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Andreani T, Cheng R, Elbadri K, Ferro C, Menezes T, Dos Santos MR, Pereira CM, Santos HA. Natural compounds-based nanomedicines for cancer treatment: Future directions and challenges. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2024:10.1007/s13346-024-01649-z. [PMID: 39003425 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-024-01649-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Several efforts have been extensively accomplished for the amelioration of the cancer treatments using different types of new drugs and less invasives therapies in comparison with the traditional therapeutic modalities, which are widely associated with numerous drawbacks, such as drug resistance, non-selectivity and high costs, restraining their clinical response. The application of natural compounds for the prevention and treatment of different cancer cells has attracted significant attention from the pharmaceuticals and scientific communities over the past decades. Although the use of nanotechnology in cancer therapy is still in the preliminary stages, the application of nanotherapeutics has demonstrated to decrease the various limitations related to the use of natural compounds, such as physical/chemical instability, poor aqueous solubility, and low bioavailability. Despite the nanotechnology has emerged as a promise to improve the bioavailability of the natural compounds, there are still limited clinical trials performed for their application with various challenges required for the pre-clinical and clinical trials, such as production at an industrial level, assurance of nanotherapeutics long-term stability, physiological barriers and safety and regulatory issues. This review highlights the most recent advances in the nanocarriers for natural compounds secreted from plants, bacteria, fungi, and marine organisms, as well as their role on cell signaling pathways for anticancer treatments. Additionally, the clinical status and the main challenges regarding the natural compounds loaded in nanocarriers for clinical applications were also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Andreani
- Chemistry Research Centre (CIQUP) and Institute of Molecular Sciences (IMS), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
- GreenUPorto-Sustainable Agrifood Production Research Centre & Inov4Agro, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ruoyu Cheng
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Biomaterials and Biomedical Technology, The Personalized Medicine Research Institute Groningen (PRECISION), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Khalil Elbadri
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Claudio Ferro
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Institute for Medicines, iMed.Ulisboa, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Thacilla Menezes
- Chemistry Research Centre (CIQUP) and Institute of Molecular Sciences (IMS), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Mayara R Dos Santos
- Chemistry Research Centre (CIQUP) and Institute of Molecular Sciences (IMS), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Carlos M Pereira
- Chemistry Research Centre (CIQUP) and Institute of Molecular Sciences (IMS), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences of University of Porto, Rua Do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Hélder A Santos
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Biomaterials and Biomedical Technology, The Personalized Medicine Research Institute Groningen (PRECISION), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9713 AV, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Li Y, Yang H, Li Z, Li S, Li J. Advances in the Biosynthesis and Molecular Evolution of Steroidal Saponins in Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032620. [PMID: 36768941 PMCID: PMC9917158 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Steroidal saponins are an important type of plant-specific metabolite that are essential for plants' responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Because of their extensive pharmacological activities, steroidal saponins are also important industrial raw materials for the production of steroidal drugs. In recent years, more and more studies have explored the biosynthesis of steroidal saponins in plants, but most of them only focused on the biosynthesis of their molecular skeleton, diosgenin, and their subsequent glycosylation modification mechanism needs to be further studied. In addition, the biosynthetic regulation mechanism of steroidal saponins, their distribution pattern, and their molecular evolution in plants remain unclear. In this review, we summarized and discussed recent studies on the biosynthesis, molecular regulation, and function of steroidal saponins. Finally, we also reviewed the distribution and molecular evolution of steroidal saponins in plants. The elucidation of the biosynthesis, regulation, and molecular evolutionary mechanisms of steroidal saponins is crucial to provide new insights and references for studying their distribution, diversity, and evolutionary history in plants. Furthermore, a deeper understanding of steroidal saponin biosynthesis will contribute to their industrial production and pharmacological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jiaru Li
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-27-6875-3599
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Huang N, Yu D, Huo J, Wu J, Chen Y, Du X, Wang X. Study of Saponin Components after Biotransformation of Dioscorea nipponica by Endophytic Fungi C39. JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL METHODS IN CHEMISTRY 2022; 2022:2943177. [PMID: 35601820 PMCID: PMC9117070 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2943177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study conducted the solid fermentation process of Dioscorea nipponica using endophytic fungi C39 to determine the changes in the diosgenin concentration. The results revealed that endophytic fungi C39 could effectively biotransform the saponin components in D. nipponica. Moreover, the maximum increase in the diosgenin concentration reached 62.67% in 15 days of solid fermentation. MTT assay results demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of the fermentation drugs on four types of cancer cells (liver