Evaluation of complementary and alternative therapies
Peter R Wilson, Paul J Watson, Jennifer A Haythornthwaite, Troels S Jensen in Clinical Pain Management, 2008
Botanical or herbal medicine is an important part of many broader systems of medicine, such as traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, and other folk medicines. Of all the CAM practices, the use of botanicals is the oldest and most prevalent. Even allopathic pharmacological therapies can be considered as a highly evolved refinement of botanical medicine. Digitalis was originally isolated from the foxglove plant. Vinca alkaloids come from the Madagascar periwinkle (Catharathus roseus). Taxol is derived from the yew plant. Opioids are derived from the poppy. Many healthy individuals exploit plant products for their physiologic effects. For example, ginger and coffee are used worldwide as stimulants. In a strict sense, herbs are derived from soft-stemmed plants, but botanical therapies include an array of other products derived from fruits, berries, roots, bark, and other components of plants. The spectrum of “herbal therapies” often includes nonplant materials such as horn, bone, and cartilage. In the broadest sense, substances assimilated into the body for a therapeutic effect are called “nutriceuticals.”
Delivery Strategies and Formulation Approaches of Anticancer Nutraceuticals
Sheeba Varghese Gupta, Yashwant V. Pathak in Advances in Nutraceutical Applications in Cancer, 2019
Vinca alkaloids were originally isolated in 1950s by Canadian scientists Robert Noble and Charles Thomas Beer from the Madagascar periwinkle plant, Catharanthus roseus (formerly known as Vinca rosea) of the Apocynaceae family [45]. Accordingly, a phytochemical study led to the separation and the identification of Vinblastine, the prototype of vinca alkaloid, which is able to cause myelosuppression in xenograft mouse models of leukemia [46–48]. This breakthrough opened the door toward a new therapeutic approach against cancer. Thus, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved vinca alkaloids as pharmaceutical strategy against different tumor types such as leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, lung cancer, and breast cancer [49]. Five vinca alkaloids currently in clinical use are the natural vinca alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine that were approved by FDA in 1961 and 1963, respectively, the semisynthetic derivative vindesine that are in clinical use only in few countries, vinorelbine that was approved by FDA in 1994, [50] and vinflunine, a bis-fluorinated derivative. In the search for novel approaches, the drug delivery systems of vinca alkaloids were developed and successfully introduced in the market for better cancer treatment and management [51]. Particularly, therapeutics based on microspheres, nanoparticles, and liposomes offered a novel life to vinca alkaloids, and many of them have been investigated as drug delivery platforms [52–56].
Malignancy
David M. Luesley, Mark D. Kilby in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 2016
Antimetabolites carry the greatest risks to a first-trimester pregnancy. Although miscarriage is the most common outcome, aminopterin may cause neural tube, skeletal and clefting abnormalities. This anti-neoplastic agent has been replaced by methotrexate, which is structurally similar and has the same effects on the early fetus. Both should be avoided in the first trimester and later in the pregnancy where possible. A 14 percent congenital anomaly risk has been quoted for alkylating agents (e.g. cyclophosphamide) if given in the first trimester. This risk falls to near background levels for administration in the second and third trimesters. The antibiotics such as doxorubicin and bleomycin do not have clear teratogenic effects, although they are still to be avoided in the first trimester where possible. Vinca alkaloids, such as vincristine and vinblastine, are harmful in animal pregnancies but this effect is not obvious in the few human pregnancies so far exposed in the first trimester [D]. Information is constantly updated with regard to the use of these drugs during pregnancy and it is wise to consult a drug information bureau before deciding management.
