Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry Commons^™

Molecular Docking Analysis Of Acanthus Ilicifolius Compounds Toward Cul4b-Ddb1-Ahr-Erα Complex Protein For Antiosteoporosis Discovery, Binar Asrining Dhiani, Sarmoko Sarmoko, Retno Wahyuningrum, Akbar Yulianto

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Osteoporosis represents a significant global public health issue, particularly among the aging population. Its incidence reaches 18.3% of the total population, with the highest prevalence observed in elderly postmenopausal women. A key factor in osteoporosis is the decreased expression level of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), attributed to its degradation by the ubiquitin ligase protein complex Cullin4B (CUL4B), DNA damage binding 1 (DDB1), and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), collectively known as CUL4BAhR. Acanthus ilicifolius L contains compounds exhibiting antiosteoporosis activity, primarily by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis via RANKL. However, no reports exist of antiosteoporosis agents that act by inhibiting ERα degradation via CUL4BAhR. …

Piperine Encourages Apoptosis In Human Cervical Adenocarcinoma Cells Through Ros Generation, Dna Fragmentation, Caspase-3 Activation And Cell Cycle Arrest, Asif Jafri, Juhi Rais, Sudhir Kumar, Md Arshad

Research Symposium

Background: Cancer is one of the most common destructive diseases and the second leading cause of death in humans. Among cancer, cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy among women globally. Thus, there is a continuous need to search for chemotherapeutic chemicals or naturally occurring drugs to resolve this global health problem. Piperine (1-piperoylpeperdine) is present in the fruits of black pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.) and long pepper (Piper longum Linn.). It possesses several pharmacological properties and in the present study we have evaluated its anti-cancer potential on human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cells.

Methods: The anti-proliferative effect …

The Opioid Epidemic: How Genetics Play A Role In Addiction And Treatment, Kirsten Houston

Honors College Theses

The opioid epidemic is an issue within the pharmaceutical industry in the United States of America due to prescription and non-prescription substances being made available to the population. Opioids include chemical substances that affect the body and brain through opioid receptors, including the mu, kappa, and delta receptors. These substances are derived and synthesized from the poppy plant. Multiple causes have been linked to opioid abuse disorder, including but not limited to employment, income, housing, nutrition, mental health disorders, and genetics. By gathering information from previous literature, genetics may be the main cause of narcotic analgesic tolerance and abuse. Specific …

Synthesis Of Ferrous Fumarate From Indonesian Iron Sand And In Vivo Body Weight Gain Test In Rats, Taufiq Indra Rukmana, Felicia Natalia Kurniadi, Harmita Harmita

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a health problem in Indonesia. Prevention and treatment of IDA is carried out by giving fortified foods and oral iron therapy. Both can use ferrous fumarate which is made with reacting bivalent iron and disodium fumarate. Bivalent iron can be obtained from iron sand in Indonesia. This study aims to synthesize ferrous fumarate from Indonesian iron sand, which is from Malang, Sukabumi, and Cianjur area, and to determine its absorption through in vivo body weight gain test in male Wistar white rats (Rattus norvegicus). First, ferrous fumarate was synthesized through reaction of ferrous …

Keynote Speaker Arkansas Women In Stem Conference Presentation, Maria Ines Ines Dow

Arkansas Women in STEM Conference

The Keynote Speaker of the 3rd Annual Arkansas Women in STEM Conference is Dr. Diana Escalona-Vargas, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UAMS and ACH, and Scientific Director of the Arkansas Children's Hospital Magnetoencephalography Laboratory.

Computational Evaluation Of Bioactive Compounds From Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea L (Ligonberry) For Treating Kras-Associated Lung Cancer, Ayooluwa Ilesanmi, Gbenga Dairo, Toheeb Balogun, Bibiire Awoyale

Undergraduate Research Conference

Lung cancer is the cancer of the lung's epithelial cells typically characterized by difficult breathing, chest pain, blood-stained coughs, headache, and weight loss. If left unmanaged, lung cancer can spread to other body parts. While several treatment methods exist for managing lung cancer, exploring natural plant sources for developing therapeutics offers great potential in complementing different treatment approaches. In this study, we concentrated on inhibiting the mutated Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) by targeting an associated protein (Phosphodiesterase 6δ) to which KRAS form complexes. We evaluated bioactive compounds from Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L), adopting computational approaches such as …

Virtual And In Vitro Screening Of Natural Products Identifies Indole And Benzene Derivatives As Inhibitors Of Sars-Cov-2 Main Protease (MPro), Dony Ang, Riley Kendall, Hagop S. Atamian

