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Journal of Natural Medicines Jan 2020The essential oil of perilla (Perilla frutescens) contains volatile low molecular weight compounds such as monoterpenes and phenylpropenes. The composition of the...
The essential oil of perilla (Perilla frutescens) contains volatile low molecular weight compounds such as monoterpenes and phenylpropenes. The composition of the essential oil is classified into about ten chemotypes. The biosynthesis of these constituents is strictly controlled genetically. Among the compounds contained in perilla essential oil, the bioconversion of pure compounds such as perillaldehyde, limonene, and citral has been reported, but that of many other components has not. In addition, changes in the volatile components of raw plant material during brewing have also been investigated for wine and beer. In this study, we examined the bioconversion of perilla essential oil components by Saccharomyces cerevisiae during the brewing of liquor with perilla leaves. S. cerevisiae was added to the ethanol-water extract of dried leaves of P. frutescens and P. citriodora for seven essential oil types: perillaldehyde type, piperitenone type, perillene type, perillaketone type, elsholtziaketone type, citral type, and phenylpropanoid type. Volatile compounds in the reaction mixtures were analyzed by solid-phase microextraction (SPME)-GC-MS, revealing bioconversion of perillaldehyde, isoegomaketone, neral, and geranial by S. cerevisiae. Analysis of the conversion products suggests that they were formed by the reduction of C=C bonds and aldehydes, as well as by esterification and dehydration reactions.
Topics: Acyclic Monoterpenes; Alcoholic Beverages; Furans; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Ketones; Monoterpenes; Oils, Volatile; Perilla frutescens; Plant Leaves; Plant Oils; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; alpha-Linolenic Acid
PubMed: 31576496
DOI: 10.1007/s11418-019-01363-y -
Current Pharmaceutical Design 2024Due to its volatility, photostability, and gastrointestinal toxicity, Perillyl Alcohol (POH), a monoterpenoid component of various plant species, is a chemotherapeutic...
BACKGROUND
Due to its volatility, photostability, and gastrointestinal toxicity, Perillyl Alcohol (POH), a monoterpenoid component of various plant species, is a chemotherapeutic drug with insufficient efficacy. Many naturally occurring bioactive compounds have well-known antiproliferative properties, including sefsol, jojoba, tea tree, and moringa oils.
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to develop an oil-based Self Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SNEDDS) using tween 80 as the surfactant and Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) or Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) 400 as the cosurfactant; the oils were used in a range of 10-20% to boost POH's anticancer efficacy.
METHODS
The formulations' size, charge, and impact on the viability of glioma cell lines, ANGM-CSS and A172, were evaluated.
RESULTS
The developed SNEDDS formulations ranged from 3 nm to 362 nm in size, with electronegative surface charges between 5.05 and 17.0 mV and polydispersity indices between 0.3 and 1.0.
CONCLUSION
The findings indicated that the antiproliferative effect of POH-loaded Nanoemulsion (NE) could be used as a possible anticancer therapy for glioblastoma , particularly when paired with the tested natural oils. Before asserting that this delivery technique is appropriate for glioblastoma therapy, additional in vitro and in vivo investigations are required.
Topics: Humans; Glioblastoma; Cell Proliferation; Monoterpenes; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Survival; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Drug Delivery Systems; Polysorbates; Drug Compounding; Particle Size; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Plant Oils; Polyethylene Glycols; Cell Line, Tumor; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Tumor Cells, Cultured
PubMed: 38532602
DOI: 10.2174/0113816128293758240318080527 -
Neuro-oncology Advances 2021Better treatments for glioblastoma (GBM) patients, in particular in the recurrent setting, are urgently needed. Clinical trials performed in Brazil indicated that...
BACKGROUND
Better treatments for glioblastoma (GBM) patients, in particular in the recurrent setting, are urgently needed. Clinical trials performed in Brazil indicated that intranasal delivery of perillyl alcohol (POH) might be effective in this patient group. NEO100, a highly purified version of POH, was current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) manufactured to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this novel approach in a Phase I/IIa clinical trial in the United States.
