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Alamer AA, Alshehri AA, Aodah AH, Almughem FA, Alghmadi HA, Alali AS, Halwani AA, Muqtader Ahmed M, Tawfik EA. Development and evaluation of sildenafil/ glycyrrhizin-loaded nanofibers as a potential novel buccal delivery system for erectile dysfunction. Saudi Pharm J 2024; 32:102038. [PMID: 38525266 PMCID: PMC10960110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2024.102038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a growing health condition that needs safe and effective therapy. One of the main common treatments is sildenafil which is used in clinics for managing erectile dysfunction by enhancing the blood supply to the penis. In the current study, sildenafil was formulated as nanofibers and mixed with the root extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra (glycyrrhizin) as a natural sweetener to be administrated in the buccal cavity for enhanced drug bioavailability, rapid drug absorption and improved patient compliance. The formulated dual-loaded nanofibers were evaluated by measuring diameter, disintegration, drug loading efficiency, drug release profile, and in vitro cell viability assessment. The results showed that the sildenafil/glycyrrhizin-loaded fibers had a diameter of 0.719 ± 0.177 μm and lacked any beads and pores formation on their surfaces. The drug loading and encapsulation efficiency for sildenafil were measured as 52 ± 7 µg/mg and 67 ± 9 %, respectively, while they were 290 ± 32 μg/mg and 94 ± 10 %, respectively, for glycyrrhizin. The release rate of sildenafil and glycyrrhizin demonstrated a burst release in the first minute, followed by a gradual increment until a complete release after 120 min. The in vitro cell viability evaluation exhibited that the application of sildenafil and glycyrrhizin is safe upon 24-hour treatment on human skin fibroblast cells at all used concentrations (i.e., ≤ 1,000 and 4,000 μg/mL, respectively). However, the application of sildenafil-glycyrrhizin combination (in a ratio of 1:4) demonstrated more than 80 % cell viability at concentrations of ≤ 250 and 1000 μg/mL, respectively, following 24-hour cell exposure. Therefore, sildenafil/glycyrrhizin dual-loaded PVP nanofibers showed a potential buccal therapeutic approach for erectile dysfunction management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali A. Alamer
- Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics Institute, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah A. Alshehri
- Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics Institute, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alhassan H. Aodah
- Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics Institute, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahad A. Almughem
- Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics Institute, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hamzah A. Alghmadi
- Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics Institute, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amer S. Alali
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, AlKharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulrahman A. Halwani
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Muqtader Ahmed
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, AlKharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
| | - Essam A. Tawfik
- Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics Institute, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
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Zhang J, Li Y, Xie S, Lou H, Chen H, Zhang G. Baicalein glycymicelle ophthalmic solution: Preparation, in vitro antimicrobial activities, and antimicrobial mechanism evaluations. Int J Pharm 2024; 654:123964. [PMID: 38430948 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.123964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop a novel baicalein (BAI) loaded glycymicelle ophthalmic solution with small molecule phytochemical glycyrrhizin as nanocarriers and to explore this solution's potential as an antimicrobial agent against ocular infections. The optimized BAI glycymicelles had a high encapsulation efficiency (98.76 ± 1.25 %), a small particle size (54.38 ± 2.41 nm), a uniform size distribution (polydispersity index = 0.293 ± 0.083), and a zeta potential of -28.3 ± 1.17 mV. The BAI glycymicelle ophthalmic solution exhibited an excellent short-term storage stability. BAI glycymicelles significantly increased the apparent solubility and in vitro release capability of BAI. The BAI glycymicelle ophthalmic solution exhibited no hen's egg-chorioallantoic membrane' irritation and strong in vivo ocular tolerance in rabbits. The BAI glycymicelles noticeably enhanced the in vivo corneal permeation. The BAI glycymicelles also precipitated increased in vitro antioxidant activity and significantly improved in vitro antipathogen activities. Various antimicrobial mechanisms, including the destruction of the bacterial cell wall, damage to the bacterial cell membranes, interruptions to the biofilm structure, and the apoptosis of bacteria, were inflicted on BAI glycymicelles. These findings provided useful knowledge regarding the development of a novel ophthalmic solution and formulation of BAI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yuhang Li
- The Eighth People's Hospital of Qingdao, Qingdao, China
| | - Sibin Xie
- Qingdao Central Medical Group, Qingdao, China
| | - Huadong Lou
- The Eighth People's Hospital of Qingdao, Qingdao, China
| | - Hao Chen
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
| | - Guowen Zhang
- The Eighth People's Hospital of Qingdao, Qingdao, China.
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Mou Y, Liao W, Li Y, Wan L, Liu J, Luo X, Shen H, Sun Q, Wang J, Tang J, Wang Z. Glycyrrhizin and the Related Preparations: An Inspiring Resource for the Treatment of Liver Diseases. Am J Chin Med 2024; 52:315-354. [PMID: 38553799 DOI: 10.1142/s0192415x24500149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Liver diseases and their related complications endanger the health of millions of people worldwide. The prevention and treatment of liver diseases are still serious challenges both in China and globally. With the improvement of living standards, the prevalence of metabolic liver diseases, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disease, has increased at an alarming rate, resulting in more cases of end-stage liver disease. Therefore, the discovery of novel therapeutic drugs for the treatment of liver diseases is urgently needed. Glycyrrhizin (GL), a triterpene glycoside from the roots of licorice plants, possesses a wide range of pharmacological and biological activities. Currently, GL preparations (GLPs) have certain advantages in the treatment of liver diseases, with good clinical effects and fewer adverse reactions, and have shown broad application prospects through multitargeting therapeutic mechanisms, including antisteatotic, anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, antifibrotic, anticancer, and drug interaction activities. This review summarizes the currently known biological activities of GLPs and their medical applications in the treatment of liver diseases, and highlights the potential of these preparations as promising therapeutic options and their alluring prospects for the treatment of liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Mou
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, P. R. China
| | - Wenhao Liao
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, P. R. China
| | - Yuchen Li
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, P. R. China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, P. R. China
| | - Lina Wan
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, P. R. China
| | - Jingwen Liu
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, P. R. China
| | - Xialing Luo
- Department of Respiratory, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, P. R. China
| | - Hongping Shen
- National Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Base of the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, P. R. China
| | - Qin Sun
- National Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinical Research Base of the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, P. R. China
| | - Jing Wang
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, P. R. China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bishan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing 402760, P. R. China
| | - Jianyuan Tang
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, P. R. China
- TCM Regulating Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, P. R. China
| | - Zhilei Wang
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, P. R. China
- TCM Regulating Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, P. R. China
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Guo B, Wang H, Zhang Y, Wang C, Qin J. Glycyrrhizin alleviates varicellovirus bovinealpha 1-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in MDBK cells by inhibiting NF-κB/NLRP3 axis through the Nrf2 signalling pathway. Vet Res Commun 2024; 48:749-759. [PMID: 37889426 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-023-10242-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Varicellovirus bovinealpha 1 (BoAHV-1) is one of the crucial pathogens of bovine respiratory diseases, and its pathogenic mechanism involves oxidative stress, inflammation response, and apoptosis. Glycyrrhizin (GLY) possesses powerful antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic bioactivities. However, the anti-BoAHV-1 activity of GLY and its role in BoAHV-1-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis remain unclear. Therefore, the current study investigated the anti-BoAHV-1 effect of GLY and its ability to alleviate BoAHV-1-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis using an in vitro model (MDBK cells). Our results showed that BoAHV-1 titers significantly increased in MDBK cells after infection, and GLY reduced the BoAHV-1 titers in MDBK cells exposed to it. Furthermore, Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, phosphorylated NF-κB p65 (p-NF-κB p65), the NLR pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), Caspase-1, and Cleaved Caspase-3 levels were significantly upregulated when MDBK cells were challenged with BoAHV-1. In BAY 11-7085 (a specific NF-κB inhibitor) treated MDBK cells, IL-1β, IL-8, TNF-α, p-NF-κB p65, NLRP3, Caspase-1, and Cleaved Caspase-3 levels were downregulated. Notably, GLY treatment had the same trend as the BAY 11-7085 treatment. Thus, these results suggested that GLY exerted anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities by blocking NF-κB/NLRP3 axis. In addition, after BoAHV-1 infection, the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and p-NF-κB p65 and apoptosis rate were increased, and catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzyme activities, as well as NF-E2-related nuclear factor erythroid-2 (Nrf2) protein expression were repressed. Compared with BoAHV-1-infected MDBK cells, GLY treatment significantly downregulated intracellular ROS, MDA, and p-NF-κB p65 levels and apoptotic rates and significantly increased intracellular CAT and GSH-Px enzyme activities and Nrf2 expression. Additionally, ML385 (a specific Nrf2 inhibitor) abolished the enhancing effect of GLY on Nrf2 and the attenuating effect on ROS, p-NF-κB p65, and apoptosis. These results suggested that GLY had an anti-BoAHV-1 effect and could mitigate BoAHV-1-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis by activating the Nrf2 signalling and restraining NF-κB/NLRP3 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Guo
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Breeding in dairy cattle (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei Province, China
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, China
| | - Haifeng Wang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Technology, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Breeding in dairy cattle (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei Province, China
| | - Chuanwen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Breeding in dairy cattle (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei Province, China
| | - Jianhua Qin
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Breeding in dairy cattle (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei Province, China.
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Lv L, Wei Q, Zhang J, Dong Y, Shan Z, Chang N, Zhao Y, Bian P, Yi Q. IGF2BP3 prevent HMGB1 mRNA decay in bladder cancer and development. Cell Mol Biol Lett 2024; 29:39. [PMID: 38504159 PMCID: PMC10949762 DOI: 10.1186/s11658-024-00545-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND IGF2BP3 functions as an RNA-binding protein (RBP) and plays a role in the posttranscriptional control of mRNA localization, stability, and translation. Its dysregulation is frequently associated with tumorigenesis across various cancer types. Nonetheless, our understanding of how the expression of the IGF2BP3 gene is regulated remains limited. The specific functions and underlying mechanisms of IGF2BP3, as well as the potential benefits of targeting it for therapeutic purposes in bladder cancer, are not yet well comprehended. METHODS The mRNA and protein expression were examined by RT-qPCR and western blotting, respectively. The methylation level of CpG sites was detected by Bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP). The regulation of IGF2BP3 expression by miR-320a-3p was analyzed by luciferase reporter assay. The functional role of IGF2BP3 was determined through proliferation, colony formation, wound healing, invasion assays, and xenograft mouse model. The regulation of HMGB1 by IGF2BP3 was investigated by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and mRNA stability assays. RESULTS We observed a significant elevation in IGF2BP3 levels within bladder cancer samples, correlating with more advanced stages and grades, as well as an unfavorable prognosis. Subsequent investigations revealed that the upregulation of IGF2BP3 expression is triggered by copy number gain/amplification and promoter hypomethylation in various tumor types, including bladder cancer. Furthermore, miR-320a-3p was identified as another negative regulator in bladder cancer. Functionally, the upregulation of IGF2BP3 expression exacerbated bladder cancer progression, including the proliferation, migration, and invasion of bladder cancer. Conversely, IGF2BP3 silencing produced the opposite effects. Moreover, IGF2BP3 expression positively correlated with inflammation and immune infiltration in bladder cancer. Mechanistically, IGF2BP3 enhanced mRNA stability and promoted the expression of HMGB1 by binding to its mRNA, which is a factor that promotes inflammation and orchestrates tumorigenesis in many cancers. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of HMGB1 with glycyrrhizin, a specific HMGB1 inhibitor, effectively reversed the cancer-promoting effects of IGF2BP3 overexpression in bladder cancer. Furthermore, the relationship between HMGB1 mRNA and IGF2PB3 is also observed in mammalian embryonic development, with the expression of both genes gradually decreasing as embryonic development progresses. CONCLUSIONS Our present study sheds light on the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms governing IGF2BP3 expression, underscoring the critical involvement of the IGF2BP3-HMGB1 axis in driving bladder cancer progression. Additionally, it advocates for the investigation of inhibiting IGF2BP3-HMGB1 as a viable therapeutic approach for treating bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Lv
- Department of Cancer Epigenetics Program, Anhui Cancer Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230031, Anhui, China
| | - Qinqin Wei
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Jianxiao Zhang
- Medical Consulting Center, Hebei Children's Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050030, Hebei, China
| | - Yitong Dong
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Zhenglei Shan
- The Second Clinical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Na Chang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230031, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye Zhao
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
| | - Po Bian
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
| | - Qiyi Yi
- Institute of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
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Wang Y, Shi S, Zhang L, Wang S, Qin H, Wei Y, Wu X, Zhang M. Imatinib@glycymicelles entrapped in hydrogel: preparation, characterization, and therapeutic effect on corneal alkali burn in mice. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2024:10.1007/s13346-024-01570-5. [PMID: 38494558 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-024-01570-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Imatinib (IMB) is a type of tyrosine kinase inhibitor with great application potential for inhibiting corneal neovascularization (CNV), but its poor water solubility limits its application in eye disease treatment. In this study, novel IMB@glycymicelles entrapped in hydrogel (called IMB@glycymicelle-hydrogel) were prepared, characterized, and evaluated for their therapeutic effects on corneal alkali burn in mice. Imatinib could be successfully loaded in glycymicelles using glycyrrhizin as a nanocarrier with an optimized weight ratio of IMB:nanocarrier. The apparent solubility of IMB was significantly improved from 61.69 ± 5.55 μg/mL to bare IMB to 359,967.62 ± 20,059.42 μg/mL to IMB@glycymicelles. Then, the IMB@glycymicelles were entrapped in hydrogel fabricated with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and sodium hyaluronate (HA) to prolong retention time on the ocular surface. Rabbit eye tolerance tests showed that IMB@glycymicelle-hydrogel possessed good ocular safety profiles. In a mouse model of corneal alkali burns, the topical administration of IMB@glycymicelle-hydrogel showed strong efficacy by prompting corneal wound healing, recovering corneal sensitivity, relieving corneal opacities, and inhibiting CNV, and these efficacy evaluation parameters were better than those of the positive drug HA. Overall, these results demonstrated that IMB@glycymicelle-hydrogel may be a promising candidate for the effective treatment of alkali ocular damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Wang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
- Deparment of Pathology, Qingdao Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Qingdao Municipal Hospital), Qingdao, China
| | - Shaohua Shi
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital, Qingdao, China
| | - Songtao Wang
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Hongqing Qin
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Yanjun Wei
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
- Viwit Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Zaozhuang, Shandong, China
| | - Xianggen Wu
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.
- Viwit Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Zaozhuang, Shandong, China.
| | - Mengmeng Zhang
- Deparment of Pathology, Qingdao Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Qingdao Municipal Hospital), Qingdao, China.
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Chiyo N, Seki H, Kanamoto T, Ueda H, Kojoma M, Muranaka T. Glycyrrhizin Production in Licorice Hairy Roots Based on Metabolic Redirection of Triterpenoid Biosynthetic Pathway by Genome Editing. Plant Cell Physiol 2024; 65:185-198. [PMID: 38153756 PMCID: PMC10873519 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcad161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Glycyrrhizin, a type of the triterpenoid saponin, is a major active ingredient contained in the roots of the medicinal plant licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis, G. glabra and G. inflata), and is used worldwide in diverse applications, such as herbal medicines and sweeteners. The growing demand for licorice threatens wild resources and therefore a sustainable method of supplying glycyrrhizin is required. With the goal of establishing an alternative glycyrrhizin supply method not dependent on wild plants, we attempted to produce glycyrrhizin using hairy root culture. We tried to promote glycyrrhizin production by blocking competing pathways using CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing. CYP93E3 CYP72A566 double-knockout (KO) and CYP93E3 CYP72A566 CYP716A179 LUS1 quadruple-KO variants were generated, and a substantial amount of glycyrrhizin accumulation was confirmed in both types of hairy root. Furthermore, we evaluated the potential for promoting further glycyrrhizin production by simultaneous CYP93E3 CYP72A566 double-KO and CYP88D6-overexpression. This strategy resulted in a 3-fold increase (∼1.4 mg/g) in glycyrrhizin accumulation in double-KO/CYP88D6-overexpression hairy roots, on average, compared with that of double-KO hairy roots. These findings demonstrate that the combination of blocking competing pathways and overexpression of the biosynthetic gene is important for enhancing glycyrrhizin production in G. uralensis hairy roots. Our findings provide the foundation for sustainable glycyrrhizin production using hairy root culture. Given the widespread use of genome editing technology in hairy roots, this combined with gene knockout and overexpression could be widely applied to the production of valuable substances contained in various plant roots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Chiyo
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871 Japan
| | - Hikaru Seki
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871 Japan
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, 230-0045 Japan
- Institution for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871 Japan
| | - Takuya Kanamoto
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871 Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ueda
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871 Japan
| | - Mareshige Kojoma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Tobetsu-cho, Ishikari-gun, 061-0293 Japan
| | - Toshiya Muranaka
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871 Japan
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, 230-0045 Japan
- Institution for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871 Japan
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Zhu K, Fan R, Cao Y, Yang W, Zhang Z, Zhou Q, Ren J, Shi X, Gao Y, Guo X. Glycyrrhizin attenuates myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury by suppressing Inflammation, oxidative stress, and ferroptosis via the HMGB1-TLR4-GPX4 pathway. Exp Cell Res 2024; 435:113912. [PMID: 38176464 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2024.113912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death process, play an important role in myocardial ischemia‒reperfusion (I/R) injury. Glycyrrhizin (GL), a natural glycoconjugate triterpene, has the property to improve growth rate, immune regulation, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory. However, whether GL can attenuate myocardial I/R injury by modulating ferroptosis or other mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, SD rats underwent in vivo myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) surgery, while H9C2 cells were subjected to the hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model for in vitro experiments. In addition, TAK-242, a TLR4-specific antagonist, and GL were also used to evaluate the effect and mechanisms of GL on the cardiac function and expression of ferroptosis-related gene and protein in vivo and vitro. The results show that GL decreased not only the expression of the inflammation-related factors (HMGB1, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-18 and IL-1β), but also reduced the number of TUNEL-positive cardiomyocytes, and mitigated pathological alterations in I/R injury. In addition, GL decreased the levels of MDA, promoted antioxidant capacity such as GSH, CAT, Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD, and SOD in vivo and vitro. More importantly, GL and TAK-242 regulate ferroptosis-related protein and gene expression in I/R and H/R model. Surprisingly, GL may ameliorate cardiomyocyte ferroptosis and ultimately improves cardiac function induced by H/R via the HMGB1-TLR4-GPX4 axis. Therefore, we have highlighted a novel mechanism by which GL regulates inflammation, oxidative stress, and ferroptosis via the HMGB1-TLR4-GPX4 pathway to prevent myocardial I/R injury. GL appears to be a potentially applicable drug for the treatment of myocardial I/R injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyi Zhu
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China; Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Shanxi Academy of Advanced Research and Innovation, Taiyuan, 030032, China.
| | - Rong Fan
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China; Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuchen Cao
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China; Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100045, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Shanxi Academy of Advanced Research and Innovation, Taiyuan, 030032, China; Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qiang Zhou
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China; Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jie Ren
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China; Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiushan Shi
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China; Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuping Gao
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China; Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology, Shanxi Province, Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology (Shanxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, China.
| | - Xiang Guo
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China; Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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9
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Cui Q, Song X, Zhou L, Dong J, Wei Y, Liu Z, Wu X. Fabrication of resveratrol-loaded soy protein isolate- glycyrrhizin nanocomplex for improving bioavailability via pH-responsive hydrogel properties. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 258:128950. [PMID: 38143068 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Resveratrol (RES) is a functional polyphenol that suffers from low water solubility and poor bioavailability. A novel RES-loaded soy protein isolate-dipotassium glycyrrhizinate (SPI-DG) nanocomplex (RES@SPI-DG) was designed and evaluated in this study. RES@SPI-DG was prepared using a simple but novel self-assembly ultrasonic-assisted pH-driven method. The interactions between RES and SPI-DG were non-covalent bonds, including hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonds, and van der Waals interactions. RES@SPI-DG exhibited high encapsulation efficiency (97.60 ± 0.38 %) and loading capacity (8.74 ± 0.03 %) of RES with a uniform small size (68.39 ± 1.10 nm). RES in RES@SPI-DG was in an amorphous state and demonstrated a 24-h apparent solubility 482.53-fold higher than bare RES. RES@SPI-DG also showed strong in vitro antioxidant properties. The pH-responsive hydrogel character of SPI-DG makes it an effective intestine-targeted delivery system that could retard the release of RES in a simulated stomach and accelerate it in a simulated intestine. In animal experiments, the bioavailability of RES@SPI-DG was 5.17 times higher than that of bare RES, and the biodistribution was also significantly improved. RES@SPI-DG demonstrated a strong hepatoprotective effect against overdose acetaminophen-induced liver injury. The SPI-DG complex might be a promising nano-platform for enhancing the bioavailability and efficacy of hydrophobic polyphenols such as RES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingchen Cui
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China; Affiliated Qingdao Third People's Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Xiaoying Song
- Qingdao Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Qingdao Municipal Hospital), Qingdao, China
| | - Liping Zhou
- Qingdao Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Qingdao Municipal Hospital), Qingdao, China
| | - Junjie Dong
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Yanjun Wei
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China; Viwit Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Zaozhuang, Shandong, China
| | - Zongtao Liu
- Affiliated Qingdao Third People's Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266021, China.
| | - Xianggen Wu
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.
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10
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Zhang R, Asikaer A, Chen Q, Wang F, Lan J, Liu Y, Hu L, Zhao H, Duan H. Network pharmacology and in vitro experimental verification unveil glycyrrhizin from glycyrrhiza glabra alleviates acute pancreatitis via modulation of MAPK and STAT3 signaling pathways. BMC Complement Med Ther 2024; 24:58. [PMID: 38280993 PMCID: PMC10821312 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-024-04372-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a severe gastrointestinal inflammatory disease with increasing mortality and morbidity. Glycyrrhiza glabra, commonly known as Liquorice, is a widely used plant containing bioactive compounds like Glycyrrhizin, which possesses diverse medicinal properties such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, and anticancer activities. The objective of this study is to investigate the active components, relevant targets, and underlying mechanisms of the traditional Chinese medicine Glycyrrhiza glabra in the treatment of AP. Utilizing various computational biology methods, we explored the potential targets and molecular mechanisms through Glycyrrhizin supplementation. Computational results indicated that Glycyrrhizin shows promising pharmacological potential, particularly with mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3) protein (degree: 70), forming stable complexes with Glycyrrhizin through ionic and hydrogen bonding interactions, with a binding free energy (ΔGbind) of -33.01 ± 0.08 kcal/mol. Through in vitro experiments, we validated that Glycyrrhizin improves primary pancreatic acinar cell injury by inhibiting the MAPK/STAT3/AKT signaling pathway. Overall, MAPK3 emerges as a reliable target for Glycyrrhizin's therapeutic effects in AP treatment. This study provides novel insights into the active components and potential targets and molecular mechanisms of natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhang
- Department of pharmacy, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, 550002, China
| | - Aiminuer Asikaer
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 405400, PR China
| | - Qi Chen
- Department of pharmacy, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, 550002, China
| | - Fang Wang
- College of Stomotology, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China
| | - Junjie Lan
- Department of pharmacy, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, 550002, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery II, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, 550002, China
| | - Linfang Hu
- Department of pharmacy, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, 550002, China
| | - Huaye Zhao
- Department of pharmacy, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, 550002, China
| | - Hongtao Duan
- School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing, 405400, PR China.
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11
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Poustforoosh A, Faramarz S, Negahdaripour M, Tüzün B, Hashemipour H. Tracing the pathways and mechanisms involved in the anti-breast cancer activity of glycyrrhizin using bioinformatics tools and computational methods. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:819-833. [PMID: 37042955 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2196347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
A complete investigation to understand the pathways that could be affected by glycyrrhizin (licorice), as anti-breast cancer (BC) agent, has not been performed to date. This study aims to investigate the pathways involved in the anti-cancer activity of glycyrrhizin against BC. For this purpose, the target genes of glycyrrhizin were obtained from the ChEMBL database. The BC-associated genes for three types of BC (breast carcinoma, malignant neoplasm of breast, and triple-negative breast neoplasms) were retrieved from DisGeNET. The target genes of glycyrrhizin and the BC-associated genes were compared, and the genes with disease specificity index (DSI) > 0.6 were selected for further evaluation using in silico methods. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, and the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were analyzed. The potential complexes were further evaluated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The results revealed that among 80 common genes, ten genes had DSI greater than 0.6, which included POLK, TACR2, MC3R, TBXAS1, HH1R, SLCO4A1, NPY2R, ADRA2C, ADRA1A, and SLCO2B1. The binding affinity of glycyrrhizin to the cognate proteins and binding characteristics were assessed using molecular docking and binding free energy calculations (MM/GBSA). POLK, TBXAS1, and ADRA1A showed the highest binding affinity with -8.9, -9.3, and -9.6 kcal/mol, respectively. The final targets had an association with BC at several stages of tumor growth. By affecting these targets, glycyrrhizin could influence and control BC efficiently. MD simulation suggested the pathways triggered by the complex glycyrrhizin-ADRA1A were more likely to happen.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Poustforoosh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
- Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Sanaz Faramarz
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Afzalipour School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Manica Negahdaripour
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Burak Tüzün
- Plant and Animal Production Department, Technical Sciences Vocational School of Sivas, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey
| | - Hassan Hashemipour
- Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Rafsanjan, Iran
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12
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Ameri A, Farashahinejad M, Davoodian P, Safa O, Kusha A, Dadvand H, Hassanipour S, Fathalipour M. Efficacy and safety of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) in moderately ill patients with COVID-19: a randomized controlled trial. Inflammopharmacology 2023; 31:3037-3045. [PMID: 37847472 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-023-01352-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Licorice extract (glycyrrhizin), a potent antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant remedy, is a potential therapeutic option for COVID-19. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of licorice in patients with moderate COVID-19. In this study, 60 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive licorice (at a dose of 760 mg three times a day for seven days) or control groups. The primary outcomes were SPO2, body temperature, and respiratory rate (RR) after the end of the intervention. The findings indicated that SPO2, body temperature, and RR had no significant difference between the groups at the end of the intervention. However, CRP and ALT improved in the licorice group toward the baseline. The number of patients with worse prognoses, LOS, mortality, and the incidence of adverse events were not different between the groups at the end of the study. Licorice had no beneficial effect on the clinical symptoms of COVID-19. Moreover, this intervention demonstrated a safe profile of adverse events. The confirmation of the results of this preparatory trial requires more detailed multiple-center trials with a larger sample size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Ameri
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Mehdi Farashahinejad
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Parivash Davoodian
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Omid Safa
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Amin Kusha
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Habib Dadvand
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Soheil Hassanipour
- Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Mohammad Fathalipour
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
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13
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Liu J, Ma B, Hao G, Su D, Wang T, Ding Z, Guo X. Glycyrrhizin inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory responses in goat ruminal epithelial cells in vitro. BMC Mol Cell Biol 2023; 24:28. [PMID: 37726647 PMCID: PMC10507872 DOI: 10.1186/s12860-023-00489-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammation plays a crucial role in the progression of Subacute Ruminal Acidosis (SARA). The experiment was designed to investigate anti-inflammatory effects of glycyrrhizin on goats ruminal epithelial cells (GREC) which were induced SARA by Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro. The GREC were induced SARA by adding LPS at the concentration of 5 μm and glycyrrhizin was added at different concentration of 0, 60, 90, 120, 150 μm. The structural integrity of LPS-induced GREC with the treatment of glycyrrhizin were observed by electron microscope; The levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-12 were measured by ELISA; The number of Zo-1 and Occludin were measured, the expression of tight junction protein Occludin were measured by Western blot, and the mRNA expression of NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-12 were measured in vitro. The results showed that higher concentration treatment of glycyrrhizin led to better morphology in LPS-induced GREC. Glycyrrhizin inhibited the growth of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-12 in a dose-dependent manner. The number of ZO-1 and Occludin increased with the increase of adding of glycyrrhizin. Western blot analysis showed that the expression of tight junction protein Occludin in LPS-induced GREC increased with the adding of glycyrrhizin in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-12 decreased significantly with the increase treatment of glycyrrhizin. Glycyrrhizin significantly inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory mediators in GREC and the effects are better with the increase treatment of glycyrrhizin in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, 843300, Xinjiang, PR China
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, PR China
| | - Bei Ma
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, 843300, Xinjiang, PR China
| | - Guang Hao
- Ordos Supply and Marketing Cooperative Logistics Service Centre, Ordos, 017000, Inner Mongolia, PR China
| | - DuoDuo Su
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, 843300, Xinjiang, PR China
| | - Tianyang Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, 843300, Xinjiang, PR China
| | - Ze Ding
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, 843300, Xinjiang, PR China
| | - Xuefeng Guo
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, 843300, Xinjiang, PR China.
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14
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Sun C, Tian L, Wei Y, Chen P, Wu X, Jie Y. Novel bisdemethoxycurcumin@phytomicelle ophthalmic solution: In vitro formulation appraisal and in vivo prompting rapid corneal wound healing evaluations. Exp Eye Res 2023; 234:109608. [PMID: 37517540 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
A simple and novel phytochemical-based nano-ophthalmic solution was developed for the treatment of eye diseases. This nanoformulation was produced from the mixture of the phytochemicals glycyrrhizin and alpha-glycosyl hesperidin, which serve as the phytonanomaterials that solubilize bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), a promising phytochemical with strong pharmacological activities but with poor water solubility. This novel nanoformulation is a clear solution named as BDMC@phytomicelle ophthalmic solution, which was formulated using a simple preparation process. The BDMC@phytomicelles were characterized by a BDMC encapsulation efficiency of 98.37% ± 2.26%, a small phytomicelle size of 4.06 ± 0.22 nm, and a small polydispersity index of 0.25 ± 0.04. With the optimization of the BDMC@phytomicelles, the apparent solubility of BDMC (i.e., the loading of BDMC in the phytomicelles) in the simulated lacrimal fluid was 3.19 ± 0.02 mg/ml. The BDMC@phytomicelle ophthalmic solution demonstrated a good storage stability. Moreover, it did not cause irritations in rabbit eyes, and it facilitated the excellent corneal permeation of BDMC in mice. The BDMC@phytomicelles demonstrated a marked effect on the in vivo induction of corneal wound healing both in healthy and denervated corneas, as seen in the induction of corneal epithelial wound healing, recovery of corneal sensitivity, and increase in corneal subbasal nerve fiber density. These strong pharmacological activities involve the inhibition of hmgb1 signaling and the induction of VIP signaling. Overall, the BDMC@phytomicelle ophthalmic solution is a novel and promising simple ocular nano-formulation of BDMC with significantly improved in vivo profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cun Sun
- Ophthalmology Department, Beijing HuiMin Hospital, Beijing, China; Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing TongRen Eye Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Lei Tian
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing TongRen Eye Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanjun Wei
- Viwit Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Zaozhuang, Shandong, China; College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Peng Chen
- School of Basic Medicine, College of Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xianggen Wu
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.
| | - Ying Jie
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing TongRen Eye Center, Beijing Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
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Zhurinov MZ, Miftakhova AF, Keyer V, Shulgau ZT, Solodova EV, Kalykberdiyev MK, Abilmagzhanov AZ, Talgatov ET, Ait S, Shustov AV. Glycyrrhiza glabra L. Extracts and Other Therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 in Central Eurasia: Available but Overlooked. Molecules 2023; 28:6142. [PMID: 37630394 PMCID: PMC10458004 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28166142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
In Central Eurasia, the availability of drugs that are inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and have proven clinical efficacy is still limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of drugs that were available in Kazakhstan during the acute phase of the epidemic against SARS-CoV-2. Antiviral activity is reported for Favipiravir, Tilorone, and Cridanimod, which are registered drugs used for the treatment of respiratory viral infections in Kazakhstan. A licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) extract was also incorporated into this study because it offered an opportunity to develop plant-derived antivirals. The Favipiravir drug, which had been advertised in local markets as an anti-COVID cure, showed no activity against SARS-CoV-2 in cell cultures. On the contrary, Cridanimod showed impressive high activity (median inhibitory concentration 66 μg/mL) against SARS-CoV-2, justifying further studies of Cridanimod in clinical trials. Tilorone, despite being in the same pharmacological group as Cridanimod, stimulated SARS-CoV-2 replication in cultures. The licorice extract inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication in cultures, with a high median effective concentration of 16.86 mg/mL. Conclusions: The synthetic, low-molecular-weight compound Cridanimod suppresses SARS-CoV-2 replication at notably low concentrations, and this drug is not toxic to cells at therapeutic concentrations. In contrast to its role as an inducer of interferons, Cridanimod is active in cells that have a genetic defect in interferon production, suggesting a different mechanism of action. Cridanimod is an attractive drug for inclusion in clinical trials against SARS-CoV-2 and, presumably, other coronaviruses. The extract from licorice shows low activity against SARS-CoV-2. At the same time, high doses of 2 g/kg of this plant extract show little or no acute toxicity in animal studies; for this reason, licorice products can still be considered for further development as a safe, orally administered adjunctive therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murat Zh. Zhurinov
- “D.V. Sokolskiy Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry” JSC, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Alfira F. Miftakhova
- “D.V. Sokolskiy Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry” JSC, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
| | - Viktoriya Keyer
- Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RSE “National Center for Biotechnology”, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Zarina T. Shulgau
- Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RSE “National Center for Biotechnology”, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Elena V. Solodova
- “D.V. Sokolskiy Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry” JSC, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, International Engineering Technological University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
| | - Maxat K. Kalykberdiyev
- “D.V. Sokolskiy Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry” JSC, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Arlan Z. Abilmagzhanov
- “D.V. Sokolskiy Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry” JSC, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Eldar T. Talgatov
- “D.V. Sokolskiy Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry” JSC, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Sauyk Ait
- “D.V. Sokolskiy Institute of Fuel, Catalysis and Electrochemistry” JSC, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Alexandr V. Shustov
- Laboratory for Genetic Engineering, RSE “National Center for Biotechnology”, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
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Shengnan Z, Yingjie Z, Junyue C, Shuangshuang S, Xin L, Yuanyuan S. Exploring the binding effect and mechanism of glycyrrhizin to ovomucin by combining spectroscopic analysis and molecular docking. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 245:125535. [PMID: 37356685 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Ovomucin (OVM) is an ideal natural macromolecular glycoprotein extracted from eggs with good adhesion. Based on the defect that glycyrrhizin (GL) has good antiviral activity but fast metabolism, this study aimed to explore the binding effect and mechanism of GL to OVM, using multi-spectroscopic techniques, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and molecular docking. The adhesion ability of OVM to the hydrophilic interface and GL was first demonstrated by dual polarization interferometry (DPI) analysis and binding capacity assay, and the OVM-GL complex exhibited a similar affinity for the spike protein of COVID-19. The spectroscopic results show that GL can quench the inherent fluorescence and change the glycosidic bond and secondary structure of OVM. The ITC measurements suggested that the binding was exothermic, the hydrogen bond was the dominant binding force for forming OVM-GL. Finally, molecular docking results indicated that GL has hydrogen bond interaction with several amino acid residues located in α-OVM and β-OVM while embedding into the hydrophobic pocket of OVM via hydrophobic interactions. In conclusion, OVM can adhere to the hydrophilic interface and bind to GL through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions to form a stable complex, that is expected to be helpful in virus prophylaxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhu Shengnan
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Zhou Yingjie
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Chai Junyue
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Sun Shuangshuang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Lü Xin
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Shan Yuanyuan
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China.
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17
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Shi Q, Qian Y, Wang B, Liu L, Chen Y, Chen C, Feng L, Chen J, Dong N. Glycyrrhizin protects against particulate matter-induced lung injury via regulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress and NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis through Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 signaling pathway. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 120:110371. [PMID: 37245303 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Particulate matter (PM) is a major environmental pollutant that contributes considerably to deaths worldwide. The pathogenesis of PM-induced lung injury (PILI) is far from elucidated and warrants effective intervention. An effective component of licorice, glycyrrhizin (GL), has been the subject of much research due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative capabilities. Although preventive properties of GL are well-known, the precise mechanism of GL in PILI has not yet been investigated. A mouse model of PILI was used to examine the protective effects of GL in vivo, and a human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) model was used in vitro. In order to determine whether GL mitigates PILI, its effects on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis and the oxidative response were examined. According to the findings, GL reduced PILI and activate anti-oxidative Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 signaling in mice. Notably, the effect of GL on PM-induced ER stress and NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis was significantly attenuated by the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385. The data suggest that via the anti-oxidative Nrf2 signaling, GL may reduce oxidative stress-mediated ER stress and NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis. Therefore, GL may serve as a promising treatment for PILI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiangqiang Shi
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Dongyang Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang 322100, China.
| | - Yao Qian
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Interventional Pulmonology, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
| | - Beibei Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Interventional Pulmonology, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
| | - Li Liu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Interventional Pulmonology, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
| | - Yang Chen
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China.
| | - Chengshui Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Interventional Pulmonology, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
| | - Lanfang Feng
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Dongyang Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Dongyang 322100, China.
| | - Junjie Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Interventional Pulmonology, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
| | - Nian Dong
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Interventional Pulmonology, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China.
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Cao X, Liu Q, Shi W, Liu K, Deng T, Weng X, Pan S, Yu Q, Deng W, Yu J, Wang Q, Xiao G, Xu X. Microfluidic fabricated bisdemethoxycurcumin thermosensitive liposome with enhanced antitumor effect. Int J Pharm 2023; 641:123039. [PMID: 37225026 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) is the main active ingredient that is isolated from Zingiberaceae plants, wherein it has excellent anti-tumor effects. However, insolubility in water limits its clinical application. Herein, we reported a microfluidic chip device that can load BDMC into the lipid bilayer to form BDMC thermosensitive liposome (BDMC TSL). The natural active ingredient glycyrrhizin was selected as the surfactant to improve solubility of BDMC. Particles of BDMC TSL had small size, homogenous size distribution, and enhanced cultimulative release in vitro. The anti-tumor effect of BDMC TSL on human hepatocellular carcinomas was investigated via 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method, live/dead staining, and flowcytometry. These results showed that the formulated liposome had a strong cancer cell inhibitory, and presented a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on migration. Further mechanistic studies showed that BDMC TSL combined with mild local hyperthermia could significantly upregulate B cell lymphoma 2 associated X protein levels and decrease B cell lymphoma 2 protein levels, thereby inducing cell apoptosis. The BDMC TSL that was fabricated via microfluidic device were decomposed under mild local hyperthermia, which could beneficially enhance the anti-tumor effect of raw insoluble materials and promote translation of liposome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Cao
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Centre for Nano Drug/Gene Delivery and Tissue Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, People's Republic of China; Medicinal function development of new food resources, Jiangsu Provincial Research center, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Centre for Nano Drug/Gene Delivery and Tissue Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, People's Republic of China; Medicinal function development of new food resources, Jiangsu Provincial Research center, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenwan Shi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Centre for Nano Drug/Gene Delivery and Tissue Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, People's Republic of China; Medicinal function development of new food resources, Jiangsu Provincial Research center, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Kai Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Centre for Nano Drug/Gene Delivery and Tissue Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, People's Republic of China; Medicinal function development of new food resources, Jiangsu Provincial Research center, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianwen Deng
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Centre for Nano Drug/Gene Delivery and Tissue Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, People's Republic of China; Medicinal function development of new food resources, Jiangsu Provincial Research center, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuedi Weng
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Centre for Nano Drug/Gene Delivery and Tissue Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Siting Pan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Centre for Nano Drug/Gene Delivery and Tissue Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingtong Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Centre for Nano Drug/Gene Delivery and Tissue Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, People's Republic of China; Medicinal function development of new food resources, Jiangsu Provincial Research center, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenwen Deng
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Centre for Nano Drug/Gene Delivery and Tissue Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, People's Republic of China; Medicinal function development of new food resources, Jiangsu Provincial Research center, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiangnan Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Centre for Nano Drug/Gene Delivery and Tissue Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, People's Republic of China; Medicinal function development of new food resources, Jiangsu Provincial Research center, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Qilong Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Centre for Nano Drug/Gene Delivery and Tissue Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, People's Republic of China; Medicinal function development of new food resources, Jiangsu Provincial Research center, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Gao Xiao
- College of Environment and Safety Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian, P. R. China.
