Alkaloids as Pharmaceutical Agents from Marine Fungi

2012 ◽  
pp. 201-208
Author(s):  
Se-Kwon Kim ◽  
Yong-Xin Li
Planta Medica ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 81 (S 01) ◽  
pp. S1-S381
Author(s):  
K Israel Notarte ◽  
Y Nakao ◽  
T Yaguchi ◽  
K Suganuma ◽  
T Edison dela Cruz

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jagjit S Soar

he current COVID-19 pandemic now believed to be based on the mutation of the SARS-CoV virus (first reported in 2002) to SARS-CoV-2 emerging in 2019, is naturally causing extreme worry and concern around the world with sometimes mixed and incoherent messages on how to deal with it. There is a plethora of information from previous epidemics caused by other coronaviruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome, SARS (2002) and Middle East respiratory syndrome MERS (2012) from which we can extrapolate guidance on how to deal with the current pandemic. In the current absence of specific pharmaceutical agents, we propose assessing the extended tools that we already possess in our biological armoury to combat, prevent and control the spread of this virus. Using a set of precise criteria to locate such possible contenders, we conducted literature searches to find compounds that met these criteria. We have now reduced this to a shortlist of three agents that may be the best candidates. We propose vitamin C, vitamin D and Curcumin fit our criteria well. These compounds are widely available to the general public. They are available online and over-the-counter as supplements. Otherwise healthy individuals are safely able to self-administer these agents as a prophylactic to protect themselves and to enhance their immune response. This would be especially desirable for the elderly and at risk groups. These agents can also be used as adjunct therapy, particularly for those who may have early symptoms. This preventative therapy could be implemented whilst awaiting specific pharmaceutical drugs to emerge as a treatment for COVID-19. Our suggested compounds are a highly cost-effective way to potentially reduce the mortality that is regretfully mounting as a result of COVID-19 infection. The biological mode of action and the dosing of these compounds are summarised.


2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  

Within a clinical sports medical setting the discussion about doping is insufficient. In elite-sports use of pharmaceutical agents is daily business in order to maintain the expected top-level performance. Unfortunately, a similar development could be observed in the general population of leisure athletes where medical supervision is absent. As a sports physician you are facing imminent ethical questions when standing in between. Therefore, we propose the application of a standardised risk score as a tool to promote doping-prevention and launch the debate within athlete-physician-relationship. In the longterm such kind of risk stratification systems may support decision-making with regard to «protective» exclusion of sporting competition.


Author(s):  
N B Bhagat ◽  
A V Yadav ◽  
P R Mastud ◽  
R A Khutale

In this article we describe the optimizing parameters in the process of spherical crystallisation. Particle engineering of active pharmaceutical agents is an innovative area of research in pharmaceutical industry because of several advantages. Spherical crystallization is one of the particle engineering technique in which drug directly gets crystallized and agglomerated into spherical shape. The spherical crystals can be obtained by different methods like solvent change, Quasi-emulsion droplet, ammonia diffusion and neutralisation. The optimization of process of spherical crystallization is important for obtaining the ideal spherical crystal agglomerates. It includes stirring rate, selection of solvent, pH, temperature etc. which affects on the physico-chemical properties of crystals. These optimizing parameters play its specific role in formation of spherical crystals. Stirring rate affects the shape as well as size of the final agglomerates and solvent selection helps in the formation of maximum amount of agglomerates in the system. The factors like pH and temperature should be maintained in case of drugs which show polymorphism. Apart from this, several others physical phenomenon or parameters like interfacial tension and rate of crystallisation are also important for thorough optimization of process.  


