1
|
Aleem M, Khan MI. Concept of dementia ( Nisy ā n) in Unani system of medicine and scientific validation of an important Unani pharmacopoeial preparation ' Majoon Vaj' for its management: a review. JOURNAL OF COMPLEMENTARY & INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE 2024; 21:139-153. [PMID: 37384842 DOI: 10.1515/jcim-2021-0447] [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: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This review focused on the concept of dementia in the Unani system of medicine and comprehensive, updated information on Majoon Vaj about the phytochemistry, nootropic, CNS activities and provide insights into potential opportunities for future research. METHODS The classical literature on Majoon Vaj for its anti-dementic properties, and therapeutic uses were gathered from nearly thirteen classical Unani books including Unani Pharmacopoeia. The information of pharmacognosy, phytochemical and pharmacological activities of Majoon Vaj and its ingredient was collected by browsing the Internet (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Wiley online library, Google Scholar, ResearchGate). The relevant primary sources were probed, analysed, and included in this review. The keywords used to browse were Majoon Vaj, Dementia, Nootropic, Acorus calamus, Piper nigram, Zingiber officinalis, Nigella sativa, Carum carvi, Plumbago zeylanica, and β-asarone. Relevant Sources were gathered up to July 2021, and the chemical structures were drawn using ACD/ChemSketch software. The species name and synonyms were checked with WFO (2021): World Flora online (http://www.worldfloraonline.org) an updated version of 'The Plant List.' RESULTS Majoon Vaj contains an excess of bioactive compounds e.g., alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, tannins, diterpenes, coumarins, carbohydrates, and fixed oils and its ingredients possess broad pharmacological properties, including cognitive-enhancing, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. CONCLUSIONS The literature of Unani medicine is quite rich in discussing the pathophysiological basis of memory disorders. It argues that memory, retention, and retrieval are regulated by a complex process involving various faculties. Majoon Vaj seems to have great potential for therapeutic applications in the treatment of dementia and thus encourage more preclinical and clinical trials in this field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Aleem
- Department of Ilmul Advia (Pharmacology), National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bengaluru, India
| | - Md Imran Khan
- Department of Ilmul Advia (Pharmacology), National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bengaluru, India
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Catalani E, Del Quondam S, Brunetti K, Cherubini A, Bongiorni S, Taddei AR, Zecchini S, Giovarelli M, De Palma C, Perrotta C, Clementi E, Prantera G, Cervia D. Neuroprotective role of plumbagin on eye damage induced by high-sucrose diet in adult fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 166:115298. [PMID: 37597318 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115298] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The natural compound plumbagin has a wide range of pharmacological and potential therapeutic activities, although its role in neuroretina degeneration is unknown. Here we evaluated the effects of plumbagin on retina homeostasis of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster fed with high glucose diet, a model of hyperglycemia-induced eye impairment to study the pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy at the early stages. To this aim, the visual system of flies orally administered with plumbagin has been analyzed at structural, functional, and molecular/cellular level as for instance neuronal apoptosis/autophagy dysregulation and oxidative stress-related signals. Our results demonstrated that plumbagin ameliorates the visual performance of hyperglycemic flies. Drosophila eye-structure, clearly altered by hyperglycemia, i.e. defects of the pattern of ommatidia, irregular rhabdomeres, vacuoles, damaged mitochondria, and abnormal phototransduction units were rescued, at least in part, by plumbagin. In addition, it reactivated autophagy, decreased the presence of cell death/apoptotic features, and exerted antioxidant effects in the retina. In terms of mechanisms favoring death/survival ratio, Nrf2 signaling activation may be one of the strategies by which plumbagin reduced redox unbalance mainly increasing the levels of glutathione-S-transferase. Likewise, plumbagin may act additively and/or synergistically inhibiting the mitochondrial-endoplasmic reticulum stress and unfolded protein response pathways, which prevented neuronal impairment and eye damage induced by reactive oxygen species. These results provide an avenue for further studies, which may be helpful to develop novel therapeutic candidates and drug targets against eye neurotoxicity by high glucose, a key aspect in retinal complications of diabetes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Catalani
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Simona Del Quondam
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Kashi Brunetti
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Agnese Cherubini
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Silvia Bongiorni
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Taddei