| | - Ximing Xu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Centre for Nano Drug/Gene Delivery and Tissue Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, People's Republic of China; Medicinal function development of new food resources, Jiangsu Provincial Research center, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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Kim HS, Park SC, Kim HJ, Lee DY. Inhibition of DAMP actions in the tumoral microenvironment using lactoferrin- glycyrrhizin conjugate for glioblastoma therapy. Biomater Res 2023; 27:52. [PMID: 37210579 DOI: 10.1186/s40824-023-00391-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) released from the tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in the tumor progression. HMGB1 serves as a damaged-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) that induces tumor angiogenesis and its development. Glycyrrhizin (GL) is an effective intracellular antagonist of tumor released HMGB1, but its pharmacokinetics (PK) and delivery to tumor site is deficient. To address this shortcoming, we developed lactoferrin-glycyrrhizin (Lf-GL) conjugate. METHODS Biomolecular interaction between Lf-GL and HMGB1 was evaluated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) binding affinity assay. Inhibition of tumor angiogenesis and development by Lf-GL attenuating HMGB1 action in the tumor microenvironment was comprehensively evaluated through in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. Pharmacokinetic study and anti-tumor effects of Lf-GL were investigated in orthotopic glioblastoma mice model. RESULTS Lf-GL interacts with lactoferrin receptor (LfR) expressed on BBB and GBM, therefore, efficiently inhibits HMGB1 in both the cytoplasmic and extracellular regions of tumors. Regarding the tumor microenvironment, Lf-GL inhibits angiogenesis and tumor growth by blocking HMGB1 released from necrotic tumors and preventing recruitment of vascular endothelial cells. In addition, Lf-GL improved the PK properties of GL approximately tenfold in the GBM mouse model and reduced tumor growth by 32%. Concurrently, various biomarkers for tumor were radically diminished. CONCLUSION Collectively, our study demonstrates a close association between HMGB1 and tumor progression, suggesting Lf-GL as a potential strategy for coping with DAMP-related tumor microenvironment. HMGB1 is a tumor-promoting DAMP in the tumor microenvironment. The high binding capability of Lf-GL to HMGB1 inhibits tumor progression cascade such as tumor angiogenesis, development, and metastasis. Lf-GL targets GBM through interaction with LfR and allows to arrest HMGB1 released from the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, Lf-GL can be a GBM treatment by modulating HMGB1 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung Shik Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, and BK FOUR Biopharmaceutical Innovation Leader for Education and Research Group, Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Hanyang University, and Elixir Pharmatech Inc, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Seok Chan Park
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, and BK FOUR Biopharmaceutical Innovation Leader for Education and Research Group, Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Hanyang University, and Elixir Pharmatech Inc, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae Jin Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, and BK FOUR Biopharmaceutical Innovation Leader for Education and Research Group, Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Hanyang University, and Elixir Pharmatech Inc, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Yun Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, and BK FOUR Biopharmaceutical Innovation Leader for Education and Research Group, Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Hanyang University, and Elixir Pharmatech Inc, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST) & Institute For Bioengineering and Biopharmaceutical Research (IBBR), Hanyang University, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
- Elixir Pharmatech Inc., Seoul, 07463, Republic of Korea.
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Selladurai K, Selvaganesh S, Veeraraghavan VP, Nesappan T, Eswaramoorthy R. STITCH enabled molecular interaction of glycrhizzin with peri-implant microbiota. Bioinformation 2023; 19:499-501. [PMID: 37822820 PMCID: PMC10563567 DOI: 10.6026/97320630019499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycyrrhizin is present in the root extract of the licorice plant used for various conditions, including gastric ulcers. Therefore, it is of interest to document the STITCH enabled molecular interaction of glycrhizzin with peri-implant microbiota. The peri implant pathogens includes Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (D7S-1), Centipeda periodontii, Campylobacter gracilisi, Fusobacterium nucleatumi, Slackia exigua, Prevotella intermedia, Tannerella forsythia, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacteroides fragilis, and Bacteroides fragilis. Hence, a user-defined query was used to conduct analysis on the provided bacterial strains whose molecular data available in the STITCH database. Thus, we used the STITCH tool to examine protein interactions and the VirulentPred tool to assess pathogenicity using the known molecular data on glycrhizzin and peri implant pathogens. Data shows that glycyrrhizin interacts with peri implant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthickraj Selladurai
- Department of Implantology1, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 600077, India
| | - Sahana Selvaganesh
- Department of Implantology1, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 600077, India
| | - Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan
- Department of Implantology1, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 600077, India
| | - Thiyaneswaran Nesappan
- Department of Implantology1, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 600077, India
| | - Rajalakshmanan Eswaramoorthy
- Department of Implantology1, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai 600077, India
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Khan U, Karmakar BC, Basak P, Paul S, Gope A, Sarkar D, Mukhopadhyay AK, Dutta S, Bhattacharya S. Glycyrrhizin, an inhibitor of HMGB1 induces autolysosomal degradation function and inhibits Helicobacter pylori infection. Mol Med 2023; 29:51. [PMID: 37038107 PMCID: PMC10088177 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-023-00641-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori is a key agent for causing gastric complications linked with gastric disorders. In response to infection, host cells stimulate autophagy to maintain cellular homeostasis. However, H. pylori have evolved the ability to usurp the host's autophagic machinery. High mobility group box1 (HMGB1), an alarmin molecule is a regulator of autophagy and its expression is augmented during infection and gastric cancer. Therefore, this study aims to explore the role of glycyrrhizin (a known inhibitor of HMGB1) in autophagy during H. pylori infection. MAIN METHODS Human gastric cancer (AGS) cells were infected with the H. pylori SS1 strain and further treatment was done with glycyrrhizin. Western blot was used to examine the expression of autophagy proteins. Autophagy and lysosomal activity were monitored by fluorescence assays. A knockdown of HMGB1 was performed to verify the effect of glycyrrhizin. H. pylori infection in in vivo mice model was established and the effect of glycyrrhizin treatment was studied. RESULTS The autophagy-lysosomal pathway was impaired due to an increase in lysosomal membrane permeabilization during H. pylori infection in AGS cells. Subsequently, glycyrrhizin treatment restored the lysosomal membrane integrity. The recovered lysosomal function enhanced autolysosome formation and concomitantly attenuated the intracellular H. pylori growth by eliminating the pathogenic niche. Additionally, glycyrrhizin treatment inhibited inflammation and improved gastric tissue damage in mice. CONCLUSION This study showed that inhibiting HMGB1 restored lysosomal activity to ameliorate H. pylori infection. It also demonstrated the potential of glycyrrhizin as an antibacterial agent to address the problem of antimicrobial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uzma Khan
- Division of Biochemistry ICMR-NICED, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED), Kolkata, 700010, India
| | - Bipul Chandra Karmakar
- Division of Bacteriology ICMR-NICED, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED), Kolkata, 700010, India
| | - Priyanka Basak
- Division of Biochemistry ICMR-NICED, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED), Kolkata, 700010, India
| | - Sangita Paul
- Division of Bacteriology ICMR-NICED, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED), Kolkata, 700010, India
| | - Animesh Gope
- Division of Clinical Medicine, ICMR-NICED, ICMR- National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED), Kolkata, India
| | - Deotima Sarkar
- Division of Biochemistry ICMR-NICED, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED), Kolkata, 700010, India
| | - Asish Kumar Mukhopadhyay
- Division of Bacteriology ICMR-NICED, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED), Kolkata, 700010, India
| | - Shanta Dutta
- Division of Bacteriology ICMR-NICED, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED), Kolkata, 700010, India
| | - Sushmita Bhattacharya
- Division of Biochemistry ICMR-NICED, ICMR-National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED), Kolkata, 700010, India.
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22
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Balasubramanian R, Maideen NMP, Muthusamy S, Ramanathan S, Jahir Hussain MH. Role of Supplements in the Management of COVID-19 - A Comprehensive Review. Infect Disord Drug Targets 2023:IDDT-EPUB-130099. [PMID: 36896901 DOI: 10.2174/1871526523666230310094646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV-2) and patients with COVID-19 may be treated primarily with SARS CoV-2-targeting drugs and the therapeutic agents assisting in the management of COVID-19 complications. This review focuses on the supplements like vitamins, minerals, herbal constituents, and others that help prevent or manage negative outcomes among COVID-19 patients. The literature was searched in databases such as Medline/PubMed Central/PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, EBSCO, Scopus, EMBASE, the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and reference lists to identify relevant articles. The vitamins, including vitamin C, and vitamin D, minerals such as zinc, selenium, and copper, herbal constituents like thymoquinone, curcumin, naringenin, quercetin, and glycyrrhizin, and other supplements, including N-acetylcysteine and melatonin. Melatonin have been identified as having the potential to manage patients with COVID-19 along with standard care. Some of the ongoing clinical trials are investigating the effectiveness of different supplements among COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sudha Muthusamy
- Department of Pharmacology, The Erode College of Pharmacy, Vallipurathanpalayam, Erode - 638112, India
| | - Sambathkumar Ramanathan
- Department of Pharmacology, The Erode College of Pharmacy, Vallipurathanpalayam, Erode - 638112, India
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23
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Gendy AM, El-Sadek HM, Amin MM, Ahmed KA, El-Sayed MK, El-Haddad AE, Soubh A. Glycyrrhizin prevents 3-nitropropionic acid-induced neurotoxicity by downregulating HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB p65 signaling, and attenuating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in rats. Life Sci 2023; 314:121317. [PMID: 36566881 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Glycyrrhizin (Glyc) is a saponin triterpenoid that has signified its efficacy against Huntington's disease (HD). Nonetheless, its mechanism has not been fully clarified. Accordingly, this study was designed to evaluate the plausible mechanism of action of Glyc against 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP)-induced HD. MAIN METHODS Rats were treated with Glyc (50 mg/kg, i.p.) for 3 weeks and 3-NP (10 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered at the latter 2 weeks alongside to induce HD. KEY FINDINGS Animals exposed to 3-NP revealed a reduction in body weight, neurobehavioral abnormalities, and various deleterious effects related to overexpression of HMGB1 such as oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation. Promisingly, Glyc administration provided valuable effects by reversing the decline in body weight with improved neurobehavioral deficits. Ameliorating oxidative stress via restoring GSH, SOD, and Nrf2 alongside with MDA suppression was evident. Furthermore, Glyc switched the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB p65 signaling off, reduced IL-6, IL-β, TNF-α, caspase-3, and increased Bcl-2 as well as BDNF. All these beneficial effects were mirrored by a better histopathological picture upon using Glyc that suppressed gliosis by reducing GFAP expression as observed in the immunohistochemistry results. SIGNIFICANCE Accordingly, the current study demonstrated a promising neuroprotective effect of Glyc against experimentally induced HD through alleviating deleterious events by diverse mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdallah M Gendy
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, October 6 University, Giza 12585, Egypt.
