Ursolic Acid-Based Derivatives as Potential Anti-Cancer Agents: An Update

Effects of natural products on angiogenesis in melanoma

Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and originates from genetic mutations in melanocytes. The disease is multifactorial, but its main cause is overexposure to UV radiation. Currently, available chemotherapy expresses little to no results, which may justify the extensive use of natural products to treat this cancer. In this study, we reviewed the inhibition of melanoma angiogenesis by natural products and its potential mechanisms using literature from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Ovid, ScienceDirect and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. According to summarizes 27 natural products including alkaloids, polyphenols, terpenoids, flavonoids, and steroids that effectively inhibit angiogenesis in melanoma. In addition to these there are 15 crude extracts that can be used as promising agents to inhibit angiogenesis, but their core components still deserve further investigation. There are current studies on melanoma angiogenesis involving oxidative stress, immune-inflammatory response, cell proliferation and migration and capillary formation. The above natural products can be involved in melanoma angiogenesis through core targets such as VE-cadherin, COX-2, iNOS, VEGF, bFGF, FGF2,MMP2,MMP9,IL-1β,IL-6 play a role in inhibiting melanoma angiogenesis. Effective excavation of natural products can not only clarify the mechanism of drug action and key targets, but also help to promote the preclinical research of natural products for melanoma treatment and further promote the development of new clinical drugs, which will bring the gospel to the vast number of patients who are deeply afflicted by melanoma.

Ursolic acid attenuates oligospermia in busulfan-induced mice by promoting motor proteins

Background

Oligospermia is one of the most common reasons for male infertility which is troubling numerous couples of child-bearing age. This investigation scrutinizes the implications and mechanistic underpinnings of ursolic acid's effect on busulfan-induced oligospermia in mouse models.

Methods

A singular intraperitoneal injection of busulfan at a dosage of 30 mg/kg induced oligospermia. Two weeks subsequent to this induction, mice were subjected to various dosages of ursolic acid (10, 30, and 50 mg/kg body weight, respectively) on a daily basis for four consecutive weeks. Following this treatment period, a meticulous analysis of epididymal sperm parameters, encompassing concentration and motility, was conducted using a computer-assisted sperm analysis system. The histopathology of the mice testes was performed utilizing hematoxylin and eosin staining, and the cytoskeleton regeneration of the testicular tissues was analyzed via immunofluorescent staining. Serum hormone levels, including testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone, as well as reactive oxygen species levels (inclusive of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde), were gauged employing specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Differentially expressed genes of testicular mRNA between the oligospermia-induced group and the various ursolic acid treatment groups were identified through RNA sequencing analysis.

Results

The results revealed that a dosage of 50 mg/kg ursolic acid treatment could increase the concentration of epididymal sperm in oligospermia mice, promote the recovery of testicular morphology, regulate hormone levels and ameliorate oxidative damage. The mechanism research results indicated that ursolic acid increased the expression level of genes related to motor proteins in oligospermia mice.

Ursolic acid molecules dock MAPK1 to modulate gut microbiota diversity to reduce neuropathic pain

To investigate the efficacy of Ursolic acid in alleviating neuropathic pain in rats with spinal nerve ligation (SNL), the SNL rat model was surgically induced. Different concentrations of Ursolic acid and manipulated target mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) were administered to the SNL rats. Fecal samples were collected from each group of rats for 16S rDNA analysis to examine the impact of gut microbiota. Molecular docking experiments were conducted to assess the binding energy between Ursolic acid and MAPK1. In vivo studies were carried out to evaluate the expression of inflammatory factors and signaling pathways in spinal cord and colon tissues. Ursolic acid was found to have a beneficial effect on pain reduction in rats by increasing plantar withdrawal latency (PWL) and paw withdrawal threshold (PWT). Comparing the Ursolic acid group with the control group revealed notable differences in the distribution of Staphylococcus, Allobaculum, Clostridium, Blautia, Bifidobacterium, and Prevotella species. Network pharmacology analysis identified MAPK1 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM1) as common targets for Ursolic acid, SNL, and neuropathic pain. Binding sites between Ursolic acid and these targets were identified. Additionally, immunofluorescent staining showed a decrease in GFAP and IBA1 intensity in the spinal cord along with an increase in NeuN following Ursolic acid treatment. Overexpression of MAPK1 in SNL rats led to an increase in inflammatory factors and a decrease in PWL and PWT. Furthermore, MAPK1 counteracted the pain-relieving effects of Ursolic acid in SNL rats. Ursolic acid was found to alleviate neuropathic pain in SNL rats by targeting MAPK1 and influencing gut microbiota homeostasis.

A comprehensive review on pharmacognosy, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of 8 potent species of southeast Asia

Genus Prunus comprising around 430 species is a vast important genus of family Rosaceae, subfamily amygdalaoidae. Among all 430 species, around 19 important species are commonly found in Indian sub-continent due to their broad nutritional and economic importance. Some most common species of genus Prunus are Prunus amygdalus, Prunus persica, Prunus armeniaca, Prunus avium, Prunus cerasus, Prunus cerasoides, Prunus domestica, Prunus mahaleb, etc. A newly introduced species of Prunus i.e Prunus sunhangii is recently discovered which is morphologically very similar to Prunus cerasoides. Plants of Prunus species are short to medium-sized deciduous trees mainly found in the northern hemisphere. In India and its subcontinent, it extends from the Himalayas to Sikkim, Meghalaya, Bhutan, Myanmar etc. Different Prunus species have been extensively studied for their morphological, microscopic, pharmacological and phytoconstituents characteristics. Total phenolic content of Prunus species explains the presence of phenols in high quantity and pharmacological activity due to phenols. Phytochemical screening of species of genus Prunus shows the presence of wide phytoconstituents which contributes in their pharmacological significance and reveals the therapeutic potential and traditional medicinal significance of this genus. Genus Prunus showed a potent antioxidant activity analyzed by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical assay. Plant species belonging to the genus Prunus is widely used traditionally for the treatment of various disorders. Some specific Prunus species possess potent anticancer, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic etc. activity which makes the genus more interesting for further research and findings. This review is an attempt to summarize the comprehensive study of Prunus.

Fatty Acid Synthase as Interacting Anticancer Target of the Terpenoid Myrianthic Acid Disclosed by MS-Based Proteomics Approaches

This research focuses on the target deconvolution of the natural compound myrianthic acid, a triterpenoid characterized by an ursane skeleton isolated from the roots of Myrianthus arboreus and from Oenothera maritima Nutt. (Onagraceae), using MS-based chemical proteomic techniques. Application of drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) and targeted-limited proteolysis coupled to mass spectrometry (t-LiP-MS) led to the identification of the enzyme fatty acid synthase (FAS) as an interesting macromolecular counterpart of myrianthic acid. This result, confirmed by comparison with the natural ursolic acid, was thoroughly investigated and validated in silico by molecular docking, which gave a precise picture of the interactions in the MA/FAS complex. Moreover, biological assays showcased the inhibitory activity of myrianthic acid against the FAS enzyme, most likely related to its antiproliferative activity towards tumor cells. Given the significance of FAS in specific pathologies, especially cancer, the myrianthic acid structural moieties could serve as a promising reference point to start the potential development of innovative approaches in therapy.

