Diosgenin, a plant-derived sapogenin, exhibits antiviral activity in vitro against hepatitis C virus

Role of diosgenin extracted from Helicteres isora L in suppression of HIV-1 replication: An in vitro preclinical study

Background

Diosgenin, an essential sapogenin steroid with significant biological implications, is composed of a hydrophilic sugar moiety intricately linked to a hydrophobic steroid aglycone. While the antiviral properties of diosgenin against numerous RNA viruses have been extensively documented, its potential in combating Human Immunodeficiency Virus infections remains unexplored.

Experimental procedure

This current investigation presents a comprehensive and systematic analysis of extracts derived from the leaves of Helicteres isora, which are notably enriched with diosgenin. Rigorous methodologies, including established chromatographic techniques and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were employed for the characterization of the active diosgenin compound followed by molecular interaction analyses with the key HIV enzymes and mechanistic validation of HIV inhibition.

Key results

The inhibitory effects of extracted diosgenin on the replication of HIV-1 were demonstrated using a permissive cellular system, encompassing two distinct subtypes of HIV-1 strains. Computational analyses involving molecular interactions highlighted the substantial occupancy of critical active site pocket residues within the key HIV-1 proteins by diosgenin. Additionally, the mechanistic underpinnings of diosgenin activity in conjunction with standard controls were elucidated through specialized colorimetric assays, evaluating its impact on HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase and Integrase enzymes.

Conclusions

To our current state of knowledge, this study represents the inaugural demonstration of the anti-HIV efficacy inherent to diosgenin found in the leaves of Helicteres isora, and can be taken further for drug design and development for the management of HIV infection.

Therapeutic approaches for chronic hepatitis C: a concise review

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant global health concern, prompting the need for effective treatment strategies. This in-depth review critically assesses the landscape of HCV treatment, drawing parallels between traditional interferon/ribavirin therapy historically pivotal in HCV management and herbal approaches rooted in traditional and complementary medicine. Advancements in therapeutic development and enhanced clinical outcomes axis on a comprehensive understanding of the diverse HCV genome, its natural variations, pathogenesis, and the impact of dietary, social, environmental, and economic factors. A thorough analysis was conducted through reputable sources such as Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, books, and dissertations. This review primarily focuses on the intricate nature of HCV genomes and explores the potential of botanical drugs in both preventing and treating HCV infections.

The Aqueous Leaf Extract of the Medicinal Herb Costus speciosus Suppresses Influenza A H1N1 Viral Activity under In Vitro and In Vivo Conditions

This study investigated the antiviral activity of aqueous leaf extract of Costus speciosus (TB100) against influenza A. Pretreatment of TB100 in RAW264.7 cells enhanced antiviral activity in an assay using the green fluorescence-expressing influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (H1N1) virus. The fifty percent effective concentration (EC50) and fifty percent cytotoxic concentration (CC50) were determined to be 15.19 ± 0.61 and 117.12 ± 18.31 µg/mL, respectively, for RAW264.7 cells. Based on fluorescent microscopy, green fluorescence protein (GFP) expression and viral copy number reduction confirmed that TB100 inhibited viral replication in murine RAW264.7 and human A549 and HEp2 cells. In vitro pretreatment with TB100 induced the phosphorylation of transcriptional activators TBK1, IRF3, STAT1, IKB-α, and p65 associated with interferon pathways, indicating the activation of antiviral defenses. The safety and protective efficacy of TB100 were assessed in BALB/c mice as an oral treatment and the results confirmed that it was safe and effective against influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (H1N1), A/Philippines/2/2008 (H3N2), and A/Chicken/Korea/116/2004 (H9N2). High-performance liquid chromatography of aqueous extracts led to the identification of cinnamic, caffeic, and chlorogenic acids as potential chemicals for antiviral responses. Further confirmatory studies using these acids revealed that each of them confers significant antiviral effects against influenza when used as pretreatment and enhances the antiviral response in a time-dependent manner. These findings suggest that TB100 has the potential to be developed into an antiviral agent that is effective against seasonal influenza.