| | - Hagar M El-Sadek
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, October 6 University, Giza 12585, Egypt
| | - Mohamed M Amin
- Pharmacology Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | - Kawkab A Ahmed
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 12211, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Kotb El-Sayed
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Helwan 11790, Egypt
| | - Alaadin E El-Haddad
- Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, October 6 University, Giza 12585, Egypt
| | - Ayman Soubh
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahram Canadian University, Giza, 12566, Egypt
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Luo Z, Xu M, Zhang L, Zhang H, Xu Z, Xu Z. Glycyrrhizin regulates the HMGB1/P38MAPK signalling pathway in status epilepticus. Mol Med Rep 2023; 27:45. [PMID: 36633134 PMCID: PMC9887508 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2023.12932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, studies have reported that inflammation serves key roles in epilepsy and that high mobility group box protein‑1 (HMGB1) may be involved in status epilepticus. However, it has not been reported whether HMGB1 participates in the pathogenesis of status epilepticus through the regulation of the p38 mitogen‑activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) signalling pathway. In the present study, Sprague‑Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups as follows: Control, status epilepticus (SE), dimethyl sulfoxide treatment (DMSO + SE), and glycyrrhizin treatment (GL + SE) groups. Behavioural changes were then evaluated using the Racine score. In the hippocampus, the protein expression levels of HMGB1 were assessed using western blotting, the neuronal damage was evaluated using haematoxylin and eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy, and the activation of microglia was assessed using immunochemistry and immunofluorescence. The results demonstrated that, in the hippocampal region, HMGB1 existed in neurons and astrocytes and the protein expression levels of HMGB1, p38MAPK and phosphorylated‑p38MAPK were significantly inhibited after treatment with GL. Furthermore, GL could alleviate neuronal injury in the CA1 region of the hippocampus and prevented HMGB1 translocation from the nucleus into the cytoplasm in these areas. These findings expand the understanding of how HMGB1 may participate in SE and lay a foundation for evaluation of HMGB1 as a drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong Luo
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China
| | - Meng Xu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China
| | - Linhai Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China
| | - Haiqing Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China
| | - Zucai Xu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China,Correspondence to: Professor Zucai Xu or Professor Zhongxiang Xu, Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, 149 Dalian Road, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China, E-mail: , E-mail:
| | - Zhongxiang Xu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China,Correspondence to: Professor Zucai Xu or Professor Zhongxiang Xu, Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, 149 Dalian Road, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China, E-mail: , E-mail:
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García-Salazar G, Urbán-Morlán Z, Mendoza-Elvira S, Quintanar-Guerrero D, Mendoza S. Broad Antiviral Spectrum of Glycyrrhizic Acid for Human and Veterinary Medicine: Reality or Fiction? Intervirology 2022; 66:41-53. [PMID: 36455522 PMCID: PMC10015762 DOI: 10.1159/000528198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging virus infections provoke health problems in people and animals, which generate social and economic issues worldwide. This has spurred the search for new pharmacological strategies to confront them. SUMMARY The purpose of this review is to draw the reader's attention to pharmacological evaluations of glycyrrhizic acid (GA) and its analogs on the broad range of viruses known in human and veterinary medicine. GA is the main water-soluble constituent extracted from the roots of plants from the genus Glycyrrhiza, commonly known as licorice root. It has long been used due to its broad spectrum of bioactivities, including anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, and antitumor properties. It has also been proposed as an antiviral agent. Medicines derived from GA are currently being used to combat acute and chronic hepatitis and herpes viruses. KEY MESSAGES This review suggests that GA could be a new broad-spectrum antiviral due to its ability to inhibit DNA or RNA viruses both in vitro and in vivo. GA could be a potential drug for preventing and/or treating various viral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilberto García-Salazar
- Departamento de Investigación y Posgrado en Alimentos, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico,
| | - Zaida Urbán-Morlán
- Facultad de Química, Centro de Información de Medicamentos, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
| | - Susana Mendoza-Elvira
- Laboratorio de Microbiología y Virología de las Enfermedades Respiratorias del Cerdo, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - David Quintanar-Guerrero
- Laboratorio de Investigación y Posgrado en Tecnología Farmacéutica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Sandra Mendoza
- Departamento de Investigación y Posgrado en Alimentos, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
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Basist P, Zahiruddin S, Khan MU, Gautam G, Jan B, Khan MA, Parveen R, Ahmad S. Metabolite profiling and nephroprotective potential of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. roots against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. Iran J Basic Med Sci 2022; 25:1286-1298. [PMID: 36474572 PMCID: PMC9699950 DOI: 10.22038/ijbms.2022.65478.14404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The present study was conducted to investigate the phytochemical analysis and demonstrate the nephroprotective potential of root extract of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. against cisplatin (CP) -induced nephrotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS The HPTLC analysis and UPLC-MS were carried out for standardizing and metabolite profiling of methanolic extract of roots of G. glabra (GGE). Further, in vitro studies were conducted in human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293 cells to evaluate the cytotoxicity and anti-oxidant potential of GGE with CP as a toxicant and ascorbic acid as standard. Also, in vivo nephroprotective potential at doses of 31.5, 63, and 126 mg/kg/day on CP (6 mg/kg, bw, IP) induced nephrotoxicity was evaluated on rodents. RESULTS Phytochemical analysis by HPTLC and UPLC-MS revealed the presence of glycyrrhizin, glabridin, and liquiritin along with other bioactive constituents. The in vitro assay of GGE showed significant (P<0.001 nephroprotective, cellular anti-oxidant potential and improvement in morphological changes induced by CP. Further, administration of CP caused significant (P<0.001) elevation in biochemical, inflammatory, oxidative stress, caspase-3, as well as histopathological changes in kidney tissue. Pre-treatment with GGE attenuated the elevated biochemical markers significantly, improved histopathological damage, and showed a comparable result to ascorbic acid and α-ketoanalogue. CONCLUSION Present study concluded the nephroprotective potential of GGE which supports the traditional claim of G. glabra roots in various kidney and its related disorders. The nephroprotective activity may be attributed to its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptosis effects. Thus, it holds promising potential in management of nephrotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parakh Basist
- Centre of Excellence in Unani Medicine (Pharmacognosy and Pharmacology), Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062,Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062,Bioactive Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062
| | - Sultan Zahiruddin
- Centre of Excellence in Unani Medicine (Pharmacognosy and Pharmacology), Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062,Bioactive Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062
| | - Mohammad Umar Khan
- Centre of Excellence in Unani Medicine (Pharmacognosy and Pharmacology), Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062,Bioactive Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062,Department of Food Technology, School of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062
| | - Gaurav Gautam
- Centre of Excellence in Unani Medicine (Pharmacognosy and Pharmacology), Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062,Bioactive Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062
| | - Bisma Jan
- Centre of Excellence in Unani Medicine (Pharmacognosy and Pharmacology), Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062,Bioactive Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062,Department of Food Technology, School of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062
| | - Mohammad Ahmed Khan
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062,Bioactive Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062
| | - Rabea Parveen
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062
| | - Sayeed Ahmad
- Centre of Excellence in Unani Medicine (Pharmacognosy and Pharmacology), Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062,Bioactive Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062,Corresponding author: Sayeed Ahmad. Bioactive Natural Product Laboratory, Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062; Centre of Excellence in Unani Medicine (Pharmacognosy and Pharmacology), Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India-110062. Tel: +91-8587883147; Fax: +91-11-26059663;
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Gomaa AA, Abdel-Wadood YA, Gomaa MA. Glycyrrhizin and boswellic acids, the golden nutraceuticals: multitargeting for treatment of mild-moderate COVID-19 and prevention of post-COVID cognitive impairment. Inflammopharmacology 2022; 30:1977-1992. [PMID: 36136251 PMCID: PMC9493173 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-022-01062-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Breakthrough infections have been reported in fully vaccinated persons. Furthermore, rebound symptoms have been reported following the new FDA granted emergency use to combat SARS-CoV-2. Glycyrrhizin (GR) and boswellic acids (BAs) combination has been shown to have highly successful actions against COVID-19 in our recent clinical trial. However, the study is limited by the small sample size, and therefore, the aim of this article is to comprehensively evaluate recent evidence on the efficacy of GR and BAs in preventing the development of COVID-19 in patients with mild and moderate infections and in preventing post-COVID-19 cognitive impairment, which is the most important symptom after recovery from Covid-19 disease. We have reviewed and discussed information published since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic until July 2022 on preclinical (in vivo, in vivo and bioinformatics) and clinical studies related to the antiviral, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity of Gr and BAs. Sixteen studies were performed to determine the efficacy of GR against SARS-CoV-2. Ten studies were used primarily for in vitro and in vivo assays and six used molecular docking studies. However, the antiviral activity of BAs against SARS-CoV-2 was determined in only five studies using molecular modeling and bioinformatics. All these studies confirmed that GR n and BAs have strong antiviral activity and can be used as a therapeutic agent for COVID-19 and as a protective agent against SARS-CoV-2. They may act by inhibiting the main protease SARS-CoV-2 (Mpro) responsible for replication and blocking spike protein-mediated cell entry. Only seven rigorously designed clinical trials regarding the usefulness of GR, BAs or their combinations in the treatment of COVID-19 have been published as of July 2022. Although there is no clinical study regarding the treatment of cognitive impairment after COVID-19 that has been published so far, several preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the potential effect of GR and BAs in the prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment by inhibiting the activity of several molecules that activate inflammatory signaling pathway. In conclusion, the findings of our study documented the beneficial use of GR and BAs to treat SARS-CoV-2 and its variants and prevent post-COVID cognitive impairment. However, it warrants further studies with a larger randomized sample size to ensure that the studies have sufficient evidence of benefits against COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adel A Gomaa
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
| | | | - Mohamed A Gomaa
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Faculty Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
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Zhang XL, Li B, Zhang X, Zhu J, Xie Y, Shen T, Tang W, Zhang J. 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid monoglucuronide (GAMG) alleviates single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT)-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis in mice through PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2022; 242:113858. [PMID: 35809393 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have become far and wide used in a number of technical and merchant applications as a result of substantial advances in nanotechnology, therein single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) are one of the most promising nanoparticles. Inhaling CNTs has been linked to a variety of health problems, including lung fibrosis. Glycyrrhetinic acid 3-O-mono-β-D-glucuronide (GAMG), a natural sweetener, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential for GAMG to alleviate SWCNT-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis. During days 3-28 after SWCNT intratracheal administration, we observed a remarkable increase of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) on day 3 and collagen deposition on day 28. GAMG treatment remarkably ameliorated SWCNT-induced pulmonary fibrosis and attenuated SWCNT-induced inflammation and collagen deposition, and suppressed the activation of PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway in the lungs. Therefore, GAMG has a therapeutic potential for the treatment of SWCNT-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Targeting PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway may be a potential therapeutic approach to treat pulmonary fibrosis in mice with SWCNT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Li Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environment Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
| | - Bo Li
- Anhui Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Disease, Anhui No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Hefei 230022, China.
| | - Xiang Zhang
- Department of Occupational Health and Environment Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
| | - Jiaojiao Zhu
- Department of Occupational Health and Environment Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
| | - Yunfeng Xie
- Anhui Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Disease, Anhui No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Hefei 230022, China.
| | - Tong Shen
- Department of Occupational Health and Environment Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
| | - Wenjian Tang
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
| | - Jing Zhang
- Anhui Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Disease, Anhui No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Hefei 230022, China.
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Liu S, Hu R, Du J, Li Y, Li X. Glycyrrhizin ameliorates vascular endothelial cell senescence by inhibiting HMGB1 in HFD/STZ-induced diabetic rats and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Eur J Pharmacol 2022; 931:175196. [PMID: 35987259 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The senescence and dysfunction of vascular endothelial cells are important features of diabetic vascular disease. High mobility group box-1(HMGB1) may be involved in vascular injury in response to high glucose. Glycyrrhizin (GL) is an HMGB1 inhibitor that significantly reduces HMGB1. However, the relationship between HMGB1 and vascular ageing in diabetes is not clear, the protective mechanism of GL against vascular injury in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is unclear too. This study aims to examine the role of HMGB1 in vascular endothelial cell senescence and the protective effects of GL on vascular aging in high fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ) induce type 2 diabetic rats.After induction of diabetes, GL (150 mg/kg/d) was treated by gavage for 4 weeks. Results showed that compared with the Control group, the serum level of HMGB1 was increased in rats with type 2 diabetes, while the expression of HMGB1 mRNA and protein in the thoracic aorta was upregulated, with a decrease in endothelium-dependent vasodilation function and an increase in aging degree in the thoracic aorta. However, the above indicators were significantly improved after GL treatment. In HUVECs, we found that treated with HMGB1 (50, 100 and 200 ng/ml) for 48 h induced cells senescence and GL (50, 100 mg/L) significantly inhibited high-glucose-induced endothelial cell senescence, meanwhile GL (50, 100 mg/L) significantly inhibited the high-glucose-induced HMGB1 release and upregulated p53 expression. In conclusion, GL as an HMGB1 inhibitor, attenuates endothelium-dependent relaxation impairment and vascular ageing in an animal model of diabetes and high-glucose-induced endothelial cell senescence.
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Song K, Zhou L, Wang C, Yuan Z, Cao Q, Wu X, Li M. Novel luteolin@pro-phytomicelles: In vitro characterization and in vivo evaluation of protection against drug-induced hepatotoxicity. Chem Biol Interact 2022; 365:110095. [PMID: 35970426 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A novel nanoformulation with the small molecule phytochemical dipotassium glycyrrhizinate as a nanomaterial was developed for the oral delivery of luteolin (Lut), a widely used phytochemical, but it suffered from poor water solubility and low oral bioavailability. This novel nanoformulation, named Lut@pro-phytomicelles, can be fabricated with a simple process. Lut@pro-phytomicelles can instantly dissolve into aqueous mediums and formulate through self-assembly a clear phytomicelle solution with a Lut encapsulation efficiency of 99.16 ± 0.90%, a small micelle size of 30.32 ± 0.12 nm, and a narrow polydispersity index of 0.138 ± 0.024. The optimized formulation demonstrated that Lut had solubility in up to 50 mg/ml of water as a result of its encapsulation within DG phytomicelles. Lut@pro-phytomicelles exhibited excellent characteristics, including good storage stability, a fast in vitro release profile, improvement in in vitro antioxidant activity, and high safety potential. In the oral bioavailability evaluation, a shorter Tmax, increased Cmax, and improved AUC0-t were obtained with Lut@pro-phytomicelles when compared to bare Lut. The distribution evaluation further showed that Lut@pro-phytomicelles could effectively increase the concentrations of Lut in all the tested organs and gastrointestinal segments. In the protection efficacy evaluation, 100 mg/kg Lut@pro-phytomicelles demonstrated strong effects against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity. The mechanisms of inhibiting high-mobility group box 1 signaling and suppressing oxidative stress were involved in this strong treatment effect. These results showed that simple but novel Lut@pro-phytomicelles provided a new, promising nano-delivery system for Lut with a significantly improved in vivo profile.
