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PloS One 2024In the search for better anticancer drugs, computer-aided drug design (CADD) techniques play an indispensable role in facilitating the lengthy and costly drug discovery...
BACKGROUND
In the search for better anticancer drugs, computer-aided drug design (CADD) techniques play an indispensable role in facilitating the lengthy and costly drug discovery process especially when natural products are involved. Anthraquinone is one of the most widely-recognized natural products with anticancer properties. This review aimed to systematically assess and synthesize evidence on the utilization of CADD techniques centered on the anthraquinone scaffold for cancer treatment.
METHODS
The conduct and reporting of this review were done in accordance to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) 2020 guideline. The protocol was registered in the "International prospective register of systematic reviews" database (PROSPERO: CRD42023432904) and also published recently. The search strategy was designed based on the combination of concept 1 "CADD or virtual screening", concept 2 "anthraquinone" and concept 3 "cancer". The search was executed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and MedRxiv on 30 June 2023.
RESULTS
Databases searching retrieved a total of 317 records. After deduplication and applying the eligibility criteria, the final review ended up with 32 articles in which 3 articles were found by citation searching. The CADD methods used in the studies were either structure-based alone (69%) or combined with ligand-based methods via parallel (9%) or sequential (22%) approaches. Molecular docking was performed in all studies, with Glide and AutoDock being the most popular commercial and public software used respectively. Protein data bank was used in most studies to retrieve the crystal structure of the targets of interest while the main ligand databases were PubChem and Zinc. The utilization of in-silico techniques has enabled a deeper dive into the structural, biological and pharmacological properties of anthraquinone derivatives, revealing their remarkable anticancer properties in an all-rounded fashion.
CONCLUSION
By harnessing the power of computational tools and leveraging the natural diversity of anthraquinone compounds, researchers can expedite the development of better drugs to address the unmet medical needs in cancer treatment by improving the treatment outcome for cancer patients.
Topics: Anthraquinones; Humans; Neoplasms; Antineoplastic Agents; Drug Design; Molecular Docking Simulation; Computer-Aided Design; Drug Discovery
PubMed: 38776291
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301396 -
Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia Jan 2021To investigate the effects of mitoxantrone and daunorubicin in induced chemotherapy on complete remission (CR), death during induction therapy, overall survival (OS),... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
PURPOSE
To investigate the effects of mitoxantrone and daunorubicin in induced chemotherapy on complete remission (CR), death during induction therapy, overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and relapse in patients of all ages with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
METHODS
We searched published reports at the Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Databases as well as other databases from inception through July 2019. There was no restriction on date of publication or language (PROSPERO registration CRD42018095843).
RESULTS
We enrolled 12 randomized controlled trials that included data of 4583 AML patients whose disease was untreated or relapsed/refractory, and compared the CR, death during induction therapy, DFS, and OS between mitoxantrone and daunorubicin. Mitoxantrone significantly increased the CR rate (relative risk = 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01, 1.14; P = .03) and DFS (hazard ratio = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.79, 0.96; P = .005) compared to daunorubicin. However, there was no significant difference in death during induction therapy (relative risk = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.81, 1.24; P = .99) and OS (hazard ratio = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.87, 1.01; P = .077) between the two drugs.
CONCLUSION
Although more studies are needed to compare mitoxantrone with higher-dose daunorubicin, the results showed that compared to daunorubicin, mitoxantrone can significantly improve CR and DFS in patients of all ages. These findings suggest that mitoxantrone may be a better choice than daunorubicin as an induction chemotherapy agent for AML patients, especially in developing countries.
