Anti-inflammatory Activity of Bioactive Compounds from Microalgae and Cyanobacteria by Focusing on the Mechanisms of Action.

Microalgae and cyanobacteria are the potentially valuable source of bioactive compounds applied in the various industries and human usage in different fields of pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic disciplines. One of the interesting aspects is their application as the anti-inflammatory agents for treatment of inflammation related mal-conditions. Natural compounds are of great importance in the treatment of inflammations to reduce the reaction of immune system against pathogens, toxic compounds and damaged cells. A wide range of different metabolites with various chemical structures, including small molecules and peptides and proteins, polysaccharides, fatty acids and their derivatives have been found in microalgae and cyanobacteria which have anti-inflammatory activity. In this review, we summarized different metabolites with anti-inflammatory activity that were extracted from these microorganisms and their mechanisms. The bioactive compounds from microalgae and cyanobacteria have exhibited anti-inflammatory activity through different mechanisms acting intra- or extra- cellularly. So, they could be considered as promising anti-inflammatory agents in treatment of related diseases.

Isolation, spectroscopic characterization, X-ray, theoretical studies as well as in vitro cytotoxicity of Samarcandin.

Samarcandin 1, a natural sesquiterpene-coumarin, was isolated as well as elucidated from F. assa-foetida which has significant effect in Iranian traditional medicine because of its medicinal attitudes. The crystal structure of samarcandin was determined by single-crystal X-ray structure analysis. It is orthorhombic, with unit cell parameters a=10.8204 (5)Å, b=12.9894 (7)Å, c=15.2467 (9)Å, V=2142.9 (2)Å(3), space group P212121 and four symmetry equivalent molecules in the unit cell. Samarcandin was isolated in order to study for its theoretical studies as well as its cellular toxicity as anti-cancer drug against two cancerous cells. In comparison with controls, our microscopic and MTT assay data showed that samarcandin suppresses cancer cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner with IC50=11µM and 13 for AGS and WEHI-164 cell lines, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) of the structure was computed by three functional methods and 6-311++G(∗∗) standard basis set. The optimized molecular geometry and theoretical analysis agree closely to that obtained from the single crystal X-ray crystallography. To sum up, the good correlations between experimental and theoretical studies by UV, NMR, and IR spectra were found.

A comprehensive review of the botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of two Iranian Rydingia species (Lamiaceae).

Rydingia michauxii and R. persica, respectively, known as Kase Gol and Goldar in Persian, belong to the family Lamiaceae and they are well known herbal medicine in Iran for the treatment of various diseases, particularly diabetes. This review aims to appraise the phytochemistry, ethnopharmacology, and pharmacological activities of Rydingia species growing in Iran and assess their potential in clinical applications. Besides, it critically evaluates existing literature and looks into the perspective for further research and utilization. All available scientific literature was consulted using the database searches involving Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science applying the keyword Rydingia and its Syn; Otostegia. Only the search results that are associated with the Iranian species R. michauxii and R. persica are included in this review. α-pinene, carvacrol, caryophyllene oxide, diisooctyl phthalate, dillapiole, eugenol, hexadecanoic acid, and pentacosane are the major constituents of the essential oils of the Rydingia species. Additionally, these species produce bioactive flavonoids, phenolic acids, steroids, and terpenoids. Extracts and active compounds from Rydingia species have been reported to possess various pharmacological activities including antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and lipid-lowering properties. Based on the information available to date on the Iranian Rydingia species, it will be worth subjecting these species to further developmental work involving preclinical and clinical trials.

Bioactive PI3-kinase/Akt/mTOR Inhibitors in Targeted Lung Cancer Therapy.

One of the central signaling pathways with a regulatory effect on cell proliferation and survival is Akt/mTOR. In many human cancer types, for instance, lung cancer, the overexpression of Akt/mTOR has been reported. For this reason, either targeting cancer cells by synthetic or natural products affecting the Akt/mTOR pathway down-regulation is a useful strategy in cancer therapy. Direct inhibition of the signaling pathway or modulation of each related molecule could have significant feedback on the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. A variety of secondary metabolites has been identified to directly inhibit the AKT/mTOR signaling, which is important in the field of drug discovery. Naturally occurring nitrogenous and phenolic compounds can emerge as two pivotal classes of natural products possessing anticancer abilities. Herein, we have summarized the alkaloids and flavonoids for lung cancer treatment together with all the possible mechanisms of action relying on the Akt/mTOR pathway down-regulation. This review suggested that in search of new drugs, phytochemicals could be considered as promising scaffolds to be developed into efficient drugs for the treatment of cancer. In this review, the terms "Akt/mTOR", "Alkaloid", "flavonoid", and "lung cancer" were searched without any limitation in search criteria in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google scholar engines.

The Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory Effects of Partially Purified Polysaccharide Fractions of Cell-free Medium and Biomass of Spirulina platensis PCST5.

Background: Spirulina is a cyanobacteria species containing various bioactive compounds. Spirulina is a known source of nutrients in some traditional diets. Different activities have been reported for various extracts of S. platensis. Objectives: In this study, the polysaccharide content of culture media and biomass extract of one species of Spirulina was partially purified, and its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated. Methods: Spirulina platensis PCST5 was cultured in a sterile Zarouk medium at 27°C and 16/8h of light/ dark exposure cycle for 25 days. Then, the polysaccharide content of biomass and cell-free culture medium samples (BPSs and CFPSs, respectively) was partially purified. The analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated using animal models. Results: 16S rRNA gene analysis confirmed that the organism was genetically similar to Spirulina platensis. The CFPSs (30 and 100 mg/kg) and BPSs (30 mg/kg) significantly reduced pain-related behaviors in rats. Similarly, all samples could significantly reduce carrageenan-induced paw inflammation volume compared with the control group. Our results suggest Spirulina's polysaccharide fractions (CFPSs and BPSs) had significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Conclusions: Since Spirulina is a readily available source of bioactive compounds, finding such potent anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive compounds can provide promising leads for novel drug development.

Toxicity effect of sesquiterpene lactones from Jurinea gabrieliae bornm on mitochondria isolated from U87 cells.

Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are a typical group of secondary metabolites in asteraceae family and well-known for their biologically potential in treatment of various diseases such as cancer and inflammation. Glioblastoma (GBM) is a most common brain malignancy in adults with poor prognosis. Finding phytochemicals with potential targeting mitochondria has been suggested as an important approach for many malignancies. In this study, we purified three guaianolide-type SLs, including 8-deacyloxy-8α-(methylacryloxy)-subluteolide (A), subluteolide (B) and janerin (C) from Jurinea gabrieliae Bornm by chromatography methods. Then, mitochondrial toxicity parameters were evaluated. All three SLs selectively inhibited SDH activity in mitochondria from U87 cells but not mitochondria from normal rat brain. In addition these SLs increased ROS formation and cytochrome c release and MMP collapse only in mitochondria from U87 cells but not normal rat neurons. Our results suggest that all three SLs may act as potential agents for future development in anti-glioma therapy.

Primary Assessment of Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids Production by Two Species of Fischerella sp.

Mycosporin-like amino acids (MAAs) are a group of UV-absorbing compounds, which can be produced by various organisms such as algae and cyanobacteria, particularly if they survive in highly irradiated environments. In this study, the production of MAAs by two species of Fischerlla sp. (F5 and F14), isolated from the North of Iran, was investigated. Both species, which had previously been morphologically detected as Fisherella sp., were confirmed molecularly by sequencing the PCR amplicon of the 16S rRNA gene. The species were cultured in sterilized BG.11 medium for 21 days, then biomasses were separated, and their MAAs content was extracted by methanol and partially purified using chloroform liquid-liquid extraction. The extract was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS). In both species, the compounds with MAAs characteristics were observed. They had maximum absorbance (λmax) in the range of 300-400 nm, which was confirmed by the LC-MS analysis. In F5 species, the peaks with m/z 340 and 391 and in another one (F14), a peak with m/z 333.2 were recorded, that the latter might be Shinorine. In general, further analysis should be performed to elucidate the exact structural aspects of these compounds. In conclusion, both Fischerella sp. studied here were capable of producing MAAs and can be evaluated for use in sunscreen pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.