The use of and search for drugs and dietary supplements derived from plants have accelerated in recent years. Ethnopharmacologists, botanists, microbiologists, and natural-products chemists are combing the Earth for phytochemicals and “leads” which could be developed for treatment of infectious diseases. While 25 to 50% of current pharmaceuticals are derived from plants, none are used as antimicrobials. Traditional healers have long used plants to prevent or cure infectious conditions; Western medicine is trying to duplicate their successes. Plants are rich in a wide variety of secondary metabolites, such as tannins, terpenoids, alkaloids, and flavonoids, which have been found in vitro to have antimicrobial properties. This review attempts to summarize the current status of botanical screening efforts, as well as in vivo studies of their effectiveness and toxicity. The structure and antimicrobial properties of phytochemicals are also addressed. Since many of these compounds are currently available as unregulated botanical preparations and their use by the public is increasing rapidly, clinicians need to consider the consequences of patients self-medicating with these preparations.

Plant Products as Antimicrobial Agents

Thermo- and pH-responsive polymers in drug delivery.

Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Sector 67, S. A. S. Nagar,Mohali, Punjab-160 062, India, Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Polytechnic University, Via Ranieri 67, IT-60100 Ancona, Italy,Green Biotechnology Research Group, The Special Division for Human Life Technology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science andTechnology, 1-8-31 Midorigaoka, Ikeda, Osaka-563-8577, Japan, and Department of Medicinal Chemistry & Natural Products,The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, School of Pharmacy-Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem 91120, IsraelReceived March 2, 2004

Chitosan chemistry and pharmaceutical perspectives.

https://cmapspublic3.ihmc.us/rid=1266358861321_2027852911_13457/Wound%20Healing%20Dressings%20and%20Drug%20Delivery%20Systems.pdf

Wound healing dressings and drug delivery systems: a review.

The development of nonviral vectors for safe and efficient gene delivery has been gaining considerable attention recently. An ideal nonviral vector must protect the gene against degradation by nuclease in the extracellular matrix, internalize the plasma membrane, escape from the endosomal compartment, unpackage the gene at some point and have no detrimental effects. In comparison to viruses, nonviral vectors are relatively easy to synthesize, less immunogenic, low in cost, and have no limitation in the size of a gene that can be delivered. Significant progress has been made in the basic science and applications of various nonviral gene delivery vectors; however, the majority of nonviral approaches are still inefficient and often toxic. To this end, two nonviral gene delivery systems using either biodegradable poly(D,Llactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) nanoparticles or cell penetrating peptide (CPP) complexes have been designed and studied using A549 human lung epithelial cells. PLG nanoparticles were optimized for gene delivery by varying particle surface chemistry using different coating materials that adsorb to the particle surface during formation. A variety of cationic coating materials were studied and compared to more conventional surfactants used for PLG nanoparticle fabrication. Nanoparticles (~200 nm) efficiently encapsulated plasmids encoding for luciferase (80-90%) and slowly released the same for two weeks. After a delay, moderate levels of gene expression appeared at day 5 for certain positively charged PLG particles and gene expression was maintained for at least two weeks. In contrast, gene expression mediated by polyethyleneimine (PEI) ended at day 5. PLG particles were also significantly less

Nonviral Vectors for Gene Delivery

Chemical investigation of the leaves of Struchium sparganophora by the application of VLC, CL and PTLC resulted in isolation of three compounds. The cytotoxicity activity of these compounds on malignant human cultured cells was examined. Vernodalin showed a significant cytotoxic activity on the melanoma and ovarian cancer cell lines (P<0.05) while the conjugated 3 methyl, 2, 6 hexacosedienol and luteolin caused cell death after 48h reculture without them. These compounds portend an effective remedy if subjected to structural modification to enhance its’ efficacy and the dietary importance of this plant as a culinary herb in west Africa countries is evidence by the presence of these antitumour compounds in this plant.

Cytotoxicity of isolated compounds from the extracts of Struchium sparganophora (Linn) Ktze asteraceae

New labdane diterpenes from the aerial parts of Scoparia dulcis L.

Coumarins from Three Phebalium species

Five pyranocoumarins, avicennol, cis-avicennol, dipetalolactone, avicennol methyl ether, and cis-avicennol methyl ether have been isolated from the aerial parts of Asterolasia Drummondii. Examination of the aerial parts of Asterolasia squamuligerahad shown it to contain 3- (3-hydroxy-3-methyl-trans-but-1-enyl)-7-methoxycoumarin [6], which is novel. Asterolasia drummondii, in addition to containing coumarins, has afforded the furoquinoline alkaloids, maculosidine and y-fagarine

Coumarins from two Asterolasia species

Series of ring-substituted 3-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxanilides were screened for their in vitro activity against wild-type S427 (bloodstream form) of Trypanosoma brucei brucei. 3-Hydroxy-N-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)- and 3-hydroxy-N-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)naphthalene-2-carboxamides showed the highest biological activity (MIC = 1.56 and 2.08 µmol/dm3, respectively). Antitrypanosomal activity was correlated with the experimentally determined lipophilicity and acid–base dissociation constants of the compounds as well as with the calculated electronic properties of individual anilide substituents expressed as Hammett’s σ parameters. The substitution in the meta- or para-position of anilide of derivatives with higher lipophilicity by an electron-withdrawing moiety is favourable for higher activity. The optimum thermodynamic pK
 a
 T
 value was found to be ca. 7.5. The structure–activity relationships of all compounds are discussed.

Alexander I. Gray

Papers

Cytotoxicity of isolated compounds from the extracts of Struchium sparganophora (Linn) Ktze asteraceae

New labdane diterpenes from the aerial parts of Scoparia dulcis L.

Coumarins from Three Phebalium species

Coumarins from two Asterolasia species

3-Hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxanilides and their antitrypanosomal activity