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Goyal P, Manzoor MM, Gupta AP, Pandotra P, Gupta S. Molecular dissection of genes and promoters involved in glycyrrhizin biosynthesis revealed phytohormone induced modulation in Glycyrrhiza glabra L. Gene 2022; 836:146682. [PMID: 35714794 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The study reports cloning and characterization of complete biosynthetic gene cluster committed to glycyrrhizin biosynthesis along with their corresponding promoter regions from Glycyrrhiza glabra. The identified genes namely, β-amyrin synthase, β-amyrin-11-oxidase, 11-oxo-beta-amyrin 30-oxidase and UDP-dependent glucosyltransferase, were hetrologously expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana for functional validation. The phyto-hormone, naphthalene acetic acid was shown to prompt maximum up regulation (1.3-14.0 folds) of all the genes, followed by gibberellic acid (0.001-10.0 folds) and abscisic acid (0.2-7.7 folds) treatments. The promoter-GUS fusion constructs infiltrated leaves of the identified genes exhibited enhanced promoter activity of β-amyrin synthase (3.9 & 3.0 folds) and 11-oxo-beta-amyrin 30-oxidase (3.6 & 3.2 folds) under the GA3 and NAA treatments, respectively as compared to their respective untreated controls. The transcriptional control of the three phytohormones studied could be correlated to the cis-responsive elements present in the upstream regions of the individual genes. The study provided an insight into the intricate interaction between hormone-responsive motifs with the corresponding co-expression of the glycyrrhizin biosynthetic pathway genes. The study will help in understanding the phytohormones-mediated regulation of glycyrrhizin biosynthesis and its modulation in the plant.
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Ghosh D, Singh A, Kumar A, Sinha N. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) inhibition attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced cognitive dysfunction and sickness-like behavior in mice. Immunol Res 2022. [PMID: 35670903 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-022-09295-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunction, sickness-like behavior, for instance, anxiety, and depression are common aspects of neuropsychiatry often associated with neurodegenerative disorders. Growing evidence suggests that high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) may act as a proinflammatory cytokine that aggravates neurobehavioral dysfunction. However, the detailed underlying mechanism is still elusive. Here we focus on determining the relationship between lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation (in both in vitro and in vivo models), cognitive dysfunction, sickness-like behavior and thus decode the impact of HMGB1 inhibition (using Glycyrrhizin; Gcy as an antagonist). Using a mice model of repeated LPS (1 mg/kg, i.p. for 4 days) injections, we found that LPS induced neurobehavioral deficit and a strong proinflammatory response with increased proinflammatory markers, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) at 7 days after the final dose of LPS compared to control animals. Our findings suggest that neurobehavioral dysfunction strongly correlates with the proinflammatory immune response following LPS stimulation. In vitro Gcy pretreatment to LPS-activated BV2 microglia cells significantly reduced nitrite and reactive oxygen species production, along with diminished expression of classical proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, iNOS). These key proinflammatory changes with LPS and Gcy treatment are also found in vivo mice model and correlate with improved cognitive function and reduced anxiety/depression. Together, these results show that blocking HMGB1 using Gcy abrogated the cognitive dysfunction, sickness-like behavior of anxiety and depression induced by LPS which can be a promising avenue for crucial neurobehavioral dysfunction.
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Bakr AF, Shao P, Farag MA. Recent advances in glycyrrhizin metabolism, health benefits, clinical effects and drug delivery systems for efficacy improvement; a comprehensive review. Phytomedicine 2022; 99:153999. [PMID: 35220130 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2022.153999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glycyrrhizin (GL) is a major active constituent of licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) that is considered one of the oldest and most frequently employed botanicals in Chinese medicine and worldwide, with most effects attributed to its rich GL content. Structurally, GL a triterpene saponin that is widely used as a flavoring agent in foodstuffs and cosmetics, and also proposed for various clinical applications with a myriad of health benefits. Pharmacological and biological activities of GL include antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer activities (in vitro and in vivo). Currently, there is no comprehensive review on GL biological effects and its action mechanisms. PURPOSE This review summarizes GL pharmacological actions from a molecular biology perception, presented on its metabolism and side effects based on in vitro, in vitro and clinical studies. Moreover, the potential of GL as a nanomedicine delivery system is also summarized. The progress in drug delivery research using GL presented herein is expected to provide a theoretical basis for developing other novel drugs formulations. METHODS A systematic review was carried out in several electronic databases (Science Direct, SpringerLink, CNKI, PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier, and Scopus), using the following key words: glycyrrhizin "AND" bioactivity "OR" clinic "OR" therapeutic "OR" drug delivery. This search included manuscripts published between 1989 and 2021. RESULTS 126 researches were selected and summarized in this review. The analysis of these studies indicated that GL has antiviral activity against different viruses. Further, GL efficiently suppressed the respiratory manifestations associated with COVID-19 by reducing the expression of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) that employed by the virus as an entry point. Otherwise, GL was found to induce antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulatory, and anticancer activity. Besides, diminution the particle size of GL to nanometer size significantly augments their action and biodistribution. CONCLUSION This article summarizes the pharmacological actions of GL. The potential of GL as a nanomedicine delivery system is also presented. Nevertheless, most studies reported provide no deep insight of GL health effects warranting for more future studies to elucidate its action mechanism and potential therapeutic benefits through preclinical and clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaa F Bakr
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Gamaa St., Giza 12211, Egypt
| | - Ping Shao
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China; Key Laboratory of Food Macromolecular Resources Processing Technology Research, China National Light Industry, China.
| | - Mohamed A Farag
- Pharmacognosy Department, College of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr el Aini St., P.B. 11562, Cairo, Egypt.
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Yao L, Zhang J, Jin J, Li H, Li L, Han X, Raza HK, Li X, Mao Y. An analysis of the efficacy and safety of compound glycyrrhizin injections in the treatment of drug-induced liver injury using a nationwide database. Int J Clin Pharm 2022; 44:731-740. [PMID: 35438473 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-022-01402-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) refers to liver damage caused by drugs. DILI poses a significant challenge in the development of new drugs. The management of DILI mainly involves the withdrawal of the offending drug, and there is a lack of specific therapy. This study sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of compound glycyrrhizin (CG) injections in DILI patients. Aim To evaluate the efficacy and safety of compound glycyrrhizin injections in DILI treatment. Methods The clinical data of DILI patients were collected from a nationwide DILI database. Patients were divided into two groups: the compound glycyrrhizin (CG) group who received CG injections, and the control group who received no treatment. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was applied to obtain an even distribution of characteristics between the two groups. The efficacy of the CG injections was assessed by the analysis of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels between the two groups. Results There were 152 patients in the compound glycyrrhizin group and 512 patients in the control group. The PSM method was used to acquire 152 matched pairs. The compound glycyrrhizin group had a significantly higher overall ALT and AST normalization rate than the control group (43.42% vs. 24.34%, p = 0.0004 and 63.82% vs. 38.82%, p ≤ .0001). There was no difference in the levels of renal and serum biochemical parameters between the two groups. Conclusions CG injections are effective in reducing ALT and AST levels in DILI patients, and their safety is comparable to the control group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lvfeng Yao
- Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | | | - Jie Jin
- Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hongbin Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Lei Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xian Han
- Unimed Scientific Inc., Wuxi, China
| | | | - Xiaoyun Li
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200001, China
| | - Yimin Mao
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200001, China.
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Xiao Y, Zhang Z, Liang W, Gao B, Wang Y, Chang J, Zhu D. Endophytic fungi from Dongxiang wild rice ( Oryza rufipogon Griff .) show diverse catalytic potential for converting glycyrrhizin. 3 Biotech 2022; 12:79. [PMID: 35251882 PMCID: PMC8882211 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-022-03138-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Endophytic fungi inhabiting niche environments are novel biocatalyst resources that need to be exploited urgently. In this study, 63 endophytic fungi isolated from Dongxiang wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) were tested to assess their potentials to transform glycyrrhizin (GL) into glycyrrhetinic acid monoglucuronide (GAMG) or glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), of which 12 strains were shown to have β-d-glucuronidase activity. Based on morphological characteristics and rDNA ITS sequence analysis, the strains S59, L138, L55 and R57 with high GL molar conversion rates (55%, 45%, 65% and 89%) were further identified as Microsphaeropsis arundinis S59, Penicillium rubens L138, Aspergillus flavus L55 and Eupenicillium javanicum R57, respectively. These four strains with four different types of GL conversion processes were identified, i.e., (1) GL → GAMG in M. arundinis S59, (2) GL → GAMG and GA in A. flavus L55, (3) GL → GA in P. rubens L138, and (4) GL → GAMG → GA in E. javanicum R57, in which the bioconversion type (4) is reported for the first time. The study not only provided abundant and diverse β-d-glucuronidase resources that can be used for GL bioconversion, especially for GAMG biosynthesis from endophytic fungi, but also expanded our knowledge of potential roles of endophytes as new biocatalysts in biotransformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Subtropic Plant Resources of Jiangxi Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022 China
- Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013 China
| | - Zhibin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Subtropic Plant Resources of Jiangxi Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022 China
| | - Weizhong Liang
- Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013 China
| | - Boliang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013 China
| | - Ya Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013 China
| | - Jun Chang
- Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013 China
| | - Du Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Subtropic Plant Resources of Jiangxi Province, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022 China
- Key Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering of Jiangxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013 China
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Gomaa AA, Mohamed HS, Abd-Ellatief RB, Gomaa MA, Hammam DS. Advancing combination treatment with glycyrrhizin and boswellic acids for hospitalized patients with moderate COVID-19 infection: a randomized clinical trial. Inflammopharmacology 2022; 30:477-486. [PMID: 35233748 PMCID: PMC8886861 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-022-00939-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence points to a potential therapeutic role for glycyrrhizin(GR) and boswellic acids (BA) in the treatment of COVID-19 but conclusive evidence is lacking. Our aim is to investigate the efficacy of GR + BA versus placebo for the treatment of hospitalized patients with moderate SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 variants infection. The current study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center trial. Patients with SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 variants diagnosed by PCR test who were admitted to Sohag University hospital were eligible if they were at least 18 years of age and had moderate symptoms. Patients were randomly assigned to receive oral GR capsule (60 mg) and BA (200 mg) twice daily for 14 days or a matching placebo. All patients also received treatment with the institutional protocol for COVID-19. The primary outcome was mortality and time to recovery. Secondary outcome was clinical status score, 14 days after receiving study drugs. Adverse events from use of study drugs have been evaluated for up to 14 days. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier NCT04487964). During the 6-month enrollment period (June-November, 2021) only 50 patients (54% women; median age 60 years, IQR 54–65) met eligibility and were randomly assigned. Evaluation of the primary outcome at 14 days showed that there were five deaths in the placebo group and no deaths in the GR + BA group. With regard to recovery time, it was significantly shorter (p = 0.0001) in the group receiving GR + BA capsule compared to the placebo group (median 7.0; IQR 6.0–8.0 days vs. median 12.5; IQR 12–20 days). Clinical status on the ordinal score scale as a secondary outcome showed a significant difference between the GR + BA group (median (IQR) score, 2 [2–3]) and placebo groups (mean (IQR) score, 3 [3–5.5]). There was a significant decrease in CRB (p = 0.000041) in GR + BA compared with the placebo group. In conclusion, this safe, inexpensive, antiviral, immunomodulating and anti-inflammatory combination may be considered for use in mild to moderate infections of SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 variants. The study is limited by the small sample size; therefore, larger randomized trials are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adel A Gomaa
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
| | - Hamdy S Mohamed
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
| | - Rasha B Abd-Ellatief
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A Gomaa
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Doaa S Hammam
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
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Bisht D, Rashid M, Arya RKK, Kumar D, Chaudhary SK, Rana VS, Sethiya NK. Revisiting liquorice ( Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) as anti-inflammatory, antivirals and immunomodulators: Potential pharmacological applications with mechanistic insight. Phytomed Plus 2022; 2:100206. [PMID: 35403088 PMCID: PMC8683220 DOI: 10.1016/j.phyplu.2021.100206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (G. glabra) commonly known as liquorice is one of the highly exploited and utilized medicinal plant of the world. Since ancient times liquorice is considered as an auspicious and valuable traditional medicine across the world for treatment of various ailments. METHOD Several electronic online scientific databases such as Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Scifinder, Google Scholar, online books and reports were assessed for collecting information. All the collected information was classified into different sections to meet the objective of the paper. RESULTS The electronic database search yielded 3908 articles from different countries. Out of them one ninety-eight articles published between 1956 and 2021 were included, corresponding to all detailed review on G. glabra and research on anti-inflammatories, antivirals and immunomodulatory through pre-clinical and clinical models. From all selective area of studies on G. glabra and its bioactive components it was established (including molecular mechanisms) as a suitable remedy as per the current requirement of pandemic situation arise through respiratory tract infection. CONCLUSION Different relevant studies have been thoroughly reviewed to gain an insight on utility of liquorice and its bioactive constituents for anti-inflammatories, antivirals and immunomodulatory effects with special emphasized for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 infection with possible mechanism of action at molecular level. Proposed directions for future research are also outlined to encourage researchers to find out various mechanistic targets and useful value added products of liquorice in future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dheeraj Bisht
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sir J. C. Bose Technical Campus Bhimtal, Kumaun University Nainital, Uttarakhand, 263136, India
| | - Mohmmad Rashid
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Dentistry and Pharmacy, Buraydah Colleges, Al-Qassim, 31717, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rajeshwar Kamal Kant Arya
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sir J. C. Bose Technical Campus Bhimtal, Kumaun University Nainital, Uttarakhand, 263136, India
| | - Deepak Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173 229, India
| | | | - Vijay Singh Rana
- Faculty of Pharmacy, DIT University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248009, India
| | - Neeraj K Sethiya
- Faculty of Pharmacy, DIT University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248009, India
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Morita A, Omoya Y, Ito R, Ishibashi Y, Hiramoto K, Ohnishi S, Yoshikawa N, Kawanishi S. Glycyrrhizin and its derivatives promote hepatic differentiation via sweet receptor, Wnt, and Notch signaling. Biochem Biophys Rep 2021; 28:101181. [PMID: 34934826 PMCID: PMC8654616 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2021.101181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The acute liver disease is involved in aberrant release of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). Glycyrrhizin (GL), a traditional Chinese medicine for liver disease, binds to HMGB1, thereby inhibits tissue injury. However the mode of action of GL for chronic liver disease remains unclear. We investigated the effects of glycyrrhizin (GL) and its derivatives on liver differentiation using human iPS cells by using a flow cytometric analysis. GL promoted hepatic differentiation at the hepatoblast formation stage. The GL derivatives, 3-O-mono-glucuronyl 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (Mono) and 3-O-[glucosyl (1 → 2)-glucuronyl] 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid increased AFP+ cell counts and albumin+ cell counts. Glucuronate conjugation seemed to be a requirement for hepatic differentiation. Mono exhibited the most significant hepatic differentiation effect. We evaluated the effects of (±)-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) propionic acid (DP), a T1R3 antagonist, and sucralose, a T1R3 agonist, on hepatic differentiation, and found that DP suppressed Mono-induced hepatic differentiation, while sucralose promoted hepatic differentiation. Thus, GL promoted hepatic differentiation via T1R3 signaling. In addition, Mono increased β-catenin+ cell count and decreased Hes5+ cell count suggesting the involvement of Wnt and Notch signaling in GL-induced hepatic differentiation. In conclusion, GL exerted a hepatic differentiation effect via sweet receptor (T1R3), canonical Wnt, and Notch signaling.
