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Liu ZQ. How many organic small molecules might be used to treat COVID-19? From natural products to synthetic agents. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 278:116788. [PMID: 39236494 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
A large scale of pandemic coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the past five years motivates a great deal of endeavors donating to the exploration on therapeutic drugs against COVID-19 as well as other diseases caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Herein is an overview on the organic small molecules that are potentially employed to treat COVID-19 and other SARS-CoV-2-related diseases. These organic small molecules are accessed from both natural resources and synthetic strategies. Notably, typical natural products presented herein consist of polyphenols, lignans, alkaloids, terpenoids, and peptides, which exert an advantage for the further discovery of novel anti-COVID-19 drugs from plant herbs. On the other hand, synthetic prodrugs are composed of a series of inhibitors towards RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), main protease (Mpro), 3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease (3CLpro), spike protein, papain-like protease (PLpro) of the SARS-CoV-2 as well as the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in the host cells. Synthetic strategies are worth taken into consideration because they are beneficial for designing novel anti-COVID-19 drugs in the coming investigations. Although examples collected herein are just a drop in the bucket, developments of organic small molecules against coronavirus infections are believed to pave a promising way for the discovery of multi-targeted therapeutic drugs against not only COVID-19 but also other virus-mediated diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zai-Qun Liu
- Department of Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, No.2519 Jiefang Road, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China.
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Yu X, Li S, Xiao T, Qi X, Fang H, Li L, Bai Y, Liu D, Liu Q, Chen Z, Xue Z, Liang C. Transcriptional regulation and functional validation analysis of the McbZIP1 in Mentha canadensis L. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 348:112212. [PMID: 39134122 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Monoterpenoids are the main components of Mentha canadensis essential oil. Monoterpene biosynthetic pathways have been explored, but the regulatory mechanisms remain unclarified. We identified an abscisic acid (ABA)-inducible A-type basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor McbZIP1 that was localized in the nucleus and positively regulates monoterpene synthesis. McbZIP1 was expressed in most M. canadensis tissues and was induced under ABA, mannitol, and NaCl treatments. McbZIP1 had transcriptional activity in yeast and the N terminus (amino acids 75-117) was sufficient for transactivation. Yeast one-hybrid and Dual-Luciferase assays showed that McbZIP1 binds to ABA-responsive elements in the promoter region of limonene synthase gene. Yeast two-hybrid and biomolecular fluorescence complementation assays revealed that McbZIP1 interacts with McSnRK2.4. Overexpression of McbZIP1 in peppermint resulted in dramatically up-regulated monoterpene biosynthesis gene levels and increased menthol contents. The results support a transcriptional regulation mechanism in which McbZIP1 serves as a positive regulator of menthol biogenesis. These findings contribute to the molecular mechanism of monoterpenoid biogenesis, which may have uses in genetic engineering and menthol production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.
| | - Shumin Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.
| | - Taolan Xiao
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Xiwu Qi
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.
| | - Hailing Fang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.
| | - Li Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.
| | - Yang Bai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.
| | - Dongmei Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.
| | - Qun Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.
| | - Zequn Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.
| | - Zhichao Xue
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.
| | - Chengyuan Liang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China; Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.
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Wang WJ, Tang HT, Ou SC, Shen WJ, Chen CY, Li YC, Chang SY, Chang WC, Hsueh PR, Huang ST, Hung MC. Novel SARS-CoV-2 inhibition properties of the anti-cancer Kang Guan Recipe herbal formula. Cancer Lett 2024; 604:217198. [PMID: 39197583 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.217198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a persistent challenge, with continued breakthrough infections despite vaccination efforts. This has spurred interest in alternative preventive measures, including dietary and herbal interventions. Previous research has demonstrated that herbal medicines can not only inhibit cancer progression but also combat viral infections, including COVID-19 by targeting SARS-CoV-2, indicating a multifaceted potential to address both viruses and cancer. Here, we found that the Kang Guan Recipe (KGR), a novel herbal medicine formula, associates with potent inhibition activity against the SARS-CoV-2 viral infection. We demonstrate that KGR exhibits inhibitory activity against several SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). Mechanistically, we found that KGR can block the interaction of the viral spike and human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Furthermore, we assessed the inhibitory effect of KGR on SARS-CoV-2 viral entry in vivo, observing that serum samples from healthy human subjects having taken KGR exhibited suppressive activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Our investigation provides valuable insights into the potential of KGR as a novel herbal-based preventive and therapeutic strategy against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Jan Wang
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hsuan-Ting Tang
- Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan
| | - Shi-Chen Ou
- Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan; School of Post Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Jou Shen
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Yu Chen
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chuan Li
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Sui-Yuan Chang
- Dept of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotchnology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Dept of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chao Chang
- Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan
| | - Po-Ren Hsueh
- Departments of Laboratory Medicine and Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; PhD Program for Aging, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Teng Huang
- Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan; School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Research Cancer Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; An-Nan Hospital, China Medical University, Tainan, Taiwan.
