Key oncologic pathways inhibited by Erinacine A: A perspective for its development as an anticancer molecule

A pilot pharmacokinetic and Metabolite identification study of Erinacine A in a Single landrace pig model

Erinacine A has been proven to have the ability to protect nerves and have the benefit of neurohealth. However, the pharmacokinetic and metabolites study of erinacine A in pigs, whose physiology and anatomy are similar to humans, have not been reported. In this study, 5 mg/kg of erinacine A was intravenously administered to the landrace pig. Blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and brain tissue samples were collected and analyzed by HPLC-QQQ/MS and UPLC-QTOF/MS. The results indicated the following pharmacokinetic parameters in plasma samples: with an area under the plasma concentration versus time curve (AUC) were 38.02 ± 0.03 mg∙min/L (AUC0-60) and 43.60 ± 0.06 mg∙min/L (AUC0-∞), clearance (CL) was 0.11 ± 0.00 L/min∙kg, volume of distribution (Vd) was 4.24 ± 0.00 L/kg, and terminal half-life (T1/2β) was 20.85 ± 0.03 min. In the cerebrospinal fluid samples, erinacine A was detected after 15 min and the highest concentration (5.26 ± 0.58 μg/L) was observed at 30 min. In the brain tissue sample, 77.45 ± 0.58 μg/L of erinacine A was found. In the study of metabolites, there were 6 identical metabolites in plasma and brain tissue. To our surprise, erinacine B was found to be the metabolite of erinacine A, and its concentration increased over time as erinacine A was metabolized. In summary, this study is the first to demonstrate that erinacine A can be found in the cerebrospinal fluid of landrace pigs. Additionally, the metabolite identification of erinacine A in landrace pigs is also investigated.

Visualization of the relationship between fungi and cancer from the perspective of bibliometric analysis

The relationship between cancer and microorganisms has been extensively studied, with bacteria receiving more attention than fungi. However, fungi have been shown to play a significant role in cancer development and progression. Understanding the underlying mechanisms is crucial for identifying new avenues in prevention and treatment. To evaluate the current state of research on fungi and cancer, we conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis. Using the Web of Science Core Collection database, we searched for English-language articles published between 1998 and 2022. Analyzing the resulting publication data, we identified trends, patterns, and research gaps. Our analysis encompassed co-authorship networks, citation analysis, and keyword co-occurrence analysis. With 8283 publications identified, averaging 331.32 publications per year, our findings highlight China, the United States, India, Japan, and Germany as the top contributing countries. The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, and University of São Paulo emerged as the most productive institutions. Key themes in the literature included "cancer," "cytotoxicity," "apoptosis," "metabolites," and "fungus." Recent trends indicate increased interest in keywords such as "green synthesis," "molecular docking," "anticancer activity," "antibacterial," "anticancer," and "silver nanoparticles." Our study provides a comprehensive assessment of the current research landscape in the field of fungi and cancer, offering insights into collaborative networks, research directions, and emerging hotspots. The growing publication rate demonstrates the rising interest in the topic, while identifying leading countries, institutions, and research themes serves as a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and funders interested in supporting investigations on fungi-derived compounds as potential anti-cancer agents.

Phenolic compounds as Nrf2 inhibitors: potential applications in cancer therapy

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and involves an oxidative stress mechanism. The transcription factor Nrf2 has a crucial role in cytoprotective response against oxidative stress, including cancer growth and progression and therapy resistance. For this reason, inhibitors of Nrf2 are new targets to be studied. Traditional plant-based remedies rich in phytochemicals have been used against human cancers and phenolic compounds are known for their chemopreventive properties. This comprehensive review offers an updated review of the role of phenolic compounds as anticancer agents due to their action on Nrf2 inhibition. In addition, the role of naturally-occurring bioactive anticancer agents are covered in the clinical applications of polyphenols as Nrf2 inhibitors. Video Abstract.

An updated overview of cyanidins for chemoprevention and cancer therapy

Anthocyanins are colored polyphenolic compounds that belong to the flavonoids family and are largely present in many vegetables and fruits. They have been used in traditional medicine in many cultures for a long time. The most common and abundant anthocyanins are those presenting an O-glycosylation at C-3 (C ring) of the flavonoid skeleton to form -O-β-glucoside derivatives. The present comprehensive review summarized recent data on the anticancer properties of cyanidings along with natural sources, phytochemical data, traditional medical applications, molecular mechanisms and recent nanostrategies to increase the bioavailability and anticancer effects of cyanidins. For this analysis, in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies published up to the year 2022 were sourced from scientific databases and search engines such as PubMed/Medline, Google scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, Wiley and TRIP database. Cyanidins' antitumor properties are exerted during different stages of carcinogenesis and are based on a wide variety of biological activities. The data gathered and discussed in this review allows for affirming that cyanidins have relevant anticancer activity in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies. Future research should focus on studies that bring new data on improving the bioavailability of anthocyanins and on conducting detailed translational pharmacological studies to accurately establish the effective anticancer dose in humans as well as the correct route of administration.

