Biomolecules from Natural Products: Anti-inflammatory and Anti-allergic Activities

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural and Bio-inspired Molecules".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 14477

Special Issue Editor

School of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Interests: skinceuticals; cardiovascular pharmacology; ocular angiogenesis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Many natural products have been discovered in the past and used in many medical applications. Most of them are derived from animals, plants, microorganisms, minerals, or marine life. They play a very important role in the treatment of serious diseases. Today, there is an urgent need for high-quality drugs for the treatment of emerging diseases and aging-related diseases. However, most of these diseases are closely related to excessive inflammation and allergies in the body. Many natural substances have excellent anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects. Therefore, we hope that we can show natural products with new structures or new effects in this Special Issue. In the future, they can be used for diseases that are still intractable and difficult to treat and provide new treatment methods and opportunities. We believe that these natural products will be of great help to the development of new drugs in the future.

Prof. Dr. Chi-Feng Hung
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • anti-inflammation
  • anti-allergic
  • natural product
  • anti-aging

Published Papers (5 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

12 pages, 6838 KiB  
Article
Selective Biological Effects of Selenium-Enriched Polysaccharide (Se-Le-30) Isolated from Lentinula edodes Mycelium on Human Immune Cells
by Beata Kaleta, Aleksander Roszczyk, Michał Zych, Monika Kniotek, Radosław Zagożdżon, Marzenna Klimaszewska, Eliza Malinowska, Michał Pac and Jadwiga Turło
Biomolecules 2021, 11(12), 1777; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom11121777 - 26 Nov 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1973
Abstract
A common edible mushroom Lentinula edodes, is an important source of numerous biologically active substances, including polysaccharides, with immunomodulatory and antitumor properties. In the present work, the biological activity of the crude, homogenous (Se)-enriched fraction (named Se-Le-30), which has been isolated from L. [...] Read more.
A common edible mushroom Lentinula edodes, is an important source of numerous biologically active substances, including polysaccharides, with immunomodulatory and antitumor properties. In the present work, the biological activity of the crude, homogenous (Se)-enriched fraction (named Se-Le-30), which has been isolated from L. edodes mycelium by a modified Chihara method towards human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and peripheral granulocytes, was investigated. The Se-Le-30 fraction, an analog of lentinan, significantly inhibited the proliferation of human PBMCs stimulated with anti-CD3 antibodies or allostimulated, and down-regulated the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α by CD3+ T cells. Moreover, it was found that Se-Le-30 significantly reduced the cytotoxic activity of human natural killer (NK) cells. The results suggested the selective immunosuppressive activity of this fraction, which is non-typical for mushroom derived polysaccharides. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

