Computationally Assisted Lead Optimization of Novel Potent and Selective MAO-B Inhibitors.

A series of dietary flavonoid acacetin 7--methyl ether derivatives were computationally designed aiming to improve the selectivity and potency profiles against monoamine oxidase (MAO) B. The designed compounds were evaluated for their potential to inhibit human MAO-A and -B. Compounds , , , and were the most potent with a Ki of 37 to 68 nM against MAO-B.

Role of symbiosis in the discovery of novel antibiotics.

Antibiotic resistance has been an ongoing challenge that has emerged almost immediately after the initial discovery of antibiotics and requires the development of innovative new antibiotics and antibiotic combinations that can effectively mitigate the development of resistance. More than 35,000 people die each year from antibiotic resistant infections in just the United States. This signifies the importance of identifying other alternatives to antibiotics for which resistance has developed.

Perspective on the Therapeutics of Anti-Snake Venom.

Snakebite envenomation is a life-threatening disease that was recently re-included as a neglected tropical disease (NTD), affecting millions of people in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Improvement in the therapeutic approaches to envenomation is required to palliate the morbidity and mortality effects of this NTD. The specific therapeutic treatment for this NTD uses snake antivenom immunoglobulins.

Computationally aided stereochemical assignment of undescribed bisabolenes from Calea urticifolia.

Calea urticifolia (Mill.) DC. (Compositae) is a medicinal plant found in El Salvador.

Marine natural product peptides with therapeutic potential: Chemistry, biosynthesis, and pharmacology.

The oceans are a uniquely rich source of bioactive metabolites, of which sponges have been shown to be among the most prolific producers of diverse bioactive secondary metabolites with valuable therapeutic potential. Much attention has been focused on marine bioactive peptides due to their novel chemistry and diverse biological properties. As summarized in this review, marine peptides are known to exhibit various biological activities such as antiviral, anti-proliferative, antioxidant, anti-coagulant, anti-hypertensive, anti-cancer, antidiabetic, antiobesity, and calcium-binding activities.

Isolation of Acacetin from Calea urticifolia with Inhibitory Properties against Human Monoamine Oxidase-A and -B.

Calea urticifolia (Asteraceae: Asteroideae) has long been used as a traditional medicine in El Salvador to treat arthritis and fever, among other illnesses. The chloroform extract of the leaves of C. urticifolia showed potent inhibition of recombinant human monoamine oxidases (MAO-A and -B).