Characterization and enhanced antioxidant activity of the inclusion complexes of baicalin with p-sulfonatocalix[n]arenes

Scutellaria baicalensis – a small plant with large pro-health biological activities

Scutellaria baicalensis, known also as Huang-Qin is a traditional Chinese plant used in medicine for at least 2000 years. The plant is widely distributed in Japan, Korea, Mongolia and Russia, and is listed in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, European Pharmacopoeia and British Pharmacopoeia. The interest in Huang-Qin results from various biological activities which are primarily related to secondary plants metabolites consisting of flavonoids, phenolic compounds and terpenes. It is known that the compounds are active against numerous diseases and protect the organism against harmful pathogenic agents. Particular attention is paid to baicalein, wogonin and oroxylin A – which are characteristic secondary metabolites of the plant. In this paper, we focused on phytochemical analysis and selected biological activities used in periodontal and cardiovascular problems. The presented studies confirm the ability of Huang-Qin to scavenge free radicals, moreover, that it presents anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and enzyme inhibitory activities.

Macrocycles and Supramolecules as Antioxidants: Excellent Scaffolds for Development of Potential Therapeutic Agents

Oxidative stress due to the high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage biomolecules (lipids, proteins, DNA) results in acute inflammation. However, without proper intervention, acute inflammation progresses to chronic inflammation and then to several chronic diseases, including cancer, myocardial infarction, cardiovascular diseases, chronic inflammation, atherosclerosis, and more. There has been extensive research on the antioxidants of natural origin. However, there are myriad possibilities for the development of synthetic antioxidants for pharmacological applications. There is an increasing interest in the identification of novel synthetic antioxidants for the modulation of biochemical processes related to ROS. In this regard, derivatives of supramolecules, such as calix[n]arene, resorcinarene, calixtyrosol, calixpyrrole, cucurbit[n]uril, porphyrin etc. are gaining attention for their abilities to scavenge the free radicals. Supramolecular chemistry offers excellent scaffolds for the development of novel antioxidants that can be used to modulate free radical reactions and to improve the disorders related to oxidative stress. This review focuses on the interdisciplinary approach for the design and development of novel synthetic antioxidants based on supramolecular scaffolds, with potentially protective effects against oxidative stress.

Baicalin attenuates hepatic injury in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis cell model by suppressing inflammasome-dependent GSDMD-mediated cell pyroptosis

Baicalin (BA), a flavone glycoside, is the constituent of Scutellaria baicalensis, a Chinese herbal medicine used to treat non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, the mechanism of BA on NASH is still not clear. Here, the improving effect of BA on hepatocyte through inhibition of pyroprosis was investigated in vitro. With a cell model of NASH exposing HepG2 cells in free fatty acids (FFA), we revealed that BA could improve hepatocyte from FFA-induced morphological damage and death. And then through transcriptomes screening, a significant down-regulation of NLR pyrin domain containing 3 (Nlrp3), gasdermin D (Gsdmd), andinterleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) expression were found after BA treatment. Further analysis confirmed that BA could decrease the levels of NLRP3 and GSDMD, as well as the release of IL-1β and IL-18, resulting in the reduction of pyroptosis. Moreover, the improving effect of BA could be attenuated by Gsdmd knockdown. In conclusion, BA can reduce pyroptosis of hepatocyte by blocking NLRP3-GSDMD signaling in vitro.