Effect of Ziziphus jujuba Mill., Cichorium intybus L. And Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. Combination extract on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes a range of liver damage from early steatosis to cirrhosis. Although NAFLD prevalence in the world is increasing, but there is no effective treatment for it. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of combined extract of jujube, chicory and silymarin on NAFLD induced by high-fat diet (HFD) in rats. Method: In this experimental study 40 male rats randomly were divided in two groups: a negative control group (n = 8) and a high-fat diet group (n = 32). After 4 months of feeding with HFD, rats were assigned into 4 groups (n = 8) including an HFD group and three groups receiving HFD and the extract at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg for 2 months. Finally, lipid profile, liver enzymes activity and liver histology were investigated. Results: High-fat diet increased cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL and decreased HDL levels (P<0.001). This diet also increased serum activity hepatic enzymes and lipid accumulation in liver tissue. Receiving the extract improved lipid profile and hepatic enzyme activity, dose-dependently. Histopathology of liver confirmed the change induced by HFD and protective effect of extract. Conclusion: Treatment with combined extracts of jujube, chicory and silymarin improves high-fat diet (HFD) induced NAFLD in rats. © 2020 Institute of Medicinal Plants. All rights reserved

The role of mutations in core protein of hepatitis B virus in liver fibrosis

The core protein of hepatitis B virus encompasses B- and T-cell immunodominant epitopes and subdivided into two domains: the N-terminal and the functional C-terminal consisted phosphorylation sites. Mutations of the core gene may change the conformation of the core protein or cause alteration of important epitopes in the host immune response. In this study twenty nine men (mean age 40 ± 9 years old) with chronic hepatitis B were recruited for direct sequencing of the core gene. Serum ALT and HBV DNA level were measured at the time of liver biopsy. The effects of core protein mutations on patients' characteristics and subsequently mutations in B cell, T helper and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes and also C-terminal domain of core protein on the activity of liver disease was evaluated. Liver fibrosis was significantly increased in patients with core protein mutation (1.0 ± 0.8 vs 1.9 ± 1.4 for mean stage of fibrosis P = 0.05). Mutations in CTL epitopes and in phosphorylation sites of C-terminal domain of core protein also were associated with higher liver fibrosis (P = 0.003 and P = 0.04; Fisher's exact test for both). Patients with mutation in C-terminal domain had higher serum ALT (62 ± 17 vs 36 ± 12 IU/l, p = 0.02). Patients with mutations in B cell and T helper epitopes did not show significant difference in the clinical features. Our data suggests that core protein mutations in CTL epitopes and C-terminal domain accompanied with higher stage of liver fibrosis may be due to alterations in the function of core protein

Oxidative Stress in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Pathophysiology and Opportunities for Pharmacological Intervention

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or Charcot disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons (MNs) and leads to death within 2–5 years of diagnosis, without any effective therapy available. Although the pathological mechanisms leading to ALS are still unknown, a wealth of evidence indicates that an excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production associated with an inefficient antioxidant defense represents an important pathological feature in ALS. Substantial evidence indicates that oxidative stress (OS) is implicated in the loss of MNs and in mitochondrial dysfunction, contributing decisively to neurodegeneration in ALS. Although the modulation of OS represents a promising approach to protect MNs from degeneration, the fact that several antioxidants with beneficial effects in animal models failed to show any therapeutic benefit in patients raises several questions that should be analyzed. Using specific queries for literature search on PubMed, we review here the role of OS-related mechanisms in ALS, including the involvement of altered mitochondrial function with repercussions in neurodegeneration. We also describe antioxidant compounds that have been mostly tested in preclinical and clinical trials of ALS, also describing their respective mechanisms of action. While the description of OS mechanism in the different mutations identified in ALS has as principal objective to clarify the contribution of OS in ALS, the description of positive and negative outcomes for each antioxidant is aimed at paving the way for novel opportunities for intervention. In conclusion, although antioxidant strategies represent a very promising approach to slow the progression of the disease, it is of utmost need to invest on the characterization of OS profiles representative of each subtype of patient, in order to develop personalized therapies, allowing to understand the characteristics of antioxidants that have beneficial effects on different subtypes of patients