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Key Words
- AFP, α-fetoprotein
- Api, 3-O-[apiosyl (1 → 2)-glucuronyl] βGA
- CBX, carbenoxolone, 3-O-hemisuccinyl βGA
- CK-19, cytokeratin 19
- DMSO, dimethyl sulfoxide
- DP, (±)-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy) propionic acid
- GL, glycyrrhizin
- Glc, 3-O-[glucosyl (1 → 2)-glucuronyl] βGA
- Glycyrrhizin
- HMGB1, high-mobility group box1
- HNF-4α, hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α
- Hepatic differentiation
- Hes, hairy and enhancer of split
- LSG, licorice saponin G
- LSH, licorice saponin H
- Liver regeneration
- Mono, 3-O-mono-glucuronyl βGA
- Sweet receptor
- T1R3
- αGA, 18α-glycyrrhetinic acid
- βGA, 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Morita
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, 513-8670, Japan
| | - Yuta Omoya
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, 513-8670, Japan
| | - Rie Ito
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, 513-8670, Japan
| | - Yuya Ishibashi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, 513-8670, Japan
| | - Keiichi Hiramoto
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, 513-8670, Japan
| | - Shiho Ohnishi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, 513-8670, Japan
| | - Nobuji Yoshikawa
- Matsusaka R&D Center, Cokey Co., Ltd., Matsusaka, Mie, 515-0041, Japan
| | - Shosuke Kawanishi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Mie, 513-8670, Japan
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Kim AV, Shelepova EA, Evseenko VI, Dushkin AV, Medvedev NN, Polyakov NE. Mechanism of the enhancing effect of glycyrrhizin on nifedipine penetration through a lipid membrane. J Mol Liq 2021; 344:117759. [PMID: 34658466 PMCID: PMC8500845 DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2021.117759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The saponin glycyrrhizin from liquorice root shows the ability to enhance the therapeutic activity of other drugs when used as a drug delivery system. Due to its amphiphilic properties, glycyrrhizin can form self-associates (dimers, micelles) and supramolecular complexes with a wide range of hydrophobic drugs, which leads to an increase in their solubility, stability and bioavailability. That is why the mechanism of the biological activity of glycyrrhizin is of considerable interest and has been the subject of intensive physical and chemical research in the last decade. Two mechanisms have been proposed to explain the effect of glycyrrhizin on drug bioavailability, namely, the increase in drug solubility in water and enhancement of the membrane permeability. Interest in the membrane-modifying ability of glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is also growing at present due to its recently discovered antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 Bailly and Vergoten (2020) [1]. In the present study, the passive permeability of the DOPC lipid membrane for the calcium channel blocker nifedipine was elucidated by parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA) and full atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulation with free energy calculations. PAMPA experiments show a remarkable increase in the amount of nifedipine (NF) permeated with glycyrrhizin compared to free NF. In previous studies, we have shown using MD techniques that glycyrrhizin molecules can integrate into the lipid bilayer. In this study, MD simulation demonstrates a significant decrease in the energy barrier of NF penetration through the lipid bilayer in the presence of glycyrrhizin both in the pure DOPC membrane and in the membrane with cholesterol. This effect can be explained by the formation of hydrogen bonds between NF and GA in the middle of the bilayer.
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Key Words
- CLR, cholesterol
- DDS, drug delivery system
- DOPC
- DOPC, dioleoylphosphatidylcholine
- Drug delivery
- GA, glycyrrhizic acid
- Glycyrrhizin
- Lipid bilayer
- MD, molecular dynamics
- Membrane penetration
- Molecular dynamics
- NF, nifedipine
- NMR
- NMR, nuclear magnetic resonance
- Nifedipine
- PAMPA
- PAMPA, parallel artificial membrane permeability assay
- PMF, potential of mean force
- TBK, tebuconazole
- VDW, Van der Waals
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Affiliation(s)
- A V Kim
- Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, Institutskaya St., 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia.,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - E A Shelepova
- Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, Institutskaya St., 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - V I Evseenko
- Institute of Solid State Chemistry and Mechanochemistry, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - A V Dushkin
- Institute of Solid State Chemistry and Mechanochemistry, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - N N Medvedev
- Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, Institutskaya St., 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia.,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - N E Polyakov
- Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, Institutskaya St., 3, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia.,Institute of Solid State Chemistry and Mechanochemistry, Novosibirsk, Russia
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Li Q, Wu X, Xin M. Strengthened rebamipide ocular nanoformulation to effectively treat corneal alkali burns in mice through the HMGB1 signaling pathway. Exp Eye Res 2021; 213:108824. [PMID: 34742693 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Corneal alkali burns are a major ophthalmic emergency, as current therapeutic treatments are limited. Novel treatment targets and new potential agents are required to combat this severe ocular injury. Glycyrrhizin and rebamipide (RBM) are both FDA-approved drugs with potential effects against corneal alkali burns, but RBM is limited by its low aqueous solubility and low bioavailability. This study aimed to utilize dipotassium glycyrrhizinate (DG, a dipotassium salt of glycyrrhizin) as a nanocarrier encapsulating RBM to formulate an ophthalmic solution (marked DG-RBM) with strengthened activities to treat corneal alkali burns. Results showed that an easy DG-RBM preparative process generated particles with high encapsulation efficacy and ultra-small micellar size. The solubility of RBM in DG-RBM in aqueous solution was 3.1 × 105-fold enhanced than its free solution. DG-RBM exhibited excellent storage stability. In vitro cytotoxicity, ex vivo conjunctival responses, and rabbit eye tolerance tests showed that DG-RBM possessed good ocular safety profiles. DG-RBM exhibited improved in vivo corneal permeation profiles and demonstrated a strong effect against H2O2-induced oxidative damage, with a significant effect on promoting epithelial wound healing in corneal cells in vitro. As expected, in a mouse model of corneal alkali burns, the topical administration of DG-RBM achieved a strengthened efficacy against alkali burn damages. The mechanism of this therapeutic effect involved regulating high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) signaling and its related angiogenic and proinflammatory cytokines. These findings demonstrate the ease of preparing DG-RBM and its great potential as a novel ocular topical formulation to treat corneal alkali burns by regulating HMGB1 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqi Li
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China; Department of Ophthalmology, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264100, China
| | - Xianggen Wu
- College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.
| | - Meng Xin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264100, China.
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Wahab S, Ahmad I, Irfan S, Siddiqua A, Usmani S, Ahmad MP. Pharmacological Efficacy and Safety of Glycyrrhiza glabra in the treatment of respiratory tract infections. Mini Rev Med Chem 2021; 22:1476-1494. [PMID: 34579633 DOI: 10.2174/1389557521666210927153001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Respiratory tract infections are underestimated because they are mild and disabling, but in clinical medicine, these are the most prevalent problems. According to the World Health Organization third-most comprehensive cause of death in the world till 2030 would be chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Dominating viruses of respiratory infections are influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinoviruses, and human coronaviruses. Antibiotics are mostly used to treat bacterial infections, and they do not effectively manage viral infections like sinusitis, sore throats, bronchitis, influenza, and common respiratory infections. Presently no medication is available only symptomatic interventions is an option in our hand. However, a lot of research is going on the vaccine and drugs-based approaches against respiratory viruses worldwide. Traditional medicines are getting the attraction to treat many diseases. It is vital to screen the medicinal plants to find the potential of new compounds for treatment against antiviral and antimicrobial activities. Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Licorice) pharmacological actions modulate the immune system, inhibit virus growth, produce anti-inflammatory activity, and inactivate viruses. This comprehensive review mainly focuses on the role of licorice in managing respiratory infections caused by viruses and bacteria, including complications associated with its excess intake. There has been limited human research's exhibited licorice effectiveness in respiratory infections; therefore, there is a need for uncompromising and long-term research. This paper will be a valuable reference for biologists and physicians looking for a medication for respiratory infections. Glycyrrhiza glabra could open the door to novel agents in drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shadma Wahab
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha. Saudi Arabia
| | - Irfan Ahmad
- College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha. Saudi Arabia
| | - Safia Irfan
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha. Saudi Arabia
| | - Ayesha Siddiqua
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha. Saudi Arabia
| | - Shazia Usmani
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Integral University, Lucknow. India
| | - Md Parwez Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Maldives National University. Maldives
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42
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Liang SB, Hou WB, Zheng RX, Liang CH, Yan LJ, Wang HN, Cao HJ, Han M, Robinson N, Liu JP. Compound glycyrrhizin injection for improving liver function in children with acute icteric hepatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Integr Med Res 2021; 11:100772. [PMID: 34522606 PMCID: PMC8426202 DOI: 10.1016/j.imr.2021.100772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Compound glycyrrhizin injection (CGI) is a preparation with glycyrrhizin as the main active ingredient extracted from licorice. As clinical trials suggest that CGI is effective in improving liver function for acute icteric hepatitis in children (AIHC), this systematic review aimed to evaluate and verify its therapeutic effects and safety. Methods Six electronic databases were searched from their inception to 15 May 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing therapeutic effects and safety of CGI for AIHC were included. The risk of bias for each trial was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.0. Primary outcomes were indexes related to liver function, including total bilirubin (TBiL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST). RevMan 5.4 software was used for data analyses. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using the online GRADEpro tool. Results Six RCTs involving 608 children were included. The overall bias was assessed as having “high risk of bias” in all trials. All trials compared the combination of CGI and conventional western medicine (CWM) with CWM alone. Regarding the effects of CGI for AIHC, results showed that CGI plus CWM was superior to CWM alone in reducing the levels of TBiL (mean difference (MD) = -8.19 mmol/L, 95% CI -9.86 to -6.53), ALT (MD = -24.09 U/L, 95% CI -30.83 to -17.34) and AST (MD = -18.67 U/L, 95% CI -21.88 to -15.45). No trial reported adverse events. The certainty of the evidence for outcomes were all evaluated as low or very low. Conclusion CGI may have adjuvant therapeutic effects on improving the liver function of children with AIHC. There is no evidence to determine the safety of CGI for AIHC. As current evidence is weak, further well-designed RCTs are required for verification of the therapeutic effects of CGI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Bing Liang
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Bin Hou
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Ruo-Xiang Zheng
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Chang-Hao Liang
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Li-Jiao Yan
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hao-Nan Wang
- School of Basic Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui-Juan Cao
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Mei Han
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Nicola Robinson
- Institute of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, London, UK.,Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jian-Ping Liu
- Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Gajewski A, Kośmider A, Nowacka A, Puk O, Wiciński M. Potential of herbal products in prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Literature review. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 143:112150. [PMID: 34507112 PMCID: PMC8410512 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 epidemic is the greatest pandemic that human kind experienced for decades, with high morbidity and mortality. Despite recent development of vaccines there is still many severe cases of COVID-19. Unfortunately there is still no standardized therapies and treatment of severe cases is very challenging. The aim of this study is to indicate if herbs administered alone or as a complementary therapy could be used as prophylaxis or treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Over 85% of patients with COVID-19 in China used Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and a most common herb is Glycyrrhiza glabra, which in vitro inhibits replication of different enveloped viruses, including coronaviruses. Glycyrrhizin in vitro connects and changes conformation of ACE2 receptors, which are vital for SARS-CoV-2 penetration into host cells. Pelargonium sidoides show immunomodulatory and antiviral properties in clinical and in vitro studies, and it inhibits replication of HCo-229E coronavirus. Glycyrrhiza glabra in combination with standard therapies significantly reduces the hospitalization rate and occurrence of COVID-19 symptoms. As complementary therapies lianhuaqingwen capsules and jinhua qinggan granules reduces hospitalization rates, time to symptoms recovery and improve patient psychological comfort. In view of SARS-CoV-2 other herbs are not effective, e.g. maxingshigan–yinqiaosan, or therapeutic concentration would be impossible to achieve, e.g. ephedra herb, or there is simply no proper data. Therefore, Liquorice and Pelargonium sidoides are effective against coronaviruses and could be possibly used as prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19, while lianhuaqingwen capsules and jinhua qinggan granules can be useful as a complementary therapy to conventional treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksander Gajewski
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, M. Curie 9, 85-090 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
| | - Anna Kośmider
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, M. Curie 9, 85-090 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Nowacka
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, M. Curie 9, 85-090 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Oskar Puk
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, M. Curie 9, 85-090 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Michał Wiciński
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, M. Curie 9, 85-090 Bydgoszcz, Poland
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Zhu L, Wei M, Yang N, Li X. Glycyrrhizic acid alleviates the meconium-induced acute lung injury in neonatal rats by inhibiting oxidative stress through mediating the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signal pathway. Bioengineered 2021; 12:2616-2626. [PMID: 34499011 PMCID: PMC8806485 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.1937445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is a disease closely related to inflammation and oxidative stress. Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is a triterpenoid isolated from licorice with multiple bioprotective properties. In the present study, impacts of GA against MAS rats, as well as the potential mechanism, will be investigated. MAS model was established on newborn rats, followed by the treatment of 12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg GA. The wet/dry weight ratio of lung tissues was calculated. The production of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, malonaldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) was measured using ELISA assay. HE staining was used to evaluate the pathological state of lung tissues and TUNEL assay was used to detect the apoptotic state. The protein expression of Nrf2, Keap1, HO-1, Bcl-2, Bax, and cleaved-Caspase3 was measured by Western blotting assay. The elevated W/D ratio, release of inflammatory factors, lung injury score, and apoptotic index, as well as the activated oxidative stress and suppressed Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, in MAS rats were significantly alleviated by GA. After introducing the inhibitor of Nrf2, ML385, the protective property of GA on the pathological state, apoptotic index, and oxidative stress in MAS rats was pronouncedly abolished. Taken together, glycyrrhizin alleviated GAH in rats by suppressing Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling mediated oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linhan Zhu
- Pediatric Department, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing China
| | - Meichen Wei
- Pediatric Department, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing China
| | - Nan Yang
- Pediatric Department, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing China
| | - Xuehua Li
- Pediatric Department, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing China
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Rehman MFU, Akhter S, Batool AI, Selamoglu Z, Sevindik M, Eman R, Mustaqeem M, Akram MS, Kanwal F, Lu C, Aslam M. Effectiveness of Natural Antioxidants against SARS-CoV-2? Insights from the In-Silico World. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:1011. [PMID: 34439061 PMCID: PMC8388999 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10081011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS CoV-2 pandemic has affected millions of people around the globe. Despite many efforts to find some effective medicines against SARS CoV-2, no established therapeutics are available yet. The use of phytochemicals as antiviral agents provides hope against the proliferation of SARS-CoV-2. Several natural compounds were analyzed by virtual screening against six SARS CoV-2 protein targets using molecular docking simulations in the present study. More than a hundred plant-derived secondary metabolites have been docked, including alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, and steroids. SARS CoV-2 protein targets include Main protease (MPro), Papain-like protease (PLpro), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), Spike glycoprotein (S), Helicase (Nsp13), and E-Channel protein. Phytochemicals were evaluated by molecular docking, and MD simulations were performed using the YASARA structure using a modified genetic algorithm and AMBER03 force field. Binding energies and dissociation constants allowed the identification of potentially active compounds. Ligand-protein interactions provide an insight into the mechanism and potential of identified compounds. Glycyrrhizin and its metabolite 18-β-glycyrrhetinic acid have shown a strong binding affinity for MPro, helicase, RdRp, spike, and E-channel proteins, while a flavonoid Baicalin also strongly binds against PLpro and RdRp. The use of identified phytochemicals may help to speed up the drug development and provide natural protection against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Fayyaz ur Rehman
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 41600, Pakistan; (S.A.); (R.E.)
| | - Shahzaib Akhter
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 41600, Pakistan; (S.A.); (R.E.)
| | - Aima Iram Batool
- Department of Zoology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 41600, Pakistan;
| | - Zeliha Selamoglu
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, Nigde 51240, Turkey;
| | - Mustafa Sevindik
- Department of Food Processing, Bahçe Vocational School, Osmaniye Korkut Ata University, Osmaniye 80000, Turkey;
| | - Rida Eman
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 41600, Pakistan; (S.A.); (R.E.)
| | - Muhammad Mustaqeem
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Bhakkar Campus, Bhakkar 30000, Pakistan;
| | - Muhammad Safwan Akram
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BA, UK;
- National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington DL1 1HG, UK
| | - Fariha Kanwal
- Med-X Research Institute, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 201620, China;
| | - Changrui Lu
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Mehwish Aslam
- School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Liquorice is found in many food products, soft drinks, and herbal medicines. Liquorice ingestion is an uncommon cause of apparent mineralocorticoid excess or pseudo-aldosteronism. The mechanism involves the inhibition of 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type-2 by the active ingredient called glycyrrhizin. This leads to the uninhibited activation of mineralocorticoid receptors by cortisol. Confectionary products that contain liquorice are readily available in many countries around the world. CASE PRESENTATION We report a case of severe refractory hypokalaemia with hypertensive crisis and acute pulmonary oedema due to excessive liquorice consumption. A 79-year-old female presented to the emergency department following a road traffic accident. She described feeling weak and dizzy while driving before the collision. She attended her general practitioner (GP) several weeks earlier for fatigue and was being managed for hypokalaemia on oral potassium supplements. Investigations revealed hypertension (BP 180/69 mmHg), severe hypokalaemia (K 2.2 mmol/l), normal renal function, normal serum magnesium with metabolic alkalosis. Spot urinary potassium was 22 mmol/l. The patient denied taking medications including over-the-counter or herbal medication that can cause hypokalaemia. Hypokalaemia persisted despite aggressive intravenous (i.v.) and oral potassium replacement. She later developed a hypertensive crisis (BP 239/114 mmHg) with pulmonary oedema. She required admission to the intensive care unit and was managed with intravenous furosemide infusion and isosorbide dinitrate infusion. On further discussion, our patient admitted to struggling with nicotine cravings since quitting smoking two months earlier. She began eating an excessive amount of liquorice sweets to manage her cravings. Suppression of plasma renin and aldosterone supported the diagnosis of apparent mineralocorticoid excess secondary to excessive liquorice consumption. Her symptoms and hypokalaemia resolved after stopping liquorice intake. CONCLUSIONS This case highlights the life-threatening and refractory nature of hypokalaemia secondary to excessive liquorice consumption. This case also emphasizes the importance of comprehensive history taking including dietary habits. Increased awareness among the public is required regarding the potential health hazards of excessive liquorice consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph McHugh
- Endocrinology Department, Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Republic of Ireland.
| | - Ramesh Nagabathula
- Radiology Department, Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Republic of Ireland
| | - Ma Pyeh Kyithar
- Endocrinology Department, Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Republic of Ireland
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Dandörfer A, Studhalter M. [An Unusual Case of Rhabdomyolysis]. Praxis (Bern 1994) 2021; 110:525-528. [PMID: 34231379 DOI: 10.1024/1661-8157/a003683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
An Unusual Case of Rhabdomyolysis Abstract. We present the case of a 52-year-old patient with accidental liquorice intoxication after consumption of liquorice tea. In the Arabic cultures the consumption of liquorice tea is very popular during Ramadan and is used to suppress thirst. In the described case this led to a severe case of pseudohyperaldosteronism. Because of the classic presentation of a hypertensive crisis, hypokalaemia and rhabdomyolysis, the patient needed intensive care. Typically, the symptoms last for up to seven days after discontinuation of liquorice and completely subside with time. The treatment consists only of supportive care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artur Dandörfer
- Interdisziplinäre Intensivstation, Kantonsspital Olten, Olten
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48
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Ahmad S, Waheed Y, Abro A, Abbasi SW, Ismail S. Molecular screening of glycyrrhizin-based inhibitors against ACE2 host receptor of SARS-CoV-2. J Mol Model 2021; 27:206. [PMID: 34169390 PMCID: PMC8225399 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-021-04816-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The interaction between SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is essential to viral attachment and the subsequent fusion process. Interfering with this event represents an attractive avenue for the development of therapeutics and vaccine development. Here, a hybrid approach of ligand- and structure-based virtual screening techniques were employed to disclose similar analogues of a reported antiviral phytochemical, glycyrrhizin, targeting the blockade of ACE2 interaction with the SARS-CoV-2 Spike. A ligand-based similarity search using a stringent cut-off revealed 40 FDA-approved compounds in DrugBank. These filtered hits were screened against ACE2 using a blind docking approach to determine the natural binding tendency of the compounds with ACE2. Three compounds, deslanoside, digitoxin, and digoxin, were reported to show strong binding with ACE2. These compounds bind at the H1-H2 binding pocket, in a manner similar to that of glycyrrhizin which was used as a control. To achieve consistency in the docking results, docking calculations were performed via two sets of docking software that predicted binding energy as ACE2-Deslanoside (AutoDock, -10.3 kcal/mol and DockThor, -9.53 kcal/mol), ACE2-Digitoxin (AutoDock, -10.6 kcal/mol and DockThor, -8.84 kcal/mol), and ACE2-Digoxin (AutoDock, -10.6 kcal/mol and DockThor, -8.81 kcal/mol). The docking results were validated by running molecular simulations in aqueous solution that demonstrated the stability of ACE2 with no major conformational changes in the ligand original binding mode (~ 2 Å average RMSD). Binding interactions remained quite stable with an increased potential for getting stronger as the simulation proceeded. MMGB/PBSA binding free energies were also estimated and these supported the high stability of the complexes compared to the control (~ -50 kcal/mol net MMGB/PBSA binding energy versus ~ -30 kcal/mol). Collectively, the data demonstrated that the compounds shortlisted in this study might be subjected to experimental evaluation to uncover their real blockade capacity of SARS-CoV-2 host ACE2 receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajjad Ahmad
- Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar, 25000 Pakistan
| | - Yasir Waheed
- Foundation University Medical College, Foundation University Islamabad, DHA-I, Islamabad, 44000 Pakistan
| | - Asma Abro
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Informatics, Balochistan University of Information Technology Engineering and Management Sciences, Quetta, Pakistan
| | - Sumra Wajid Abbasi
- NUMS Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Abid Majeed Rd, The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Saba Ismail
- NUMS Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Medical Sciences, Abid Majeed Rd, The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
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Schmid C, Brockhoff A, Shoshan-Galeczki YB, Kranz M, Stark TD, Erkaya R, Meyerhof W, Niv MY, Dawid C, Hofmann T. Comprehensive structure-activity-relationship studies of sensory active compounds in licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Food Chem 2021; 364:130420. [PMID: 34182369 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Licorice saponins, the main constituents of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. roots, are highly appreciated by the consumer for their pleasant sweet and long lasting licorice taste. The objective of the present study was to understand the molecular features that contribute to bitter, sweet and licorice sensation of licorice roots, and whether individual compounds elicit more than one of these sensations. Therefore, a sensomics approach was conducted, followed by purification of the compounds with highest sensory impact, and by synthesis as well as full characterization via HRESIMS, ESIMS/MS and 1D/2D-NMR experiments. This led to the discovery and structure determination of 28 sweet, bitter and licorice tasting key phytochemicals, including two unknown compounds. A combination of sensorial, cell-based and computational analysis revealed distinct structural features, such as spatial arrangement of functional groups in the triterpenoid E-ring, driving to different taste sensations and sweet receptor hTAS1R2/R3 stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Schmid
- Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Anne Brockhoff
- Department of Molecular Genetics, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE), Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Yaron Ben Shoshan-Galeczki
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food and Nutrition, The Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University, 76100 Rehovot and The Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Maximilian Kranz
- Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Timo D Stark
- Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Rukiye Erkaya
- Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Meyerhof
- German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558 Nuthetal, Germany; Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, Kirrberger Straße 100, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Masha Y Niv
- The Institute of Biochemistry, Food and Nutrition, The Robert H Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University, 76100 Rehovot and The Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Corinna Dawid
- Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, 85354 Freising, Germany.
| | - Thomas Hofmann
- Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, 85354 Freising, Germany.
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Citi V, Neggiani F, Sansò M, Calderone V. Pharmacological evaluation of innovative eye drop formulations containing TS-polysaccaride, hyaluronic acid and glycyrrhizin for irritative ocular diseases using in vitro reconstituted human corneal epithelium model. Toxicol In Vitro 2021; 75:105199. [PMID: 34097953 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2021.105199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
In vitro reconstructed human corneal tissue models are closer to in vivo human corneal tissue in term of morphology, biochemical and physiological properties, and represent a valid alternative to animal use for evaluating the pharmacological effects ophthalmic topically applied medical devices. In this experimental work the in vitro reconstructed human corneal tissues have been used for assessing the potential beneficial effects of an innovative ophthalmic formulation containing hyaluronic acid, glycyrrhizin and TS-polysaccharide for the treatment of symptomatic states on the eye surface including dry eye, itching, foreign body sensation and redness due allergic reaction. Corneal tissues have been treated with benzalkonium chloride for 24 h to induce cell damage and then treated with the tested items for 16 h. After the incubation period, tissue viability, TNF-α, IL-6 and MMP-9 have been assessed. Diclofenac has been used as reference anti-inflammatory drug. The novel formulation protected the tissues against benzalkonium chloride damage, while exerted a mild but not significant reduction of the anti-inflammatory mediator TNF-α.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Citi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, via Bonanno 6, 56125 Pisa, Italy.
| | | | - Marco Sansò
- Farmigea S.p.A., via G.B. Oliva 6/8, 56121 Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Calderone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, via Bonanno 6, 56125 Pisa, Italy
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