cancer cells (HepG2), stomach cancer cells (BGC823), cervical cancer cells (HeLa), and lung cancer cells (A549)) were better than those of the crude drugs obtained from D. nipponica. The chemical composition of the samples obtained before and after the biotransformation of D. nipponica was analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. A total of 32 compounds were identified, 21 of which have been reported in Dioscorea saponins and the ChemSpider database and 11 compounds were identified for the first time in D. nipponica. The biotransformation process was inferred based on the variation trend of saponins, which included transformation pathways pertaining to glycolytic metabolism, ring closure reaction, dehydrogenation, and carbonylation. The cumulative findings provide the basis for the rapid qualitative analysis of the saponin components of D. nipponica before and after biotransformation. The 11 metabolites obtained from biotransformation are potential active ingredients obtained from D. nipponica, which can be used to further identify pharmacodynamically active substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, China
| | - Dan Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, China
| | - Jinhai Huo
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Heilongjiang Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150036, China
| | - Junkai Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, China
| | - Yiyang Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, China
| | - Xiaowei Du
- School of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, China
| | - Xijun Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150040, China
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Ding C, Yu D, Chen Y, Zhu J, Wu J, Du X, Wang X. Analysis of the mechanism of saponin biotransformation in Dioscoreae nipponicae rhizoma by the endophytic fungus Fusarium sp. C39 using whole-genome sequencing. J Basic Microbiol 2022; 62:623-633. [PMID: 35411947 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202100664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Fusarium sp. C39 is an endophytic fungus of Dioscorea nipponica Makino. Symbiosis of Fusarium sp. C39 with Rhizoma Dioscoreae Nipponicae (RDN) can significantly increase the content of saponin, which provides a new approach for saponin production and reduces the pressure on natural sources of saponins. However, the underlying mechanism is not clear, limiting its application. In this study, the genome of Fusarium sp. C39 was sequenced, the gene functions were predicted via gene annotation, and the genome was compared to the genomes of four related species. Fusarium sp. C39 is predicted to encode many key enzyme genes involved in saponin synthesis, which could transform the mevalonate, isopentenyl pyrophosphate, and various intermediate compounds present in the RDN extract into saponins. The Fusarium sp. C39 genome contains specific genes that are conducive to its endophytic lifestyle and can provide abundant raw materials for saponin synthesis. Based on the genomic analysis, we proposed the mechanism by which Fusarium sp. C39 generates saponins and provides a theoretical basis for rapid, efficient, low-cost production of saponins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changhong Ding
- College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Dan Yu
- College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Yiyang Chen
- College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Junyi Zhu
- College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Junkai Wu
- College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaowei Du
- College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Xijun Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
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Chen Y, Wu J, Yu D, Du X. Advances in steroidal saponins biosynthesis. PLANTA 2021; 254:91. [PMID: 34617240 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-021-03732-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This work reviews recent advances in the pathways and key enzymes of steroidal saponins biosynthesis and sets the foundation for the biotechnological production of these useful compounds through transformation of microorganisms. Steroidal saponins, due to their specific chemical structures and active effects, have long been important natural products and that are irreplaceable in hormone production and other pharmaceutical industries. This article comprehensively reviewed the previous and current research progress and summarized the biosynthesis pathways and key biosynthetic enzymes of steroidal saponins that have been discovered in plants and microoganisms. On the basis of the general biosynthetic pathway in plants, it was found that the starting components, intermediates and catalysing enzymes were diverse between plants and microorganisms; however, the functions of their related enzymes tended to be similar. The biosynthesis pathways of steroidal saponins in microorganisms and marine organisms have not been revealed as clearly as those in plants and need further investigation. The elucidation of biosynthetic pathways and key enzymes is essential for understanding the synthetic mechanisms of these compounds and provides researchers with important information to further develop and implement the massive production of steroidal saponins by biotechnological approaches and methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Materia Medica, Ministry of Education, Pharmaceutical College, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 24 Heping Road, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Junkai Wu
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Materia Medica, Ministry of Education, Pharmaceutical College, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 24 Heping Road, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Dan Yu
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Materia Medica, Ministry of Education, Pharmaceutical College, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 24 Heping Road, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Xiaowei Du
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Materia Medica, Ministry of Education, Pharmaceutical College, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 24 Heping Road, Harbin, 150040, China.
