Anti-angiogenic, Anti-inflammatory and Anti-nociceptive Activities of Vanillin in ICR Mice

Phytochemical characterization of Thevetia peruviana (lucky nut) bark extracts by GC-MS analysis, along with evaluation of its biological activities, and molecular docking study

Thevetia peruviana (T. peruviana; Family: Apocynaceae), commonly known as Lucky Nut, is a traditionally and medicinally important plant, and the barks of the plant are traditionally used as anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and antibacterial remedies. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate bioactive phytochemicals and in-vitro biological activities from the bark of T. peruviana using methanolic (TPM) and dichloromethane (TPD) extracts. The GC-MS analysis showed the presence of 54 and 39 bioactive compounds in TPM and TPD, respectively. The TPM extract has a higher level of total polyphenolic contents (TPC: 70.89 ± 1.08 and 51.07 ± 0.78 mg GAE/g extracts, while TFC: 56.89 ± 1.16 and 44.12 ± 1.76 Qu.E/g extracts for TPM and TPD, respectively). Herein, the results of antioxidant activities were also found in correlation with the total polyphenolic contents i.e., depicting the higher antioxidant potential of TPM compared to TPD. The significant inhibitory activities of extracts were observed against tyrosinase (TPM; 59.43 ± 2.87 %, TPD; 53.43 ± 2.65 %), lipoxygenase (TPM; 77.1 ± 1.2 %, TPD; 59.3 ± 0.1 %), and α-glucosidase (TPM; 71.32 ± 2.44 %, TPD; 67.86 ± 3.011 %). Furthermore, in comparison to co-amoxiclave, the antibacterial property against five bacterial strains was significant assayed. The compounds obtained through GC-MS analysis were subjected to in-silico molecular docking studies, and the phyto-constituents with maximum binding scores were then subjected to ADME analysis. The results of in-silico studies revealed that the binding affinity of several phyto-constituents was even greater than that of the standard inhibitory ligands. ADME analysis showed bioavailability radars of phyto-constituents having maximum docking scores in molecular docking. The results of this study indicated that T. peruviana has bioactive phytochemicals and therapeutic potential and may provide a basis for treating metabolic disorders (inflammatory diseases like rheumatism and diabetes), bacterial infections, and skin-related problems.

Medicinal Orchids of Mexico: A Review

Some species of the Orchidaceae family are used in Mexican traditional medicine. However, there are no current and critical compilations of the medicinal uses and pharmacological effects of the members of the Orchidaceae family. This review provides a current, critical, and comprehensive analysis of the traditional medicinal uses, pharmacological reports, and active compounds isolated from Mexican orchids. A total of 62 Mexican orchids with medicinal potential have been recorded, of which 14 have scientific evidence. The remaining 48 plant species have ethnomedicinal information but have not been validated with scientific studies. These orchids are distributed in 14 states of the Mexican Republic, mainly in the southern region of Mexico. The most common pharmacological activities reported are anti-inflammatory, vasorelaxant, antinociceptive, antioxidant, spasmolytic, antihypertensive, and hallucinogenic activities. It is necessary to increase the number of pharmacological, phytochemical, and toxicological studies with medicinal orchids from Mexico because there are scientific studies on only 22.5% of these species. In further studies, it will be possible to evaluate the pharmacological effects of Mexican orchids in clinical trials. In addition, the mechanisms of action by which plant extracts and their active compounds exert medicinal effects remain to be studied. Plant extracts from orchids and their active compounds show promising antinociceptive and spasmolytic effects, respectively.

Overview of the Role of Vanillin in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Neuropathophysiological Conditions

Nowadays, bioactive natural products play key roles in drug development due to their safety profile and strong antioxidant power. Vanillin is a natural phenolic compound found in several vanilla beans and widely used for food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products. Besides its industrial applications, vanillin possesses several beneficial effects for human health, such as antioxidant activity in addition to anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, anti-metastatic, and anti-depressant properties. Moreover, vanillin exhibits neuroprotective effects on multiple neurological disorders and neuropathophysiological conditions. This study reviews the mechanisms of action by which vanillin prevents neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in vitro and in vivo systems, in order to provide the latest views on the beneficial properties of this molecule in chronic neurodegenerative diseases and neuropathophysiological conditions.

