Nano-Sized MIL-100(Fe) as a Carrier Material for Nitidine Chloride Reduces Toxicity and Enhances Anticancer Effects In Vitro

The development of nanocarriers for natural products

Natural bioactive compounds from plants exhibit substantial pharmacological potency and therapeutic value. However, the development of most plant bioactive compounds is hindered by low solubility and instability. Conventional pharmaceutical forms, such as tablets and capsules, only partially overcome these limitations, restricting their efficacy. With the recent development of nanotechnology, nanocarriers can enhance the bioavailability, stability, and precise intracellular transport of plant bioactive compounds. Researchers are increasingly integrating nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems (NDDS) into the development of natural plant compounds with significant success. Moreover, natural products benefit from nanotechnological enhancement and contribute to the innovation and optimization of nanocarriers via self-assembly, grafting modifications, and biomimetic designs. This review aims to elucidate the collaborative and reciprocal advancement achieved by integrating nanocarriers with botanical products, such as bioactive compounds, polysaccharides, proteins, and extracellular vesicles. This review underscores the salient challenges in nanomedicine, encompassing long-term safety evaluations of nanomedicine formulations, precise targeting mechanisms, biodistribution complexities, and hurdles in clinical translation. Further, this study provides new perspectives to leverage nanotechnology in promoting the development and optimization of natural plant products for nanomedical applications and guiding the progression of NDDS toward enhanced efficiency, precision, and safety. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology.

Graphitic carbon nitride membranes intercalated with nano-sized Fe-MOF for enhanced water purification via synergistic separation and Fenton-like processes

Versatile two-dimensional nanomaterials have offered a promising prospect to enhance the water purification efficiency and overcome the fouling obstacle in membrane technology. In this work, a graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheet membrane intercalated with the nano-sized Fe-based metal-organic framework (MIL-100(Fe)) is developed for the enhanced removal of aqueous organic contaminants by synergically promoting separation and Fenton-like processes. The g-C3N4/MIL-100(Fe) membrane is constructed through a self-assembly route in which the nano-MIL-100(Fe) is anchored into g-C3N4 layers by the coordination bonds between Fe nodes and pyridinic N. The MIL-100(Fe) intercalation not only enlarges the interlayer spacing to raise the membrane permeability, but also expedites the electron transfer between Fe2+ and Fe3+ to improve the Fenton-like activity. With a stable water flux of 98.2 L m2·h-1·bar-1 under wide-range pH and pressures, the g-C3N4/MIL-100(Fe) membrane shows high dye removal efficiency (≥99%) and prominent self-cleaning ability. Mechanism insight proposes a combination of size exclusion, electrostatic interaction and steady radical generation. The intercalation of nano-MIL-100(Fe) into g-C3N4 membranes can realize the mutual promotion between separation and Fenton-like processes, the synergistic effect of which provides an effective and feasible strategy for aqueous pollution abatement.

Nitidine chloride, a benzophenanthridine alkaloid from Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC., exerts multiple beneficial properties, especially in tumors and inflammation-related diseases

Plant-derived alkaloids are a kind of very important natural organic compounds. Nitidine chloride is one of the main active ingredients in Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. which is a frequently-used Chinese herbal medicine. Z. nitidum has many kinds of efficacy, such as activating blood circulation and removing stasis, promoting qi circulation and relieving pain, and detoxication and detumescence. In China, Z. nitidum is usually used for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, toothache, and traumatic injury. At present, there are numerous studies of nitidine chloride with regard to its pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, etc. However, a systematic, cutting-edge review of nitidine-related studies is extremely lacking. The present paper aimed at comprehensively summarizing the information on the extraction, separation and purification, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology and formulation of nitidine chloride. The knowledge included in the present study were searched from the following academic databases involving Web of Science, PubMed, Google scholar, Elsevier, CNKI and Wanfang Data, till July 2022. In terms of nitidine chloride extraction, enzymatic method and ultrasonic method are recommended. Resin adsorption and chromatography were usually used for the separation and purification of nitidine chloride. Nitidine chloride possesses diversified therapeutical effects, such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, anti-colitis, anti-malaria, anti-osteoporosis, anti-rheumatoid and so on. According to pharmacokinetics, the intestinal absorption of nitidine chloride is passive diffusion, and it is rarely excreted with urine and feces in the form of prototype drug. Nitidine chloride has a moderate binding to plasma protein, which is independent of the drug concentration. As to toxicology, nitidine chloride showed certain toxicity on liver, kidney and heart. Certain new formulations, such as nanoparticle, microsphere and nano-micelle, could increase the therapeutic effect and decrease the toxicity of nitidine chloride. Despite limitations such as poor solubility, low bioavailability and certain toxicity, nitidine chloride is still a promising natural alkaloid for drug candidates. Extensive and intensive exploration on nitidine chloride is essential to promote the usage of nitidine-based drugs in the clinic practice.

Synthetic and Naturally Occurring Heterocyclic Anticancer Compounds with Multiple Biological Targets

Cancer is a complex group of diseases initiated by abnormal cell division with the potential of spreading to other parts of the body. The advancement in the discoveries of omics and bio- and cheminformatics has led to the identification of drugs inhibiting putative targets including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family receptors, fibroblast growth factors (FGF), platelet derived growth factors (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), thymidine phosphorylase (TP), and neuropeptide Y4 (NY4), amongst others. Drug resistance, systemic toxicity, and drug ineffectiveness for various cancer chemo-treatments are widespread. Due to this, efficient therapeutic agents targeting two or more of the putative targets in different cancer cells are proposed as cutting edge treatments. Heterocyclic compounds, both synthetic and natural products, have, however, contributed immensely to chemotherapeutics for treatments of various diseases, but little is known about such compounds and their multimodal anticancer properties. A compendium of heterocyclic synthetic and natural product multitarget anticancer compounds, their IC50, and biological targets of inhibition are therefore presented in this review.