20 pages, 10595 KiB  
Article
Anti-Proliferative and Anti-Migratory Activities of Hispidulin on Human Melanoma A2058 Cells
by Chi-Jen Chang, Yen-Ling Hung, Ting-Chen Chen, Hsin-Ju Li, Yuan-Hsin Lo, Nan-Lin Wu, Der-Chen Chang and Chi-Feng Hung
Biomolecules 2021, 11(7), 1039; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom11071039 - 16 Jul 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2513
Abstract
Melanoma represents less than 5% of skin cancers, but is the most lethal, mainly because of its high-metastatic potential and resistance to various therapies. Therefore, it is important to develop effective treatments, especially chemotherapeutic drugs with cytotoxicity, anti-metastaticity, and few side effects. One [...] Read more.
Melanoma represents less than 5% of skin cancers, but is the most lethal, mainly because of its high-metastatic potential and resistance to various therapies. Therefore, it is important to develop effective treatments, especially chemotherapeutic drugs with cytotoxicity, anti-metastaticity, and few side effects. One such natural product is hispidulin, a flavone distributed in plants of the Asteraceae. Previous studies have demonstrated that hispidulin has various pharmacological benefits, such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, and anti-allergic effects. This study aims to explore the effects of hispidulin against melanoma in vitro and in vivo. Results revealed that hispidulin selectively decreased the cell viability of A2058 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Hispidulin induced cells accumulated in the sub-G1 phase via activating caspase 8 and 9, increased cleaved caspase 3, and cleaved PARP expression. Hispidulin was able to decrease AKT and ERK phosphorylation, which facilitated cell growth and survival. Moreover, hispidulin promoted reactive oxygen species generation in cells and suppressed cell migration through downregulated matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression. Hispidulin significantly inhibited tumor growth in a xenograft model. Based on these results, hispidulin produces its anti-melanoma effects by inducing cancer cell apoptosis and reducing its migration. Therefore, we suggest hispidulin as a potent therapeutic candidate for melanoma treatment. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 18038 KiB  
Article
Rosmarinic Acid, a Bioactive Phenolic Compound, Inhibits Glutamate Release from Rat Cerebrocortical Synaptosomes through GABAA Receptor Activation
by Che-Chuan Wang, Pei-Wen Hsieh, Jinn-Rung Kuo and Su-Jane Wang
Biomolecules 2021, 11(7), 1029; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom11071029 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3336
Abstract
Rosmarinic acid, a major component of rosemary, is a polyphenolic compound with potential neuroprotective effects. Asreducing the synaptic release of glutamate is crucial to achieving neuroprotectant’s pharmacotherapeutic effects, the effect of rosmarinic acid on glutamate release was investigated in rat cerebrocortical nerve terminals [...] Read more.
Rosmarinic acid, a major component of rosemary, is a polyphenolic compound with potential neuroprotective effects. Asreducing the synaptic release of glutamate is crucial to achieving neuroprotectant’s pharmacotherapeutic effects, the effect of rosmarinic acid on glutamate release was investigated in rat cerebrocortical nerve terminals (synaptosomes). Rosmarinic acid depressed the 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)-induced glutamate release in a concentration-dependent manner. The removal of extracellular calcium and the blockade of vesicular transporters prevented the inhibition of glutamate release by rosmarinic acid. Rosmarinic acid reduced 4-AP-induced intrasynaptosomal Ca2+ elevation. The inhibition of N-, P/Q-type Ca2+ channels and the calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) prevented rosmarinic acid from having effects on glutamate release. Rosmarinic acid also reduced the 4-AP-induced activation of CaMKII and the subsequent phosphorylation of synapsin I, the main presynaptic target of CaMKII. In addition, immunocytochemistry confirmed the presence of GABAA receptors. GABAA receptor agonist and antagonist blocked the inhibitory effect of rosmarinic acid on 4-AP-evoked glutamate release. Docking data also revealed that rosmarinic acid formed a hydrogen bond with the amino acid residues of GABAA receptor. These results suggested that rosmarinic acid activates GABAA receptors in cerebrocortical synaptosomes to decrease Ca2+ influx and CaMKII/synapsin I pathway to inhibit the evoked glutamate release. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 5335 KiB  
Article
The Demethoxy Derivatives of Curcumin Exhibit Greater Differentiation Suppression in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes Than Curcumin: A Mechanistic Study of Adipogenesis and Molecular Docking
by Ahmed Alalaiwe, Jia-You Fang, Hsien-Ju Lee, Chun-Hui Chiu and Ching-Yun Hsu
Biomolecules 2021, 11(7), 1025; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom11071025 - 14 Jul 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2297
Abstract
Curcumin is a known anti-adipogenic agent for alleviating obesity and related disorders. Comprehensive comparisons of the anti-adipogenic activity of curcumin with other curcuminoids is minimal. This study compared adipogenesis inhibition with curcumin, demethoxycurcumin (DMC), and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), and their underlying mechanisms. We differentiated [...] Read more.
Curcumin is a known anti-adipogenic agent for alleviating obesity and related disorders. Comprehensive comparisons of the anti-adipogenic activity of curcumin with other curcuminoids is minimal. This study compared adipogenesis inhibition with curcumin, demethoxycurcumin (DMC), and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), and their underlying mechanisms. We differentiated 3T3-L1 cells in the presence of curcuminoids, to determine lipid accumulation and triglyceride (TG) production. The expression of adipogenic transcription factors and lipogenic proteins was analyzed by Western blot. A significant reduction in Oil red O (ORO) staining was observed in the cells treated with curcuminoids at 20 μM. Inhibition was increased in the order of curcumin < DMC < BDMC. A similar trend was observed in the detection of intracellular TG. Curcuminoids suppressed differentiation by downregulating the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), leading to the downregulation of the lipogenic enzymes acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FAS). AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) phosphorylation was also activated by BDMC. Curcuminoids reduced the release of proinflammatory cytokines and leptin in 3T3-L1 cells in a dose-dependent manner, with BDMC showing the greatest potency. BDMC at 20 μM significantly decreased leptin by 72% compared with differentiated controls. Molecular docking computation indicated that curcuminoids, despite having structural similarity, had different interaction positions to PPARγ, C/EBPα, and ACC. The docking profiles suggested a possible interaction of curcuminoids with C/EBPα and ACC, to directly inhibit their expression. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 2137 KiB  
Review
Yuanhuacin and Related Anti-Inflammatory and Anticancer Daphnane Diterpenes from Genkwa Flos—An Overview
by Christian Bailly
Biomolecules 2022, 12(2), 192; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/biom12020192 - 23 Jan 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3055
Abstract
The dried flower buds of the plant Daphne genkwa Sieb. et Zucc. have been largely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Numerous diterpenoids have been isolated from the Genkwa Flos (yuanhua in Chinese), including a series of daphnane-type [...] Read more.
The dried flower buds of the plant Daphne genkwa Sieb. et Zucc. have been largely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Numerous diterpenoids have been isolated from the Genkwa Flos (yuanhua in Chinese), including a series of daphnane-type diterpene designated as yuanhuacin (YC, often improperly designated as yuanhuacine) and analogues with a patronymic name. The series includes ten daphnane-type diterpenes: yuanhuacin, yuanhuadin (YD), yuanhuafin (YF), yuanhuagin (YG), yuanhuahin (YH), yuanhuajin (YJ), yuanhualin (YL), yuanhuamin (YM), yuanhuapin (YP), and yuanhuatin (YT). They are distinct from the rare flavonoid yuanhuanin. The series comprises several anticancer agents, such as the lead compound YC, which has revealed potent activity in vitro and in vivo against models of lung and breast cancers. The main signaling pathways implicated in the antitumor effects have been delineated. Protein kinase C is a key factor of activity for YC, but in general the molecular targets at the origin of the activity of these compounds remain little defined. Promising anticancer effects have been reported with analogues YD and YT, whereas compounds YF and YP are considered more toxic. The pharmacological activity of each compound is presented, as well as the properties of Genkwa Flos extracts. The potential toxic effects associated with the use of these compounds are also underlined. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop