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Zhang J, Yang Z, Zhao Z, Zhang N. Structural and pharmacological insights into cordycepin for neoplasms and metabolic disorders. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1367820. [PMID: 38953102 PMCID: PMC11215060 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1367820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytotoxic adenosine analogues were among the earliest chemotherapeutic agents utilised in cancer treatment. Cordycepin, a natural derivative of adenosine discovered in the fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis, directly inhibits tumours not only by impeding biosynthesis, inducing apoptosis or autophagy, regulating the cell cycle, and curtailing tumour invasion and metastasis but also modulates the immune response within the tumour microenvironment. Furthermore, extensive research highlights cordycepin's significant therapeutic potential in alleviating hyperlipidaemia and regulating glucose metabolism. This review comprehensively analyses the structure-activity relationship of cordycepin and its analogues, outlines its pharmacokinetic properties, and strategies to enhance its bioavailability. Delving into the molecular biology, it explores the pharmacological mechanisms of cordycepin in tumour suppression and metabolic disorder treatment, thereby underscoring its immense potential in drug development within these domains and laying the groundwork for innovative treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinming Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ziling Yang
- Second Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhuo Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Peng T, Guo J, Tong X. Advances in biosynthesis and metabolic engineering strategies of cordycepin. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1386855. [PMID: 38903790 PMCID: PMC11188397 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1386855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Cordyceps militaris, also called as bei-chong-cao, is an insect-pathogenic fungus from the Ascomycota phylum and the Clavicipitaceae family. It is a valuable filamentous fungus with medicinal and edible properties that has been utilized in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and as a nutritious food. Cordycepin is the bioactive compound firstly isolated from C. militaris and has a variety of nutraceutical and health-promoting properties, making it widely employed in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical fields. Due to the low composition and paucity of wild resources, its availability from natural sources is limited. With the elucidation of the cordycepin biosynthetic pathway and the advent of synthetic biology, a green cordycepin biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Metarhizium robertsii has been developed, indicating a potential sustainable production method of cordycepin. Given that, this review primarily focused on the metabolic engineering and heterologous biosynthesis strategies of cordycepin.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jinlin Guo
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory of Systematic Research of Distinctive Chinese Medicine Resources in Southwest China, Resources Breeding Base of Co-Founded, College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xinxin Tong
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Standardization of Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory of Systematic Research of Distinctive Chinese Medicine Resources in Southwest China, Resources Breeding Base of Co-Founded, College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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Chen M, Luo J, Jiang W, Chen L, Miao L, Han C. Cordycepin: A review of strategies to improve the bioavailability and efficacy. Phytother Res 2023; 37:3839-3858. [PMID: 37329165 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Cordycepin is a bioactive compound extracted from Cordyceps militaris. As a natural antibiotic, cordycepin has a wide variety of pharmacological effects. Unfortunately, this highly effective natural antibiotic is proved to undergo rapid deamination by adenosine deaminase (ADA) in vivo and, as a consequence, its half-life is shortened and bioavailability is decreased. Therefore, it is of critical importance to work out ways to slow down the deamination so as to increase its bioavailability and efficacy. This study reviews recent researches on a series of aspects of cordycepin such as the bioactive molecule's pharmacological action, metabolism and transformation as well as the underlying mechanism, pharmacokinetics and, particularly, the methods for reducing the degradation to improve the bioavailability and efficacy. It is drawn that there are three methods that can be applied to improve the bioavailability and efficacy: to co-administrate an ADA inhibitor and cordycepin, to develop more effective derivatives via structural modification, and to apply new drug delivery systems. The new knowledge can help optimize the application of the highly potent natural antibiotic-cordycepin and develop novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
- School of Medicine, Linyi University, Linyi, China
| | - Jiahao Luo
- School of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Wenming Jiang
- School of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Lijing Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Longxing Miao
- School of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Chunchao Han
