Synthesis of 9-substituted derivatives of berberine as anti-HIV agents

Recent advances in total synthesis of protoberberine and chiral tetrahydroberberine alkaloids

Covering: Up to 2024Due to the widespread distribution of protoberberine alkaloids (PBs) and tetrahydroberberine alkaloids (THPBs) in nature, coupled with their myriad unique physiological activities, they have garnered considerable attention from medical practitioners. Over the past few decades, synthetic chemists have devised various total synthesis methods to attain these structures, continually expanding reaction pathways to achieve more efficient synthetic strategies. Simultaneously, the chiral construction of THPBs has become a focal point. In this comprehensive review, we categorically summarized the developmental trajectory of the total synthesis of these alkaloids based on the core closure strategies of protoberberine and tetrahydroberberine.

Systematic Review of Chemical Compounds with Immunomodulatory Action Isolated from African Medicinal Plants

A robust, well-functioning immune system is the cornerstone of good health. Various factors may influence the immune system's effectiveness, potentially leading to immune system failure. This review aims to provide an overview of the structure and action of immunomodulators isolated from African medicinal plants. The research was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Full-text access research articles published in English up to December 2023, including plant characteristics, isolated phytochemicals, and immuno-modulatory activities, were screened. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were generated using ChemDraw® (version 12.0.1076), and convergent and distinctive signaling pathways were highlighted. These phytochemicals with demonstrated immunostimulatory activity include alkaloids (berberine, piperine, magnoflorine), polysaccharides (pectin, glucan, acemannan, CALB-4, GMP90-1), glycosides (syringin, cordifolioside, tinocordiside, aucubin), phenolic compounds (ferulic acid, vanillic acid, eupalitin), flavonoids (curcumin, centaurein, kaempferin, luteolin, guajaverin, etc.), terpenoids (oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, boswellic acids, corosolic acid, nimbidin, andrographolides). These discussed compounds exert their effects through various mechanisms, targeting the modulation of MAPKs, PI3K-Akt, and NF-kB. These mechanisms can support the traditional use of medicinal plants to treat immune-related diseases. The outcomes of this overview are to provoke structural action optimization, to orient research on particular natural chemicals for managing inflammatory, infectious diseases and cancers, or to boost vaccine immunogenicity.

Recent Applications of Protoberberines as Privileged Starting Materials for the Development of Novel Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Agents: A Concise Review (2017-2023)

Berberine is a well-known phytochemical with significant antiviral activity against a wide range of viruses. Due to having a unique backbone consisting of four interconnected rings, it can be used as a platform for the design and development of novel semisynthetic antiviral agents. The question here is whether novel broad-spectrum antiviral drugs with enhanced activity and toxicity potential can be obtained by attempting to modify the structure of this privileged lead compound. The present study aims to review the results of recent studies in which berberine and its close analogues (protoberberine alkaloids) have been used as starting materials for the production of new semisynthetic antiviral structures. For this purpose, relevant studies published in high-quality journals indexed in databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, etc. in the time frame of 2017 to 2023 were collected. Our selection criterion in the current review focuses on the studies in which protoberberines were used as starting materials for the production of semisynthetic agents with antiviral activity during the indicated time period. Correspondingly, studies were identified in which semisynthetic derivatives with significant inhibitory activity against a wide range of viruses including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), enterovirus 71 (EV71), zika virus (ZIKV), influenza A/B, cytomegalovirus (CMV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and coxsackieviruses were designed and synthesized. Our conclusion is that, despite the introduction of diverse semisynthetic derivatives of berberine with improved activity profiles compared to the parent natural leads, sufficient derivatization has not been done yet and more studies are needed.

Evaluation of calf thymus DNA binding of newly synthesize five 9 O Imidazolyl alkyl berberine derivative: A comparative multi-spectroscopic and calorimetric study

DNA binding with small molecule plays an important role in the designing of various anticancer drugs with greater efficacy. The five 9-O-imidazolyl alkyl berberine derivatives (BI) of different chain length has been synthesized and fully characterized. The binding study of calf thymus DNA with these newly synthesized berberine derivative was performed using various biophysical techniques. The binding affinity of BI to calf thymus DNA increased with increasing the chain length. The binding constant value obtained from UV-Vis spectral analysis was 1.84x105for BI1, 2.01x105for BI2, 1.51 × 106 for BI3, 3.66 × 106 for BI4, 6.68 × 106. Partial intercalative binding with strong stabilization of the DNA helix was revealed from circular dichroism spectral study and viscosity measurement. From the ITC experiment it was revealed that the bindings of BI1, BI2, BI3, BI4 and BI5 to calf thymus DNA were favoured by a large positive favourable entropy and negative enthalpy change and the highest spontaneity found for BI5. With the increase in chain length the binding was driven by a stronger entropy term with a higher binding constant indicates involvement of hydrophobic force for all these interaction. High binding affinities of calf thymus DNA with berberine-imidazole derivatives might be helpful for new drug design.