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 354-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keisham S. Singh

Marine natural products (MNPs) containing pyrone rings have been isolated from numerous marine organisms, and also produced by marine fungi and bacteria, particularly, actinomycetes. They constitute a versatile structure unit of bioactive natural products that exhibit various biological activities such as antibiotic, antifungal, cytotoxic, neurotoxic, phytotoxic and anti-tyrosinase. The two structure isomers of pyrone ring are γ- pyrone and α-pyrone. In terms of chemical motif, γ-pyrone is the vinologous form of α- pyrone which possesses a lactone ring. Actinomycete bacteria are responsible for the production of several α-pyrone compounds such as elijopyrones A-D, salinipyrones and violapyrones etc. to name a few. A class of pyrone metabolites, polypropionates which have fascinating carbon skeleton, is primarily produced by marine molluscs. Interestingly, some of the pyrone polytketides which are found in cone snails are actually synthesized by actinomycete bacteria. Several pyrone derivatives have been obtained from marine fungi such as Aspergillums flavus, Altenaria sp., etc. The γ-pyrone derivative namely, kojic acid obtained from Aspergillus fungus has high commercial demand and finds various applications. Kojic acid and its derivative displayed inhibition of tyrosinase activity and, it is also extensively used as a ligand in coordination chemistry. Owing to their commercial and biological significance, the synthesis of pyrone containing compounds has been given attention over the past years. Few reviews on the total synthesis of pyrone containing natural products namely, polypropionate metabolites have been reported. However, these reviews skipped other marine pyrone metabolites and also omitted discussion on isolation and detailed biological activities. This review presents a brief account of the isolation of marine metabolites containing a pyrone ring and their reported bio-activities. Further, the review covers the synthesis of marine pyrone metabolites such as cyercene-A, placidenes, onchitriol-I, onchitriol-II, crispatene, photodeoxytrichidione, (-) membrenone-C, lihualide-B, macrocyclic enol ethers and auripyrones-A & B.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yawei Wang ◽  
Binlin Tang ◽  
Lei Long ◽  
Peng Luo ◽  
Wei Xiang ◽  
...  

AbstractPro-inflammatory activation of adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) is causally linked to obesity and obesity-associated disorders. A number of studies have demonstrated the crucial role of mitochondrial metabolism in macrophage activation. However, there is a lack of pharmaceutical agents to target the mitochondrial metabolism of ATMs for the treatment of obesity-related diseases. Here, we characterize a near-infrared fluorophore (IR-61) that preferentially accumulates in the mitochondria of ATMs and has a therapeutic effect on diet-induced obesity as well as obesity-associated insulin resistance and fatty liver. IR-61 inhibits the classical activation of ATMs by increasing mitochondrial complex levels and oxidative phosphorylation via the ROS/Akt/Acly pathway. Taken together, our findings indicate that specific enhancement of ATMs oxidative phosphorylation improves chronic inflammation and obesity-related disorders. IR-61 might be an anti-inflammatory agent useful for the treatment of obesity-related diseases by targeting the mitochondria of ATMs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 6008
Author(s):  
Micael F. M. Gonçalves ◽  
Ana Paço ◽  
Luís F. Escada ◽  
Manuela S. F. Albuquerque ◽  
Carlos A. Pinto ◽  
...  

There is an urgent need for new substances to overcome current challenges in the health sciences. Marine fungi are known producers of numerous compounds, but the manipulation of growth conditions for optimal compound production can be laborious and time-consuming. In Portugal, despite its very long coastline, there are only a few studies on marine fungi. From a collection of Portuguese marine fungi, we screened for antimicrobial, antioxidant, enzymatic, and cytotoxic activities. Mycelia aqueous extracts, obtained by high pressure-assisted extraction, and methanolic extracts of culture media showed high antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities. The mycelium extracts of Cladosporium rubrum showed higher antioxidant potential compared to extracts from other fungi. Mycelia and culture media extracts of Aspergillus affinis and Penicillium lusitanum inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Kocuria rhizophila, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including multiresistant strains. Penicillium lusitanum and Trichoderma aestuarinum inhibited the growth of clinical strains of Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis. All extracts from culture media were cytotoxic to Vero cells. Sea salt induced alterations in the mycelium’s chemical composition, leading to different activity profiles.


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