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Mayer AMS, Mayer VA, Swanson-Mungerson M, Pierce ML, Rodríguez AD, Nakamura F, Taglialatela-Scafati O. Marine Pharmacology in 2019-2021: Marine Compounds with Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, Anti-Inflammatory, Antiprotozoal, Antituberculosis and Antiviral Activities; Affecting the Immune and Nervous Systems, and Other Miscellaneous Mechanisms of Action. Mar Drugs 2024; 22:309. [PMID: 39057418 PMCID: PMC11278370 DOI: 10.3390/md22070309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 06/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The current 2019-2021 marine pharmacology literature review provides a continuation of previous reviews covering the period 1998 to 2018. Preclinical marine pharmacology research during 2019-2021 was published by researchers in 42 countries and contributed novel mechanism-of-action pharmacology for 171 structurally characterized marine compounds. The peer-reviewed marine natural product pharmacology literature reported antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antituberculosis, and antiviral mechanism-of-action studies for 49 compounds, 87 compounds with antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory activities that also affected the immune and nervous system, while another group of 51 compounds demonstrated novel miscellaneous mechanisms of action, which upon further investigation, may contribute to several pharmacological classes. Thus, in 2019-2021, a very active preclinical marine natural product pharmacology pipeline provided novel mechanisms of action as well as new lead chemistry for the clinical marine pharmaceutical pipeline targeting the therapy of several disease categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro M. S. Mayer
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, 555 31st Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA;
| | - Veronica A. Mayer
- Department of Nursing Education, School of Nursing, Aurora University, 347 S. Gladstone Ave., Aurora, IL 60506, USA;
| | - Michelle Swanson-Mungerson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, 555 31st Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA;
| | - Marsha L. Pierce
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, 555 31st Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA;
| | - Abimael D. Rodríguez
- Molecular Sciences Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, 1390 Ponce de León Avenue, San Juan, PR 00926, USA;
| | - Fumiaki Nakamura
- Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku 169-8555, Tokyo, Japan;
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Casertano M, Vito A, Aiello A, Imperatore C, Menna M. Natural Bioactive Compounds from Marine Invertebrates That Modulate Key Targets Implicated in the Onset of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and Its Complications. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2321. [PMID: 37765290 PMCID: PMC10538088 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15092321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an ongoing, risky, and costly health problem that therefore always requires new treatment options. Moreover, although several drugs are available, only 36% of patients achieve glycaemic control, and patient adherence is a major obstacle. With monotherapy, T2DM and its comorbidities/complications often cannot be managed, and the concurrent administration of several hypoglycaemic drugs is required, which increases the risk of side effects. In fact, despite the efficacy of the drugs currently on the market, they generally come with serious side effects. Therefore, scientific research must always be active in the discovery of new therapeutic agents. DISCUSSION The present review highlights some of the recent discoveries regarding marine natural products that can modulate the various targets that have been identified as crucial in the establishment of T2DM disease and its complications, with a focus on the compounds isolated from marine invertebrates. The activities of these metabolites are illustrated and discussed. OBJECTIVES The paper aims to capture the relevant evidence of the great chemical diversity of marine natural products as a key tool that can advance understanding in the T2DM research field, as well as in antidiabetic drug discovery. The variety of chemical scaffolds highlighted by the natural hits provides not only a source of chemical probes for the study of specific targets involved in the onset of T2DM, but is also a helpful tool for the development of drugs that are capable of acting via novel mechanisms. Thus, it lays the foundation for the design of multiple ligands that can overcome the drawbacks of polypharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Marialuisa Menna
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (M.C.); (A.V.); (A.A.); (C.I.)
