Natural products have gained popularity worldwide for promoting healthcare, as well as disease prevention. Alkaloids are important chemical compounds that serve as a rich reservoir for drug discovery. Several alkaloids isolated from natural herbs exhibit antiproliferation, antibacterial, antiviral, insecticidal, and antimetastatic effects on various types of cancers both in vitro and in vivo. This paper focuses on the naturally-derived alkaloids such as berberine, matrine, piperine, fritillarine, and rhynchophylline, etc., and summarizes the action mechanisms of these compounds. Based on the information in the literature that is summarized in this paper, the use of alkaloids as drugs is very promising, but more research and clinical trials are necessary before final recommendations on specific alkaloids can be made. Following this, it is hoped that as a result of this review, there will be a greater awareness of the excellent promise that natural alkaloids show for use in the therapy of diseases.
Alkaloids ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Biological Products ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Plants ; chemistry ; Porifera ; chemistry

The DNA structures could be altered or even damaged by exogeous or endogenous factors during cell proliferation. Failure of effective and timely repair will lead to cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. By taking the advantage of the quick proliferation of cancer cells, DNA damage induction, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis promotion have become important strategies for ant-cancer chemotherapy. Previous reports showed that an array of natural compounds inhibit cancer cell proliferation by inducing DNA damage, which have therapeutic potentials for anti-cancer drug research and development.
Animals ; Biological Products ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; DNA Damage ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy

Although a variety of regimens are available for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), severe adverse reactions and unpopular costs often limit their usage. In contrast, certain inexpensive, naturally-occurring ingredients are proven effective for AD with fewer side effects. The beneficial effects of these ingredients can be attributed to inhibition of cytokine and chemokine expression, IgE production, inflammatory cell infiltration, histamine release, and/or the enhancement of epidermal permeability barrier function. Since herbal medicines are widely available, inexpensive and generally safe, they could be valuable alternatives for the treatment of AD, particularly for those patients who are not suitable for the utilization of immune modulators. In this review, we summarize the therapeutic benefits of natural ingredients for the treatment of AD and the mechanisms of their actions.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Biological Products ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Permeability ; Treatment Outcome

Natural products have been an important source of new drugs, which also played a dominant role in the discovery and research of new drugs for the treatment of hypertension. This review article reviews the recent progress in the research and development of natural lead compounds with antihypertensive activity, including alkaloids, diterpenes, coumarins, flavonoids, and peptides. We summarized their structures, sources, as well as the antihypertensive mechanisms. These information provides instructive reference for the following structural modifications and optimization.
Antihypertensive Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Biological Products ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; Magnoliopsida ; chemistry ; Peptides ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Phytochemicals ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVE: To explore potential natural products against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) via the study of structural and non-structural proteins of human coronaviruses. METHODS: In this study, we performed an in-silico survey of 25 potential natural compounds acting against SARS-CoV-2. Molecular docking studies were carried out using compounds against 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CL^PRO), papain-like protease (PL^PRO), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), non-structural protein (nsp), human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 receptor (hACE2R), spike glycoprotein (S protein), abelson murine leukemia viral oncogene homolog 1 (ABL1), calcineurin-nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) and transmembrane protease serine 2. RESULTS: Among the screened compounds, amentoflavone showed the best binding affinity with the 3CL^PRO, RdRp, nsp13, nsp15, hACE2R. ABL1 and calcineurin-NFAT; berbamine with hACE2R and ABL1; cepharanthine with nsp10, nsp14, nsp16, S protein and ABL1; glucogallin with nsp15; and papyriflavonol A with PL^PRO protein. Other good interacting compounds were juglanin, betulinic acid, betulonic acid, broussooflavan A, tomentin A, B and E, 7-methoxycryptopleurine, aloe emodin, quercetin, tanshinone I, tylophorine and furruginol, which also showed excellent binding affinity towards a number of target proteins. Most of these compounds showed better binding affinities towards the target proteins than the standard drugs used in this study. CONCLUSION Natural products or their derivatives may be one of the potential targets to fight against SARS-CoV-2.
Animals ; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use* ; Biological Products/pharmacology* ; COVID-19/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Mice ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; SARS-CoV-2

Marine antitumor drugs have been the research focus in the world. Recently, advancement has been made in the investigation of six types of compounds including bryostatin-1, ecteinascidin-743, dolastatin, didemnin B, psammaplin and halichondrin B. In this review, we summarized the recent research progress of the above mentioned marine antitumor drugs and their derivatives. Also, the development tendency of marine antitumor drugs was discussed.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Biological Products ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Bryostatins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Cell Line, Tumor ; drug effects ; Depsipeptides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Dioxoles ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Disulfides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Ethers, Cyclic ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Macrolides ; Marine Biology ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Tetrahydroisoquinolines ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Tyrosine ; analogs & derivatives ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