Bioinformatic assay reveal the potential mechanism of Guizhi-Shaoyao-Zhimu decoction against rheumatoid arthritis and mild-to-moderate COVID-19

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are more susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) than healthy population, but there is still no therapeutic strategy available for RA patients with corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Guizhi-Shaoyao-Zhimu decoction (GSZD), Chinese ancient experience decoction, has a significant effect on the treatment of Rheumatism and gout. To prevent RA patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 from developing into severe COVID-19, this study explored the potential possibility and mechanism of GSZD in the treatment of this population.

METHODS

In this study, we used bioinformatic approaches to explore common pharmacological targets and signaling pathways between RA and mild-to-moderate COVID-19, and to assess the potential mechanisms of in the treatment of patients with both diseases. Beside, molecular docking was used to explore the molecular interactions between GSZD and SARS-CoV-2 related proteins.

RESULTS

Results showed that 1183 common targets were found in mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and RA, of which TNF was the most critical target. The crosstalk signaling pathways of the two diseases focused on innate immunity and T cells pathways. In addition, GSZD intervened in RA and mild-to-moderate COVID-19 mainly by regulating inflammation-related signaling pathways and oxidative stress. Twenty hub compounds in GSZD exhibited good binding potential to SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, 3C-like protease (3CLpro), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), papain-like protease (PLpro) and human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), thereby intervening in viral infection, replication and transcription.

CONCLUSIONS

This finding provides a therapeutic option for RA patients against mild-to-moderate COVID-19, but further clinical validation is still needed.

Research progress on the antiviral activities of natural products and their derivatives: Structure–activity relationships

Viruses spread rapidly and are well-adapted to changing environmental events. They can infect the human body readily and trigger fatal diseases. A limited number of drugs are available for specific viral diseases, which can lead to non-efficacy against viral variants and drug resistance, so drugs with broad-spectrum antiviral activity are lacking. In recent years, a steady stream of new viral diseases has emerged, which has prompted development of new antiviral drugs. Natural products could be employed to develop new antiviral drugs because of their innovative structures and broad antiviral activities. This review summarizes the progress of natural products in antiviral research and their bright performance in drug resistance issues over the past 2 decades. Moreover, it fully discusses the effect of different structural types of natural products on antiviral activity in terms of structure–activity relationships. This review could provide a foundation for the development of antiviral drugs.

Diosgenin derivatives developed from Pd(II) catalysed dehydrogenative coupling exert an effect on breast cancer cells by abrogating their growth and facilitating apoptosis via regulating the AKT1 pathway

Palladium metallates containing 4-oxo-4H-chromene-3-carbaldehyde derived ONS donor Schiff bases were synthesized and their efficacy was tested in the direct amination of diosgenin - a phyto steroid. Based on the pharmacological importance of diosgenin, the obtained derivatives were exposed to study their effect on breast cancer cells where they significantly reduced the growth of cancer cells and left non-malignant breast epithelial cells unaffected. Among the derivatives, D3, D4 and D6 showed a better anti-proliferative effect and further analysis revealed that the D3, D4 and D6 derivatives markedly promoted cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by attenuation of the AKT1 signalling pathway.

Dioscorea zingiberensis ameliorates diabetic nephropathy by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome and curbing the expression of p66Shc in high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

OBJECTIVES

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a severe diabetic complication. Dioscorea zingiberensis (DZ) possesses excellent pharmacological properties with lower toxicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and mechanism of DZ in DN.

METHODS

DN was established by the high-fat diet combining intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin in mice. The DZ (125 and 250 mg/kg/day) were intragastrical administered for 8 consecutive weeks. After treatment, blood, urine and kidney tissue were collected for biological detection, renal morphology, fibrosis and molecular mechanism research, respectively.

