Spilanthes filicaulis (Schumach. & Thonn.) C.D. Adams leaves protects against streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is a complex type of diabetes. The underlying cause of diabetic nephropathy remains unclear and may be due to a variety of pathological conditions resulting in kidney failure. This study examines the protective effect of the methanolic extract of Spilanthes filicaulis leaves (MESFL) in fructose-fed streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nephropathy and the associated pathway. METHODS: Twenty-five rats were equally divided randomly into five categories: Control (C), diabetic control, diabetic + metformin (100 mg/kg), diabetic + MESFL 150 mg/kg bw, and diabetic + MESFL 300 mg/kg bw. After 15 days, the rats were evaluated for fasting blood glucose (FBG), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urea, uric acid, serum creatinine, reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and lipid peroxidation (MDA). Gene expression levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), protein kinase A (PKA), cAMP response element-binding (CREB), cFOS and the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 were examined. RESULTS: We observed that MESFL at 150 and 300 mg/kg bw significantly downregulated the protein expression of cAMP, PKA, CREB, and cFOS and upregulated the Bcl-2 gene, suggesting that the nephroprotective action of MESFL is due to the suppression of the cAMP/PKA/CREB/cFOS signaling pathway. In addition, MESFL increases SOD and CAT activities and GSH levels, reduces MDA levels, and reduces renal functional indices (ALP, urea, uric acid, and creatinine). CONCLUSION: Therefore, our results indicate that MESFL alleviates the development of diabetic nephropathy via suppression of the cAMP/PKA/CREB/cFOS pathways.

Mitophagy and spermatogenesis: Role and mechanisms.

The mitophagy process, a type of macroautophagy, is the targeted removal of mitochondria. It is a type of autophagy exclusive to mitochondria, as the process removes defective mitochondria one by one. Mitophagy serves as an additional level of quality control by using autophagy to remove superfluous mitochondria or mitochondria that are irreparably damaged. During spermatogenesis, mitophagy can influence cell homeostasis and participates in a variety of membrane trafficking activities. Crucially, it has been demonstrated that defective mitophagy can impede spermatogenesis. Despite an increasing amount of evidence suggesting that mitophagy and mitochondrial dynamics preserve the fundamental level of cellular homeostasis, little is known about their role in developmentally controlled metabolic transitions and differentiation. It has been observed that male infertility is a result of mitophagy's impact on sperm motility. Furthermore, certain proteins related to autophagy have been shown to be present in mammalian spermatozoa. The mitochondria are the only organelle in sperm that can produce reactive oxygen species and finally provide energy for sperm movement. Furthermore, studies have shown that inhibited autophagy-infected spermatozoa had reduced motility and increased amounts of phosphorylated PINK1, TOM20, caspase 3/7, and AMPK. Therefore, in terms of reproductive physiology, mitophagy is the removal of mitochondria derived from sperm and the following preservation of mitochondria that are exclusively maternal.

Production, acceptability, nutritional and pasting properties of orange-flesh sweet potato, cowpea and banana flour mix.

Promoting the intake of foods rich in vitamin A is key to combating the increase in vitamin A deficiency. This research focused on the utilization of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (a tuber-based food), cowpea (a pulse), and ripe bananas (a fruit) for the production of flour mix as a means to reduce Vitamin A deficiency in children. Different ratios of sweet potato-cowpea-banana (PCB) mix, resulting in 8 different blended samples, were optimized. The flour mix was evaluated for its overall acceptability, vitamin A content, beta-carotene, and other nutritional and functional properties. The panelists rated the sweet potato-cowpea banana blends labeled PCB8 (60% OFSP, 30% cowpea, 5% ripe banana flour, and 5% sugar) as most preferred and acceptable with average scores of 8.96 points for color, 8.75 points for flavor, 8.88 points for appearance, 8.33 points for taste, 8.07 points for texture, and 8.39 points for overall acceptability on a 9-point hedonic scale. The vitamin A and beta-carotene contents ranged 7.62 to 8.35 mg/100 g and 0.15-0.17 mg/100 g for all blends. A significant difference in the functional properties of the flour mix were observed with an increase in the ratio of sweet potato flour addition. Findings from this study show that the flour mix PCB4 (65% sweet potato, 30% cowpea, and 5% ripe banana flour) was acceptable (8.15) and is recommended based on its vitamin A content (8.35 mg/100 g), nutritional properties, and functional properties. The study showed that locally available food commodities have good nutritional value that will help reduce vitamin A deficiency in children.