| | - Mien-Chie Hung
- Research Center for Cancer Biology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Cancer Biology and Precision Therapeutics Center, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Center for Molecular Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 40402, Taiwan; Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
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Morris JN, Esseili MA. Screening Commercial Tea for Rapid Inactivation of Infectious SARS-CoV-2 in Saliva. FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL VIROLOGY 2024; 16:159-170. [PMID: 38294673 DOI: 10.1007/s12560-023-09581-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infects the oral mucosa and is shed in salivary fluids. Traditionally, tea has been used by various cultures to treat respiratory ailments. The objective of this study was to identify commercially available teas that can rapidly inactivate infectious SARS-CoV-2 in saliva. Initially, tea (n = 24) was prepared as 40 mg/mL infusions and incubated with SARS-CoV-2 resuspended in water, for 5 min at 37 °C. Then, five teas that showed >3 log reduction in virus infectivity were further investigated at 40 and 10 mg/mL infusions for 60 and 10 s contact time with SARS-CoV-2 resuspended in saliva. Tea polyphenols were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. SARS-CoV-2 infectivity was quantified on Vero-E6 cell line using TCID50 assay. At 10 mg/mL infusion, black tea showed the highest reduction (3 log, i.e., 99.9%) of infectious SARS-CoV-2 within 10 s. Green, mint medley, eucalyptus-mint, and raspberry zinger teas showed similar inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 (1.5-2 log, i.e., 96-99% reduction). At 40 mg/mL infusions, all five teas showed >3 log reduction in virus infectivity within 10 s. Tea polyphenol but not pH was significantly correlated to virus reduction. Time-of-addition assay revealed that the five teas displayed preventive effects (0.5-1 log, i.e., 68-90% reduction) against SARS-CoV-2 infection of Vero-E6 cells as well as during post-virus infection (1.2-1.9 log, i.e., 94-98%). However, the highest inhibitory effect was observed when the teas were added at the time of virus infection (2-3 log, i.e., 99-99.9%). Our results provide insights into a rapid at-home intervention (tea drinking or gargling) to reduce infectious SARS-CoV-2 load in the oral cavity which might also mitigate infection of the oral mucosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianna N Morris
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin Campus, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA, 30223, USA
| | - Malak A Esseili
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin Campus, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA, 30223, USA.
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Li H, Sun M, Lei F, Liu J, Chen X, Li Y, Wang Y, Lu J, Yu D, Gao Y, Xu J, Chen H, Li M, Yi Z, He X, Chen L. Methyl rosmarinate is an allosteric inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 3 CL protease as a potential candidate against SARS-cov-2 infection. Antiviral Res 2024; 224:105841. [PMID: 38408645 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been ongoing for more than three years and urgently needs to be addressed. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescriptions have played an important role in the clinical treatment of patients with COVID-19 in China. However, it is difficult to uncover the potential molecular mechanisms of the active ingredients in these TCM prescriptions. In this paper, we developed a new approach by integrating the experimental assay, virtual screening, and the experimental verification, exploring the rapid discovery of active ingredients from TCM prescriptions. To achieve this goal, 4 TCM prescriptions in clinical use for different indications were selected to find the antiviral active ingredients in TCMs. The 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), an important target for fighting COVID-19, was utilized to determine the inhibitory activity of the TCM prescriptions and single herb. It was found that 10 single herbs had better inhibitory activity than other herbs by using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) - based enzymatic assay of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. The ingredients contained in 10 herbs were thus virtually screened and the predicted active ingredients were experimentally validated. Thus, such a research strategy firstly removed many single herbs with no inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro at the very beginning by FRET-based assay, making our subsequent virtual screening more effective. Finally, 4 active components were found to have stronger inhibitory effects on SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro, and their inhibitory mechanism was subsequently investigated. Among of them, methyl rosmarinate as an allosteric inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro was confirmed and its ability to inhibit viral replication was demonstrated by the SARS-CoV-2 replicon system. To validate the binding mode via docking, the mutation experiment, circular dichroism (CD), enzymatic inhibition and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay were performed, demonstrating that methyl rosmarinate bound to the allosteric site of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. In conclusion, this paper provides the new ideas for the rapid discovery of active ingredients in TCM prescriptions based on a specific target, and methyl rosmarinate has the potential to be developed as an antiviral therapeutic candidate against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongtao Li
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Meng Sun
- Department of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Fuzhi Lei
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinfeng Liu
- Department of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Molecule Intelligent Syntheses, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Xixiang Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yaqi Li
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Peptide and small Molecule Drug R&D Plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China; DP Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Wang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China; Peptide and small Molecule Drug R&D Plateform, Furong Laboratory, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, Hunan, China
| | - Jiani Lu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Danmei Yu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yueqiu Gao
- Department of Hepatopathy, Shuguang Hospital, Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China; Laboratory of Cellular Immunity, Shuguang Hospital, Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China; Institute of Infectious Diseases of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, China
| | - Jianrong Xu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Hongzhuan Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Man Li
- Laboratory of Cellular Immunity, Shuguang Hospital, Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Zhigang Yi
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Xiao He
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Molecule Intelligent Syntheses, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China; New York University-East China Normal University Center for Computational Chemistry, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai, 200062, China.
| | - Lili Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China; Longhua Hospital Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 725 South Wanping Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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