- School of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
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Tang J, Shi M, Xu Y, Ju Z, Guan H, Lin J, Li G, Han H, Zhang T. Metabolite profiling of Shuganzhi tablets in rats and pharmacokinetics study of four bioactive compounds with liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2021; 1179:122827. [PMID: 34147874 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2021.122827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Shuganzhi Tablets (SGZT) is developed on the basis of a clinical empirical formula as a hospital preparation for the treatment of fatty liver. In this study, a rapid and highly sensitive LC-MS/MS method was established and validated for simultaneous determination of ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rg1, notoginsenoside R1, naringin, specnuezhenide, emodin, polydatin, hesperidin and saikosaponin A in rat plasma. Multiple reaction monitoring mode played an important role in simultaneous quantitative analysis of multiple components. The analytes were separated by the action of an ACQUITY UPLC® BEH C18 column (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.7 μm) in five minutes. The validated LC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic analysis of hesperidin, emodin, polydatin and naringin of SGZT in rat plasma after administration. A UHPLC system couple with a quadrupole combined with time of flight mass spectrometer was used for qualitatively analyzing of the composition of SGZT and its metabolites in serum, urine, bile and feces of rats. The results showed that a total of 65 components were detected in rat biological samples, including 10 prototype components and 55 metabolites. It was speculated that the ingredients of SGZT experienced mainly the following reactions in rats: phase I reaction such as hydrolysis, oxidation, hydroxylation, carboxylation and dehydroxylation and phase Ⅱ reaction such as glucuronidation and sulfation. These results provide useful information for the further study of its active ingredients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Tang
- Experiment Center for Teaching and Learning, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Mengge Shi
- Experiment Center for Teaching and Learning, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yan Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Zhengcai Ju
- Experiment Center for Teaching and Learning, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Huida Guan
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jun Lin
- Experiment Center for Teaching and Learning, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; Shanghai Fangxin Pharmaceutical Technology Company Limited, Shanghai 201611, China
| | - Gan Li
- Experiment Center for Teaching and Learning, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Han Han
- Experiment Center for Teaching and Learning, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Tong Zhang
- Experiment Center for Teaching and Learning, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
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Marslin G, Khandelwal V, Franklin G. Cordycepin Nanoencapsulated in Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) Exhibits Better Cytotoxicity and Lower Hemotoxicity Than Free Drug. Nanotechnol Sci Appl 2020; 13:37-45. [PMID: 32606622 PMCID: PMC7305845 DOI: 10.2147/nsa.s254770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Cordycepin, a natural product isolated from the fungus Cordyceps militaris, is a potential candidate for breast cancer therapy. However, due to its structural similarity with adenosine, cordycepin is rapidly metabolized into an inactive form in the body, hindering its development as a therapeutic agent. In the present study, we have prepared cordycepin as nanoparticles in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and compared their cellular uptake, cytotoxicity and hemolytic potential with free cordycepin. Materials and Methods Cordycepin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles (CPNPs) were prepared by the double-emulsion solvent evaporation method. Physico-chemical characterization of the nanoparticles was done by zetasizer, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) analyses. Cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of CPNPs and free drug were tested in human breast cancer cells (MCF7). Hemolytic potential of both of these forms was evaluated in rat red blood cells (RBCs). Results Physico-chemical characterization revealed that CPNPs were spherical in shape, possessed a size range of 179–246 nm, and released the encapsulated drug sustainably over a period of 10 days. CPNPs exhibited a high level of cellular uptake and cytotoxicity than the free drug in MCF-7 cells. While CPNPs were not toxic to rat RBCs even at high concentrations, free cordycepin induced hemolysis of these cells at relatively low concentration. Conclusion Our results reveal that delivery as CPNPs could enhance the clinical efficacy of cordycepin substantially.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Marslin
- School of Pharmacy, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Jeppiaar Nagar, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Chennai 600119, India.,Ratnam Institute of Pharmacy and Research, Nellore, 524346, India.,College of Biological Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Gregory Franklin
- Institute of Plant Genetics of the Polish Academy of Sciencs, Strzeszyńska 34, Poznań 60-479, Wielkopolska, Poland
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