Synthesis and cytotoxicity evaluation of d- and l-sugar-containing mono- and bidesmosidic ursane-type saponins

Ursolic acid and uvaol are naturally occurring triterpenoids that exhibit a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities, including cytotoxicity. However, a primary challenge in the development of ursane-type pentacyclic triterpenoids for pharmacological use is their poor aqueous solubility, which can impede their effectiveness as therapeutics agents. In this study, we present the facile synthesis of ursolic acid monodesmosides and uvaol bidesmosides, incorporating naturally occurring and water-soluble pentoses and deoxyhexose sugar moieties of opposite d- and l-configurations at the C3 or C3/C28 positions of the ursane core. The twenty synthetic saponins were evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxicity against lung carcinoma (A549) and colorectal adenocarcinoma (DLD-1) cell lines. Notably, all the bidesmosidic uvaol saponins were shown to be cytotoxic as compared to their non-cytotoxic parent triterpenoid. For each series of ursane-type saponins, the most active compounds were 3-O-α-l-arabinopyranosyl ursolic acid (3h) and 3,28-di-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl uvaol (4f), showing IC50 values in the low micromolar range against A549 and DLD-1 cancer lines.

Self-assembled nanodrug delivery systems for anti-cancer drugs from traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a combination of raw herbs and herbal extracts with a plethora of documented beneficial bioactivities, which has unique advantages in anti-tumor therapy, and many of its major bioactive molecules have been identified in recent years due to advances in chemical separation and structural analysis. However, the major chemical classes of plant-derived bioactive compounds frequently possess chemical properties, including poor water solubility, stability, and bioavailability, that limit their therapeutic application. Alternatively, natural small molecules (NSMs) containing these components possess modifiable groups, multiple action sites, hydrophobic side chains, and a rigid skeleton with self-assembly properties that can be exploited to construct self-assembled nanoparticles with therapeutic effects superior to their individual constituents. For instance, the construction of a self-assembled nanodrug delivery system can effectively overcome the strong hydrophobicity and poor in vivo stability of NSMs, thereby greatly improving their bioavailability and enhancing their anti-tumor efficacy. This review summarizes the self-assembly methods, mechanisms, and applications of a variety of NSMs, including terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, polyphenols, and saponins, providing a theoretical basis for the subsequent research on NSMs and the development of SANDDS.

Ursolic Acid Formulations Effectively Induce Apoptosis and Limit Inflammation in the Psoriasis Models In Vitro

Psoriasis, a prevalent inflammatory skin disorder affecting a significant percentage of the global population, poses challenges in its management, necessitating the exploration of novel cost-effective and widely accessible therapeutic options. This study investigates the potential of ursolic acid (UA), a triterpenoid known for its anti-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic properties, in addressing psoriasis-related inflammation and keratinocyte hyperproliferation. The research involved in vitro models employing skin and immune cells to assess the effects of UA on psoriasis-associated inflammation. The presented research demonstrates the limiting effects of UA on IL-6 and IL-8 production in response to the inflammatory stimuli and limiting effects on the expression of psoriatic biomarkers S100A7, S100A8, and S100A9. Further, the study reveals promising outcomes, demonstrating UA's ability to mitigate inflammatory responses and hyperproliferation of keratinocytes by the induction of non-inflammatory apoptosis, as well as a lack of the negative influence on other cell types, including immune cells. Considering the limitations of UA's poor solubility, hybrid systems were designed to enhance its bioavailability and developed as hybrid nano-emulsion and bi-gel topical systems to enhance bioavailability and effectiveness of UA. One of them in particular-bi-gel-demonstrated high effectiveness in limiting the pathological response of keratinocytes to pro-psoriatic stimulation; this was even more prominent than with ursolic acid alone. Our results indicate that topical formulations of ursolic acid exhibit desirable anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and may be further employed for topical psoriasis treatment.

Ursonic acid attenuates spermatogenesis in oligozoospermia mice through inhibiting ferroptosis

Ursonic acid (UNA) is a natural pentacyclic triterpene found in some medicinal plants and foods. The reproductive protective effect of UNA was evaluated in a mouse model of oligozoospermia induced by busulfan (BUS) at 30 mg/kg b.w.. The mice were initially divided into groups with UNA concentrations of 10, 30, 50, 100 mg/kg. Subsequently, based on sperm parameters, the optimal concentration of 50 mg/kg was identified. As a control, an additional group was supplemented with ursolic acid at a concentration of 50 mg/kg. The results indicated that BUS caused the loss of spermatogenic cells in testis, the decrease of sperm in epididymis, the disorder of testicular cytoskeleton, the decrease of serum sex hormones such as testosterone which induced an increase in feedback of androgen receptor and other testosterone-related proteins, the increase of malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species levels and the increase of ferroptosis in testis while UNA successfully reversed these injuries. High-throughput sequencing revealed that UNA administration significantly upregulated the expression of genes associated with spermatogenesis, such as Tnp1, Tnp2, Prm1, among others. These proteins are crucial in the histone to protamine transition during sperm chromatin remodeling. Network pharmacology analysis reveals a close association between UNA and proteins related to the transformation of histones to protamine. Molecular docking studies reveal that UNA can interact with the ferroptosis-inhibiting gene SLC7A11, thereby modulating ferroptosis. Taken together, UNA alleviated BUS-induced oligozoospermia by regulating hormone secretion, mitigating oxidative stress and promoting recovery of spermatogenesis by inhibiting the ferroptosis.

Semisynthesis, anti-oomycete and anti-fungal activities of ursolic acid ester derivatives

Using ursolic acid (UA) as the lead compound, thirteen UA ester derivatives (3 and 7a-l) were synthesized by modifying their C-3 and C-28 positions, respectively, and their structures were well characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HRMS and melting points. Furthermore, we evaluated the anti-oomycete and anti-fungal activities of these compounds against Phytophthora capsici and Fusarium graminearum in vitro. The results showed that compound 7h exhibited prominent anti-oomycete and anti-fungal activities, and the median effective concentration (EC50) values of 7h against P. capsici and F. graminearum were 70.49 and 113.21 mg/L, respectively. This study suggested that the anti-oomycete and anti-fungal activities of esters synthesized by introducing acyloxy group at C-3 position of UA was more conspicuous than that of esters synthesized by introducing benzyloxy group at C-28 position. This result will pave the way for further modification of UA to develop potential new fungicides.

The potential mechanism of ursolic acid in the treatment of bladder cancer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

OBJECTIVE

This study explored the potential molecular mechanisms of ursolic acid (UA) in bladder cancer treatment using network pharmacology and molecular docking.

METHODS

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology and UniProt databases were used to screen potential targets of UA. Relevant bladder cancer target genes were extracted using the GeneCards database. All data were pooled and intercrossed to obtain common target genes of UA and bladder cancer. Gene Ontology functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Molecular docking was conducted to verify the possible binding conformation between UA and bladder cancer cells. Then, in vitro experiments were performed to further validate the predicted results.

