Recent Trends in Pharmacological Activity of Alkaloids in Animal Colitis: Potential Use for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Recent developments and new directions in the use of natural products for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) represents a significant global health challenge, and there is an urgent need to explore novel therapeutic interventions. Natural products have demonstrated highly promising effectiveness in the treatment of IBD.

PURPOSE

This study systematically reviews the latest research advancements in leveraging natural products for IBD treatment.

METHODS

This manuscript strictly adheres to the PRISMA guidelines. Relevant literature on the effects of natural products on IBD was retrieved from the PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases using the search terms "natural product," "inflammatory bowel disease," "colitis," "metagenomics", "target identification", "drug delivery systems", "polyphenols," "alkaloids," "terpenoids," and so on. The retrieved data were then systematically summarized and reviewed.

RESULTS

This review assessed the different effects of various natural products, such as polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, quinones, and others, in the treatment of IBD. While these natural products offer promising avenues for IBD management, they also face challenges in terms of clinical translation and drug discovery. The advent of metagenomics, single-cell sequencing, target identification techniques, drug delivery systems, and other cutting-edge technologies heralds a new era in overcoming these challenges.

CONCLUSION

This paper provides an overview of current research progress in utilizing natural products for the treatment of IBD, exploring how contemporary technological innovations can aid in discovering and harnessing bioactive natural products for the treatment of IBD.

Aegeline attenuates TNBS-induced colitis by suppressing the NFƙB-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in mice

A chronic inflammatory condition of the intestine, ulcerative colitis (UC), is challenging to successfully manage once diagnosed. Currently, available medical therapies for UC exhibit minimal efficacy with unacceptable side effects, while inventive biological agents are expensive and yet not well accepted by patients. Discovering more effective and safer treatments to treat UC is therefore essential. One of the primary alkaloids found in Aegle marmelos, aegeline, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties as well as being able to suppress several pro-inflammatory cytokines responsible for inflammation. The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of aegeline in alleviating 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis through the NFƙB-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Mice were randomly allocated into six groups, Normal control (NC), Model control (MC-TNBS, 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid), STD (TNBS + sulfasalazine 100 mg/kg), AG1, AG2, and AG3 (TNBS + aegeline 5, 10, 20 mg/kg) respectively. Physical parameters such as a change in body weight, stool consistency, rectal bleeding, colon length, myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels and nitric oxide (NO) levels, and disease activity index (DAI) were assessed and supporting gene expression studies of various pro-inflammatory cytokines and enzymes were evaluated and histopathological changes observed. Administration of aegeline (10, 20 mg/kg) was found to be effective in colon protection by lowering the disease activity score and myeloperoxidase level and improving other physical parameters. Aegeline in high dose significantly downregulated the gene expression of NFƙB, iNOS, COX-2, NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18, conferring great anti-inflammatory potential. Suggestive of the findings, aegeline reduced the damage to the colon by downregulating transcriptional genes and enzymes leading to inflammation and mitigated TNBS-induced colitis probably through the NFƙB-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.

Review on Plant-Based Management in Combating Antimicrobial Resistance - Mechanistic Perspective

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microbes no longer respond to any pharmacological agents, rendering the conventional antimicrobial agents ineffective. AMR has been classified as one of the top 10 life-threatening global health problems needed multilevel attention and global cooperation to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) according to the World Health Organization (WHO), making the discovery of a new and effective antimicrobial agent a priority. The recommended treatments for drug-resistant microbes are available but limited. Furthermore, the transformation of microbes over time increases the risk of developing drug resistance. Hence, plant metabolites such as terpenes, phenolic compounds and alkaloids are widely studied due to their antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiparasitic effects. Plant-derived antimicrobials are preferred due to their desirable efficacy and safety profile. Plant metabolites work by targeting microbial cell membranes, interfering with the synthesis of microbial DNA/RNA/enzymes and disrupting quorum sensing and efflux pump expression. They also work synergistically with conventional antibiotics to enhance antimicrobial effects. Accordingly, this review aims to identify currently available pharmacological therapies against microbes and AMR, as well as to discuss the importance of plant and secondary metabolites as a possible solution for AMR together with their mechanisms of action. All the information was obtained from government databases, WHO websites, PubMed, Springer, Google Scholar and Science Direct. Based on the information obtained, AMR is regarded as a significant warning to global healthcare. Plant derivatives such as secondary metabolites may be considered as potential therapeutic targets to mitigate the non-ending AMR.

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.