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Singh A, Singh DK, Kharwar RN, White JF, Gond SK. Fungal Endophytes as Efficient Sources of Plant-Derived Bioactive Compounds and Their Prospective Applications in Natural Product Drug Discovery: Insights, Avenues, and Challenges. Microorganisms 2021; 9:197. [PMID: 33477910 PMCID: PMC7833388 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9010197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal endophytes are well-established sources of biologically active natural compounds with many producing pharmacologically valuable specific plant-derived products. This review details typical plant-derived medicinal compounds of several classes, including alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids, glycosides, lignans, phenylpropanoids, quinones, saponins, terpenoids, and xanthones that are produced by endophytic fungi. This review covers the studies carried out since the first report of taxol biosynthesis by endophytic Taxomyces andreanae in 1993 up to mid-2020. The article also highlights the prospects of endophyte-dependent biosynthesis of such plant-derived pharmacologically active compounds and the bottlenecks in the commercialization of this novel approach in the area of drug discovery. After recent updates in the field of 'omics' and 'one strain many compounds' (OSMAC) approach, fungal endophytes have emerged as strong unconventional source of such prized products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Singh
- Department of Botany, MMV, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India;
- Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Dheeraj K. Singh
- Department of Botany, Harish Chandra Post Graduate College, Varanasi 221001, India
| | - Ravindra N. Kharwar
- Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - James F. White
- Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Surendra K. Gond
- Department of Botany, MMV, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India;
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Qin D, Wang L, Han M, Wang J, Song H, Yan X, Duan X, Dong J. Effects of an Endophytic Fungus Umbelopsis dimorpha on the Secondary Metabolites of Host-Plant Kadsura angustifolia. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2845. [PMID: 30524412 PMCID: PMC6262151 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal endophytes live widely inside plant tissues and some have been revealed to provide benefits to their host and ecological environment. Considering the fact that endophytes are engaged in remarkably stable long-term interactions with the host for their whole life cycle, it's conceivable that both partners have substantial influence on each other's metabolic processes. Here, we investigated the fermented products of an endophytic fungus Umbelopsis dimorpha SWUKD3.1410 grown on host-plant Kadsura angustifolia and wheat bran, respectively, to assess the impact of SWUKD3.1410 on the secondary metabolites of K. angustifolia. Twenty compounds (1-20) were isolated and identified as 11 schitriterpenoids (1-9, 17-18), two lignans (10, 20), two sesquiterpenoids (11-12), one trinorsesquiterpenoid (13), one monoterpene (14), one sterol (19), and two simple aromatic compounds (15-16) by the extensive 1D-, 2D-NMR and HR-ESI-MS data analysis. Except for nigranoic acid (1), compounds 2-19 have been firstly found from K. angustifolia. Of them, metabolites 2, 11, and 14 were identified to be new. Obtained results indicated that U. dimorpha SWUKD3.1410 could not only produce the same/similar components as its host does, and modify the host-plant components, but also enhance the production of these highly oxygenated schitriterpenoids/schinortriterpenoids in plants. This study suggested an interesting prospective for setting up alternative processing techniques to improve the quality of crude drugs derived from K. angustifolia and increase their values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Qin
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Meijun Han
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Junqi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongchuan Song
- Solar Energy Research Institute, School of Energy and Environment Science, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China
| | - Xiao Yan
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoxiang Duan
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jinyan Dong
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region (Ministry of Education), School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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