Hypotensive activity of auraptene, a monoterpene coumarin from Citrus spp

Auraptene, a citrus peel-derived natural product, prevents myocardial infarction-induced heart failure by activating PPARα in rats

BACKGROUND

Auraptene derived from the peel of Citrus hassaku possesses anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective activities. Thus, it could be a valuable pharmacological alternative to treat some diseases. However, the therapeutic value of auraptene for heart failure (HF) is unknown.

STUDY DESIGN/METHODS

In cultured cardiomyocytes from neonatal rats, the effect of auraptene on phenylephrine-induced hypertrophic responses and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARα)-dependent gene transcriptions. To investigate whether auraptene prevents the development of heart failure after myocardial infarction (MI) in vivo, Sprague-Dawley rats with moderate MI (fractional shortening < 40%) were randomly assigned for treatment with low- or high-dose auraptene (5 or 50 mg/kg/day, respectively) or vehicle for 6 weeks. The effects of auraptene were evaluated by echocardiography, histological analysis, and the measurement of mRNA levels of hypertrophy, fibrosis, and PPARα-associated genes.

RESULTS

In cultured cardiomyocytes, auraptene repressed phenylephrine-induced hypertrophic responses, such as increases in cell size and activities of atrial natriuretic factor and endothelin-1 promoters. Auraptene induced PPARα-dependent gene activation by enhancing cardiomyocyte peroxisome proliferator-responsive element reporter activity. The inhibition of PPARα abrogated the protective effect of auraptene on phenylephrine-induced hypertrophic responses. In rats with MI, auraptene significantly improved MI-induced systolic dysfunction and increased posterior wall thickness compared to the vehicle. Auraptene treatment also suppressed MI-induced increases in myocardial cell diameter, perivascular fibrosis, and expression of hypertrophy and fibrosis response markers at the mRNA level compared with vehicle treatment. MI-induced decreases in the expression of PPARα-dependent genes were improved by auraptene treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Auraptene has beneficial effects on MI-induced cardiac hypertrophy and left ventricular systolic dysfunction in rats, at least partly due to PPARα activation. Further clinical studies are required to evaluate the efficacy of auraptene in patients with HF.

Design and Synthesis of Coumarin Derivatives as Cytotoxic Agents through PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway Inhibition in HL60 and HepG2 Cancer Cells

In this study, a series of coumarin derivatives, either alone or as hybrids with cinnamic acid, were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxicity against a panel of cancer cells using the MTT assay. Then, the most active compounds were inspected for their mechanism of cytotoxicity by cell-cycle analysis, RT-PCR, DNA fragmentation, and Western blotting techniques. Cytotoxic results showed that compound (4) had a significant cytotoxic effect against HL60 cells (IC₅₀ = 8.09 µM), while compound (8b) had a noticeable activity against HepG2 cells (IC₅₀ = 13.14 µM). Compounds (4) and (8b) mediated their cytotoxicity via PI3K/AKT pathway inhibition. These results were assured by molecular docking studies. These results support further exploratory research focusing on the therapeutic activity of coumarin derivatives as cytotoxic agents.

Synthesis and Biological Properties of Coumarin Analogue: A Brief Review

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One of the most prominent aromatic organic chemical compound is Coumarin having formula C9H6O2 which is widely known for its benefits in drug industry. Colourless crystalline solid having sweet scent is coumarin’s physical identity. It serves various purposes such as in synthesis of medicines, laser dyes, perfumes and many more. Having enormous usages it becomes important to synthesize such compound so various reactions were performed in order to obtain coumarins. This review explicates the preparation of coumarin by Pechmann Condensation and its biological characteristics.

Visible light photocatalysis in the synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant heterocyclic scaffolds

Visible light and photoredox catalysis have emerged as a powerful and long-lasting tool for organic synthesis, demonstrating the importance of a variety of chemical bond formation methods.

Phytotherapy of Hypertension: An Updated Overview

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular disorders are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the globe. Hypertension is the main risk factor that contributes to the development of many diseases. The use of herbal therapies, medicinal plants and their derivatives for the remedy and management of hypertension is well-recognized and popular among a wide part of the world population.

METHODS

The aim of the current review was to collect, treat, and critically analyze the published research studies relative to experimental and clinical investigations which have studied the blood pressure lowering abilities of medicinal plant derivatives in the last decade. This review was organized into three principal axes; the first axis was attributed to the in vivo and in vitro experimental studies; the second treated the clinical trials; while, the last one is devoted to analyze the mechanisms of action underlying the therapeutic antihypertensive effectiveness of phytochemicals.