Effect of Aqueous Extract of Phenolic Compounds Obtained from Red Wine in Experimental Model of Colitis in Mice

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disorder represented by Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Currently, there is no cure and pharmacological treatment aims to induce and maintain remission on patients. Because the therapy reveals a relatively high toxicity, during a long-term utilization, it is essential to investigate new pharmacological approaches. Polyphenols, commonly present on red wine, have shown health-beneficial effects related to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects through the inhibition of NF-kB activation, COX-2 and iNOS induction. In this sense, it would be interesting to study their effects in an IBD context. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effects of an aqueous extract of phenolic compounds in a 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced model of colitis. Method: Experimental colitis was induced in mice through an intrarectal administration of TNBS and then the mice were treated with an aqueous extract of phenolic compounds intraperitoneally for four days. Results and Discussion: The extract demonstrated an anti-inflammatory effect, reducing TNF-α levels in the colon, and had a beneficial effect on the extraintestinal manifestations related to IBD, without any significant side effects. The extract of phenolic compounds demonstrated to be a valuable object of study for the management of IBD in the future.

Mining Anti-Inflammation Molecules From Nippostrongylus brasiliensis-Derived Products Through the Metabolomics Approach

Hookworm is one type of soil-transmitted helminth, which could exert an anti-inflammatory effect in human or animal host, which provides a beneficial possibility for the discovery of inflammatory-related disease interventions. The identification of hookworm-derived anti-inflammatory molecules is urgently needed for future translational research. The emergence of metabolomics has become a powerful approach to comprehensively characterize metabolic alterations in recent times. Herein, excretory and secretory products (ESPs) were collected from cultured adult worm, while small intestinal contents were obtained from Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (N. brasiliensis, Nb)-infected mice. Through ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) platform, metabolomics analysis was used to explore the identification of anti-inflammatory molecules. Out of 45 differential metabolites that were discovered from ESPs, 10 of them showed potential anti-inflammatory properties, which could be subclassed into amino acids, furanocoumarins, linear diarylheptanoids, gamma butyrolactones, and alpha-keto acids. In terms of intestinal contents that were derived from N. brasiliensis-infected mice, 14 out of 301 differential metabolites were discovered to demonstrate anti-inflammatory effects, with possible subclassification into amino acids, benzylisoquinolines, quaternary ammonium salts, pyrimidines, pregnane steroids, purines, biphenyls, and glycerophosphocholines. Furthermore, nine of the differential metabolites appeared both in ESPs and infected intestinal contents, wherein four were proven to show anti-inflammation properties, namely, L-glutamine, glutamine (Gln), pyruvate, and alanine-Gln (Ala-Gln). In summary, we have provided a method for the identification and analysis of parasite-derived molecules with potential anti-inflammatory properties in the present study. This array of anti-inflammatory metabolites could provide clues for future evaluation and translational study of these anti-inflammatory molecules.

Roles of Alkaloids from Medicinal Plants in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus

Medicinal plants play a fundamental part in health sectors via the management of different infectious diseases because of their wide plenitude wellspring of bioactive phytochemicals. Research activities on them have got attention throughout the world in the present days in search of low-cost and safe compounds for the management of diabetes. This is the literature-based analysis of alkaloids from medicinal plants in preventive or treatment approaches to diabetes. The most abundant and diversified group of secondary metabolites, i.e., alkaloids, show antidiabetic activity through the inhibition of enzymes (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, aldose reductase, dipeptidyl peptidase-IV, and protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B); inhibition of advanced glycation end products; increment of insulin secretion and its sensitivity; enhancement of glucose uptake; and their antioxidant ability. The study is useful for the examination of dynamic alkaloids for the advancement of a new medication for mankind.

EPIDEMIOLOGIC ASPECTS OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE IN THE WESTERN REGION OF MINAS GERAIS STATE

BACKGROUND

Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), two of the main inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), have been increasingly diagnosed in South America. Although IBD have been intensively studied in the last years, epidemiologic data in Brazil are scarce.

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinical and epidemiologic profile of IBD patients treated in the Clinical Hospital of the Federal University of Uberlândia from 1999 to 2014.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study of the medical records of patients diagnosed with IBD, according to the international classification of diseases (ICD) - ICD K50 for CD and ICD K51 for UC - confirmed by endoscopic examination in the case of both diseases. We analyzed the following variables: age; sex; ethnicity; smoking habit; primary diagnosis; site of disease manifestation; main clinical manifestations; IBD-related complications; extraintestinal manifestations; and established drug and/or surgical treatment.