RESULTS

UA exerts anti-tumor effects on bladder cancer through multiple targets and pathways. Molecular docking indicated that UA undergoes stable binding with the proteins encoded by the top six core genes (STAT3, VEGFA, CASP3, TP53, IL1B, and CCND1). The in vitro experiments verified that UA can induce bladder cancer cell apoptosis by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study illustrated the potential mechanism of UA in bladder cancer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. The results will provide scientific references for follow-up studies and clinical treatment.

Phytochemistry, Bioactivity, and Ethnopharmacology of the Genus Lepechinia Willd. (Lamiaceae): A Review

The genus Lepechinia (Lamiaceae) involves several aromatic shrubs that are distributed only in the American continent, inhabiting mountain areas, mainly in the Andean region of South America. Based on the PRISMA approach, we selected and critically analyzed 48 research articles. From a phytochemical point of view, most of the secondary metabolites reported in Lepechinia spp. are terpenes and terpenoids, with a few exceptions comprising flavonoids and other shikimic acid derivatives. On the one hand, sesquiterpenoids of the guajane, aromadendrane, eudesmane, and cadinane groups are characteristic of essential oils, together with (E)-β-caryophyllene as the main representative of its chemical family. On the other hand, abietane diterpenoids are the prevalent compounds described in non-volatile fractions. Many biological activities and traditional medical uses have been reported for both pure metabolites and complex mixtures (e.g., essential oils). Regarding ethno-medical uses, the treatment of muscle pain, headache, toothache, diabetes mellitus, uterine tumors, uterine infections, and diarrhea has been reported. Concerning their verified biological activities, insecticidal, antifungal, antioxidant, and anticholinesterase properties have been described. Furthermore, some data concerning anti-herpetic activity have been reported.

A new acylated triterpene glycoside and cytotoxic constituents from Dolichandrone serrulata (Wall. ex DC.) Seem

In this study, a new acylated triterpene glycoside, 3α-O-stearoyl-28-[2'-stearoyl-α-l-arabinopyranosyl]-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (1), was isolated from the flowers of Dolichandrone serrulata. In addition to this compound, eleven known compounds were also isolated, including a related pentacyclic triterpenoid: ursolic acid (2), two cycloartane triterpenoids: 24-methylenecycloartanol (3) and 24-methylenecycloartane-3,28-diol (4), three cyclohexylethane derivatives: (-)-rengyolone (5), (-)-cleroindicin C (6) and (-)-cleroindicin D (7), an iridoid: 6-O-trans-feruloyl catalpol (8), two phenylethanoid glycosides: salidroside (9) and verbascoside (10), and two steroids: β-sitosterol (11) and β-sitosterol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (12). The chemical structures of these compounds were determined by analysing their HRMS and NMR spectroscopic data. Additionally, their cytotoxic activities against NH22, HCT116, MCF7, MDA-MB-231, and HeLa cell lines were evaluated for all the compounds. Ursolic acid exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity against all cancer cell lines tested, particularly against HN22, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and HCT116 cells with IC50 values of approximately 19-34 µM.

Nano-Drug Delivery Systems Based on Natural Products

Natural products have proven to have significant curative effects and are increasingly considered as potential candidates for clinical prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Compared with synthetic drugs, natural products not only have diverse structures but also exhibit a range of biological activities against different disease states and molecular targets, making them attractive for development in the field of medicine. Despite advancements in the use of natural products for clinical purposes, there remain obstacles that hinder their full potential. These challenges include issues such as limited solubility and stability when administered orally, as well as short durations of effectiveness. To address these concerns, nano-drug delivery systems have emerged as a promising solution to overcome the barriers faced in the clinical application of natural products. These systems offer notable advantages, such as a large specific surface area, enhanced targeting capabilities, and the ability to achieve sustained and controlled release. Extensive in vitro and in vivo studies have provided further evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of nanoparticle-based systems in delivering natural products in preclinical disease models. This review describes the limitations of natural product applications and the current status of natural products combined with nanotechnology. The latest advances in nano-drug delivery systems for delivery of natural products are considered from three aspects: connecting targeting warheads, self-assembly, and co-delivery. Finally, the challenges faced in the clinical translation of nano-drugs are discussed.

Synthesis of Ursolic Acid-based Hybrids: In Vitro Antibacterial, Cytotoxicity Studies, In Silico Physicochemical and Pharmacokinetic Properties

BACKGROUND

There is a critical need for the discovery of novel and effective antibacterial or anticancer molecules.

OBJECTIVES

Amine-linked ursolic acid-based hybrid compounds were prepared in good yields in the range of 60-68%.

METHODS

Their molecular structures were successfully confirmed using different spectroscopic methods including 1H/13C NMR, UHPLC-HRMS and FTIR spectroscopy. The in vitro cytotoxicity of some of these hybrid molecules against three human tumour cells, such as MDA-MB23, MCF7, and HeLa was evaluated using the MTT colorimetric method.

RESULT

Their antibacterial efficacy was evaluated against eleven bacterial pathogens using a serial dilution assay. Majority of the bacterial strains were inhibited significantly by compounds 17 and 24, with the lowest MIC values in the range of 15.3-31.25 μg/mL. Compound 16 exhibited higher cytotoxicity against HeLa cells than ursolic acid, with an IC50 value of 43.64 g/mL.

CONCLUSION

The in vitro antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of these hybrid compounds demonstrated that ursolic acid-based hybrid molecules are promising compounds. Further research into ursolic acid-based hybrid compounds is required.

Recent Advances in Biomedical Nanotechnology Related to Natural Products

Natural product processing via nanotechnology has opened the door to innovative and significant applications in medical fields. On one hand, plants-derived bioactive ingredients such as phenols, pentacyclic triterpenes and flavonoids exhibit significant pharmacological activities, on another hand, most of them are hydrophobic in nature, posing challenges to their use. To overcome this issue, nanoencapsulation technology is employed to encapsulate these lipophilic compounds and enhance their bioavailability. In this regard, various nano-sized vehicles, including degradable functional polymer organic compounds, mesoporous silicon or carbon materials, offer superior stability and retention for bioactive ingredients against decomposition and loss during delivery as well as sustained release. On the other hand, some naturally occurring polymers, lipids and even microorganisms, which constitute a significant portion of Earth's biomass, show promising potential for biomedical applications as well. Through nano-processing, these natural products can be developed into nano-delivery systems with desirable characteristics for encapsulation a wide range of bioactive components and therapeutic agents, facilitating in vivo drug transport. Beyond the presentation of the most recent nanoencapsulation and nano-processing advancements with formulations mainly based on natural products, this review emphasizes the importance of their physicochemical properties at the nanoscale and their potential in disease therapy.

Research status of indole-modified natural products

Indole is a heterocyclic compound formed by the fusion of a benzene ring and pyrrole ring, which has rich biological activity. Many indole-containing compounds have been sold on the market due to their excellent pharmacological activity. For example, vincristine and reserpine have been widely used in clinical practice. The diverse structures and biological activities of natural products provide abundant resources for the development of new drugs. Therefore, this review classifies natural products by structure, and summarizes the research progress of indole-containing natural product derivatives, their biological activities, structure-activity relationship and research mechanism which has been studied in the past 13 years, so as to provide a basis for the development of new drug development.

