The Anti-Inflammatory Effect and Structure of EPCP1-2 from Crypthecodinium cohnii via Modulation of TLR4-NF-κB Pathways in LPS-Induced RAW 264.7 Cells

Structure and Adsorption Performance of Cationic Entermorpha prolifera Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogel for Typical Pollutants: Methylene Blue, Cefuroxime, and Cr (VI)

Hydrogels with polysaccharides as high polymer substrates have surprising advantages in wastewater treatment with complex components. Therefore, in this study, polysaccharides named EPS were extracted from Enteromorpha prolifera, a coastal pollutant with a wide range of sources, and cationic modification was performed to obtain CAEPS, the hydrogel with a double network structure was prepared based on EPS and CAEPS. Meanwhile, the structural characteristic of EPS and CAEPS-based hydrogel were identified by HPLC, AFM, FT-IR, TGA, SEM-EDS, Pore size distribution, and WCA, which showed that the porosity, apparent (skeletal) density, and hydrophilicity of CAEPS-hydrogels. We used nonlinear isotherms to uncover the adsorption mechanism of hydrogel applied to the water environment containing three typical pollutants (Methylene blue, Cefuroxime, and Cr (VI)). The results showed that the adsorption isotherm of the two hydrogels fit the Langmuir isotherm model, which indicated the monolayer adsorption of the pollution factor onto EPS- and CAEPS-hydrogels. The maximum adsorption capacities of CAEPS-hydrogels were higher than EPS-hydrogels, which indicated the microstructure and adsorption performance of the CAEPS-hydrogel are strengthened.

Anti-inflammatory Mechanism of Action of Benzoylmesaconine in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated RAW264.7 Cells

Background

Benzoylmesaconine (BMA), the most abundant monoester alkaloid in Aconitum plants, has some biological activities and is a potential therapeutic agent for inflammation-related diseases. However, the potential anti-inflammatory mechanisms of BMA have not been clarified.

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory action of this compound using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 macrophages.

Methods

The release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators were detected by nitric oxide (NO) assays, reactive oxygen species (ROS) assays, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the gene expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Cell viability was determined using a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The expression of iNOS, COX-2, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)-related proteins were detected by western blot, and nuclear translocation of p65 was observed by immunofluorescence.

Results

BMA significantly decreased the production of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, PGE₂, NO, and ROS and inhibited the protein and mRNA levels of COX-2 and iNOS in LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophages. Moreover, LPS-induced phosphorylation of IκBα, JNK, p38, and ERK; degradation of IκBα; and nuclear translocation of p65 were significantly suppressed by BMA treatment.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate that the anti-inflammatory effect of BMA was through the suppression of the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways and that it may be a therapeutic agent targeting specific signal transduction events required for inflammation-related diseases.

Microalgae-derived polysaccharides: Potential building blocks for biomedical applications

In recent years, the increasing concern about human health well-being has strongly boosted the search for natural alternatives that can be used in different fields, especially in biomedicine. This has put microalgae-based products in evidence since they contain many bioactive compounds, of which polysaccharides are attractive due to the diverse physicochemical properties and new or improved biological roles they play. Polysaccharides from microalgae, specially exopolysaccharides, are critically important for market purposes because they can be used as anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-glycemic, antitumor, antioxidant, anticoagulant, antilipidemic, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal agents. Therefore, to obtain higher productivity and competitiveness of these naturally available compounds, the cultivation parameters and the extraction/purification processes must be better optimized in order to bring perspectives for the exploitation of products in commercial and clinical practice. In this sense, the objective of the present review is to elucidate the potential biomedical applications of microalgae-derived polysaccharides. A closer look is taken at the main polysaccharides produced by microalgae, methods of extraction, purification and structural determination, biological activities and their applications, and current status.

Marine-Derived Compounds for the Potential Treatment of Glucocorticoid Resistance in Severe Asthma

One of the challenges to the management of severe asthma is the poor therapeutic response to treatment with glucocorticosteroids. Compounds derived from marine sources have received increasing interest in recent years due to their prominent biologically active properties for biomedical applications, as well as their sustainability and safety for drug development. Based on the pathobiological features associated with glucocorticoid resistance in severe asthma, many studies have already described many glucocorticoid resistance mechanisms as potential therapeutic targets. On the other hand, in the last decade, many studies described the potentially anti-inflammatory effects of marine-derived biologically active compounds. Analyzing the underlying anti-inflammatory mechanisms of action for these marine-derived biologically active compounds, we observed some of the targeted pathogenic molecular mechanisms similar to those described in glucocorticoid (GC) resistant asthma. This article gathers the marine-derived compounds targeting pathogenic molecular mechanism involved in GC resistant asthma and provides a basis for the development of effective marine-derived drugs.

Oceans as a Source of Immunotherapy

Marine flora is taxonomically diverse, biologically active, and chemically unique. It is an excellent resource, which offers great opportunities for the discovery of new biopharmaceuticals such as immunomodulators and drugs targeting cancerous, inflammatory, microbial, and fungal diseases. The ability of some marine molecules to mediate specific inhibitory activities has been demonstrated in a range of cellular processes, including apoptosis, angiogenesis, and cell migration and adhesion. Immunomodulators have been shown to have significant therapeutic effects on immune-mediated diseases, but the search for safe and effective immunotherapies for other diseases such as sinusitis, atopic dermatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and allergies is ongoing. This review focuses on the marine-originated bioactive molecules with immunomodulatory potential, with a particular focus on the molecular mechanisms of specific agents with respect to their targets. It also addresses the commercial utilization of these compounds for possible drug improvement using metabolic engineering and genomics.

Antineoplastic effect of pectic polysaccharides from green sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum) on mammary tumor cells in vivo and in vitro

The present study investigated the antineoplastic effects of pectic polysaccharides that were extracted from green sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum [CAP]) in the Ehrlich carcinoma in mice and in human mammary tumor lineages. After the subcutaneous inoculation of 2 × 10⁶ Ehrlich tumor cells, Female Swiss mice received 50, 100, or 150 mg/kg CAP or vehicle orally once daily or methotrexate (2.5 mg/kg, i.p., every 5 days) for 21 days. CAP dose-dependently reduced Ehrlich tumor growth. It also reduced the viability of MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-436 human mammary cell lineages. Treatment with CAP reduced the gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in vivo and in vitro, reduced vessel areas of the tumors, and induced necrosis in Ehrlich solid tumors. CAP treatment significantly increased Interleukin-6 in tumors. The antineoplastic effect of CAP appears to depend on the regulation of inflammation and angiogenesis. Further studies are encouraged to better understand the CAP potential for the treatment of breast tumors.