New 2-Oxopyridine/2-Thiopyridine Derivatives Tethered to a Benzotriazole with Cytotoxicity on MCF7 Cell Lines and with Antiviral Activities

Camel milk extracellular vesicles/exosomes: a fascinating frontier in isolation and therapeutic potential

Camel milk has a unique composition that sets it apart from other types of animal milk, which has captured the interest of medical and scientific communities. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mainly contain exosomes (Exos, 30-200 nm) and microvesicles (MVs, 200-1000 nm). Camel milk EVs, particularly Exos, which we named EVs/Exos, have arisen as a fascinating area of scientific inquiry, holding enormous potential for the future of biomedicine due to their anticancer, antibacterial, antidiabetic nephropathy, and immunostimulatory impacts. Camel milk EVs/Exos affect the antioxidant status and oxidative stress differently depending on the target cells. They boosted ROS in cancer cells but improved the antioxidant state in healthy cells. Camel milk EVs/Exos have distinct exosomal lactoferrin and kappa casein mRNAs, which could be responsible for their anticancer and immunomodulatory effects. Due to the high fat content of milk, there is a lack of established protocols for the precise isolation of EVs/Exos from milk, despite the increasing interest in this area of study. This review highlighted the techniques employed for milk EV/Exo isolation and characterization, acknowledging the challenges faced by researchers and the latest advancements in overcoming these hurdles. This review also detailed the potential of camel milk EVs/Exos in therapeutic applications. This comprehensive analysis positions camel milk EVs/Exos at the forefront of scientific inquiry, paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries in the years to come.

Design, synthesis, molecular modelling and antitumor evaluation of S-glucosylated rhodanines through topo II inhibition and DNA intercalation

In the present study, 5-arylidene rhodanine derivatives 3a-f, N-glucosylation rhodanine 6, S-glucosylation rhodanine 7, N-glucoside rhodanine 8 and S-glucosylation 5-arylidene rhodanines 13a-c were synthesised and screened for cytotoxicity against a panel of cancer cells with investigating the effective molecular target and mechanistic cell death. The anomers were separated by flash column chromatography and their configurations were assigned by NMR spectroscopy. The stable structures of the compounds under study were modelled on a molecular level, and DFT calculations were carried out at the B3LYP/6-31 + G (d,p) level to examine their electronic and geometric features. A good correlation between the quantum chemical descriptors and experimental observations was found. Interestingly, compound 6 induced potent cytotoxicity against MCF-7, HepG2 and A549 cells, with IC₅₀ values of 11.7, 0.21, and 1.7 µM, compared to Dox 7.67, 8.28, and 6.62 µM, respectively. For the molecular target, compound 6 exhibited topoisomerase II inhibition and DNA intercalation with IC₅₀ values of 6.9 and 19.6 µM, respectively compared to Dox (IC₅₀ = 9.65 and 31.27 µM). Additionally, compound 6 treatmnet significantly activated apoptotic cell death in HepG2 cells by 80.7-fold, it induced total apoptosis by 34.73% (23.07% for early apoptosis, 11.66% for late apoptosis) compared to the untreated control group (0.43%) arresting the cell population at the S-phase by 49.6% compared to control 39.15%. Finally, compound 6 upregulated the apoptosis-related genes, while it inhibted the Bcl-2 expression. Hence, glucosylated rhodanines may serve as a promising drug candidates against cancer with promising topoisomerase II and DNA intercalation.

Design, green synthesis, and quorum sensing quenching potential of novel 2-oxo-pyridines containing a thiophene/furan scaffold and targeting a LasR gene on P. aeruginosa

