Plants (Basel)
October 2024
The gender represents the second most diverse group from the Asteraceae family in Mexico; is one of the most distributed species along the Mexican territory. This species has been poorly studied, reporting the presence of some bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antibacterial activity. In this study, phenolic and flavonoid contents and composition, antioxidant and antifungal activities of aqueous extracts of the stem of and its fractions were determined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLuminal breast cancer has a high incidence worldwide and poses a severe health threat. Estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) is activated by 17β-estradiol (E2), and its overexpression promotes cancerous characteristics. Luminal breast cancer is an epithelial type; however, the cytokine IL-6, secreted by cells within the tumor microenvironment, stimulates the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and promotes metastasis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Omega
October 2023
Anticancer peptides are increasingly being considered as alternative treatments for cancer due to their potency, selectivity, and low toxicity. Previously, the peptide LfcinB (21-25) showed anticancer effects against the Caco-2 colon cancer cell line (half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC): 86 μM). In this study, we developed modifications to the peptide sequence to increase its anticancer activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEstrogens and their role in cancer are well-studied, and some cancer types are classified in terms of their response to them. In recent years, a G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) has been described with relevance in cancer. GPER is a pleiotropic receptor with tissue-specific activity; in normal tissues, its activation is related to correct development and homeostasis, while in cancer cells, it can be pro- or anti-tumorigenic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFR Soc Open Sci
June 2023
The dimeric peptide [F]: (RRWQWRKKLG)-K-Ahx has exhibited a potent cytotoxic effect against breast cancer cell lines, with position 26 (F) being the most relevant for anti-cancer activity. In this investigation, six analogues of the [F] peptide were synthesized in which the 26th position was replaced by non-natural hydrophobic amino acids, finding that some modifications increased the resistance to proteolytic degradation exerted by trypsin or pepsin. Additionally, these modifications increased the cytotoxic effect against breast cancer cells and generated cell death mediated by apoptosis pathways, activating caspases 8 and 9, and did not compromise the integrity of the cytoplasmic membrane.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer is a relevant health problem worldwide. In 2020, leukemias represented the 13th most commonly reported cancer cases worldwide but the 10th most likely to cause deaths. There has been a progressive increase in the efficacy of treatments for leukemias; however, these still generate important side effects, so it is imperative to search for new alternatives.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAngiogenesis is involved in wound repair and tissue maintenance but is associated with diverse diseases. Pro-angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) regulate this process. Therefore, searching for treatments to inhibit or promote angiogenesis is attractive.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBreast cancer is one of the main causes of premature death in women; current treatments have low selectivity, generating strong physical and psychological sequelae. The palindromic peptide R-1-R (RWQWRWQWR) has cytotoxic activity against different cell lines derived from cancer and selectivity against noncancerous cells. To determine if changes in the charge/length of this peptide increase its activity, six peptides were obtained by SPPS, three of them with addition of Arg at the N, C-terminal or both and three with deletion of Arg at the N, C-terminal or both.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe avocado fruit () has become a significant fruit in the human diet for its nutritional properties. However, the seed is a source of bioactive molecules and has been poorly utilized. Previously, we reported that the PaSn gene is expressed in the avocado seeds, a cysteine-rich antimicrobial peptide (GASA/Snakin), and demonstrated its antibacterial activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpigenetic mechanisms are essential in the regulation of immune response during infections. Changes in the levels of reproductive hormones, such as prolactin, compromise the mammary gland's innate immune response (IIR); however, its effect on epigenetic marks is poorly known. This work explored the epigenetic regulation induced by bovine prolactin (bPRL) on bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs) challenged with .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDifferent ethnomedicinal studies have investigated the relationship between various phytochemicals as well as organic extracts and their bioactive aspects. Studies on biological effects are attributed to secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, phenolic compounds, and terpenes. Since there have been no reviews in the literature on the traditional, phytochemical, and ethnomedicinal uses of the genus so far, this article systematically reviews 141 published studies that analyze the associations between secondary metabolites present in organic extracts and their beneficial effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn recent years, it has been recognized that epigenetic alterations play an important role in the development and maintenance of cancer, including leukemias. Furthermore, it is known that these alterations are involved in the emergence of resistance to conventional chemotherapeutics. Consequently, molecules with an anticancer activity whose activity is ruled by epigenetic modifications are attractive to search for new therapies against cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic potential of Kunth. Stems and leaves of Kunth (Aristolochiaceae) have never been investigated pharmacologically. Recent studies of species of the Aristolochiaceae family found significant cytotoxic activities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecules
July 2021
Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor in both children and dogs. It is an aggressive and metastatic cancer with a poor prognosis for long-term survival. The search for new anti-cancer drugs with fewer side effects has become an essential goal for cancer chemotherapy; in this sense, the bioactive compounds from avocado have proved their efficacy as cytotoxic molecules.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAvocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a tree native from central and eastern México that belongs to the Lauraceae family. Avocado has three botanical varieties known as Mexican (P.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntracellular lipid droplets (LD) provide the oil storage mechanism of plants. They are found within seeds as individual structures, even under conditions of cold stress and dehydration, due to the protein that covers them. This protein, called oleosin, is found exclusively in plants and has been widely studied in seeds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: is one of the main microorganisms that causes bovine mastitis, and its well-known virulence characteristics and interactions with the environment are used to aid the design of more efficient therapies.
