Therapeutic properties and pharmacological activities of asiaticoside and madecassoside: A review

Centella asiatica is an ethnomedicinal herbaceous species that grows abundantly in tropical and sub-tropical regions of China, India, South-Eastern Asia and Africa. It is a popular nutraceutical that is employed in various forms of clinical and cosmetic treatments. C. asiatica extracts are reported widely in Ayurvedic and Chinese traditional medicine to boost memory, prevent cognitive deficits and improve brain functions. The major bioactive constituents of C. asiatica are the pentacyclic triterpenoid glycosides, asiaticoside and madecassoside, and their corresponding aglycones, asiatic acid and madecassic acid. Asiaticoside and madecassoside have been identified as the marker compounds of C. asiatica in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and these triterpene compounds offer a wide range of pharmacological properties, including neuroprotective, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, wound healing, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-allergic, anti-depressant, anxiolytic, antifibrotic, antibacterial, anti-arthritic, anti-tumour and immunomodulatory activities. Asiaticoside and madecassoside are also used extensively in treating skin abnormalities, burn injuries, ischaemia, ulcers, asthma, lupus, psoriasis and scleroderma. Besides medicinal applications, these phytocompounds are considered cosmetically beneficial for their role in anti-ageing, skin hydration, collagen synthesis, UV protection and curing scars. Existing reports and experimental studies on these compounds between 2005 and 2022 have been selectively reviewed in this article to provide a comprehensive overview of the numerous therapeutic advantages of asiaticoside and madecassoside and their potential roles in the medical future.     

Identification of Drug and Vaccine Target in Mycobacterium leprae : A Reverse Vaccinology Approach

Mycobacterium leprae, an infectious agent of chronic infection so-called Leprosy. It is a prime healthconcern in various countries including India. India i     

Sphingosine kinases and their metabolites modulate endolysosomal trafficking in photoreceptors

Internalized membrane proteins are either transported to late endosomes and lysosomes for degradation or recycled to the plasma membrane. Although proteins involved in trafficking and sorting have been well studied, far less is known about the lipid molecules that regulate the intracellular trafficking of membrane proteins. We studied the function of sphingosine kinases and their metabolites in endosomal trafficking using Drosophila melanogaster photoreceptors as a model system. Gain- and loss-of-function analyses show that sphingosine kinases affect trafficking of the G protein-coupled receptor Rhodopsin and the light-sensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channel by modulating the levels of dihydrosphingosine 1 phosphate (DHS1P) and sphingosine 1 phosphate (S1P). An increase in DHS1P levels relative to S1P leads to the enhanced lysosomal degradation of Rhodopsin and TRP and retinal degeneration in wild-type photoreceptors. Our results suggest that sphingosine kinases and their metabolites modulate photoreceptor homeostasis by influencing endolysosomal trafficking of Rhodopsin and TRP.     

Coumarin-trioxane hybrids: synthesis and evaluation as a new class of antimalarial scaffolds

First synthesis of novel coumarin-trioxane hybrids is reported. The synthesis was achieved via condensation of β-hydroxyhydroperoxides with coumarinic-aldehydes in presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid in good yields and the novel hybrids were evaluated for their antimalarial activity both in vitro and in vivo.     

Mechanically Induced Amorphization of Drugs: A Study of the Thermal Behavior of Cryomilled Compounds

The purpose of this work was to determine what aspect of the milled compound influences its thermal profile. For this, six different compounds with different properties were chosen and cryomilled for different times to get an amorphous solid. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray powder diffraction were used to characterize the material and look at the thermal behavior. Melt-quenched samples were also prepared, and the thermal profile upon milling was determined and correlated with the thermal behavior of the cryomilled samples. Growth rates were determined by hot-stage microscopy. Ketoconazole, when cryomilled, showed only one crystallization exotherm in the DSC profile. Ursodiol, and to some extent indomethacin, initially showed a double exotherm which eventually become a single exotherm on further milling. Griseofulvin, carbamazepine, and piroxicam exhibited a double exotherm in the DSC profile upon cryomilling to the amorphous state. Surface crystal growth rates around T (g) were found to be highest for compounds showing the double exotherm in the DSC. Thus, it was seen that compounds which have high surface crystallization tendency will exhibit the double exotherm during heating.     

Correlation of trace mineral concentrations with fructose,gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase,and acid phosphatase in seminal plasma of different categories of infertile men

The study describes the concentrations of zinc, magnesium, copper, iron, and biochemical markers of seminal vesicle and prostate in seminal plasma of different categories of infertile men. The zinc level in oligasthenospermic subjects was significantly higher than in azoospermic, asthenospermic, and oligospermic subjects. The γ-glutamyl transpeptidase activity in both oligoasthenospermic and azoospermic subjects were significantly lower than in asthenospermic and oligospermic individuals. There was no significant difference in iron, copper, and magnesium levels and acid phosphatase activity among the different infertile categories. A positive correlation between zinc and acid phosphatase (r=0.84, r=0.73; p<0.05), and between copper and fructose (r=0.81, r=0.72; p<0.05) was observed in oligoasthenospermic and azoospermic men, respectively. On the basis of our results, it may be postulated that there is a direct effect of the trace elements zinc and copper on acid phosphatase and fructose, respectively, in oligoasthenospermic and azoospermic subjects.     

Molecular mechanisms of developmental pathways in neurological disorders: a pharmacological and therapeutic review

Developmental signalling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, Notch and Sonic hedgehog play a central role in nearly all the stages of neuronal development. The term ‘embryonic’ might appear to be a misnomer to several people because these pathways are functional during the early stages of embryonic development and adulthood, albeit to a certain degree. Therefore, any aberration in these pathways or their associated components may contribute towards a detrimental outcome in the form of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer''s disease, Parkinson''s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and stroke. In the last decade, researchers have extensively studied these pathways to decipher disease-related interactions, which can be used as therapeutic targets to improve outcomes in patients with neurological abnormalities. However, a lot remains to be understood in this domain. Nevertheless, there is strong evidence supporting the fact that embryonic signalling is indeed a crucial mechanism as is manifested by its role in driving memory loss, motor impairments and many other processes after brain trauma. In this review, we explore the key roles of three embryonic pathways in modulating a range of homeostatic processes such as maintaining blood–brain barrier integrity, mitochondrial dynamics and neuroinflammation. In addition, we extensively investigated the effect of these pathways in driving the pathophysiology of a range of disorders such as Alzheimer''s, Parkinson''s and diabetic neuropathy. The concluding section of the review is dedicated to neurotherapeutics, wherein we identify and list a range of biological molecules and compounds that have shown enormous potential in improving prognosis in patients with these disorders.     

Cyanobacteria and microalgae: a positive prospect for biofuels

Biofuel-bioenergy production has generated intensive interest due to increased concern regarding limited petroleum-based fuel supplies and their contribution to atmospheric CO2 levels. Biofuel research is not just a matter of finding the right type of biomass and converting it to fuel, but it must also be economically sustainable on large-scale. Several aspects of cyanobacteria and microalgae such as oxygenic photosynthesis, high per-acre productivity, non-food based feedstock, growth on non-productive and non-arable land, utilization of wide variety of water sources (fresh, brackish, seawater and wastewater) and production of valuable co-products along with biofuels have combined to capture the interest of researchers and entrepreneurs. Currently, worldwide biofuels mainly in focus include biohydrogen, bioethanol, biodiesel and biogas. This review focuses on cultivation and harvesting of cyanobacteria and microalgae, possible biofuels and co-products, challenges for cyanobacterial and microalgal biofuels and the approaches of genetic engineering and modifications to increase biofuel production.