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Herbal Drug Discovery Against Inflammation: From Traditional Wisdom to Modern Therapeutics
Published in Amit Baran Sharangi, K. V. Peter, Medicinal Plants, 2023
Shalini Dixit, Karuna Shanker, Madhumita Srivastava, Priyanka Maurya, Nupur Srivastava, Jyotshna, Dnyaneshwar U. Bawankule
Secondary metabolites are low molecular weight organic compounds produced in plants. The biosynthesis of secondary metabolites is restricted to the selected plant groups and is exhibiting a huge structural diversity. These secondary metabolites which are generally used for the self-defense of plants attracted natural products researchers around the globe. The structures provided a number of pharmacophores compatible with the receptor molecules in the body. A large number of secondary metabolites also qualify the criterion of Lipinski rule to be considered as a drug. As a result, a number of blockbuster molecules provided by the plants as well as the marine source in the area of drug discovery. These compounds are mainly classified as flavonoids, terpenes, glycosides, steroids, and alkaloids. In recent trends, these molecules correspond to valuable contribution in pharmaceutics, cosmetics, and fine chemicals and more recently in nutraceuticals as well (Pichersky and Gang, 2000). We summarized a small understanding of these beautiful defensive compounds in the plant kingdom. Natural products obtained from the plants are summarized in Table 3.2.
Green Synthesis of Nanoparticles and Their Antimicrobial Efficacy against Drug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Published in Richard L. K. Glover, Daniel Nyanganyura, Rofhiwa Bridget Mulaudzi, Maluta Steven Mufamadi, Green Synthesis in Nanomedicine and Human Health, 2021
Nonhlanhla Tlotleng, Marian Jiya John, Dumisile W. Nyembe, Wells Utembe
Widespread use of NMs in antimicrobial formulations requires large-scale synthesis of NMs (Erjaee et al., 2017). While chemical synthesis methods have extensively been used in nanotechnology, green synthesis methods are desirable because of their simplicity, cost-effectiveness, environment-friendliness and the ability to rapidly synthesize stable NMs of defined sizes and morphologies (Logeswari et al., 2015; Shankar et al., 2016). For these reasons, biosynthetic methods have emerged as alternatives to chemical synthetic methods.
All About Wave Equations
Published in Bahman Zohuri, Patrick J. McDaniel, Electrical Brain Stimulation for the Treatment of Neurological Disorders, 2019
Bahman Zohuri, Patrick J. McDaniel
Mitochondrial DNA is only a small portion of the DNA in a cell; most of the DNA can be found in the cell nucleus. In most species on earth, including human beings, Mitochondrial DNA is inherited solely from the mother. Mitochondria have their own genetic material, and the mechanism to manufacture their own RNAs and new proteins. This process is called protein biosynthesis. Protein biosynthesis refers to the process whereby biological cells generate new sets of proteins (see Figure 2.19).
Discovery of coumaric acid derivatives hinted by coastal marine source to seek for uric acid lowering agents
Published in Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry, 2023
Yu-Shun Yang, Bin Wang, Junzhong Liu, Qin Li, Qin-Cai Jiao, Pei Qin
Natural products have been widely investigated to seek for functional molecules in the past century, and the famous examples included artemisinin and paclitaxel1–3. Simple extraction seemed not efficient and economic, which might also cause the species being endangered4. One potential solution was agricultural planting or acting as invasive species controlling5,6, while another further approach was conducting the modification onto the natural sourced compounds7,8. Moreover, the biosynthesis with microbes or processes with gene design have also become feasible methods9. The seeking procedure extended from inland to maritime space, thus to the coastal marine sources. During the controlling the over-growth of Spartina alterniflora Loisel, the extract of this coastal marine species was proved to show the effect of lowering uric acid and alleviating gout10. Further separation of the components indicated that coumaric acid was the main ingredient for the above activity via the inhibition of xanthine oxidase (XO)11–13. Although coumaric acid was found in many species, especially in some traditional Chinese medicines, the main merits for choosing Spartina alterniflora to produce coumaric acid included relatively high content, less interfering compounds, and most importantly, controlling the invasive species. Generally, it seemed a potential route to develop potent inhibitors of XO via the modification of natural backbone to improve the potency and safety14,15.
Methods in marine natural product drug discovery: what’s new?
Published in Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, 2023
Jehad Almaliti, William H. Gerwick
Synthetic biology approaches have been recently applied to structure modifications and analog generation. Noteworthy examples include reprogramming of polyketide synthase (PKS) and nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) modular enzymes, although these approaches usually suffer from low yields. Alternatively, characterization of enzymes involved in NP biosynthetic transformations is allowing their use as synthetic reagents of exceptional utility. For example, the γ-lactam-β-lactone bicyclic core of the proteasome inhibitor salinosporamide A is formed by a single standalone ketosynthase (KS), SalC, and represents a major step toward harnessing the activity of this enzyme for the efficient production of new-to-nature bioactive salinosporamides [14]. The Abe group has demonstrated a useful strategy for engineering NRPS-PKS module enzymes, based on nature’s diversification of the domain and module organization. As a result, they have accomplished ring contractions, ring expansions, and alkyl chain diversification of a family of cyclic depsipeptides (5) [15].
Bioidentical hormones
Published in Climacteric, 2021
F. Z. Stanczyk, H. Matharu, S. A. Winer
Class B steroids are also found in nature but require chemical synthesis for use as therapeutic agents. For example, E2, progesterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which are widely used for postmenopausal HT, cannot be obtained from a natural source to be used therapeutically. Instead, they are synthesized chemically, primarily from a natural base material, most commonly from a plant source such as the Mexican yam and soybean. These plants contain steroids such as diosgenin and stigmasterol, which are used as precursors for the synthesis of a variety of steroids. Multiple chemical reactions in the laboratory (at least 15) are required to alter the base and obtain the desired steroid. Because the precursors used in this chemical process are obtained from a natural source, the process is considered biosynthetic.