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The rapid spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in serious health, social, and economic consequences. While the development of effective vaccines substantially reduced the severity of symptoms and the associated deaths, we still urgently need effective drugs to further reduce the number of casualties associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections. Machine learning methods both improved and sped up all the different stages of the drug discovery processes by performing complex analyses with enormous datasets. Natural products (NPs) have been used for treating diseases and infections for thousands of years and represent a valuable resource for drug discovery when combined with …

Development Of A Method For Identifying And Quantifying Epicatechin In Cinnamon Extract Supplement Capsules, Danielle Valls

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

A Ligand-Based Approach To Identifying Commercially Available Inhibitors Of Human Galactokinase (Galk), Tyler Rose

Annual Research Symposium

The purpose of this project was to find inhibitors of the human galactokinase (GALK) enzyme. GALK is responsible for catalyzing the conversion of galactose to galactose 1-phosphate, the first step in galactose metabolism. Galactose 1-phosphate builds up in the cells of patients with type 1 galactosemia due a genetic disorder. It has been proposed that inhibiting galactose 1-phosphate production by GALK may prevent many of the major complications of type 1 galactosemia. In this study, a ligand-based approach was used to identify commercially available inhibitors of GALK, starting from galactose-bearing natural products. Candidate inhibitors were screened for their ability to …

Comparative Estimation Of The Cytotoxic Activity Of Different Parts Of Cynara Scolymus L.: Crude Extracts Versus Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles With Apoptotic Investigation, Shady Swidan, Amgad Khedr, Abdelaziz Farrag, Ali Nasr, Mohamed Nafie, Maged Abdel-Kader, Marwa Goda, Jihan Badr, Reda Abdelhameed

Pharmacy

Different parts of Cynara scolymus L. and their green synthesized eco-friendly silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were screened for their cytotoxicity and apoptotic activity. Results showed that flower extract AgNPs exhibited more potent cytotoxicity compared to the normal form against PC-3 and A549 cell lines with IC50 values of 2.47 μg/mL and 1.35 μg/mL, respectively. The results were compared to doxorubicin (IC50 = 5.13 and 6.19 μg/mL, respectively). For apoptosis-induction, AgNPs prepared from the flower extract induced cell death by apoptosis by 41.34-fold change and induced necrotic cell death by 10.2-fold. Additionally, they induced total prostate apoptotic cell death by a 16.18-fold …

Silver Nanoparticles Formulation Of Flower Head’S Polyphenols Of Cynara Scolymus L.: A Promising Candidate Against Prostate (Pc-3) Cancer Cell Line Through Apoptosis Activation, Shady Swidan, Amgad Khedr, Marwa Goda, Abdelaziz Farrag, Ali Nasr, Mohamed Nafie, Maged Abdel-Kader, Jihan Badr, Reda Abdelhameed

Pharmacy

Cynara scolymus L. (Family: Compositae) or artichoke is a nutritious edible plant widely used for its hepatoprotective effect. Crude extracts of flower, bract, and stem were prepared and evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant activity and phenolic content. The flower crude extract exhibited the highest phenolic content (74.29 mg GAE/gm) as well as the best in vitro antioxidant activity using total antioxidant capacity (TAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FEAP), and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhyazyl (DPPH) scavenging assays compared with ascorbic acid. Phenolic fractions of the crude extracts of different parts were separated and identified using high-performance liquid chromatography HPLC-DAD analysis. The silver nanoparticles …

Jatropha Tanjorensis A Flora Of Southeast Nigeria: Isolation And Characterization Of Naringenin And Validation Of Bio-Enhanced Synergistical Activity Of Α- Tocopherol Toward Clinical Isolates Of Resistant Bacterial, Ikechukwu Kingsley Ijoma, Vincent Ishmael Egbulefu Ajiwe

Makara Journal of Science

Jatropha tanjorensis is among the rich floras of Southeast Nigeria and used by ethnic people to treat infections and manage health conditions. Ethnomedicine has long been employed in the treatment of ailments caused by bacterial pathogens. Studies showed that the incorporation of synthetic α-tocopherol to an antibacterial agent improves its activity. However, knowledge about the antibacterial-enhanced activity of plant-based α-tocopherols, especially those isolated from Jatropha tanjorensis, is limited because of the different bioactivities of synthetic and natural α-tocopherols. To determine the phytochemicals in J. tanjorensis, we carried out the structural elucidation of its leaf extracts. Naringenin and α-tocopherol …

Integration Of Medicinal Fungi Into The Heber W. Youngken Jr. Medicinal Garden, Anthony Makashov

