Advances in glycosyltransferase-mediated glycodiversification of small molecules.

Currently, numerous glycosides have been synthesized and used in clinical applications, neutraceuticals, cosmetics, and food processing. Structurally, a glycoside is composed of aglycone attaching to one or several sugar moieties so-called glycone. It is found that biochemical or biopharmaceutical properties of glycoside are mainly determined by its sugar part and thereby alternation of this glycone resulting in novel structure and characteristics as well.

Metabolic engineering and optimization of Escherichia coli co-culture for the de novo synthesis of genkwanin.

Genkwanin has various significant roles in nutrition, biomedicine, and pharmaceutical biology. Previously, this compound was chiefly produced by plant-originated extraction or chemical synthesis. However, due to increasing concern and demand for safe food and environmental issues, the biotechnological production of genkwanin and other bioactive compounds based on safe, cheap, and renewable substrates has gained much interest.

Salazinic acid attenuates male sexual dysfunction and testicular oxidative damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic albino rats.

Male sexual dysfunctions such as infertility and impotence are recognized as the consequences of diabetes. Salazinic acid (Sa) is a depsidone found in lichen genera of , , and , which has prominent free radical and α-glucosidase inhibitory actions. The present study establishes the beneficial role of salazinic acid (Sa) to combat the deleterious effects of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on the male reproductive system of rats.

Lobaric acid prevents the adverse effects of tetramethrin on the estrous cycle of female albino Wistar rats.

Tetramethrin (Tm) is a commonly used pesticide that has been reported to exert estrogen-antagonistic effects selectively on female rats. The present study was undertaken to assess the protective role of lobaric acid (La) on estrous cycle in Tm-treated female Wistar rats. Female rats were exposed to Tm (50 mg/kg b.

Potential anti-hepatocellular carcinoma properties and mechanisms of action of clerodane diterpenes isolated from Polyalthia longifolia seeds.

Diterpenes are secondary metabolites that have attracted much attention due to their potential biological activities including anti-cancer potential. The aim of the current study is to assess the anticancer potential of the six known clerodane diterpenes (1-6) isolated from Polyalthia longifolia seeds and their underlying molecular mechanisms. These compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity in vitro by using MTT assays.

Bioproduction of eriodictyol by Escherichia coli engineered co-culture.

Eriodictyol (ED) is a flavonoid in the flavanones subclass. It is abundantly present in a wide range of medicinal plants, citrus fruits, and vegetables. In addition, ED owns numerous importantly medicinal bioactivities such as inhibition of proliferation, metastasis and induction of apoptosis in glioma cells or inhibition of glioblastoma migration, and invasion.

Recent advances in microbial co-culture for production of value-added compounds.

Micro-organisms have often been used to produce bioactive compounds as antibiotics, antifungals, and anti-tumors, etc. due to their easy and applicable culture, genetic manipulation, and extraction, etc. Mainly, microbial mono-cultures have been applied to produce value-added compounds and gotten numerous valuable results.

-Aryl iminochromenes inhibit cyclooxygenase enzymes π-π stacking interactions and present a novel class of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX1/2) have been widely studied and noted for their role in the biosynthesis of inflammation-induced proteins, prostaglandins and thromboxane. Multiple anti-inflammatory drugs have been developed to target these two enzymes, but most of them appeared to have notable adverse effects, especially on the cardiovascular system and lower gastrointestinal tract, suggesting an urgent need for new potent anti-inflammatory drugs. In this study, we screened twenty-two previously synthesized -aryl iminochromenes (NAIs) for their anti-inflammatory activity by performing COX-1/2 inhibitory assays.

Bioassay-guided isolation of antimycobacterial substances from the traditionally used lichen (L.) Hoffm.

Unlabelled: The aim of the present study is to provide a scientific rationale for the folklore usage of (L.) Hoffm. in treating tuberculosis (Tb).

Identification of Five Hub Genes as Key Prognostic Biomarkers in Liver Cancer via Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis.

Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers and the top leading cause of cancer death globally. However, the molecular mechanisms of liver tumorigenesis and progression remain unclear. In the current study, we investigated the hub genes and the potential molecular pathways through which these genes contribute to liver cancer onset and development.

Antimycobacterial activity of acetone extract and isolated metabolites from folklore medicinal lichen Usnea laevis Nyl. against drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis strains.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Tuberculosis (Tb) is one of the most infectious diseases caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.t) with almost 2 million deaths yearly. Although many Tb control programs have been organised, there is an elevated number of Tb cases due to the appearance of extremely drug-resistant and multidrug-resistant (MDR) Tb strains.

Phenolic compounds as antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer agents and improvement of their bioavailability by liposomes.

Phenolic compounds, widespread in plants, are a necessary part of the human regimen due to their antioxidant and pro-oxidative properties. Naturally, phenolics structurally range from a very simple phenolic molecule moiety to an intricate polymer. For decades, phenolic compounds have gained pronounced attention because of their protective effects against degenerative disorders such as inflammation, diabetes and cancer.

Beneficial Effects of Liposomal Formulations of Lichen Substances: A Review.

Lichens are commonly used as essential traditional medicines to treat various conditions, including skin disorders, wounds, digestive, respiratory, obstetric, and gynecological problems in many cultures in Africa, Asia, Europe, Haitian, Oceania, and North and South America. Lichens have been deeply investigated for their phytochemical properties and, to date, numerous compounds (also known as substances) have been successfully isolated from the extracts. However, the low solubility and bioavailability of pure lichen substances have been widely recognized as significant issues hindering their biological applications.