In silico modeling revealed phytomolecules derived from Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) leaf extract as promising candidates for malaria therapy.

The emergence of varying levels of resistance to currently available antimalarial drugs significantly threatens global health. This factor heightens the urgency to explore bioactive compounds from natural products with a view to discovering and developing newer antimalarial drugs with novel mode of actions. Therefore, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of sixteen phytocompounds from Cymbopogon citratus leaf extract against Plasmodium falciparum drug targets such as P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP), P. falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 (PfMSP1) and P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1). In silico approaches including molecular docking, pharmacophore modeling and 3D-QSAR were adopted to analyze the inhibitory activity of the compounds under consideration. The molecular docking results indicated that a compound swertiajaponin from C. citratus exhibited a higher binding affinity (-7.8 kcal/mol) to PfMSP1 as against the standard artesunate-amodiaquine (-6.6 kcal/mol). Swertiajaponin also formed strong hydrogen bond interactions with LYS29, CYS30, TYR34, ASN52, GLY55 and CYS28 amino acid residues. In addition, quercetin another compound from C. citratus exhibited significant binding energies -6.8 and -8.3 kcal/mol with PfCSP and PfEMP1, respectively but slightly lower than the standard artemether-lumefantrine with binding energies of -7.4 kcal/mol against PfCSP and -8.7 kcal/mol against PfEMP1. Overall, the present study provides evidence that swertiajaponin and other phytomolecules from C. citratus have modulatory properties toward P. falciparum drug targets and thus may warrant further exploration in early drug discovery efforts against malaria. Furthermore, these findings lend credence to the folkloric use of C. citratus for malaria treatment.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Profiling the antidiabetic potential of GC-MS compounds identified from the methanolic extract of Spilanthes filicaulis: experimental and computational insight.