KEY FINDINGS

This study has shown that DZ significantly ameliorated kidney hypertrophy, renal structural damage and abnormal function of the kidney indicators (creatinine, urinary protein and blood urea nitrogen). Further molecular mechanism data suggested that the NLRP3/Cleaved-caspase-1 signal pathway was remarkably activated in DN, and DZ treatment reversed these changes, which indicated that it effectively attenuated inflammatory response caused by hyperglycaemia. In addition, DN inhibits hyperglycaemia-induced activation of oxidative stress by suppressing the expression of p66Shc proteins.

CONCLUSIONS

DZ could efficiently suppress oxidative stress and inflammatory responses to postpone the development of DN, and its mechanism might be related to inhibition of NLRP3 and p66Shc activities. Thus, DZ could be developed into a new therapeutic agent for DN.

Andrographolide as a potent and promising antiviral agent

Andrographolide is a labdane diterpenoid extracted and purified from the aerial parts of plants belonging to genus Andrographis (Acanthaceae). The research has shown the plant based compound is low cytotoxic, having antimicrobial, anti-cancer, antiviral and anti-parasitic effects. Andrographolide both prevent spread as well as transmission of virus to neighboring cells by interfering with different cell signaling pathways. In addition to its medicinal value, plant has been found having nutritional value. Therefore being cost effective, easy availability and having nutritional value as a natural supplement, can be used to improve the quality of life in countries having low standard of living. Due to the limited number of effective vaccines, the plant-based antiviral drugs have provided considerable hope for fighting against the viral infections. The plant-derived compound when produced in large quantities is cost effective with low cytotoxic effects. However, much deep insight research at the molecular level is needed to develop the molecules against the viral infection. This paper aims to highlight the antiviral role of Andrographolide that can made significant contributions toward the improvement of human health and will also summarize the current status and future strategies concerning the therapeutic applications of Andrographolide to combat different viral disease in humans.

Optimization of diosgenin extraction from Dioscorea deltoidea tubers using response surface methodology and artificial neural network modelling

INTRODUCTION

Dioscorea deltoidea var. deltoidea (Dioscoreaceae) is a valuable endangered plant of great medicinal and economic importance due to the presence of the bioactive compound diosgenin. In the present study, response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) modelling have been implemented to evaluate the diosgenin content from D. deltoidea. In addition, different extraction parameters have been also optimized and developed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Firstly, Plackett-Burman design (PBD) was applied for screening the significant variables among the selected extraction parameters i.e. solvent composition, solid: solvent ratio, particle size, time, temperature, pH and extraction cycles on diosgenin yield. Among seven tested parameters only four parameters (particle size, solid: solvent ratio, time and temperature) were found to exert significant effect on the diosgenin extraction. Moreover, Box-Behnken design (BBD) was employed to optimize the significant extraction parameters for maximum diosgenin yield.

RESULTS

The most suitable condition for diosgenin extraction was found to be solid: solvent ratio (1:45), particle size (1.25 mm), time (45 min) and temperature (45°C). The maximum experimental yield of diosgenin (1.204% dry weight) was observed close to the predicted value (1.202% dry weight) on the basis of the chosen optimal extraction factors. The developed mathematical model fitted well with experimental data for diosgenin extraction.

CONCLUSIONS

Experimental validation revealed that a well trained ANN model has superior performance compared to a RSM model.

Synthesis of diosgenyl quaternary ammonium derivatives and their antitumor activity

Giosgenin is a naturally steroidal saponin exhibiting a variety of biological activities including antitumor ones. A series of novel diosgenyl quaternary ammonium derivatives were designed and synthesized to develop potential anti-tumor agents in our research. All novel derivatives were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HR-MS, and evaluated for their in vitro anti-proliferative activities using MTT assay. The human cancer cell lines were A549 (Human lung cancer cell), H1975 (Human lung adenocarcinoma cell), A431 (Human skin squamous cell carcinoma), HCT-116 (Human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell), Aspc-1 (Human metastatic pancreatic cancer cell), Ramos (Human B lymphoma cell), HBE (Human bronchial epithelioid cell) and LO2 (Human normal hepatocyte).