The Synergistic Effect of Biosynthesized Silver Nanoparticles and Phytocompound as a Novel Approach to the Elimination of Pathogens

Due to the wide applications of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), research on their ecological synthesis has been extensive in recent years. In our study, biogenic silver nanoparticles were synthesized extracellularly using the white rot fungus Trametes versicolor via two cultivation methods: static and shaking. The cell filtrate of the fungus was used as a reducing agent in the process of nanoparticle synthesis. Characterization of the obtained nanoparticles was carried out using UV-VIS spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The biosynthesized nanoparticles have antimicrobial potential against pathogenic bacteria, particularly in Gram-negative strains. The bactericidal effect was obtained for E. coli at a concentration of 7 µg/mL. The use of higher concentrations of compounds was necessary for Gram-positive bacteria. Taking into account the problem of the risk of cytotoxicity of AgNPs, combined therapy using a phytochemical was used for the first time, which was aimed at reducing the doses of nanoparticles. The most representative synergistic effect was observed in the treatment of 5 µg/mL silver nanoparticles in combination with 15 µg/mL ursolic acid against E. coli and P. aeruginosa with a bactericidal effect. Moreover, the coadministration of nanoparticles considerably reduced the growth of both Staphylococcus strains, with a bactericidal effect against S. aureus. The viability test confirmed the strong synergistic effect of both tested compounds. Silver nanoparticles synthesized using the T. versicolor showed excellent antibacterial potential, which opens perspectives for future investigations concerning the use of the nanoparticles as antimicrobials in the areas of health.

Ursolic acid induces apoptosis and pyroptosis in Reh cells by upregulating of the JNK signalling pathway based on network pharmacology and experimental validation

Objective

To explore the mechanism of ursolic acid (UA) against acute B lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) based on network pharmacological analysis, molecular docking and experimental verification.

Methods

The core targets, functional processes, and biological pathways of UA in B-ALL were predicted by network pharmacology and molecular docking. The efficacy and mechanism of UA against B-ALL were verified through in vitro experiments such as cell viability assays, CCK-8 assays, LDH assays, AO/EB staining, flow cytometry, and Western blot assays.

Results

Network pharmacology analysis of the core targets indicated that the effects of UA on B-ALL were related to programmed cell death (apoptosis and pyroptosis). Molecular docking results showed that FOS, CASP8, MAPK8, IL-1β and JUN were the key targets of UA against B-ALL. The MTS assay showed that UA decreased the viability of Reh cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Cellular and Western blot experiments found that UA induced Reh cell apoptosis and pyroptosis by upregulating the JNK signalling pathway.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrated that UA could induce Reh cell apoptosis and pyroptosis by activating the JNK signalling pathway to exert anti-B-ALL effects. This indicates that UA may become a potential drug for the effective treatment of B-ALL.

Quantification and holistic quality evaluation of Wulingzhi extract by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS coupled with chemometric approaches

The excreta of Trogopterus xanthipes ("Wulingzhi" in Chinese, WLZ) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine. It has been used for centuries to treat amenorrhea, menstruation and postpartum abdominal pain. However, a systematic quality study on WLZ chemical markers has yet to be conducted. This study aimed to establish an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a hybrid quadruple extraction Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS) method for the simultaneous quantitative determination of 20 compounds in 53 batches of WLZ; the method rapidly and sensitively determined the 20 plant- or animal-derived compounds. Firstly, the proposed approach was validated to satisfy the method's linearity, detection limits, precision, repeatability, stability and accuracy. Subsequently, multivariate analysis was used to identify correlations between the samples and feed, processing and regions. Finally, this method was used to further identify chemical markers for quality control in combination with chemometrics. This is the first report on pinusolide, betaine, hippuric acid, 4-oxorentinoic acid, 15-methoxypinusolidic acid and 4-oxoisotrentinoin in WLZ; the quality of WLZ became homogeneous after processing with vinegar (V-WLZ). Moreover, we screened for potential component markers, including uridine, allantoin, amentoflavone, hippuric acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, pinusolide, quercetin and kaempferol. These results were practical and efficient for the chemical clarification of WLZ and V-WLZ.

Discovery of inhibitors of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B contained in a natural products library from Mexican medicinal plants and fungi using a combination of enzymatic and in silico methods*

This work aimed to discover protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibitors from a small molecule library of natural products (NPs) derived from selected Mexican medicinal plants and fungi to find new hits for developing antidiabetic drugs. The products showing similar IC50 values to ursolic acid (UA) (positive control, IC50 = 26.5) were considered hits. These compounds were canophyllol (1), 5-O-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)-7-methoxy-3',4'-dihydroxy-4-phenylcoumarin (2), 3,4-dimethoxy-2,5-phenanthrenediol (3), masticadienonic acid (4), 4',5,6-trihydroxy-3',7-dimethoxyflavone (5), E/Z vermelhotin (6), tajixanthone hydrate (7), quercetin-3-O-(6″-benzoyl)-β-D-galactoside (8), lichexanthone (9), melianodiol (10), and confusarin (11). According to the double-reciprocal plots, 1 was a non-competitive inhibitor, 3 a mixed-type, and 6 competitive. The chemical space analysis of the hits (IC50 < 100 μM) and compounds possessing activity (IC50 in the range of 100-1,000 μM) with the BIOFACQUIM library indicated that the active molecules are chemically diverse, covering most of the known Mexican NPs' chemical space. Finally, a structure-activity similarity (SAS) map was built using the Tanimoto similarity index and PTP1B absolute inhibitory activity, which allows the identification of seven scaffold hops, namely, compounds 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11. Canophyllol (1), on the other hand, is a true analog of UA since it is an SAR continuous zone of the SAS map.

Inhibition of the interaction between Hippo/YAP and Akt signaling with ursolic acid and 3'3-diindolylmethane suppresses esophageal cancer tumorigenesis

Hippo/YAP signaling hinders cancer progression. Inactivation of this pathway contributes to the development of esophageal cancer by activation of Akt. However, the possible interaction between Akt and Hippo/YAP pathways in esophageal cancer progression is unclear. In this study, we found that ursolic acid (UA) plus 3'3-diindolylmethane (DIM) efficiently suppressed the oncogenic Akt/Gsk-3β signaling pathway while activating the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway in esophageal cancer cells. Moreover, the addition of the Akt inhibitor LY294002 and the PI3K inhibitor 3-methyladenine enhanced the inhibitory effects of UA plus DIM on Akt pathway activation and further stimulated the Hippo pathway, including the suppression of YAP nuclear translocation in esophageal cancer cells. Silencing YAP under UA plus DIM conditions significantly increased the activation of the tumor suppressor PTEN in esophageal cancer cells, while decreasing p-Akt activation, indicating that the Akt signaling pathway could be down-regulated in esophageal cancer cells by targeting PTEN. Furthermore, in a xenograft nude mice model, UA plus DIM treatment effectively diminished esophageal tumors by inactivating the Akt pathway and stimulating the Hippo signaling pathway. Thus, our study highlights a feedback loop between the PI3K/Akt and Hippo signaling pathways in esophageal cancer cells, implying that a low dose of UA plus DIM could serve as a promising chemotherapeutic combination strategy in the treatment of esophageal cancer.