The current trend in fighting bacteria is attacking the virulence and quorum-sensing (QS) signals that control bacterial communication and virulence factors, especially biofilm formation. This study reports new Schiff bases and tetracyclic rings based on a pyridine pharmacophore by two methods: a green approach using CAN and a conventional method. The structure of designed derivatives was confirmed using different spectroscopies (IR and 1H/13C NMR) and elemental analysis. The designed derivatives exhibited good to moderate inhibition zones against bacterial and fungal pathogens. In addition, six compounds 2a,b, 3a,b, and 6a,b displayed potency against tested pathogens with eligible MIC and MBC values compared to standard antimicrobial agents. Compound 2a displayed MIC values of 15.6 μg mL-1 compared to Gentamicin (MIC = 250 μg mL-1 against K. pneumoniae), while compound 6b exhibited super-potent activity against P. aeruginosa, and K. pneumoniae with MIC values of 62.5 and 125 μg mL-1, as well as MBC values of 31.25 and 15.6 μg mL-1 compared to Gentamicin (MIC = 250 and 125 μg mL-1 and MBC = 62.5 μg mL-1), respectively. Surprisingly, these six derivatives revealed bactericidal and fungicidal potency and remarkable anti-biofilm activity that could significantly reduce the biofilm formation against MRSA, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and C. albicans. Furthermore, the most active derivatives reduced the LasR gene's production between 10-40% at 1/8 MICs compared with untreated P. aeruginosa. Besides, they demonstrated promising safety profile on Vero cells (normal cell lines) with IC50 values ranging between (175.17 ± 3.49 to 344.27 ± 3.81 μg mL-1). In addition, the in silico ADMET prediction was carried out and the results revealed that these compounds could be used with oral bioavailability with low toxicity prediction when administered as a candidate drug. Finally, the molecular docking simulation was performed inside LasR and predicted the key binding interactions responsible for the activity that corroborated the biological results.

Design, Synthesis, Computational Investigations, and Antitumor Evaluation of N-Rhodanine Glycosides Derivatives as Potent DNA Intercalation and Topo II Inhibition against Cancer Cells

Nitrogen and sulfur glycosylation was carried out via the reaction of rhodanine (1) with α-acetobromoglucose 3 under basic conditions. Deacetylation of the protected nitrogen nucleoside 4 was performed with CH₃ONa in CH₃OH without cleavage of the rhodanine ring to afford the deprotected nitrogen nucleoside 6. Further, deacetylation of the protected sulfur nucleoside 5 was performed with CH₃ONa in CH₃OH with the cleavage of the rhodanine ring to give the hydrolysis product 7. The protected nitrogen nucleosides 11a-f were produced by condensing the protected nitrogen nucleoside 4 with the aromatic aldehydes 10a-f in C₂H₅OH while using morpholine as a secondary amine catalyst. Deacetylation of the protected nitrogen nucleosides 11a-f was performed with NaOCH₃/CH₃OH without cleavage of the rhodanine ring to afford the deprotected nitrogen nucleosides 12a-f. NMR spectroscopy was used to designate the anomers' configurations. To examine the electrical and geometric properties derived from the stable structure of the examined compounds, molecular modeling and DFT calculations using the B3LYP/6-31+G (d,p) level were carried out. The quantum chemical descriptors and experimental findings showed a strong connection. The IC₅₀ values for most compounds were very encouraging when evaluated against MCF-7, HepG2, and A549 cancer cells. Interestingly, IC₅₀ values for 11a, 12b, and 12f were much lower than those for Doxorubicin (7.67, 8.28, 6.62 μM): (3.7, 8.2, 9.8 μM), (3.1, 13.7, 21.8 μM), and (7.17, 2.2, 4.5 μM), respectively. Against Topo II inhibition and DNA intercalation, when compared to Dox (IC₅₀ = 9.65 and 31.27 μM), compound 12f showed IC₅₀ values of 7.3 and 18.2 μM, respectively. In addition, compound 12f induced a 65.6-fold increase in the rate of apoptotic cell death in HepG2 cells, with the cell cycle being arrested in the G2/M phase as a result. Additionally, it upregulated the apoptosis-mediated genes of P53, Bax, and caspase-3,8,9 by 9.53, 8.9, 4.16, 1.13, and 8.4-fold change, while it downregulated the Bcl-2 expression by 0.13-fold. Therefore, glucosylated Rhodanines may be useful as potential therapeutic candidates against cancer because of their topoisomerase II and DNA intercalation activity.

Reactions of Malononitrile Dimer with Isothiocyanates

Abstract

The reaction of 2-amino-1,1,3-tricyanopropene (malononitrile dimer) with isothiocyanates leads to 1-substituted 4,6-diamino-2-thioxo-1,2-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarbonitriles or 4,6-diamino-2-(phenylimino)-2H-thiopyran-3,5-dicarbonitrile, depending on the conditions. Quantum-chemical modeling of the IR spectra and reaction routes for the synthesized compounds was carried out. In silico predictive analysis of potential protein targets, compliance with bioavailability criteria, and ADMET parameters was performed.

Oriental Hornet (Vespa orientalis) Larval Extracts Induce Antiproliferative, Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, and Anti-Migratory Effects on MCF7 Cells

The use of insects as a feasible and useful natural product resource is a novel and promising option in alternative medicine. Several components from insects and their larvae have been found to inhibit molecular pathways in different stages of cancer. This study aimed to analyze the effect of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Vespa orientalis larvae on breast cancer MCF7 cells and investigate the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that individual treatment with 5% aqueous or alcoholic larval extract inhibited MCF7 proliferation but had no cytotoxic effect on normal Vero cells. The anticancer effect was mediated through (1) induction of apoptosis, as indicated by increased expression of apoptotic genes (Bax, caspase3, and p53) and decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl2; (2) suppression of intracellular reactive oxygen species; (3) elevation of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, and GPx) and upregulation of the antioxidant regulator Nrf2 and its downstream target HO-1; (4) inhibition of migration as revealed by in vitro wound healing assay and downregulation of the migration-related gene MMP9 and upregulation of the anti-migratory gene TIMP1; and (5) downregulation of inflammation-related genes (NFκB and IL8). The aqueous extract exhibited the best anticancer effect with higher antioxidant activities but lower anti-inflammatory properties than the alcoholic extract. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of several flavonoids and phenolic compounds with highest concentrations for resveratrol and naringenin in aqueous extract and rosmarinic acid in alcoholic extract. This is the first report to explain the intracellular pathway by which flavonoids and phenolic compounds-rich extracts of Vespa orientalis larvae could induce MCF7 cell viability loss through the initiation of apoptosis, activation of antioxidants, and inhibition of migration and inflammation. Therefore, these extracts could be used as adjuvants for anticancer drugs and as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.

Synthesis, antiviral, DFT and molecular docking studies of some novel 1,2,4-triazine nucleosides as potential bioactive compounds

A novel series of nucleosides with potential antiviral activity have been synthesized and characterized using IR, MS, 1D NMR and 2D NMR data. The antiviral activity of the synthesized compounds was assessed against the Coxsackie B virus and Hepatitis A virus (HAV-10). The results revealed that compound 6 is equipotent to the standard drug Ribavirin against HAV-10. Also, some computational studies, such as the prediction of pharmacokinetic properties, toxicity, and bioactivity, have been done.

Therapeutic effect of Arthrocnemum machrostachyum methanolic extract on Ehrlich solid tumor in mice

Background

The anti-cancer effect of the halophyte Arthrocnemum indicum, a member of Arthrocnemum family of salt-tolerant plants, was evaluated against colorectal cancer cell, CaCo2. However, the anti-cancer effect of another halophyte Arthrocnemum machrostachyum was not investigated yet. Herein, the anticancer effect of A. machrostachyum methanolic extract (AME) was evaluated against Ehrlich solid tumor (EST) in mice and the potential mechanism of action was also studied.

Methods

Male Swiss albino mice (n = 28) were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 7/group). Group 1 (negative control group); group 2 (EST) injected intramuscularly by 0.2 mL Ehrlich ascitic carcinoma (2 × 10⁶ cells); and groups 3 and 4 injected intratumorally with AME (180 and 360 mg/kg body weight, respectively) at D12 trice weekly for 2 weeks. Gene expression, protein expression, DNA damage, and TNFa level in tumors were determined by real-time PCR, western blot, comet assay, and Elisa, respectively.

Results

Treatment with AME induced anti-tumor effects against EST as indicated by 1) notable reduction in tumor size; 2) elevation in tissue necrosis and apoptosis, as confirmed histologically; 3) increased DNA fragmentation; 4) decreased expression of the apoptotic genes (p53, Bax and caspase 3), and increased expression of the anti-apoptotic marker Bcl2; 5) significantly upregulated cell cycle regulatory genes Cdc2 and connexin26, and; 6) decreased TNFa levels in tumor tissues. Interestingly, a high dose of AME exhibited a more potent anti-tumor effect against EST.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that AME has a potent antitumor effect against EST and could be used as an adjuvant to anticancer drugs to combat tumor, but after application of further confirmatory clinical trials.