METHODS
A total of 12 patients with recurrent GBM were enrolled into Phase I of this trial. NEO100 was administered by intranasal delivery using a nebulizer and nasal mask. Dosing was 4 times a day, every day. Four cohorts of 3 patients received the following dosages: 96 mg/dose (384 mg/day), 144 mg/dose (576 mg/day), 192 mg/dose (768 mg/day), and 288 mg/dose (1152 mg/day). Completion of 28 days of treatment was recorded as 1 cycle. Adverse events were documented, and radiographic response Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria was evaluated every 2 months. Progression-free and overall survival were determined after 6 and 12 months, respectively (progression-free survival-6 [PFS-6], overall survival-12 [OS-12]).
RESULTS
Intranasal NEO100 was well tolerated at all dose levels and no severe adverse events were reported. PFS-6 was 33%, OS-12 was 55%, and median OS was 15 months. Four patients (33%), all of them with isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1)-mutant tumors, survived >24 months.
CONCLUSION
Intranasal glioma therapy with NEO100 was well tolerated. It correlated with improved survival when compared to historical controls, pointing to the possibility that this novel intranasal approach could become useful for the treatment of recurrent GBM.
PubMed: 33604574
DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdab005 -
PNAS Nexus May 2022MEK inhibitors are among the most successful molecularly targeted agents used as cancer therapeutics. However, to treat cancer more efficiently, resistance to MEK...
MEK inhibitors are among the most successful molecularly targeted agents used as cancer therapeutics. However, to treat cancer more efficiently, resistance to MEK inhibitor-induced cell death must be overcome. Although previous genetic approaches based on comprehensive gene expression analysis or RNAi libraries led to the discovery of factors involved in intrinsic resistance to MEK inhibitors, a feasible combined treatment with the MEK inhibitor has not yet been developed. Here, we show that a chemoproteoinformatics approach identifies ligands overcoming the resistance to cell death induced by MEK inhibition as well as the target molecule conferring this resistance. First, we used natural products, perillyl alcohol and sesaminol, which induced cell death in combination with the MEK inhibitor trametinib, as chemical probes, and identified ribosomal protein S5 (RPS5) as their common target protein. Consistently, trametinib induced cell death in RPS5-depleted cancer cells via upregulation of the apoptotic proteins BIM and PUMA. Using molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we then screened FDA- and EMA-approved drugs for RPS5-binding ligands and found that acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, also known as aspirin) directly bound to RPS5, resulting in upregulation of BIM and PUMA and induction of cell death in combination with trametinib. Our chemoproteoinformatics approach demonstrates that RPS5 confers resistance to MEK inhibitor-induced cell death, and that aspirin could be repurposed to sensitize cells to MEK inhibition by binding to RPS5.
PubMed: 36713317
DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac059 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2023The use of dioxygen as an oxidant in fine chemicals production is an emerging problem in chemistry for environmental and economical reasons. In acetonitrile, the...
The use of dioxygen as an oxidant in fine chemicals production is an emerging problem in chemistry for environmental and economical reasons. In acetonitrile, the [(N4Py)Fe] complex, [N4Py--bis(2-pyridylmethyl)--(bis-2-pyridylmethyl)amine] in the presence of the substrate activates dioxygen for the oxygenation of cyclohexene and limonene. Cyclohexane is oxidized mainly to 2-cyclohexen-1-one, and 2-cyclohexen-1-ol, cyclohexene oxide is formed in much smaller amounts. Limonene gives as the main products limonene oxide, carvone, and carveol. Perillaldehyde and perillyl alcohol are also present in the products but to a lesser extent. The investigated system is twice as efficient as the [(bpy)Fe]/O/cyclohexene system and comparable to the [(bpy)Mn]/O/limonene system. Using cyclic voltammetry, it has been shown that, when the catalyst, dioxgen, and substrate are present simultaneously in the reaction mixture, the iron(IV) oxo adduct [(N4Py)Fe=O] is formed, which is the oxidative species. This observation is supported by DFT calculations.
