Natural Products and Nutrients against Different Viral Diseases: Prospects in Prevention and Treatment of SARS-CoV-2.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic and is posing a serious challenge to mankind. As per the current scenario, there is an urgent need for antiviral that could act as a protective and therapeutic against SARS-CoV-2. Previous studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 is much similar to the SARS-CoV bat that occurred in 2002-03. Since it is a zoonotic virus, the exact source is still unknown, but it is believed bats may be the primary reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 through which it has been transferred to humans. In this review, we have tried to summarize some of the approaches that could be effective against SARS-CoV-2. Firstly, plants or plant-based products have been effective against different viral diseases, and secondly, plants or plant-based natural products have the minimum adverse effect. We have also highlighted a few vitamins and minerals that could be beneficial against SARS-CoV-2.

Prospective therapeutic potential of Tanshinone IIA: An updated overview.

In the past decades, the branch of complementary and alternative medicine based therapeutics has gained considerable attention worldwide. Pharmacological efficacy of various traditional medicinal plants, their products and/or product derivatives have been explored on an increasing scale. Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is a pharmacologically active lipophilic component of Salvia miltiorrhiza extract. Tan IIA shares a history of high repute in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Reckoning with these, the present review collates the pharmacological properties of Tan IIA with a special emphasis on its therapeutic potential against diverse diseases including cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, obesity and neurogenerative diseases. Further, possible applications of various therapeutic preparations of Tan IIA were discussed with special emphasis on nano-based drug delivery formulations. Considering the tremendous advancement in the field of nanomedicine and the therapeutic potential of Tan IIA, the convergence of these two aspects can be foreseen with great promise in clinical application.

Protein kinases as potential anticandidal drug targets.

Candidal infections are increasing at an alarming rate due to hospital acquired infections causing high mortality rates worldwide. Moreover, the emergence of drug resistant Candida strains is the major impediment against effective therapeutics. Thus, there is an imperious need to search for novel antifungal drug targets. Among various fungi, Candida albicans is one of  the most prevalent human fungal pathogen. Protein kinases modify other signaling molecules through phosphorylation and transduce extracellular stimuli for adaptation ensuing C. albicans growth, persistence and pathogenesis. In C. albicans, there are various kinds of kinases such as MAP (Mitogen Activated Protein) kinase cascade involving Hog1 (High-osmolarity glycerol) and Cek1 (C. albicans ERK-like Kinase1) mediated pathways, cyclin dependent pathway, cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate) -dependent protein kinase pathway and TOR signaling pathway. Herein we have reviewed the variety of functions served by protein kinases in C. albicans.  Additionally, we have discussed the inhibitors for targeting these kinases. Together, we explore the potential of these kinases as effective drug target and discuss the progress made in the development of inhibitors against these targets.

Molecular characterization and marker based chemotaxonomic studies of Podophyllum hexandrum Royle.

Detailed chemical studies and RAPD analysis were done in different populations of Podophyllum hexandrum collected from high altitude regions of North Western Himalayas. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis revealed a high degree of genetic diversity among the 12 collected accessions, attributed to their geographical and climatic conditions. HPLC analysis also revealed variation in the concentration of two major marker compounds which lead to the identification of a chemotype. The study demonstrated that RAPD and chemical markers are very useful tools to compare the genetic relationship and pattern of variation among such prioritized and endangered medicinal plants.

Comparative studies and identification of camptothecin produced by an endophyte at shake flask and bioreactor.

The fungus showing homology with Nodulisporium by 28S ribosomal gene sequencing, which has been discovered as an endophyte on medicinal plant Nothapodytes foetida, was found to produce 45 and 5.5 microg of camptothecin (CPT) per gram of mycelia at bioreactor and at shake flask, respectively, which was further quantified and characterised by various spectroscopic analyses.