Structure-activity relationship studies of 4-methylcoumarin derivatives as anticancer agents

Context: Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and novel chemotherapeutic agents with better efficacy and safety profiles are much needed. Coumarins are natural polyphenolic compounds with important pharmacological activities, which are present in many dietary plants and herbal remedies. Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate natural and synthetic coumarin derivatives with considerable anticancer capacity against three human cancer cell lines. Materials and methods: We synthesized 27 coumarin derivatives (mostly having 4-methyl moiety) and examined their cytotoxic effect on three human cancer cell lines, K562 (chronic myelogenous leukemia), LS180 (colon adenocarcinoma), and MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma) by MTT reduction assay. Screened compounds included 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarins (7-HMCs), 7-acetoxy-4-methylcoumarins (7-AMCs), and different dihydroxy-4-methylcoumarin (DHMC) and diacetoxy-4-methylcoumarin (DAMC) derivatives. Some compounds with methoxy, amine, and bromine substitutions were also examined.Results: 7,8-DHMCs bearing alkyl groups at C3 position were the most effective subgroup, and of which, the most potent is compound 11, with an n-decyl chain at C3, which had IC50 values of 42.4, 25.2, and 25.1 mu M against K562, LS180, and MCF-7 cells, respectively. The second most active subgroup was 7,8-DAMCs containing ethoxycarbonylmethyl and ethoxycarbonylethyl moieties at C3 position. Compound 27 (6-bromo-4-bromomethyl-7-hydroxycoumarin), the only derivative containing bromine also showed reasonable cytotoxic activities (IC50 range: 32.7-45.8 mu M). Discussion and conclusion: This structure-activity relationship (SAR) study of 4-methylcoumarins shows that further investigation of these derivatives may lead to the discovery of novel anticancer agents

Antioxidant properties of 4-methylcoumarins in in vitro cell-free systems

4-Methylcoumarins that possess two hydroxyl groups ortho to each other in the benzenoid ring have shown to have excellent antioxidant and radical-scavenging properties in different experimental models. Furthermore, they cannot be metabolized by the liver P450 monoxygenases and thus cannot form 3,4-coumarin epoxides, which are believed to be mutagenic. Herein, we present a study on the structure activity relationship of eight synthetic 4-methylcoumarins, carried out by employing a series of different chemical cell-free tests. These compounds were tested by means of three assays involving one redox reaction with the oxidant (DPPH assay, ABTS(center dot+) assay and FRAP). Other assays were employed to evaluate the antioxidant properties of the coumarins under investigation against NO, O(2)(center dot-) and HClO, which are some of the major reactive oxygen and nitrogen species causing damage in the human body. Finally, we have measured the protective capacity of these coumarins against the oxidative damage in a simple biomimetic model of phospholipid membranes. Our results confirm the good antioxidant activity of the 7,8-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarins. In general, their activity is not significantly affected by the introduction of an ethoxycarbonylmethyl or an ethoxycarbonylethyl moiety at the C3 position. A discrete antioxidant activity is retained also by the 7,8-diacetoxy-4-methylcoumarins, although they are less efficient than the corresponding 7,8-dihydroxy compounds. Furthermore, as demonstrated in the brine shrimp toxicity test, none of the tested coumarins significantly affect the larvae viability. Two of the 4-methylcoumarins (7,8-dihydroxy-4-methylcoumarin and 7,8-dihydroxy-3-ethoxycarbonylethyl-4-methylcoumarin), very interestingly, showed strong scavenging activities against the superoxide anion and were also very effective in protecting the lipid bilayer against peroxidation. On the basis of these findings, these 4-methylcoumarins may be considered as potential therapeutic candidates for pathological conditions characterized by free radical overproduction. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved