression of a number of hepatic genes involved in the oxidative stress responses and detoxification of lipid peroxidation products and proinflammatory cytokine genes. The (putative) candidate TFs that bound to the promoters of the genes regulated at least threefold (both up and down) by oleuropein were implicated in the lipogenesis, inflammation, insulin resistance, fibrosis, and cell proliferation and differentiation, which implies that the mechanisms that underlie the beneficial effects of oleuropein on NAFLD may be multifactorial. [source] Pharmacological Effects of Xanthones as Cardiovascular Protective AgentsCARDIOVASCULAR THERAPEUTICS, Issue 2 2004De-Jian Jiang ABSTRACT Many epidemiological studies indicate that consumption of dietary polyphenolic compounds is beneficial in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Xanthones are a class of polyphenolic compounds that commonly occur in plants and have been shown to have extensive biological and pharmacological activities. Recently, the pharmacological properties of xanthones in the cardiovascular system have attracted great interest. Xanthones and xanthone derivatives have been shown to have beneficial effects on some cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension and thrombosis. The protective effects of xanthones in the cardiovascular system may be due to their antioxidant, antiinflammatory, platelet aggregation inhibitory, antithrombotic and/or vasorelaxant activities. In particular, the antagonism of endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitors by xanthones may represent the basis for improved endothelial function and for reduction of events associated with atherosclerosis. [source] A Comparison of the Effects of Olopatadine and Ketotifen on Model MembranesACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2000Howard Brockman ABSTRACT. Olopatadine is a human conjunctival mast cell stabilizer with anti-histaminic activity. Ketotifen is an older molecule that possesses antihistaminic activity and is reported to have additional pharmacological properties. The interactions of these two compounds with model membranes (i.e., monolayers of 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerophosphocholine at the argon-buffer interface), and natural (i.e., erythrocyte) membranes were compared in an effort to understand the differences in their biological activities. Drug-lipid interaction with monolayers was determined by monitoring the surface pressure as a function of the drug concentration in the aqueous phase supporting the monolayer. Drug interaction with erythrocyte membranes was determined by monitoring changes in the permeability of the membranes to hemoglobin and 6-carboxyfluorescein as a function of drug concentration in the medium. Olopatadine and ketotifen are both intrinsically surface active and both interact with phospholipid monolayers. However, in both the presence and absence of lipid monolayers, the changes in surface pressure induced by olopatadine are lower than those caused by ketotifen. The effects of these two drugs on cell membranes were dramatically different. Exposure of bovine erythrocytes to increasing concentrations of ketotifen (1,10 mM) resulted in complete hemolysis of the cells, whereas olopatadine (1,10 mM) caused only minimal hemolysis (<8%). Consistent results were obtained in experiments measuring the leakage of 6-carboxyfluorescein from erythrocyte ghosts as a more sensitive marker of membrane perturbation. Olopatadine treatment (0.1,10 mM) minimally perturbed the cell membrane while ketotifen (1,10 mM) caused a concentration dependent release of the fluorescent marker. These data demonstrate fundamental differences between the two drugs in their effects on cell membranes. Moreover, the differences are consistent with the surface activities of the two compounds measured in monolayers and with reported differences in their pharmacological activities. These findings offer an explanation for the biphasic non-specific cytotoxic effect of ketotifen on histamine release from mast cells and may account for the non-lytic mast cell stabilizing activity of olopatadine. [source] Quantitative Comparison of Ginsenosides and Polyacetylenes in Wild and Cultivated American GinsengCHEMISTRY & BIODIVERSITY, Issue 4 2010Jing-Rong Wang Abstract Quantitative comparison of seven ginsenosides in wild and cultivated American ginseng revealed that the Rg1/Rd ratio presented a significantly large difference between cultivated and type-I (one of the defined chemotypes) wild American ginseng, facilitating this ratio as a characteristic marker for differentiating these two groups. Similarly, the ratio (Rg1+Re)/Rd, and the ratio of protopanaxatriol (PPT)-type ginsenosides to protopanaxadiol (PPD)-type ginsenosides showed a large difference between these two groups. On the other hand, type-II wild samples were found to have high Rg1/Rb1 and Rg1/Re ratios and low panaxydol/panaxynol ratio, which is entirely different from Type-I American ginseng, but is very similar to that of Asian ginseng. This not only suggests that the chemotype should be taken into consideration properly when using these parameters for differentiating American and Asian ginseng, but also indicates that type-II wild American ginseng may have distinct pharmacological activities and therapeutic effects. [source] Structure,Activity Study on the Spatial Arrangement of the Third Aromatic Ring of Endomorphins 1 and 2 Using an Atypical Constrained C,TerminusCHEMMEDCHEM, Issue 3 2007Ye Yu Dr. Abstract The discovery of endomorphins (EMs) has opened the possibility of searching for new analgesics. However, the design of peptide analgesics has proven to be very difficult as a result of their conformational flexibility and a lack of clarity in structure,activity relationships (SAR). In EMs, the amino acid side chains exhibit considerable conformational flexibility, especially in the third aromatic ring, which is free to adopt a bioactive conformation. To resolve these problems, a series of C,terminus EM analogues, [Xaa4 -R]EMs, modified through the substitution of Phe4 with nonaromatic residues and termination with benzyl groups, were designed to generate conformational constrains of the third aromatic ring by amide bond and torsion angles (,4 and ,4) of Xaa4. Introduction of (S)-,-methyl or (S)/(R)-,-carboxamide on the methylene unit of the benzyl group was designed to produce an atypical topographical constraint (,5) of the third aromatic ring rotation. Interestingly, some EM derivatives, with elimination of the C-terminal carboxamide group and significant changes in the address sequence (Phe4 -NH2), still exhibited higher ,-opioid receptor (MOR) affinity than unmodified EMs. In contrast, some analogues with incorrectly constrained C,termini displayed very low affinity and pharmacological activities. Thus, our results indicate that these EM analogues, with atypical constrained C,termini, provide model compounds with potent MOR agonism. They also give evidence that the proper spatial orientation and conformational restriction of the third aromatic ring are crucial for the interaction of EMs with MOR. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||