Topics: Adult; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Daunorubicin; Female; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Male; Middle Aged; Mitoxantrone; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 32863193
DOI: 10.1016/j.clml.2020.08.001 -
Phytotherapy Research : PTR Apr 2024Morinda citrifolia L., commonly known as Noni, has a longstanding history in traditional medicine for treating various diseases. Recently, there has been an increased... (Review)
Review
Morinda citrifolia L., commonly known as Noni, has a longstanding history in traditional medicine for treating various diseases. Recently, there has been an increased focus on exploring Noni extracts and phytoconstituents, particularly for their effectiveness against cancers such as lung, esophageal, liver, and breast cancer, and their potential in cancer chemoprevention. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of in vitro and in vivo studies assessing Noni's impact on cancer, alongside an exploration of its bioactive compounds. A systematic review was conducted, encompassing a wide range of scientific databases to gather pertinent literature. This review focused on in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as clinical trials that explore the effects of Noni fruit and its phytoconstituents-including anthraquinones, flavonoids, sugar derivatives, and neolignans-on cancer. The search was meticulously structured around specific keywords and criteria to ensure a thorough analysis. The compiled studies highlight Noni's multifaceted role in cancer therapy, showcasing its various bioactive components and their modes of action. This includes mechanisms such as apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, antiangiogenesis, and immune system modulation, demonstrating significant anticancer and chemopreventive potential. The findings reinforce Noni's potential as a safe and effective option in cancer prevention and treatment. This review underscores the need for further research into Noni's anticancer properties, with the hope of stimulating additional studies and clinical trials to validate and expand upon these promising findings.
Topics: Humans; Female; Morinda; Plant Extracts; Antineoplastic Agents; Medicine, Traditional; Breast Neoplasms; Biological Products; Fruit
PubMed: 38358681
DOI: 10.1002/ptr.8137 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2022Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma et Radix, the dry roots and stems of Houtt (called Huzhang, HZ in Chinese), is a traditional and popular chinese medicinal herb for thousands...
Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma et Radix, the dry roots and stems of Houtt (called Huzhang, HZ in Chinese), is a traditional and popular chinese medicinal herb for thousands of years. As a widely used ethnomedicine in Asia including China, Japan, and Korea, HZ can invigorate the blood, cool heat, and resolve toxicity, which is commonly used in the treatment of favus, jaundice, scald, and constipation. However, HZ is now considered an invasive plant in the United States and many European countries. Therefore, in order to take advantage of HZ and solve the problem of biological invasion, scholars around the world have carried out abundant research studies on HZ. Until now, about 110 compounds have been isolated and identified from HZ, in which anthraquinones, stilbenes, and flavonoids would be the main bioactive ingredients for its pharmacological properties, such as microcirculation improvement, myocardial protective effects, endocrine regulation, anti-atherosclerotic activity, anti-oxidant activity, anti-tumor activity, anti-viral activity, and treatment of skin inflammation, burns, and scalds. HZ has a variety of active ingredients and broad pharmacological activities. It is widely used in health products, cosmetics, and even animal husbandry feed and has no obvious toxicity. Efforts should be made to develop more products such as effective drugs, health care products, cosmetics, and agricultural and animal husbandry products to benefit mankind.
PubMed: 35770098
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.863707 -
Gastroenterology Nursing : the Official...The quality of bowel preparation is an extremely important determinant of colonoscopy results. However, the efficacy of senna regimens in improving bowel cleanliness is... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
The quality of bowel preparation is an extremely important determinant of colonoscopy results. However, the efficacy of senna regimens in improving bowel cleanliness is uncertain. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize data on whether using a senna bowel preparation regimen enhances the bowel cleanliness. We searched Web of Science Core Collection, MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases (from the inception to August 2021). The primary efficacy outcome was bowel cleanliness. Secondary outcomes included patient compliance, tolerance, and adverse events. Eleven trials fulfilled the inclusion criteria (3,343 patients. Overall, we found no significant differences in bowel cleanliness between the senna regimen and other bowel preparation regimens (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.02 [0.63, 1.67], p = 0.93). There was significant difference in tolerance (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.66 [1.08, 2.54], p = .02) and compliance (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 3.05 [1.42, 6.55], p = .004). The senna regimen yielded a significantly greater proportion of no nausea (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.84 [1.45, 2.32]) and vomiting (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.65 [0.81, 3.35]). Compared with other bowel preparation regimens, the senna regimen may be effective and safe in bowel cleaning before colonoscopy, with superior compliance and tolerance.
