Nanostructured biloalbuminosomes loaded with berberine and berberrubine for Alleviating heavy Metal-Induced male infertility in rats.

Despite the remarkable biological effects of berberine (BBR), particularly on fertility, its bioavailability is low. This study aims to test the effectiveness of novel nanostructured biloalbuminosomes (BILS) of BBR and its metabolite berberrubine (M1) in treatment of testicular and prostatic lesions. M1 was semi-synthesized from BBR using microwave-assisted reaction.

The assessment of pharmacokinetics and neuroprotective effect of berberine hydrochloride-embedded albumin nanoparticles via various administration routes: comparative studies in rats.

The current study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and neuroprotective effect of well-characterised berberine-bovine serum albumin (BBR-BSA) nanoparticles. BBR-BSA nanoparticles were generated by desolvation method. Entrapment efficiency, loading capacity, particle size, polydispersity index, surface morphology, thermal stability, and release were estimated.

Preparation, physicochemical characterization, and bioactivity evaluation of berberine-entrapped albumin nanoparticles.

Berberine (BBR) is an isoquinoline alkaloid with several clinical therapeutic applications. Its low water solubility, absorption, and cellular bioavailability diminish BBR's therapeutic efficacy. In this study, BBR was encapsulated into bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (BSA NPs) core to reduce BBR limitations and enhance its clinical therapeutic properties.

Characterization, in-silico, and in-vitro study of a new steroid derivative from Ophiocoma dentata as a potential treatment for COVID-19.

The medicinal potential of marine invertebrates' bioactive components that may act as anti-COVID-19 demonstrated promising results. Ophiocoma dentata, which is common in the Red Sea, is one such source. Therefore, this study aimed to isolate a new compound from the brittle star, Ophiocoma dentata, and evaluate its efficacy as anti-COVID-19 in-silico and in-vitro.

Development of a Critical Appraisal Tool (AIMRDA) for the Peer-Review of Studies Assessing the Anticancer Activity of Natural Products: A Step towards Reproducibility.

The journal of APJCP (Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention) focuses to gather relevant and up-to-date novel information's related to cancer sciences. The research methodologies and approaches adopted by the researcher are prone to variation which may be desirable in the context of novel scientific findings however, the reproducibility for these studies needs to be unified and assured. The reproducibility issues are highly concerned when preclinical studies are reported in cancer, for natural products in particular.

Nanoparticles of ZnO/Berberine complex contract COVID-19 and respiratory co-bacterial infection in addition to elimination of hydroxychloroquine toxicity.

Purpose: A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that has not been previously identified in humans and has no specific treatment has recently spread. Treatment trials using antiviral and immune-modulating drugs such as hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) were used to control this viral outbreak however several side effects have emerged. Berberine (BER) is an alkaloid that has been reported to reveal some pharmacological properties including antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.

Determination and structural characterization of ravidasvir metabolites by LC coupled to triple quadrupole linear ion trap MS: Application to pharmacokinetics and phase I metabolism in rats.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an infectious disease that has become a global clinical issue because of its significant morbidity and mortality. Novel anti-hepatitis C drugs are continuously developed to decrease the pervasiveness of the infection globally. A synthetic ravidasvir, benzimidazole-naphthylene-imidazole derivatives, has been used as an anti-HCV drug.

Potential therapeutic and pharmacological strategies for SARS-CoV2.

Background: At the end of 2019, the new Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) strain causing severe acute respiratory syndrome swept the world. From November 2019 till February 2021, this virus infected nearly 104 million, with more than two million deaths and about 25 million active cases. This has prompted scientists to discover effective drugs to combat this pandemic.

Ipriflavone and Ipriflavone loaded albumin nanoparticles reverse lipopolysaccharide induced neuroinflammation in rats.

Background: Neuroinflammation causes neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease (AD). Ipriflavone (IP), therapeutic compound to postmenopausal osteoporosis, has limited estrogenic activity and is accounted as AChE inhibitor. The developing of drug delivery systems to enable drug targeting to specific sites increases the drug therapeutic effect.

Phytochemical and pharmacological appraisal of the aerial parts of L. growing in Egypt.

L. (Fabaceae) is widely grown in Egypt. It has a great history of folkloric medicinal uses.

Prolonged overnutrition with fructose or fat induces metabolic derangements in rats by disrupting the crosstalk between the hypothalamus and periphery: Possible amelioration with fenofibrate.

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular complications. The crosstalk between the hypothalamus and periphery is vital for regulating food intake and energy homeostasis. However, it is impaired during MetS.

Antibacterial activity of Centaurea pumilio L. root and aerial part extracts against some multidrug resistant bacteria.

Background: In the context of searching for potent, safe, natural antimicrobial agents to combate the global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) phenomenon, the current study evaluates for the first time ever, the broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity of essential oil (EO) and extracts from the rare wild plant Centaurea pumilio L.. It has tremendous ethnomedicinal values; its dried root is used as a fattening agent, a treatment for bad breath and diabetes, and screened for schistosomicidal activity.

New pyrimidines and triazolopyrimidines as antiproliferative and antioxidants with cyclooxygenase-1/2 inhibitory potential.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition and scavenging-free radicals are important targets in cancer treatment. Sulfanylpyrimidines and triazolopyrimidines were synthesized and evaluated as anticancer and antioxidant COX-1/2 inhibitors. Compound showed the same growth inhibitory activity as 5-fluorouracil against MCF-7.

Dual inhibitors of hepatitis C virus and hepatocellular carcinoma: design, synthesis and docking studies.