AIM: To investigate the chemical constituents of the cultures of Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.) Murrill. METHOD: Compounds were isolated and purified by various chromatographic techniques. The structure of the new compound was determined by interpretation of MS and 1D-, 2D-NMR spectroscopic data, while the known compounds were identified by comparison of their data with those reported. RESULTS: Three mycophenolic acid derivatives, 6-((2E, 6E)-3, 7-dimethyldeca-2, 6-dienyl)-7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-4-methylphtanlan-1-one (1), 6-((2E, 6E)-3, 7, 11-trimethyldedoca-2, 6, 10-trienyl)-5, 7-dihydroxy-4-methylphtanlan-1-one (2), and 6-((2E, 6E)-3, 7, 11-trimethyldedoca-2, 6, 10-trienyl)-7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-4-methylphtanlan-1-one (3) were isolated. CONCLUSION Among them, compound 1 was new, and compound 2 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, and MCF-7 cells, with IC50 values of 39.1, 31.1, 27.4, and 35.7 μmol·L(-1), respectively.
Agaricales ; Biological Products ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; Molecular Structure ; Mycophenolic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Phenols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Polyporales ; chemistry

AIM: To study the bufadienolides in the Chinese traditional drug "Ch'an Su" and their cytotoxic activity. METHOD: Various chromatographic techniques were used to isolate the constituents, and their structures were elucidated through physical and spectroscopic data. RESULTS: Twenty compounds were isolated, and eighteen were evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxic activity against A-549 and K-562 cells. CONCLUSION Compound 1 (bufalin 3β-acrylic ester) was a new bufadienolide and exhibited the most potent activity against the two tumor cell lines with IC50 values of 7.16 and 6.83 nmol · L(-1). The relationships between structure and activity are discussed.
Amphibian Venoms ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Biological Products ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Bufanolides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; K562 Cells ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Molecular Structure ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Structure-Activity Relationship

The NCCN has recently released its 2017 version 1.0 guideline for colorectal cancer. There are several updates from this new version guideline which are believed to change the current clinical practice. Update one, low-dose aspirin is recommended for patients with colorectal cancer after colectomy for secondary chemoprevention. Update two, biological agents are removed from the neoadjuvant treatment regimen for resectable metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This update is based on lack of evidence to support benefits of biological agents including bevacizumab and cetuximab in the neoadjuvant setting. Both technical criteria and prognostic information should be considered for decision-making. Currently biological agents may not be excluded from the neoadjuvant setting for patients with resectable but poor prognostic disease. Update three, panitumumab and cetuximab combination therapy is only recommended for left-sided tumors in the first line therapy. The location of the primary tumor can be both prognostic and predictive in response to EGFR inhibitors in metastatic colorectal cancer. Cetuximab and panitumumab confer little benefit to patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in the primary tumor originated on the right side. On the other hand, EGFR inhibitors provide significant benefit compared with bevacizumab-containing therapy or chemotherapy alone for patients with left primary tumor. Update four, PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors including pembrolizumab or nivolumab are recommended as treatment options in patients with metastatic deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) colorectal cancer in second- or third-line therapy. dMMR tumors contain thousands of mutations, which can encode mutant proteins with the potential to be recognized and targeted by the immune system. It has therefore been hypothesized that dMMR tumors may be sensitive to PD-1 inhibitors.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Aspirin ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Bevacizumab ; therapeutic use ; Biological Products ; therapeutic use ; Brain Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Cetuximab ; therapeutic use ; Clinical Decision-Making ; methods ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics ; pathology ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Contraindications ; Humans ; Mutation ; physiology ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; standards ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; drug therapy ; Neoplastic Syndromes, Hereditary ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Prognosis ; Secondary Prevention ; methods ; standards

In the present study, a new ceramide, namely 2S, 3R-4E, 8E-2-(heptadecanoylamino)-heptadeca-4, 8-diene-1, 3-diol (1), along with four known steroids, including 24-methylcholesta-5, 24(28)-diene-3β-ol (2), 24-methylcholesta-5, 24(28)-diene-3β-acetate (3), 4-methyl-24-methylcholesta-22-ene-3-ol (4), and cholesterol, was isolated and characterized from CHCl/MeOH extract of Cespitularia stolonifera. A new acetate derivative of compound 1, termed 2S, 3R-4E, 8E-2-(heptadecanoylamino)-heptadeca-4, 8-diene-1, 3-diacetate (1a), was also prepared in the present study. All the structures were established on the basis of modern spectroscopic techniques, including FT-IR, 1D, 2D-NMR, HRESI-MS, and GC-MS, in addition of chemical methods. (-)-Alloaromadendren, ledane, (1)-alloaromadendren oxide, isoaromadendrene epoxide and (-)-caryophellen oxide were identified from the n-hexane fraction using GC-MS. The extract and the two ceramides (1) and (1a) exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against lung cancer A549 cells, while the extract and the two steroids (2) and (3) exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against breast cancer MCF-7 cells. The CHCl/MeOH extract exhibited significant antiulcer activity in both ethanol and acetic acid induced ulcer models in rats, as evidenced by histopathological, histochemical, and biochemical examinations.
A549 Cells ; Acetic Acid ; Animals ; Anthozoa ; chemistry ; Anti-Ulcer Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Biological Products ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Ceramides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Disease Models, Animal ; Ethanol ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; MCF-7 Cells ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; methods ; Rats ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; methods ; Steroids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Ulcer ; chemically induced ; drug therapy