Topics: Humans; Cathartics; Colonoscopy; Sennosides; Patient Compliance; Polyethylene Glycols
PubMed: 35758925
DOI: 10.1097/SGA.0000000000000664 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... May 2023The morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are increasing in recent years, and atherosclerosis (AS), a major CVD, becomes a disorder that afflicts... (Review)
Review
The morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are increasing in recent years, and atherosclerosis (AS), a major CVD, becomes a disorder that afflicts human beings severely, especially the elders. AS is recognized as the primary cause and pathological basis of some other CVDs. The active constituents of Chinese herbal medicines have garnered increasing interest in recent researches owing to their influence on AS and other CVDs. Emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone) is a naturally occurring anthraquinone derivative found in some Chinese herbal medicines such as Rhei radix et rhizome, Polygoni cuspidati rhizoma et radix and Polygoni multiflori root. In this paper, we first review the latest researches about emodin's pharmacology, metabolism and toxicity. Meanwhile, it has been shown to be effective in treating CVDs caused by AS in dozens of previous studies. Therefore, we systematically reviewed the mechanisms by which emodin treats AS. In summary, these mechanisms include anti-inflammatory activity, lipid metabolism regulation, anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis and vascular protection. The mechanisms of emodin in other CVDs are also discussed, such as vasodilation, inhibition of myocardial fibrosis, inhibition of cardiac valve calcification and antiviral properties. We have further summarized the potential clinical applications of emodin. Through this review, we hope to provide guidance for clinical and preclinical drug development.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Emodin; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Cardiovascular Diseases; Plant Extracts; Atherosclerosis; Phytochemicals
PubMed: 36933375
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114539 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2022Under normal circumstances, wound healing can be summarized as three processes. These include inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. The vast majority of wounds...
Under normal circumstances, wound healing can be summarized as three processes. These include inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. The vast majority of wounds heal rapidly; however, a large percentage of nonhealing wounds have still not been studied significantly. The factors affecting wound nonhealing are complex and diverse, and identifying an effective solution from nature becomes a key goal of research. This study aimed to highlight and review the mechanisms and targets of natural products (NPs) for treating nonhealing wounds. The results of relevant studies have shown that the effects of NPs are associated with PI3K-AKT, P38MAPK, fibroblast growth factor, MAPK, and ERK signaling pathways and involve tumor growth factor (TNF), vascular endothelial growth factor, TNF-α, interleukin-1β, and expression of other cytokines and proteins. The 25 NPs that contribute to wound healing were systematically summarized by an inductive collation of the six major classes of compounds, including saponins, polyphenols, flavonoids, anthraquinones, polysaccharides, and others, which will further direct the attention to the active components of NPs and provide research ideas for further development of new products for wound healing.
PubMed: 35935866
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.900439 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2021Rhubarb, also known as Da Huang, is a traditional Chinese medicine, and it was often used as a laxative in the past. Recently, multiple studies have applied rhubarb to...
Rhubarb, also known as Da Huang, is a traditional Chinese medicine, and it was often used as a laxative in the past. Recently, multiple studies have applied rhubarb to treat diabetic nephropathy (DN). Anthraquinones, including emodin and rhein, have been extracted from rhubarb and used to explore the effective components and possible mechanisms of rhubarb for DN. Evaluating the efficacy of rhubarb may provide a scientific reference for the clinical application of rhubarb for the treatment of DN. 1) To evaluate the efficacy of rhubarb in the treatment of DN; 2) To identify the most effective ingredient of rhubarb for DN; 3) To explore the specific mechanism of rhubarb in treating DN. Data sources: related studies were identified by searching Cochrane Library, Ovid-EMBASE, PubMed, SinoMed, WanFang, VIP, CNKI, and other Chinese magazines. Assessment and analysis: SYRCLE's risk of bias tool for animal studies was used to assess the quality of articles. The meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Data analysis adopted RevMan 5.3 and STATA 12.0 software. This study was published in the register with PROSPERO, number CRD42020204701. Aggregated data were collected from 27 eligible studies. The results illustrated an intense improvement in the following outcomes in rhubarb-treated animals with DN ( < 0.05): blood glucose, serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), albumin creatinine ratio (ACR), urine protein (UP), urinary albumin excretion (UAE), renal index (two kidneys weight/body weight, KW/BW), tubulointerstitial injury index (TII), transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1) mRNA and protein, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) protein, and E-cadherin (E-cad) protein. Of these, DN animals with rhubarb exhibited a significantly higher level of E-cad protein. In addition, the level of the other outcomes mentioned above decreased significantly, while there was no significant association between the intervention and nephrin protein ( > 0.05). This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that rhubarb has a positive therapeutic effect on animals with DN, which may provide confidence and some theoretical reference for clinical application to a certain extent.