This study examines the nutritional composition, phytochemical profiling, and antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory potential of a methanolic extract of Spilanthes filicaulis leaves (MESFL) via in vitro, ex vivo, and in silico studies. In vitro antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities were examined. In the ex vivo study, liver tissues were subjected to FeSO4-induced oxidative damage and treated with varying concentrations of MESFL. MESFL contains a reasonable amount of nitrogen-free extract, moisture, ash content, crude protein, and fat, with a lesser amount of crude fiber. According to GC-MS analysis, MESFL contains ten compounds, the most abundant of which are 13-octadecenal and Ar-tumerone. In this study, MESFL demonstrated anti-inflammatory activities via membrane stabilizing properties, proteinase inhibition, and inhibition of protein denaturation (IC50 = 72.75 ± 11.06 µg/mL). MESFL also strongly inhibited both α-amylase (IC50 = 307.02 ± 4.25 µg/mL) and α-glucosidase (IC50 = 215.51 ± 0.47 µg/mL) activities. Our findings also showed that FeSO4-induced tissue damage decreased the levels of GSH, SOD, and CAT activities while increasing the levels of MDA. In contrast, treatment with MESFL helped to restore these parameters to near-normal levels, which signifies that MESFL has great potential to address complications from oxidative stress. Furthermore, the in silico interaction of the GCMS-identified phytochemicals with the active sites of α-amylase and α-glucosidase via molecular and ensembled-based docking displayed strong binding affinities of Ar-tumerone and 4-hydroxy-3-methylacetophenone to α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively. Taken together, the biological activities of MESFL might be a result of the effects of these secondary metabolites.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Lead optimization of Allium sativum L. compounds for PTP1B inhibition in diabetes treatment: in silico molecular docking and dynamics simulation.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) has been identified as a promising drug target for the development of diabetes medications via an inhibition mechanism. Using a computational approach, this study investigates the binding mechanism of lead optimized natural compounds from Allium sativum against the human PTP1B. The molecular docking, induced-fit docking, and binding free energy calculations were analyzed using Schrödinger Suite 2021-2. MD simulation, and gene enrichment analysis was achieved via the Desmond module of Schrödinger to identify best compounds as inhibitors against PTP1B in diabetes management. The docking scores of the lead optimized compounds were good; 5280443_121 from apigenin had the best binding score of -9.345 kcal/mol, followed by 5280443_129 with a binding score of -9.200 kcal/mol, and 5280863_177 from kaempferol had a binding score of -8.528 kcal/mol, followed by 5280863_462 with a binding score of -8.338 kcal/mol. The top two lead optimized compounds, docked better than the standard PTP1B inhibitor (-7.155 kcal/mol), suggesting them as potent inhibitors than the standard PTP1B inhibitor. The outcomes of the induced-fit docking were consistent with the increased binding affinity used in the Glide computation of the five conformed poses between the derivatives (5280443_121, 5280443_129, 5280863_177, and 5280863_462) and the protein (PTP1B). Based on the binding fee energies (MM-GBSA), the lead optimized compounds from kaempferol exhibited more stability than those from apigenin. In the pharmacophore development, all the models exhibit good results across the different metrics. The best performing model with five of five matches on a 1.34 and 1.33 phase score was DDRRR_1, DDRRR_2, and DDDRR_1. The average BEDROC value (= 160.9) was 1, while the average EF 1% value across all models was 101. There were no substantial conformational modifications during the MD simulation process, indicating that the apigenin derivatives (5280443_121) was stable in the protein's active site in 100 ns. IGF1R, EGFR, INSR, PTPN1, SRC, JAK2, GRB2, BCAR1, and IRS1 are among the 11 potential targets found in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) of A. sativum against PTP1B that may be important in A. sativum's defense against PTP1B. Sixty-four (64) pathways were found by KEGG pathway enrichment analysis to be potentially involved in the anti-PTP1B of A. sativum. Consequently, data obtained indicates the effectiveness of the in silico studies in identifying potential lead compounds in A. sativum against PTP1B target.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Elemental evaluation, nutritional analysis, GC-MS analysis and ameliorative effects of Artocarpus communis J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. seeds' phytoconstituents on metabolic syndrome via in silico approach.

The nutritional as well as beneficial effects of the Artocarpus communis seed on metabolic syndrome complications have not been studied. In this research, the aim was to investigate the nutritional composition and beneficial effects of Artocarpus communis seeds' phytoconstituents on the p53 core, fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) protein and cytochrome P450 CYP11A1 domains. The elements and phytochemicals in the seed were determined through atomic absorption spectroscopy assay and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, respectively. Also, the compounds detected were docked to the p53 core, FTO protein and cytochrome P450 CYP11A1 domains protein. Artocarpus communis seed contains sodium (7.824 ± 0.0134 ppm), magnesium (10.187 ± 0.0239 ppm) and iron (1.924 ± 0.0017), while zinc and cadmium were undetected. Phenolics and flavonoids were the most abundant phytochemicals in the seed. Phytoconstituents, such as pentadecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid and methyl ester, possessing different therapeutic effects were identified via GC-MS analysis. In A. communis seed, 3-methyl-4-nitro-5-(1-pyrazolyl) pyrazole and phenanthrene were able to bind more peculiarly and specifically to the p53 core, FTO protein and cytochrome P450 CYP11A1 domains. One of the important processes that were hypothesized for the recovery of metabolic syndrome in affected victims is shown by the molecular dynamics analysis, which shows that the binding of these chemicals to the targeted structure stabilized the proteins. Therefore, Artocarpus communis seeds could be a new strategy for the management of metabolic syndrome.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Therapeutic Study of Cinnamic Acid Derivative for Oxidative Stress Ablation: The Computational and Experimental Answers.

