Research Progress on the Natural Product Aloperine and Its Derivatives

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of aloperine derivatives as potential anticancer agents

Modifications at different positions on the aloperine molecule were performed to improve its anticancer activity and develop anticancer drugs. The in vitro anticancer activities of 44 synthesized compounds were evaluated. The effect of modification positions on anticancer activity was discussed and a structure-activity relationship analysis was established. A novel series of compounds with modifications at the N12 position showed much higher cytotoxicity than aloperine. Among them, compound 22 displayed promising in vitro anticancer activity against PC9 cells with a median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 1.43 μM. The mechanism studies indicated that compound 22 induced cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in PC9 cells. These results demonstrate the potential of aloperine thiourea derivatives in anticancer activity.

Aloperine Inhibits ASFV via Regulating PRLR/JAK2 Signaling Pathway In Vitro

African swine fever (ASF) has become a global pandemic due to inadequate prevention and control measures, posing a significant threat to the swine industry. Despite the approval of a single vaccine in Vietnam, no antiviral drugs against the ASF virus (ASFV) are currently available. Aloperine (ALO), a quinolizidine alkaloid extracted from the seeds and leaves of bitter beans, exhibits various biological functions, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antiviral activities. In this study, we found that ALO could inhibit ASFV replication in MA-104, PK-15, 3D4/21, and WSL cells in a dose-dependent manner without cytotoxicity at 100 μM. Furthermore, it was verified that ALO acted on the co- and post-infection stages of ASFV by time-of-addition assay, and inhibited viral internalization rather than directly inactivating the virus. Notably, RT-qPCR analysis indicated that ALO did not exert anti-inflammatory activity during ASFV infection. Additionally, gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of transcriptomic data revealed that ALO could inhibit ASFV replication via the PRLR/JAK2 signaling pathway. Together, these findings suggest that ALO effectively inhibits ASFV replication in vitro and provides a potential new target for developing anti-ASFV drugs.

Natural compounds efficacy in Ophthalmic Diseases: A new twist impacting ferroptosis

Ferroptosis, a distinct form of cell death, is characterized by the iron-mediated oxidation of lipids and is finely controlled by multiple cellular metabolic pathways. These pathways encompass redox balance, iron regulation, mitochondrial function, as well as amino acid, lipid, and sugar metabolism. Additionally, various disease-related signaling pathways also play a role in the regulation of ferroptosis. In recent years, with the introduction of the concept of ferroptosis and the deepening of research on its mechanism, ferroptosis is closely related to various biological conditions of eye diseases, including eye organ development, aging, immunity, and cancer. This article reviews the development of the concept of ferroptosis, the mechanism of ferroptosis, and its latest research progress in ophthalmic diseases and reviews the research on ferroptosis in ocular diseases within the framework of metabolism, active oxygen biology, and iron biology. Key regulators and mechanisms of ferroptosis in ocular diseases introduce important concepts and major open questions in the field of ferroptosis and related natural compounds. It is hoped that in future research, further breakthroughs will be made in the regulation mechanism of ferroptosis and the use of ferroptosis to promote the treatment of eye diseases. At the same time, natural compounds may be the direction of new drug development for the potential treatment of ferroptosis in the future. Open up a new way for clinical ophthalmologists to research and prevent diseases.

Piperidine Derivatives: Recent Advances in Synthesis and Pharmacological Applications

Piperidines are among the most important synthetic fragments for designing drugs and play a significant role in the pharmaceutical industry. Their derivatives are present in more than twenty classes of pharmaceuticals, as well as alkaloids. The current review summarizes recent scientific literature on intra- and intermolecular reactions leading to the formation of various piperidine derivatives: substituted piperidines, spiropiperidines, condensed piperidines, and piperidinones. Moreover, the pharmaceutical applications of synthetic and natural piperidines were covered, as well as the latest scientific advances in the discovery and biological evaluation of potential drugs containing piperidine moiety. This review is designed to help both novice researchers taking their first steps in this field and experienced scientists looking for suitable substrates for the synthesis of biologically active piperidines.

Natural Product-Inspired Chiral Ligand Design: Aloperine and N-Substituted Aloperines-Induced Pd-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydroarylation of Ketimines

A naturally occurring alkaloid aloperine was utilized as a chiral skeleton for the development of new ligands/catalysts in asymmetric synthesis. A number of N-substituted aloperines have been prepared, and a Pd-catalyzed asymmetric hydroarylation of ketimines using these chiral 1,3-diamine ligands was reported. A range of chiral sulfonyl amides were prepared in high yields and enantioselectivities. The stereoselectivity and structure relationships of aloperines have been studied. In addition, preliminary studies on the desymmetrization of meso-anhydride have also shown that these diamines have good potential in organocatalysis. These discoveries would provide a new future development for natural product-inspired chiral ligand design and developments.