Investigation of berberine and its derivatives in Sars Cov-2 main protease structure by molecular docking, PROTOX-II and ADMET methods: in machine learning and in silico study

Bioactive compounds found in plants also have pharmacological antiviral effects. Berberine (BBR), an alkaloid found naturally in plants, is one of the phytochemicals with a wide range of biological activities, including antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory. In this study, we firstly aimed to predict pIC50 values for selcted compounds and then extract the binding patterns of berberine and its derivatives in the Sars Cov-2 Master Protease structure via employing molecular docking approache. Our results showed that berberine and its derivatives have good binding affinities towared Sars Cov2 main protease protein. Based on docking results the pharamaccokinetic studies for berberine, berberrubine, demethylen-berberine, jatrorrhizin, and thalifendine, were conducted and showed a good pharamacokinetic properties as an oral drugs. For deep inspection, we utiilized molecular dynmaics simulation to examine the Sars Cov2 main protease-ligand stabilities. The molecular dynamics simulation and PCA investigations revealed that thalifendine have a strong willing to act as good bindinder to SARS-CoV-2 protease. Further, the network based pharamacology showed that these drugs mediate different pathways such as human T-cell leukemia virus 1 infection, viral carcinogenesis, human immunodeficiency virus 1 infection, kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infection and epstein-Barr virus infection.The findings of this study have an important recomendation for thalifendine for more in vivo and in vitro studies to work.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Collective Syntheses of 8-Oxoprotoberberines via Sequential In(OTf)3-Catalyzed Cyclization and Pd(OAc)2-Catalyzed Heck Coupling

Six 8-oxoprotoberberines were synthesized collectively in four steps with acceptable yields (14-19%), of which the products 8-oxopalmatine, 8-oxopseudopalmatine, 8-oxoberberine, and 8-oxopseudoberberine come from nature. The synthetic route was featured with the In(OTf)₃-catalyzed cyclization and Heck coupling. Moreover, the syntheses of the natural products berberine, canadine, and iambertine were achieved via various reductions from 8-oxoberberine, which provided a concise approach to the syntheses of this kind of alkaloids.

Multitargeted C9-substituted ester and ether derivatives of berberrubine for Alzheimer's disease: Design, synthesis, biological evaluation, metabolic stability, and pharmacokinetics

Berberrubine is a naturally occurring isoquinoline alkaloid and a bioactive metabolite of berberine. Berberine exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities, including cholinesterase inhibition. The cholinesterase inhibitors provide symptomatic treatment for Alzheimer's disease; however, multitarget-directed ligands have the potential as disease-modifying therapeutics. Herein, we prepared a series of C9-substituted berberrubine derivatives intending to discover dual cholinesterase and beta-site amyloid-precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE-1) inhibitors. Most synthesized derivatives possessed balanced dual inhibition (AChE and BChE) activity in the submicromolar range and a moderate inhibition against BACE-1. Two most active ester derivatives, 12a and 11d, display inhibition of AChE, BChE, and BACE-1. The 3-methoxybenzoyl ester derivative, 12a, inhibits electric eel acetylcholinesterase (EeAChE), equine serum butyrylcholinesterase (eqBChE), and human hBACE-1 with IC₅₀ values of 0.5, 4.3, and 11.9 μM, respectively and excellent BBB permeability (P_e  = 8 × 10^-6  cm/s). The ester derivative 12a is metabolically unstable; however, its ether analog 13 is stable in HLM and exhibits inhibition of AChE, BChE, and BACE-1 with IC₅₀ values of 0.44, 3.8, and 17.9 μM, respectively. The ether analog also inhibits self-aggregation of Aβ and crosses BBB (P_e  = 7.3 × 10^-6  cm/s). Administration of 13 at 5 mg/kg (iv) in Wistar rats showed excellent plasma exposure with AUC_0-∞ of 28,834 ng min/ml. In conclusion, the multitargeted berberrubine ether derivative 13 is CNS permeable and has good ADME properties.