PubMed: 36903486
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052240 -
Chembiochem : a European Journal of... Mar 2024We report the first biocatalytic modification of sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) found in the chicory plants, specifically lactucin (Lc), 11β,13-dihydrolactucin (DHLc),...
We report the first biocatalytic modification of sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) found in the chicory plants, specifically lactucin (Lc), 11β,13-dihydrolactucin (DHLc), lactucopicrin (Lp), and 11β,13-dihydrolactucopicrin (DHLp). The selective O-acylation of their primary alcohol group was carried out by the lipase B from Candida antarctica (CAL-B) using various aliphatic vinyl esters as acyl donors. Perillyl alcohol, a simpler monoterpenoid, served as a model to set up the desired O-acetylation reaction by comparing the use of acetic acid and vinyl acetate as acyl donors. Similar conditions were then applied to DHLc, where five novel ester chains were selectively introduced onto the primary alcohol group, with conversions going from >99 % (acetate and propionate) to 69 % (octanoate). The synthesis of the corresponding O-acetyl esters of Lc, Lp, and DHLp was also successfully achieved with near-quantitative conversion. Molecular docking simulations were then performed to elucidate the preferred enzyme-substrate binding modes in the acylation reactions with STLs, as well as to understand their interactions with crucial amino acid residues at the active site. Our methodology enables the selective O-acylation of the primary alcohol group in four different STLs, offering possibilities for synthesizing novel derivatives with significant potential applications in pharmaceuticals or as biocontrol agents.
Topics: Esters; Cichorium intybus; Molecular Docking Simulation; Acylation; Lactones; Sesquiterpenes
PubMed: 38235523
DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300722 -
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2023(1) Background: This study aimed to outline the antioxidant, antitumoral, and cytotoxic proprieties of various types of extracts obtained from the leaves of the...
(1) Background: This study aimed to outline the antioxidant, antitumoral, and cytotoxic proprieties of various types of extracts obtained from the leaves of the species. (2) Methods: We determined total polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins contents, as well as the in vitro antioxidant, antitumoral, and cytotoxic actions in three types of ethanolic extracts (E1, E2, E3) and in three types of acetone: ethanol extracts (A1, A2, A3) of according to standardized procedures. (3) Results: We found that ethanolic extracts had the highest total phenol and anthocyanins concentrations. The flavonoids concentration was not statistically different between the extracts. The iron chelating capacity, hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity, superoxide anion radical scavenging capacity, and lipoxygenase inhibition capacity showed a significant increase with higher concentrations of extracts, particularly the ethanolic extracts. Perillyl alcohol had greater cytotoxic capacity in the MG-63 cell line and E1 extract showed similar significant cytotoxic effects in the A431 cell line. (4) Conclusions: Both ethanolic and acetone-ethanol extracts from exhibited important antioxidant and antitumoral actions in vitro, which proportionally increased with concentration. The cytotoxic threshold determined in this study for various types of extracts could help determine the best dosage with the maximum antioxidant and antitumoral potential. Our results could serve as a basis for further studies that will investigate the cytotoxic effects of variants on various types of cancer cell lines.
PubMed: 38247482
DOI: 10.3390/antiox13010058 -
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering May 2024Photocurable liquid formulations have been a key research focus for the preparation of mechanically robust and thermally stable networks. However, the development of...