Rosmarinic acid and its derivatives: Current insights on anticancer potential and other biomedical applications

Cancer is still the leading cause of death worldwide, burdening the global medical system. Rosmarinic acid (RA) is among the first secondary metabolites discovered and it is a bioactive compound identified in plants such as Boraginaceae and Nepetoideae subfamilies of the Lamiaceae family, including Thymus masticmasti chinaythia koreana, Ocimum sanctum, and Hyptis pectinate. This updated review is to highlight the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects of RA and its derivatives, thus providing valuable clues for the potential development of some complementary drugs in the treatment of cancers. Relevant information about RA's chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects and its derivatives were collected from electronic scientific databases, such as PubMed/Medline, Scopus, TRIP database, Web of Science, and Science Direct. The results of the studies showed numerous significant biological effects such as antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, antioxidant and antiangiogenic effects. Most of the studies on the anticancer potential with the corresponding mechanisms are still in the experimental preclinical stage and are missing evidence from clinical trials to support the research. To open new anticancer therapeutic perspectives of RA and its derivatives, future clinical studies must elucidate the molecular mechanisms and targets of action in more detail, the human toxic potential and adverse effects.

An updated overview of anticancer effects of alternariol and its derivatives: underlying molecular mechanisms

Alternariol is a toxic metabolite of Alternaria fungi and studies have shown multiple potential pharmacological effects. To outline the anticancer effects and mechanisms of alternariol and its derivatives based on database reports, an updated search of PubMed/MedLine, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus databases was performed with relevant keywords for published articles. The studies found to suggest that this mycotoxin and/or its derivatives have potential anticancer effects in many pharmacological preclinical test systems. Scientific reports indicate that alternariol and/or its derivatives exhibit anticancer through several pathways, including cytotoxic, reactive oxygen species leading to oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction-linked cytotoxic effect, anti-inflammatory, cell cycle arrest, apoptotic cell death, genotoxic and mutagenic, anti-proliferative, autophagy, and estrogenic and clastogenic mechanisms. In light of these results, alternariol may be one of the hopeful chemotherapeutic agents.

Neurobiological effects of gallic acid: current perspectives

Gallic acid (GA) is a phenolic molecule found naturally in a wide range of fruits as well as in medicinal plants. It has many health benefits due to its antioxidant properties. This study focused on finding out the neurobiological effects and mechanisms of GA using published data from reputed databases. For this, data were collected from various sources, such as PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, SpringerLink, and Web of Science. The findings suggest that GA can be used to manage several neurological diseases and disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, strokes, sedation, depression, psychosis, neuropathic pain, anxiety, and memory loss, as well as neuroinflammation. According to database reports and this current literature-based study, GA may be considered one of the potential lead compounds to treat neurological diseases and disorders. More preclinical and clinical studies are required to establish GA as a neuroprotective drug.

A comprehensive review on traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle: current landscape and future perspectives

Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle is commonly known as Himalayan paeony has great importance as a food and medicine. The practice of Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle is very ancient and it is conventionally used for a wide range of illnesses in the folk system of medicine because of its wide beneficial phytochemical profile. The main purpose of the current review was the synthesis of recent data on botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and potential pharmacological mechanisms of action of Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle, thus offering new prospects for the development of new adjuvant natural therapies. Using scientific databases such as PubMed/MedLine, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Springer, and Wiley, a comprehensive literature search was performed for Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle. For searching, we used the next MeSH terms: "Biological Product/isolation and purification", "Biological Products/pharmacology", "Drug Discovery/methods", "Ethnopharmacology, Medicine", "Traditional/methods", "Paeonia/chemistry", "Plant Extracts/pharmacology", "Phytochemicals/chemistry", "Phytochemicals/pharmacology", "Plants, Medicinal". The results of the most recent studies were analyzed and the most important data were summarized in tables and figures. Phytochemical research of Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle has led to the isolation of triterpenes, monoterpenes, phenolic acids, fatty acids, organic compounds, steroids, free radicals and some other classes of primary metabolites. In addition, diverse pharmacological activities like antibacterial, antifungal, anticoagulant, airway relaxant lipoxygenase and beta-glucuronidase inhibiting activity, radical scavenging activity, phytotoxic and insecticidal activities have been reported for Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle. Different bioactive compounds of Paeonia emodi Wall. ex Royle has proven their therapeutic potential in modern pharmacological and biomedical research to cure numerous gastrointestinal and nervous disorders. In future, further in vitro and in vivo therapeutic studies are required to identify new mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics studies, and new pharmaceutical formulations for target transport and possible interaction with allopathic drugs. Also, new research regarding quality evaluation, toxicity and safety data in humans is needed.