Metformin and berberine, two versatile drugs in treatment of common metabolic diseases

AMPK pathway: an emerging target to control diabetes mellitus and its related complications

Purpose

In this extensive review work, the important role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in causing of diabetes mellitus has been highlighted. Structural feature of AMPK as well its regulations and roles are described nicely, and the association of AMPK with the diabetic complications like nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy are also explained along with the connection between AMPK and β-cell function, insulin resistivity, mTOR, protein metabolism, autophagy and mitophagy and effect on protein and lipid metabolism.

Methods

Published journals were searched on the database like PubMed, Medline, Scopus and Web of Science by using keywords such as AMPK, diabetes mellitus, regulation of AMPK, complications of diabetes mellitus, autophagy, apoptosis etc.

Result

After extensive review, it has been found that, kinase enzyme like AMPK is having vital role in management of type II diabetes mellitus. AMPK involve in enhance the concentration of glucose transporter like GLUT 1 and GLUT 4 which result in lowering of blood glucose level in influx of blood glucose into the cells; AMPK increases the insulin sensitivity and decreases the insulin resistance and further AMPK decreases the apoptosis of β-cells which result into secretion of insulin and AMPK is also involve in declining of oxidative stress, lipotoxicity and inflammation, owing to which organ damage due to diabetes mellitus can be lowered by activation of AMPK.

Conclusion

As AMPK activation leads to overall control of diabetes mellitus, designing and developing of small molecules or peptide that can act as AMPK agonist will be highly beneficial for control or manage diabetes mellitus.

Pharmacological interventions in human aging

Pharmacological interventions are emerging as potential avenues of alleviating age-related disease. However, the knowledge of ongoing clinical trials as they relate to aging and pharmacological interventions is dispersed across a variety of mediums. In this review we summarize 136 age-related clinical trials that have been completed or are ongoing. Furthermore, we establish a database that describe the trials (AgingDB, www.agingdb.com) keeping track of the previous and ongoing clinical trials, alongside their outcomes. The aim of this review and database is to give people the ability to easily query for their trial of interest and stay up to date on the latest results. In sum, herein we give an overview of the current pharmacological strategies that have been applied to target human aging.

Berberine prevents NAFLD and HCC by modulating metabolic disorders

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global metabolic disease with high prevalence in both adults and children. Importantly, NAFLD is becoming the main cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Berberine (BBR), a naturally occurring plant component, has been demonstrated to have advantageous effects on a number of metabolic pathways as well as the ability to kill liver tumor cells by causing cell death and other routes. This permits us to speculate and make assumptions about the value of BBR in the prevention and defense against NAFLD and HCC by a global modulation of metabolic disorders. Herein, we briefly describe the etiology of NAFLD and NAFLD-related HCC, with a particular emphasis on analyzing the potential mechanisms of BBR in the treatment of NAFLD from aspects including increasing insulin sensitivity, controlling the intestinal milieu, and controlling lipid metabolism. We also elucidate the mechanism of BBR in the treatment of HCC. More significantly, we provided a list of clinical studies for BBR in NAFLD. Taking into account our conclusions and perspectives, we can make further progress in the treatment of BBR in NAFLD and NAFLD-related HCC.

Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Royal Jelly in Metabolic Disorders and Gastrointestinal Diseases

Metabolic disorders, encompassing diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, etc., pose a substantial global health threat, with rising morbidity and mortality rates. Addressing these disorders is crucial, as conventional drugs often come with high costs and adverse effects. This review explores the potential of royal jelly (RJ), a natural bee product rich in bioactive components, as an alternative strategy for managing metabolic diseases. RJ exhibits diverse therapeutic properties, including antimicrobial, estrogen-like, anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, anticancer, and antioxidant effects. This review's focus is on investigating how RJ and its components impact conditions like diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and gastrointestinal illnesses. Evidence suggests that RJ serves as a complementary treatment for various health issues, notably demonstrating cholesterol- and glucose-lowering effects in diabetic rats. Specific RJ-derived metabolites, such as 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA), also known as the "Queen bee acid," show promise in reducing insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. Recent research highlights RJ's role in modulating immune responses, enhancing anti-inflammatory cytokines, and suppressing key inflammatory mediators. Despite these promising findings, further research is needed to comprehensively understand the mechanisms underlying RJ's therapeutic effects.

Bitter yet beneficial: The dual role of dietary alkaloids in managing diabetes and enhancing cognitive function

With the rising prevalence of diabetes and its association with cognitive impairment, interest in the use of dietary alkaloids and other natural products has grown significantly. Understanding how these compounds manage diabetic cognitive dysfunction (DCD) is crucial. This comprehensive review explores the etiology of DCD and the effects of alkaloids in foods and dietary supplements that have been investigated as DCD therapies. Data on how dietary alkaloids like berberine, trigonelline, caffeine, capsaicin, 1-deoxynojirimycin, nuciferine, neferine, aegeline, tetramethylpyrazine, piperine, and others regulate cognition in diabetic disorders were collected from PubMed, Research Gate, Web of Science, Science Direct, and other relevant databases. Dietary alkaloids could improve memory in behavioral models and modulate the mechanisms underlying the cognitive benefits of these compounds, including their effects on glucose metabolism, gut microbiota, vasculopathy, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. Evidence suggests that dietary alkaloids hold promise for improving cognition in diabetic patients and could open exciting avenues for future research in diabetes management.

Lyotropic liquid crystalline 2D and 3D mesophases: Advanced materials for multifunctional anticancer nanosystems

Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality. Despite significant breakthroughs in conventional therapies, treatment is still far from ideal due to high toxicity in normal tissues and therapeutic inefficiency caused by short drug lifetime in the body and resistance mechanisms. Current research moves towards the development of multifunctional nanosystems for delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs, bioactives and/or radionuclides that can be combined with other therapeutic modalities, like gene therapy, or imaging to use in therapeutic screening and diagnosis. The preparation and characterization of Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline (LLC) mesophases self-assembled as 2D and 3D structures are addressed, with an emphasis on the unique properties of these nanoassemblies. A comprehensive review of LLC nanoassemblies is also presented, highlighting the most recent advances and their outstanding advantages as drug delivery systems, including tailoring strategies that can be used to overcome cancer challenges. Therapeutic agents loaded in LLC nanoassemblies offer qualitative and quantitative enhancements that are superior to conventional chemotherapy, particularly in terms of preferential accumulation at tumor sites and promoting enhanced cancer cell uptake, lowering tumor volume and weight, improving survival rates, and increasing the cytotoxicity of their loaded therapeutic agents. In terms of quantitative anticancer efficacy, loaded LLC nanoassemblies reduced the IC50 values from 1.4-fold against lung cancer cells to 125-fold against ovarian cancer cells.

Overall and Sex-Specific Effect of Berberine on Glycemic and Insulin-Related Traits: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND

Berberine is widely available as a nutraceutical supplement for improving glucose metabolism. Berberine affects sex hormones, raising the possibility that its effects on glycemic traits and insulin sensitivity have sex disparity which has been overlooked.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the overall and sex-specific effects of berberine on glycemic- and insulin-related traits.

METHODS

We identified randomized trials of berberine versus placebo from Medline, Embase, CNKI, clinical trial registries and previous systematic reviews. Mean differences were estimated using inverse-variance weighting with random effects models. Subgroup analyses were conducted by sex, diabetes diagnosis, trial duration, berberine dose and ethnicity.

RESULTS

We identified 20 eligible studies (n = 1761). Berberine lowered fasting glucose (-0.52 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.72 to -0.33; 18 studies, n = 1522), HbA1c (-4.48 mmol/mol, 95% CI -6.53 to -2.44, 7 studies, n = 756), fasting insulin (-2.36 mU/L, 95% CI -3.64 to -1.08, 11 studies, n = 966), HOMA-IR (-0.85, 95% CI -1.16 to -0.53,12 studies, n = 1065), and 2-h postprandial glucose (-1.81 mmol/L, 95% CI -2.37 to -1.24, 4 studies, n = 501). Effects on fasting glucose and HOMA-IR showed potential differences by sex, with larger reductions in women than in men. Comparing 4 studies conducted in women to one study conducted in men, the mean difference was -0.21 mmol/L (95% CI -0.41 to -0.00) for fasting glucose and -0.97 (95% CI -1.84 to -0.10) for HOMA-IR. We also found larger reductions in fasting glucose in participants with diabetes and in Asians.

CONCLUSION

Berberine is effective in improving glucose metabolism and may result in larger effects on fasting glucose in women, in people with diabetes and in Asians, but subgroup comparisons remain to be replicated given the limited number of studies. Berberine can be considered as a complementary intervention in individuals who may benefit from modest improvements in glucose metabolism and who prefer taking a nutraceutical.

STUDY REGISTRATION

PROSPERO (CRD42022345172).

A Plantaginis Semen-Coptidis Rhizoma compound alleviates type 2 diabetic mellitus in mice via modulating AGEs-RAGE pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Plantaginis Semen-Coptidis Rhizoma Compound(CQC) was first recorded in Shengji Zonglu. Clinical and experimental studies have reported that both of Plantaginis Semen and Coptidis Rhizoma exerted the effects of lowering blood glocose and lipid. However, the potential mechanism of CQC on type 2 diabetes (T2DM) remain unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The main objective of our investigation was to explore the mechanisms of CQC on T2DM based on network pharmacology and experimental research.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Streptozotocin(STZ)/high fat diet(HFD)-induced T2DM models in mice were established to evaluate the antidiabetic effect of CQC in vivo. We obtained the chemical constituents of Plantago and Coptidis from the TCMSP database and literature sources. Potential targets of CQC were gleaned from the Swiss-Target-Prediction database, and T2DM targets were obtained from Drug-Bank, TTD, and DisGeNet. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed in the String database. The David database was used for gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. We then verified the potential mechanism of CQC that were predicted by network pharmacological analysis in STZ/HFD-induced T2DM mouse model.

RESULTS

Our experiments confirmed that CQC improved hyperglycemia and liver injury. We identified 21 components and gleaned 177 targets for CQC treatment of T2DM. The core component-target network included 13 compounds and 66 targets. We further demonstrated that CQC improve T2DM through various pathways, especially the AGEs/RAGE signal pathway.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicated that CQC could improve the metabolic disorders of T2DM and it is a promising TCM compound for the treatment of T2DM. The potential mechanism may probably involve the regulation of the AGEs/RAGE signaling pathway.

Mitigation of Insulin Resistance by Natural Products from a New Class of Molecules, Membrane-Active Immunomodulators

Insulin resistance (IR), accompanied by an impaired cellular glucose uptake, characterizes diverse pathologies that include, but are not limited to, metabolic disease, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Chronic inflammation associated with deranged cellular signaling is thought to contribute to IR. The key molecular players in IR are plasma membrane proteins, including the insulin receptor and glucose transporter 4. Certain natural products, such as lipids, phenols, terpenes, antibiotics and alkaloids have beneficial effects on IR, yet their mode of action remains obscured. We hypothesized that these products belong to a novel class of bioactive molecules that we have named membrane-active immunomodulators (MAIMs). A representative MAIM, the naturally occurring medium chain fatty acid ester diethyl azelate (DEA), has been shown to increase the fluidity of cell plasma membranes with subsequent downstream effects on cellular signaling. DEA has also been shown to improve markers of IR, including blood glucose, insulin and lipid levels, in humans. The literature supports the notion that DEA and other natural MAIMs share similar mechanisms of action in improving IR. These findings shed a new light on the mechanism of IR mitigation using natural products, and may facilitate the discovery of other compounds with similar activities.

Berberine for Adjunct/Alternative Treatment of Dyslipidemia: A Literature Review

Berberine (BBR) is an ancient plant popular in China and is used to treat dyslipidemia, among other cardiovascular and metabolic-related diseases. BBR has historically been regarded as having multiple benefits, with a few clinical trials indicating this fact. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar with the following keywords: Berberidaceae, berberine, Berberis spp., dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, and inflammation. We synthesized the information within the literature to provide an updated review of BBR, its potential, and its applicability in real-world medicine in the future. This review sought to evaluate the literature and advancement in BBR's efficacy regarding dyslipidemia, inflammation, and atherosclerosis.

Berberine is a potential alternative for metformin with good regulatory effect on lipids in treating metabolic diseases

Metformin (MTF) and berberine (BBR) share several therapeutic benefits in treating metabolic-related disorders. However, as the two agents have very different chemical structure and bioavailability in oral route, the goal of this study is to learn their characteristics in treating metabolic disorders. The therapeutic efficacy of BBR and MTF was systemically investigated in the high fat diet feeding hamsters and/or ApoE^(-/-) mice; in parallel, gut microbiota related mechanisms were studied for both agents. We discovered that, although both two drugs had almost identical effects on reducing fatty liver, inflammation and atherosclerosis, BBR appeared to be superior over MTF in alleviating hyperlipidemia and obesity, but MTF was more effective than BBR for the control of blood glucose. Association analysis revealed that the modulation of intestinal microenvironment played a crucial role in the pharmacodynamics of both drugs, in which their respective superiority on the regulation of gut microbiota composition and intestinal bile acids might contribute to their own merits on lowering glucose or lipids. This study shows that BBR may be a good alternative for MTF in treating diabetic patients, especially for those complicated with dyslipidemia and obesity.