Vanillin: a review on the therapeutic prospects of a popular flavouring molecule

Abstract

Graphic abstract

Quinoa Secondary Metabolites and Their Biological Activities or Functions

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) was known as the "golden grain" by the native Andean people in South America, and has been a source of valuable food over thousands of years. It can produce a variety of secondary metabolites with broad spectra of bioactivities. At least 193 secondary metabolites from quinoa have been identified in the past 40 years. They mainly include phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, and nitrogen-containing compounds. These metabolites exhibit many physiological functions, such as insecticidal, molluscicidal and antimicrobial activities, as well as various kinds of biological activities such as antioxidant, cytotoxic, anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory properties. This review focuses on our knowledge of the structures, biological activities and functions of quinoa secondary metabolites. Biosynthesis, development and utilization of the secondary metabolites especially from quinoa bran were prospected.

Oral Administration of Vanillin Improves Imiquimod-Induced Psoriatic Skin Inflammation in Mice

Vanillin is one of the most widely used flavoring products worldwide. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder. The interleukin-23 (IL-23)/interleukin-17 (IL-17) axis plays a critical role in psoriasis. Here, we analyzed the effect of vanillin on imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriatic skin inflammation in mice. Mice were treated topically with IMQ on the back skin and orally with various amounts of vanillin for 7 consecutive days. Vanillin significantly improved IMQ-induced histopathological changes of skin in a dose-dependent manner. The thickness and number of cell layers of epidermis were reduced by 29 ± 14.4 and 27.8 ± 11%, respectively, in mice given 100 mg/kg of vanillin. A microarray showed that a total of 9042 IMQ-upregulated genes were downregulated by vanillin, and the biological pathways involved in the immune system and metabolism were significantly altered by vanillin. The upregulated expressions of IL-23, IL-17A, and IL-17F genes were suppressed by vanillin, with fold changes of -3.07 ± 0.08, -2.06 ± 0.21, and -1.62 ± 0.21, respectively. Moreover, vanillin significantly decreased both the amounts of IL-17A and IL-23 and the infiltration of immune cells in the skin tissues of IMQ-treated mice. In conclusion, our findings suggested that vanillin was an effective bioactive compound against psoriatic skin inflammation. Moreover, the downregulation of IL-23 and IL-17 expression suggested that vanillin was a novel regulator of the IL-23/IL-17 axis.

Homodimers of Vanillin and Apocynin Decrease the Metastatic Potential of Human Cancer Cells by Inhibiting the FAK/PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

The spread of cancer cells to distant organs, in a process called metastasis, is the main factor that contributes to most death in cancer patients. Vanillin, the vanilla flavoring agent, has been shown to suppress metastasis in a mouse model. Here, we evaluated the antimetastatic potential of the food additive divanillin, the homodimer of vanillin, and their structurally related compounds, apocynin and diapocynin, in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The Transwell invasion assay showed that the dimeric forms exhibited a potency higher than those of vanillin and apocynin in inhibiting invasion, with IC₅₀ values of 23.3 ± 7.4 to 41.3 ± 4.2 μM for the dimers, which are 26-34-fold lower than IC₅₀ values of vanillin and apocynin (p < 0.05). Both monomeric and dimeric forms target regulation of the invasion process by inhibiting phosphorylation of FAK and Akt. Molecular docking studies suggested that the dimers should bind more tightly than vanillin and apocynin to the Y397 pocket of the FAK FERM domain. Thus, the food additive divanillin has antimetastatic potential greater than that of the flavoring agent vanillin.

Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of Homalium letestui

CONTEXT

Homalium letestui Pellegr (Flacourtiaceae) is used in various decoctions traditionally by the Ibibios of the Niger Delta of Nigeria to treat stomach ulcer, malaria and other inflammatory diseases, as well as an aphrodisiac.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of the stem extract of the plant.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The ethanol stem extract (500, 750, 1000 mg/kg, i.p.) of H. letestui was investigated for anti-inflammatory activity using carrageenan, egg albumin-induced and xylene-induced ear edema models and analgesic activity using acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin-induced paw licking and thermal-induced pain models. The ethanol extract was administered to the animals orally, 30 min to 1 h depending on the model, before induction of inflammation/pain. The LD50 was also determined. GC-MS analysis of dichloromethane fraction was carried out.

RESULTS

The extract caused a significant (p < 0.05-0.001) reduction of inflammation induced by carrageenan (8.3-70.0%), egg albumin (10.0-71.42%) and xylene (39.39-84.84%). The extract also reduced significantly (p < 0.05-0.001) pain induced by acetic acid (44.22-73.65%), formalin (55.89-79.21%) and hot plate (93.0-214.5%). The LD50 was determined to be 4.38 ± 35.72 g/kg.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that the ethanol stem extract of H. letestui possesses anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties which may in part be mediated through the chemical constituents of the plant as revealed by the GC-MS.