This study aimed to examine the therapeutic activity of the cinnamic acid derivative KAD-7 (N'-(2,4-dichlorobenzylidene)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl) acrylohydrazide) on Fe2+-induced oxidative hepatic injury via experimental and computational models. In addition, the role of ATPase and ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (ENTPDase) in the coordination of cellular signals is speculated upon to proffer suitable therapeutics for metabolic stress disorder upon their inhibition. While we know little about therapeutics with flexible dual inhibitors for these protein targets, this study was designed to screen KAD-7's (N'-(2,4-dichlorobenzylidene)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl) acrylohydrazide) inhibitory potential for both protein targets. We induced oxidative hepatic damage via the incubation of hepatic tissue supernatant with 0.1 mM FeSO4 for 30 min at 37 °C. We achieved the treatment by incubating the hepatic tissues with KAD-7 under the same conditions. The catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), ATPase, and ENTPDase activity were all measured in the tissues. We predicted how the drug candidate would work against ATPase and ENTPDase targets using molecular methods. When hepatic injury was induced, there was a significant decrease in the levels of the GSH, CAT, and ENTPDase (p < 0.05) activities. In contrast, we found a noticeable rise in the MDA levels and ATPase activity. KAD-7 therapy resulted in lower levels of these activities overall (p < 0.05), as compared to the control levels. We found the compound to have a strong affinity for ATPase (-7.1 kcal/mol) and ENTPDase (-7.4 kcal/mol), and a better chemical reactivity than quercetin. It also met all drug-likeness parameters. Our study shows that KAD-7 can protect the liver from damage caused by FeSO4 by reducing oxidative stress and purinergic actions. Our studies indicate that KAD-7 could be developed as a therapeutic option since it can flexibly inhibit both ATPase and ENTPDase.

Antispasmodic Effect of Alstonia boonei De Wild. and Its Constituents: Ex Vivo and In Silico Approaches.

BACKGROUND: Alstonia boonei, belonging to the family Apocynaceae, is one of the best-known medicinal plants in Africa and Asia. Stem back preparations are traditionally used as muscle relaxants. This study investigated the antispasmodic properties of Alstonia boonei Stem back and its constituents. METHOD: The freeze-dried aqueous Stem back extract of A. boonei, as well as dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate, and aqueous fractions, were evaluated for their antispasmodic effect via the ex vivo method. Two compounds were isolated from the DCM fraction using chromatographic techniques, and their antispasmodic activity was evaluated. An in silico study was conducted by evaluating the interaction of isolated compounds with human PPARgamma-LBD and human carbonic anhydrase isozyme. RESULTS: The Stem back crude extract, DCM, ethyl acetate, and aqueous fractions showed antispasmodic activity on high-potassium-induced (K+ 80 mM) contractions on isolated rat ileum with IC50 values of 0.03 ± 0.20, 0.02 ± 0.05, 0.03 ± 0.14, and 0.90 ± 0.06 mg/mL, respectively. The isolated compounds from the DCM fraction were ß-amyrin and boonein, with only boonein exhibiting antispasmodic activity on both high-potassium-induced (IC50 = 0.09 ± 0.01 µg/mL) and spontaneous (0.29 ± 0.05 µg/mL) contractions. However, ß-amyrin had a stronger interaction with the two proteins during the simulation. CONCLUSION: The isolated compounds boonein and ß-amyrin could serve as starting materials for the development of antispasmodic drugs.

