Adipose tissue inflammation linked to obesity: A review of current understanding, therapies and relevance of phyto-therapeutics.

Obesity is a current global challenge affecting all ages and is characterized by the up-regulated secretion of bioactive factors/pathways which result in adipose tissue inflammation (ATI). Current obesity therapies are mainly focused on lifestyle (diet/nutrition) changes. This is because many chemosynthetic anti-obesogenic medications cause adverse effects like diarrhoea, dyspepsia, and faecal incontinence, among others. As such, it is necessary to appraise the efficacies and mechanisms of action of safer, natural alternatives like plant-sourced compounds, extracts [extractable phenol (EP) and macromolecular antioxidant (MA) extracts], and anti-inflammatory peptides, among others, with a view to providing a unique approach to obesity care. These natural alternatives may constitute potent therapies for ATI linked to obesity. The potential of MA compounds (analysed for the first time in this review) and extracts in ATI and obesity management is elucidated upon, while also highlighting research gaps and future prospects. Furthermore, immune cells, signalling pathways, genes, and adipocyte cytokines play key roles in ATI responses and are targeted in certain therapies. As a result, this review gives an in-depth appraisal of ATI linked to obesity, its causes, mechanisms, and effects of past, present, and future therapies for reversal and alleviation of ATI. Achieving a significant decrease in morbidity and mortality rates attributed to ATI linked to obesity and related comorbidities is possible as research improves our understanding over time.

Molecular Modeling Identification of Key Secondary Metabolites from Xylopia aethiopica as Promising Therapeutics Targeting Essential Measles Viral Proteins.

This study computationally screened three key compounds (vanillin (VAN), oxophoebine (OPB), and dihydrochalcone (DHC)) derived from Xylopia aethiopica (Guinea pepper), a medicinal plant with known antiviral activity, against key druggable measles virus (MV) proteins (fusion protein (FUP), haemagglutinin protein (HMG), and phosphoprotein (PSP)). Each molecular species was subjected to a 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation following docking, and a range of postdynamic parameters including free binding energy and pharmacokinetic properties were determined. The docking scores of the resulting OPB-FUP (-5.4 kcal/mol), OPB-HMG (-8.1 kcal/mol), and OPB-PSP (-8.0 kcal/mol) complexes were consistent with their respective binding energy values (-25.37, -28.74, and -40.68 kcal/mol), and higher than that of the reference standard, ribavirin (RBV) in each case. Furthermore, all the investigated compounds were thermodynamically compact and stable, especially HMG of MV, and this observation could be attributed to the resulting intermolecular interactions in each system. Overall, OPB may possess inhibitory properties against MV glycoproteins (FUP and HMG) and PSP that play important roles in the replication of MV and measles pathogenesis. While OPB could serve as a scaffold for the development of novel MV fusion and entry inhibitors, further in vitro and in vivo evaluation is highly recommended.

Network Pharmacology- and Molecular Dynamics Simulation-Based Bioprospection of Aspalathus linearis for Type-2 Diabetes Care.

The medicinal herb Aspalathus linearis (rooibos) is globally recognized in type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treatment due to its known and distinctive compounds. This work utilized network pharmacology (NP) coupled with molecular dynamics simulation in gaining new insight into the anti-diabetic molecular mechanism of action of rooibos teas. It looked at the interactions between rooibos constituents with various relevant protein receptors and signaling routes associated with T2DM progression. The initial analysis revealed 197 intersecting gene targets and 13 bioactive rooibos constituents linked to T2DM. The interactions between proteins and compounds to the target matrix were generated with the Cystoscope platform and STRING database. These analyses revealed intersecting nodes active in T2DM and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) as an integral receptors target. In addition, KEGG analysis identified 11 other pathways besides the hub HIF-1 signaling route which may also be targeted in T2DM progression. In final molecular docking and dynamics simulation analysis, a significant binding affinity was confirmed for key compound-protein matrices. As such, the identified rooibos moieties could serve as putative drug candidates for T2DM control and therapy. This study shows rooibos constituents' interaction with T2DM-linked signaling pathways and target receptors and proposes vitexin, esculin and isovitexin as well as apigenin and kaempferol as respective pharmacologically active rooibos compounds for the modulation of EGFR and IGF1R in the HIF-1 signaling pathway to maintain normal homeostasis and function of the pancreas and pancreatic ß-cells in diabetics.

Cheminformatics Bioprospection of Broad Spectrum Plant Secondary Metabolites Targeting the Spike Proteins of Omicron Variant and Wild-Type SARS-CoV-2.

The spike protein (SP) of SARS-CoV-2 (SC-2) is susceptible to high mutation and has contributed to the multiple waves of COVID-19 being experienced. Hence, targeting the SP remains a logical approach in the development of potent therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2. Here, a computational technique was adopted to identify broad-spectrum plant secondary metabolites with indigenous relevance in the management of respiratory infections against the SPs of the SC-2 wild- type (SC-2WT) and omicron variants. Following 100 ns molecular dynamic (MD) simulation and binding free energy calculation of the top five compounds identified through molecular docking, maysin (SC-2WT (-34.85 kcal/mol), omicron (-38.88 kcal/mol)) and geraniin (SC-2WT (-36.90 kcal/mol) omicron (-31.28 kcal/mol)) had better broad-spectrum activities for the investigated SPs than zafirlukast (SC-2WT (-33.73 kcal/mol) omicron (-22.38 kcal/mol)). Furthermore, 6-hydroxycyanidin-3-rutinoside (-42.97 kcal/mol) and kaempferol-7-glucoside (-37.11 kcal/mol) had the best affinity for the SPs of omicron and SC-2WT, respectively. Interestingly, except for Kaempferol-7-glucoside against omicron SP, all the top-ranked compounds were thermodynamically stable with the SP of both variants, and this observation was linked to the number, nature, and bond length in the resulting complexes in each case. Also, except for geraniin, all the top-ranked compounds had lower toxicity profiles compared to zafirlukast and this could be attributed to their phenolic moieties. Nevertheless, the in vitro and in vivo confirmation of the activities observed in this study is recommended, especially for maysin and geraniin with the best broad-spectrum activity, towards development of COVID-19 drug candidates.

Poultry gut health - microbiome functions, environmental impacts, microbiome engineering and advancements in characterization technologies.

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) health impacts animal productivity. The poultry microbiome has functions which range from protection against pathogens and nutrients production, to host immune system maturation. Fluctuations in the microbiome have also been linked to prevailing environmental conditions. Healthy poultry birds possess a natural resistance to infection. However, the exploration of environmental impacts and other relevant factors on poultry growth and health have been underplayed. Since good performance and growth rate are central to animal production, the host-microbiome relationship remains integral. Prior to the emergence of metagenomic techniques, conventional methods for poultry microbiome studies were used and were low-throughput and associated with insufficient genomic data and high cost of sequencing. Fortunately, the advent of high-throughput sequencing platforms have circumvented some of these shortfalls and paved the way for increased studies on the poultry gut microbiome diversity and functions. Here, we give an up-to-date review on the impact of varied environments on microbiome profile, as well as microbiome engineering and microbiome technology advancements. It is hoped that this paper will provide invaluable information that could guide and inspire further studies on the lingering pertinent questions about the poultry microbiome.

An Appraisal of Antidotes' Effectiveness: Evidence of the Use of Phyto-Antidotes and Biotechnological Advancements.

Poisoning is the greatest source of avoidable death in the world and can result from industrial exhausts, incessant bush burning, drug overdose, accidental toxication or snake envenomation. Since the advent of Albert Calmette's cobra venom antidote, efforts have been geared towards antidotes development for various poisons to date. While there are resources and facilities to tackle poisoning in urban areas, rural areas and developing countries are challenged with poisoning management due to either the absence of or inadequate facilities and this has paved the way for phyto-antidotes, some of which have been scientifically validated. This review presents the scope of antidotes' effectiveness in different experimental models and biotechnological advancements in antidote research for future applications. While pockets of evidence of the effectiveness of antidotes exist in vitro and in vivo with ample biotechnological developments, the utilization of analytic assays on existing and newly developed antidotes that have surpassed the proof of concept stage, as well as the inclusion of antidote's short and long-term risk assessment report, will help in providing the required scientific evidence(s) prior to regulatory authorities' approval.

Opuntia (Cactaceae) plant compounds, biological activities and prospects - A comprehensive review.

Opuntia species are utilized as local medicinal interventions for chronic diseases and as food sources mainly because they possess nutritional properties and biological activities. The Opuntia plant is distributed worldwide and has great economic potential. Differences in Opuntia species phytochemical composition exist between wild and domesticated species, and within species. Opuntia aerial and underground parts exhibit beneficial properties due to their phenolic content, other antioxidants (for example ascorbate), pigments (carotenoids, betalains), and other unidentified components. This work comprehensively reviews the phytochemical composition of the different aerial and underground plant parts of Opuntia species. The applications of Opuntia compounds and their biological activities are also discussed. Other topical aspects covered include Opuntia spp. taurine composition, Opuntia side effects, Opuntia by-products valorisation and the role of Opuntia spp. in tackling antimicrobial resistance. Although biological activities have been extensively researched, much less information is available on reaction mechanisms, herbal mixtures toxicology and commercialisation prospects - aspects which should be considered for future research in this area.