The Phytochemical Potential for Brain Disease Therapy and the Possible Nanodelivery Solutions for Brain Access

Herbal nanoparticles: a targeted approach for neurodegenerative disorder treatment

Nanotechnology has significantly impacted human life, particularly in overcoming the limitations associated with neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Various nanostructures and vehicle systems, such as polymer nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), nanoliposomes, nano-micelles, lipid nanoparticles, lactoferrin, polybutylcyanoacrylate, and poly lactic-co-glycolic acid, have been shown to enhance drug efficacy, reduce side effects, and improve pharmacokinetics. NDs affect millions worldwide and are challenging to treat due to the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which hinders drug delivery to the central nervous system (CNS). Research suggests that natural ingredients can be formulated into nanoparticles, offering a promising approach for ND treatment. This review examines the advantages and disadvantages of herbal-based nanoformulations, highlighting their potential effectiveness when used alone or in combination with other medications. Herbal nanoparticles provide benefits over synthetic ones due to their biocompatibility, reduced toxicity, and potential for synergistic effects. The study's findings can be applied to develop more efficient drug delivery systems, improving the treatment of NDs by enhancing drug penetration across the BBB and targeting affected CNS areas more precisely.

New Avenues and Major Achievements in Phytocompounds Research for Glioblastoma Therapy

Phytocompounds have been evaluated for their anti-glioblastoma actions for decades, with promising results from preclinical studies but only limited translation into clinics. Indeed, by targeting multiple signaling pathways deregulated in cancer, they often show high efficacy in the in vitro studies, but their poor bioavailability, low tumor accumulation, and rapid clearance compromise their efficacy in vivo. Here, we present the new avenues in phytocompound research for the improvement of glioblastoma therapy, including the ways to enhance the response to temozolomide using phytochemicals, the current focus on phytocompound-based immunotherapy, or the use of phytocompounds as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy. Moreover, we present new, intensively evaluated approaches, such as chemical modifications of phytochemicals or encapsulation into numerous types of nanoformulations, to improve their bioavailability and delivery to the brain. Finally, we present the clinical trials evaluating the role of phytocompounds or phytocompound-derived drugs in glioblastoma therapy and the less studied phytocompounds or plant extracts that have only recently been found to possess promising anti-glioblastoma properties. Overall, recent advancements in phytocompound research are encouraging; however, only with more 3D glioblastoma models, in vivo studies, and clinical trials it is possible to upgrade the role of phytocompounds in glioblastoma treatment to a satisfactory level.

Therapeutic potential of clinically proven natural products in the management of dementia

Dementia is a common neurodegenerative disorder connected to damage to nerve cells in the brain. Although some conventional drugs are available for dementia treatments and are still sanctified for dementia patients, their short- and long-term side effects and other limitations make treating patients more challenging. The authors aimed to explain novel options for treating dementia with natural products and unravel some clinically proven natural products. This article systematically reviewed recent studies that have investigated the role of natural products and their bioactive compounds for dementia. PubMed Central, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases of articles were collected, and abstracts were reviewed for relevance to the subject matter.In this review, we provide mechanistic insights of clinically validated natural products, including like- Yokukansan, Souvenaid, BDW, Hupergene, Bacopa monnier, Omega-3, Tramiprostate and Palmitoylethanolamide with which have therapeutic efficacy against dementia in the management of dementia. As shown by studies, certain natural ingredients could be used to treat and prevent dementia. We strongly believe that the medicinal plants and phytoconstituents alone or in combination with other compounds would be effective treatments against dementia with lesser side effects as compared to currently available treatments. Moreover, these products should be studied further in order to develop novel dementia medications.

Computational exploration of FOXM1 inhibitors for glioblastoma: an integrated virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation study

In this study, a comprehensive investigation of a set of phytochemicals to identify potential inhibitors for the Forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1) was conducted. FOXM1 is overexpressed in glioblastoma (GBM) cells and plays a crucial role in cell cycle progression, proliferation, and invasion. FOXM1 inhibitors have shown promising results in preclinical studies, and ongoing clinical trials are assessing their efficacy in GBM patients. However, there are limited studies on the identification of novel compounds against this attractive therapeutic target. To address this, the NPACT database containing 1,574 phytochemicals was used, employing a hierarchical multistep docking approach, followed by an estimation of relative binding free energy. By fixing user-defined XP-dock and MM-GBSA cut-off scores of -6.096 and -37.881 kcal/mol, the chemical space was further narrowed. Through exhaustive analysis of molecular binding interactions and various pharmacokinetics profiles, we identified four compounds, namely NPACT00002, NPACT01454, NPACT00856, and NPACT01417, as potential FOXM1 inhibitors. To assess the stability of protein-ligand binding in dynamic conditions, 100 ns Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations studies were performed. Furthermore, Molecular mechanics with generalized Born and surface area solvation (MM-GBSA) based binding free energy estimations of the entire simulation trajectories revealed a strong binding affinity of all identified compounds towards FOXM1, surpassing that of the control drug Troglitazone. Based on extensively studied multistep docking approaches, we propose that these molecules hold promise as FOXM1 inhibitors for potential therapeutic applications in GBM. However, experimental validation will be necessary to confirm their efficacy as targeted therapies.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Investigation of Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Properties of Berberine Nanomicelles: In vitro and In vivo Studies

INTRODUCTION

In the present study, neuroprotective effects of berberine (BBR) and berberine nanomicelle (BBR-NM) against lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced stress oxidative were investigated, and compared by evaluating their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in PC12 cells, and rat brains. A fast, green, and simple synthesis method was used to prepare BBR-NMs.

METHOD

The prepared BBR-NMs were then characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In vitro experiments were carried out on the LPS-treated PC12 cell lines to investigate the anti-cytotoxic and antioxidant properties of BBR-NM and BBR. The results showed that BBR-NMs with a diameter of ~100 nm had higher protective effects against ROS production and cytotoxicity induced by LPS in PC12 cells in comparison with free BBR.

RESULTS

Moreover, in vivo experiments indicated that the activity levels of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), increased in the brain of LPS-treated rats administrated with BBR-NM at the optimum dose of 100 mg.kg-1. BBR-NM administration also resulted in decreased concentration of lipid peroxidation (MDA) and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as Serum interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α).

CONCLUSION

Overall, BBR-NM demonstrated higher neuroprotective effects than free BBR, making it a promising treatment for improving many diseases caused by oxidative stress and inflammation.