New insights into the anticancer therapeutic potential of maytansine and its derivatives

Maytansine is a pharmacologically active 19-membered ansamacrolide derived from various medicinal plants and microorganisms. Among the most studied pharmacological activities of maytansine over the past few decades are anticancer and anti-bacterial effects. The anticancer mechanism of action is primarily mediated through interaction with the tubulin thereby inhibiting the assembly of microtubules. This ultimately leads to decreased stability of microtubule dynamics and cause cell cycle arrest, resulting in apoptosis. Despite its potent pharmacological effects, the therapeutic applications of maytansine in clinical medicine are quite limited due to its non-selective cytotoxicity. To overcome these limitations, several derivatives have been designed and developed mostly by modifying the parent structural skeleton of maytansine. These structural derivatives exhibit improved pharmacological activities as compared to maytansine. The present review provides a valuable insight into maytansine and its synthetic derivatives as anticancer agents.

The Antiproliferative Activity of Adiantum pedatum Extract and/or Piceatannol in Phenylhydrazine-Induced Colon Cancer in Male Albino Rats: The miR-145 Expression of the PI-3K/Akt/p53 and Oct4/Sox2/Nanog Pathways

Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide, and its incidence is increasing. Despite advances in medical science, the treatment of colon cancer still poses a significant challenge. This study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of Adiantum pedatum (AP) extract and/or piceatannol on colon cancer induced via phenylhydrazine (PHZ) in terms of the antioxidant and apoptotic pathways and histopathologic changes in the colons of male albino rats. The rats were randomly divided into eight groups: control, AP extract, piceatannol (P), PHZ, PHZ and AP treatments, PHZ and P treatments, PHZ and both AP and P, and PHZ and prophylaxis with both AP and P. The results demonstrated that PHZ induced oxidative damage, apoptosis, and histopathological changes compared to the control group. However, the administration of AP or P or AP + P as therapy or prophylaxis significantly ameliorated these changes and upregulated the colonic mir-145 and mRNA expression of P53 and PDCD-4 while downregulating the colonic mRNA expression of PI3K, AKT, c-Myc, CK-20, SOX-2, OCT-4, and NanoG compared to the PHZ group. These findings suggest that the candidate drugs may exert their anti-cancer effects through multiple mechanisms, including antioxidant and apoptotic activities.

Overcoming the Challenges of Phytochemicals in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Therapy: The Path Forward

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a very aggressive subtype of breast cancer that lacks estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptor expression. TNBC is thought to be produced by Wnt, Notch, TGF-beta, and VEGF pathway activation, which leads to cell invasion and metastasis. To address this, the use of phytochemicals as a therapeutic option for TNBC has been researched. Plants contain natural compounds known as phytochemicals. Curcumin, resveratrol, and EGCG are phytochemicals that have been found to inhibit the pathways that cause TNBC, but their limited bioavailability and lack of clinical evidence for their use as single therapies pose challenges to the use of these phytochemical therapies. More research is required to better understand the role of phytochemicals in TNBC therapy, or to advance the development of more effective delivery mechanisms for these phytochemicals to the site where they are required. This review will discuss the promise shown by phytochemicals as a treatment option for TNBC.

Synthesis, Biological Activity, ADME and Molecular Docking Studies of Novel Ursolic Acid Derivatives as Potent Anticancer Agents

A series of new ursolic acid (UA) derivatives substituted with various amino acids (AAs) or dipeptides (DP) at the C-3 position of the steroid skeleton was designed and synthesized. The compounds were obtained by the esterification of UA with the corresponding AAs. The cytotoxic activity of the synthesized conjugates was determined using the hormone-dependent breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and the triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA. Three derivatives (l-seryloxy-, l-prolyloxy- and l-alanyl-l-isoleucyloxy-) showed micromolar IC₅₀ values and reduced the concentrations of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9. Further studies revealed that for two compounds (l-seryloxy- and l-alanyl-l-isoleucyloxy-), a possible mechanism of their antiproliferative action is the activation of caspase-7 and the proapoptotic Bax protein in the apoptotic pathway. The third compound (l-prolyloxy- derivative) showed a different mechanism of action as it induced autophagy as measured by an increase in the concentrations of three autophagy markers: LC3A, LC3B, and beclin-1. This derivative also showed statistically significant inhibition of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6. Finally, for all synthesized compounds, we computationally predicted their ADME properties as well as performed molecular docking to the estrogen receptor to assess their potential for further development as anticancer agents.

Natural compounds ursolic acid and digoxin exhibit inhibitory activities to cancer cells in RORγ-dependent and -independent manner

Natural compounds ursolic acid (UA) and digoxin isolated from fruits and other plants display potent anti-cancer effects in preclinical studies. UA and digoxin have been at clinical trials for treatment of different cancers including prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and breast cancer. However, they displayed limited benefit to patients. Currently, a poor understanding of their direct targets and mechanisms of action (MOA) severely hinders their further development. We previously identified nuclear receptor RORγ as a novel therapeutic target for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and demonstrated that tumor cell RORγ directly activates gene programs such as androgen receptor (AR) signaling and cholesterol metabolism. Previous studies also demonstrated that UA and digoxin are potential RORγt antagonists in modulating the functions of immune cells such as Th17 cells. Here we showed that UA displays a strong activity in inhibition of RORγ-dependent transactivation function in cancer cells, while digoxin exhibits no effect at clinically relevant concentrations. In prostate cancer cells, UA downregulates RORγ-stimulated AR expression and AR signaling, whereas digoxin upregulates AR signaling pathway. In TNBC cells, UA but not digoxin alters RORγ-controlled gene programs of cell proliferation, apoptosis and cholesterol biosynthesis. Together, our study reveals for the first-time that UA, but not digoxin, acts as a natural antagonist of RORγ in the cancer cells. Our finding that RORγ is a direct target of UA in cancer cells will help select patients with tumors that likely respond to UA treatment.

A simple monoselective C-H oxygenation approach for the synthesis of ursane triterpenoids

Herein, we presented a simple approach for C-H oxidation in the C23 or/and C24 of ursane triterpenoids without any protection of a Δ^12,13 double bond. As a result, from commercial ursolic acid (UA), six naturally occurring ursane triterpenoids were synthesized in overall yields of 3.4% to 36.8%, which implied the importance of this approach for the derivation of natural products and their application in biological activity.

p53 as a potential target for treatment of cancer: A perspective on recent advancements in small molecules with structural insights and SAR studies

Cancer represents one of the world's biggest hazardous diseases. p53 is the uttermost researched tumour suppressor protein. It is commonly considered the "guardian of the genome," performing a critical function in genetic stability maintenance through controlling the cell cycle, programmed cell death, DNA repair, aging, and angiogenesis. The abnormalities in p53 lead to genetic instability and plays a significant role in carcinogenesis. The role of p53 in tumour suppression is emphasized in addition by the observation that primary silencing with this protein occurred in more than 50% of cancers. MDM2, p53, and the p53-MDM2 connections are well-known targets for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Moreover, in tumors with wild-type p53, their efficacy is decreased due to MDM2 enlargement or by the gradual decrease of MDM2 blocker ARF. As a result, improving p53 activity in cancerous cells provides a promising anticancer strategy. Various techniques are now being investigated, and addressing the p53-MDM2 interaction had also evolved as a potentially feasible strategy for contending with tumors. Both p53 and MDM2, interact via an autoregulation response signal: p53 activity induces MDM2 transcription, which in response interacts with p53's N-terminal transactivation domain, inhibiting its transcriptional activity. This article provides information on the current scenario of anti-tumor activities, with a particular emphasis on structure-activity relationship characteristics (SAR) against the p53-MDM2 to treat cancer. The primary purpose of this review is to cover recent advancements in the creation and testing of anticancer drugs that target the p53-MDM2 structure. This review contains different heterocyclic moieties which show significant results toward cancer. A mechanistic route is shown here, demonstrating both normal and malignant conditions via several stressed factors. Several compounds entered clinical trials as p53-MDM2 inhibitors for the treatment of cancer.