RESULTS

Different types of extracts and isolated molecules obtained from a large variety of species demonstrated their efficiency in improving the increase of blood pressure either experimentally or clinically. Medicinal species such as garlic (Allium sativum), celery (Apium graveolens), Black Cumin (Nigella sativa) and Ginseng (Panax) are among the most common and therapeutically used plant derivatives for controlling hypertension while Asteraceae, Apiaceae and Rosaceae are among the botanical families which were frequently studied in the last decade. Isolated compounds such as allicin and apigenin have received more interest in this field. Recent evidence from clinical trials suggests that a wide variety of herbal preparations and plant extracts or natural isolated compounds have a favorable therapeutic impact on blood flow. Interestingly, phytochemicals can either act directly on blood vessels via a vasorelaxant effect involving a variety of signaling cascades or indirectly through inhibiting or stimulating diversity of systems such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), renin-angiotensin system (RAS) or the diuretic activity. Hence, based on the findings of the present review medicinal plant derivatives could be used as preventive and curative agents in the case of cardiovascular disorders, particularly hypertension and could play a promoting function for the discovery of new antihypertensive agents.

CONCLUSION

The analysis of the published data shows that a great effort remains to be done to investigate the medicinal plants cited as antihypertensive through published ethnopharmacological surveys. The analysis of the literature in this field shows the lack of standardization at the level of experimental study methods as well as the need to study purified molecules. Moreover, the mechanistic studies when they exist remain in the whole partial. On the other hand, few advanced clinical studies have been conducted. Finally, the determination of the efficacy/safety ratio remains absent in almost all studies.

Braylin induces a potent vasorelaxation, involving distinct mechanisms in superior mesenteric and iliac arteries of rats

Arterial hypertension is a risk factor for various cardiovascular and renal diseases, representing a major public health challenge. Although a wide range of treatment options are available for blood pressure control, many hypertensive individuals remain with uncontrolled hypertension. Thus, the search for new substances with antihypertensive potential becomes necessary. Coumarins, a group of polyphenolic compounds derived from plants, have attracted intense interest due to their diverse pharmacological properties, like potent antihypertensive activities. Braylin (6-methoxyseselin) is a coumarin identified in the Zanthoxylum tingoassuiba species, described as a phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibitor. Although different coumarin compounds have been described as potent antihypertensive agents, the activity of braylin on the cardiovascular system has yet to be investigated. To investigate the vasorelaxation properties of braylin and its possible mechanisms of action, we performed in vitro studies using superior mesenteric arteries and the iliac arteries isolated from rats. In this study, we demonstrated, for the first time, that braylin induces potent vasorelaxation, involving distinct mechanisms from two different arteries, isolated from rats. A possible inhibition of phosphodiesterase, altering the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) pathway, may be correlated with the biological action of braylin in the mesenteric vessel, while in the iliac artery, the biological action of braylin may be correlated with increase of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), followed by BKCa, Kir, and Kv channel activation. Together, these results provide evidence that braylin can represent a potential therapeutic use in preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases.

A review of the pharmacological and therapeutic effects of auraptene

There is a growing awareness in herbal medications as they are usually safe and devoid of significant adverse effects. Auraptene is a natural bioactive monoterpene coumarin ether and is consumed all over the world. There is growing evidence of the therapeutic benefits of auraptene. Auraptene, also known as auraptene and 7-geranyloxycoumarin, is a bioactive monoterpene coumarin from Rutaceae family, which is isolated from Citrus aurantium (Seville orange) and Aegle marmelos (bael fruit). Auraptene is a highly pleiotropic molecule, which can modulate intracellular signaling pathways that control inflammation, cell growth, and apoptosis. It has a potential therapeutic role in the prevention and treatment of various diseases due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities as well as its excellent safety profile. In the present article, various pharmacological and therapeutic effects of auraptene were reviewed. Different online databases using keywords such as auraptene, therapeutic effects and pharmacological effects were searched until the end of September 2018, for this purpose. Auraptene has been suggested to be effective in the treatment of a broad range of disorders including inflammatory disorders, dysentery, wounds, scars, keloids, and pain. In addition, different studies have demonstrated that auraptene possesses numerous pharmacological properties including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive and anti-cancer as well as neuroprotective effects. The present review provides a detailed survey of scientific researches regarding pharmacological properties and therapeutic effects of auraptene.

Safety evaluation of auraptene in rats in acute and subacute toxicity studies

Auraptene (AUR) is a natural, bioactive, monoterpene coumarin ether. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-bacterial, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective properties. The aim of the present study was to assess the acute and subacute toxicity of oral administration of AUR in rats by evaluating clinical signs, haematology, biochemical factors, pathological changes and immune-toxicity. Acute administration of AUR in doses of 125, 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg body weight had no mortality or clinical signs in a period of two days. To evaluate subacute toxicity, AUR was administrated for 28 days by oral gavage in doses of 125 and 250 mg/kg. There were significant differences in the haematological and biochemical data of the treated and untreated groups. However, almost all haematological differences were within normal reference ranges. Subacute administration of AUR showed no toxic histopathological effects on organ tissue. Evaluation of immune-toxicity also revealed no significant differences between treatment and untreated groups.