Inhibition of invadopodia formation by diosgenin in tumor cells

Diosgenin is a type of steroid extracted from the rhizome of Dioscorea plants. In traditional Chinese medicine, Dioscorea has the effect of ‘eliminating phlegm, promoting digestion, relaxing tendons, promoting blood circulation and inhibiting malaria’. Recent studies have confirmed that diosgenin exhibits a number of pharmacological effects, including antitumor activities. Through its antitumor effect, diosgenin is able to block tumor progression and increase the survival rate of patients with cancer; ultimately improving their quality of life. However, the mechanism underlying its pharmacological action remains unclear. Once tumor cells reach a metastatic phase, it can be fatal. Increased migration and invasiveness are the hallmarks of metastatic tumor cells. Invadopodia formation is key to maintaining the high migration and invasive ability of tumor cells. Invadopodia are a type of membrane structure process rich in filamentous-actin and are common in highly invasive tumor cells. In addition to actin, numerous actin regulators, including cortical actin-binding protein (Cortactin), accumulate in invadopodia. Cortactin is a microfilament actin-binding protein with special repetitive domains that are directly involved in the formation of the cortical microfilament actin cell skeleton. Cortactin is also one of the main substrates of intracellular Src-type tyrosine protein kinases and represents a highly conserved family of intracellular cortical signaling proteins. In recent years, great progress has been made in understanding the role of Cortactin and its molecular mechanism in cell motility. However, the diosgenin-Cortactin-invadopodia mechanism is still under investigation. Therefore, the present review focused on the current research on the regulation of invadopodia by diosgenin via Cortactin.

Potential compound from herbal food of Rhizoma Polygonati for treatment of COVID-19 analyzed by network pharmacology: Viral and cancer signaling mechanisms

Rhizoma Polygonati (huangjing in Chinese, 黄精) is a medicine food homology herb used as a component of traditional Chinese medicine treating COVID-19 in the current pandemic emergency in China but the mechanisms remain elusive. Here using TCMSP and Swiss Target Prediction databases to sort out the potential targets of the main chemical components and GenCLiP3, NCBI, and GeneCard databases to search for COVID-19 related targets, the chemical compound-target-pathway network was analyzed. Each component was molecularly docked with host cell target angiotensin converting enzyme II, SARS-CoV-2 targets Spike protein, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, or 3CL hydrolase. Our results showed a higher affinity of the compound diosgenin and (+)-Syringaresinol-O-beta-D-glucoside binding to the three SARS-CoV-2 proteins compared to the other compounds tested. Thus, our data suggest that potential compounds in Rhizoma Polygonati may act on different targets with viral and cancer related signaling and have a great potential in treatment of COVID-19.

Biotic elicitors enhance diosgenin production in Helicteres isora L. suspension cultures via up-regulation of CAS and HMGR genes

In an attempt to find an alternative and potent source of diosgenin, a steroidal saponin in great demand for its pharmaceutical importance, Helicteres isora suspension cultures were explored for diosgenin extraction. The effect of biotic elicitors on the biosynthesis of diosgenin, in suspension cultures of H. isora was studied. Bacterial as well as fungal elicitors such as Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus niger were applied at varying concentrations to investigate their effects on diosgenin content. The HPLC based quantification of the treated samples proved that amongst the biotic elicitors, E. coli (1.5%) proved best with a 9.1-fold increase in diosgenin content over respective control cultures. Further, the scaling-up of the suspension culture to shake-flask and ultimately to bioreactor level were carried out for production of diosgenin. During all the scaling-up stages, diosgenin yield obtained was in the range between 7.91 and 8.64 mg l^-1, where diosgenin content was increased with volume of the medium. The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed biotic elicitors induced the expression levels of regulatory genes in diosgenin biosynthetic pathway, the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) and cycloartenol synthase (CAS), which can be positively correlated with elicited diosgenin contents in those cultures. The study holds significance as H. isora represents a cleaner and easy source of diosgenin where unlike other traditional sources, it is not admixed with other steroidal saponins, and the scaled-up levels of diosgenin achieved herein have the potential to be explored commercially.