Anti-Alphaviral Alkaloids: Focus on Some Isoquinolines, Indoles and Quinolizidines

The discovery and the development of safe and efficient therapeutics against arthritogenic alphaviruses (e.g., chikungunya virus) remain a continuous challenge. Alkaloids are structurally diverse and naturally occurring compounds in plants, with a wide range of biological activities including beneficial effects against prominent pathogenic viruses and inflammation. In this short review, we discuss the effects of some alkaloids of three biologically relevant structural classes (isoquinolines, indoles and quinolizidines). Based on various experimental models (viral infections and chronic diseases), we highlight the immunomodulatory effects of these alkaloids. The data established the capacity of these alkaloids to interfere in host antiviral and inflammatory responses through key components (antiviral interferon response, ROS production, inflammatory signaling pathways and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines production) also involved in alphavirus infection and resulting inflammation. Thus, these data may provide a convincing perspective of research for the use of alkaloids as immunomodulators against arthritogenic alphavirus infection and induced inflammation.

Recent Advances in the Discovery and Development of Anti-HIV Natural Products

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a serious public problem threatening global health. At present, although "cocktail therapy" has achieved significant clinical effects, HIV still cannot be completely eradicated. Furthermore, long-term antiviral treatment has caused problems such as toxic side effects, the emergence of drug-resistant viruses, and poor patient compliance. Therefore, it is highly necessary to continue to search for high-efficient, low-toxic anti-HIV drugs with new mechanisms. Natural products have the merits of diverse scaffolds, biological activities, and low toxicity that are deemed the important sources of drug discovery. Thus, finding lead compounds from natural products followed by structure optimization has become one of the important ways of modern drug discovery. Nowadays, many natural products have been found, such as berberine, gnidimacrin, betulone, and kuwanon-L, which exert effective anti-HIV activity through immune regulation, inhibition of related functional enzymes in HIV replication, and anti-oxidation. This paper reviewed these natural products, their related chemical structure optimization, and their anti-HIV mechanisms.

Vascular Protective Effect and Its Possible Mechanism of Action on Selected Active Phytocompounds: A Review

Vascular endothelial dysfunction is characterized by an imbalance of vasodilation and vasoconstriction, deficiency of nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS), and proinflammatory factors. This dysfunction is a key to the early pathological development of major cardiovascular diseases including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes. Therefore, modulation of the vascular endothelium is considered an important therapeutic strategy to maintain the health of the cardiovascular system. Epidemiological studies have shown that regular consumption of medicinal plants, fruits, and vegetables promotes vascular health, lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases. This is mainly attributed to the phytochemical compounds contained in these resources. Various databases, including Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Directory of Open Access Journals, were searched to identify studies demonstrating the vascular protective effects of phytochemical compounds. The literature had revealed abundant data on phytochemical compounds protecting and improving the vascular system. Of the numerous compounds reported, curcumin, resveratrol, cyanidin-3-glucoside, berberine, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, and quercetin are discussed in this review to provide recent information on their vascular protective mechanisms in vivo and in vitro. Phytochemical compounds are promising therapeutic agents for vascular dysfunction due to their antioxidative mechanisms. However, future human studies will be necessary to confirm the clinical effects of these vascular protective mechanisms.

Plant Alkaloids Inhibit Membrane Fusion Mediated by Calcium and Fragments of MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV/SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Peptides

To rationalize the antiviral actions of plant alkaloids, the ability of 20 compounds to inhibit calcium-mediated fusion of lipid vesicles composed of phosphatidylglycerol and cholesterol was investigated using the calcein release assay and dynamic light scattering. Piperine, tabersonine, hordenine, lupinine, quinine, and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine demonstrated the most potent effects (inhibition index greater than 50%). The introduction of phosphatidylcholine into the phosphatidylglycerol/cholesterol mixture led to significant changes in quinine, hordenine, and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine efficiency. Comparison of the fusion inhibitory ability of the tested alkaloids, and the results of the measurements of alkaloid-induced alterations in the physical properties of model membranes indicated a potent relationship between a decrease in the cooperativity of the phase transition of lipids and the ability of alkaloids to prevent calcium-mediated vesicle fusion. In order to use this knowledge to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic, the ability of the most effective compounds to suppress membrane fusion induced by fragments of MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV/SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptides was studied using the calcein release assay and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Piperine was shown to inhibit vesicle fusion mediated by both coronavirus peptides. Moreover, piperine was shown to significantly reduce the titer of SARS-CoV2 progeny in vitro in Vero cells when used in non-toxic concentrations.