RESULTS

We evaluated 183 IBD cases (91 UC and 92 CD cases). The estimated prevalence rate of UC was 15.06/100.000 inhabitants and of CD was 15.23/100.000. The CU and CD female to male incidence ratios were 1.7 and 1.8, respectively. The average age of patients diagnosed with UC was 39.4 years and of those diagnosed with CD was 31.1 years. White-skinned people were the most affected by UC (66.0%) and CD (69.0%). Few patients were submitted to surgical procedures as treatment alternative.

CONCLUSION

The estimated prevalence of IBD in this population was low compared to that of populations of North America, but high compared to that of other regions considered to present low incidence, such as some Asian and Latin American countries.

Traditional Latvian herbal medicinal plants used to treat parasite infections of small ruminants: A review

Numerous treatment agents offering prophylaxis against livestock parasites are commercially available. However, because of increasing antiparasitic drug resistance, the increased popularity of environmentally friendly lifestyle choices, and organic farming, there is more demand for new alternatives to livestock anthelmintic control strategies and medications. It is important to develop antiparasitics that are safe, effective, inexpensive, and environmentally safe. Local, traditional herbal plants such as tansy, mugwort, wormwood, and heather may serve as treatments for intestinal parasites of sheep. This overview provides knowledge of traditional Latvian plants with antiparasitic activities to establish a database for further research to develop new herbal antiparasitic drugs.

Ameliorative effect of galantamine on acetic acid-induced colitis in rats

Galantamine (GAL) is a drug for treating Alzheimer’s disease which has reasonable and no significant side effects. Studies have shown that GAL possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cholinomimetic effects that might be beneficial for inflammatory bowel disease. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of GAL on acetic acid-induced colitis in rats. GAL at 0.25, 1.25, 2.5 mg/kg/day was administrated orally (p.o.) to different groups of male Wistar rats 2 h before induction of ulcer with acetic acid 3% and continued for 5 consecutive days. Dicyclomine (DIC) was similarly used alone (5 mg/kg/day, p.o.) or together with GAL at doses already mentioned to delineate the impact of muscarinic pathway in probable beneficial effects of GAL on colitis. Control and reference groups received distilled water (5 mL/kg, p.o.), prednisolone (4 mg/kg/day, p.o.), or mesalazine (100 mg/kg/day, p.o.) respectively. At day 6, tissue injuries were assessed for macroscopic, histopathologic, and biochemical indices of myeloperoxidase and MPO activity. Results showed that GAL at 3 applied doses, alone or in combination with DIC diminished ulcer index, total colitis index, and MPO activity as important biomarkers of colitis. DIC alone was not effective on most parameters and its concurrent administration with GAL couldn’t reverse its antiulcerative effects. Prednisolone and mesalazine were both effective in this relation. The current research indicated that GAL had anti-inflammatory and antiulcerative activities independent of its muscarinic effects. Thus the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects may account for its anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcerative properties. Nevertheless, further detailed studies are warranted for exact elucidation of GAL mechanism on inflammation and colitis.

Investigation of chemical constituents of Artemisia albicerata

Artemisia albicerata is of great interest and occupy an important place among the vast variety of medicinal plants in Kazakhstan due to its endemicity, medical and pharmacological properties, and has a rich chemical composition consisting of amino acids, fatty acids, macro-micro elements, flavonoids and other low-molecular substances. In the present study, Artemisia albicerata, collected in Almaty region of Kazakhstan has been explored with the purpose of quantitative and qualitative analysis. As a result, twenty amino and eight fatty acids were identified by gas-liquid chromatography. The major amino acid contents were glutamate (2615 mg/100 g), aspartate (1296 mg/100 g) and alanine (890 mg/100 g), while the composition of fatty acids mainly was oleic (19.6%) and linoleic (68.4%) acids. Furthermore, eleven macro-micro elements were determined in the ash of a plant by the method of multi-element atomic emission spectral analysis, main of them were Ca (60.0 mg/g), K (60.4 mg/g), Mg (12.2 mg/g), Na (5.57 mg/g), Fe (3.57 mg/g). Also it should be highlighted that total bioactive components such as organic acids, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, alkaloids, saponins, polysaccharides together with the moisture content (6.62%), total ash (7.96%) and extractives (12.7%) have been determined.

