Phytotherapeutic alternatives for neurodegenerative dementias: Scientific review, discussion and therapeutic proposal.

The incidence and prevalence of age-related neurodegenerative dementias have been increasing. There is no curative therapy and conventional drug treatment can cause problems for patients. Medicinal plants traditionally used for problems associated with ageing are emerging as a therapeutic resource.

The Use of Herbal Medicine in the Treatment of Vitiligo: An Updated Review.

Vitiligo is a chronic disease of unknown etiology that causes progressive cutaneous depigmentation. Current pharmacological treatments have limited success and present significant risks. Many efforts have been made in recent years to explore new anti-vitiligo therapeutic strategies, including herbal-based therapies.

Medicinal plants and natural products as neuroprotective agents in age-related macular degeneration.

The retina may suffer neurodegenerative damages, as other tissues of the central nervous system do, and serious eye diseases may develop. One of them is age-related macular degeneration, which causes progressive loss of vision due to retina degeneration. Treatment of age-related macular degeneration focuses on antioxidant agents and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor compounds, among others, that prevent/diminish oxidative stress and reduce neovascularisation respectively.

Neuroprotective Potential of Ginkgo biloba in Retinal Diseases.

Like other tissues of the central nervous system, the retina is susceptible to damage by oxidative processes that result in several neurodegenerative disease such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, ischaemic retinal disease, retinal disease produced by light oxidation, and detached retina, among other diseases. The use of antioxidant substances is a solution to some health problems caused by oxidative stress, because they regulate redox homeostasis and reduce oxidative stress. This is important for neurodegeneration linked to oxidation processes.

Stereodynamics and edge-to-face CH-π aromatic interactions in imino compounds containing heterocyclic rings.

By comparison with close contact interactions between benzene rings there is a paucity of experimental data available for attractive interactions involving aromatic heterocyclic rings, especially for small molecules in solution. Herein we describe aromatic heterocyclic and carbocyclic edge-to face interactions and conformational stereodynamics of N-1,2-diphenylethyl imines bearing a phenyl group and either a 2-pyridyl, 3-pyridyl, 2-thiophene or 2-furanyl moiety on the imino carbon. X-ray crystal structures have been determined for two compounds.

In vivo and in vitro anti-leishmanial activities of 4-nitro-N-pyrimidin- and N-pyrazin-2-ylbenzenesulfonamides, and N2-(4-nitrophenyl)-N1-propylglycinamide.

A series of compounds containing the nitrobenzene and sulfonamido moieties were synthesized and their leishmanicidal effect was assessed in vitro against Leishmaniainfantum promastigotes. Among the compounds evaluated, the p-nitrobenzenesulfonamides 4Aa and 4Ba, and the p-nitroaniline 5 showed significant activity with a good selectivity index. In a Balb/c mice model of L.

2-sulfonyliminodihydropyrimidines: a novel class of analgesic compounds.

A series of 2-sulfonyliminodihydropyrimidine derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated in vivo for their antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities. The results were compared with that of acetyl salicylic acid. Compounds 6Ab-d and 6Be displayed an interesting analgesic profile in the acetic acid-induced abdominal contractions test.

Diastereoselectivity in Organometallic Additions to the Carbonyl Group of Protected Erythrulose Derivatives.

We have investigated a number of nucleophillic additions to L-erythrulose derivatives (4-12) bearing protective O-silyl, O-benzyl, and O-trityl groups in various relative positions. The results are discussed in the frame of chelated vs nonchelated transition states with additional support of previously published theoretical calculations. Sound evidence appears to exist for the formation of alpha-chelates as the key intermediates in nucleophillic additions to these alpha,beta-dioxygenated ketones.