Safe-in-Man Broad Spectrum Antiviral Agents

Emerging and re-emerging viral diseases occur with regularity within the human population. The conventional 'one drug, one virus' paradigm for antivirals does not adequately allow for proper preparedness in the face of unknown future epidemics. In addition, drug developers lack the financial incentives to work on antiviral drug discovery, with most pharmaceutical companies choosing to focus on more profitable disease areas. Safe-in-man broad spectrum antiviral agents (BSAAs) can help meet the need for antiviral development by already having passed phase I clinical trials, requiring less time and money to develop, and having the capacity to work against many viruses, allowing for a speedy response when unforeseen epidemics arise. In this chapter, we discuss the benefits of repurposing existing drugs as BSAAs, describe the major steps in safe-in-man BSAA drug development from discovery through clinical trials, and list several database resources that are useful tools for antiviral drug repositioning.

Crystal structure-guided design of berberine-based novel chitinase inhibitors

Glycoside hydrolase family 18 (GH18) chitinases play an important role in various organisms ranging from bacteria to mammals. Chitinase inhibitors have potential applications as pesticides, fungicides, and anti-asthmatics. Berberine, a plant-derived isoquinoline alkaloid, was previously reported to inhibit against various GH18 chitinases with only moderate K_i values ranging between 20 and 70 μM. In this report, we present for the first time the berberine-complexed crystal structure of SmChiB, a model GH18 chitinase from the bacterium Serratia marcescens. Based on the berberine-binding mode, a hydrophobic cavity-based optimisation strategy was developed to increase their inhibitory activity. A series of berberine derivatives were designed and synthesised, and their inhibitory activities against GH18 chitinases were evaluated. The compound 4c showed 80-fold-elevated inhibitory activity against SmChiB and the human chitinase hAMCase with K_i values at the sub-micromolar level. The mechanism of improved inhibitory activities was proposed. This work provides a new strategy for developing novel chitinase inhibitors.

Synthesis and antioxidant activities of berberine 9-O-benzoic acid derivatives

Although berberine (BBR) shows antioxidant activity, its activity is limited. We synthesized 9-O-benzoic acid berberine derivatives, and their antioxidant activities were screened via ABTS, DPPH, HOSC and FRAP assays. The para-position was modified with halogen elements on the benzoic acid ring, which led to an enhanced antioxidant activity and the substituent on the ortho-position was found to be better than the meta-position. Compounds 8p, 8c, 8d, 8i, 8j, 8l, and especially 8p showed significantly higher antioxidant activities, which could be attributed to the electronic donating groups. All the berberine derivatives possessed proper lipophilicities. In conclusion, compound 8p is a promising antioxidant candidate with remarkable elevated antioxidant activity and moderate lipophilicity.

Although berberine (BBR) shows antioxidant activity, its activity is limited.

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) and its active constituents: A critical review of their efficacy and toxicological issues

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) is a medicinal plant widely used in various traditional systems of medicine and as a food supplement. It has been traditionally used by Native Americans as a coloring agent and as medicinal remedy for common diseases and conditions like wounds, digestive disorders, ulcers, skin and eye ailments, and cancer. Over the years, goldenseal has become a popular food supplement in the USA and other regions. The rhizome of this plant has been used for the treatment of a variety of diseases including, gastrointestinal disorders, ulcers, muscular debility, nervous prostration, constipation, skin and eye infections, cancer, among others. Berberine is one of the most bioactive alkaloid that has been identified in different parts of goldenseal. The goldenseal extract containing berberine showed numerous therapeutic effects such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, antioxidant, neuroprotective (anti-Alzheimer's disease), cardioprotective, and gastrointestinal protective. Various research finding suggest the health promoting effects of goldenseal components and their extracts. However, few studies have also suggested the possible neurotoxic, hepatotoxic and phototoxic activities of goldenseal extract and its alkaloids. Thus, large randomized, double-blind clinical studies need to be conducted on goldenseal supplements and their main alkaloids to provide more evidence on the mechanisms responsible for the pharmaceutical activity, clinical efficacy and safety of these products. Thus, it is very important to review the scientific information about goldenseal to understand about the current scenario.