Ursolic Acid Analogs as Potential Therapeutics for Cancer

Ursolic acid (UA) is a pentacyclic triterpene isolated from a large variety of vegetables, fruits and many traditional medicinal plants. It is a structural isomer of Oleanolic Acid. The medicinal application of UA has been explored extensively over the last two decades. The diverse pharmacological properties of UA include anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-proliferative, etc. Especially, UA holds a promising position, potentially, as a cancer preventive and therapeutic agent due to its relatively non-toxic properties against normal cells but its antioxidant and antiproliferative activities against cancer cells. Cell culture studies have shown interference of UA with multiple pharmacological and molecular targets that play a critical role in many cells signaling pathways. Although UA is considered a privileged natural product, its clinical applications are limited due to its low absorption through the gastro-intestinal track and rapid elimination. The low bioavailability of UA limits its use as a therapeutic drug. To overcome these drawbacks and utilize the importance of the scaffold, many researchers have been engaged in designing and developing synthetic analogs of UA via structural modifications. This present review summarizes the synthetic UA analogs and their cytotoxic antiproliferative properties reported in the last two decades.

Ursolic acid: a natural modulator of signaling networks in different cancers

Incidence rate of cancer is estimated to increase by 40% in 2030. Furthermore, the development of resistance against currently available treatment strategies has contributed to the cancer-associated mortality. Scientists are now looking for the solutions that could help prevent the disease occurrence and could provide a pain-free treatment alternative for cancers. Therefore, efforts are now put to find a potent natural compound that could sever this purpose. Ursolic acid (UA), a triterpene acid, has potential to inhibit the tumor progression and induce sensitization to conventional treatment drugs has been documented. Though, UA is a hydrophobic compound therefore it is usually chemically modified to increase its bioavailability prior to administration. However, a thorough literature indicating its mechanism of action and limitations for its use at clinical level was not reviewed. Therefore, the current study was designed to highlight the potential mechanism of UA, its anti-cancer properties, and potential applications as therapeutic compound. This endeavour is a valuable contribution in understanding the hurdles preventing the translation of its potential at clinical level and provides foundations to design new studies that could help enhance its bioavailability and anti-cancer potential for various cancers.

Screening of traditional Chinese medicine monomers as ribonucleotide reductase M2 inhibitors for tumor treatment

BACKGROUND

Ribonucleotide reductase (RR) is a key enzyme in tumor proliferation, especially its subunit-RRM2. Although there are multiple therapeutics for tumors, they all have certain limitations. Given their advantages, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) monomers have become an important source of anti-tumor drugs. Therefore, screening and analysis of TCM monomers with RRM2 inhibition can provide a reference for further anti-tumor drug development.

AIM

To screen and analyze potential anti-tumor TCM monomers with a good binding capacity to RRM2.

METHODS

The Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database was used to analyze the level of RRM2 gene expression in normal and tumor tissues as well as RRM2's effect on the overall survival rate of tumor patients. TCM monomers that potentially act on RRM2 were screened via literature mining. Using AutoDock software, the screened monomers were docked with the RRM2 protein.

RESULTS

The expression of RRM2 mRNA in multiple tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in normal tissues, and it was negatively correlated with the overall survival rate of patients with the majority of tumor types. Through literature mining, we discovered that berberine, ursolic acid, gambogic acid, cinobufagin, quercetin, daphnetin, and osalmide have inhibitory effects on RRM2. The results of molecular docking identified that the above TCM monomers have a strong binding capacity with RRM2 protein, which mainly interacted through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic force. The main binding sites were Arg330, Tyr323, Ser263, and Met350.

CONCLUSION

RRM2 is an important tumor therapeutic target. The TCM monomers screened have a good binding capacity with the RRM2 protein.

Evidence of the Beneficial Effects of Ursolic Acid against Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Despite current treatment approaches that include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapies, lung cancer accounted for 1.79 million deaths worldwide in 2020, emphasizing the urgent need to find novel agents and approaches for more effective treatment. Traditionally, chemicals derived from plants, such as paclitaxel and docetaxel, have been used in cancer treatment, and in recent years, research has focused on finding other plant-derived chemicals that can be used in the fight against lung cancer. Ursolic acid is a polyphenol found in high concentrations in cranberries and other fruits and has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer properties. In this review, we summarize recent research examining the effects of ursolic acid and its derivatives on lung cancer. Data from in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal studies show potent anticancer effects of ursolic acid and indicate the need for clinical studies.

Carrier-free nanoplatforms from natural plants for enhanced bioactivity

BACKGROUND

Natural plants as well as traditional Chinese medicine have made outstanding contributions to the health and reproduction of human beings and remain the basis and major resource for drug innovation. Carrier-free nanoplatforms completely self-assembled by pure molecules or therapeutic components have attracted increasing attention due to their advantages of improved pharmacodynamics/pharmacokinetics, reduced toxicity, and high drug loading. In recent years, carrier-free nanoplatforms produced by self-assembly from natural plants have contributed to progress in a variety of therapeutic modalities. Notably, these nanoplatforms based on the interactions of components from different natural plants improve efficiency and depress toxicity.

AIM OF REVIEW

In this review, different types of self-assembled nanoplatforms are first summarized, mainly including nanoassemblies of pure small molecules isolated from different plants, extracellular vesicles separated from fresh plants, charcoal nanocomponents obtained from charred plants, and nanoaggregates from plants formulae decoctions. Key Scientific Concepts of Review: We mainly focus on composition, self-assembly mechanisms, biological activity and modes of action. Finally, a future perspective of existing challenges with respect to the clinical application of plant-based carrier-free nanoplatforms is discussed, which may be instructive to further develop effective carrier-free nanoplatforms from natural plants in the future.

Semisynthetic Derivatives of Pentacyclic Triterpenes Bearing Heterocyclic Moieties with Therapeutic Potential

Medicinal plants have been used by humans since ancient times for the treatment of various diseases and currently represent the main source of a variety of phytocompounds, such as triterpenes. Pentacyclic triterpenes have been subjected to numerous studies that have revealed various biological activities, such as anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and hepatoprotective effects, which can be employed in therapy. However, due to their high lipophilicity, which is considered to exert a significant influence on their bioavailability, their current use is limited. A frequent approach employed to overcome this obstacle is the chemical derivatization of the core structure with different types of moieties including heterocycles, which are considered key elements in medicinal chemistry. The present review aims to summarize the literature published in the last 10 years regarding the derivatives of pentacyclic triterpenes bearing heterocyclic moieties and focuses on the biologically active derivatives as well as their structure-activity relationships. Predominantly, the targeted positions for the derivatization of the triterpene skeleton are C-3 (hydroxyl/oxo group), C-28 (hydroxyl/carboxyl group), and C-30 (allylic group) or the extension of the main scaffold by fusing various heterocycles with the A-ring of the phytocompound. In addition, numerous derivatives also contain linker moieties that connect the triterpenic scaffold with heterocycles; one such linker, the triazole moiety, stands out as a key pharmacophore for its biological effect. All these studies support the hypothesis that triterpenoid conjugates with heterocyclic moieties may represent promising candidates for future clinical trials.

Anticancer activity of oleanolic acid and its derivatives modified at A-ring and C-28 position

Oleanolic acid (OA) is a five-ring triterpenoid compound, which is widely present in plants. Due to a wide range of pharmacological activities, oleanolic acid has attracted more and more attention. However, oleanolic acid is insoluble in water and has low bioavailability, which limits its clinical application. In this review, we focus on summarizing the anti-cancer activity and mechanism of the A ring or C-28 carboxyl modified derivatives of OA since 2015, to determine the strength of its anti-cancer effectiveness and evaluate whether it could be used as a clinical anti-cancer drug.

Chemical Constituents and Biological Activities of Ficus tikoua Bureau

Ficus tikoua Bureau (F. tikoua Bur.) is a perennial woody vine in the Moraceae family that has been used as a traditional folk medicine for centuries to treat many diseases such as chronic bronchitis, diarrhea, dysentery, rheumatism, and other inflammation-related diseases in certain parts of China, India, Vietnam, and Laos. This medicinal plant contains beneficial secondary metabolites belonging to various chemical classes, including flavonoids, phenolics, terpenoids, steroids, coumarins, and alkaloids. In this review, we have summarized the natural compounds isolated from F. tikoua Bur. and their biological effects.

Sorbus intermedia (EHRH.) PERS. fruits as a novel source of biologically active triterpenoids - Comparative studies of ursolic acid derivatives with cytotoxic potential

In the current study, the fruits of a popular ornamental tree, Sorbus intermedia, were investigated phytochemically and biologically as potential source of bioactive triterpenes. Six terpenoids were isolated and examined with respect to their cytotoxic activity using a broad screening in vitro model and multivariate analysis for better demonstration of the effects on cancer cells. This chemometric approach allowed us to confirm that the structural characteristics of the compounds significantly affected their impact on cell lines. Ursolic acid was found to be the most potent cytotoxic agent with IC₅₀ predominantly < 10 μg/mL after 24 h of incubation. Its 3-acetoxy derivative was less active, however, an improvement in selectivity with regard to prostate panel was observed. Reduction of the carboxylic moiety at C28, as well as introduction of the hydroxyl group at 19α position led to complete loss of cytotoxic activity.

Presenting a bioactive nanotherapeutic agent for colon cancer treatment

Colon cancer (CC) is one of the major causes of death worldwide. Insufficient drug concentration, non-specificity, or serious adverse effects of the conventional chemotherapeutic agents necessitate application of more effective treatment options. Herein, poly-ursolic acid, a polymer with anticancer effect, has been self-assembled for producing nanoparticles (NPs) for delivery of irinotecan (IRN) which is usually associated with poor solubility and severe adverse effects. NPs showed therapeutic efficiency by themselves in vivo and in vitro. IRN-loaded NPs with appropriate physicochemical characteristics, released IRN in a controlled fashion and demonstrated more efficient cytotoxicity, lower clearance rate and distribution volume, higher C_max and AUC, prolonged t_1/2, increased accumulation in tumor, and therapeutic effects in vivo as compared to free drug. There was no significant alteration of body weight or damage to the major organs. The prepared bioactive nanoplatform via improvement of IRN efficiency could be applied for inducing synergistic toxicity against CC.

Induction of Autophagy by Ursolic Acid Promotes the Elimination of Trypanosoma cruzi Amastigotes From Macrophages and Cardiac Cells

Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is an infectious illness endemic to Latin America and still lacks an effective treatment for the chronic stage. In a previous study in our laboratory, we established the protective role of host autophagy in vivo during T. cruzi infection in mice and proposed this process as one of the mechanisms involved in the innate immune response against this parasite. In the search for an autophagy inducer that increases the anti-T. cruzi response in the host, we found ursolic acid (UA), a natural pentacyclic triterpene with many biological actions including autophagy induction. The aim of this work was to study the effect of UA on T. cruzi infection in vitro in the late infection stage, when the nests of intracellular parasites are forming, in both macrophages and cardiac cells. To test this effect, the cells were infected with T. cruzi for 24 h and then treated with UA (5–10 µM). The data showed that UA significantly decreased the number of amastigotes found in infected cells in comparison with non-treated cells. UA also induced the autophagy response in both macrophages and cardiac cells under the studied conditions, and the inhibition of this pathway during UA treatment restored the level of infection. Interestingly, LC3 protein, the main marker of autophagy, was recruited around amastigotes and the acidic probe LysoTracker localized with them, two key features of xenophagy. A direct cytotoxic effect of UA was also found on trypomastigotes of T. cruzi, whereas epimastigotes and amastigotes displayed more resistance to this drug at the studied concentrations. Taken together, these data showed that this natural compound reduces T. cruzi infection in the later stages by promoting parasite damage through the induction of autophagy. This action, in addition to the effect of this compound on trypomastigotes, points to UA as an interesting lead for Chagas disease treatment in the future.

Biotransformation of ursolic acid by Circinella muscae and their anti-neuroinflammatory activities of metabolites

In this study, the biotransformation of ursolic acid by Circinella muscae CGMCC 3.2695 was investigated. Scaled-up biotransformation reactions yielded ten metabolites. Their structures were established based on extensive NMR and HR-ESI-MS data analyses, and four of them are new compounds. C. muscae could selectively catalyze hydroxylation, lactonisation, carbonylation and carboxyl reduction reactions. Furthermore, all the identified metabolites were evaluated for their anti-neuroinflammatory activities in LPS-induced BV-2 cells. Most metabolites displayed pronounced inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production. The results suggested that biotransformed derivatives of ursolic acid might be served as potential neuroinflammatory inhibitors.

Natural products: Potential therapeutic agents to prevent skeletal muscle atrophy

The skeletal muscle (SkM) is the largest organ, which plays a vital role in controlling musculature, locomotion, body heat regulation, physical strength, and metabolism of the body. A sedentary lifestyle, aging, cachexia, denervation, immobilization, etc. Can lead to an imbalance between protein synthesis and degradation, which is further responsible for SkM atrophy (SmA). To date, the understanding of the mechanism of SkM mass loss is limited which also restricted the number of drugs to treat SmA. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop novel approaches to regulate muscle homeostasis. Presently, some natural products attained immense attraction to regulate SkM homeostasis. The natural products, i.e., polyphenols (resveratrol, curcumin), terpenoids (ursolic acid, tanshinone IIA, celastrol), flavonoids, alkaloids (tomatidine, magnoflorine), vitamin D, etc. exhibit strong potential against SmA. Some of these natural products have been reported to have equivalent potential to standard treatments to prevent body lean mass loss. Indeed, owing to the large complexity, diversity, and slow absorption rate of bioactive compounds made their usage quite challenging. Moreover, the use of natural products is controversial due to their partially known or elusive mechanism of action. Therefore, the present review summarizes various experimental and clinical evidence of some important bioactive compounds that shall help in the development of novel strategies to counteract SmA elicited by various causes.

