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International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2022Flavonoids are a category of plant-derived compounds which exhibit a large number of health-related effects. One of the most well-known and studied flavonoids is... (Review)
Review
Flavonoids are a category of plant-derived compounds which exhibit a large number of health-related effects. One of the most well-known and studied flavonoids is kaempferol, which can be found in a wide variety of herbs and plant families. Apart from their anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects, kaempferol and its associated compounds also exhibit antibacterial, antifungal, and antiprotozoal activities. The development of drugs and treatment schemes based on these compounds is becoming increasingly important in the face of emerging resistance of numerous pathogens as well as complex molecular interactions between various drug therapies. In addition, many of the kaempferol-containing plants are used in traditional systems all over the world for centuries to treat numerous conditions. Due to its variety of sources and associated compounds, some molecular mechanisms of kaempferol antimicrobial activity are well known while others are still under analysis. This paper thoroughly documents the vegetal and food sources of kaempferol as well as the most recent and significant studies regarding its antimicrobial applications.
Topics: Kaempferols; Anti-Infective Agents; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antiprotozoal Agents; Flavonoids
PubMed: 36499380
DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315054 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2022Antibiotic resistance constitutes a global threat and could lead to a future pandemic. One strategy is to develop a new generation of antimicrobials. Naturally occurring...
Antibiotic resistance constitutes a global threat and could lead to a future pandemic. One strategy is to develop a new generation of antimicrobials. Naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are recognized templates and some are already in clinical use. To accelerate the discovery of new antibiotics, it is useful to predict novel AMPs from the sequenced genomes of various organisms. The antimicrobial peptide database (APD) provided the first empirical peptide prediction program. It also facilitated the testing of the first machine-learning algorithms. This chapter provides an overview of machine-learning predictions of AMPs. Most of the predictors, such as AntiBP, CAMP, and iAMPpred, involve a single-label prediction of antimicrobial activity. This type of prediction has been expanded to antifungal, antiviral, antibiofilm, anti-TB, hemolytic, and anti-inflammatory peptides. The multiple functional roles of AMPs annotated in the APD also enabled multi-label predictions (iAMP-2L, MLAMP, and AMAP), which include antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, antibiofilm, anticancer, anti-HIV, antimalarial, insecticidal, antioxidant, chemotactic, spermicidal activities, and protease inhibiting activities. Also considered in predictions are peptide posttranslational modification, 3D structure, and microbial species-specific information. We compare important amino acids of AMPs implied from machine learning with the frequently occurring residues of the major classes of natural peptides. Finally, we discuss advances, limitations, and future directions of machine-learning predictions of antimicrobial peptides. Ultimately, we may assemble a pipeline of such predictions beyond antimicrobial activity to accelerate the discovery of novel AMP-based antimicrobials.
Topics: Amino Acids; Anti-Infective Agents; Antimicrobial Peptides; Machine Learning; Peptides
PubMed: 35298806
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1855-4_1 -
MicrobiologyOpen Nov 2019Infectious diseases still stand as a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and this problem can be worsened with the current antimicrobial resistance crisis. To tackle...
Infectious diseases still stand as a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and this problem can be worsened with the current antimicrobial resistance crisis. To tackle this crisis more studies analyzing the causes, routes, and reservoirs where antimicrobial resistance can emerge and expand, together with new antimicrobials and strategies for fighting antimicrobial resistance are needed. In the current special issue of MicrobiologyOpen, a set of articles dealing with the multiple faces of antimicrobial resistance are presented. These articles provide new information for understanding and addressing this problem.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Communicable Diseases; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Health Policy; Humans
PubMed: 31724836
DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.945 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2019Chia ( L.) is a small seed that comes from an annual herbaceous plant, L. In recent years, usage of Chia seeds has tremendously grown due to their high nutritional and... (Review)
Review
Chia ( L.) is a small seed that comes from an annual herbaceous plant, L. In recent years, usage of Chia seeds has tremendously grown due to their high nutritional and medicinal values. Chia was cultivated by Mesopotamian cultures, but then disappeared for centuries until the middle of the 20th century, when it was rediscovered. Chia seeds contain healthy ω-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, proteins, vitamins, and some minerals. Besides this, the seeds are an excellent source of polyphenols and antioxidants, such as caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, myricetin, quercetin, and others. Today, chia has been analyzed in different areas of research. Researches around the world have been investigating the benefits of chia seeds in the medicinal, pharmaceutical, and food industry. Chia oil is today one of the most valuable oils on the market. Different extraction methods have been used to produce the oil. In the present study, an extensive overview of the chemical composition, nutritional properties, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, along with extraction methods used to produce chia oil, will be discussed.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Antioxidants; Molecular Structure; Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts; Salvia; Seeds
PubMed: 31861466
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25010011 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2022A series of the eight novel organoantimony(V) cyanoximates of Sb(CH)L composition was synthesized using the high-yield heterogeneous metathesis reaction between solid...