Discovery of novel berberine derivatives with balanced cholinesterase and prolyl oligopeptidase inhibition profile

Berberine, a naturally occurring compound, possesses an interesting multipotent pharmacological profile potentially applicable for Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment. In this study, a series of novel 22 berberine derivatives was developed and tested in vitro. Berberine core was substituted at position 9-O of its aromatic ring region. All the hybrids under the study revealed multi-targeted profile inhibiting prolyl oligopeptidase, acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase highlighting 4a, 4g, 4j, 4l and 4s possessing balanced activities in the micromolar range. The top-ranked candidates in terms of the most pronounced potency against POP, AChE and BChE can be classified as 4d, 4u and 4v, bearing 4-methylbenzyl, (naphthalen-2-yl)methylene and 1-phenoxyethyl moieties, respectively. In vitro data were corroborated by detailed kinetic analysis of the selected lead molecules. 4d, 4u and 4v were also inspected for their potential to inhibit aggregation of two abberant proteins in AD, namely amyloid beta and tau, indicating their potential disease-modifying properties. To explain the results of our study, we carried out docking simulation to the active sites of the respective enzyme with the best berberine derivatives, along with QSAR study. We also investigated compounds' potential permeability through blood-brain barrier by applying parallel artificial membrane permeation assay and addressed their cytotoxicity profile.

Synthesis and Evaluation of the Antibacterial Activities of 13-Substituted Berberine Derivatives

The biological activities of berberine, a natural plant molecule, are known to be affected by structural modifications, mostly at position 9 and/or 13. A series of new 13-substituted berberine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated in term of antimicrobial activity using various microorganisms associated to human diseases. Contrarily to the original molecule berberine, several derivatives were found strongly active in microbial sensitivity tests against Mycobacterium, Candida albicans and Gram-positive bacteria, including naïve or resistant Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 3.12 to 6.25 µM. Among the various Gram-negative strains tested, berberine's derivatives were only found active on Helicobacter pylori and Vibrio alginolyticus (MIC values of 1.5-3.12 µM). Cytotoxicity assays performed on human cells showed that the antimicrobial berberine derivatives caused low toxicity resulting in good therapeutic index values. In addition, a mechanistic approach demonstrated that, contrarily to already known berberine derivatives causing either membrane permeabilization, DNA fragmentation or interacting with FtsZ protein, active derivatives described in this study act through inhibition of the synthesis of peptidoglycan or RNA. Overall, this study shows that these new berberine derivatives can be considered as potent and safe anti-bacterial agents active on human pathogenic microorganisms, including ones resistant to conventional antibiotics.

Dechloromethylation of the berberine to berberrubine — tricks to obtain pure product

Berberine (1), as a compound with interesting biological activities, can be modified at various positions to obtain more potent substances. Modifications at position 9 are based on demethylation with simultaneous dechloration resulting in berberrubine. The most frequent process is thermal dechloromethylation and this work describes this method with detailed tricks to obtain almost pure product in high yield.

Antiviral activity of berberine

Plants are a rich source of new antiviral, pharmacologically active agents. The naturally occurring plant alkaloid berberine (BBR) is one of the phytochemicals with a broad range of biological activity, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity. BBR targets different steps in the viral life cycle and is thus a good candidate for use in novel antiviral drugs and therapies. It has been shown that BBR reduces virus replication and targets specific interactions between the virus and its host. BBR intercalates into DNA and inhibits DNA synthesis and reverse transcriptase activity. It inhibits replication of herpes simplex virus (HSV), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), human papillomavirus (HPV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This isoquinoline alkaloid has the ability to regulate the MEK-ERK, AMPK/mTOR, and NF-κB signaling pathways, which are necessary for viral replication. Furthermore, it has been reported that BBR supports the host immune response, thus leading to viral clearance. In this short review, we focus on the most recent studies on the antiviral properties of berberine and its derivatives, which might be promising agents to be considered in future studies in the fight against the current pandemic SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Berberine: A Plant-derived Alkaloid with Therapeutic Potential to Combat Alzheimer's disease

