A Review on Antibacterial, Antiviral, and Antifungal Activity of Curcumin

CurcumalongaL.(Zingiberaceaefamily)anditspolyphenoliccompoundcurcuminhavebeensubjectedtoavarietyofantimicrobial investigationsduetoextensivetraditionalusesandlowsideeffects.Antimicrobialactivitiesforcurcuminandrhizomeextractof C.longaagainstdifferentbacteria,viruses,fungi,andparasiteshavebeenreported.Thepromisingresultsforantimicrobialactivity ofcurcuminmadeitagoodcandidatetoenhancetheinhibitoryeffectofexistingantimicrobialagentsthroughsynergism.Indeed, differentinvestigationshavebeendonetoincreasetheantimicrobialactivityofcurcumin,includingsynthesisofdifferentchemical derivativestoincreaseitswatersolubilityaswellasscelluptakeofcurcumin.Thisreviewaimstosummarizepreviousantimicrobial studiesofcurcumintowardsitsapplicationinthefuturestudiesasanaturalantimicrobialagent

Anticancer and Antitumor Potential of Fucoidan and Fucoxanthin, Two Main Metabolites Isolated from Brown Algae

Seaweed is one of the largest producers of biomass in marine environment and is a rich arsenal of active metabolites and functional ingredients with valuable beneficial health effects. Being a staple part of Asian cuisine, investigations on the crude extracts of Phaeophyceae or brown algae revealed marked antitumor activity, eliciting a variety of research to determine the active ingredients involved in this potential. The sulfated polysaccharide of fucoidan and carotenoid of fucoxanthin were found to be the most important active metabolites of brown algae as potential chemotherapeutic or chemopreventive agents. This review strives to provide detailed account of all current knowledge on the anticancer and antitumor activity of fucoidan and fucoxanthin as the two major metabolites isolated from brown algae

Detection of the MYD88 p.L265P Mutation in the CSF of a Patient With Secondary Central Nervous System Lymphoma

Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma (PCNSL) and Metastatic (or Secondary) Central Nervous System Lymphoma (MCNSL) are rare central nervous system (CNS) malignancies that exhibit aggressive clinical behavior and have a poor prognosis. The majority of CNS lymphomas are histologically classified as diffuse large-B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). DLBCL harbors a high frequency of mutations in MYD88 and CD79b. The MYD88 p.L265P mutation occurs at high frequency in CNS lymphoma and is extremely rare in non-hematologic malignancies. Currently, brain biopsy is considered the gold standard for CNS lymphoma diagnosis. However, brain biopsy is invasive, carries a risk of complications, and can delay initiation of systemic therapy. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can be utilized to detect tumor-derived mutations. Testing of CSF-ctDNA is a minimally-invasive methodology that can be used to assess the genomic alterations present in CNS malignancies. We present a case of an 82-year-old man with a history of testicular lymphoma who presented with speech difficulty and a multifocal enhancing left inferior frontal mass. Analysis for both CSF-cytology and flow cytometry did not show evidence of neoplastic cells. A brain biopsy was performed and microscopic examination showed DLBCL. We isolated CSF-ctDNA and used droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to detect the most common lymphoma-associated mutations in MYD88, L265P, and V217F. In conjunction, we evaluated the patient-matched CNS lymphoma tissue for MYD88 mutations. We detected the MYD88 p.L265P mutation in formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue from the brain biopsy and the CSF-ctDNA. In contrast, both the tumor tissue and the CSF ctDNA were negative for the MYD88 p.V217F mutation. This study shows that testing CSF ctDNA for MYD88 mutations is a potentially minimally-invasive approach to diagnosing patients with suspected CNS lymphomas

In Vitro and In Vivo evaluation of the chemopreventive, gastroprotective and wound healing potential of Annona Muricata / Soheil Zorofchian Moghadamtousi

Annona muricata Linn. is a popular fruit tree growing in tropical countries. Its leaves have been extensively employed in folk medicine to treat a variety of ailments and diseases. In this study, anticancer, gastroprotective and wound healing properties of A. muricata leaves and their possible mechanisms of action were determined using in vitro and in vivo models. Solvent extraction yielded crude ethyl acetate extract (AMEAE), which demonstrated remarkable cytotoxicity against different cancer cell lines including A549, HT-29 and HCT-116. Hence, AMEAE anticancer property was investigated against the respective cell lines. In addition, in vivo chemopreventive potential of AMEAE was determined against azoxymethane-induced colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in rats, and AMEAE was subjected to a bioassay-guided approach to isolate the cytotoxic compound and evaluate its apoptosis-inducing effect. AMEAE was found to induce mitochondrial-initiated events in cancer cells, as the treated cells shown disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytochrome c leakage and elevation of Bax expression. Inversely, Bcl-2 expression was lowered in the treated cells. The following experiments suggested apoptosis induction in cancer cells, as was reflected by increase in total nuclear intensity, augmentation in sub-G1 cells, externalization of phosphatidylserine and activation of initiator (-9) and executioner (-3/7) caspases. These findings strongly implied that exposure of AMEAE to cancer cells have resulted in apoptosis induction through the intrinsic pathway. A bioassay-guided investigation on AMEAE led to the isolation of annonaceous acetogenin, annomuricin E which induced significant apoptosis-inducing effects in HT-29 cancer cells through mitochondrialmediated mechanism. The in vivo chemopreventive potential of AMEAE was examined in five groups of rats, namely negative control, cancer control and AMEAE (250, 500 mg/kg) and positive control (5-fluorouracil). Oral treatment of AMEAE at both doses iv decreased the formation of colonic ACF. The expression of PCNA protein, a marker of cell proliferation, was downregulated in treated cells and associated with upregulation of Bax and downregulation of Bcl-2. These results substantiated the traditional use of A. muricata leaves against cancer and tumors. The gastroprotective activity of AMEAE at two doses of 1 g/kg and 2 g/kg was examined against ethanol-induced gastric injury in rats. Gross and histological characterizations suggested the antiulcerogenic property of AMEAE. Immunostaining revealed upregulation of Hsp70 protein and downregulation of Bax protein. This activity was associated with attenuation in oxidative stress evidenced by an increase in the level of enzymatic antioxidants and nitric oxide and decrease in the level of malondialdehyde. These findings revealed promising gastroprotective potential for AMEAE, which was mediated through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Wound healing potential of AMEAE (5% w/w and 10% w/w) was evaluated against excisional wound models in rats. Significant wound healing activity was observed after topical treatment with AMEAE, assessed by macroscopic and microscopic analyses. This was associated with a decrease in the number of inflammatory cells, supported by upregulation in the expression of Hsp70 protein. In addition, level of enzymatic antioxidants showed augmentation which led to the attenuation in the malondialdehyde formation

Antiviral Potential of Algae Polysaccharides Isolated from Marine Sources: A Review

From food to fertilizer, algal derived products are largely employed in assorted industries, including agricultural, biomedical, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Among different chemical compositions isolated from algae, polysaccharides are the most well-established compounds, which were subjected to a variety of studies due to extensive bioactivities. Over the past few decades, the promising results for antiviral potential of algae-derived polysaccharides have advocated them as inordinate candidates for pharmaceutical research. Numerous studies have isolated various algal polysaccharides possessing antiviral activities, including carrageenan, alginate, fucan, laminaran, and naviculan. In addition, different mechanisms of action have been reported for these polysaccharides, such as inhibiting the binding or internalization of virus into the host cells or suppressing DNA replication and protein synthesis. This review strives for compiling previous antiviral studies of algae-derived polysaccharides and their mechanism of action towards their development as natural antiviral agents for future investigations

Loranthus micranthus Linn.: Biological Activities and Phytochemistry

Loranthus micranthus Linn. is a medicinal plant from the Loranthaceae family commonly known as an eastern Nigeria species of the African mistletoe and is widely used in folkloric medicine to cure various ailments and diseases. It is semiparasitic plant because of growing on various host trees and shrubs and absorbing mineral nutrition and water from respective host. Hence, the phytochemicals and biological activities of L. micranthus demonstrated strong host and harvesting period dependency. The leaves have been proved to possess immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, antioxidant, antidiarrhoeal, and hypolipidemic activities. This review summarizes the information and findings concerning the current knowledge on the biological activities, pharmacological properties, toxicity, and chemical constituents of Loranthus micranthus

Potential Antiviral Agents from Marine Fungi: An Overview

Biodiversity of the marine world is only partially subjected to detailed scientific scrutiny in comparison to terrestrial life. Life in the marine world depends heavily on marine fungi scavenging the oceans of lifeless plants and animals and entering them into the nutrient cycle by. Approximately 150 to 200 new compounds, including alkaloids, sesquiterpenes, polyketides, and aromatic compounds, are identified from marine fungi annually. In recent years, numerous investigations demonstrated the tremendous potential of marine fungi as a promising source to develop new antivirals against different important viruses, including herpes simplex viruses, the human immunodeficiency virus, and the influenza virus. Various genera of marine fungi such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Fusarium were subjected to compound isolation and antiviral studies, which led to an illustration of the strong antiviral activity of a variety of marine fungi-derived compounds. The present review strives to summarize all available knowledge on active compounds isolated from marine fungi with antiviral activity

Review Biological Activities and Phytochemicals of

molecule

Human-derived Treg and MSC combination therapy may augment immunosuppressive potency in vitro, but did not improve blood brain barrier integrity in an experimental rat traumatic brain injury model.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes both physical disruption of the blood brain barrier (BBB) and altered immune responses that can lead to significant secondary brain injury and chronic inflammation within the central nervous system (CNS). Cell therapies, including mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), have been shown to restore BBB integrity and augment endogenous splenic regulatory T cells (Treg), a subset of CD4+ T cells that function to regulate immune responses and prevent autoimmunity. We have recently shown that infusion of human cord blood-derived Treg decreased neuroinflammation after TBI in vivo and in vitro. However, while both cells have demonstrated anti-inflammatory and regenerative potential, they likely utilize differing, although potentially overlapping, mechanisms. Furthermore, studies investigating these two cell types together, as a combination therapy, are lacking. In this study, we compared the ability of Treg+MSC combination therapy, as well as MSC and Treg monotherapies, to improve BBB permeability in vivo and suppress inflammation in vitro. While Treg+MSC combination did not significantly augment potency in vivo, our in vitro data demonstrates that combination therapy may augment therapeutic potency and immunosuppressive potential compared to Treg or MSC monotherapy