stilbenes and artemisinin

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is one of the most common diseases. AP is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, but it lacks specific and effective therapies. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the most popular complementary and alternative medicine modalities worldwide for the treatment of AP. The current evidence from basic research and clinical studies has shown that TCM has good therapeutic effects on AP. This review summarizes the widely used formulas, single herbs and monomers that are used to treat AP and the potential underlying mechanisms of TCM. Because of the abundance, low cost, and safety of TCM as well as its ability to target various aspects of the pathogenesis, TCM provides potential clinical benefits and a new avenue with tremendous potential for the future treatment of AP.

Topics: Acute Disease; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Apigenin; Artemisinins; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Emodin; Flavanones; Glucuronates; Humans; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Pancreas; Pancreatitis; Patient Safety; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Pyrazines; Resveratrol; Rheum; Salvia miltiorrhiza; Stilbenes; Sulfates

The formation of blood capillaries to sustain development and growth of new tissues is referred to as angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is pivotal in both carcinogenesis and metastasis since capillaries are the sole source of supplying nutrients and oxygen to the proliferating tumor cells; therefore, this dependency of tumor growth on angiogenesis challenges researchers to halt tumor growth by targeting angiogenesis with the help of either synthetic or natural inhibitors. Many synthetic inhibitors of angiogenesis have not only come into force but also resulted in some severe adverse effects. Natural compounds may effectively fit into this condition and possibly decrease the time of treatment. In the recent past, literature is replete with evidences advocating the usefulness of natural compounds that target multiple biochemical pathways. The additional advantage of natural compounds is that their active principles interact with one another and work synergistically to give more meaningful and reliable effects than individual principle. Hence, if we are somehow able to combine more than two natural compounds, then it may be possible to enhance their potential by many folds, which shall prove to be very effective in combating tumor angiogenesis. This review shall discuss the concept of angiogenesis, molecular pathways, and angiogenic inhibitors and their specific targets and potential of natural compounds to greatly enhance the current knowledge of angiogenesis-inhibiting factors.

Topics: Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Artemisinins; Catechin; Cell Proliferation; Curcumin; Humans; Neoplasms; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Plant Extracts; Resveratrol; Stilbenes; Triterpenes

Ever since the era of recombinant DNA technology for natural product biosynthesis emerged (292), microorganisms are increasingly becoming common production platforms for many fine chemicals, including natural products and biofuels, that are currently being produced either through chemical methods or using plant and organ cell cultures. The rapid elucidation of biosynthetic pathways made possible through advanced genomic tools has made natural products again the molecules of choice for drug development. Indeed, half of the drugs currently in clinical use are natural products and it is expected that the market size of biotechnology-derived small molecules will exceed billion U.S.$100 in 2010 and billion U.S.$400 in 2030 (3, 293). There are still many challenges facing the use of microorganisms for high-value chemical synthesis. For example, further developments of recent advances are necessary to make a fermentation-based biobutanol industry that can compete effectively with petrochemically derived butanol. As such, we believe that biocatalyst factories such as E. coli and S. cerevisiae will not only continue to be highly attractive alternatives to traditional chemical manufacturing but the application of powerful systems biology approaches will facilitate their expanded role in industrial applications (294-296).

Topics: Artemisinins; Bioelectric Energy Sources; Biological Products; Butanols; Carotenoids; Cells, Cultured; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; Epothilones; Erwinia; Erythromycin; Escherichia coli; Ethanol; Flavonoids; Green Chemistry Technology; Macrolides; Plant Cells; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Shikimic Acid; Stilbenes; Terpenes; Tylosin; Ubiquinone

The aim of this study was to investigate whether resveratrol (Res) combined with artemisinin (ART) possess synergistic effect on different cancer cells.. The viability of HepG2 and HeLa cells treated with ART and Res was detected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Combination index (CI) analysis and isobologram were used to assess the synergistic effect of ART and Res in different ratios. Wound-healing assay was used to investigate the migration rate. AO staining and fluorescent microscopy measurements were performed to detect the cell apoptosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured with 2'7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA).. MTT assay indicated that ART and Res inhibited the growth of HeLa and HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The combination of ART and Res exhibited the strongest anticancer effect at the ratio of 1:2 (ART to Res). The combination of the two drugs also markedly reduced the ability of cell migration. Apoptosis analysis showed that combination of ART and Res significantly increased the apoptosis and necrosis rather than use singly. Additionally, ROS levels were elevated by combining ART with Res.. Taken together, the present study suggested that ART and Res possessed the synergistic anti-tumor effect. ART in combination with Res could be an effective therapeutic strategy for cancer.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Artemisinins; Cell Movement; Cell Proliferation; Drug Synergism; Flow Cytometry; HeLa Cells; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Reactive Oxygen Species; Resveratrol; Stilbenes