A novel hepatoprotective activity of Alangium salviifolium in mouse model
Published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology, 2022
Preeti Dhruve, Mohd Nauman, Raosaheb K. Kale, Rana P. Singh
The bark decoction of A. salviifolium is used traditionally to treat cancerous wounds (Jain and Jain 2010). The decoction contains mostly oil and volatile organic compounds, and thus GC-MS analysis of methanolic BEA was carried out to analyze the phytoconstituents. Thirty seven compounds that were identified in GC-MS analysis of BEA contained fatty acids, alkaloids, and plant steroids. Among alkaloids, vinca alkaloids (vinblastine, vincristine, and vindesine) was a major class of plant-derived anticancer agents (Taneja and Qazi 2007). Alkaloids like piperine have already been reported for its hepatoprotective and chemopreventive effects (Darshan and Doreswamy 2004, Selvendiran and Sakthisekaran 2004, Rather and Bhagat 2018). Previous studies on plant sterols especially γ-sitosterol have shown to decrease the CCl4-induced liver damage as AST and ALT were decreased with an increase in catalase activity. Stigmasterol treatment to mice receiving a carcinogen, DMBA, and promoter croton oil, caused a reduction in tumor size and average number of papilloma along with a decrease in AST, ALT, and ALP; with a concomitant increase in glutathione, SOD, and CAT activities (Ali et al.2015, Tiwary et al. 2017). Therefore, these identified plant alkaloids and sterols may contribute to the hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities of BEA.
Melatonin-stimulated biosynthesis of anti-microbial ZnONPs by enhancing bio-reductive prospective in callus cultures of Catharanthus roseus var. Alba
Published in Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, 2018
Hafiza Rida Riaz, Syed Salman Hashmi, Tariq Khan, Christophe Hano, Nathalie Giglioli-Guivarc’h, Bilal Haider Abbasi
Catharanthus (C.) roseus (L.) G. Don var. alba is a medicinally important plant associated with Apocynaceae family. Catharanthus roseus was commonly known as Periwinkle or Madagascar-periwinkle found in various tropical and sub-tropical regions [12]. Catharanthus roseus having two varieties, white-flowered “alba” and pink-flowered “rosea” [13,14]. Catharanthus roseus is an alkaloid rich plant having >400 alkaloids from which >130 are TIAs (terpenoid-indole alkaloids) [15]. Vinca alkaloids such as vincristine and vinblastine are very popular for their use in cancer treatments [14,16]. Reserpine, serpentine and ajmalicine acts as anti-neuro-inflammatory and anti-hypertensive agents [15,17]. Vindoline, vindolidine and vindolicine are important for anti-diabetic activity [18]. ZnONPs have been synthesized using C. roseus leaves [19]. However, the potential of C. roseus callus cultures for ZnONPs synthesis has not been investigated till date. Catharanthus roseus is a rich source of bioactive agents other than alkaloids, e.g. phenolics, carbohydrates, flavonoids and saponins that help in reduction and stabilization process during NPs synthesis [19,20]. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are responsible for improved content of these bioactive agents in in-vitro cultures [21–23].
Vinorelbine cationic liposomes modified with wheat germ agglutinin for inhibiting tumor metastasis in treatment of brain glioma
Published in Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, 2018
Yao Xiao, Lan Cheng, Hong-jun Xie, Rui-jun Ju, Xin Wang, Min Fu, Jing-jing Liu, Xue-tao Li
Vinorelbine is a semisynthetic vinca-alkaloid and is often used as a microtubule destabilizing agent [12]. It suppresses tumor cell karyomitosis which in turn disrupts mitotic spindle formation and prevents cell division by inhibiting the polymerization of microtubules [13]. In addition, related studies had shown that the vinca-alkaloid had the potential to inhibit tumor metastasis [14]. However, the application of vinorelbine for treating glioma in clinic is still limited due to the intravenous toxicity, the serious side effects and the limitation to cross the BBB. Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) is an agglutinin protein which protects wheat from insects, yeast and bacteria. WGA could binds to N-acetyl-d-glucosamine and sialic acid with low toxicity to the normal tissues [15]. It was reported that WGA could enhance the transport ability across the BBB by receptor-mediated endocytosis [16], and the modification of WGA on nanoparticles could potentiate the targeting effects to tumor cells by the specifically binding to glycoproteins overexpressed on cytomembrane [17]. As one of the most useful strategies, cationic liposomes have been used as excellent delivery carriers for their targeting property to tumor cells or tumor vascular cells by electrostatic interaction [18]. Moreover, the cationic charge centers on the liposomal surface could make it easier to cross the BBB via adsorption-mediated endocytosis.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Alkaloid
- Catharanthine
- Catharanthus Roseus
- Tubulin
- Vinblastine
- Vincristine
- Chemotherapy
- Mitotic Inhibitor
- Vindoline
- Semisynthesis