Distinct Mechanisms of Cytotoxicity in Novel Nitrogenous Heterocycles: Future Directions for a New Anti-Cancer Agent

Electron-rich, nitrogenous heteroaromatic compounds interact more with biological/cellular components than their non-nitrogenous counterparts. The strong intermolecular interactions with proteins, enzymes, and receptors confer significant biological and therapeutic properties to the imidazole derivatives, giving rise to a well-known and extensively used range of therapeutic drugs used for infections, inflammation, and cancer, to name a few. The current study investigates the anti-cancer properties of fourteen previously synthesized nitrogenous heterocycles, derivatives of imidazole and oxazolone, on a panel of cancer cell lines and, in addition, predicts the molecular interactions, pharmacokinetic and safety profiles of these compounds. Method: The MTT and CellTiter-Glo® assays were used to screen the imidazole and oxazolone derivatives on six cancer cell lines: HL60, MDA-MB-321, KAIMRC1, KMIRC2, MCF-10A, and HCT8. Subsequently, in vitro tubulin staining and imaging were performed, and the level of apoptosis was measured using the Promega ApoTox-Glo® triplex assay. Furthermore, several computational tools were utilized to investigate the pharmacokinetics and safety profile, including PASS Online, SEA Search, the QikProp tool, SwissADME, ProTox-II, and an in silico molecular docking study on tubulin to identify the critical molecular interactions. Results: In vitro analysis identified compounds 8 and 9 to possess the most significant potent cytotoxic activity on the HL60 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, supported by PASS Online anti-cancer predictions with pa scores of 0.413 and 0.434, respectively. In addition, compound 9 induced caspase 3/7 dependent-apoptosis and interfered with tubulin polymerization in the MDA-MB-231 cell line, consistent with in silico docking results, identifying binding similarity to the native ligand colchicine. All the derivatives, including compounds 8 and 9, had acceptable pharmacokinetics; however, the safety profile was suboptimal for all the tested derivates except compound 4. Conclusion: The imidazole derivative compound 9 is a promising anti-cancer agent that switches on caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death and modulates microtubule function. Therefore, it could be a lead compound for further drug optimization and development.

Angioprevention of Urologic Cancers by Plant-Derived Foods

The number of cancer cases worldwide keeps growing unstoppably, despite the undeniable advances achieved by basic research and clinical practice. Urologic tumors, including some as prevalent as prostate, bladder or kidney tumors, are no exceptions to this rule. Moreover, the fact that many of these tumors are detected in early stages lengthens the duration of their treatment, with a significant increase in health care costs. In this scenario, prevention offers the most cost-effective long-term strategy for the global control of these diseases. Although specialized diets are not the only way to decrease the chances to develop cancer, epidemiological evidence support the role of certain plant-derived foods in the prevention of urologic cancer. In many cases, these plants are rich in antiangiogenic phytochemicals, which could be responsible for their protective or angiopreventive properties. Angiogenesis inhibition may contribute to slow down the progression of the tumor at very different stages and, for this reason, angiopreventive strategies could be implemented at different levels of chemoprevention, depending on the targeted population. In this review, epidemiological evidence supporting the role of certain plant-derived foods in urologic cancer prevention are presented, with particular emphasis on their content in bioactive phytochemicals that could be used in the angioprevention of cancer.

Nanoparticles use for Delivering Ursolic Acid in Cancer Therapy: A Scoping Review

Ursolic acid is a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid that exerts a potent anticancer effect. Furthermore, it is classified as a BCS class IV compound possessing low permeability and water solubility, consequently demonstrating limited bioavailability in addition to low therapeutic effectiveness. Nanoparticles are developed to modify the physical characteristics of drug and can often be produced in the range of 30–200 nm, providing highly effective cancer therapy due to the Enhanced Permeation and Retention (EPR) Effect. This study aims to provide a review of the efficacy and safety of various types of Ursolic Acid-loading nanoparticles within the setting of preclinical and clinical anticancer studies. This literature study used scoping review method, where the extracted data must comply with the journal inclusion criteria of within years of 2010–2020. The identification stage produced 237 suitable articles. Duplicate screening was then conducted followed by the initial selection of 18 articles that had been reviewed and extracted for data analysis. Based on this review, the use of nanoparticles can be seen to increase the anticancer efficacy of Ursolic Acid in terms of several parameters including pharmacokinetic data, survival rates and inhibition rates, as well as the absence of serious toxicity in preclinical and clinical trials in terms of several parameters including body weight, blood clinical chemistry, and organ histipathology. Based on this review, the use of nanoparticles has been able to increase the anticancer efficacy of Ursolic Acid, as well as show the absence of serious toxicity in preclinical and clinical trials. Evenmore, the liposome carrier provides development data that has reached the clinical trial phase I. The use of nanoparticle provides high potential for Ursolic Acid delivery in cancer therapy.

Autophagy as a Therapeutic Target of Natural Products Enhancing Embryo Implantation

Infertility is an emerging health issue worldwide, and female infertility is intimately associated with embryo implantation failure. Embryo implantation is an essential process during the initiation of prenatal development. Recent studies have strongly suggested that autophagy in the endometrium is the most important factor for successful embryo implantation. In addition, several studies have reported the effects of various natural products on infertility improvement via the regulation of embryo implantation, embryo quality, and endometrial receptivity. However, it is unclear whether natural products can improve embryo implantation ability by regulating endometrial autophagy. Therefore, we performed a literature review of studies on endometrial autophagy, embryo implantation, natural products, and female infertility. Based on the information from these studies, this review suggests a new treatment strategy for female infertility by proposing natural products that have been proven to be safe and effective as endometrial autophagy regulators; additionally, we provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the regulation of endometrial autophagy by natural products and female infertility, with an emphasis on embryo implantation.

Research Progress of Carrier-Free Antitumor Nanoparticles Based on Phytochemicals

Cancer is a major worldwide public health issue, responsible for millions of deaths every year. Cancer cases and deaths are expected to increase rapidly with population growth, age, and lifestyle behaviors that increase cancer risk. Long-term chemotherapy results in acquired drug resistance. Traditional treatment methods have limitations and cannot effectively treat distal metastatic cancers. Application of nanocarriers in multi-chemotherapy must be promoted. With research progress, the shortcomings of traditional nanocarriers have gradually become evident. Carrier-free nanodrugs with desirable bioactivity have attracted considerable attention. In this review, we provide an overview of recent reports on several carrier-free nanodrug delivery systems based on phytochemicals. This review focuses on the advantages of carrier-free nanodrugs, and provides new insights for establishment of ideal cancer treatment nanosystems.