Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Joana Alves, Helena Gaspar, Joana Silva, Celso Alves, Alice Martins, Fernando Teodoro, Patricia Susano, Susete Pinteus, Rui Pedrosa
Summary: This study evaluated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of the marine sponge Cliona celata, finding that its extracts and fractions demonstrated high anti-inflammatory activity in a cellular inflammatory model, highlighting its potential for further therapeutic applications.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Enas Reda Abdelaleem, Mamdouh Nabil Samy, Taha F. S. Ali, Muhamad Mustafa, Mahmoud A. A. Ibrahim, Gerhard Bringmann, Safwat A. Ahmed, Usama Ramadan Abdelmohsen, Samar Yehia Desoukey
Summary: This study investigated the activity of the marine sponge Spongia irregularis and its fractions against HCV. The ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest anti-HCV activity and several compounds were identified. Molecular docking calculations and molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated the strong binding affinity and stability of compound 14 with HCV targets.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xuelian Bai, Yang Liu, Hao Wang, Huawei Zhang
Summary: Reniera sponges, as an important subgenus of Haliclona, have been chemically investigated for over four decades and are mainly distributed in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic area. This review provides a comprehensive summary of all natural products from Reniera sponges and their endozoic microbes, as well as their biological properties, and suggests perspectives on strengthening the chemical study of Reniera sponges for new drug-lead discovery.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kylie Hesp, Jans M. E. van der Heijden, Stephanie Munroe, Detmer Sipkema, Dirk E. E. Martens, Rene H. H. Wijffels, Shirley A. A. Pomponi
Summary: In this study, the first continuous marine sponge cell line derived from G. barretti was established. It was found that G. barretti cells cultured in OpM1 medium grew more rapidly and to a higher density than in M1 medium. This breakthrough overcomes a major obstacle in the production of biopharmaceuticals with sponge cells at industrial scale for decades.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Philipp Moosmann, Tohru Taniguchi, Kazuo Furihata, Hiroaki Utsumi, Yuji Ise, Yasuhiro Morii, Nobuhiro Yamawaki, Tomohiro Takatani, Osamu Arakawa, Shigeru Okada, Shigeki Matsunaga
Summary: Myrindole A, a bis-indole alkaloid isolated from a deep-sea sponge, had a complex structure that was ultimately determined through a combination of experiments and spectral comparison. It showed antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Laurence Marcourt, Georges Massiot
Summary: Hemicalide is a marine natural product with unique cytotoxicity, isolated from a sponge in Vanuatu, and its planar structure has been determined by 2D-NMR experiments. The molecule belongs to the polyketide class and has unusual hydroxylated six-membered ring lactones.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shalice R. Susana, Lilibeth A. Salvador-Reyes
Summary: Chronic inflammation is a contributor to various chronic diseases. In this study, anti-inflammatory compounds were discovered from marine sponges. These compounds reduced nitric oxide production in stimulated macrophage cells and activated Nrf2, leading to the attenuation of inflammatory mediators. These findings may contribute to the development of new treatments for inflammatory diseases.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Marta Carnovali, Maria Letizia Ciavatta, Ernesto Mollo, Vassilios Roussis, Giuseppe Banfi, Marianna Carbone, Massimo Mariotti
Summary: With longer life expectancy, there has been an increased focus on discovering new healing agents for age-related disorders, including bone diseases. Marine organisms, known for their diverse bioactive metabolites, are being recognized as potential sources for therapeutic options. Additionally, the zebrafish model has proven to be an efficient and cost-effective platform for screening molecules that regulate bone development. In this study, the effects of the crude acetonic extract from the marine sponge Aplysina aerophoba and its bromotyrosine components on bone development were evaluated using zebrafish larvae. The results led to the identification of aerophobin-1 as a promising candidate for regenerative medicine and a potential novel therapeutic option for osteoporosis treatment.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tam M. T. Tran, Russell S. Addison, Rohan A. Davis, Bernd H. A. Rehm
Summary: The sponge-derived natural products ianthelliformisamines A-C can work synergistically with ciprofloxacin to reduce the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Ianthelliformisamine C exhibits bactericidal effects on both free-living and biofilm populations of various strains, including the clinically relevant mucoid variant.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Despoina Konstantinou, Rafael Popin, David P. Fewer, Kaarina Sivonen, Spyros Gkelis
Summary: Sponges form symbiotic relationships with diverse and abundant microbial communities, with cyanobacteria playing important roles. Genomic analysis of the cyanobacterial genus Leptothoe revealed sponge-associated strains showing features of symbiotic lifestyle despite genome reduction, harboring biosynthetic gene clusters for novel natural products. Comparisons with chemically rich cyanobacteria suggest Leptothoe as a promising candidate for biosynthesis of novel natural products in marine environments.
Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Chen Bo-Ru, Gao Cheng-Long, Liu Jin, Guo Yue-Wei, Jiang Jian-Lan, Pang Tao, Li Xu-Wen
Summary: Diversity-oriented synthesis was used to design and synthesize a series of indole-containing marine natural product derivatives for evaluation of their anti-inflammatory activity. One of the newly synthesized derivatives showed promising activity by inhibiting cytokine release, suggesting the potential of marine indole alkaloids as leads for anti-inflammatory drug discovery.
CHINESE JOURNAL OF NATURAL MEDICINES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Bo-Rong Peng, Kuei-Hung Lai, Gene-Hsiang Lee, Steve Sheng-Fa Yu, Chang-Yih Duh, Jui-Hsin Su, Li-Guo Zheng, Tsong-Long Hwang, Ping-Jyun Sung
Summary: In this study, the metabolomic profile of marine sponge Lendenfeldia sp. was constructed for the first time, revealing the rich chemical diversity of scalaranes. Further research led to the discovery of new homoscalaranes with potential anti-inflammatory activities.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Peishan Li, Hongmei Lu, Yanzhu Zhang, Xuejiao Zhang, Lianliang Liu, Min Wang, Liwei Liu
Summary: This paper systematically discusses 140 compounds produced by sponge-associated microorganisms from 2017 to 2022 in terms of their structures, biological activities, strain sources, and mining strategies, which not only further updates the natural product library of sponge-associated microorganisms but also provides a new guideline for exploring the dark matter in sponges.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Mahmoud F. Elsebai, Clara T. Schoeder, Christa E. Mueller
Summary: The fungus Eurotium sp., derived from the marine sponge Ircinia variabilis, produces a diketopiperazine-indole alkaloid named fintiamin. The structural elucidation of fintiamin was achieved through extensive spectroscopic analysis, revealing its affinity for the cannabinoid CB1 receptor at low micromolar concentrations. Docking studies based on previous X-ray structures provided a plausible binding pose for fintiamin in the orthosteric binding site of the CB1 receptor.
ARCHIV DER PHARMAZIE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jun-Ping Shiau, Ya-Ting Chuang, Jen-Yang Tang, Shu-Rong Chen, Ming-Feng Hou, Jiiang-Huei Jeng, Yuan-Bin Cheng, Hsueh-Wei Chang
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the antiproliferative effects of methanol extract of T. swinhoei (METS) on oral cancer cells and compare its detailed responses to normal cells. The results showed that METS effectively inhibited the proliferation of oral cancer cells while not affecting normal cell viability, suggesting a preferential antiproliferative function. METS induced apoptosis, cellular and mitochondrial oxidative stress, and DNA damage in oral cancer cells, which could be reversed by an oxidative stress inhibitor. Additionally, METS activated both extrinsic and intrinsic caspases.
Article
Dermatology
Simona Pisanti, Teresa Mencherini, Tiziana Esposito, Valeria D'Amato, Tania Re, Maurizio Bifulco, Rita P. Aquino
Summary: This study critically compares medieval and modern dermocosmetics through the analysis of Trotula de Ruggiero's works. The results highlight Trotula's focus on female care, beauty and well-being, as well as the extraordinary combination of tradition and modernity in her work.
JOURNAL OF COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maurizio Bifulco, Erika Di Zazzo, Fabiana Napolitano, Anna Maria Malfitano, Giuseppe Portella
Summary: Since the nineteenth century, reports have shown that cancer patients occasionally experience clinical remission called Saint Peregrine tumor as a result of natural infections. The oncolytic activity of viruses, known as oncolytic viruses (OVs), which selectively infect and kill cancer cells, has been discovered. However, early attempts to increase OVs specificity, efficacy, and safety were inconclusive/negative, leading to a decline in research in this field. The renewal of interest in virotherapy occurred in the late 1990s with the development of genetic engineering techniques and a better understanding of cancer cells, resulting in the generation of potent and safe OVs.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Jan Tebben, Christian Zurhelle, Aurelia Tubaro, Ingunn A. Samdal, Bernd Krock, Jane Kilcoyne, Silvio Sosa, Vera L. Trainer, Jonathan R. Deeds, Urban Tillmann
Summary: To date, only AZA-59, a putative shellfish toxin produced by Azadinium poporum, has been found in isolates from the Pacific Northwest coast of the USA. Anecdotal reports of illnesses resembling diarrhetic shellfish poisoning without DSP toxin or Vibrio contamination prompted the search for other potential toxins, such as AZAs, in water and shellfish from the region. This study assesses the toxic potency of AZA-59 and provides guidelines for its monitoring in edible shellfish in case of increasing toxin levels.
Review
Oncology
Cristina Pagano, Erika di Zazzo, Giorgio Avilia, Beatrice Savarese, Giovanna Navarra, Maria Chiara Proto, Donatella Fiore, Monica Rienzo, Patrizia Gazzerro, Chiara Laezza, Maurizio Bifulco
Summary: The epidemic spread of obesity is recognized as a global burden, and its link with cancer, known as adiponcosis, is of great interest in the scientific community. The mechanisms underlying adiponcosis, which may vary depending on cancer type, involve insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and adipose tissue-derived hormones and cytokines. This review summarizes the current evidence on pathways, hormones, and interventions for obesity-related breast and colorectal cancers. It also discusses current targets and drugs for cancer treatment and potential therapeutic mechanisms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cristina Pagano, Beatrice Savarese, Laura Coppola, Giovanna Navarra, Giorgio Avilia, Chiara Laezza, Maurizio Bifulco
Summary: Cannabis sativa-derived compounds, such as THC and CBD, and components of the endocannabinoid system, such as AEA and 2-AG, have been extensively studied for their antioxidant effects. Many diseases are characterized by imbalanced ROS production, and these compounds have shown potential in reducing ROS levels in various pathological conditions. Further research on the antioxidant properties of cannabis sativa-derived compounds could have future clinical applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Silvana Mirella Aliberti, Richard H. W. Funk, Elena Ciaglia, Joseph Gonnella, Aldo Giudice, Carmine Vecchione, Annibale Alessandro Puca, Mario Capunzo
Summary: This study explored the association between tap drinking water and longevity in Cilento, Italy, and found that trace elements in tap water may have a positive influence on the lifespan and health of the local elderly population.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carlo Francesco Morelli, Adele Cutignano, Giovanna Speranza, Gennaro Roberto Abbamondi, Marco Rabuffetti, Carmine Iodice, Rocco De Prisco, Giuseppina Tommonaro
Summary: There is a strong need to develop eco-sustainable agricultural techniques to improve crop yields while preserving biomolecule contents and reducing the adverse environmental impact of agro-chemicals. The use of microorganisms in agriculture represents an attractive and innovative solution. This study provides chemical data in support of the use of effective microorganisms (EM) green technology for the cultivation of edible agricultural products, such as tomato preserves, and may even improve nutritional and sensory qualities while safeguarding the environment.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Valentina Lopardo, Francesco Montella, Roberta Maria Esposito, Carla Zannella, Silvana Mirella Aliberti, Mario Capunzo, Gianluigi Franci, Annibale Alessandro Puca, Elena Ciaglia
Summary: SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause inflammatory response and impaired platelet reactivity, which may lead to platelet disorders in COVID-19 patients. The virus can affect platelet production and activation, potentially influencing early stages of megakaryopoiesis. Through in vitro experiments, it was found that SARS-CoV-2 may enhance platelet production and activation by impairing STATs signaling and AMPK activity. These findings provide new insights into the role of SARS-CoV-2 in affecting the megakaryocyte-platelet compartment and possibly uncover another avenue by which the virus spreads.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Gianna Falascina, Laure B. Bindels, Vincenzo Di Marzo, Adele Cutignano
Summary: The recent discovery of N-acyl taurines (NATs) as endogenous bioactive lipids has led to the development of mass spectrometry-based methods for their quantitative measurements. In this study, a UPLC-ESI-QqQ analysis method was validated for the identification and quantification of NATs in biological tissue extracts. The method showed excellent specificity, linearity, and accuracy, and was successfully applied to assess NAT levels in mouse liver and varying sections of the intestine.
JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOMEDICAL ANALYSIS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Allergy
M. R. Galdiero, E. Ciaglia, J. Dal Col
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michela Buonocore, Manuela Grimaldi, Angelo Santoro, Verdiana Covelli, Carmen Marino, Enza Napolitano, Sara Novi, Mario Felice Tecce, Elena Ciaglia, Francesco Montella, Valentina Lopardo, Valeria Perugini, Matteo Santin, Anna Maria D'Ursi
Summary: Antibodies are highly specific in recognizing biomarkers, but they are expensive to produce and have limited tissue penetration. Peptides, on the other hand, offer advantages such as ease of synthesis and modification, and can be tagged for detection. This study presents a strategy to design peptide sequences that can recognize the CD44 hyaluronic acid receptor, and identifies two peptide sequences that can bind to the receptor with sensitivity and selectivity. This peptide has the potential to be used as an alternative to antibodies in conventional immunostaining, and can be applied in regenerative medicine and biomedical applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Louise Merquiol, Giovanna Romano, Adele Cutignano, Isabella 'Ambra
Summary: Fatty acids are used as biomarkers to assess prey contribution to consumer diet and define food web structure. Traditional lipid extraction methods involve the use of environmental pollutants. This study found that methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is a reliable alternative for lipid extraction in marine ecological studies.
MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marco Pelin, Clara Passerino, Adriana Rodriguez-Garraus, Michela Carlin, Silvio Sosa, Satu Suhonen, Gerard Vales, Beatriz Alonso, Amaia Zurutuza, Julia Catalan, Aurelia Tubaro
Summary: Graphene-based materials, especially in the chemically reduced form (rGO), pose a potential risk to human health through inhalation. This study compared the cytotoxicity of GO, rGO, and wdGO on bronchial epithelial cells and found that rGO exhibited the highest cytotoxicity while wdGO had the lowest.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Michela Carlin, Marina Garrido, Silvio Sosa, Aurelia Tubaro, Maurizio Prato, Marco Pelin
Summary: This study focuses on assessing the irritant and corrosive effects of graphene-related materials (GRMs) on human skin using an in vitro 3D reconstructed human epidermis (RhE) model. The results show that GRMs prepared with toxic surfactants, not adequately removed, were skin irritants, while other tested materials did not cause adverse effects at the skin level.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tomasz Chudziak, Veronica Montes-Garcia, Wlodzimierz Czepa, Dawid Pakulski, Andrzej Musial, Cataldo Valentini, Michal Bielejewski, Michela Carlin, Aurelia Tubaro, Marco Pelin, Paolo Samori, Artur Ciesielski
Summary: The presence of oxygen in graphene oxide makes it insulating, but chemical reduction can restore its electrical conductivity. The optimal reduction conditions vary depending on the application, whether it is for electronic or electrochemical purposes. This study demonstrates the importance of choosing the right reducing agent and reaction time to enhance the performance of chemically reduced graphene oxide.