Change of metformin concentrations in the liver as a pharmacological target site of metformin after long-term combined treatment with ginseng berry extract

Metformin as an oral glucose-lowering drug is used to treat type 2 diabetic mellitus. Considering the relatively high incidence of cardiovascular complications and other metabolic diseases in diabetic mellitus patients, a combination of metformin plus herbal supplements is a preferrable way to improve the therapeutic outcomes of metformin. Ginseng berry, the fruit of Panax ginseng Meyer, has investigated as a candidate in metformin combination mainly due to its anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-obesity, anti-hepatic steatosis and anti-inflammatory effects. Moreover, the pharmacokinetic interaction of metformin via OCTs and MATEs leads to changes in the efficacy and/or toxicity of metformin. Thus, we assessed how ginseng berry extract (GB) affects metformin pharmacokinetics in mice, specially focusing on the effect of the treatment period (i.e., 1-day and 28-day) of GB on metformin pharmacokinetics. In 1-day and 28-day co-treatment of metformin and GB, GB did not affect renal excretion as a main elimination route of metformin and GB therefore did not change the systemic exposure of metformin. Interestingly, 28-day co-treatment of GB increased metformin concentration in the livers (i.e., 37.3, 59.3% and 60.9% increases versus 1-day metformin, 1-day metformin plus GB and 28-day metformin groups, respectively). This was probably due to the increased metformin uptake via OCT1 and decreased metformin biliary excretion via MATE1 in the livers. These results suggest that co-treatment of GB for 28 days (i.e., long-term combined treatment of GB) enhanced metformin concentration in the liver as a pharmacological target tissue of metformin. However, GB showed a negligible impact on the systemic exposure of metformin in relation to its toxicity (i.e., renal and plasma concentrations of metformin).

Fabrication and employment of cobalt-doped yttrium iron garnets for the electrochemical analysis of anti-diabetic, metformin in serum of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Metformin (MET) is an anti-diabetic drug employed as the first-line therapy for patients of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Overdosage of drugs leads to severe outcomes, and its monitoring in biofluids is vital. The present study develops cobalt-doped yttrium iron garnets and employs them as an electroactive material immobilized on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the sensitive and selective detection of metformin via electroanalytical techniques. The fabrication procedure via the sol-gel method is facile and gives a good yield of nanoparticles. They are characterized by FTIR, UV, SEM, EDX, and XRD. Pristine yttrium iron garnet particles are also synthesized for comparison, where the electrochemical behaviors of varying electrodes are analyzed via cyclic voltammetry (CV). The activity of metformin at varying concentrations and pH is investigated via differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and the sensor generates excellent results for metformin detection. Under optimum conditions and at a working potential of 0.85 V (vs. Ag/AgCl/3.0 M KCl), the linear range and limit of detection (LOD) obtained through the calibration curve are estimated as 0-60 μM and 0.04 μM, respectively. The fabricated sensor is selective for metformin and depicts a blind response toward interfering species. The optimized system is applied to directly measure MET in buffers and serum samples of T2DM patients.

Modulation of transcription factors by small molecules in β-cell development and differentiation

Transcription factors regulate gene expression and play crucial roles in development and differentiation of pancreatic β-cell. The expression and/or activities of these transcription factors are reduced when β-cells are chronically exposed to hyperglycemia, which results in loss of β-cell function. Optimal expression of such transcription factors is required to maintain normal pancreatic development and β-cell function. Over many other methods of regenerating β-cells, using small molecules to activate transcription factors has gained insights, resulting in β-cells regeneration and survival. In this review, we discuss the broad spectrum of transcription factors regulating pancreatic β-cell development, differentiation and regulation of these factors in normal and pathological states. Also, we have presented set of potential pharmacological effects of natural and synthetic compounds on activities of transcription factor involved in pancreatic β-cell regeneration and survival. Exploring these compounds and their action on transcription factors responsible for pancreatic β-cell function and survival could be useful in providing new insights for development of small molecule modulators.

Transporter-mediated Natural Product-Drug Interactions

The increasing use of natural products in clinical practice has raised great concerns about the potential natural product-drug interactions (NDIs). Drug transporters mediate the transmembrane passage of a broad range of drugs, and thus are important determinants for drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Generally, transporters can be divided into ATP binding cassette (ABC) family and solute carrier (SLC) family. Numerous natural products have been identified as inhibitors, substrates, inducers, and/or activators of drug transporters. This review article aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the recent progress on the research of NDIs, focusing on the main drug transporters, such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), organic anion transporter 1 and 3 (OAT1/OAT3), organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1B1 and 1B3 (OATP1B1/OATP1B3), organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2), multidrug and toxin extrusion protein 1 and 2-K (MATE1/MATE2-K). Additionally, the challenges and strategies of studying NDIs are also discussed.

Berberine ameliorates mesenteric vascular dysfunction by modulating perivascular adipose tissue in diet-induced obese in rats

Background

Berberine (BBR) has been found to have antiobesity effects, and obesity can lead to adipose tissue degeneration. As a special adipose tissue, perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) is closely related to vascular function and affects vasoconstriction and relaxation. What happens to PVAT in the early stages of diet-induced obesity and how BBR affects vascular function is the focus of our experimental study.

Methods

Sprague–Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet (fat 34% kcal) for 4 weeks to simulate early obesity. Obese rats were treated with BBR (200 mg/kg) or metformin (MET, 100 mg/kg) by gavage for 2 weeks. The mesenteric arterioles were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The force vs. time curves were observed and analysed to indicate vascular function. Nitric oxide (NO) and noradrenaline (NA) release was quantified using an organ bath with fluorescence assays and ELISA, respectively. Network pharmacology was used to analyse the overlapping targets related to BBR and obesity-related diseases, and the expression of NOS in mesenteric PVAT was further analysed with immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR. The serum inflammatory factor levels were tested.

Results

BBR significantly reduced the levels of blood glucose, blood lipids and inflammatory factors in serum. It also effectively improved abnormal mesenteric vasoconstriction and relaxation in obese rats. There was no significant change in mesenteric vascular structure, but NO production and eNOS expression were significantly increased in mesenteric PVAT (P < 0.01), and NA was decreased (P < 0.05) in obese rats. All these changes in the mesenteric arterioles and PVAT of obese rats were reversed by treatment with BBR and MET.

Conclusions

In diet-induced obesity in rats, the function of vasoconstriction and relaxation in mesenteric arterioles is altered, NO is increased, and NA is decreased in mesenteric PVAT. All these changes were reversed by BBR, suggesting a novel effect of BBR in ameliorating mesenteric vascular dysfunction by regulating PVAT.

Berberine in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease—A Review

The incidence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) has been rapidly increasing during the last decade. It is a relevant health problem that affects 25% of the general population. NAFLD involves an extensive array of clinical conditions. So far, no approved pharmacological therapy for NAFLD has been developed. Multiple bioactive compounds have been proposed to treat NAFLD. One of the most promising is Berberine (BBR). Its pleiotropic effect positively impacts various cardiometabolic aspects. In this review, we summarize NAFLD, its metabolic and cardiovascular complications, the hepatoprotective effects of BBR due to its broad spectrum of pharmacological effects, and the potential role of BBR in NAFLD therapy. BBR ameliorates NAFLD by affecting numerous abnormalities. It inhibits lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis, improves insulin resistance and lipid profile, and modulates gut microbiota. The exact mechanism underlying these effects is not yet entirely explained. A growing amount of evidence confirming the positive effects of BBR on multiple metabolic pathways, such as lipids and glucose metabolism, energy homeostasis, or gut microbiota modulation, allows us to speculate about the importance of this natural bioactive substance for NAFLD therapy.