GC-MS chemical profiling, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities of ethyl acetate fraction of Spilanthes filicaulis (Schumach. and Thonn.) C.D. Adams leaves: experimental and computational studies.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the chemical profile of GC-MS, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethyl acetate fraction of Spilanthes filicaulis leaves (EFSFL) via experimental and computational studies. Methods: After inducing oxidative damage with FeSO4, we treated the tissues with different concentrations of EFSFL. An in-vitro analysis of EFSFL was carried out to determine its potential for antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities. We also measured the levels of CAT, SOD, GSH, and MDA. Results and discussion: EFSFL exhibited anti-inflammatory properties through membrane stabilizing properties (IC50 = 572.79 µg/ml), proteinase inhibition (IC50 = 319.90 µg/ml), and inhibition of protein denaturation (IC50 = 409.88 µg/ml). Furthermore, EFSFL inhibited α-amylase (IC50 = 169.77 µg/ml), α-glucosidase (IC50 = 293.12 µg/ml) and DPP-IV (IC50 = 380.94 µg/ml) activities, respectively. Our results indicated that induction of tissue damage reduced the levels of GSH, SOD, and CAT activities, and increased MDA levels. However, EFSFL treatment restores these levels to near normal. GC-MS profiling shows that EFSFL contains 13 compounds, with piperine being the most abundant. In silico interaction of the phytoconstituents using molecular and ensembled-based docking revealed strong binding tendencies of two hit compounds to DPP IV (alpha-caryophyllene and piperine with a binding affinity of -7.8 and -7.8 Kcal/mol), α-glucosidase (alpha-caryophyllene and piperine with a binding affinity of -9.6 and -8.9 Kcal/mol), and to α-amylase (piperine and Benzocycloheptano[2,3,4-I,j]isoquinoline, 4,5,6,6a-tetrahydro-1,9-dihydroxy-2,10-dimethoxy-5-methyl with a binding affinity of -7.8 and -7.9 Kcal/mol), respectively. These compounds also presented druggable properties with favorable ADMET. Conclusively, the antioxidant, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities of EFSFL could be due to the presence of secondary metabolites.

Pre-puberty cannabichromene exposure modulates reproductive function via alteration of spermatogenesis, steroidogenesis, and eNOS pathway metabolites.

Background: Cannabis and cannabinoids affect almost every system of the body and exert systemic effects such as alterations in memory and cognitive functions, neurotransmission impediment, as well as obstruction of endocrine and reproductive system functions. Reproduction is a complicated phenomenon that integrates biological, psychological and behavioural aspects, hence susceptible to intracellular and extracellular modulations by numerous chemicals and toxicants like cannabis. Aim: The effects of early-life exposure to cannabis on reproductive function biomarkers and genes were investigated in male and female Wistar rats in this study. Method: An initial computational analysis (molecular docking and induced fit docking) of some cannabinoids with reproductive enzymes; androgen and follicle stimulating hormone receptors was conducted. Overall, cannabichromene (CBC) had the best IFD scores and binding free energies for the two proteins studied and it interacted with notable amino acids within their active sites. Subsequently, forty (40) Wistar rats, 20 male and 20 female (24-28 days old, weighing 20-28 ± 2 g) were divided into two groups each and orally administered CBC for 21 days. Penile tissues, testes and ovaries, were collected for biochemical analysis (hormonal assays, enzyme activities, and metabolite concentrations), gene expressions, and histological evaluations. Results: Activities of arginase and phosphodiesterase-5 in the penile tissue were significantly increased, while nitric oxide and calcium levels were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in the CBC-exposed groups relative to the control group. Semen analysis showed significantly more abnormalities and decreased concentration of spermatozoa in the CBC-exposed group compared to the control. Activities of 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and cholesterol level were decreased in both testes and ovaries of CBC-exposed groups. Furthermore, levels of testosterone, progesterone, luteinizing, and follicle-stimulating hormones were reduced in the serum of CBC rats. Moreover, relative expressions of androgen receptor and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor genes were significantly downregulated in the CBC-exposed groups. Histological evaluations revealed lesions, tubular necrosis, and cellular congestions in both the testes and ovaries. Conclusion: This study suggests that pre-puberty exposure to cannabis modulates reproductive functions via cannabichromene inhibition of steroidogenesis, stimulation of erectile dysfunction (modulation of intermediates and enzymes of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) pathway in the penile tissue), and downregulation of the expressions of genes associated with reproduction.

Beet leaf (beta vulgaris L.) extract attenuates iron-induced testicular toxicity: Experimental and computational approach.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of Beta vulgaris leaf extract (BVLE) on Fe2+-induced oxidative testicular damage via experimental and computational models. Oxidative testicular damage was induced via incubation of testicular tissue supernatant with 0.1 mM FeSO4 for 30 min at 37 °C. Treatment was achieved by incubating the testicular tissues with BVLE under the same conditions. The catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitric oxide (NO) levels, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na+/K + ATPase), ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (ENTPDase), glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (F-1,6-BPase) were all measured in the tissues. We identified the bioactive compounds present using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Molecular docking and dynamic simulations were done on all identified compounds using a computational approach. The induction of testicular damage (p < 0.05) decreased the activities of GSH, SOD, CAT, and ENTPDase. In contrast, induction of testicular damage also resulted in a significant increase in MDA and NO levels and an increase in ATPase, G6Pase, and F-1,6-BPase activities. BVLE treatment (p < 0.05) reduced these levels and activities compared to control levels. An HPLC investigation revealed fifteen compounds in BVLE, with quercetin being the most abundant. The molecular docking and MDS analysis of the present study suggest that schaftoside may be an effective allosteric inhibitor of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase based on the interacting residues and the subsequent effect on the dynamic loop conformation. These findings indicate that B. vulgaris can protect against Fe2+-induced testicular injury by suppressing oxidative stress, acetylcholinesterase, and purinergic activities while regulating carbohydrate dysmetabolism.

Application and Acceptability of Microbiomes in the Production Process of Nigerian Indigenous Foods: Drive towards Responsible Production and Consumption.

In Nigeria, the use of microorganisms for food product modulation, development, and commercialization through biotechnological innovations remains unexplored and unaccepted. The microbiome-based sustainable innovation in the production process of Nigerian indigenous food requires a vigorous drive toward responsible consumption and production. The production process of locally fermented beverages and foods culturally varies in terms of fermentation techniques and is characterized by the distinctiveness of the microbiomes used for food and beverage production. This review was conducted to present the use of microbiome, its benefits, and utility as well as the perspectives toward and mediatory roles of biotechnology on the processing of locally fermented foods and their production in Nigeria. With the current concerns on global food insecurity, the utilization of modern molecular and genetic sciences to improve various rural food processing technologies to acceptable foreign exchange and socioeconomic scales has been gaining attention. Thus, further research on the various types of processing techniques for locally fermented foods using microbiomes in Nigeria is needed, with a focus on yield optimization using advanced techniques. This study demonstrates the adaptability of processed foods locally produced in Nigeria for the beneficial control of microbial dynamics, optimal nutrition, therapeutic, and organoleptic characteristics.

Apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in infertility: A mini review.

Infertility has been a major issue in our society for many years, and millions of couples all over the world are still experiencing it. There are several reasons for and causes of infertility in both men and women. Recent studies have shown that apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress contribute immensely to infertility. The data regarding this report were obtained through a thorough review of scientific articles published in various databases, including Elsevier, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Furthermore, PhD and MSc theses were also reviewed when compiling the data. Apoptosis, also known as "programmed cell death," is a natural and harmless process that occurs in human beings. Although it can become harmful if altered, Inflammation, on the other hand, is the body's reaction to detrimental stimuli caused by toxic substances or compounds, while oxidative stress is a phenomenon that results in an imbalance between the generation and aggregation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cells against antioxidants. These three factors interchangeably bring about several reproductive disorders in the body, resulting in infertility. This review aims at discussing how apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress play a role in human infertility. Availability of data and material: The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Fermented Gluten-Free Multi-Grain Cereal Paste Development: The Role of the Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) as a Dietary Supplement.

Vitamin A deficiencies is a becoming persistent among young children and a growing concern to parents in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in crisis-affected areas. Fermented cereal paste from maize, millets, and sorghum grains are significant food for young children. Thus, the study focuses on food fortification using orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) as fortifier as studies have confirmed the presence of nutrients that can help meet the Vitamin A dietary requirement. The cereals were soaked ambient temperature (27 ± 1°C) for 72 hours and were blended with OFSP (90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50), and the formulated products were studied for Vitamin A, ß-carotene, proximate composition, physicochemical, functional properties, and storage. Application of OFSP as forticant increased the Vitamin A (4.98-6.65 mg/100 g), ß-carotene (0.10-0.17 mg/100 g) and the calorific value (222.03-301.75 kcal) of the gluten-free multi-grain cereal paste. The addition of OFSP also increased the ash content (1.41%-3.35%), crude fiber (2.56%-4.225%), carbohydrate (39.83%-48.35%), total solid content (55.20%-60.87%), and water absorption capacity (112.20%-137.49%) of the formulated cereal samples. The fortified fermented paste was objectively stable throughout on the shelf from the storage studies. The study deduced that addition of orange-fleshed sweet potato to fermented mixed cereal paste as a fortifier can help increase the nutritional quality of the complementary food.

Computational and Preclinical Prediction of the Antimicrobial Properties of an Agent Isolated from Monodora myristica: A Novel DNA Gyrase Inhibitor.

The African nutmeg (Monodora myristica) is a medically useful plant. We, herein, aimed to critically examine whether bioactive compounds identified in the extracted oil of Monodora myristica could act as antimicrobial agents. To this end, we employed the Schrödinger platform as the computational tool to screen bioactive compounds identified in the oil of Monodora myristica. Our lead compound displayed the highest potency when compared with levofloxacin based on its binding affinity. The hit molecule was further subjected to an Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion (ADME) prediction, and a Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation was carried out on molecules with PubChem IDs 529885 and 175002 and on three standards (levofloxacin, cephalexin, and novobiocin). The MD analysis results demonstrated that two molecules are highly compact when compared to the native protein; thereby, this suggests that they could affect the protein on a structural and a functional level. The employed computational approach demonstrates that conformational changes occur in DNA gyrase after the binding of inhibitors; thereby, this resulted in structural and functional changes. These findings expand our knowledge on the inhibition of bacterial DNA gyrase and could pave the way for the discovery of new drugs for the treatment of multi-resistant bacterial infections.

Gallic acid abates cadmium chloride toxicity via alteration of neurotransmitters and modulation of inflammatory markers in Wistar rats.

Cadmium is a highly neurotoxic heavy metal that disrupts membranes and causes oxidative stress in the brain. The study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of gallic acid on oxidative damage in the brains of Wistar rats exposed to cadmium chloride (CdCl2). Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of five rats each. Group 1 was administered distilled water only throughout the study. Throughout the study, Group 2 received CdCl2 alone (5 mg/kg b.w./day), Group 3 received gallic acid (20 mg/kg b.w./day), and Group 4 received CdCl2 + gallic acid (20 mg/kg). Treatments were oral with distilled water as a vehicle. The study lasted 21 days. In the brain, the activities of cholinesterase and antioxidant enzymes were evaluated, as well as the levels of reduced glutathione, malondialdehyde, neurotransmitters, Na+/K+ ATPase, myeloperoxidase activity, nitric oxide, and interleukin-6. CdCl2-induced brain impairments in experimental animals and gallic acid prevents the following CdCl2-induced activities: inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), elevated neurotransmitters (serotonin and dopamine), decreased antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase), decreased glutathione, Na+/K+ ATPases, and increased MDA and neuroinflammatory markers (myeloperoxidase (MPO), nitric oxide, and interleukin-6 in the brain of experimental rats exposed to CdCl2 (p < 0.05). Taken together, the neuroprotective effects of gallic acid on CdCl2-induced toxicity in the brains of rats suggest its potent antioxidant and neurotherapeutic properties.

