Anticarcinogenic Effect of Spices Due to Phenolic and Flavonoid Compounds-In Vitro Evaluation on Prostate Cells

Flavonoids as promising anticancer agents: an in silico investigation of ADMET, binding affinity by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations

Cancer is one of the most concerning diseases to humankind. Various treatment strategies are being employed for its treatment, out of which use of natural products is an essential one. Flavonoids have proven to be promising anticancer targets since decades. Also, tubulin is a significant biological target for the development of anticancer agents due to its crucial role in mitosis and abundance throughout the body. In the current study, in silico ADMET parameters of 104 flavonoids were examined, followed by molecular docking with the colchicine binding site of Tubulin protein (PDB; Id 4O2B). The best conformation from each flavonoid subcategory with the best docking score (MolDock score) was further subjected to 100 ns of molecular dynamics to investigate the protein-ligand complex's stability. Different parameters such as RMSD, RMSF, rGy and SASA were calculated for the six flavonoids using molecular dynamic studies. The top most compound from all the six subcategories of flavonoids elicited best behavior in the colchicine binding site of Tubulin protein. This in silico study employing molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation provides strong evidence for flavonoids to be excellent anti-tubulin agents for the treatment of cancer.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Qihuzha granule attenuated LPS-induced acute spleen injury in mice via Src/MAPK/Stat3 signal pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Qihuzha granule (QHZG), is one of traditional Chinese patent medicines composed of eleven edible medicinal plant, which has been used in the clinic for the treatment of indigestion and anorexia in children caused by deficiency of the spleen and stomach. Yet it is noteworthy that QHZG has therapeutic effect on recurrent respiratory tract infection (RRTI) in children. However, its potential molecular mechanisms remained unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect and potential mechanism of QHZG on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced acute spleen injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The acute spleen injury model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of LPS (10 mg/kg) and safe doses of QHZG was administered by gavage once a day for 23 days before LPS treatment. Serum inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-1β, IFN-γ, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were tested by ELISA. Related protein levels were detected by Western blotting. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was employed to observe the histological alterations. The distribution of macrophages and neutrophils in the mouse spleen was examined by immunofluorescence analysis.

RESULTS

QHZG pretreatment significantly abolished the increased secretion of cytokines such as interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-1β, IFN-γ, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which were attributable to LPS treatment. Immunofluorescence staining and Histological analysis of spleen tissue revealed the protective effect of QHZG against LPS-induced acute spleen injury in mice. Further study indicated that pretreatment with QHZG significantly inhibited LPS-induced phosphorylation of Src. Accordingly, the increased phosphorylation of Src downstream components (JNK, ERK, P38 and STAT3) induced by LPS was remarkably diminished by QHZG, suggesting the involvement of Src/MAPK/STAT3 pathway in the inhibitory effects of QHZG on spleen injury in mice.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated that QHZG protected mice from LPS-induced acute spleen injury via inhibition of Src/MAPK/Stat3 signal pathway. These results suggested that QHZG might serve as a new drug for the treatment of LPS-stimulated spleen injury.

Hormesis Mediates Acquired Resilience: Using Plant-Derived Chemicals to Enhance Health

This review provides an assessment of hormesis, a highly conserved evolutionary dose-response adaptive strategy that leads to the development of acquired resilience within well-defined temporal windows. The hormetic-based acquired resilience has a central role in affecting healthy aging, slowing the onset and progression of numerous neurodegenerative and other age-related diseases, and reducing risks and damage due to heart attacks, stroke, and other serious conditions of public health and medical importance. The review provides the historical foundations of hormesis, its dose-response features, its capacity for generalization across biological models and endpoints measured, and its mechanistic foundations. The review also provides a focus on the adaptive features of hormesis, i.e., its capacity to upregulate acquired resilience and how this can be mediated by numerous plant-derived extracts, such as curcumin, ginseng, Ginkgo biloba, resveratrol, and green tea, that induce a broad spectrum of chemopreventive effects via hormesis.