Natural Products Journal, The - Volume 13, Issue 5, 2023

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder associated with dementia which leads to the alteration in the psychological and physiological functioning of the individual. From antiquity, medicinal plants serve as important sources of bioactive phytochemicals representing tremendous therapeutic potential. The unavoidable adverse effects associated with synthetic compounds trigger the exploration of new and safer substitutes for the treatment and management of disease conditions. Herbal medication proves to be an emerging and most promising alternative, which is expected to be a revolutionary approach in modern medicine for disease treatment. Objective: Several phytochemicals like resveratrol, curcumin, apigenin, docosahexaenoic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, and α-lipoic acid exhibit great potential in the prevention and management of AD. Their use might be a possible remedy and lead to a safe strategy to delay the onset of AD and slow the progression of this pervasive disorder. To determine the potential of these natural components as anti- AD, this review focuses on the updates on clinical studies and research. Methods: Extensive literature survey was carried out on natural multitargeted bioactive phytochemicals from various scientific databases like PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Clinicaltrails.gov, and many reputed foundations. Current prose emphasizes the identified bioactive compounds as anti-AD, which were reviewed with particular emphasis on their scientific impact and novelty. Results: These compounds diminish the pathophysiological aspects of AD; still, further studies are required to prove the safety and efficacy of these compounds in humans. Conclusion: This present review might help the researchers, academicians and industrialists in drug development as a new paradigm of drug discovery.

Agar is a flexible biopolymer that forms jelly like consistency when mixed with water. It is extracted from seaweeds by treatment with alkali and can also be synthesized from fructose-6- phosphate. Agar and its composites were found to have applications in drug delivery, wound healing, tumour therapy and hyperthermia treatment. Agar gel formulations have been used for ultrasound imaging since it has the ability to scatter sound waves. It has been investigated that agar has the ability to act as a matrix for the modified release of drugs. Agar/collagen composites were found to be useful in the healing of wounds, burns, and ulcers. Agar also has the ability to act as a matrix for carbonyl iron, which is found to have good thermal conductivity and became useful for the treatment of hyperthermia. This review summarizes the properties, sources, biosynthesis, extraction, and recent biomedical applications of agar and its composites.

Background: Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is a malignant subgroup of gliomas. Due to the natural resistance of GBM cells to radio-and chemotherapy usually, recurrence occurs 6-9 months after diagnosis. Objective: This paper reviewed the beneficial effects of Boswellic acid (BA) in adjacent therapy for GBM, based on its possible molecular mechanisms. Methods: In this review paper, all papers indexed in scientific databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar, and Elsevier were searched during 2000 - 2021 using apoptosis, Boswellic acid, cancer, glioblastoma multiform, inflammation, oxidative stress as keywords. Results: The most important compounds of BAs are alpha-boswellic acid, beta- boswellic acid, acetylbeta- boswellic acid, acetyl-alpha- boswellic acid, and 11-keto-beta- boswellic acid (KBA). Antiinflammation, reduction of skin irritation, anti-tumor, anti-cancer, anxiolytic, and anti-phlogistic are the main properties of BAs. Boswellic acid is recognized as a chemopreventive agent. Boswellic acid exerts its effects mainly via various mechanisms such as induction of apoptosis and cytotoxic effects on malignant cells, activation of caspases, up-regulation of genes expression with potential antiapoptotic and pro-survival properties, inhibition the signaling and activity pathway of nuclear factorkappa B (NF-ΚB) and enhancing poly (ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Boswellic acid inhibits the signaling pathway of 5 and 12-lipoxygenase (5, 12 LOX), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which are considered triggers in the production of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Conclusion: Future clinical trials are needed to identify the interaction between Boswellic acid and the severity of GBM and to define the safe dose and effective duration of supplementation.

Background bacteria cause various infectious diseases and cause millions of deaths each year. Bacteria are broadly classified based on the phenotypic and genotypic systems. Bacteria cause resistance mainly by Plasmids, Inactivation of antibiotics, Target site modification, Preventing drug uptake, Efflux pumps, and Biofilm. Plants have been used for thousands of years for their medicinal properties to treat various diseases. Secondary metabolites like terpenes, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, tannins, quinones, steroids, polyketides, aromatics, and peptides are plant-derived compounds that possess antibacterial activity and decrease resistance by inhibition of biofilm formation, Efflux pump [EP] inhibitors, attenuating bacterial virulence, and Immunomodulation activity. Phytoconstituents synergism, combination therapy (Bio-enhancers), and herbal preparation benefit antibacterial potential and decrease resistance.

Boswellic acids are a series of pentacyclic triterpenes derived from the gum resin of Boswellia genus, mostly from Boswellia serrata Roxb. (Burseraceae) tree commonly known as Indian Frankincense or salai guggul and traditionally used as an anti-inflammatory agent. It acts by inhibiting 5-Lipoxygenase, C3-convertase, cyclooxygenase, preferably COX-1, Human Leukocyte Elastase, NF- ΚB expression, Topoisomerase I and II and microsomal Prostaglandin E2 synthase-1. Boswellia species are reported to have various pharmacological potentials like anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antimicrobial, anti-arthritic, immunomodulatory activity, neuroprotective activity, and are also proved to be effective against ileitis, ulcerative colitis, hypolipidemic, hypertension and hepatotoxicity. Regardless of their multiple uses, pharmacokinetic studies of Boswellic acids revealed their poor oral bioavailability, high lipophilicity, and their degradation by the hepatic Phase I mechanism. With low solubility and poor bioavailability, different approaches have been applied to improve the poor pharmacokinetic profile of Boswellic acids. Designing and developing novel delivery systems for their enhanced permeability and improved bioavailability with better efficacy have been of great interest.

Carbohydrates are the most common biopolymers with the capability to construct supramolecular structures. For biomedical purposes, a variety of carbohydrate-based nanoparticles have been used. Basic monosaccharides or disaccharides, along with sophisticated polymeric systems, are used to create these structures. The shape and properties of these materials can be modified using chemical alterations. Carbohydrates-based nanogels and nanoparticles have been used for drug delivery, tissue engineering, and cell imaging. Carbohydrate-based elements are excellent derivatives for the production of responsive systems because of the reversible character of the assembly, which is frequently based on a mixture of hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding. The present manuscript attempts to review the recent studies on carbohydrate-based nanomaterials and an update on the patents granted for the same.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal diseases have high global morbidity and mortality. Objective: We aimed to investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin and its impact on kidney biochemical parameters associated with kidney disease among CKD and hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods: The intended keywords were used in the literature search. Clinical trial studies from the beginning to December 25th, 2021, indexed in the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI), Scopus, and PubMed databases, were included in the review. Records with no accessible full texts, non-English language articles, and studies that were not related to the study aim were excluded. The agreement for exclusion required all authors to concur. Finally, after reviewing all available literature, 27 articles were included in this systematic review. Results: Curcumin supplementation increased antioxidant capacity by improving catalase (CAT) activity, free radical scavenging activity, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). It also reduced hs-CRP, IL-6, and TNF-a levels in patients with CKD and HD patients. Different results were reported regarding the effect of curcumin on kidney-related biochemical parameters. But mostly, the results showed that no significant changes were seen in glomerular filtration (GFR), albumin (Alb), serum creatinine (sCr), proteinuria (PRO), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in these patients. Conclusion: Although it seems curcumin improved antioxidant capacity and decreased inflammatory cytokines in CKD and HD patients, it did not affect renal biochemical parameters. More clinical studies with larger sample sizes appear to be needed.

Background: Ionizing radiation (IR) generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), which leads to oxidative stress that often leads to inflammatory responses in organisms. Objective: Trianthema portulacastrum L., a plant commonly growing in India, is rich in antioxidant phytochemicals. This is responsible for scavenging free radicals and may provide radioprotective and anti-inflammatory effects in response to ionizing radiation. Methods: The effect of T. portulacastrum extracts was studied in hepatic cells, which are susceptible to radiation-induced damage and in macrophages, which are the primary inflammatory cells of the body. Results: T. portulacastrum stem extracts showed efficient free radical scavenging activity in hepatocytes and decreased radiation-induced lipid peroxidation in cell and mitochondrial membranes. Treatment of irradiated cells with T. portulacastrum stem extracts enhanced cell viability at lower concentrations and reduced cell viability at higher concentrations. Treatment with low concentration of T. portulacastrum stem extract also reduced cellular ROS generation and increased the concentration of cellular anti-oxidant, glutathione. T. portulacastrum extracts also showed remarkable antiinflammatory properties in macrophages activated by the inflammatory agonist bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The extract reduced nitric oxide (NO) production and suppressed the expression of inflammatory genes. Conclusion: Together, these observations demonstrated a potential radioprotective role of T. portulacastrum extract mediated by both its antioxidant activity on hepatic epithelial cells and its antiinflammatory activity on immune cells.