Diosgenin inhibits the epithelial-mesenchymal transition initiation in osteosarcoma cells via the p38MAPK signaling pathway

Diosgenin is an important basic raw material for the production of steroid hormone drugs. It can be isolated and purified from a variety of traditional Chinese medicines or plants. Modern molecular biological studies have shown that diosgenin inhibits various tumor cells migration and invasion ability to varying degrees in vitro and in vivo. The aim of the present study was to observe the inhibitory effects of diosgenin on the invasive and metastatic capabilities of osteosarcoma cells and to determine the association between the effects of diosgenin on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Wound healing and Transwell assays were used to observe the inhibitory effects of diosgenin on the invasion and migration of two osteosarcoma cell lines. Immunofluorescence was used to observe changes in transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) protein expression levels in the osteosarcoma cells following drug administration. EMT-associated proteins, including TGFβ1, E-cadherin and vimentin were detected by western blotting, which demonstrated that the drug may inhibit the initiation of EMT in osteosarcoma cells. Western blot analysis of the expression of all the proteins in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway demonstrated that the drug inhibited the MAPK signaling pathway. The primary mechanism of action of diosgenin was the inhibition of the phosphorylated p38 (pP38) protein. Through a combination of inhibitors of the p38MAPK signaling pathway and detection of the downstream EMT marker protein E-cadherin by quantitative PCR, pP38 was confirmed to be a target of diosgenin in the inhibition of EMT in the osteosarcoma cells via the MAPK molecular signaling pathway. Diosgenin may exhibit utility as an auxiliary drug for the clinical reduction of metastasis in patients with osteosarcoma.

Chronic diseases, inflammation, and spices: how are they linked?

Extensive research within the last several decades has revealed that the major risk factors for most chronic diseases are infections, obesity, alcohol, tobacco, radiation, environmental pollutants, and diet. It is now well established that these factors induce chronic diseases through induction of inflammation. However, inflammation could be either acute or chronic. Acute inflammation persists for a short duration and is the host defense against infections and allergens, whereas the chronic inflammation persists for a long time and leads to many chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, respiratory diseases, etc. Numerous lines of evidence suggest that the aforementioned risk factors induced cancer through chronic inflammation. First, transcription factors NF-κB and STAT3 that regulate expression of inflammatory gene products, have been found to be constitutively active in most cancers; second, chronic inflammation such as pancreatitis, prostatitis, hepatitis etc. leads to cancers; third, activation of NF-κB and STAT3 leads to cancer cell proliferation, survival, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis; fourth, activation of NF-κB and STAT3 leads to resistance to chemotherapy and radiation, and hypoxia and acidic conditions activate these transcription factors. Therefore, targeting these pathways may provide opportunities for both prevention and treatment of cancer and other chronic diseases. We will discuss in this review the potential of various dietary agents such as spices and its components in the suppression of inflammatory pathways and their roles in the prevention and therapy of cancer and other chronic diseases. In fact, epidemiological studies do indicate that cancer incidence in countries such as India where spices are consumed daily is much lower (94/100,000) than those where spices are not consumed such as United States (318/100,000), suggesting the potential role of spices in cancer prevention.

Observation of the influences of diosgenin on aging ovarian reserve and function in a mouse model

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of diosgenin, an important monomer of sapogenins in yams, on ovarian reserve in a natural aging mice model.