Berberine (a protoberberine isoquinoline alkaloid) has shown promising pharmacological activities, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-hyperlipidemic, cardioprotective, memory enhancement, antidepressant, antioxidant, anti-nociceptive, antimicrobial, anti- HIV and cholesterol-lowering effects. It is used in the treatment of the neurodegenerative disorder. It has strong evidence to serve as a potent phytoconstituent in the treatment of various neurodegenerative disorders such as AD. It limits the extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. It has also lipid-glucose lowering ability, hence can be used as a protective agent in atherosclerosis and AD. However, more detailed investigations along with safety assessment of berberine are warranted to clarify its role in limiting various risk factors and AD-related pathologies. This review highlights the pharmacological basis to control oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and protective effect of berberine in AD, which will benefit to the biological scientists in understanding and exploring the new vistas of berberine in combating Alzheimer's disease.

A novel berberine-based colorimetric and fluorimetric probe for hydrazine detection

Hydrazine in water and soil has caused serious diseases for human health. In this work, a simple fluorescent probe (BP) for hydrazine detection was synthesized from berberine. The probe has excellent fluorescence properties and naked-eye detection.

Berberine chloride ameliorated PI3K/Akt-p/SIRT-1/PTEN signaling pathway in insulin resistance syndrome induced in rats

The liver is the main organ involved in lipid metabolism process and it helps in drug detoxification. Insulin resistance is considered one of risk reasons which lead to several metabolic diseases. Currently, berberine (BER) occupies a huge challenge against multiple diseases with no toxic effect. The present work was aimed to identify, does BER-chloride has a poisonous influence on the liver? and investigating the outcome of BER-chloride on PI3K/Akt-p/SIRT-1/PTEN pathway during insulin resistance syndrome. The insulin resistance model was achieved in experimental female rats via high-fat diet (HFD). Glucose, insulin, lipid profiles, and hepatic oxidative stress parameters were assessed. PI3K, AKt-p, SIRT-1, and PTEN levels in hepatic tissue were determined at genome and protein levels. Further adiponectin concentration was performed in serum, hepatic, and white adipose tissues. Molecular study of fold alteration in insulin, insulin receptor, and retinol binding protein-4 (RBP4) in liver was done. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Obesity syndrome causes multiple obstacles in modern years. The current results revealed elevation the body weight of rats, plasma glucose, homeostatic model assessment, glycated hemoglobin, insulin, and lipid profiles concentrations in a group of rats, which nourished HFD for 8 weeks and this rise, was diminished after 2 weeks from BER-chloride administration. Further, BER-chloride improved transaminases enzymes, pro-oxidant, and antioxidant defense system, PI3K, AKt-p, SIRT-1, and PTEN in the liver, with downregulation of hepatic RBP4. Hence, these data provide a crucial message that BER-chloride enhanced both hepatic function and insulin signaling pathways that might be of therapeutic importance to insulin resistance with no harmful effect on the liver. BER-chloride is predicted to be a drug of choice for obesity complications cure.

Antimicrobial characteristics of Berberine against prosthetic joint infection-related Staphylococcus aureus of different multi-locus sequence types

BACKGROUND

Staphylococcal aureus (S. aureus) has become the leading causative pathogen of Prosthetic Joint Infection (PJI), which is the most devastating complication after arthroplasty surgeries. Due to the biofilm formation ability and emergence of multiple-drugs resistance strains of S. aureus, it has become an urgency to find new anti-staphylococcal agents to establish effective prophylaxis and treatment strategy for PJI. Extracted from a traditional Chinese herb, berberine is proved active in inhibiting S. aureus, while whether it exerts the same effect on PJI-related S. aureus remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the antimicrobial activity of berbrine against clinical derived PJI-related S. aureus and whether its inhibiting efficacy is associated with subtypes of S. aureus.

METHODS

Eighteen PJI-associated S. aureus were collected and their Multi-locus Sequence Types (MLST) and susceptibility to berberine both in planktonic and biofilm form were investigated. Additionally, one S. aureus strain (ST1792) was selected from the group and its transcriptomic profiling in berberine incubation was performed. The statistical analyses were conducted using Student's t-test with SPSS 24.0(SPSS, IBM, USA). The data were expressed as the means ± standard deviation. Values of p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

It was found out that the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration values of PJI-related S. aureus varied in a broad range (from 64 to 512 μg/ml) among different MLST subtypes and the bacteria were able to regain growth after 24 h in berberine of MIC value or higher concentrations. In addition, sub-inhibitory concentrations of berberine surprisingly enhanced biofilm formation in some S. aureus strains.

CONCLUSION

Traditional medicine is utilised by a large number of individuals, which provides abundant resources for modern medical science. In our study, berberine was found bactericidal against PJI related S. aureus, however, its antibacterial property was impacted by the MLST subtypes of the bacteria, both in planktonic and biofilm growth forms.

Synthetic routes and structure-activity relationships (SAR) of anti-HIV agents: A key review

The worldwide increase of AIDS, an epidemic infection in constant development has an essential and still requires potent antiretroviral chemotherapeutic agents for reducing the integer of deaths caused by HIV. Thus, there is an urgent need for new anti-HIV drug candidates with increased strength, new targets, superior pharmacokinetic properties, and compact side effects. From this viewpoint, we first review present strategies of anti-HIV drug innovation and the synthesis of heterocyclic or natural compound as anti-HIV agents for facilitating the development of more influential and successful anti-HIV agents.

Anti-HIV Activity of Alkaloids from Dasymaschalon echinatum

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the aerial parts of Dasymaschalon echinatum led to the isolation of five known aristolactams; aristolactam AII (1), aristolactam BII (2), piperolactam A (3), piperolactam C (4), and goniopedaline (5), together with two aphorphine alkaloids; duguevalline (6) and noraristolodione (7) and two amide derivatives; asperphenamate (8), and N -benzoyl-L-phenylalaninol (9). Alkaloids 2 and 7 were isolated for the first time from the Dasymaschalon genus. The anti-HIV 1 reverse transcriptase (RT) activity of all isolated compounds was determined. Except for aristolactam BII (2), this is the first report of the anti-HIV 1-RT activity of compounds 1 and 3-9. Compounds 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8 showed weak anti-HIV 1-RT inhibitory activity with IC50 ranging from 112.74 to 225.55μM.

Berberine Restricts Coxsackievirus B Type 3 Replication via Inhibition of c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPK Activation In Vitro

Background

At present, the treatment of coxsackievirus-induced myocarditis remains difficult. Berberine (BBR), an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from traditional medicine herbs, exhibits significant anti-viral efficacy against various viruses. However, the underlying mechanism by which BBR controls CVB3 infection has not yet been reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-viral efficacy of BBR against CVB3 infection and its mechanism.

Material/Methods

In our experiments, the protein levels of VP1 and MAPKs signal pathway were measured by Western blot. The mRNA level of VP1 was measured by RT-PCR. The virus titers were determined by TCID₅₀ assay.

Results

We found that BBR treatment significantly decreased CVB3 replication in HeLa cells. In addition, the BBR treatment reduced the phosphorylation levels of JNK and p38 MAPK upon CVB3 infection in both HeLa cells and primary rat myocardial cells.

Conclusions

Taken together, these results suggest that BBR inhibits CVB3 replication through the suppression of JNK and p38 MAPK activation, shedding new light on the investigation of therapeutic strategies against CVB3-induced viral myocarditis.

The synthesis and antistaphylococcal activity of 9, 13-disubstituted berberine derivatives

A series of novel 9, 13-disubstituted berberine derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated for the antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, including Newman strain and multidrug-resistant strains (NRS-1, NRS-70, NRS-100, NRS-108, and NRS-271). Compound 20 shows the most potent activity against the growth of Newman strain, with a MIC value of 0.78 μg/mL, which is comparable with the positive control vancomycin. In addition, compound 20, 21, and 33 are highly antistaphylococcal active against five strains of multidrug-resistant S. aureus, with MIC values of 0.78-1.56 μg/mL. Of note, theses antibacterial active compounds have no obvious toxicity to the viability of human fibroblast (HAF) cells at the MIC concentration.