Effects of TP53 Mutations and miRs on Immune Responses in the Tumor Microenvironment Important in Pancreatic Cancer Progression

Approximately 90% of pancreatic cancers are pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC). PDAC is the fourth leading cause of cancer death world-wide. Therapies for PDAC are largely ineffective due to the dense desmoplastic tumor microenvironment which prevents chemotherapeutic drugs and small molecule inhibitors from exerting effective anti-cancer effects. In this review, we will discuss the roles of TP53 and miRs on the PDAC tumor microenvironment and how loss of the normal functions of TP53 promote tumor progression. The TP53 gene is mutated in approximately 50% of pancreatic cancers. Often, these TP53 mutations are point mutations which confer additional functions for the TP53 proteins. These are called gain of function (GOF) mutations (mut). Another class of TP53 mutations are deletions which result in loss of the TP53 protein; these are referred to TP53-null mutations. We have organized this review into various components/properties of the PDAC microenvironment and how they may be altered in the presence of mutant TP53 and loss of certain miR expression.

Tumor-associated macrophages: Potential target of natural compounds for management of breast cancer

A large body of experimental research reveals that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are the major immunosuppressor cells in the breast tumor microenvironment (TME). The infiltration of macrophages is correlated with inverse outcomes like disease-free survival and overall survival of cancer patients. They are responsible for heterogeneity, metastasis, and drug resistance. Further, their density in tumor beds is correlated with stage and therapy response. The current review is aimed at summarizing mechanisms and signaling pathways that modulate immune-suppressive phenotype and expansion of TAMs. The review presents an overview of the interdependence of tumor cells and TAMs in TME to promote metastasis, drug resistance and immune suppressive phenotype. This review also presents the potential natural compounds that modulate the immune-suppressive functions of TAMs and their signaling pathways. Finally, this review provides nanotechnology approaches for the targeted delivery of natural products. This review shed light on BC management including clinical studies on the prognostic relevance of TAMs and natural compounds that sensitizes BC.

Berberine, a Herbal Metabolite in the Metabolic Syndrome: The Risk Factors, Course, and Consequences of the Disease

In recent years, the health of patients exposed to the consequences of the metabolic syndrome still requires the search for new solutions, and plant nutraceuticals are currently being intensively investigated. Berberine is a plant alkaloid possessing scientifically determined mechanisms of the prevention of the development of atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, as well as cardiovascular complications and cancer. It positively contributes to elevated levels of fasting, postprandial blood glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin, while decreasing insulin resistance. It stimulates glycolysis, improving insulin secretion, and inhibits gluconeogenesis and adipogenesis in the liver; by reducing insulin resistance, berberine also improves ovulation. The anti-obesity action of berberine has been also well-documented. Berberine acts as an anti-sclerotic, lowering the LDL and testosterone levels. The alkaloid exhibits an anti-inflammatory property by stalling the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin E2. Berberine is neuroprotective and acts as an antidepressive. However, the outcomes in psychiatric patients are nonspecific, as it has been shown that berberine improves metabolic parameters in schizophrenic patients, acting as an adjuvant during antipsychotic treatment. Berberine acts as an anticancer option by inducing apoptosis, the cell cycle arrest, influencing MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase), and influencing transcription regulation. The inhibition of carcinogenesis is also combined with lipid metabolism.

Berberine and lycopene as alternative or add-on therapy to metformin and statins, a review

Nutraceuticals are principally extracted from natural products that are frequently safe and well-tolerated. Lycopene and berberine are natural plants with a wide range of beneficial effects including protective activities against metabolic disorders such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. These compounds might be considered technically more as a drug than a nutraceutical and could be prescribed as a product. However, further studies are needed to understand if these supplements could affect metabolic syndrome outcomes. Even if nutraceuticals exert a prophylactic activity within the body, their bioactivity and bioavailability have high interindividual variation, and precise assessment of biological function of these bioactive compounds in randomized clinical trials is critical. However, these reports must be interpreted with more considerations due to the low quality of the trials. The aim of this paper is to bring evidence about the management of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes through the use of nutraceuticals with particular attention to lycopene and berberine effectiveness.

Therapeutic Screening of Herbal Remedies for the Management of Diabetes

The study of diabetes mellitus (DM) patterns illustrates increasingly important facts. Most importantly, they include oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular death. Up to now, there is a shortage of drug therapies for DM, and the discovery and the development of novel therapeutics for this disease are crucial. Medicinal plants are being used more and more as an alternative and natural cure for the disease. Consequently, the objective of this review was to examine the latest results on the effectiveness and protection of natural plants in the management of DM as adjuvant drugs for diabetes and its complex concomitant diseases.

Ethnobotanical and Biochemical Study of Berberis lycium Royle Collected from Different Areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Berberis lycium Royle has a long history of medicinal uses to treat different diseases. It naturally grows on the mountains of Indian subcontinent. Its ethnobotanical and biochemical study from the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) was not previously explored. So, the objective of the current study was to explore the ethnobotanical and biochemical properties of the B. lycium Royle population of AJ&K. For this purpose, samples of B. lycium Royle were randomly collected from five districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including thirty-five locations. Demographic features of informants such as plant part used, methods of preparation, modes of administration, conservation status, and ethnomedicinal uses were documented. It was used for treating different diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, joint pain, and stomach ulcer. This plant is very famous for providing medicinal roots, leaves, and fruits which are extensively used in many parts of the world. The biochemical analysis was conducted for total phenolic contents (TPC), chlorophyll contents, and antioxidant activity. The highest level of TPC found was 88.66 ± 1.07 µg/g of gallic acid equivalent phenolic (GAE) from leaves collected from Patikka (Chanjhal), Muzaffarabad District, AJ&K. The highest total chlorophyll contents (3.75 ± 0.53 µg/ml) were found in samples collected from Sathrian, Neelum District. The highest antioxidant activity with lowest IC50 value (33.26 µg/ml) was obtained from the root of sample collected from Bakreyali, Muzaffarabad District, as compared with other districts. The concentration of berberine was found to be 4.76 percent in the root bark of B. lycium Royle, estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In syrup composition, 0.95 mg/5 ml of berberine was used. Hence, it is concluded that amongst the five districts, the plant parts (stem, fruits, and root) collected from Muzaffarabad District, AJ&K, showed the highest medicinal potential due to its unique climatic conditions.

Sanziguben polysaccharides inhibit diabetic nephropathy through NF-κB-mediated anti-inflammation

Background

Sanziguben polysaccharides (SZP) are large amounts of classical Chinese medicines from Sanziguben (SZGB). Moreover, SZGB is a widely applied compound prescription for diabetic nephropathy (DN) treatment, but the role is still unclear. This study initially explores the mechanism of SZP in the treatment of DN.

Methods

The high-fat diet plus streptozotocin injections were used to replicate the DN models in male C57BL/6 mice. DN mice were divided into five groups: DN mice, DN mice treated with SZP(1.01 or 2.02 g/kg), DN mice treated with SZGB decoction(4.7 g/kg), and DN mice treated with metformin (300 mg/kg). HG and LPS plus TNFα stimulated human tubule epithelial (HK-2) cells to establish an in vitro model and treated with SZP (100 or 200 μg/mL).

Results

SZP was found to comprise sugar, protein, and uronic acid. Furthermore, SZP alleviated the progression of inflammation in vivo and in vitro by inhibiting the expression of NF-κB.

Conclusions

NF-κB plays a critical role in the development of DN induced by STZ and HG. Furthermore, SZP can attenuate the NF-κB‐mediated progression of diabetic nephropathy, improve DN through anti-inflammation.

Antibacterial potential of selected phytomolecules: An experimental study

Antibiotic resistance is a snowballing international threat. Some of the antibiotics have lost their effectiveness due to overuse and underuse. Thus, there is an urgent need to tackle this global challenge, either by inhibiting the resistance mechanisms or by the development of new chemical entities. Thus, in the current study, the antibacterial activity of selected phytomolecules was investigated against bacterial strains, alone and in combination, with standard drugs. The antibacterial potential of these phytomolecules was explored using in vitro assays (microtiter assay, bacterial growth kinetics, percentage retardation of growth, and antimicrobial synergy study) and in vivo studies (zebrafish infection model). In vitro and in vivo studies have shown promising antibacterial effects against, both, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, a cell viability assay also indicated the cytoprotective effect of these phytomolecules in combination with standard antibiotics (SABX). Thus, these phytomolecules could be a promising broad-spectrum antibacterial agent in combination with standard antibiotics.

Therapeutic effect of oxyberberine on obese non-alcoholic fatty liver disease rats

BACKGROUND

Berberine (BBR) has been widely used to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The metabolites of BBR were believed to contribute significantly to its pharmacological effects. Oxyberberine (OBB), a gut microbiota-mediated oxidative metabolite of BBR, has been firstly identified in our recent work.

PURPOSE

Here, we aimed to comparatively investigate the anti-NAFLD properties of OBB and BBR.

METHODS

The anti-NAFLD effect was evaluated in high-fat diet-induced obese NAFLD rats with biochemical/ELISA tests and histological staining. The related gene and protein expressions were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting respectively. Molecular docking and dynamic simulation were also performed to provide further insight.

RESULTS

Results indicated OBB remarkably and dose-dependently attenuated the clinical manifestations of NAFLD, which (100 mg/kg) achieved similar therapeutic effect to metformin (300 mg/kg) and was superior to BBR of the same dose. OBB significantly inhibited aberrant phosphorylation of IRS-1 and up-regulated the downstream protein expression and phosphorylation (PI3K, p-Akt/Akt and p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β) to improve hepatic insulin signal transduction. Meanwhile, OBB treatment remarkably alleviated inflammation via down-regulating the mRNA expression of MCP-1, Cd68, Nos2, Cd11c, while enhancing Arg1 mRNA expression in white adipose tissue. Moreover, OBB exhibited closer affinity with AMPK in silicon and superior hyperphosphorylation of AMPK in vivo, leading to increased ACC mRNA expression in liver and UCP-1 protein expression in adipose tissue.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, compared with BBR, OBB was more capable of maintaining lipid homeostasis between liver and WAT via attenuating hepatic insulin pathway and adipocyte inflammation, which was associated with its property of superior AMPK activator.

Probiotics/ prebiotics in viral respiratory infections: implication for emerging pathogens

BACKGROUND

Viral respiratory infections could result in perturbation of the gut microbiota due to a probable cross-talk between lungs and gut microbiota. This can affect the pulmonary health and the gastrointestinal system.

OBJECTIVE

This review aimed to discuss the impact of probiotics/ prebiotics and supplements on the prevention and treatment of respiratory infections, especially emerging pathogens.

METHODS

The data were searched were searched in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Google Patents, and The Lens-Patent using keywords of probiotics and viral respiratory infections in the title, abstract, and keywords.

RESULT

Probiotics consumption could decrease the susceptibility to viral respiratory infections, such as COVID-19 and simultaneously enhance vaccine efficiency in infectious disease prevention through the immune system enhancement. Probiotics improve the gut microbiota and the immune system via regulating the innate system response and production of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, treatment with probiotics contributes to the intestinal homeostasis restitution under antibiotic pressure and decreasing the risk of secondary infections due to viral respiratory infections. Probiotics present varied performances in different conditions; thus, promoting their efficacy through combining with supplements (prebiotics, postbiotics, nutraceuticals, berberine, curcumin, lactoferrin, minerals, and vitamins) is important. Several supplements reported to enhance the probiotics' efficacy and their mechanisms as well as probiotics related patents are summarized in this review. Using nanotechnology and microencapsulation techniques can also improve probiotics efficiency.

CONCLUSION

Given the global challenge of COVID-19, probiotic/prebiotic and following nutritional guidelines should be regarded seriously. Additionally, their role as an adjuvant in vaccination for immune response augmentation needs attention.

Effects of berberine on cholinesterases and monoamine oxidase activities, and antioxidant status in the brain of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats

OBJECTIVES

Several studies had been conducted to examine the link between diabetes and diabetes encephalopathy. This study was conducted to examine the potency of berberine (BER) on the restoration of impaired neurochemicals in the brain of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic Wistar rats.

METHODS

Fifty-six (56) adult rats weighing between 200 and 230 g were randomly divided into seven groups (n=8) as follows; Group I is normal control; Groups II and III were normal rats treated with 50 and 100 mg/kg respectively; Group IV-VII were STZ-induced rats, but Groups V-VII were treated with acarbose (25 mg/kg), 50 and 100 mg/kg of BER, respectively.

RESULTS

The result of the study showed that untreated STZ-induced diabetic rats have increased acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), monoamine oxidase (MAO) activities, and malonylaldehyde (MDA) level, with concomitant decrease of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, and glutathione (GSH) level. However, daily treatment with 50 and 100 mg/kg BER and ACA significantly reversed these effects.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study clearly indicated that BER possesses neuro-protective and antioxidative potentials and normalize neurochemical impairment distort by diabetes.

Nutritional Approach Targeting Gut Microbiota in NAFLD-To Date

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a significant clinical and epidemiological problem that affects around 25% of the adult global population. A large body of clinical evidence highlights that NAFLD is associated with increased liver-related morbidity and mortality and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, extrahepatic cancers, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Recently, a series of studies revealed the pivotal role of gut microbiota (GM) dysbiosis in NAFLD's pathogenesis. The GM plays an essential role in different metabolic pathways, including the fermentation of diet polysaccharides, energy harvest, choline regulation, and bile acid metabolism. One of the most critical factors in GM stabilization is the diet; therefore, nutritional therapyappearsto be a promising tool in NAFLD therapy. This paper aims to review the current knowledge regardingthe nutritional approach and its implications with GM and NAFLD treatment. We discuss the positive impact of probiotics, prebiotics, and symbiotics in a reverse dysbiosis state in NAFLD and show the potential beneficial effects of bioactive substances from the diet. The full description of the mechanism of action and comprehensive examination of the impact of nutritional interventions on GM modulation may, in the future, be a simple but essential tool supporting NAFLD therapy.