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Ghorayshian A, Danesh M, Mostashari-Rad T, fassihi A. Discovery of novel RARα agonists using pharmacophore-based virtual screening, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation studies. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289046. [PMID: 37616260 PMCID: PMC10449137 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RARs) are ligand-dependent transcription factors involved in various biological processes, such as embryogenesis, cell proliferation, differentiation, reproduction, and apoptosis. These receptors are regulated by retinoids, i.e., retinoic acid (RA) and its analogs, as receptor agonists. RAR agonists are promising therapeutic agents for the treatment of serious dermatological disorders, including some malignant conditions. By inducing apoptosis, they are able to inhibit the proliferation of diverse cancer cell lines. Also, RAR agonists have recently been identified as therapeutic options for some neurodegenerative diseases. These features make retinoids very attractive molecules for medical purposes. Synthetic selective RAR agonists have several advantages over endogenous ones, but they suffer poor pharmacokinetic properties. These compounds are normally lipophilic acids with unfavorable drug-like features such as poor oral bioavailability. Recently, highly selective, potent, and less toxic RAR agonists with proper lipophilicity, thus, good oral bioavailability have been developed for some therapeutic applications. In the present study, ligand and structure-based virtual screening technique was exploited to introduce some novel RARα agonists. Pharmacokinetic assessment was also performed in silico to suggest those compounds which have optimized drug-like features. Finally, two compounds with the best in silico pharmacological features are proposed as lead molecules for future development of RARα agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atefeh Ghorayshian
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mahshid Danesh
- Functional Genomics & System Biology Group, Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, Am Hubland, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Tahereh Mostashari-Rad
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Smart University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Afshin fassihi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Lauritano C, Montuori E, De Falco G, Carrella S. In Silico Methodologies to Improve Antioxidants' Characterization from Marine Organisms. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:710. [PMID: 36978958 PMCID: PMC10045275 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12030710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Marine organisms have been reported to be valuable sources of bioactive molecules that have found applications in different industrial fields. From organism sampling to the identification and bioactivity characterization of a specific compound, different steps are necessary, which are time- and cost-consuming. Thanks to the advent of the -omic era, numerous genome, metagenome, transcriptome, metatranscriptome, proteome and microbiome data have been reported and deposited in public databases. These advancements have been fundamental for the development of in silico strategies for basic and applied research. In silico studies represent a convenient and efficient approach to the bioactivity prediction of known and newly identified marine molecules, reducing the time and costs of "wet-lab" experiments. This review focuses on in silico approaches applied to bioactive molecule discoveries from marine organisms. When available, validation studies reporting a bioactivity assay to confirm the presence of an antioxidant molecule or enzyme are reported, as well. Overall, this review suggests that in silico approaches can offer a valuable alternative to most expensive approaches and proposes them as a little explored field in which to invest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Lauritano
- Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Acton 55, 80133 Napoli, Italy
| | - Eleonora Montuori
- Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Acton 55, 80133 Napoli, Italy
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Gabriele De Falco
- Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Acton 55, 80133 Napoli, Italy
| | - Sabrina Carrella
- Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Acton 55, 80133 Napoli, Italy
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Koengeter T, Qin C, Mai BK, Liu Q, Mu Y, Liu P, Hoveyda AH. Catalytic Cross-Metathesis Reactions That Afford E- and Z-Trisubstituted Alkenyl Bromides: Scope, Applications, and Mechanistic Insights. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:3774-3785. [PMID: 36724200 PMCID: PMC10075319 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c13289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Stereochemically defined trisubstituted alkenes with a bromide and a methyl group at a terminus can be readily and stereoretentively derivatized through catalytic cross-coupling, affording unsaturated fragments found in many bioactive natural products. A direct method for generating such entities would be by stereocontrolled catalytic cross-metathesis (CM). Such methods are scarce however. Here, we present a stereoretentive strategy for CM between tri-, Z- or E-di, or monosubstituted olefins and Z- or E-2-bromo-2-butene, affording an assortment of E- or Z-trisubstituted alkenyl bromides. The majority of the transformations were catalyzed by two Mo monoaryloxide pyrrolide (MAP) complexes, one purchasable and the other accessible by well-established protocols. Substrates, such as feedstock trisubstituted olefins, can be purchased; the alkenyl bromide reagents are commercially available or can be prepared in two steps in a multigram scale. The catalytic process can be used to generate products that contain polar moieties, such as an amine or an alcohol, or sterically hindered alkenes that are α- or β-branched. The utility of the approach is highlighted by a brief and stereocontrolled synthesis of an unsaturated fragment of phomactin A and a concise total synthesis of ambrein. An unexpected outcome of these investigations was the discovery of a new role for the presence of a small-molecule alkene in an olefin metathesis reaction. DFT studies indicate that this additive swiftly reacts with a short-lived Mo alkylidene and probably helps circumvent the formation of catalytically inactive square pyramidal metallacyclobutanes, enhancing the efficiency of a transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Koengeter