PubMed: 34177560
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.602816 -
Current Medicinal Chemistry 2021A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials were undertaken to evaluate the effect of diacerein intake on cardiometabolic profiles in patients with type 2... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials were undertaken to evaluate the effect of diacerein intake on cardiometabolic profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
METHODS
Electronic databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception to 31 July 2019. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated using Cochran's Q test and I-square (I) statistic. Data were pooled using random-effects models and weighted mean difference (WMD).
RESULTS
From 1,733 citations, seven clinical trials were eligible for inclusion and meta-analysis. A significant reduction in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (WMD -0.73; 95%CI -1.25 to -0.21; P= 0.006; I2= 72.2%) and body mass index (BMI) (WMD -0.55; 95%CI -1.03 to -0.07; P= 0.026; I= 9.5%) was identified. However, no significant effect of diacerein intake was identified on fasting blood sugar (FBS) (WMD -9.00; 95%CI -22.57 to 4.57; P= 0.194; I2= 60.5%), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (WMD 0.39; 95%CI -0.95 to 1.73; P= 0.569; I= 2.2%), body weight (WMD - 0.54; 95%CI -1.10 to 0.02; P= 0.059), triglycerides (WMD -0.56; 95%CI -24.16 to 23.03; P= 0.963; I= 0.0%), total-cholesterol (WMD -0.21; 95%CI -12.19 to 11.78; P= 0.973; I= 0.0%), HDL-cholesterol (WMD -0.96; 95%CI -2.85 to 0.93; P= 0.321; I= 0.0%), and LDL-cholesterol levels (WMD -0.09; 95%CI -8.43 to 8.25; P= 0.983; I= 37.8%).
CONCLUSION
Diacerein intake may reduce HbA1c and BMI; however, no evidence of the effect was observed for FBS, HOMA-IR, body weight, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol or LDLcholesterol.
Topics: Anthraquinones; Blood Glucose; Cardiovascular Diseases; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Humans; Triglycerides
PubMed: 32723228
DOI: 10.2174/0929867327666200728134755 -
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2024Ferroptosis is a recently discovered type of programmed cell death that is mechanistically different from other types of programmed cell death such as apoptosis,... (Review)
Review
Ferroptosis is a recently discovered type of programmed cell death that is mechanistically different from other types of programmed cell death such as apoptosis, necroptosis, and autophagy. It is characterized by the accumulation of intracellular iron, overproduction of reactive oxygen species, depletion of glutathione, and extensive lipid peroxidation of lipids in the cell membrane. It was discovered that ferroptosis is interconnected with many diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, ischemia/reperfusion injury, cancer, and chronic kidney disease. Polyphenols, plant secondary metabolites known for many bioactivities, are being extensively researched in the context of their influence on ferroptosis which resulted in a great number of publications showing the need for a systematic review. In this review, an extensive literature search was performed. Databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer) were searched in the time span from 2017 to November 2023, using the keyword "ferroptosis" alone and in combination with "flavonoid", "phenolic acid", "stilbene", "coumarin", "anthraquinone", and "chalcone"; after the selection of studies, we had 311 papers and 143 phenolic compounds. In total, 53 compounds showed the ability to induce ferroptosis, and 110 compounds were able to inhibit ferroptosis, and out of those compounds, 20 showed both abilities depending on the model system. The most researched compounds are shikonin, curcumin, quercetin, resveratrol, and baicalin. The most common modes of action are in the modulation of the Nrf2/GPX4 and Nrf2/HO-1 axis and the modulation of iron metabolism.
PubMed: 38539867
DOI: 10.3390/antiox13030334