Objectives: To determine whether the virulence traits, such as antibiotic resistance and biofilm-forming and internalization abilities, of isolated from bovine mastitis are related to dairy production system types.
Methods: The study was performed in the Mexican states of Guanajuato and Michoacan.
Defensins are an important group of host defense peptides. They have immunomodulatory properties, which have been mainly described for mammal defensins, but similar effects for plant defensins remain unknown. Previously, we showed that the defensin γ-thionin () reduces internalization into bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs) while inducing Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), modulating the inflammatory response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChanges in the levels of reproductive hormones compromise the bovine innate immune response (IIR). Changes in 17β-estradiol (E2) and prolactin (bPRL) levels affect the IIR of bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs), the target tissue of these hormones. In this work, we explored the effect of the combined hormones on bMEC IIR during infection, and if they can modulate epigenetic marks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe effect on the cytotoxicity against breast cancer cell lines of the substitution of Met residue in the sequence of the Bovine Lactoferricin-derived dimeric peptide LfcinB (20-30): (RRWQWRMKKLG)-K- with amino acids of different polarity was evaluated. The process of the synthesis of the LfcinB (20-30) analog peptides was similar to the original peptide. The cytotoxic assays showed that some analog peptides exhibited a significant cytotoxic effect against breast cancer cell lines HTB-132 and MCF-7, suggesting that the substitution of the Met with amino acids of a hydrophobic nature drastically enhances its cytotoxicity against HTB-132 and MCF-7 cells, reaching IC values up to 6 µM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBacterial vaginosis is one of the most frequent vaginal infections. Its main etiological agent is Gardnerella vaginalis, which produces several virulence factors involved in vaginal infection and colonization, in particular, sialidase (SLD), a potential clinical biomarker that participates in immune response modulation and mucus degradation. The main objective of this work was the production and evaluation of a monoclonal antibody against G.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Immunol Res
February 2020
Bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs) are capable of initiating an innate immune response (IIR) to invading bacteria. is not classically an intracellular pathogen, although it has been shown to be internalized into bMECs. internalizes into nonprofessional phagocytes, which allows the evasion of the IIR and turns antimicrobial therapy unsuccessful.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe cytotoxic effect of the tetrameric peptide LfcinB (20-25) against breast cancer cell line ATCC® HTB-22™ (MCF-7) was evaluated. The tetrameric peptide exhibited a concentration-dependent cytotoxic effect against MCF-7 cancer cells. The peptide at 22 µM had the maximum cytotoxic effect against MCF-7 cancer cells, reducing their cell viability to ∼20%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrob Pathog
June 2019
Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen of subclinical bovine mastitis that usually is chronic and recurrent, which has been related to its ability to internalize into bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs). Previously, we reported that short and medium fatty acids and cholecalciferol reduce S. aureus internalization into pretreated-bMECs with these molecules suggesting a role as immunomodulatory agents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe innate immune system can function under hormonal control. 17-Estradiol (E2) is an important sexual hormone for the reproductive cycle of mammals, and it has immunomodulatory effects on epithelial cells, which are the first line of defense against incoming bacteria. E2 regulates various pathophysiological processes, including the response to infection in epithelial cells, and its effects involve the regulation of innate immune signaling pathways, which are mediated through estrogen receptors (ERs).
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