Aim: Simultaneous inhibition of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may enhance anti-HCV effects and reduce resistance and side effects.

Results/methodology: Novel hybrid derivatives were designed and synthesized to exhibit dual activity against HCV and its associated major complication, HCC. The synthesized compounds were screened for their potential activity against HCV and HCC.

Neuroprotective effect of ipriflavone against scopolamine-induced memory impairment in rats.

Background: Alzheimer's disease is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized clinically by a progressive loss of memory and cognitive functions resulting in severe dementia. Ipriflavone (IPRI) is a non-hormonal, semi-synthetic isoflavone, clinically used in some countries for the treatment and prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Moreover, ipriflavone is a non-peptidomimetic small molecule AChE inhibitor with an improved bioavailability after systemic administration, due to its efficient blood-brain barrier permeability in comparison with peptidomimetic inhibitors.

Superiority of aromatase inhibitor and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor combined delivery: Hyaluronate-targeted versus PEGylated protamine nanocapsules for breast cancer therapy.

Despite several reports have revealed the beneficial effect of co-administration of COX-2 inhibitors with aromatase inhibitors in managing postmenopausal breast cancer; no nanocarriers for such combined delivery have been developed till now. Therefore, protamine nanocapsules (PMN-NCs) have been developed to co-deliver letrozole (LTZ) that inhibits aromatase-mediated estrogen biosynthesis and celecoxib (CXB) that synergistically inhibits aromatase expression. Inspired by the CD44-mediated tumor targeting ability of hyaluronate (HA), we developed HA-coated PMN-NCs (HA-NCs) via electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly.

Multi-Reservoir Phospholipid Shell Encapsulating Protamine Nanocapsules for Co-Delivery of Letrozole and Celecoxib in Breast Cancer Therapy.

Purpose: In the current work, we propose a combined delivery nanoplatform for letrozole (LTZ) and celecoxib (CXB).

Methods: Multi-reservoir nanocarriers were developed by enveloping protamine nanocapsules (PRM-NCs) within drug-phospholipid complex bilayer.

Results: Encapsulation of NCs within phospholipid bilayer was confirmed by both size increase from 109.

Flavonoids of Alcea rosea L. and their immune stimulant, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities on hepatocellular carcinoma HepG-2 cell line.

Alcea rosea L. is widely cultivated in gardens of Egypt as an ornamental plant and it has a great history of folkloric medicinal uses. In the present work, phytochemical investigation of the alcoholic extract of the flowers of A.

IFN-α-based treatment of patients with chronic HCV show increased levels of cells with myeloid-derived suppressor cell phenotype and of IDO and NOS.

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes chronic hepatitis, which is often associated with suppressed anti-HCV immune responses. We have recently reported accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and suppressed immunity in cancer patients.

Aim: The main aim of this study was to determine whether chronic HCV patients harbor high of MDSCs in general and in nonresponders to IFN-based therapy in particular as well as to analyze the immune suppressive molecules.

Investigation of the Immunomodulatory effect of Berberis vulgaris on core-pulsed dendritic cell vaccine.

Background: Virus-induced dendritic cells (DCs) functional deficiency leads to sub-optimal initiation of adaptive immune responses and consequently chronic infection establishment. The present study reports an advanced hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapeutic vaccine model based on In vivo enrichment of DCs with barberry ethanolic crude extract (BCE) then pulsing them with HCV core protein.

Methods: DCs were enriched by BCE intravenous injection in BALB/c mice.

Berberine Reduces Neurotoxicity Related to Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in Rats.

Berberine is a plant alkaloid that has several pharmacological effects such as antioxidant, antilipidemic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) triggers different aspects of disorders such as impaired endogenous lipid metabolism, hypercholesterolemia, oxidative stress, and neurotoxicity. In this study, we examined the mechanism by which NASH induces neurotoxicity and the protective effect of berberine against both NASH and its associated neurotoxicity.

Synthesis, molecular modeling, and biological evaluation of novel benzimidazole derivatives as inhibitors of hepatitis C virus RNA replication.

In this study, synthesis and docking studies of a series of new benzimidazole derivatives linked to substituted pyrimidines either through the methylenethio linkage or its bioisosteric methylene amino bridge were carried out. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated for their hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA replication-inhibitory activity. Compounds 4d, 4f, and 4h were found to be more potent than VX-950 (IC50/90 of 4d=0.

PI3K/Akt-independent NOS/HO activation accounts for the facilitatory effect of nicotine on acetylcholine renal vasodilations: modulation by ovarian hormones.

We investigated the effect of chronic nicotine on cholinergically-mediated renal vasodilations in female rats and its modulation by the nitric oxide synthase (NOS)/heme oxygenase (HO) pathways. Dose-vasodilatory response curves of acetylcholine (0.01-2.

In vitro biological assessment of Berberis vulgaris and its active constituent, berberine: antioxidants, anti-acetylcholinesterase, anti-diabetic and anticancer effects.

Background: Berberis vulgaris is a well known plant with traditional herbal medical history. The aims of this study was to bioscreen and compare the in vitro biological activity (antioxidant, cholinergic, antidaibetic and the anticancer) of barberry crude extract and berberine active compound.

Methods: The effect of B.

The potential use of Toll-like receptor agonists to restore the dysfunctional immunity induced by hepatitis C virus.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health concern with approximately 3% of the world's population is infected, posing social, economical and health burden. Less than 20% of the infected individuals clear the virus during the acute infection, while the rest develop chronic infection. The treatment of choice for HCV infection is pegylated interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in combination with ribavarin.