Pharmacokinetic studies of novel berberine derivatives with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

An ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection method was developed for the detection of berberine and its derivatives (A4, B4) in rat plasma and other organs. This validated method was successfully applied to our pharmacokinetic study of BBR derivatives in rats. At the same dose of administration, the Cmax of B4 was about eight times higher than BBR, and its half-life was approximately two times longer than BBR, according to the bigger areas under plasma concentration curves. Inversely, the pharmacokinetic parameter levels of A4 were all inferior to BBR, suggesting a tight structure-activity relationship of these compounds. Small dose of parenteral administration was used for the study of absolute oral bioavailability of A4, B4, and BBR, and the results calculated were 0.12%, 3.4% and 0.7%, respectively. The accumulations of B4 among all organs were intestine>liver>heart>kidney>lung>spleen>plasma, proving a deeply targeting property of B4, which met our experimental assumption. Together, the experimental results proved that compared with BBR and A4, the derivative B4 had higher absolute oral bioavailability and the ability of deeply targeting so that can be likely used in some organ-targeted diseases.

Sensitization of Candida albicans to terbinafine by berberine and berberrubine

Candida albicans (C. albicans) is an opportunistic fungal pathogen, particularly observed in immunocompromised patients. C. albicans accounts for 50-70% of cases of invasive candidiasis in the majority of clinical settings. Terbinafine, an allylamine antifungal drug, has been used to treat fungal infections previously. It has fungistatic activity against C. albicans. Traditional Chinese medicines can be used as complementary medicines to conventional drugs to treat a variety of ailments and diseases. Berberine is a quaternary alkaloid isolated from the traditional Chinese herb, Coptidis Rhizoma, while berberrubine is isolated from the medicinal plant Berberis vulgaris, but is also readily derived from berberine by pyrolysis. The present study demonstrates the possible complementary use of berberine and berberrubine with terbinafine against C. albicans. The experimental findings assume that the potential application of these alkaloids together with reduced dosage of the standard drug would enhance the resulting antifungal potency.

Isolation and identification of berberine and berberrubine metabolites by berberine-utilizing bacterium Rhodococcus sp. strain BD7100

Based on the finding of a novel berberine (BBR)-utilizing bacterium, Rhodococcus sp. strain BD7100, we investigated the degradation of BBR and its analog berberrubine (BRU). Resting cells of BD7100 demethylenated BBR and BRU, yielding benzeneacetic acid analogs. Isolation of benzeneacetic acid analogs suggested that BD7100 degraded the isoquinoline ring of the protoberberine skeleton. This work represents the first report of cleavage of protoberberine skeleton by a microorganism.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a hybrid compound of berberine and magnolol for improvement of glucose and lipid metabolism

The discovery and structural optimization of lead compounds is the main task in the research and development of new drugs.

Design, synthesis and anti-inflammatory effects of novel 9-O-substituted-berberine derivatives

A series of novel 9-O-substituted-berberine derivatives were synthesized and their anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated. Among them, compounds 3i and 5e exhibited excellent anti-inflammatory potential.

Testing anti-HIV activity of antiretroviral agents in vitro using flow cytometry analysis of CEM-GFP cells infected with transfection-derived HIV-1 NL4-3

An assay, specifically optimized to evaluate the anti-HIV activity of antiretrovirals by flow cytometry analysis, is described. As widely used anti-HIV agents, zidovudine (AZT), abacavir (ABC), 2',3'-dideoxyinosine (DDI), lamivudine (3TC), nevirapine (NVP), and efavirenz (EFV), and as drugs of recent approval raltegravir (RAL), etravirine (ETR), and rilpivirine (RPV), were utilized as reference drugs. HIV-1 NL4-3 virus was prepared by transfection of HEK293T cells with purified plasmid DNA and quantified by p24 antigen-capture assay. For infection, CEM-GFP cells were exposed to vehicle or to several concentrations of the drugs for 2 hr at 37 °C before HIV-1 NL4-3 was added to each sample. The adsorption was prolonged for 3 hr at 37 °C. After 72 hr of incubation, HIV-induced GFP expression in infected CEM-GFP cells was assessed by flow cytometry analysis and expressed as % positive cells. For comparison, p24 production in supernatants was assessed by a commercial ELISA kit. On the basis of IC50 values, the anti-HIV activity, as assayed by this method, was EFV > 3TC > AZT > NVP > DDI > ABC and ETR > RPV > RAL. The comparison between the IC50 values calculated through flow cytometry and p24 production revealed overlapping results, showing that the optimized protocol of CEM-GFP infection with HIV NL4-3 is a suitable method to perform quantitative, rapid and low-expensive screening tests to evaluate the in vitro effect of new candidate anti-HIV drugs.