Cleroda-4(18),13-dien-15,16-olide as novel xanthine oxidase inhibitors: An integrated in silico and in vitro study.

In the present study, in silico predictions and molecular docking were performed on five clerodane diterpenes (1-5) from Polyalthia longifolia seeds to evaluate their potential as xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitors. The initial screening was conducted by target prediction using TargetNet web server application and only compounds 3 and 4 showed a potential interaction with XO. Compounds 3 and 4 were subsequently subjected to in silico analyses on XO protein structure (PDB: 1N5X) using Schrödinger Release 2020-3 followed by structural modeling & molecular simulation studies to confirm the initial prediction result and identify the binding mode of these compounds to the XO.

Retrieving high-quality genomic DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues for multiple molecular analyses.

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues represent the biggest source of archival materials for molecular biology research and pathology investigations. Nevertheless, fixation by formalin may cause denaturation and modification of macromolecules constraining DNA quality and its downstream applications. In this study, we developed a fast, simple, and cost-effective phenol/chloroform-based protocol for the extraction of high-quality DNA from 101 FFPE colorectal cancer tissue blocks that can be used in multiple molecular studies.

Advances in biochemistry and the biotechnological production of taxifolin and its derivatives.

Taxifolin (dihydroquercetin) and its derivatives are medicinally important flavanonols with a wide distribution in plants. These compounds have been isolated from various plants, such as milk thistle, onions, french maritime, and tamarind. In general, they are commercially generated in semisynthetic forms.

In vitro antimycobacterial studies of flavonols from Wight and Arn.

Unlabelled: Mycobacterial infections and fast-growing strains are increasing globally with 8 million new cases and 1.8 million fatalities per annum worldwide. The acid-fast bacterium, (), can spread diseases like tuberculosis (Tb) and weaken the immune system.

High frequency of microsatellite instability and its substantial co-existence with and mutations in Vietnamese patients with colorectal cancer.

Tumor heterogeneity and resistance to chemotherapy have been recognized as two major obstacles in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Microsatellite instability (MSI) and and mutations are common diagnostic factors that have been widely used to classify CRC for therapeutics. In the present study, 151 patients with CRC were analyzed from the two most populous ethnic groups of Vietnam, Kinh and Muong, for their MSI status, frequency of and mutations, and their clinical implications.

Dual COX and 5-LOX inhibition by clerodane diterpenes from seeds of Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Thwaites.

Natural metabolites with their specific bioactivities are being considered as a potential source of materials for pharmacological studies. In this study, we successfully isolated and identified five known clerodane diterpenes, namely 16-oxo-cleroda-3,13(14)E-dien-15-oic acid (1), 16-hydroxy-cleroda-3,13-dien-15-oic acid (2), 16-hydroxy-cleroda-4(18),13-dien-16,15-olide (3), 3α,16α-dihydroxy-cleroda-4(18),13(14)Z-dien-15,16-olide (4), and 16α-hydroxy-cleroda-3,13(14)Z-dien-15,16-olide (5) from the methanolic extract of seeds of Polyalthia longifolia. Initially, all the isolated metabolites were investigated for COX-1, COX-2, and 5-LOX inhibitory activities using the standard inhibitory kits.

Sekikaic acid modulates pancreatic β-cells in streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats by inhibiting digestive enzymes.

The antioxidant and antidiabetic effects of sekikaic acid were investigated using and study models. possessed good antioxidant activity as assessed through hydroxyl radicals (IC value = 41.5 µg/mL) and ferric ions assay (IC value = 42.

Protective effects of extracts of lichen (Stirton) D.D. Awasthi in bifenthrin- and diazinon-induced oxidative stress in rat erythrocytes .

The intoxication of insecticides such as bifenthrin and diazinon has been reported to generate free radicals, and thereby alter the antioxidant defense system in erythrocytes. The present study is aimed to investigate the protective effects of acetone (DA) and methanolic (DM) extracts of lichen against bifenthrin and diazinon toxicity in rats' erythrocytes . Rats' erythrocytes were exposed to bifenthrin and diazinon, individually and also in combination with DA or DM at 1 ppm for 3 h at 37 ˚C.

Novel indolizine derivatives lowers blood glucose levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats: A histopathological approach.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a deadly disorder in human which induce chronic complications. The streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in rat is the most common animal model of human diabetes. The present study investigated the effects of novel indolizine derivatives (1-16) on plasma blood glucose concentrations in STZ-diabetic rats.

Isolation, structural assignment and synthesis of (SE)-2-methyloctyl 3-(4-methoxyphenyl) propenoate from the marine soft coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi.

A new metabolite 1 has been isolated from the marine soft coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi along with two known diterpenoids 2 and 3 and cholesterol 4. The structure of 1 was determined by means of detailed spectroscopic analysis and unambiguously confirmed to have the S configuration by the synthesis of both enantiomers using 4-benzyl-2-oxazolidinone auxiliaries. (S)- and (R)-1, 3 and some of the synthetic intermediates were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against human lung cancer (A549), prostate cancer (DU145), cervical cancer (HeLa) and breast cancer (MCF-7) cell lines in an in vitro bioassay.