Homoegonol attenuates the asthmatic responses induced by ovalbumin challenge

Phytochemicals as treatment for allergic asthma: Therapeutic effects and mechanisms of action

BACKGROUND

Allergic asthma is an inflammatory disease caused by the immune system's reaction to allergens, inflammation and narrowing of the airways, and the production of more than normal mucus. One of the main reasons is an increased production of inflammatory cytokines in the lungs that leads to the appearance of symptoms of asthma, including inflammation and shortness of breath. On the other hand, it has been proven that phytochemicals with their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can be useful in improving allergic asthma.

PURPOSE

Common chemical treatments for allergic asthma include corticosteroids, which have many side effects and temporarily relieve symptoms but are not a cure. Therefore, taking the help of natural compounds to improve the quality of life of asthmatic patients can be a valuable issue that has been evaluated in the present review.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

In this study, three databases (Scopus, PubMed, and Cochrane) with the keywords: allergic asthma, phytochemical, plant, and herb were evaluated. The primary result was 5307 articles. Non-English, repetitive, and review articles were deleted from the study.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Finally, after carefully reading the articles, 102 were included in the study (2006-2022). The results of this review state that phytochemicals suppress the inflammatory pathways via inhibition of inflammatory cytokines production/secretion, genes, and proteins involved in the inflammation process, reducing oxidative stress indicators and symptoms of allergic asthma, such as cough and mucus production in the lungs.

CONCLUSION

With their antioxidant effects, this study concluded that phytochemicals suppress cytokines and other inflammatory indicators and thus can be considered an adjunctive treatment for improving allergic asthma.

Anti-asthmatic effects of Phlomis umbrosa Turczaninow using ovalbumin induced asthma murine model and network pharmacology analysis

BACKGROUND

Phlomis umbrosa Turczaninow has been used as a tradition herbal medicine for treating various inflammatory diseases.

PURPOSE

In present study, we explored the effects of P. umbrosa on asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA) and elucidated the mechanism via in vivo verification and network pharmacology prediction.

METHODS

The animals were intraperitoneally injected OVA on day 1 and 14, followed by OVA inhalation on days 21, 22, and 23. The animals were daily treated P. umbrosa extract (PUE, 20 and 40 mg/kg) by oral gavage from day 18 to day 23.

RESULTS

PUE significantly decreased airway hyperresponsiveness, eosinophilia, and the production of inflammatory cytokines and OVA specific immunoglobulin E in animals with asthma, along with a reduction in airway inflammation and mucus secretion in lung tissue. In network analysis, antiasthmatic effects of PUE were closely related with suppression of mitogen-activated protein kinases and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Consistent with the results from network analysis, PUE suppressed the phosphorylation of ERK and p65, which was accompanied by a decline in MMP-9 expression.

CONCLUSION

Administration of PUE effectively reduced allergic responses in asthmatic mice, which was associated with the suppressed phosphorylation of ERK and p65, and expression of MMP-9. These results indicate that PUE has therapeutic potential to treat allergic asthma.

Treatment of chronic airway diseases using nutraceuticals: Mechanistic insight

Respiratory diseases, both acute and chronic, are reported to be the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, affecting millions of people globally, leading to high socio-economic burden for the society in the recent decades. Chronic inflammation and decline in lung function are the common symptoms of respiratory diseases. The current treatment strategies revolve around using appropriate anti-inflammatory agents and bronchodilators. A range of anti-inflammatory agents and bronchodilators are currently available in the market; however, the usage of such medications is limited due to the potential for various adverse effects. To cope with this issue, researchers have been exploring various novel, alternative therapeutic strategies that are safe and effective to treat respiratory diseases. Several studies have been reported on the possible links between food and food-derived products in combating various chronic inflammatory diseases. Nutraceuticals are examples of such food-derived products which are gaining much interest in terms of its usage for the well-being and better human health. As a consequence, intensive research is currently aimed at identifying novel nutraceuticals, and there is an emerging notion that nutraceuticals can have a positive impact in various respiratory diseases. In this review, we discuss the efficacy of nutraceuticals in altering the various cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in mitigating the symptoms of respiratory diseases.

DK-1108 exerts anti-inflammatory activity against phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced inflammation and protective effect against OVA-induced allergic asthma

There is an increasing interest in natural products and their derivatives with therapeutic benefits and less side effects compared to steroid therapy. Benzofuran derivatives display biological effects including anti-inflammatory effects. The present study aims to investigate whether (3-(7-methoxy-2-p-tolyl benzofuran-5-yl) propan-1-ol) (DK-1108), new synthetic benzofuran compound exerts anti-asthmatic effects in vitro and in vivo. DK-1108 strongly reduced the production of inflammatory mediators, cytokines and chemokines in RAW264.7 and A549 cells. DK-1108 significantly regulated the levels of AKT/MAPKs/c-Jun activation, AP-1 luciferase activity and ICAM-1 expression. Furthermore, DK-1108 effectively suppressed the adhesion of A549 and EOL-1 cells. In OVA-induced asthmatic mice, DK-1108 decreased the levels of IL-5/IL-13/IgE production, eosinophils/macrophages influx, ICAM-1/MCP-1 expression, mucus secretion and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). These effects of DK-1108 were accompanied by downregulation of MAPKs activation. Therefore, we suggest that DK-1108 exerts protective effect against airway inflammation and mucus overproduction, and therefore could be valuable therapeutic agent for treatment in asthma.

Genomics approaches to synthesize plant-based biomolecules for therapeutic applications to combat SARS-CoV-2

COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is devastative to the humankind for which neither vaccines nor precise therapeutic molecules for treatment are identified. The search for new drugs and repurposing of existing drugs are being performed; however, at the same time, research on plants to identify novel therapeutic compounds or testing the existing ones is progressing at a slower phase. In this context, genomics and biotechnology offer various tools and strategies to manipulate plants for producing those complex biopharmaceutical products. This review enumerates the scope for research on plant-based molecules for their potential application in treating SARS-CoV-2 infection. Strategies to edit gene and genome, overexpression and silencing approaches, and molecular breeding for producing target biomolecules in the plant system are discussed in detail. Altogether, the present review provides a roadmap for expediting research on using plants as a novel source of active biomolecules having therapeutic applications.

Use of Natural Products in Asthma Treatment

Asthma, a disease classified as a chronic inflammatory disorder induced by airway inflammation, is triggered by a genetic predisposition or antigen sensitization. Drugs currently used as therapies present disadvantages such as high cost and side effects, which compromise the treatment compliance. Alternatively, traditional medicine has reported the use of natural products as alternative or complementary treatment. The aim of this review was to summarize the knowledge reported in the literature about the use of natural products for asthma treatment. The search strategy included scientific studies published between January 2006 and December 2017, using the keywords "asthma," "treatment," and "natural products." The inclusion criteria were as follows: (i) studies that aimed at elucidating the antiasthmatic activity of natural-based compounds or extracts using laboratory experiments (in vitro and/or in vivo); and (ii) studies that suggested the use of natural products in asthma treatment by elucidation of its chemical composition. Studies that (i) did not report experimental data and (ii) manuscripts in languages other than English were excluded. Based on the findings from the literature search, aspects related to asthma physiopathology, epidemiology, and conventional treatment were discussed. Then, several studies reporting the effectiveness of natural products in the asthma treatment were presented, highlighting plants as the main source. Moreover, natural products from animals and microorganisms were also discussed and their high potential in the antiasthmatic therapy was emphasized. This review highlighted the importance of natural products as an alternative and/or complementary treatment source for asthma treatment, since they present reduced side effects and comparable effectiveness as the drugs currently used on treatment protocols.

Nor-Lignans: Occurrence in Plants and Biological Activities-A Review

In this review article, the occurrence of nor-lignans and their biological activities are explored and described. Nor-lignans have proven to be present in several different families also belonging to chemosystematically distant orders as well as to have many different beneficial pharmacological activities. This review article represents the first one on this argument and is thought to give a first overview on these compounds with the hope that their study may continue and increase, after this.

4-Hydroxycinnamic acid suppresses airway inflammation and mucus hypersecretion in allergic asthma induced by ovalbumin challenge

In this study, we investigated whether 4-hydroxycinnamic acid (HA) has a palliative effect on asthmatic inflammatory responses using a mouse model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma. The mice were divided into five groups, each consisting of seven females (normal control phosphate-buffered saline); OVA (OVA sensitization/challenge); dexamethasone (DEX, OVA sensitization/challenge + dexamethasone 3 mg/kg); HA-10 and HA-20 OVA sensitization/challenge + HA 10 and 20 mg/kg, respectively). Mice treated with HA showed a reduction in airway hyperresponsiveness and in the number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) compared with asthmatic control. HA treatment also reduced the levels of interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-13 in BALF and of OVA-specific immunoglobulin E in the serum compared with asthmatic control. HA treatment relieved airway inflammation and mucus overproduction caused by OVA exposure. Additionally, HA inhibited the increases in levels of nuclear factor kappa B, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 that normally occur after OVA exposure. HA treatment also reduced the activity and protein level of matrix metalloproteinase-9. Taken together, HA effectively suppressed asthmatic airway inflammation and mucus production caused by OVA exposure. These findings indicate that HA has the potential to be used as a therapeutic agent for asthma.