- Section of Electron Microscopy, Great Equipment Center, Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Silvia Zecchini
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milano, Italy
| | - Matteo Giovarelli
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milano, Italy
| | - Clara De Palma
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine (BioMeTra), Università degli Studi di Milano, via L. Vanvitelli 32, 20129 Milano, Italy
| | - Cristiana Perrotta
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milano, Italy
| | - Emilio Clementi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (DIBIC), Università degli Studi di Milano, via G.B. Grassi 74, 20157 Milano, Italy; Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", via Don Luigi Monza 20, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Giorgio Prantera
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Davide Cervia
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, largo dell'Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Chen DB, Gao HW, Peng C, Pei SQ, Dai AR, Yu XT, Zhou P, Wang Y, Cai B. Quinones as preventive agents in Alzheimer's diseases: focus on NLRP3 inflammasomes. J Pharm Pharmacol 2020; 72:1481-1490. [PMID: 32667050 DOI: 10.1111/jphp.13332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a hidden neurological degenerative disease, which main clinical manifestations are cognitive dysfunction, memory impairment and mental disorders. Neuroinflammation is considered as a basic response of the central nervous system. NLRP3 (Nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat (NLR) and pyrin domain containing receptor 3) inflammasome is closely related to the occurrence of neuroinflammation. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome results in the release of cytokines, pore formation and ultimately pyroptosis, which has demonstrated one of the critical roles in AD pathogenesis. Inhibition of the activity of NLRP3 is one of the focuses of the research. Therefore, NLRP3 represents an attractive pharmacological target, and discovery compounds with good NLRP3 inhibitory activity are particularly important. KEY FINDINGS Quinones have good neuroprotective effects and prevent AD, which may be related to their regulation of inflammatory response. The molecular docking was used to explore 12 quinones with AD prevention and treatment and NLRP3. Docking results showed that the combination of anthraquinones and NLRP3 were the best, and the top two chemical compounds were Purpurin and Rhein, which are the most promising NLRP3 inhibitors. SUMMARY These quinones may provide the theoretical basis for finding lead compounds for novel neuroprotective agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Da-Bao Chen
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Hua-Wu Gao
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Cheng Peng
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Shao-Qiang Pei
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - An-Ran Dai
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Xue-Ting Yu
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Peng Zhou
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Institute of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Formula, Hefei, China
| | - Yan Wang
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Institute of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Formula, Hefei, China
| | - Biao Cai
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Institute of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Formula, Hefei, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Marrazzo P, Angeloni C, Hrelia S. Combined Treatment with Three Natural Antioxidants Enhances Neuroprotection in a SH-SY5Y 3D Culture Model. Antioxidants (Basel) 2019; 8:antiox8100420. [PMID: 31547034 PMCID: PMC6827135 DOI: 10.3390/antiox8100420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, the majority of cell-based studies on neurodegeneration are carried out on two-dimensional cultured cells that do not represent the cells residing in the complex microenvironment of the brain. Recent evidence has suggested that three-dimensional (3D) in vitro microenvironments may better model key features of brain tissues in order to study molecular mechanisms at the base of neurodegeneration. So far, no drugs have been discovered to prevent or halt the progression of neurodegenerative disorders. New therapeutic interventions can come from phytochemicals that have a broad spectrum of biological activities. On this basis, we evaluated the neuroprotective effect of three phytochemicals (sulforaphane, epigallocatechin gallate, and plumbagin) alone or in combination, focusing on their ability to counteract oxidative stress. The combined treatment was found to be more effective than the single treatments. In particular, the combined treatment increased cell viability and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, upregulated antioxidant enzymes and insulin-degrading enzymes, and downregulated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 1 and 2 in respect to peroxide-treated cells. Our data suggest that a combination of different phytochemicals could be more effective than a single compound in counteracting neurodegeneration, probably thanks to a pleiotropic mechanism of action.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Marrazzo
- Department for Life Quality Studies, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, 47921 Rimini, Italy.
| | | | - Silvana Hrelia
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|