STUDY DESIGN

This randomized controlled trial included 60 9-month-old C57 naturally aging female mice. Twenty-one mice were assigned to the dio group and were fed a single dose of diosgenin (200 mg/kg/day) suspended in 0.3% CMC. Twenty mice were assigned to the DHEA group and were fed a single dose of DHEA (1.25 mg/kg/day) suspended in 0.3% CMC. The remaining 20 mice were assigned to the old control group and were fed a single dose of 0.3% CMC. Three months later, the reproductive performance of these female mice was determined by evaluating ovarian follicles and oocyte number and quality in IVF and comparing age-matched and young controls. The impact of NOBOX, GDF9 and BMP15 mRNA expression was also evaluated.

RESULTS

Diosgenin improves ovarian reserve in naturally aging mice in terms of increasing the number of primary follicles (P < 0.05) and serum levels of AMH (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Diosgenin could counteract age-associated ovarian dysfunction by improving the ovarian reserve in a natural aging mice model.

Synthesis and Self-Assembled Behavior of pH-Responsive Chiral Liquid Crystal Amphiphilic Copolymers Based on Diosgenyl-Functionalized Aliphatic Polycarbonate

The morphological control of polymer micellar aggregates is an important issue in applications such as nanomedicine and material science. Stimuli responsive soft materials have attracted significant attention for their well-controlled morphologies. However, despite extensive studies, it is still a challenge to prepare nanoscale assemblies with responsive behaviors. Herein, a new chiral liquid crystal (LC) aliphatic polycarbonate with side chain bearing diosgenyl mesogen, named mPEG₄₃-PMCC₂₅-P(MCC-DHO)₁₅, was synthesized through the ring-opening polymerization and coupling reaction. The self-assembled behavior of the LC copolymer was explored. In aqueous solution, the functionalized copolymer could self-organize into different nanostructures with changing pH value, such as nanospheres and nanofibers. This would offer new possibilities in the design of nanostructured organic materials.

(22β,25R)-3β-Hydroxy-spirost-5-en-7-iminoxy-heptanoic acid exhibits anti-prostate cancer activity through caspase pathway

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. Diosgenin and related compounds are potential cytotoxic agents. Twelve diverse analogues of long chain fatty acid/ester of diosgenin-7-ketoxime have been prepared. Six of the analogues exhibited significant anticancer activity against a panel of human cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ ranging from 12 to 35μM. Compound 16, the best representative of the series exerted S phase arrest in DU145 prostate cancer cells and induced apoptosis through caspase pathway. Additionally, these analogues inhibited lipopolysaccharide induced pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) up to 47.7% and 23.3% respectively. Compound 16 was found to be safe in acute oral toxicity in Swiss albino mice up to 300mg/kg dose. The anticancer and antiinflammatory properties of compound 16 are important and can further be optimized for a better anti-prostate cancer candidate.

Diosgenin: Recent Highlights on Pharmacology and Analytical Methodology

Diosgenin, a steroidal sapogenin, occurs abundantly in plants such as Dioscorea alata, Smilax China, and Trigonella foenum graecum. This bioactive phytochemical not only is used as an important starting material for the preparation of several steroidal drugs in the pharmaceutical industry, but has revealed also high potential and interest in the treatment of various types of disorders such as cancer, hypercholesterolemia, inflammation, and several types of infections. Due to its pharmacological and industrial importance, several extraction and analytical procedures have been developed and applied over the years to isolate, detect, and quantify diosgenin, not only in its natural sources and pharmaceutical compositions, but also in animal matrices for pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological studies. Within these, HPLC technique coupled to different detectors is the most commonly analytical procedure described for this compound. However, other alternative methods were also published. Thus, the present review aims to provide collective information on the most recent pharmacological data on diosgenin and on the most relevant analytical techniques used to isolate, detect, and quantify this compound as well.

