Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Wiem Elloumi, Asma Mahmoudi, Sergio Ortiz, Sabrina Boutefnouchet, Mohamed Chamkha, Sami Sayadi
Summary: The study demonstrated that Pistacia lentiscus distilled leaves extract and its two isolated glycosylated flavonoids have the potential to accelerate wound healing, reduce inflammation, and enhance collagen biosynthesis in wound tissues.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Gabriela Belen Martinez-Hernandez, Enrique Jimenez-Ferrer, Ruben Roman-Ramos, Alejandro Zamilpa, Manases Gonzalez-Cortazar, Ismael Leon-Rivera, Gabriela Vargas-Villa, Maribel Herrera-Ruiz
Summary: The study focuses on the evaluation of the antidepressant effect of the mixture of two flavonoids from Tilia americana, finding that FMix has antidepressant activity, possibly due to the interaction with metabolites of quercetin. Combining FMix with various serotonergic drugs enhances the antidepressant effect.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Jue Cui, Wenyi Zong, Nannan Zhao, Rui Yuan
Summary: This study explored the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities and mechanism of burdock leaf flavonoids (BLF) on LPS-stimulated inflammation in macrophages. BLF and its main effective components, morin and quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside, were found to inhibit inflammatory activation by reducing the levels of inflammatory mediators and restoring antioxidant enzyme activity. Furthermore, BLF and its components suppressed inflammation by reducing protein expression, cellular ROS, and blocking the NE-kappa B signaling pathway in macrophages.
FOOD SCIENCE & NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Anja Sadzak, Mihael Erakovic, Suzana Segota
Summary: Flavonoids, natural antioxidants, have potential in photodynamic cancer treatment but degrade at physiological pH. Studying their oxidation kinetics helps understand degradation and analyze release data. Incorporating flavonoids into magnetic nanocarriers can mitigate degradation and enhance solubility, with release controlled by magnetic fields. A new analytical approach combining ALS and multilinear regression is presented for considering flavonoid autoxidation in release studies.
MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xin Li, Weili Jin, Wenkai Zhang, Guodong Zheng
Summary: The phenolic components of Smilax china L., including quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside (QORh) and chlorogenic acid (CGA), showed inhibitory activity against xanthine oxidase (XO) by binding to the enzyme and causing structural changes. These findings provide a basis for the potential use of these phenolic components in improving the treatment of gout.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Marija Ivanov, Abhilash Kannan, Dejan S. Stojkovic, Jasmina Glamoclija, Ricardo C. Calhelha, Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira, Dominique Sanglard, Marina Sokovic
Summary: This study focused on flavonoids, including luteolin, quercitrin, etc., and their impact on fungal infections and antifungal mechanisms, finding that some substances such as isoquercitrin have the ability to inhibit fungal growth and affect the expression of genes related to fungal drug resistance.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Yamile Heredia Diaz, Emmy Tuenter, Jesus Garcia-Diaz, Ania Ochoa Pacheco, Paul Cos, Luc Pieters, Julio Cesar Escalona Arranz
Summary: This study identified three flavonoids from the Cuban endemic tree Zanthoxylum pistaciifolium, with compound 1 showing moderate activity against certain parasites but also cytotoxicity, while compounds 2 and 3 did not demonstrate any activity.
NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lixin Liu, Moqi Liu, Yunan Zhang, Hemei Yin, Xin Su, Qiang Zhang, Yanru Feng, Yingxue Guo, Dongyu Zou, Yingli Liu
Summary: This study explores the role of hydroxyl in the synthesis of pharmaceutical cocrystals and the impact on physicochemical properties of flavonoids by combining dihydroflavonols with 4,4'-bipyridine. Two new pharmaceutical cocrystals were synthesized and characterized, showing different structures and solubilities due to the intermolecular hydrogen bonds formed by hydroxyl groups. The study indicates that hydroxyl groups play a crucial role in the self-assembly process of flavonoid pharmaceutical cocrystals, affecting the properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Da Jung Lim, Jeong-Sup Song, Byoung-Hee Lee, Youn Kyoung Son, Yangseon Kim
Summary: Plants in the genus Juniperus produce a variety of chemical components, and this study aimed to analyze the major bioactive components in an ethanolic crude extract from the leaves of Juniperus chinensis L., which grows naturally in Korea. The results showed the presence of flavonoid and lignan-based components as the major bioactive components, and quercetin-3-O-a-l-rhamnoside and amentoflavone were found to be the dominant compounds. The crude extract also exhibited potential antibacterial activity against 10 pathogenic bacteria, with the highest activity observed against Bordetella pertussis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shilpi Singh, Akhilesh Kumar Maurya, Abha Meena, Nidhi Mishra, Suaib Luqman
Summary: Myricetin 3-rhamnoside exhibits antiproliferative activity and regulates poor prognostic markers in breast cancer cell lines. The findings suggest that Myricetin 3-rhamnoside could serve as a pharmacophore for designing and synthesizing novel agents to manage hormone-independent breast cancer.
JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR STRUCTURE & DYNAMICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xie Xing, Chen Chun, Huang Qiang, Fu Xiong, Liu Rui-Hai
Summary: This study found that quercetin-3-O-glucuronide (Q3GA) exhibited significant inhibition of alpha-glucosidase and glycation, with a mechanism demonstrated through molecular docking experiments and determination of IC50 values, indicating the potential of Q3GA as a drug for treating type 2 diabetes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wiem Elloumi, Amina Maalej, Sergio Ortiz, Sylvie Michel, Mohamed Chamkha, Sabrina Boutefnouchet, Sami Sayadi
Summary: This study investigated the phenolic composition of P. lentiscus L. distilled leaves and its potential against key enzymes related to skin aging. The results showed that the ethyl acetate extract of PDL contained a high amount of flavonol glycoside. Transdermal diffusion study indicated that myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside had the highest transmission rate through the skin membrane barrier. The extract, along with myricetin-3-O-rhamnoside and quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside, demonstrated significant inhibitory activities against tyrosinase and elastase enzymes, without being cytotoxic. Overall, these findings suggest that they could be effective agents for treating skin pigmentation and elasticity problems.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Vanessa Pittol, Kleyton Santos Veras, Eduarda Doneda, Ariane Dorneles Silva, Maria Gabriele Delagustin, Leticia Scherer Koester, Valquiria Linck Bassani
Summary: This study investigated the multicomplexation of flavonoids with cyclodextrin and confirmed the formation of complexes with a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio. The research also found that the complex exhibited lower antioxidant capacity compared to the non-complexed flavonoids, and the flavonoid ratio in the complex was different from the original fraction. These findings are valuable for the development of cyclodextrin-based herbal products.
PHARMACEUTICAL DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daniel Munoz-Reyes, Alfredo G. Casanova, Ana Maria Gonzalez-Paramas, Angel Martin, Celestino Santos-Buelga, Ana I. Morales, Francisco J. Lopez-Hernandez, Marta Prieto
Summary: Quercetin, a potential therapeutic substance, has shown protective effects against cisplatin nephrotoxicity in rats. However, its low bioavailability limits its clinical utility. A newly-developed P-quercetin formulation with enhanced solubility and bioavailability also showed no nephroprotection when administered orally. Further investigation revealed that the metabolite of quercetin may be responsible for the nephroprotective effects, and quercetin-3-O-glucuronide was the only metabolite partially preventing the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin in cultured tubule cells.
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Seyedeh Roya Alizadeh, Mohammad Ali Ebrahimzadeh
Summary: Quercetin, a valuable natural flavonoid, exhibits various biological activities, but its low solubility and poor bioavailability limit its applications. Researchers have designed and synthesized new quercetin derivatives to improve its biological activities. This review focused on categorizing and studying the biological activities, structure-activity relationship, and action mechanism of O-glycoside quercetin derivatives.
PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Kim Moesgaard Iburg, Periklis Charalampous, Peter Allebeck, Elsa Jonsson Stenberg, Ronan O'Caoimh, Lorenzo Monasta, Jose L. Penalvo, David M. Pereira, Grant M. A. Wyper, Vikram Niranjan, Brecht Devleesschauwer, Juanita Haagsma
Summary: This study examines the development of disease burden among older adults in Europe over the last 30 years. The results indicate an overall increase in disease burden among older Europeans, especially in Western Europe. Eastern Europe experienced a decrease in DALYs between 2006 and 2013. There are significant differences in DALY rates among regions and genders, with cardiovascular diseases being the major contributor to changes in YLL rates.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Joao Azevedo, Ricardo Araujo, Joana Campos, Carla Campos, Ana Filipa Ferreira, Ines Falcao-Pires, Carla Ramalho, Egija Zaura, Eugenia Pinto, Benedita Sampaio-Maia
Summary: Yeast transmission from mother to child is an important mechanism in early life, especially through breastfeeding which may transmit antifungal resistant strains. This study isolated and cultured yeast strains from breastmilk, oral, and fecal samples of 73 mother-child pairs, and found 129 isolates from 53% of the pairs, including one antifungal resistant strain transmitted from breastmilk to the child. Most isolates were susceptible to antifungal drugs, but a few resistant strains were also identified.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Tania F. L. Vicente, Carina Felix, Rafael Felix, Patricia Valentao, Marco F. L. Lemos
Summary: Plant bacterial pathogens can have devastating effects on global fruit and vegetable crops, causing economic losses and reducing food availability. Synthetic bactericides are commonly used but have drawbacks such as high cost and environmental risks. This study focuses on the use of seaweed extracts/compounds as eco-friendly alternatives to control bacterial phytopathogens, particularly highlighting the protective properties of brown algae extracts against microbial attacks.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lucia Bada, Renato B. Pereira, David M. Pereira, Marta Lores, Maria Celeiro, Elias Quezada, Eugenio Uriarte, Jose Gil-Longo, Dolores Vina
Summary: The genus Ulex consists of thirteen accepted species of perennial shrubs in the Fabaceae family. In Galicia, Spain, many of these species are considered spontaneous colonizers that are easy to establish and maintain. Among them, Ulex gallii Planch. is used in traditional medicine for its anti-infective, hypotensive, and diuretic properties. Limited scientific studies have been conducted on Ulex gallii Planch., and its composition has not been reported. In this study, different metabolites, mainly flavonoids, were tentatively identified in the sub-fractions of Ulex gallii Planch., which exhibited antiproliferative activity against lung and stomach cancer cell lines.
Article
Oncology
Daniela Correia da Silva, Patricia Valentao, David M. Pereira
Summary: Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, and finding effective treatments is urgent. This study aimed to identify selective cytotoxic natural products that target the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of cancer cells. The ER plays a key role in cellular protein synthesis and folding. ER stress is a known vulnerability of cancer cells due to their abnormal protein synthesis rates. Several natural products were found to induce selective cytotoxicity in cancer cells by acting on the ER. Berberine was the most promising molecule, disrupting Ca2+ homeostasis and activating the unfolded protein response (UPR) and ER-resident caspase-4 in cancer cells. These findings suggest that berberine and emodin have potential for the development of new cancer treatments.
Article
Microbiology
Alexandra Noites, Iara Borges, Bruno Araujo, Joaquim C. G. Esteves da Silva, Natalia M. de Oliveira, Jorge Machado, Eugenia Pinto
Summary: This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of different parts and essential oils (EOs) of Chinese goldthread (Coptis chinensis), neem (Azadirachta indica), and manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) against prevalent microorganisms responsible for superficial infections. The results showed that C. chinensis EO and manuka EO exhibited some antifungal activity and had an effect against Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus aureus. Neem EO showed activity against dermatophytes and P. acnes. Manuka EO demonstrated the broadest antimicrobial spectrum, showing activity against bacteria, yeasts, and dermatophytes, with greater activity against P. acnes and S. aureus.
Article
Biology
Vera Ribeiro, Federico Ferreres, Andreia Oliveira, Nelson G. M. Gomes, Angel Gil-Izquierdo, Luisa Araujo, David Pereira, Patricia Valentao
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms and bioactives involved in the cytotoxicity of Allophylus africanus stem bark extract in human stomach cancer cells. The extract exhibited selective cytotoxicity against AGS cells and induced apoptosis. It was found that the cytotoxic effects were attributed to the presence of vicenin-2 and other apigenin derivatives. These findings suggest the potential of A. africanus stem bark as an anticancer agent against gastric adenocarcinoma and highlight the importance of exploring herbal-based products and apigenin derivatives in chemotherapy drug development.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Raquel Martins, Fatima Fernandes, Patricia Valentao
Summary: This study reveals the phenolic profile of the aqueous extract of Solanum betaceum leaves for the first time, and demonstrates its potential as an antidiabetic agent and antioxidant.
Article
Polymer Science
Ana Isabel Ribeiro, Barbara Vieira, Catia Alves, Barbara Silva, Eugenia Pinto, Fatima Cerqueira, Renata Silva, Fernando Remiao, Vasyl Shvalya, Uros Cvelbar, Jorge Padrao, Alice Maria Dias, Andrea Zille
Summary: This article mainly introduces a new type of halochromic textile that can change color with variations in acidity and alkalinity. The properties and potential applications of this halochromic textile are detailed in the article, which shows promising prospects in various fields such as biomedicine, packaging, filtration, agriculture, protective apparel, sports, camouflage, architecture, and design.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ana Isabel Ribeiro, Barbara Vieira, Daniela Dantas, Barbara Silva, Eugenia Pinto, Fatima Cerqueira, Renata Silva, Fernando Remiao, Jorge Padrao, Alice Maria Dias, Andrea Zille
Summary: In this study, azoimidazole compounds with potent antifungal activity were conjugated with silver nanoparticles, resulting in synergistic antimicrobial activity. The conjugates exhibited improved antimicrobial activity against microorganisms, particularly bacteria, with concentrations below their individual MIC. Additionally, some combinations were found to be non-cytotoxic towards human cells.
Review
Infectious Diseases
Adriana Silva, Vanessa Silva, Jose Eduardo Pereira, Luis Maltez, Gilberto Igrejas, Patricia Valentao, Virgilio Falco, Patricia Poeta
Summary: Escherichia coli (E. coli) is an important pathogenic bacteria commonly found in livestock, serving as a carrier of drug-resistant genes between humans, animals, and the environment. The use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals, especially in the food chain, is a significant contributor to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) development and spread. This review focuses on the clonal lineages and resistance profiles of E. coli, including extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) producing E. coli, in various food-producing animals such as pigs, poultry, cattle, fish farming, and rabbits. The presence of ESBL-producing E. coli was found to be prevalent among farm animals, with high resistance rates to tetracycline and ampicillin observed in farms worldwide. There is an urgent need for a better understanding of the epidemiology of E. coli and ESBL-producing E. coli in livestock, as animal production plays a major role in the global antibiotic resistance problem, necessitating a One Health approach.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Rute Moreira, Federico Ferreres, Angel Gil-Izquierdo, Nelson G. M. Gomes, Luisa Araujo, Eugenia Pinto, Paula B. Andrade, Romeu A. Videira
Summary: Although the crude methanol extract (CME) and the methanol fraction (MF) of Guiera senegalensis leaves exhibited poor antifungal activity, the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) demonstrated strong antifungal activity against various fungi, as well as potent effectiveness against certain yeasts.
Article
Biology
El Hadi Erbiai, Benoutman Amina, Abbassi Kaoutar, Rabah Saidi, Zouhaire Lamrani, Eugenia Pinto, Joaquim C. G. Esteves da Silva, Abdelfettah Maouni, Luis Pinto da Silva
Summary: This study investigated the chemical characterization and antimicrobial properties of Ganoderma lucidum. The results showed that the methanolic extract of G. lucidum contained abundant phenolic and flavonoid compounds, exhibiting strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. These findings highlight the nutritional and medicinal significance of G. lucidum.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Hajar Ettakifi, Kaoutar Abbassi, Safae Maouni, El Hadi Erbiai, Abderrahmane Rahmouni, Mounir Legssyer, Rabah Saidi, Zouhaire Lamrani, Joaquim C. G. Esteves da Silva, Eugenia Pinto, Abdelfettah Maouni
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition of the essential oil and crude extracts of Tanacetum annuum and evaluate their antioxidant and antifungal activities. The results showed that Tanacetum annuum contained important phenolic compounds and demonstrated strong antioxidant and antifungal abilities.