Pharmaceutical efficacy of harmalol in inhibiting hepatocellular carcinoma

Evaluation of therapeutic role of harmaline: in vitro cytotoxicity targeting nucleic acids

Use of small molecules as valuable drugs against diseases is still an indefinable purpose due to the lack of in-detail knowledge regarding proper bio-target identification, specificity aspects, mode-mechanism of binding and proper in vitro study. Harmaline, an important beta-carboline alkaloid, shows effective anti-proliferative action against different types of human cancers and is also found to be a nucleic acid targeting natural molecule. This review sought to address the different signal pathways of apoptosis by harmaline in different cancer cell lines and simultaneously to characterize the structure activity aspects of the alkaloid with different motifs of nucleic acid to show its preference, biological efficacy and genotoxicity. The results open up new insights for the design and development of small molecule-based nucleic acid therapeutic agents.

Exploring potooxidative degradation pathways of harmol and harmalol alkaloids in water: effects of pH, excitation sources and atmospheric conditions

This work explores the photochemical degradation of cationic species of 7-hydroxy-1-methyl-2H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole or harmol (1C) and the corresponding partially hydrogenated derivative 7-hydroxy-1-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole or harmalol (2C) in aqueous solution. UV-visible absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy coupled with multivariate data analysis (MCR-ALS and PARAFAC), HPLC and HRESI-MS techniques were used for both quantitative and qualitative analysis. The formation of hydrogen peroxide reactive oxygen species (ROS) was quantified, and the influence of pH, oxygen partial pressure and photoexcitation source on the photochemical degradation of both compounds was assessed. The potential implications on the biosynthesis of βCs and their biological role in living systems are discussed.

Anticancer Potential of β-Carboline Alkaloids: An Updated Mechanistic Overview

his comprehensive review is designed to evaluate the anticancer properties of β-carbolines derived from medicinal plants, with the ultimate goal of assessing their suitability and potential in cancer treatment, management, and prevention. An exhaustive literature survey was conducted on a wide array of β-carbolines including, but not limited to, harmaline, harmine, harmicine, harman, harmol, harmalol, pinoline, tetrahydroharmine, tryptoline, cordysinin C, cordysinin D, norharmane, and perlolyrine. Various analytical techniques were employed to identify and screen these compounds, followed by a detailed analysis of their anticancer mechanisms. Natural β-carbolines such as harmaline and harmine have shown promising inhibitory effects on the growth of cancer cells, as evidenced by multiple in vitro and in vivo studies. Synthetically derived β-carbolines also displayed noteworthy anticancer, neuroprotective, and cognitive-enhancing effects. The current body of research emphasizes the potential of β-carbolines as a unique source of bioactive compounds for cancer treatment. The diverse range of β-carbolines derived from medicinal plants can offer valuable insights into the development of new therapeutic strategies for cancer management and prevention.

Targeting Natural Polymeric DNAs with Harmane: An Insight into Binding and Thermodynamic Interaction Through Biophysical Approach

DNA is one of the major molecular targets for a broad range of anticancer drugs. Hence, interaction studies involving cellular DNA and small molecules can be highly beneficial as they often lead to rational and efficient drug design. In this study, the binding interaction of Harmane (a naturally occurring, bioactive indole alkaloid) with two natural polymeric DNAs, that is, Calf thymus (CT) DNA and Herring testis (HT) DNA has been elucidated using biophysical techniques. A ground state, 1:1 complexation, was revealed by steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. The thermodynamic profile and energetics of the associated reaction were evaluated by temperature-dependent fluorescence spectroscopy. The spontaneity of the binding was confirmed by the negative ΔG° values in both cases. Negative enthalpy change, along with stronger positive entropic contribution, indicated the dominant electrostatic nature of the interaction and finally the entropy-driven exothermic binding process throughout. Salt-dependent studies further demonstrated the significant contribution of electrostatic interactions in ligand binding toward DNA. Infrared data substantiated the structural information of the said interactions, leading to the exploration of the structure-function relationship.