Broad-spectrum antiviral properties of andrographolide

Andrographolide, a diterpenoid, is known for its anti-inflammatory effects. It can be isolated from various plants of the genus Andrographis, commonly known as 'creat'. This purified compound has been tested for its anti-inflammatory effects in various stressful conditions, such as ischemia, pyrogenesis, arthritis, hepatic or neural toxicity, carcinoma, and oxidative stress, Apart from its anti-inflammatory effects, andrographolide also exhibits immunomodulatory effects by effectively enhancing cytotoxic T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, phagocytosis, and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). All these properties of andrographolide form the foundation for the use of this miraculous compound to restrain virus replication and virus-induced pathogenesis. The present article covers antiviral properties of andrographolide in variety of viral infections, with the hope of developing of a new highly potent antiviral drug with multiple effects.

One compound of saponins from Disocorea zingiberensis protected against experimental acute pancreatitis by preventing mitochondria-mediated necrosis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a painful inflammatory disorder of the exocrine pancreas, ranking as the most common gastrointestinal reasons for hospitalization with no specific therapy currently. Diosgenyl saponins extracted from natural products and diosgenin or its derivatives have been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects in various diseases. However, the therapeutic effects of diosgenyl saponins from Dioscorea zingiberensis C. H. Wright in AP have not yet been determined. Five compounds were extracted and screened for taurocholate-induced necrosis in mouse pancreatic acinar cells. Particularly, 26-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-3β, 22α, 26-trihydroxy-25(R)-furosta-5-en-3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 4)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (compound 1) exhibited the best protective effects with no toxicity observed. Next, we showed compound 1 concentration-dependently inhibited necrotic cell death pathway activation and 2.5 mM compound 1 also prevented the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, adenosine triphosphate production, and reactive oxygen species generation in mouse pancreatic acinar cells. Finally, we showed compound 1 protected against three clinically representative murine models of AP and significantly improved pancreatitis-associated acute lung injury. These data provide in vitro and in vivo evidence that one compound of diosgenyl saponins can be potential treatment for AP. This study suggests natural saponins may serve as fruitful sources for exploring/identifying potential therapies for inflammatory diseases.

Diosgenin effectively suppresses skin inflammation induced by phthalic anhydride in IL-4/Luc/CNS-1 transgenic mice

To quantitatively evaluate the therapeutic effects of diosgenin (DG) and investigate the role of IL-4 on skin inflammation, alterations in luciferase-derived signal and general phenotype biomarkers were measured in IL-4/Luc/CNS-1 transgenic mice with phthalic anhydride (PA)-induced skin inflammation after treatment with DG for 4 weeks. High levels of luciferase-derived signal detected in the abdominal region and submandibular lymph node (SL) of the PA treated group was significantly decreased by 67-88% in the PA + DG cotreated group. Furthermore, the weight of the lymph node and spleen, IgE concentration, epidermis thickness, and number of infiltrated mast cells were lower in the PA + DG treated group than the PA + Vehicle treated group. Moreover, expression of IL-6 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) also decreased in the PA + DG cotreated group. These results suggest that PA-induced skin inflammation could be successfully suppressed by DG treatment in IL-4/Luc/CNS-1 Tg mice through attenuation of IL-4 and IL-6 expression, as well as decreased IgE concentration and mast cells infiltration.

Microbial transformation of diosgenin by Cunninghamella blakesleana AS 3.970 and potential inhibitory effects on P-glycoprotein of its metabolites

Microbial transformation of diosgenin ((25R)-spirost-5-en-3β-ol) using Cunninghamella blakesleana AS 3.970, afforded eleven polyhydroxylated derivatives. Compounds 4 and 6 could increase the accumulation of adriamycin in MCF-7/ADR cells.