Reduction of inflammatory responses and enhancement of extracellular matrix formation by vanillin-incorporated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffolds

Vanillin is one of the major components of vanilla, a commonly used flavoring agent and preservative and is known to exert potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In this work, vanillin-incorporated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) films and scaffolds were fabricated to evaluate the effects of vanillin on the inflammatory responses and extracellular matrix (ECM) formation in vitro and in vivo. The incorporation of vanillin to PLGA films induced hydrophilic nature, resulting in the higher cell attachment and proliferation than the pure PLGA film. Vanillin also reduced the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells cultured on the pure PLGA film and significantly inhibited the PLGA-induced inflammatory responses in vivo, evidenced by the reduced accumulation of inflammatory cells and thinner fibrous capsules. The effects of vanillin on the ECM formation were evaluated using annulus fibrous (AF) cell-seeded porous PLGA/vanillin scaffolds. PLGA/vanillin scaffolds elicited the more production of glycosaminoglycan and collagen than the pure PLGA scaffold, in a concentration-dependent manner. Based on the low level of inflammatory responses and enhanced ECM formation, vanillin-incorporated PLGA constructs make them promising candidates in the future biomedical applications.

Spectroscopic analyses on interaction of o-Vanillin-D-Phenylalanine, o-Vanillin-L-Tyrosine and o-Vanillin-L-Levodopa Schiff Bases with bovine serum albumin (BSA)

In this work, three o-Vanillin Schiff Bases (o-VSB: o-Vanillin-D-Phenylalanine (o-VDP), o-Vanillin-L-Tyrosine (o-VLT) and o-Vanillin-L-Levodopa (o-VLL)) with alanine constituent were synthesized by direct reflux method in ethanol solution, and then were used to study the interaction to bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecules by fluorescence spectroscopy. Based on the fluorescence quenching calculation, the bimolecular quenching constant (K(q)), apparent quenching constant (K(sv)), effective binding constant (K(A)) and corresponding dissociation constant (K(D)) as well as binding site number (n) were obtained. In addition, the binding distance (r) was also calculated according to Foster's non-radioactive energy transfer theory. The results show that these three o-VSB can efficiently bind to BSA molecules, but the binding array order is o-VDP-BSA>o-VLT-BSA>o-VLL-BSA. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy indicates that the o-VDP is more accessibility to tryptophan (Trp) residues of BSA molecules than to tyrosine (Tyr) residues. Nevertheless, the o-VLT and o-VLL are more accessibility to Tyr residues than to Trp residues.

Reduction of oxidative stress by p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol-containing biodegradable polyoxalate nanoparticulate antioxidant

The large production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to the oxidative stress and the subsequent functional decline of organ systems. p-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol (HBA) is known to play a pivotal protective role against oxidative stress-related diseases. We have developed biodegradable antioxidant copolyoxalate, in which HBA is chemically incorporated into its backbone for the treatment of oxidative stress-related diseases. HBA-incorporated copolyoxalate (HPOX) was designed to possess aromatic peroxalate ester linkages in its backbone and release HBA during its hydrolytic degradation. Peroxalate ester linkages in the backbone reacted with and scavenged hydrogen peroxide, leading the release of HBA in vitro. HBA released from HPOX exerted excellent antioxidant activity, such as inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production by suppressing iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthases) expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 cells. HPOX nanoparticles delivered intranasally significantly reduced pulmonary inflammation and suppressed the iNOS expression. Given their excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, we anticipate that HPOX nanoparticles are highly potent for the treatment of oxidative damage-related diseases, such as asthma.

(N1E,N2E)-N1,N2-Bis(4-hexyloxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)ethane-1,2-diamine

The title compound, C₃₀H₄₄N₂O₄, was obtained from the dimerization of 4-hexyl­oxyvanillin with ethyl­enediamine in 95% methanol solution. It adopts a trans configuration with respect to the C=N bond and possesses a crystallographically imposed centre of symmetry.

4-Hexyloxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde

The title compound, C₁₄H₂₀O₃, is a synthetic analogue with a long aliphatic side chain of the important food additive and flavoring agent, vanillin. There are two independent mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit, each having an essentially planar conformation (r.m.s. deviations of 0.023 and 0.051Å for all non–H atoms of the two mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit).