Natural Products Journal, The - Online First

Aquaporins are one of the important but challenging targets in drug discovery. They are of great interest owing to their diverse physiological roles in health and diseases and their broad tissue distribution. However, there has been little progress so far in this quest and some have started to doubt whether AQPs are druggable at all. Essential challenges in AQP drug development seem to be difficult in modeling selective inhibitors and a lack of robust and reliable in vitro and in vivo assays. Numerous studies report natural products modulating AQPs at the expression level, directly inhibiting AQPs and disturbing their interaction with other intracellular proteins. Since direct targeting of AQPs has not yielded promising results, using natural products as AQP modulators could be a new possibility.

Frankincense is obtained from the tree, which belongs to the Bowellia family. Frankincense is found in China, India, Middle-East Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and different parts of Africa. Incisions are given on the tree trunk to obtain the gum, which hardens to form frankincense. It has been used as a traditional medicine to treat diarrhea, infection, tuberculosis, asthma, arthritis, cancer, wounds, gingivitis, psoriasis, and other inflammatory conditions. Frankincense gum is used for its aromatic properties and fragrance. Frankincense contains essential oils, gum resins, alcohol, and water-soluble resins. The chemical compounds present in the natural product and their yield depend on various factors such as geographical location, the surface area of the wood, climatic conditions in which it is grown, the age of the tree, and the methods of collection. Among the active compounds, unique pentacyclic triterpene acids such as boswellic acid (BA) are present. The phytochemicals include β-boswellic acid, acetyl-β-boswellic acid (ABA), 11-keto-β-boswellic acid (KBA), and 3-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (AKBA) form the major components. BA possesses anti-inflammatory action due to its control of cytokine production. The active compounds in frankincense act on 5-lipooxygenase and cyclooxygenase, thereby producing an anti-inflammatory effect. We discuss the role of frankincense on the integumentary, nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, musculoskeletal, and immune systems with special emphasis on the molecular basis of action and signaling pathways. Recent approaches in therapeutics by designing new nanoformulations of frankincense may be beneficial for better drug delivery to the desired site, help in controlled release, increase solubility and bioavailability, and reduce toxicity.

Research has been carried out regarding the benefits and influence of saffron and its derivatives on skin health. Crocin from Crocus sativus L., Gardenia jasminoides, and Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, and safranal from Crocus sativus L. might alleviate skin aging effects. This literature review discusses the mechanism of crocin and safranal as anti-inflammatory agents in reversing oxidative stress and improving aging effects on the skin. Based on the literature review, crocin and safranal have strong antioxidant capacity. The mechanism that allows crocin to reduce oxidative stress is by directly neutralizing reactive oxygen species in human dermal fibroblasts and modifying keratinocyte O-linked glycobiology in human keratinocytes. Crocin also increases skin thickness and protects against blue light stress; its derivative, crocetin, could act like melatonin. Meanwhile, safranal also has a potential mechanism for alleviating skin aging in the form of nanoparticles (liposome and solid nanoparticles) or pure safranal through inhibiting dermal enzymes that are involved in the process of skin aging, such as elastase, collagenase, and hyaluronidase.

Aloe vera, a drought-resistant succulent, is renowned for its wide-ranging medicinal properties. It has significant health benefits, including anticancer, wound and burn healing, hypoglycemic, gastroprotective, antifungal, and antiinflammatory properties. These properties have led to its use in various commercial applications, particularly in skincare, cosmetics, and medicinal products. Additionally, Aloe vera is increasingly employed as an edible coating for fruits and vegetables, providing a natural alternative to postharvest chemical treatments. This review highlights Aloe vera's diagnostic properties and diverse applications, focusing on its rich polysaccharides, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals composition. Advances in analytical chemistry are enhancing the chemical characterization of Aloe vera, promising more information and broader applications shortly. The study also explores the plant's processing into juice, concentrate, and powder forms, underscoring its extensive use in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and functional foods, particularly for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

A natural product is a natural compound or substance produced by a living organism- that is, found in nature. The term natural product has also been prolonged for commercial purposes to refers to dietary supplements, cosmetics and food produced from natural sources without added artificial ingredients. Luteolin, a bioflavonoid found abundantly in various fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants has gained significant attention in recent years due to its potential pharmacological properties. This comprehensive review explores the multifaceted aspects of luteolin, encompassing clinical studies, experimental research, kinetic analyses, nanotechnology-based formulations, and synergistic interactions with conventional drugs. The introduction section describes the various sources and biological functions of luteolin and emphasizes its importance in the realm of medicine. The clinical studies section provides insights into the therapeutic potential of luteolin in various human diseases, highlighting its efficacy, safety profile, and potential mechanisms of action. Experimental studies exploring luteolin's mechanisms of action, cellular interactions, and therapeutic effects in various disease models. It elucidates underlying the biological mechanism of luteolin, shedding light on its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and neuroprotective effects. Furthermore, a detailed pharmacokinetic study examines the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of luteolin, offering valuable information for optimizing its dosing regimens and enhancing therapeutic outcomes. The integration of nanotechnology in luteolin formulations is discussed, focusing on innovative nanoformulations that improve its solubility, stability, and targeted delivery, thus enhancing its bioavailability and efficacy. Additionally, this review delves into the synergistic interactions between luteolin and conventional drugs, emphasizing the potential for combination therapies to enhance treatment outcomes and reduce adverse effects. The synergistic mechanisms, preclinical and clinical evidence, and future prospects of these combinations are explored in detail. Future applications of luteolin appear to be very promising in a variety of fields, including personalized medicine, disease-specific medicines, and preventative healthcare.

The present review comprehensively explores an overview of a versatile essential oil from genus Lavandula. Oil finds wide application in the aromatherapy and cosmetic industry. This paper emphasizes the chemical constituents of the oil that are responsible for the diverse therapeutic applications. Various extraction techniques, such as steam distillation, hydro distillation, supercritical liquid extraction and ultrasound assisted extraction are discussed. Also the article elucidates the mechanism of action that explains the therapeutic application of the oil in microbial infections, oxidative stress and neurodegenerative diseases. This review also extensively discusses the preclinical and clinical studies of the use of the oil for the management or treatment of psoriasis, depression, wound, anxiety, Alzheimer’s’ disease, myocardial infarction, acute lung injury and acute inflammation. Additionally, the article highlights granted patents and the novel formulation strategies such as hydrogels, nanofibers, emulsions and nanoparticles used to enhance the bioavailability and the targeted delivery of the oil. The review also provides future perspectives, emphasizing the need for further research for harnessing the potential of lavender oil.

Of the several forms of breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive, is not responsive to traditional human/hormonal epithelial growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted therapies because the corresponding receptor targets are absent, TNBC tends to be more invasive in form, metastasis, have an early recurrence rate and develop medication resistance. For TNBC, some of the most popular types of treatments are resection, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Several studies are being carried out for the development of novel treatment approaches for improved TNBC diagnosis. As our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms behind the development of cancer has grown, a vast array of anticancer drugs has been developed. The use of chemically produced pharmaceuticals has not significantly raised the overall survival rate over the previous few decades. As such, novel approaches and cutting-edge chemopreventive medications are needed to improve the efficacy of existing TNBC therapies. Naturally occurring compounds derived from plants called phytochemicals are valuable resources for the development of novel medications for TNBC treatment. These phytochemicals often function by modulating molecular pathways associated with the onset and propagation of TNBC. Some of the specific methods include boosting antioxidant status, deactivating carcinogens, stopping proliferation, inducing cell cycle arrest, promoting apoptosis, and immune system modulation. This review's main goal is to give a summary of the active components of natural products, together with details on their molecular targets, pharmacologic action, and current level of understanding. Several natural compounds that particularly target the pathways linked to TNBC in our study have been thoroughly described by us. We have done extensive research on many natural substances that could lead to the discovery of new targets for TNBC detection.

Natural substances are gaining interest as anticancer agents nowadays due to the adverse effects of synthetic drugs. Among various natural substances, lycopene has emerged as a strong antioxidant agent and has been found to be effective against prostate, breast, colon, ovarian, liver, endometrial cancers, etc. This article reviews the therapeutic potential and proposed mechanism of action of lycopene against breast and gynecological cancer from 2005 to now. Experimental studies suggest that lycopene can inhibit tumor growth by regulating various signaling pathways for cell growth, arresting the cell cycle, and inducing cell apoptosis. Lycopene is reported to combat breast cancer specifically via mechanisms, such as regulation of expression of p53 and Bax, suppression of cyclin D, inhibiting the activation of ERK and Akt signaling pathway, and gynecological cancer via various signaling pathways such as STAT3, Nrf2, and NF- 𝜅B, down-regulation of ITGB1, ITGA5, FAK, MMP9, and EMT markers, etc.