Co-administration of berberine/gypenosides/bifendate ameliorates metabolic disturbance but not memory impairment in type 2 diabetic mice

Cognitive impairment is a well-known complication of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) characterized by cellular insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and metabolic disturbances. Berberine, gypenosides and bifendate are traditional Chinese herbal medicines with multiple pharmacological activities including anti-inflammation, anti-oxidant, metabolism improvement and memory improvement. To investigate whether they have synergistic effect on T2DM metabolic syndrome and associated memory impairment, we measured in this study the effect of a low dose of berberine/gypenosides/bifendate (BGB) co-administration on metabolism and memory performance of T2DM model mice. We found that BGB co-administration ameliorated metabolic abnormalities of both high-fat diet/streptozotocin (STZ)-induced T2DM mice and db/db mice. However, it did not alleviate memory impairment in either type of T2DM model mice. Since neither berberine, gypenosides nor bifendate alone at the low dose is effective, we presume that BGB co-administration has synergistic action on T2DM metabolic syndrome. In addition, our findings suggest that higher doses of BGB might be required to ameliorate memory impairment than metabolic disturbance associated with T2DM.

Berberine Slows the Progression of Prediabetes to Diabetes in Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats by Enhancing Intestinal Secretion of Glucagon-Like Peptide-2 and Improving the Gut Microbiota

BACKGROUND

Berberine is a plant alkaloid that has multiple beneficial effects against intestine inflammation. In our previous study, we have found that berberine also possesses an antidiabetic effect. However, whether berberine is useful in the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) through its effect on intestine endocrine function and gut microbiota is unclear.

AIM

To investigate the effects of berberine in the prevention of T2DM, as well as its effects on intestine GLP-2 secretion and gut microbiota in ZDF rats.

METHODS

Twenty Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats were fed a high-energy diet until they exhibited impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). The rats were then divided into two groups to receive berberine (100 mg/kg/d; berberine group) or vehicle (IGT group) by gavage for 3 weeks. Five Zucker Lean (ZL) rats were used as controls. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) was measured, an oral glucose tolerance test was performed, and the Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. Intestinal expression of TLR-4, NF-κB, TNF-α, mucin, zona occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin were assessed (immunohistochemistry). Plasma levels and glutamine-induced intestinal secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and GLP-2 were measured (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). The plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) level was measured. Fecal DNA extraction, pyrosequencing, and bioinformatics analysis were performed.

RESULTS

After 3 weeks of intervention, diabetes developed in all rats in the IGT group, but only 30% of rats in the berberine group. Treatment with berberine was associated with reductions in food intake, FBG level, insulin resistance, and plasma LPS level, as well as increases in fasting plasma GLP-2 level and glutamine-induced intestinal GLP-2 secretion. Berberine could increase the goblet cell number and villi length, and also reverse the suppressed expressions of mucin, occludin, ZO-1 and the upregulated expressions of TLR-4, NF-κB and TNF-α induced in IGT rats (P<0.05). Berberine also improved the structure of the gut microbiota and restored species diversity.

CONCLUSION

Berberine may slow the progression of prediabetes to T2DM in ZDF rats by improving GLP-2 secretion, intestinal permeability, and the structure of the gut microbiota.

Biological Activity of Berberine-A Summary Update

Berberine is a plant metabolite belonging to the group of isoquinoline alkaloids with strong biological and pharmacological activity. Currently, berberine is receiving considerable interest due to its anticancer activity based on many biochemical pathways, especially its proapoptotic and anti-inflammatory activity. Therefore, the growing number of papers on berberine demands summarizing the knowledge and research trends. The efficacy of berberine in breast and colon cancers seems to be the most promising aspect. Many papers focus on novel therapeutic strategies based on new formulations or search for new active derivatives. The activity of berberine is very important as regards sensitization and support of anticancer therapy in combination with well-known but in some cases inefficient therapeutics. Currently, the compound is being assessed in many important clinical trials and is one of the most promising and intensively examined natural agents.

An Updated Review on the Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of Molecular Hybrids and Conjugates Bearing Imidazole Moiety

The rapid growth of serious infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria, especially the nosocomial ESKAPE pathogens, has been acknowledged by Governments and scientists and is one of the world's major health problems. Various strategies have been and are currently investigated and developed to reduce and/or delay the bacterial resistance. One of these strategies regards the design and development of antimicrobial hybrids and conjugates. This unprecedented critical review, in which our continuing interest in the synthesis and evaluation of the bioactivity of imidazole derivatives is testified, aims to summarise and comment on the results obtained from the end of the 1900s until February 2020 in studies conducted by numerous international research groups on the synthesis and evaluation of the antibacterial properties of imidazole-based molecular hybrids and conjugates in which the pharmacophoric constituents of these compounds are directly covalently linked or connected through a linker or spacer. In this review, significant attention was paid to summarise the strategies used to overcome the antibiotic resistance of pathogens whose infections are difficult to treat with conventional antibiotics. However, it does not include literature data on the synthesis and evaluation of the bioactivity of hybrids and conjugates in which an imidazole moiety is fused with a carbo- or heterocyclic subunit.

Berberine Represses β-Catenin Translation Involving 4E-BPs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

Aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin axis occurs in several gastrointestinal malignancies due to inactivating mutations of adenomatous polyposis coli (in colorectal cancer) or activating mutations of β-catenin itself [in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)]. These lead to β-catenin stabilization, increase in β-catenin/T-cell factor (TCF)-mediated transcriptional activation, and target gene expression, many of which are involved in tumor progression. While studying pharmaceutical agents that can target β-catenin in cancer cells, we observed that the plant compound berberine (BBR), a potent activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), can reduce β-catenin expression and downstream signaling in HCC cells in a dose-dependent manner. More in-depth analyses to understand the mechanism revealed that BBR-induced reduction of β-catenin occurs independently of AMPK activation and does not involve transcriptional or post-translational mechanisms. Pretreatment with protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide antagonized BBR-induced β-catenin reduction, suggesting that BBR affects β-catenin translation. BBR treatment also antagonized mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activity and was associated with increased recruitment of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein (4E-BP) 1 in the translational complex, which was revealed by 7-methyl-cap-binding assays, suggesting inhibition of cap-dependent translation. Interestingly, knocking down 4E-BP1 and 4E-BP2 significantly attenuated BBR-induced reduction of β-catenin levels and expression of its downstream target genes. Moreover, cells with 4E-BP knockdown were resistant to BBR-induced cell death and were resensitized to BBR after pharmacological inhibition of β-catenin. Our findings indicate that BBR antagonizes β-catenin pathway by inhibiting β-catenin translation and mTOR activity and thereby reduces HCC cell survival. These also suggest that BBR could be used for targeting HCCs that express mutated/activated β-catenin variants that are currently undruggable. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: β-catenin signaling is aberrantly activated in different gastrointestinal cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma, which is currently undruggable. In this study we describe a novel mechanism of targeting β-catenin translation via utilizing a plant compound, berberine. Our findings provide a new avenue of targeting β-catenin axis in cancer, which can be utilized toward the designing of effective therapeutic strategies to combat β-catenin-dependent cancers.

The inhibition of hepatic Pxr-Oatp2 pathway mediating decreased hepatic uptake of rosuvastatin in rats with high-fat diet-induced obesity

PURPOSE

Obesity affecting drug pharmacokinetics results in the risk of the therapeutic failure or toxic side effects of drugs increasing. Unfortunately, the pharmacokinetic data in obese patients still lack for majority of drugs. Therefore, our study principally investigated the effect of obesity induced by high fat-diet (HFD) on the pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin and explored the underlying mechanism via the hepatic pregnane X receptor (Pxr)- organic anion transporting polypeptide 2 (Oatp2) signaling pathway and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (Mrp2) in rats.

MAIN METHODS

Rats with obesity was induced by HFD for 4 weeks, and subsequently, the effect of obesity on the blood concentration, pharmacokinetic parameters and biliary excretion of rosuvastatin administrated intravenously and the hepatic uptake of rosuvastatin in the rat primary hepatocytes were evaluated. Additionally, in order to illuminate the underlying mechanism, the alterations of the mRNA expressions of Oatp2, Mrp2 and Pxr and the concentrations of lithocholic acid (LCA), glycine-LCA (GLCA) and taurine-LCA (TLCA) in liver were determined.

KEY FINDINGS

The blood concentration of rosuvastatin that has great relationship with the muscle toxicity increased in rats with HFD-induced obesity, which could be principally ascribed to the decreased hepatic uptake of rosuvastatin that was mainly resulted from the inhibition of hepatic Pxr-Oatp2 pathway.

SIGNIFICANCE

The decreased hepatic uptake of rosuvastatin causing the increase of the rosuvastatin concentration in blood under the condition of HFD-induced obesity provides a cue for clinicians to reduce the rosuvastatin dose for obese patients to avoid the occurrence risk of the muscle toxicity of rosuvastatin.

Combination of Scutellaria baicalensis and Metformin Ameliorates Diet-Induced Metabolic Dysregulation in Mice via the Gut-Liver-Brain Axis

Scutellaria baicalensis (SB), a herbal medicine, is commonly used to treat metabolic diseases, while Metformin (MF) is a widely used drug for type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether co-treatment of SB with MF could produce a potential therapeutic effect on high-fat and high-fructose diet (HFFD)-induced metabolic dysregulation. First, we optimized the dose of SB (100, 200, 400, and 800[Formula: see text]mg/kg) with MF (200[Formula: see text]mg/kg) in HFFD-induced C57BL6J mice. Next, the optimized dose of SB (400[Formula: see text]mg/kg) was co-administered with MF (50, 100, and 200[Formula: see text]mg/kg) in a similar animal model to find the effective combinations of SB and MF. Metabolic markers were determined in serum and tissues using different assays, histology, gene expression, and gut microbial population. The SB and MF co-treatment significantly decreased the body, liver, and VAT weights. The outcome of OGTT was improved, and the fasting insulin, HbA1c, TG, TC, LDL-c, AST, and ALT were decreased, while HDL-c was significantly increased. Histological analyses revealed maintained the integrity of liver, adipose tissue, and intestine prevented lipid accumulation in the liver and intestine and combated neuronal damage in the brain. Importantly, controlled the expression of PPAR[Formula: see text], and IL-6 genes in the liver, and expression of BDNF, Glut1, Glut3, and Glut4 genes in the brain. Treatment-specific gut microbial segregation was observed in the PCA chart. Our findings indicate that SB and MF co-treatment is an effective therapeutic approach for HFFD-induced metabolic dysregulation which is operated through the gut-liver-brain axis.

Berberine and its structural analogs have differing effects on functional profiles of individual gut microbiomes

The understanding of the effects of compounds on the gut microbiome is limited. In particular, it is unclear whether structurally similar compounds would have similar or distinct effects on the gut microbiome. Here, we selected berberine (BBR), an isoquinoline quaternary alkaloid, and 16 structural analogs and evaluated their effects on seven individual gut microbiomes cultured in vitro. The responses of the individual microbiomes were evaluated by metaproteomic profiles and by assessing butyrate production. We show that both interindividual differences and compound treatments significantly contributed to the variance of metaproteomic profiles. BBR and eight analogs led to changes in proteins involved in microbial defense and stress responses and enrichment of proteins from Verrucomicrobia, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes phyla. It also led to a decrease in proteins from the Firmicutes phylum and its Clostridiales order which correlated to decrease proteins involved in the butyrate production pathway and butyrate concentration. Three of the compounds, sanguinarine, chelerythrine, and ethoxysanguinarine, activated bacterial protective mechanisms, enriched Proteobacteria, increased opacity proteins, and markedly reduced butyrate production. Dihydroberberine had a similar function to BBR in enriching the Akkermansia genus. In addition, it showed less overall adverse impacts on the functionality of the gut microbiome, including a better maintenance of the butyrate level. Our study shows that ex vivo microbiome assay can assess differential regulating effects of compounds with subtle differences and reveals that compound analogs can have distinct effects on the microbiome.

Foods with Potential Prooxidant and Antioxidant Effects Involved in Parkinson's Disease

Oxidative stress plays a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Oxidative stress appears to be responsible for the gradual dysfunction that manifests via numerous cellular pathways throughout PD progression. This review will describe the prooxidant effect of excessive consumption of processed food. Processed meat can affect health due to its high sodium content, advanced lipid oxidation end-products, cholesterol, and free fatty acids. During cooking, lipids can react with proteins to form advanced end-products of lipid oxidation. Excessive consumption of different types of carbohydrates is a risk factor for PD. The antioxidant effects of some foods in the regular diet provide an inconclusive interpretation of the environment's mechanisms with the modulation of oxidation stress-induced PD. Some antioxidant molecules are known whose primary mechanism is the neuroprotective effect. The melatonin mechanism consists of neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inducing antioxidant enzyme's expression and activity. N-acetylcysteine protects against the development of PD by restoring levels of brain glutathione. The balanced administration of vitamin B3, ascorbic acid, vitamin D and the intake of caffeine every day seem beneficial for brain health in PD. Excessive chocolate intake could have adverse effects in PD patients. The findings reported to date do not provide clear benefits for a possible efficient therapeutic intervention by consuming the nutrients that are consumed regularly.

AMPK in microvascular complications of diabetes and the beneficial effects of AMPK activators from plants

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus is a multifactorial disorder with the risk of micro- and macro-vascular complications. High glucose-induced derangements in metabolic pathways are primarily associated with the initiation and progression of secondary complications namely, diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has emerged as an attractive therapeutic target to treat various metabolic disorders including diabetes mellitus. It is a master metabolic regulator that helps in maintaining cellular energy homeostasis by promoting ATP-generating catabolic pathways and inhibiting ATP-consuming anabolic pathways. Numerous pharmacological and plant-derived bioactive compounds that increase AMP-activated protein kinase activation has shown beneficial effects by mitigating secondary complications namely retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this review is to highlight current knowledge on the role of AMPK and its activators from plant origin in diabetic microvascular complications.

METHODS

Search engines such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct and Web of Science are used to extract papers using relevant key words. Papers mainly focusing on the role of AMPK and AMPK activators from plant origin in diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy was chosen to be highlighted.

RESULTS

According to results, decrease in AMPK activation during diabetes play a causative role in the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular complications. Some of the plant-derived bioactive compounds were beneficial in restoring AMPK activity and ameliorating diabetic microvascular complications.

CONCLUSION

AMPK activators from plant origin are beneficial in mitigating diabetic microvascular complications. These pieces of evidence will be helpful in the development of AMPK-centric therapies to mitigate diabetic microvascular complications.

Berberine mediates root remodeling in an immature tooth with apical periodontitis by regulating stem cells from apical papilla differentiation

Once pulp necrosis or apical periodontitis occurs on immature teeth, the weak root and open root apex are challenging to clinicians. Berberine (BBR) is a potential medicine for bone disorders, therefore, we proposed to apply BBR in root canals to enhance root repair in immature teeth. An in vivo model of immature teeth with apical periodontitis was established in rats, and root canals were filled with BBR, calcium hydroxide or sterilized saline for 3 weeks. The shape of the roots was analyzed by micro-computed tomography and histological staining. In vitro, BBR was introduced into stem cells from apical papilla (SCAPs). Osteogenic differentiation of stem cells from apical papilla was investigated by alkaline phosphatase activity, mineralization ability, and gene expression of osteogenic makers. The signaling pathway, which regulated the osteogenesis of SCAPs was evaluated by quantitative real time PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence. In rats treated with BBR, more tissue was formed, with longer roots, thicker root walls, and smaller apex diameters. In addition, we found that BBR promoted SCAPs osteogenesis in a time-dependent and concentration-dependent manner. BBR induced the expression of β-catenin and enhanced β-catenin entering into the nucleus, to up-regulate more runt-related nuclear factor 2 downstream. BBR enhanced root repair in immature teeth with apical periodontitis by activating the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway in SCAPs.

Pharmacological management of vascular endothelial dysfunction in diabetes: TCM and western medicine compared based on biomarkers and biochemical parameters

Diabetes, a worldwide health concern while burdening significant populace of countries with time due to a hefty increase in both incidence and prevalence rates. Hyperglycemia has been buttressed both in clinical and experimental studies to modulate widespread molecular actions that effect macro and microvascular dysfunctions. Endothelial dysfunction, activation, inflammation, and endothelial barrier leakage are key factors contributing to vascular complications in diabetes, plus the development of diabetes-induced cardiovascular diseases. The recent increase in molecular, transcriptional, and clinical studies has brought a new scope to the understanding of molecular mechanisms and the therapeutic targets for endothelial dysfunction in diabetes. In this review, an attempt made to discuss up to date critical and emerging molecular signaling pathways involved in the pathophysiology of endothelial dysfunction and viable pharmacological management targets. Importantly, we exploit some Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM)/TCM isolated bioactive compounds modulating effects on endothelial dysfunction in diabetes. Finally, clinical studies data on biomarkers and biochemical parameters involved in the assessment of the efficacy of treatment in vascular endothelial dysfunction in diabetes was compared between clinically used western hypoglycemic drugs and TCM formulas.

Isoorientin: A dietary flavone with the potential to ameliorate diverse metabolic complications

Isoorientin is a natural C-glucosyl flavone that is generating a lot of interest due to its multiple pharmacological activities. Increasing experimental data have shown that the robust antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of isoorientin remain important in ameliorating a number of metabolic complications. In fact, plants rich in isoorientin have demonstrated strong ameliorative properties against complications such as hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance. However, while such evidence is accumulating, it has not been reviewed to better inform on the therapeutic potential of this flavone in improving human health. This review examines and extrapolates available literature on the potential beneficial or detrimental effects associated with the use of isoorientin in mitigating metabolic diseases, with a specific focus on diabetes, obesity, and insulin resistance, including associated complications. The discussion includes effective doses in various experimental settings and proposed molecular mechanisms by which isoorientin may exert its therapeutic effects. In addition, the protective effects of extracts of a number of isoorientin-rich plants against metabolic complications will be highlighted.

The antipsychotic drug pimozide inhibits IgE-mediated mast cell degranulation and migration

BACKGROUND

Mast cells (MCs) mediate a key role in allergic diseases. Detailed studies of how the neuroleptic drug pimozide affects MC activity are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate pimozide inhibition of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated MC activation and MC-mediated allergic responses.

METHOD

MCs were stimulated with anti-dinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE antibodies and DNP-horse serum albumin (HSA) antigen (Ag), and anti-allergic pimozide effects were detected by measuring β-hexosaminidase levels. Morphological changes were observed histologically. In vivo pimozide effects were assessed in passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) and ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized active systemic anaphylaxis mouse (ASA) model experiments. Levels of phosphorylated (p-) SYK (spleen tyrosine kinase) and MAPKs (mitogen-activated protein kinases) were detected in western blots.

RESULTS

We found that pimozide inhibited MC degranulation, reduced MC release of β-hexosaminidase dose-dependently in activated RBL-2H3 (IC₅₀: 13.52 μM) and bone marrow derived MC (BMMC) (IC₅₀: 42.42 μM), and reduced MC morphological changes. The IgE/Ag-induced migration effect was suppressed by pimozide treatment dose-dependently. Pimozide down-regulated IgE/Ag-induced phosphorylation of SYK and MAPKs in activated MCs. Moreover, pimozide attenuated allergic reactions in PCA and ASA model mice, and decreased MC populations among splenic cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The antipsychotic drug pimozide can suppress IgE-mediated MC activation in vitro and in vivo and should be considered for repurposing to suppress MC-mediated diseases.

In-vitro Synergistic Effect of Metformin and Berberine on High Glucose-induced Lipogenesis

Metformin and berberine have been reported to have lipid lowering effects. This study aims to investigate lipid lowering effects of berberine and Metformin, alone and in combination, in HepG2 cells to determine whether berberine and Metformin work synergistically and elucidate their mechanisms. HepG2 cells were treated with 33 mM glucose in the presence of various concentrations of berberine and Metformin, alone and in combination, for 24 h. The cytotoxic effects of these compounds were determined by MTT assay. Oil red O staining, triglyceride measurement, and gene expression analyses were performed to evaluate the effects of these compounds on hepatocytes lipogenesis. Berberine at doses 20 µM and 40 µM and Metformin at doses 1 mM and 2 mM reduced total lipid content and triglyceride level in HepG2 cells. Metformin (mM) and berberine (µM) at combination ratios of 2:40, 1:20, 0.5:10, and 0.25:5 exhibited a synergistic lipid-lowering effect on HepG2 cells. These ratios could significantly decrease total lipid content and triglyceride level in HepG2 cells. The lowest dose of the combination [Metformin (0.25 mM) and berberine (5 μM)] also synergistically reduced the expression of the FAS and SREBP-1c genes in HepG2 cells treated with high glucose. The combination of Metformin and berberine exerted synergistic lipid-lowering effects on HepG2 cells by reducing total lipid content, triglyceride level, and the expression of the genes involved in lipogenesis.