Novel benzofuran derivative DK-1014 attenuates lung inflammation via blocking of MAPK/AP-1 and AKT/mTOR signaling in vitro and in vivo

Benzofuran derivatives have wide range of biological activities as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticonvulsant agent. In this study, we investigated whether the novel benzofuran derivative, DK-1014 has the anti-inflammatory effects on macrophage and lung epithelial cells and anti-asthmatic effects on ovalbumin-treated mice. A series of 2-arylbenzofuran analogues were synthesized and evaluated for NO and interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibition in LPS-stimulated Raw264.7 cells. Of these analogues, compounds 8, 22a, 22d, and 22 f (DK-1014) exhibited notable inhibitory activity with respect to IL-6 and NO production. In particular, compound DK-1014 strongly reduced IL-6, IL-8, and MMP-9 mRNA expression and IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 production in phorbol myristate acetate stimulated A549 cells, reduced MAPKs phosphorylation and c-fos translocation, and attenuated AKT, p70S6K and GSK phosphorylation. In vivo experiments were also performed on ovalbumin-sensitized and challenged BALB/c mice. DK-1014 reduced the airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammatory cell counts and cytokine levels (IL-4, 5, 13) in bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and immunoglobulin E in serum, and attenuated inflammatory cell infiltration and mucus hypersecretion in lung tissue. These findings indicate that DK-1014 can protect against allergic airway inflammation through the AP-1 and AKT/mTOR pathways and could be useful source for the development of a therapeutic agent for asthma.

Access to new highly potent antileukemia, antiviral and antimalarial agents via hybridization of natural products (homo)egonol, thymoquinone and artemisinin

Hybridization of natural products has high potential to further improve their activities and may produce synergistic effects between linked pharmacophores. Here we report synthesis of nine new hybrids of natural products egonol, homoegonol, thymoquinone and artemisinin and evaluation of their activities against P. falciparum 3D7 parasites, human cytomegalovirus, sensitive and multidrug-resistant human leukemia cells. Most of the new hybrids exceed their parent compounds in antimalarial, antiviral and antileukemia activities and in some cases show higher in vitro efficacy than clinically used reference drugs chloroquine, ganciclovir and doxorubicin. Combined, our findings stress the high potency of these hybrids and encourages further use of the hybridization concept in applied pharmacological research.

Genipin inhibits allergic responses in ovalbumin-induced asthmatic mice

Genipin is a natural compound isolated from the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides with various pharmacological effects. In this study, we investigated whether genipin effectively alleviates allergic responses in a murine model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma. The mice were administered an intraperitoneal injection of OVA on day 0 and 14 to boost the immune response; genipin was then administered from day 18 to 23 by oral gavage. On days 21 to 23, mice were OVA-challenged using am ultrasonic nebulizer, and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) was determined on day 24 by plethysmography. Genipin significantly reduced the inflammatory cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) and AHR, which were accompanied by lower interleukin-5 (IL-5), IL-13 and OVA-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) E levels in the BALF or serum from OVA-induced asthmatic mice. In histology, genipin significantly decreased airway inflammation and mucus hypersecretion in OVA-induced asthmatic mice. Additionally, genipin inhibited OVA-induced increases in the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 proteins. Further, genipin reduced the activity and protein levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in lung tissue from OVA induced asthmatic mice. Overall, genipin effectively alleviated the asthmatic inflammatory response in an OVA-induced asthmatic model. Therefore, our results suggest that genipin has therapeutic potential for treating asthma.

HemoHIM, a herbal preparation, alleviates airway inflammation caused by cigarette smoke and lipopolysaccharide

HemoHIM, herbal preparation has designed for immune system recovery. We investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of HemoHIM on cigarette smoke (CS) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mouse model. To induce COPD, C57BL/6 mice were exposed to CS for 1 h per day (eight cigarettes per day) for 4 weeks and intranasally received LPS on day 26. HemoHIM was administrated to mice at a dose of 50 or 100 mg/kg 1h before CS exposure. HemoHIM reduced the inflammatory cell count and levels of tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β in the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) induced by CS+LPS exposure. HemoHIM decreased the inflammatory cell infiltration in the airway and inhibited the expression of iNOS and MMP-9 and phosphorylation of Erk in lung tissue exposed to CS+LPS. In summary, our results indicate that HemoHIM inhibited a reduction in the lung inflammatory response on CS and LPS induced lung inflammation via the Erk pathway. Therefore, we suggest that HemoHIM has the potential to treat pulmonary inflammatory disease such as COPD.

Characterization of Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activities from Mamuyo (Styrax ramirezii Greenm.) Fruit

Extracts of Styrax ramirezii Greenm., a fruit traditionally valued for health and wellness in Mexico, were analyzed phytochemically and evaluated for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Six norneolignans were identified by HPLC-TOF-MS, and the two major compounds were isolated for further evaluation. The effects of the isolated norneolignans, egonol and homoegonol, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and biomarkers of inflammation were evaluated. Of the tested compounds, egonol potently inhibited the production of NO and also significantly reduced the release of ROS. Consistent with these observations, the mRNA expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) (0.668 ± 0.108), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) (0.553 ± 0.007), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) (0.093 ± 0.005), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (0.298 ± 0.076) were reduced by egonol. The activity for both egonol and homoegonol increased in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest the potential of S. ramirezii Greenm. fruit to contribute to a healthy diet, rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.

The ameliorative effect of silibinin against radiation-induced lung injury: protection of normal tissue without decreasing therapeutic efficacy in lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Silibinin has been known for its role in anti-cancer and radio-protective effect. Radiation therapy for treating lung cancer might lead to late-phase pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of silibinin in radiation-induced lung injury with a mouse model.

METHODS

In this study, we examined the ability of silibinin to mitigate lung injury in, and improve survival of, C57BL/6 mice given 13 Gy thoracic irradiation and silibinin treatments orally at 100 mg/kg/day for seven days after irradiation. In addition, Lewis lung cancer (LLC) cells were injected intravenously in C57BL/6 mice to generate lung tumor nodules. Lung tumor-bearing mice were treated with lung radiation therapy at 13 Gy and with silibinin at a dose of 100 mg/day for seven days after irradiation.

RESULTS

Silibinin was shown to increase mouse survival, to ameliorate radiation-induced hemorrhage, inflammation and fibrosis in lung tissue, to reduce the number of inflammatory cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and to reduce inflammatory cell infiltration in the respiratory tract. In LLC tumor injected mice, lung tissue from mice treated with both radiation and silibinin showed no differences compared to lung tissue from mice treated with radiation alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Silibinin treatment mitigated the radiation-induced lung injury possibly by reducing inflammation and fibrosis, which might be related with the improved survival rate. Silibinin might be a useful agent for lung cancer patients as a non-toxic complementary approach to alleviate the side effects by thorax irradiation.

Role of cytochrome P450 and UDP-glucuronosyltransferases in metabolic pathway of homoegonol in human liver microsomes

Homoegonol is being evaluated for the development of a new antiasthmatic drug. Based on a pharmacokinetic study of homoegonol in rats, homoegonol is almost completely eliminated via metabolism, but no study on its metabolism has been reported in animals and humans. Incubation of homoegonol in human liver microsomes in the presence of the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate and UDP-glucuronic acid resulted in the formation of five metabolites: 4-O-demethylhomoegonol (M1), hydroxyhomoegonol (M2 and M3), 4-O-demethylhomoegonol glucuronide (M4), and homoegonol glucuronide (M5). We characterized the cytochrome P450 (CYP) and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes responsible for homoegonol metabolism using human liver microsomes, and cDNA-expressed CYP and UGT enzymes. CYP1A2 played a more prominent role than CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 in the 4-O-demethylation of homoegonol to M1. CYP3A4 was responsible for the hydroxylation of homoegonol to M2. The hydroxylation of homoegonol to M3 was insufficient to characterize CYP enzymes. Glucuronidation of homoegonol to M5 was mediated by UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A4, and UGT2B7 enzymes, whereas M4 was formed from 4-O-demethylhomoegonol by UGT1A1, UGT1A8, UGT1A10, and UGT2B15 enzymes.

Quantification of homoegonol in rat plasma using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and its pharmacokinetics application

Homoegonol is a biologically active neolignan isolated from Styrax species with cytotoxic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-asthma activities. For the quantification of homoegonol in rat plasma, a selective and sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method was developed and validated for the first time using protein precipitation with methanol as a sample clean-up procedure. The analytes were separated in an Atlantis dC18 column using a gradient elution of methanol and 0.1% formic acid, and mass-to-charge ratios were determined in selective reaction monitoring mode using tandem mass spectrometry with m/z 343.12 > 296.97 for homoegonol and m/z 517.30 > 282.90 for udenafil (internal standard). The standard curve was linear over the concentration ranges of 1 - 500 ng/mL using a 30 μL rat plasma sample. The coefficient of variation and relative error for intra- and inter-assay at four quality control levels were 3.9-10.0 and -3.3-2.7%, respectively. The overall recovery of homoegonol from rat plasma using protein precipitation was 99.7 ± 7.7%. The pharmacokinetics parameters of homoegonol were dose-independent after both intravenous (1, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg doses) and oral (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg doses) administration in male Sprague-Dawley rats.