Senior Honors Projects

The Heber W. Youngken Jr. Medicinal Garden is a one-of-a-kind resource that houses close to 300 medicinal plants and is filled to the brim with educational opportunities. For the College of Pharmacy, this garden has been the centerpiece of many classes taught here at the University of Rhode Island and has roots as a physical teaching space. While the garden contains a plethora of plant species, medicinal fungi have yet to have been included in the garden, despite their relevance as both sources of pharmaceutical drug discovery and as natural products with inherent physiological benefits themselves. The purpose of my …

Discovery Of Sigma-2 Ligands And Prioritization Of Marine Cyanobacteria Extracts For Tnbc Drug Discovery, Katelyn Grenell, Andrea L. Rague, Sahar Mofidi, Jane E. Cavanaugh, Kevin J. Tidgewell

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

The role of natural products in drug development is well established. In recent years, marine cyanobacteria have been regarded as a major source of biologically active metabolites with chemical and Figure 5 pharmacological diversity. These cyanobacterial natural products serve as a promising source of drug A. leads for the discovery of therapeutic agents used in the treatment of many diseases of interest, such as CNS disorders, pain, and cancer. We have generated a library of 409 fractions from 37 field collected cyanobacterial samples and screened these fractions against a panel of CNS receptors using radiolabeled ligand competitive-binding assays. Upon analysis …

Arkansas Women In Stem Conference Presentation: Investigations Of Salvia Officinalis Secondary Metabolites, Maria Ines Ines Dow

Arkansas Women in STEM Conference

Salvia officinalis or Sage (The “Salvation Plant”) is known to have various health benefits. Salvia officinalis has been known to treat menstrual cycle pains, gastroenteritis problems, improve liver function, as well as in applications for anticancer remedies and neurodegenerative diseases. This fragrant plant is most often found in the Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and South America. This research aims to test the raw and vinegar-baked medicinal plant to investigate the change in its chemistry and its biological effect. The plant was purchased as dry leaves and stems. It was then grounded and extracted. The extractions were done via a Soxhlet extraction …

Apigenin And Structurally Related Flavonoids Allosterically Potentiate The Function Of Human Α7-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Expressed In Sh-Ep1 Cells, Waheed Shabbir, Keun-Hang Susan Yang, Bassem Sadek, Murat Oz

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Phytochemicals, such as monoterpenes, polyphenols, curcuminoids, and flavonoids, are known to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, and procognitive effects. In this study, the effects of several polyhydroxy flavonoids, as derivatives of differently substituted 5,7-dihydroxy-4H-chromen-4-one including apigenin, genistein, luteolin, kaempferol, quercetin, gossypetin, and phloretin with different lipophilicities (cLogP), as well as topological polar surface area (TPSA), were tested for induction of Ca²⁺ transients by α7 human nicotinic acetylcholine (α7 nACh) receptors expressed in SH-EP1 cells. Apigenin (10 μM) caused a significant potentiation of ACh (30 μM)-induced Ca²⁺ transients, but did not affect Ca²⁺ transients induced by high K^{+ …}

Effects Of Strong Oxidants Present In Acer Spp. On Hemolysis Methemoglobin Production In Equine Erythrocytes, Gabrielle Mcgeorge, Jeffrey Lehman

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Maple toxicosis is a deadly condition affecting equines after they have ingested wilted leaves of the genus Acer (i.e., maple species). It is characterized by hemolytic anemia and methemoglobinemia. Although the toxins responsible for causing toxicosis have not been identified, they are thought to be strong oxidants. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of eight compounds (galloyl derivatives) found in Acer spp. on hemolysis and methemoglobin production in bioassays with equine erythrocytes. Seven of the compounds are known constituents of Acer spp. that are commercially available. One of the compounds--acertannin--was isolated and characterized from leaf extracts …

Anti‑Estrogenic And Anti‑Aromatase Activities Of Citrus Peels Major Compounds In Breast Cancer, Maha Salama, Dina Mahmoud Elkersh, Shahira M. Ezzat, Yasmeen Attiaa, Engy A. Mahrous, Mohey Elmazar

Pharmacy

Estrogen signaling is crucial for breast cancer initiation and progression. Endocrine-based therapies comprising estrogen receptor (ER) modulators and aromatase inhibitors remain the mainstay of treatment. This study aimed at investigating the antitumor potential of the most potent compounds in citrus peels on breast cancer by exploring their anti-estrogenic and anti-aromatase activities. The ethanolic extract of different varieties of citrus peels along with eight isolated flavonoids were screened against estrogen-dependent breast cancer cell lines besides normal cells for evaluating their safety profile. Naringenin, naringin and quercetin demonstrated the lowest IC50s and were therefore selected for further assays. In silico molecular modeling …

Stability Evaluation Of Extemporaneously Compounded Vancomycin Ophthalmic Drops: Effect Of Solvents And Storage Conditions, Christopher Ross, Basir Syed, Joanna Pak, Vishal Jhanji, Jason Yamaki, Ajay Sharma

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Vancomycin is the drug of choice for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus keratitis and other ocular infections. Vancomycin ophthalmic drops are not commercially available and require compounding. The present study was designed to investigate the stability of vancomycin ophthalmic drops in normal saline, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and balanced salt solution (BSS) while stored at room temperature or under refrigeration. Vancomycin ophthalmic drops (50 mg/mL) were aseptically prepared from commercially available intravenous powder using PBS, BSS, and saline. Solutions were stored at room temperature and in a refrigerator for 28 days. The vancomycin stability was tested by a microbiology assay and high-performance liquid …

Delineating The Biosynthesis Of Capuramycin-Type Antibiotics, Ashley L. Biecker

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

New antibiotic scaffolds with novel drug targets are needed to combat the rise of drug-resistant, infectious microorganisms. The bacterial translocase I is a ubiquitous enzyme in the peptidoglycan biosynthetic pathway that has yet to be targeted by clinically used antibiotics. It catalyzes the transfer of N-acetylmuramoyl-pentapeptide to undecaprenylphosphate in order to generate lipid I during cell wall biosynthesis. A screening of bacterial translocase I inhibitors led to the discovery of the novel compound capuramycin and its analogues: A-500359s, A-503083s, and A-102395, produced by various species of actinomycetes. The capuramycins show potent activity against the bacterial translocase I with IC50s …

Science-Based Regulation Of Pharmacological Substances In Competition Horses, Jacob Machin

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Current testing methodologies within equine forensic toxicology focus on arbitrary thresholds and zero-tolerance policy. Modern analytical chemistry’s limits of detection are low enough that oftentimes femtogram-per-milliliter amounts of a substance can readily be identified in both blood and urine of a horse. For most pharmacologically relevant compounds, these concentrations have no relevance to pharmacological effect. It is therefore crucial that testing methodologies to determine appropriate thresholds and cut-offs be developed that are driven by biological activity rather than arbitrary limits of detection. This dissertation looks to address this by suggesting a system of calculated Effective Plasma Concentrations by which a …

Evaluation Of Antipsychotic Activity Of Ethanolic Bark Extract Of Myrica Esculenta In Rats, Biswash Sapkota, Ankit Acharya, Bishal Dangi, Annegowda Hv

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

The antipsychotic properties of Myrica esculenta stem bark were evaluated. The stem bark was collected, shade dried, and pulverized. Extraction was carried out with 70% ethanol by occasional shaking. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the extract was investigated in this study. Antipsychotic activity was evaluated against apomorphine-induced stereotypy using cook’s pole climbing apparatus and haloperidol-induced catalepsy models. Bioamine determination of noradrenaline and dopamine was also performed. The extract contains phytochemicals, including glycosides, flavonoids, volatile oils, proteins, saponins, phenolics, and tannins. The result showed decreased apomorphine-induced stereotyped behavior. This study reported significant dose-dependent potentiation of haloperidol-induced catalepsy in rats and a longer …

Structural Characterization And In Vitro Lipid Binding Studies Of Non-Specific Lipid Transfer Protein 1 (Nsltp1) From Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) Seeds, Mekdes Megeressa, Bushra Siraj, Shamshad Zarina, Aftab Ahmed

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) are cationic proteins involved in intracellular lipid shuttling in growth and reproduction, as well as in defense against pathogenic microbes. Even though the primary and spatial structures of some nsLTPs from different plants indicate their similar features, they exhibit distinct lipid-binding specificities signifying their various biological roles that dictate further structural study. The present study determined the complete amino acid sequence, in silico 3D structure modeling, and the antiproliferative activity of nsLTP1 from fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seeds. Fennel is a member of the family Umbelliferae (Apiaceae) native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean …

Celecoxib Loaded In-Situ Provesicular Powder And Its In-Vitro Cytotoxic Effect For Cancer Therapy: Fabrication, Characterization, Optimization And Pharmacokinetic Evaluation, Shady Swidan, Ali Nasr, Sameh Elhady, Noha Badawi

