Objective: To assess acute toxicity, the and effects of methanol and ethyl acetate extracts (JME and JEE) of Jatonik polyherbal mixture on some mitochondria-related parameters and their effect on the activity of some liver enzymes.
Methods: Acute toxicity of JME and JEE was determined using Lorke's method. and opening of the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore (MMPT pore) was spectrophotometrically assayed.
The quest in finding an everlasting panacea to the pernicious impact of sickle cell disease (SCD) in the society hit a turn of success since the recent discovery of a small molecule reversible covalent inhibitor, Voxelotor. A drug that primarily promotes the stability of oxygenated hemoglobin and inhibit the polymerization of HbS by enhancing hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen has opened a new frontier in drug discovery and development. Despite eminent efforts made to reproduce small molecules with better therapeutic targets, none has been successful.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: While a fine balance in the pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic family members of the B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) protein family represents a normal signaling profile, a tilt in balance towards anti-apoptotic family members has fortified different forms of cancers with survival advantage and resistance against treatment. Induction of apoptosis is a key therapeutic approach in cancer drug discovery, and the inhibition of the anti-apoptotic B cell lymphoma extra-large (Bcl-xL) is a long-standing clinical target for cancer therapy. In this study, we combined computer-aided approaches to report putative binders for this target.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Inhibition of carbohydrate digestion enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase) has been reported in studies as a therapeutic approach for the management or treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, owing to its potential to decrease postprandial hyperglycemia. The anti-diabetic potential of (also known as garlic) against diabetes mellitus has been established. Therefore, in this study, we assessed the antidiabetic potential of using enzyme assays after which we explored computational modelling approach using the quantified GC-MS identities to unravel the key bioactive compounds responsible for the anti-diabetic potential.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Divers
August 2023
For decades, KRAS G12C was considered an undruggable target. However, in recent times, a covalent inhibitor known as sotorasib was discovered and approved for the treatment of patients with KRAS G12C-driven cancers. Ever since the discovery of this drug, several preclinical efforts have focused on identifying novel therapeutic candidates that could act as covalent binders of KRAS G12C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe continuous approval of covalent drugs in recent years for the treatment of diseases has led to an increased search for covalent agents by medicinal chemists and computational scientists worldwide. In the computational parlance, molecular docking which is a popular tool to investigate the interaction of a ligand and a protein target, does not account for the formation of covalent bond, and the increasing application of these conventional programs to covalent targets in early drug discovery practice is a matter of utmost concern. Thus, in this comprehensive review, we sought to educate the docking community about the realization of covalent docking and the existence of suitable programs to make their future virtual-screening events on covalent targets worthwhile and scientifically rational.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer is a major global health issue that has a high mortality rate. p53, which functions as a tumor suppressor, is critical in preventing tumor development by regulating the cell cycle and inducing apoptosis in damaged cells. However, the tumor suppressor function of p53 is effectively inhibited by its direct interaction with the hydrophobic cleft of MDM2 protein via multiple mechanisms As a result, restoring p53 activity by blocking the p53-MDM2 protein-protein interaction has been proposed as a compelling therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn the vast majority of malignancies, the p53 tumor suppressor pathway is compromised. In some cancer cells, high levels of MDM2 polyubiquitinate p53 and mark it for destruction, thereby leading to a corresponding downregulation of the protein. MDM2 interacts with p53 via its hydrophobic pocket, and chemical entities that block the dimerization of the protein-protein complex can restore p53 activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeveral drug targets have been amenable to drug discovery pursuit not until the characterization of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP), a pore with an undefined molecular identity that forms on the inner mitochondrial membrane upon mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) under the influence of calcium overload and oxidative stress. The opening of the pore which is presumed to cause cell death in certain human diseases also has implications under physiological parlance. Different models for this pore have been postulated following its first identification in the last six decades.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe recent evolution of the SARS-like Coronavirus has ravaged the world. The deadly virus has claimed over millions of lives across the world and hence highlights the need to develop effective therapeutic drugs to contain the disease posed by this parasite. In this study, the inhibitory potential of fifty (50) dietary polyphenols against Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) main protease (Mpro) was conducted using the Autodock Vina Molecular docking tool.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: The search for Keap1 inhibitors as potential Nrf2 activator is a way of increasing the antioxidant status of the human cellular environ. In this research, we used in silico methods to investigate Keap1-kelch inhibitory potential of bioactive compounds in order to predict their Nrf2 activating potential. ADMET profiling, physicochemical properties, molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and Molecular Mechanics-Poisson Boltzmann Surface Area (g_MMPBSA) free energy calculation studies were executed to drive home our aim.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe recent outcry in the search for direct keap1 inhibitors requires a quicker and more effective drug discovery process which is an inherent property of the Computer Aided Drug Discovery (CADD) to bring drug candidates into the clinic for patient's use. This Keap1 (negative regulator of ARE master activator) is emerging as a therapeutic strategy to combat oxidative stress-orchestrated diseases. The advances in computer algorithm and compound databases require that we highlight the functionalities that this technology possesses that can be exploited to target Keap1-Nrf2 PPI.
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