Auraptene Induces Apoptosis via Myeloid Cell Leukemia 1-Mediated Activation of Caspases in PC3 and DU145 Prostate Cancer Cells

Although auraptene, a prenyloxy coumarin from Citrus species, was known to have anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, antiinflammatory, and anti-tumor activities, the underlying anti-tumor mechanism of auraptene in prostate cancers is not fully understood to date. Thus, in the present study, we have investigated the anti-tumor mechanism of auraptene mainly in PC3 and DU145 prostate cancer cells, because auraptene suppressed the viability of androgen-independent PC3 and DU145 prostate cancer cells better than androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells. Also, auraptene notably increased sub-G1 cell population and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling-positive cells as features of apoptosis in two prostate cancer cells compared with untreated control. Consistently, auraptene cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, activated caspase-9 and caspase-3, suppressed the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, including Bcl-2 and myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1), and also activated pro-apoptotic protein Bax in both prostate cancer cells. However, Mcl-1 overexpression reversed the apoptotic effect of auraptene to increase sub-G1 population and induce caspase-9/3 in both prostate cancer cells. Taken together, the results support scientific evidences that auraptene induces apoptosis in PC3 and DU145 prostate cancer cells via Mcl-1-mediated activation of caspases as a potent chemopreventive agent for prostate cancer prevention and treatment. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Phytochemistry and pharmacology of Ferula persica Boiss.: A review

Ferula persica, is the well-known species of the genus Ferula in Iran and has two varieties: persica and latisecta. They have both been extensively used in traditional medicine for a wide range of ailments. A great number of chemical compounds including sesquiterpene coumarins and polysulfides have been isolated from this plant. Fresh plant materials, crude extracts and isolated components of F. persica have shown a wide spectrum of pharmacological properties including anti-pigmentation in Serratia marcescens, cytotoxic, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-leishmanial, cancer chemopreventive, reversal of multi-drug resistance, anti-inflammatory and lipoxygenase inhibitory activity. The present review summarizes the data available regarding the chemical constituents and biological activities of F. persica.

Auraptene and Its Role in Chronic Diseases

Auraptene (7-geranyloxycoumarin) is the best known and most abundant prenyloxycoumarin present in nature. It is synthesized by various plant species, mainly those of the Rutaceae and Umbeliferae (Apiaceae) families, comprising many edible fruits and vegetables such as lemons, grapefruit and orange. Auraptene has shown a remarkable effect in the prevention of degenerative diseases, in particular it has been reported to be one the most promising known natural chemopreventive agents against several types of cancer. The aim of this chapter is to review the effects of auraptene in the prevention and treatment of different chronic diseases.

General Practitioners' vitamin K antagonist monitoring is associated with better blood pressure control in patients with hypertension--a cross-sectional database study

Background

Patients requiring anticoagulation suffer from comorbidities such as hypertension. On the occasion of INR monitoring, general practitioners (GPs) have the opportunity to control for blood pressure (BP). We aimed to evaluate the impact of Vitamin-K Antagonist (VKA) monitoring by GPs on BP control in patients with hypertension.

Methods

We cross-sectionally analyzed the database of the Swiss Family Medicine ICPC Research using Electronic Medical Records (FIRE) of 60 general practices in a primary care setting in Switzerland. This database includes 113,335 patients who visited their GP between 2009 and 2013. We identified patients with hypertension based on antihypertensive medication prescribed for ≥6 months. We compared patients with VKA for ≥3 months and patients without such treatment regarding BP control. We adjusted for age, sex, observation period, number of consultations and comorbidity.

Results

We identified 4,412 patients with hypertension and blood pressure recordings in the FIRE database. Among these, 569 (12.9 %) were on Phenprocoumon (VKA) and 3,843 (87.1 %) had no anticoagulation. Mean systolic and diastolic BP was significantly lower in the VKA group (130.6 ± 14.9 vs 139.8 ± 15.8 and 76.6 ± 7.9 vs 81.3 ± 9.3 mm Hg) (p < 0.001 for both). The difference remained after adjusting for possible confounders. Systolic and diastolic BP were significantly lower in the VKA group, reaching a mean difference of −8.4 mm Hg (95 % CI −9.8 to −7.0 mm Hg) and −1.5 mm Hg (95 % CI −2.3 to −0.7 mm Hg), respectively (p < 0.001 for both).

Conclusions

In a large sample of hypertensive patients in Switzerland, VKA treatment was independently associated with better systolic and diastolic BP control. The observed effect could be due to better compliance with antihypertensive medication in patients treated with VKA. Therefore, we conclude to be aware of this possible benefit especially in patients with lower expected compliance and with multimorbidity.