Pharmacy

Introduction: Several recent studies have shown that the role of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) in carcinogenesis has become more evident. It affects angiogenesis, apoptosis, and invasion, and plays a key role in the production of carcinogens. It has also been reported that COX-2 inhibitors such as celecoxib (CLX) might play an effective role in preventing cancer formation and progression. Formulation of CLX into nanovesicles is a promising technique to improve its bioavailability and anticancer efficacy. Aim: The aim of this study is to optimize and evaluate the anticancer efficacy of CLX-loaded in-situ provesicular powder composed of surfactants and fatty alcohol-based novel …

Effect Of Cannabidiol And ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Concentration On Breast Cancer Cell Viability, Dorothy Achiaa Agyemang

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are phytocannabinoids that have a potential impact in cancer treatments. Studies have shown that certain cannabinoids cause cancer cells to die, but only with selective concentrations, which have not been well documented. The first study of this thesis was to determine the exact concentration of CBD and THC needed to kill human MCF-7 breast cancer cells rather than create mass multiplication leading to more growth of the cancer. To conduct this experiment, cell culture was performed with a MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. The treatment groups were treated with CBD or THC at varying concentrations …

Dermaseptin-Based Antiviral Peptides To Prevent Covid-19 Through In Silico Molecular Docking Studies Against Sars-Cov-2 Spike Protein, Taufik Muhammad Fakih

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

A pandemic coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has now been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. The search for new drugs, especially by utilizing antiviral peptides is a very potential area. Through this study, protein-peptide docking and protein-protein docking simulations were conducted using in silico methods to identify, evaluate, and explore the molecular affinity and interaction of dermaseptin peptide molecules produced by frogs of the genus Phyllomedusa against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein macromolecule, and its effect on attachment to the surface of the ACE-2 (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2) receptor. …

In-Vitro Assessment Of Cb1/Cb2 Receptor Binding And Function, Joey M. Davis

Honors Theses

Cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 are G protein-coupled receptors that have a variety of physiological effects on the human body. Many natural product agonists and antagonists are presumed to interact with the cannabinoid receptors and are therefore heavily studied in drug discovery. Assays are used to study the binding of compounds to these receptors. However, a limited number of these assays are efficient in determining the functional activity of ligands associated with CB1 and CB2. Of those, many use radioactivity which is both expensive and potentially dangerous to the researcher. In this study, we first validated the assays already found …

Antiproliferative And Apoptotic Effects Of Proteins From Black Seeds (Nigella Sativa) On Human Breast Mcf-7 Cancer Cell Line, Yamna Khursid, Basir Syed, Shabana U. Simjee, Obaid Beg, Aftab Ahmed

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Nigella sativa (NS), a member of family Ranunculaceae is commonly known as black seed or kalonji. It has been well studied for its therapeutic role in various diseases, particularly cancer. Literature is full of bioactive compounds from NS seed. However, fewer studies have been reported on the pharmacological activity of proteins. The current study was designed to evaluate the anticancer property of NS seed proteins on the MCF-7 cell line.

Methods

NS seed extract was prepared in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), and proteins were precipitated using 80% ammonium sulfate. The crude seed proteins were partially purified using gel filtration …

Correlating The Physicochemical Properties Of Magnesium Stearate With Tablet Dissolution And Lubrication, Julie L. Calahan

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Magnesium stearate (MgSt) is the most commonly used pharmaceutical excipient and is present in over half the tablet formulations on the market. In spite of its popularity as an effective lubricant, it has been repeatedly recognized that there is significant variability between MgSt samples, which can cause inconsistent lubrication between batches of MgSt. The hypothesis of this research is that the batch-to-batch variability in tablet lubrication and dissolution observed in tablet formulations containing different MgSt samples can be correlated with differences in MgSt physicochemical properties (fatty acid salt composition, crystal hydrate form, particle size and surface area). Developing correlations between …

Altering The Regiospecificity Of C6 Indole Prenyltransferase Enzymes Towards Drug Development, Ahmed R. Aoun

Pharmaceutical Sciences (MS) Theses

Prenyltransferase (PT) biocatalysts are late-stage tailoring enzymes that modify natural products. PTs catalyze the attachment of prenyl moieties to natural product acceptors using pyrophosphate donors. This prenyl modification in small molecules leads to changes in structural and biological activities. Understanding the structural insights as well as the mechanisms by which PTs function allows us to utilize PTs as a unique approach towards drug development. PriB PT is an example of aromatic PTs that has been characterized previously as a L-tryptophan (L-Trp) C6 C-prenyltransferase (C6-C-PT). Analysis of PriB binding pocket, highlighted key residues that might play an important …