Modulation of Hb-O2 affinity to improve hypoxemia in COVID-19 patients.

This opinion paper aims at discussing the potential impact of modulating the Hb-O2 affinity by the nutritional supplement 5-HMF on patients affected by COVID-19. The paper describes the critical role of the oxygen affinity in hypoxemic COVID-19 patients and the potential positive effect of 5-HMF, a compound shown to increase the Hb-O2 affinity.

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural, an antioxidant agent from Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. improves cognitive impairment in Aß 1-42 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is a main effective compound of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. ethanol extract, which showed memory improvement activity against Alzheimer's disease in previous study. In order to identify a potential therapeutic agent, the neuroprotective effects of 5-HMF on impairment of cognition and memory function induced by intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of Aß 1-42 were investigated in vivo. The mice were treated with 5-HMF at dose of 15 µg/kg and 150 µg/kg (ICV) for five consecutive days after ICV-Aß 1-42. The results showed that 5-HMF significantly ameliorated learning and memory impairment evaluated by the locomotor activity, Y-maze test, and Morris water maze test. Furthermore, 5-HMF significantly inhibited the ß-secretase activity, decreased the content of Aß 1-42 and malondialdehyde (MDA), and increased the antioxidative enzyme activities including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Results of hippocampus slices showed that neuronal were integrated and regularly arranged in the groups which were administered along with 5-HMF, indicating that 5-HMF could mitigate the degree of neuronal damage. The present study indicated that 5-HMF may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Isolation of bioactive phytoconstituent from Alpinia galanga L. with anti-hyperlipidemic activity.

The present study was undertaken to explore the antihyperlipidemic effect of ethanolic extract of rhizomes of Alpinia galanga L. and its chloroform fraction in Triton-induced hyperlipidemic rats. Bioactivity guided fractionation was followed by chromatographic studies. Flash chromatography was done for the most active fraction resulting in the isolation of 5-(hydroxymethyl) furfural. Animals were administered with i.p. injection of Triton WR 1339 at dose of 400 mg/kg body weight. After 24 hr of Triton administration, the ethanolic extract and its fraction were administered orally at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight in rats. The treatment was continued for 5 days with a view to see the effect on lipid profile. Serum samples were subjected to biochemical analysis. The study dose dependently inhibited the total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level, and significantly increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, coumarins, flavanoids, sterols, and glycosides. Phytochemical investigation of the chloroform fraction of A. galanga L. resulted in the isolation of 5-(hydroxymethyl) furfural. UV λmax was found to be 276 nm for the isolated component. Acute treatment caused a stimulatory effect on the HDL level and inhibition in TC and TG elevation induced by triton.

5-Hydroxymethyl-2-furfural, a clinical trials agent for sickle cell anemia, and its mono/di-glucosides from classically processed steamed Rehmanniae Radix.

Rehmanniae Radix (Di Huang) is one of the most important traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), and is used for multiple therapeutic purposes. In our investigation of the chemical constituents of Rehmanniae Radix, steamed roots were prepared by the classical processing method. Reversed-phase HPLC of the 50% MeOH extract of steamed Rehmanniae Radix yielded three 5-hydroxymethylfurfural derivatives. The new furfural disaccharide 5-(alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyloxymethyl)-2-furancarboxaldehyde (1) was isolated and characterized, together with its known aglycone 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (3), which is currently in sickle cell anemia Phase I clinical trials, and its corresponding monosaccharide 5-(alpha-D-glucopyranosyloxymethyl)-2-furancarboxaldehyde (2), which was isolated as a natural product for the first time. The presence of these three compounds, particularly 3, which were not found in the unprocessed extract of Rehmanniae Radix, could substantiate the traditional medicinal use of steamed Rehmanniae Radix.

Alternativa antibiótica en derivados del furfural II: cepas salvajes Gramnegativas / Antibiotic alternative in furaldehyde II derivated: wild strains gram negative

La búsqueda de nuevas drogas contra agentes patógenos tiene hoy en la síntesis unavariante que permite la obtención de numerosos derivados del furfural entre los que sepredice (según estructura química) la posibilidad de bioactividadEl poder antibacteriano de A-51 se estudia mediante experimentación enfrentándolo acepas salvajes de bacterias Gram negativas con el objetivo de calcular la MínimaConcentración Inhibitoria adoptando la metodología NCCLS/92 vigentes para pruebasde susceptibilidad por microdilución en caldo. Los valores se comparan con los deotros principios activos conocidos y es posible arribar a conclusiones sobre el poderantibacteriano del compuesto ensayado, de manera que pueda seguir la ruta críticade estudio teniendo en cuenta las buenas prácticas de laboratorio (AU)

Futura alternativa antibiótica en derivados del furfural: estudio frente a Cepas control / Antibiotic alternative future in derivated of furaldehyde

Numerosas investigaciones han propuesto nuevas sustancias con actividad biológicapara ampliar el espectro terapéutico contra bacterias y hongos levaduriformes que enel mundo actual cobran cada vez mayor poder patógeno tanto para el hombre como enlos animales. Y en Cuba, donde la caña de azúcar y sus derivados (principalmente elfurfural) siguen siendo objeto de estudio nuestro proyecto de investigación hapermitido la opción de que algunos furfuroderivados obtenidos por síntesis funcionalsean sometidos a evaluación de su bioactividad.El objetivo principal del trabajo es calcular MCI a un grupo de sustancias a las que lespredijo actividad antimicrobiana mediante el programa OREX cepas control ATCCsegún la metodología recomendada por NCCLS/92, obteniéndose resultadosfavorables que permiten avalarla para pruebas de toxicidad con vistas al diseño denuevas drogas (AU)

In vitro anti-tyrosinase activity of 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural isolated from Dictyophora indusiata.

The inhibition of mushroom tyrosinase by methanolic extract of Dictyophora indusiata was evaluated and the bioactive component was characterized and identified as 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural (HMF) by chromatographic and spectroscopic means. Kinetic studies revealed it to be a noncompetitive inhibitor for the oxidation of L-DOPA. On the basis of these findings some related analogues were also tested for their anti-tyrosinase activity, in order to gain more insight into structure and activity relationship among these heterocyclic compounds.