A series of the eight novel organoantimony(V) cyanoximates of Sb(CH)L composition was synthesized using the high-yield heterogeneous metathesis reaction between solid AgL (or TlL) and Sb(CH)Br in CHCN at room temperature. Cyanoximes L were specially selected from a large group of 48 known compounds of this subclass of oximes on the basis of their water solubility and history of prior biological activity. The synthesized compounds are well soluble in organic solvents and were studied using a variety of conventional spectroscopic and physical methods. The crystal structures of all reported organometallic compounds were determined and revealed the formation of the distorted trigonal bipyramidal environment of the Sb atom and monodentate axial binding of acido-ligands via the O atom of the oxime group. The compounds are thermally stable in the solid state and in solution molecular compounds. For the first time, this specially designed series of organoantimony(V) compounds is investigated as potential non-antibiotic antimicrobial agents against three bacterial and two fungal human pathogens known for their increasing antimicrobial resistance. Bacterial pathogens included Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. Fungal pathogens included Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans. The cyanoximates alone showed no antimicrobial impact, and the incorporation of the SbPh group enabled the antimicrobial effect. Overall, the new antimony compounds showed a strong potential as both broad- and narrow-spectrum antimicrobials against selected bacterial and fundal pathogens and provide insights for further synthetic modifications of the compounds to increase their activities.
Topics: Humans; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antimony; Anti-Infective Agents; Staphylococcus aureus; Candida albicans; Bacteria; Oximes; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Antifungal Agents
PubMed: 36363997
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27217171 -
Current Biology : CB Jan 2020Vitamin B is the only known essential human micronutrient made exclusively by prokaryotes. Kennedy and Taga introduce us to the world of cobamides-those...
Vitamin B is the only known essential human micronutrient made exclusively by prokaryotes. Kennedy and Taga introduce us to the world of cobamides-those cobalt-containing compounds, like B, that appear to be the proprietary domain of our microbial partners.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Cobamides; Humans; Vitamin B Complex
PubMed: 31962073
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.11.049 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2022Healthcare-associated infections (HAI), or nosocomial infections, are a global health and economic problem in developed and developing countries, particularly for... (Review)
Review
Healthcare-associated infections (HAI), or nosocomial infections, are a global health and economic problem in developed and developing countries, particularly for immunocompromised patients in their intensive care units (ICUs) and surgical site hospital areas. Recurrent pathogens in HAIs prevail over antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and . For this reason, natural antibacterial mechanisms are a viable alternative for HAI treatment. Natural fibers can inhibit bacterial growth, which can be considered a great advantage in these applications. Moreover, these fibers have been reported to be biocompatible and biodegradable, essential features for biomedical materials to avoid complications due to infections and significant immune responses. Consequently, tissue engineering, medical textiles, orthopedics, and dental implants, as well as cosmetics, are fields currently expanding the use of plant fibers. In this review, we will discuss the source of natural fibers with antimicrobial properties, antimicrobial mechanisms, and their biomedical applications.
Topics: Humans; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Cross Infection; Intensive Care Units
PubMed: 36432099
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27227999 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jul 2022The aim of this Special Edition is to highlight the exponential work performed in the field of antimicrobial material research from the beginning of the current COVID-19...
The aim of this Special Edition is to highlight the exponential work performed in the field of antimicrobial material research from the beginning of the current COVID-19 pandemic [...].
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Humans; Pandemics; COVID-19 Drug Treatment
PubMed: 35887389
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23148047 -
European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Dec 2020The discovery of novel synthetic compounds with drug-like properties is an ongoing challenge in medicinal chemistry. Natural products have inspired the synthesis of... (Review)
Review
The discovery of novel synthetic compounds with drug-like properties is an ongoing challenge in medicinal chemistry. Natural products have inspired the synthesis of compounds for pharmaceutical application, most of which are based on N-heterocyclic motifs. Among these, the pyrrole ring is one of the most explored heterocycles in drug discovery programs for several therapeutic areas, confirmed by the high number of pyrrole-based drugs reaching the market. In the present review, we focused on pyrrole and its hetero-fused derivatives with anticancer, antimicrobial, and antiviral activities, reported in the literature between 2015 and 2019, for which a specific target was identified, being responsible for their biological activity. It emerges that the powerful pharmaceutical and pharmacological features provided by the pyrrole nucleus as pharmacophore unit of many drugs are still recognized by medicinal chemists.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Antineoplastic Agents; Antiviral Agents; Drug Design; Humans; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Pyrroles
PubMed: 32916311
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112783 -
Cells Nov 2023Phototherapy, encompassing the utilization of both natural and artificial light, has emerged as a dependable and non-invasive strategy for addressing a diverse range of... (Review)
Review
Phototherapy, encompassing the utilization of both natural and artificial light, has emerged as a dependable and non-invasive strategy for addressing a diverse range of illnesses, diseases, and infections. This therapeutic approach, primarily known for its efficacy in treating skin infections, such as herpes and acne lesions, involves the synergistic use of specific light wavelengths and photosensitizers, like methylene blue. Photodynamic therapy, as it is termed, relies on the generation of antimicrobial reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the interaction between light and externally applied photosensitizers. Recent research, however, has highlighted the intrinsic antimicrobial properties of light itself, marking a paradigm shift in focus from exogenous agents to the inherent photosensitivity of molecules found naturally within pathogens. Chemical analyses have identified specific organic molecular structures and systems, including protoporphyrins and conjugated C=C bonds, as pivotal components in molecular photosensitivity. Given the prevalence of these systems in organic life forms, there is an urgent need to investigate the potential impact of phototherapy on individual molecules expressed within pathogens and discern their contributions to the antimicrobial effects of light. This review delves into the recently unveiled key molecular targets of phototherapy, offering insights into their potential downstream implications and therapeutic applications. By shedding light on these fundamental molecular mechanisms, we aim to advance our understanding of phototherapy's broader therapeutic potential and contribute to the development of innovative treatments for a wide array of microbial infections and diseases.
Topics: Humans; Photosensitizing Agents; Phototherapy; Photochemotherapy; Anti-Infective Agents; Acne Vulgaris
PubMed: 37998399
DOI: 10.3390/cells12222664