Functional foods effective for hepatitis C: Identification of oligomeric proanthocyanidin and its action mechanism

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of viral hepatitis and currently infects approximately 170 million people worldwide. An infection by HCV causes high rates of chronic hepatitis (> 75%) and progresses to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma ultimately. HCV can be eliminated by a combination of pegylated α-interferon and the broad-spectrum antiviral drug ribavirin; however, this treatment is still associated with poor efficacy and tolerability and is often accompanied by serious side-effects. While some novel direct-acting antivirals against HCV have been developed recently, high medical costs limit the access to the therapy in cost-sensitive countries. To search for new natural anti-HCV agents, we screened local agricultural products for their suppressive activities against HCV replication using the HCV replicon cell system in vitro. We found a potent inhibitor of HCV RNA expression in the extracts of blueberry leaves and then identified oligomeric proanthocyanidin as the active ingredient. Further investigations into the action mechanism of oligomeric proanthocyanidin suggested that it is an inhibitor of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) such as hnRNP A2/B1. In this review, we presented an overview of functional foods and ingredients efficient for HCV infection, the chemical structural characteristics of oligomeric proanthocyanidin, and its action mechanism.

Medicinal plants against hepatitis C virus

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a global health concern which is responsible for most of the liver diseases. Currently, there is no vaccine available for prevention of HCV infection due to the high degree of strain variation. The current standard of care is a combination of pegylated interferon α with ribavirin and boceprevir/telaprevir. This treatment was partially effective and had significant side effects. Hence, there is a need to develop new antiviral agents that interfere with different stages of the HCV life cycle. Recent advances in the understanding of both the cellular and molecular mechanisms of HCV replication have provided the basis for novel therapeutic strategies. Several hundred plant species and their phyto-constituents have been isolated for screening against HCV, and some have been shown to have great medicinal value in preventing and/or ameliorating viral diseases in pre-clinical and clinical trials. This review summarizes medicinal plants and their phytochemicals which inhibit different stages of HCV life cycle and discuss their potential use in HCV therapy.

A review on pharmacological and analytical aspects of diosgenin: a concise report

Diosgenin is a steroidal sapogenin found in plants such as Dioscorea nipponoca, Solanum incanum, Solanum xanthocarpum and Trigonella foenum graecum. Diosgenin, biologically active phytochemicals have been used for the treatment of various types of disorder such as leukemia, inflammation, hypercholesterolemia and cancer. It is also able to prevent bone loss to the same extent as that of oestrogen. It is a typical initial intermediate for synthesis of steroidal compounds, oral contraceptives and sex hormones. Dioscorea, Costus and Trigonella are mainly used for the production of diosgenin. On the basis of literature survey it divulges that diosgenin has very impressive pharmacological profile and could be used as a medicine for the treatment of different types of disorders in the future. Thus, the present work aims to provide collective information in concern with its pharmacological activity and phytoanalytical techniques. This review will be beneficial to researches for the development of an alternative method for the treatment of innumerable diseases from diosgenin.

Enhancement of diosgenin production in Dioscorea zingiberensis cell cultures by oligosaccharides from its endophytic fungus Fusarium oxysporum Dzf17

The effects of the oligosaccharides from the endophytic fungus Fusarium oxysporum Dzf17 as elicitors on diosgenin production in cell suspension cultures of its host Dioscorea zingiberensis were investigated. Three oligosaccharides, DP4, DP7 and DP10, were purified from the oligosaccharide fractions DP2-5, DP5-8 and DP8-12, respectively, which were prepared from the water-extracted mycelial polysaccharide of the endophytic fungus F. oxysporum Dzf17. When the cell cultures were treated with fraction DP5-8 at 20 mg/L on day 26 and harvested on day 32, the maximum diosgenin yield (2.187 mg/L) was achieved, which was 5.65-fold of control (0.387 mg/L). When oligosaccharides DP4, DP7 and DP10 were individually added to 26-day-old D. zingiberensis cell cultures at concentrations of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 mg/L in medium, DP7 at 6 mg/L was found to significantly enhance diosgenin production, with a yield of 3.202 mg/L, which was 8.27-fold of control. When the cell cultures were treated with DP7 twice on days 24 and 26, and harvested on day 30, both diosgenin content and yield were significantly increased and reached the maximums of 1.159 mg/g dw and 4.843 mg/L, both of which were higher than those of single elicitation, and were 9.19- and 12.38-fold of control, respectively.