Albumin nano-encapsulation of caffeic acid phenethyl ester and piceatannol potentiated its ability to modulate HIF and NF-kB pathways and improves therapeutic outcome in experimental colitis

Hypoxia inducible factor and nuclear factor-kappa beta pathways have been proposed as therapeutic targets for several inflammatory diseases. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and piceatannol (PIC) are natural anti-inflammatory compounds; however, poor bioavailability and limited understanding of biomolecular mechanistic limits its clinical use. The aims of this study are to enhance bioavailability and investigate their impact on nuclear p65 and HIF-1α for the first time in experimental colitis.Dextran sulphate sodium was used to induce colitis in mice and effect of either free CAPE/PIC or CAPE/PIC loaded albumin nanoparticles treatment was observed on disease development and levels of cellular p65 and HIF-1α.Our results indicate that albumin nano-encapsulation of CAPE/PIC not only enhances its anti-inflammatory potential but also potentiates its ability to effectively modulate inflammation related biomolecular pathways. Hence, combining nanotechnology with natural compounds could result in development of new therapeutic options for IBD.

Anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects of rice callus suspension culture (RCSC) and bioactive fractions in an in vitro inflammatory bowel disease model

BACKGROUND

Rice callus suspension culture (RCSC) has been shown to exhibit potent antiproliferative activity in multiple cancer cell lines. RCSC and its bioactive compounds can fill the need for drugs with no side effects.

HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE

The anti-inflammatory potential of RCSC and its bioactive fractions on normal colon epithelial cell lines, was investigated.

STUDY DESIGN

Three cell lines, InEpC, NCM356 and CCD841-CoN were treated with proinflammatory cytokines followed by RCSC. Cytoplasmic and nuclear ROS were assayed with fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometer. Expression analysis of immune-related genes was performed in RCSC-treated cell lines. RCSC was fractionated using column chromatography and HPLC. Pooled fractions 10-18 was used to test for antiproliferative activity using colon adenocarcinoma cell line, SW620 and anti-inflammatory activity using CCD841-CoN. Mass spectrometric analysis was performed to identify candidate compounds in four fractions.

RESULTS

RCSC treatment showed differential effects with higher cytoplasmic ROS levels in NCM356 and CCD841-CoN and lower ROS levels in InEpC. Nuclear generated ROS levels increased in all three treated cell lines. Flow cytometry analysis of propidium iodide stained cells indicated mitigation of cell death caused by inflammation in RCSC treated groups in both NCM356 and CCD841-CoN. Genes encoding transcription factors and cytokines were differentially regulated in NCM356 and CCD841-CoN cell lines treated with RCSC which provided insights into possible pathways. Analysis of pooled fractions 10-18 by HPLC identified 8 peaks. Cell viability assay with fractions 10-18 using SW620 showed that the number of viable cells were greatly reduced which was similar to 6X and 33X RCSC with very little effect on normal cells which similar to 1X RCSC. RCSC fractions increased nuclear and cytoplasmic ROS vs. both untreated and inflammatory control. Analysis of four fractions by mass spectrometry identified 4-deoxyphloridzin, 5'-methoxycurcumin, piceid and lupeol as candidate compounds which are likely to be responsible for the antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating properties of RCSC.

CONCLUSION

RCSC and its fractions showed anti-inflammatory activity on inflamed colon epithelial cells. Downstream target candidate genes which are likely to mediate RCSC effects were identified. Candidate compounds responsible for the antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory activity of RCSC and its fractions provide possible drug targets.

Alkaloids Profiling of Fumaria capreolata by Analytical Platforms Based on the Hyphenation of Gas Chromatography and Liquid Chromatography with Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Two analytical platforms, gas chromatography (GC) coupled to quadrupole-time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry (MS) and reversed-phase ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to diode array (DAD) and QTOF detection, were applied in order to study the alkaloid profile of Fumaria capreolata. The use of these mass analyzers enabled tentatively identifying the alkaloids by matching their accurate mass signals and suggested molecular formulae with those previously reported in libraries and databases. Moreover, the proposed structures were corroborated by studying their fragmentation pattern obtained by both platforms. In this way, 8 and 26 isoquinoline alkaloids were characterized using GC-QTOF-MS and RP-UHPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS, respectively, and they belonged to the following subclasses: protoberberine, protopine, aporphine, benzophenanthridine, spirobenzylisoquinoline, morphinandienone, and benzylisoquinoline. Moreover, the latter analytical method was selected to determine at 280 nm the concentration of protopine (9.6 ± 0.7 mg/g), a potential active compound of the extract. In conclusion, although GC-MS has been commonly used for the analysis of this type of phytochemicals, RP-UHPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS provided essential complementary information. This analytical method can be applied for the quality control of phytopharmaceuticals containing Fumaria extracts currently found in the market.