Photocurable liquid formulations have been a key research focus for the preparation of mechanically robust and thermally stable networks. However, the development of renewable resins to replace petroleum-based commodities presents a great challenge in the field. From this perspective, we disclose the design of photoactive resins based on terpenes and itaconic acid, both potentially naturally sourced, to prepare photosets with adjustable thermomechanical properties. Biobased perillyl itaconate (PerIt) was synthesized from renewable perillyl alcohol and itaconic anhydride via a scalable solvent-free method. Photoirradiation of PerIt in the presence of a multiarm thiol and photoinitiator led to the formation of networks over a range of compositions. Addition of nonmodified terpenes (perillyl alcohol, linalool, or limonene) as reactive diluents allowed for more facile preparation of photocured networks. Photosets within a wide range of properties were accessed, and these could be adjusted by varying diluent type and thiol stoichiometry. The resins showed rapid photocuring kinetics and the ability to form either brittle or elastic materials, with Young's modulus and strain at break ranging from 3.6 to 358 MPa and 15 to 367%, respectively, depending on the chemical composition of the resin. Glass transition temperatures () were influenced by thioether content, with temperatures ranging from 5 to 43 °C, and all photosets displayed good thermal resistance with > 190 °C. Selected formulations containing PerIt and limonene demonstrated suitability for additive manufacturing technologies and high-resolution objects were printed via digital light processing (DLP). Overall, this work presents a simple and straightforward route to prepare renewable resins for rapid prototyping applications.
PubMed: 38725455
DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c08191 -
Current Pharmaceutical Design Nov 2022Naturally occurring bioactive compounds have a plethora of biological effects.
BACKGROUND
Naturally occurring bioactive compounds have a plethora of biological effects.
OBJECTIVE
In this study, we examined a pharmacological screening of natural products on the human umbilical artery (HUA).
METHODS
HUA preparations were used to follow contractions by KCl (60 mM) and tested at different concentrations (1-5000 μg/mL and μM) of the Lippia alba (EOLa) and Lippia origanoides (EOLo) essential oils, terpenes (citral, limonene perilic alcohol) and phenylpropanoids (eugenol, methyl eugenol). Discussion/Results: The reduction corresponded to approximately 100%, except for limonene (80±1.2 %). When evaluating the concentration of the natural product that promotes 50 % relaxation of the HUA contracted by KCL, EC50 values were: 424.3 μg/mL (EOLa); 468.7±6.7 μg/mL (EOLo); 264.2 ± 8.2 μM (citral); 677.8±5.4 μM (limonene); 186.3±6.4 μM (peryl alcohol); 986.4±7.9 μM (eugenol); and 279.1±4.4 μM (methyl-eugenol). Perillyl alcohol had a lower EC50 (consequently it has a higher pharmacological potency).
CONCLUSION
The plant extracts have a promising vasorelaxing effect in HUAs, paving the way for future investigations: as applications in diseases related to these vessels, such as preeclampsia.
PubMed: 36424792
DOI: 10.2174/1381612829666221124101321 -
Communications Biology Oct 2021Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of severe respiratory tract infections in children. To uncover new antiviral therapies, we developed a live...
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of severe respiratory tract infections in children. To uncover new antiviral therapies, we developed a live cell-based high content screening approach for rapid identification of RSV inhibitors and characterized five drug classes which inhibit the virus. Among the molecular targets for each hit, there was a strong functional enrichment in lipid metabolic pathways. Modulation of lipid metabolites by statins, a key hit from our screen, decreases the production of infectious virus through a combination of cholesterol and isoprenoid-mediated effects. Notably, RSV infection globally upregulates host protein prenylation, including the prenylation of Rho GTPases. Treatment by statins or perillyl alcohol, a geranylgeranyltransferase inhibitor, reduces infection in vitro. Of the Rho GTPases assayed in our study, a loss in Rac1 activity strongly inhibits the virus through a decrease in F protein surface expression. Our findings provide new insight into the importance of host lipid metabolism to RSV infection and highlight geranylgeranyltransferases as an antiviral target for therapeutic development.
Topics: Antiviral Agents; Drug Discovery; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Virus Replication
PubMed: 34716403
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02754-2