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, USA
| | - Can Qin
- Supramolecular Science and Engineering Institute, University of Strasbourg, CNRS, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Binh Khanh Mai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA
| | - Qinghe Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, USA
| | - Yucheng Mu
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, USA
| | - Peng Liu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA
| | - Amir H. Hoveyda
- Department of Chemistry, Merkert Chemistry Center, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, USA
- Supramolecular Science and Engineering Institute, University of Strasbourg, CNRS, 67000 Strasbourg, France
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D’Aniello E, Amodeo P, Vitale RM. Marine Natural and Nature-Inspired Compounds Targeting Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptors (PPARs). Mar Drugs 2023; 21:md21020089. [PMID: 36827130 PMCID: PMC9966990 DOI: 10.3390/md21020089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors α, γ and β/δ (PPARα, PPARγ, and PPARβ/δ) are a family of ligand-activated transcriptional factors belonging to the superfamily of nuclear receptors regulating the expression of genes involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, energy homeostasis, inflammation, and the immune response. For this reason, they represent attractive targets for the treatment of a variety of metabolic diseases and, more recently, for neurodegenerative disorders due to their emerging neuroprotective effects. The degree of activation, from partial to full, along with the selectivity toward the different isoforms, greatly affect the therapeutic efficacy and the safety profile of PPAR agonists. Thus, there is a high interest toward novel scaffolds with proper combinations of activity and selectivity. This review intends to provide an overview of the discovery, optimization, and structure-activity relationship studies on PPAR modulators from marine sources, along with the structural and computational studies that led to their identification and/or elucidation, and rationalization of their mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico D’Aniello
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Pietro Amodeo
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council (ICB-CNR), Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli (NA), Italy
- Correspondence: (P.A.); (R.M.V.)
| | - Rosa Maria Vitale
- Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, National Research Council (ICB-CNR), Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli (NA), Italy
- Correspondence: (P.A.); (R.M.V.)
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Hernández-Silva D, Alcaraz-Pérez F, Pérez-Sánchez H, Cayuela ML. Virtual screening and zebrafish models in tandem, for drug discovery and development. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2022:1-13. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2147503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Hernández-Silva
- Telomerase, Cancer and Aging Group (TCAG), Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca), 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Structural Bioinformatics and High-Performance Computing Research Group (BIOHPC), Computer Engineering Department, Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM), Guadalupe, 30107 Murcia, Spain
| | - Francisca Alcaraz-Pérez
- Telomerase, Cancer and Aging Group (TCAG), Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca), 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Horacio Pérez-Sánchez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Maria Luisa Cayuela
- Telomerase, Cancer and Aging Group (TCAG), Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca), 30120 Murcia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, 30100 Murcia, Spain
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Marine Terpenic Endoperoxides. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:md19120661. [PMID: 34940660 PMCID: PMC8703521 DOI: 10.3390/md19120661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Organic extracts of marine invertebrates, mainly sponges, from seas all over the world are well known for their high in vitro anticancer and antibiotic activities which make them promising sources of compounds with potential use as pharmaceutical leads. Most of the structures discovered so far have a peculiar structural feature in common: a 1,2-dioxane ring. This is a highly reactive heterocycle that can be considered as an endoperoxide function. Together with other structural features, this group could be responsible for the strong biological activities of the substances present in the extracts. Numerous research programs have focused on their structural elucidation and total synthesis since the seventies. As a consequence, the number of established chiral centres and the similarity between different naturally occurring substances is increasingly higher. Most of these compounds have a terpenoid nature, mainly diterpene and sesterterpene, with several peculiar structural features, such as the loss of one carbon atom. Although there are many reviews dealing with the occurrence of marine peroxides, their activities, or potential pharmaceutical uses, no one has focused on those having a terpene origin and the endoperoxide function. We present here a comprehensive review of these compounds paying special attention to their structural features and their biological activity.
