Assessing the In Vitro Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Moringa oleifera Crude Extract.

BACKGROUND: Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress play a vital role in the pathogenesis of various diseases of the oral cavity including periodontal disease. Phytochemicals present in plants with antioxidant (AO) and anti-inflammatory properties could aid as a therapeutic adjunct in the management of these diseases. AIM: To assess the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Moringa oleifera Lam. (MOL) in an in vitro environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of M. oleifera Lam. were prepared by maceration. Antioxidant activity was assessed by FRAP, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, and DPPH radical scavenging assay. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by Albumin Denaturation Assay. Experiments were repeated thrice, and mean and standard deviation were calculated. RESULTS: Both the test substances exhibited significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, and aqueous extracts exhibited higher activity than ethanolic extract. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION: The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of M. oleifera Lam. could be further explored for the management of periodontal disease as a local drug delivery system with the extract could be developed.

Assessing the therapeutic potential of agomelatine, ramelteon, and melatonin against SARS-CoV-2.

BACKGROUND: The SARS-Cov-2(severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection affecting human populations worldwide is now a very concerning issue considering the morbidity and mortality rates. Despite several measures followed by the medical fraternity and general public, there is no resolution. Therapeutic measures to tackle the infection have been based on researching new designer drug molecules that could prevent viral entry into the human host. Melatonin has been tried as an adjuvant in the management of COVID 19(coronavirus disease) illness but its specific antiviral role has not been investigated. Objectives: The objectives of the present study were to conduct an in-silico analysis to investigate if melatonin and related drugs namely ramelteon and agomelatine could be used as antiviral agents in SARS-CoV-2 infection based on their binding to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding site (RBD) and Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE 2). METHODS: For docking studies (Pdb Id 1M0J), the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) crystal structure which was ACE2 cell receptor bounded was employed. From the PubChem database, the three-dimensional configuration of the ligands melatonin, ramelteon, and agomelatine was retrieved, and conceptual density functional theory (CDFT) was performed to determine molecular descriptors. Charges were added and optimized with the universal force field to prepare the ligands for the process of docking. For facilitation of readability by the AutoDock software conversion to PDBQT(Protein Data Bank, Partial Charge (Q), & Atom Type (T)) format was performed. AutoDock version 4.2.6 docking program and AutoDock Tools (ADT) version 1.5.6 were used for molecular docking. Desmond, a Package of Schrödinger LLC was used to simulate molecular dynamics for hundred nanoseconds using. RESULTS: Data from the present study reveal that melatonin, ramelteon, and agomelatine demonstrate significant binding with SARS-CoV-2 RBD and ACE 2 demonstrating the fact that they can strongly prevent viral entry into the host cells through dual binding effects. However, Ramelteon was found to be the most superior amongst the 3 drugs analyzed in its antiviral properties against SARS-CoV-2. CONCLUSION: Results advocate further research in exploring the potential therapeutic applications of melatonin, ramelteon, and agomelatine for the management of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Salivary melatonin is depleted in patients with dental caries due to the elevated oxidative stress.

OBJECTIVES: To determine salivary melatonin and malondialdehyde levels in individuals with and without dental caries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Saliva samples were collected in a fasting state from patients with active dental caries (n â€‹= â€‹16) and patients without dental caries (n â€‹= â€‹16). Melatonin was measured in the samples using a commercially available ELISA kit and malondialdehyde was assayed using a standardized spectrophotometric method. RESULTS: The salivary melatonin levels were significantly lower (p â€‹< â€‹0.01) in patients with active dental caries than patients without dental caries, while the salivary malondialdehyde values were significantly higher (p â€‹< â€‹0.01) in patients with active dental caries than patients without dental caries. The binary logistic regression analysis revealed a negative correlation (-0.513) between the salivary melatonin and malondialdehyde levels which was statistically significant (p â€‹< â€‹0.042) in the patient group with active dental caries, while no such relationship could be demonstrated in the patient group without dental caries. CONCLUSION: Melatonin depletion and augmented malondialdehyde levels potentially indicate that the endogenous melatonin has been utilized to counter the oxidative stress-induced during the initiation and progression of dental caries. Further research could explore the potential use of exogenous melatonin supplementation as a preventive and therapeutic measure for dental caries.

Melatonin as a Topical/Systemic Formulation for the Management of Periodontitis: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES: To qualitatively and quantitatively review the use of melatonin as a topical/systemic formulation for the management of periodontitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed; Scopus; and Web of Science databases were searched using the MesH terms "melatonin" and "periodontitis". Title and abstracts were screened to eliminate irrelevant and duplicate articles. The full text data of the screened articles were assessed using the selection criteria. RESULTS: Of 176 identified articles (PubMed-66; Scopus-56; Web of Science-52; Cross-reference-2), only 12 studies qualified to be included in the systematic review. Four studies assessed the independent effect of 1% topical melatonin formulation while 8 articles assessed the adjunctive use of systemic melatonin formulation (1-10 mg) following scaling and root planing (SRP). All studies showed an improvement in periodontal parameters such as pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, periodontal disease index, community periodontal index, gingival bleeding scores, and prognostic marker levels in saliva and serum. A meta-analysis of data from 2 studies revealed that 1-2 mg (systemic) melatonin supplementation reduced pocket depth; although the difference was not statistically significant and hence cannot be interpreted or used for conclusive evidence. Risk of Bias Assessment tool (RoBANS) and Cochrane Collaboration RoB tool elicited a high risk of bias in the included studies. GRADE (recommendation assessment, development, and evaluation) inferred a weak recommendation for the use of melatonin in periodontitis management. CONCLUSIONS: Melatonin supplementation (topical and systemic) in periodontitis patients improved key periodontal parameters including pocket depth and clinical attachment loss. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Melatonin could be a potential host modulatory agent for periodontitis management; although the data from the present review should be interpreted carefully due to the associated high risk of bias.

EMMPRIN/BASIGIN as a biological modulator of oral cancer and COVID-19 interaction: Novel propositions.

Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN), which is also called BASIGIN/CD147, is a cell surface glycoprotein that belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily and plays a significant role in intercellular recognition in immunology, cellular differentiation and development. Apart from ACE-2, recently EMMPRIN, has been regarded as a target for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) attachment and entry into the host cell. Since one of the routes of entry for the virus is the oral cavity, it becomes imperative to percept oral comorbidities such oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) in terms of EMMPRIN as a target for SARS-CoV-2. In the present paper, it is proposed that OSCC, by the virtue of upregulation of EMMPRIN expression, increases the susceptibility to coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In turn, COVID-19 in OSCC patients causes exhaustion of EMMPRIN receptor due to binding with 'S' receptor leading to a downregulation of related carcinogenesis events. We proposed that in the ACE-2 depleted situation in OSCC, EMMPRIN receptor might get high jacked by the COVID-19 virus for the entry into the host cells. Apart from the anti-monoclonal antibody, it is recommended to explore the use of grape seed and skin containing mouthwash as an adjunct, which could also have anti EMMPRIN effects in patients with OSCC and OPMDs.