Therapeutic potential of rutin in male infertility: A mini review.

Male infertility has become a problem worldwide, and recent research has emphasized the development of more effective therapy options. Among natural compounds, rutin has been widely studied for its potential to treat dysfunction related to male infertility, including a reduction in sperm quality, spermatogenesis disruption and structural disruption in the testis. A thorough review of scientific literature published in several databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus, was used to synthesize the present state of research on the role of rutin in male reproductive health. Rutin has been shown to possess antiapoptotic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, among others, which are crucial in the management of male infertility. Numerous investigations have shown that rutin protects against male infertility and have explored the underlying mechanisms involved. The present review, therefore, assesses the therapeutic mechanisms involved in male infertility treatment using rutin. Rutin was able to mitigate the induced oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and related physiological processes that can cause testicular dysfunction. Please cite this article as: Rotimi DE, Elebiyo TC, Ojo OA. Therapeutic potential of rutin in male infertility: A mini review. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(2): 130-135.

Cancer of the Liver and its Relationship with Diabetes mellitus.

A high increase witnessed in type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) globally has increasingly posed a serious threat to global increases in liver cancer with the association between diabetes mellitus type II and the survival rate in liver cancer patients showing unstable findings. An increase in the development and progression of chronic liver disease from diabetes mellitus patients may be connected to cancer of the liver with several links such as Hepatitis B and C virus and heavy consumption of alcohol. The link between T2DM patients and liver cancer is centered on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) which could be a serious threat globally if not clinically addressed. Several reports identified metformin treatment as linked to a lower risk of liver cancer prognosis while insulin treatment or sulphonylureas posed a serious threat. Mechanistically, the biological linkage between diabetes type II mellitus and liver cancer are still complex to understand with only the existence of a relationship between NAFLD and high level of energy intake and diabetes mellitus induces hepatic damage, increased liver weight thereby causes multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines that lead to the development of liver cancer. Therefore, this review gives an account of the pathophysiological importance of liver cancer position with T2DM, with the role of NAFLD as an important factor that bridges them.

Antihypertensive activity of roasted cashew nut in mixed petroleum fractions-induced hypertension: An in vivo and in silico approaches.

Consumption of water polluted by crude oil is a major environmental problem typical in exploration areas. Numerous health complications such as high blood pressure, myocardial infarction, and other heart complications are prevalent and ravaging. These have gradually become age-defiling disease conditions that are usually maintained with lifestyle changes and diet control. The effect of dietary supplementation with 10% and 20% roasted cashew nuts (RCN) on systolic blood pressure and angiotensin converting enzyme I (ACE I) activities in mixed petroleum fraction (MPF) induced toxicity was studied in male Wistar rats through the modulation of the renin-angiotensin system. The phytochemicals in RCN were quantified using the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique. To predict likely binding affinity and stability, computational methods such as molecular docking, ADME, and molecular dynamic simulation were used. Out of the seven phytochemicals identified, rutin, gallic acid, and quercetin had the greatest quantities. Similarly, rutin had the highest binding affinities with ACE I, -10.7 kcal/mol, followed by quercetin, at -9.1 kcal/mol. During the molecular dynamics simulation, all of the identified phytochemicals demonstrated good pharmacokinetic capabilities and remained stable at their respective binding sites. Subsequent in vivo validation studies revealed that RCN was able to attenuate the effect of MPF by significantly (p < 0.05) lowering the systolic blood pressure and ACE I activity in comparison to the reference medication, atenolol. We recommend that cashew nuts be explored as dietary snacks as well as a low-cost, easily available component of supplements for the treatment of high blood pressure.