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Biomolecules
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Recent Advances in Natural Products Research as Therapeutic Agents: Focus...
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Recent Advances in Natural Products Research as Therapeutic Agents: Focus on Treatment of Cancer II

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 5685

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ananth Pannala

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK
Interests: advanced drug delivery systems; biomaterials; nanotechnology; liposomes; curcumin; flavonoid chemistry; drug encapsulation; targeted drug delivery; cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Following a very successful first run, we are pleased to announce the launch of a second edition of a Special Issue on the ‘Recent Advances in Natural Products Research as Therapeutic Agents: Focus on Treatment of Cancer’.

Natural products have been used for the treatment of diverse medical conditions since time immemorial. The chemical diversity of these compounds found in nature, ranging from flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides and terpenoids, to name but a few, has proven to be a rich source of lead compounds for drug discovery, even if they are not therapeutically active themselves. Extensive medical research in the last century has led to the establishment of many natural compounds, such as vincristine, vinblastine, taxol, camptothecin, and paclitaxel, as potent anticancer agents that are currently used in the clinic for treating various types of cancer. Regardless, transforming bioactive compounds isolated from nature into medicinal products is a challenge, not least because of the limitations to our understanding of their mechanisms of action and subsequent challenges in product development.

The focus of this Special Issue of Biomolecules will be on exploring the most recent advances in the use of natural products for the treatment of cancer. This Special Issue will focus on various aspects of natural products (specific isolated compounds) research, including, but not limited to, novel compounds isolated from natural sources that have shown promising results for the treatment of cancer; exploring and understanding the mechanisms of action of natural compounds in cancer treatment; drug delivery solutions for the targeted treatment of cancer using natural products (including advanced drug delivery systems); and more. Modifications to natural compounds in novel drug delivery approaches such as using monoclonal antibodies as targeting molecules coupled with natural compounds are also encouraged in this context. An overview of selected natural products such as curcumin, resveratrol, and quercetin that have been reported to possess potent anticancer activity in a number of in vitro and in vivo models will be included. Both review and research (priority) articles are welcome.

Dr. Ananth Pannala
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • natural products
  • cancer
  • curcumin
  • flavonoids
  • drug delivery
  • nanotechnology
  • polymeric nanoparticles
  • liposomes
  • drug targeting
  • biomaterials

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 9332 KiB  
Article
Effect of Essential Oil Components on the Activity of Steroidogenic Cytochrome P450
by Katyayani Sharma, Angelo Lanzilotto, Jibira Yakubu, Søren Therkelsen, Clarissa Daniela Vöegel, Therina Du Toit, Flemming Steen Jørgensen and Amit V. Pandey
Biomolecules 2024, 14(2), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14020203 - 8 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1758
Abstract
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may impact the development of prostate cancer (PCa) by altering the steroid metabolism. Although their exact mechanism of action in controlling tumor growth is not known, EDCs may inhibit steroidogenic enzymes such as CYP17A1 or CYP19A1 which are involved in [...] Read more.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may impact the development of prostate cancer (PCa) by altering the steroid metabolism. Although their exact mechanism of action in controlling tumor growth is not known, EDCs may inhibit steroidogenic enzymes such as CYP17A1 or CYP19A1 which are involved in the production of androgens or estrogens. High levels of circulating androgens are linked to PCa in men and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) in women. Essential oils or their metabolites, like lavender oil and tea tree oil, have been reported to act as potential EDCs and contribute towards sex steroid imbalance in cases of prepubertal gynecomastia in boys and premature thelarche in girls due to the exposure to lavender-based fragrances. We screened a range of EO components to determine their effects on CYP17A1 and CYP19A1. Computational docking was performed to predict the binding of essential oils with CYP17A1 and CYP19A1. Functional assays were performed using the radiolabeled substrates or Liquid Chromatography–High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry and cell viability assays were carried out in LNCaP cells. Many of the tested compounds bind close to the active site of CYP17A1, and (+)-Cedrol had the best binding with CYP17A1 and CYP19A1. Eucalyptol, Dihydro-β-Ionone, and (−)-α-pinene showed 20% to 40% inhibition of dehydroepiandrosterone production; and some compounds also effected CYP19A1. Extensive use of these essential oils in various beauty and hygiene products is common, but only limited knowledge about their potential detrimental side effects exists. Our results suggest that prolonged exposure to some of these essential oils may result in steroid imbalances. On the other hand, due to their effect on lowering androgen output and ability to bind at the active site of steroidogenic cytochrome P450s, these compounds may provide design ideas for novel compounds against hyperandrogenic disorders such as PCa and PCOS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Natural Products Research as Therapeutic Agents: Focus on Treatment of Cancer II)
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12 pages, 3666 KiB  
Article
Inhibition of Cell Proliferation and Cell Death by Apigetrin through Death Receptor-Mediated Pathway in Hepatocellular Cancer Cells
by Pritam Bhagwan Bhosale, Hun Hwan Kim, Abuyaseer Abusaliya, Se Hyo Jeong, Min Yeong Park, Hyun-Wook Kim, Je Kyung Seong, Meejung Ahn, Kwang Il Park, Jeong Doo Heo, Young Sil Kim and Gon Sup Kim
Biomolecules 2023, 13(7), 1131; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13071131 - 14 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1842
Abstract
Epidemiologic research recommends using flavonoids in the diet due to their overall health benefits. Apigetrin (Apigenin 7-O-glucoside) is a glycoside phytonutrient found in fruits and vegetables and known for different biological activities such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is a [...] Read more.
Epidemiologic research recommends using flavonoids in the diet due to their overall health benefits. Apigetrin (Apigenin 7-O-glucoside) is a glycoside phytonutrient found in fruits and vegetables and known for different biological activities such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is a major health concern because of its adverse prognosis and side effects of chemotherapeutic agents. In the present study, we determine the impact of apigetrin on HepG2 cells and its cell death mechanism. Apigetrin reduced HepG2 cell proliferation with morphological changes and floating cells in treated cells. Colony formation and wound healing assays showed a reduced cell number in treatment groups. Further, we checked for the cell cycle through flow cytometry to understand the cell death mechanism. Apigetrin induced G2/M phase arrest in HepG2 cells by regulating Cyclin B1 and CDK1 protein levels in HepG2 cells. Annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) staining was performed to confirm the apoptotic cell population in treated groups. At the higher concentration, apigetrin showed a late apoptotic population in HepG2 cells. Chromatin condensation was also found in the treatment groups. Western blot analysis showed an increased expression of extrinsic apoptotic proteins such as FasL, Cleaved caspase 8, Cleaved caspase 3, and cleavage of PARP. In comparison, intrinsic apoptotic pathway markers showed no changes in Bax, Bcl-xL, and Cleaved caspase 9. Altogether, these findings strongly indicate that apigetrin causes cell death in HepG2 cells through the extrinsic apoptotic pathway, and that the intrinsic/mitochondrial pathway is not involved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Natural Products Research as Therapeutic Agents: Focus on Treatment of Cancer II)
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Review

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25 pages, 4814 KiB  
Review
Terpenoid-Mediated Targeting of STAT3 Signaling in Cancer: An Overview of Preclinical Studies
by Fahad Khan, Pratibha Pandey, Meenakshi Verma and Tarun Kumar Upadhyay
Biomolecules 2024, 14(2), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14020200 - 7 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1684
Abstract
Cancer has become one of the most multifaceted and widespread illnesses affecting human health, causing substantial mortality at an alarming rate. After cardiovascular problems, the condition has a high occurrence rate and ranks second in terms of mortality. The development of new drugs [...] Read more.
Cancer has become one of the most multifaceted and widespread illnesses affecting human health, causing substantial mortality at an alarming rate. After cardiovascular problems, the condition has a high occurrence rate and ranks second in terms of mortality. The development of new drugs has been facilitated by increased research and a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind the emergence and advancement of the disease. Numerous preclinical and clinical studies have repeatedly demonstrated the protective effects of natural terpenoids against a range of malignancies. Numerous potential bioactive terpenoids have been investigated in natural sources for their chemopreventive and chemoprotective properties. In practically all body cells, the signaling molecule referred to as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is widely expressed. Numerous studies have demonstrated that STAT3 regulates its downstream target genes, including Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, cyclin D1, c-Myc, and survivin, to promote the growth of cells, differentiation, cell cycle progression, angiogenesis, and immune suppression in addition to chemotherapy resistance. Researchers viewed STAT3 as a primary target for cancer therapy because of its crucial involvement in cancer formation. This therapy primarily focuses on directly and indirectly preventing the expression of STAT3 in tumor cells. By explicitly targeting STAT3 in both in vitro and in vivo settings, it has been possible to explain the protective effect of terpenoids against malignant cells. In this study, we provide a complete overview of STAT3 signal transduction processes, the involvement of STAT3 in carcinogenesis, and mechanisms related to STAT3 persistent activation. The article also thoroughly summarizes the inhibition of STAT3 signaling by certain terpenoid phytochemicals, which have demonstrated strong efficacy in several preclinical cancer models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Natural Products Research as Therapeutic Agents: Focus on Treatment of Cancer II)
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