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Natural Products from Tongan Marine Organisms. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26154534. [PMID: 34361690 PMCID: PMC8347048 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26154534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The islands of the South Pacific Ocean have been in the limelight for natural product biodiscovery, due to their unique and pristine tropical waters and environment. The Kingdom of Tonga is an archipelago in the central Indo-Pacific Ocean, consisting of 176 islands, 36 of which are inhabited, flourishing with a rich diversity of flora and fauna. Many unique natural products with interesting bioactivities have been reported from Indo-Pacific marine sponges and other invertebrate phyla; however, there have not been any reviews published to date specifically regarding natural products from Tongan marine organisms. This review covers both known and new/novel Marine Natural Products (MNPs) and their biological activities reported from organisms collected within Tongan territorial waters up to December 2020, and includes 109 MNPs in total, the majority from the phylum Porifera. The significant biological activity of these metabolites was dominated by cytotoxicity and, by reviewing these natural products, it is apparent that the bulk of the new and interesting biologically active compounds were from organisms collected from one particular island, emphasizing the geographic variability in the chemistry between these organisms collected at different locations.
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Carroll AR, Copp BR, Davis RA, Keyzers RA, Prinsep MR. Marine natural products. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 38:362-413. [PMID: 33570537 DOI: 10.1039/d0np00089b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 66.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
This review covers the literature published in 2019 for marine natural products (MNPs), with 719 citations (701 for the period January to December 2019) referring to compounds isolated from marine microorganisms and phytoplankton, green, brown and red algae, sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms, mangroves and other intertidal plants and microorganisms. The emphasis is on new compounds (1490 in 440 papers for 2019), together with the relevant biological activities, source organisms and country of origin. Pertinent reviews, biosynthetic studies, first syntheses, and syntheses that led to the revision of structures or stereochemistries, have been included. Methods used to study marine fungi and their chemical diversity have also been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony R Carroll
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. and Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Brent R Copp
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Rohan A Davis
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia and School of Enivironment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Robert A Keyzers
- Centre for Biodiscovery, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Michèle R Prinsep
- Chemistry, School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
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Matsuzaka Y, Uesawa Y. Molecular Image-Based Prediction Models of Nuclear Receptor Agonists and Antagonists Using the DeepSnap-Deep Learning Approach with the Tox21 10K Library. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25122764. [PMID: 32549344 PMCID: PMC7356846 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25122764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 06/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The interaction of nuclear receptors (NRs) with chemical compounds can cause dysregulation of endocrine signaling pathways, leading to adverse health outcomes due to the disruption of natural hormones. Thus, identifying possible ligands of NRs is a crucial task for understanding the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) for human toxicity as well as the development of novel drugs. However, the experimental assessment of novel ligands remains expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, an in silico approach with a wide range of applications instead of experimental examination is highly desirable. The recently developed novel molecular image-based deep learning (DL) method, DeepSnap-DL, can produce multiple snapshots from three-dimensional (3D) chemical structures and has achieved high performance in the prediction of chemicals for toxicological evaluation. In this study, we used DeepSnap-DL to construct prediction models of 35 agonist and antagonist allosteric modulators of NRs for chemicals derived from the Tox21 10K library. We demonstrate the high performance of DeepSnap-DL in constructing prediction models. These findings may aid in interpreting the key molecular events of toxicity and support the development of new fields of machine learning to identify environmental chemicals with the potential to interact with NR signaling pathways.
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Identification and Characterization of Cannabimovone, a Cannabinoid from Cannabis sativa, as a Novel PPARγ Agonist via a Combined Computational and Functional Study. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25051119. [PMID: 32138197 PMCID: PMC7179127 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25051119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytocannabinoids (pCBs) are a large family of meroterpenoids isolated from the plant Cannabis sativa. Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the best investigated phytocannabinoids due to their relative abundance and interesting bioactivity profiles. In addition to various targets, THC and CBD are also well-known agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), a nuclear receptor involved in energy homeostasis and lipid metabolism. In the search of new pCBs potentially acting as PPARγ agonists, we identified cannabimovone (CBM), a structurally unique abeo-menthane pCB, as a novel PPARγ modulator via a combined computational and experimental approach. The ability of CBM to act as dual PPARγ/α agonist was also evaluated. Computational studies suggested a different binding mode toward the two isoforms, with the compound able to recapitulate the pattern of H-bonds of a canonical agonist only in the case of PPARγ. Luciferase assays confirmed the computational results, showing a selective activation of PPARγ by CBM in the low micromolar range. CBM promoted the expression of PPARγ target genes regulating the adipocyte differentiation and prevented palmitate-induced insulin signaling impairment. Altogether, these results candidate CBM as a novel bioactive compound potentially useful for the treatment of insulin resistance-related disorders.
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