ABSTRACT
The synthesis of novel metal-organic coordination polymers (MOCP) with the chemical formula [Mn2L (SCN)2(OH)2]3·CH3OH [L = 1,5-bis(pyridine-4-ylmethylene) carbonohydrazide] {1} was accomplished using two different techniques: solvothermal and sonochemical ultrasonic-assisted. An investigation was carried out to examine the impact of various factors such as reaction time, sonication power, temperature, and reactant concentration on the morphology and size of the crystals. Interestingly, it was found that sonication power and temperature did not affect the crystals' morphology and size. To further analyze the prepared microcrystals of MOCPs, SEM was utilized to examine their surface morphology, and XRD, elemental evaluation composition. The identification of the functional groups present in the prepared Mn-MOCPs was accomplished through the utilization of FT-IR spectroscopy. Subsequently, the calcination of 1 in an air atmosphere at 650 °C led to the formation of Mn3O4 nanoparticles. The geometric and electronic structure of the MOCPs was evaluated using density functional theory (DFT). The utilization of molecular docking methodologies demonstrated that the best cavity of the human androgen receptor possessed an interaction energy of -116.3 kJ mol-1. This energy encompassed a combination of both bonding and non-bonding interactions. The Results showed that steric interaction and electrostatic potential are the main interactions in AR polymer and Mn(II). These interactions in the defined cavity indicated that this polymer could be an effective anti-prostate candidate, because AR is involved in the growth of prostate cancer cells, and these interactions indicated the inhibition of prostate cancer cell growth.
ABSTRACT
Medicinal plants such as Leutea avicennae Mozaff. (Apiaceae) have been shown some biological potential for preventing and treating diseases. Fractions and isolated compounds were tested on colon carcinoma (HT-29), cervical carcinoma (HeLa), breast carcinoma (MCF-7), and mouse embryonic fibroblast (NIH/3T3) cell lines. The BSLT method was used for the assessment of the general toxicity of the petroleum ether (PET), chloroform (CHCl3), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and methanol (MeOH) fractions obtained from the aerial parts of L. avicennae. 1H-NMR and 13 C-NMR spectroscopy were used for structure elucidation. Five compounds, including two coumarins, osthole and umbelliferone, a diterpene phytol, ß-sitosterol, and lauric acid, were isolated for the first time from L. avicennae. Osthole showed potent cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 and HT-29 cell lines with IC50 values of 4.23 ± 0.26 and 12.11 ± 0.13 µg/mL, respectively. Phytol demonstrated potent cytotoxic activity towards MCF-7 and HeLa cell lines with IC50 values of 6.80 ± 0.08 and 12.27 ± 0.18 µg/mL, respectively.
ABSTRACT
Neuropsychiatric diseases are a group of disorders that cause significant morbidity and disability. The symptoms of psychiatric disorders include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and conduct disorder. Various medicinal plants are frequently used as therapeutics in traditional medicine in different parts of the world. Nowadays, using medicinal plants as an alternative medication has been considered due to their biological safety. Despite the wide range of medications, many patients are unable to tolerate the side effects and eventually lose their response. By considering the therapeutic advantages of medicinal plants in the case of side effects, patients may prefer to use them instead of chemical drugs. Today, the use of medicinal plants in traditional medicine is diverse and increasing, and these plants are a precious heritage for humanity. Investigation about traditional medicine continues, and several studies have indicated the basic pharmacology and clinical efficacy of herbal medicine. In this article, we discuss five of the most important and common psychiatric illnesses investigated in various studies along with conventional therapies and their pharmacological therapies. For this comprehensive review, data were obtained from electronic databases such as MedLine/PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, EMBASE, DynaMed Plus, ScienceDirect, and TRIP database. Preclinical pharmacology studies have confirmed that some bioactive compounds may have beneficial therapeutic effects in some common psychiatric disorders. The mechanisms of action of the analyzed biocompounds are presented in detail. The bioactive compounds analyzed in this review are promising phytochemicals for adjuvant and complementary drug candidates in the pharmacotherapy of neuropsychiatric diseases. Although comparative studies have been carefully reviewed in the preclinical pharmacology field, no clinical studies have been found to confirm the efficacy of herbal medicines compared to FDA-approved medicines for the treatment of mental disorders. Therefore, future clinical studies are needed to accelerate the potential use of natural compounds in the management of these diseases.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Natural products comprise a large section of pharmaceutical agents in the field of cancer therapy. In the present study, the organic extracts and fractions of various parts of Ornithogalum bungei were investigated for in vitro cytotoxic properties on three human cancer cell lines, hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), prostate cancer (PC3), and leukemia (K562) cells. METHODS: The present experimental study was conducted at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Tehran, Iran) during 2017-2019. Separately extracted plant materials, including bulbs, stems, and flowers of O. bungei were assessed by the tetrazolium dye-based colorimetric assay (MTT). The selected extracts were submitted to fractionation using vacuum liquid chromatography and after MTT assay, the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 (value for each fraction was determined. The data were analyzed using One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The cytotoxicity of the bulb's methanol extract and the dichloromethane extract of aerial parts increased in a concentration-dependent manner. Additionally, cell viability decreased in a dose-dependent manner. In the HepG2 cell line, the best IC50 values of fractions from DCM extracts of aerial parts were determined to be 19.8±10.2 µg/mL after 24 hours of exposure and 19.39±6.4 µg/mL following 48 hours of exposure. In the PC3 cell line, after 48 hours of exposure, the IC50 values of fractions were unaccountable, while the percentage of inhibition for A6 to A11 in 24 hours of exposure was more than 40 µg/mL. CONCLUSION: O. bungei growing in Iran showed significant potentials as a cytotoxic agent with selective effects on different cancer cell lines.
