Oxidative stress is a normal phenomenon in the body. Under normal conditions, the physiologically important intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are maintained at low levels by various enzyme systems participating in the in vivo redox homeostasis. Therefore, oxidative stress can also be viewed as an imbalance between the prooxidants and antioxidants in the body. For the last two decades, oxidative stress has been one of the most burning topics among the biological researchers all over the world. Several reasons can be assigned to justify its importance: knowledge about reactive oxygen and nitrogen species production and metabolism; identification of biomarkers for oxidative damage; evidence relating manifestation of chronic and some acute health problems to oxidative stress; identification of various dietary antioxidants present in plant foods as bioactive molecules; and so on. This review discusses the importance of oxidative stress in the body growth and development as well as proteomic and genomic evidences of its relationship with disease development, incidence of malignancies and autoimmune disorders, increased susceptibility to bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases, and an interplay with prooxidants and antioxidants for maintaining a sound health, which would be helpful in enhancing the knowledge of any biochemist, pathophysiologist, or medical personnel regarding this important issue.

/pdf/oxidative-stress-prooxidants-and-antioxidants-the-interplay-4xs72vw50w.pdf

Oxidative Stress, Prooxidants, and Antioxidants: The Interplay

http://repositorium.sdum.uminho.pt/bitstream/1822/7896/1/Paterson_Cordyceps%5b1%5d.pdf

Cordyceps – A traditional Chinese medicine and another fungal therapeutic biofactory?

Inflammation, although first characterized by Cornelius Celsus, a physician in first Century Rome, it was Rudolf Virchow, a German physician in nineteenth century who suggested a link between inflammation and cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, pulmonary diseases, neurological diseases and other chronic diseases. Extensive research within last three decades has confirmed these observations and identified the molecular basis for most chronic diseases and for the associated inflammation. The transcription factor, Nuclear Factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) that controls over 500 different gene products, has emerged as major mediator of inflammation. Thus agents that can inhibit NF-kappaB and diminish chronic inflammation have potential to prevent or delay the onset of the chronic diseases and further even treat them. In an attempt to identify novel anti-inflammatory agents which are safe and effective, in contrast to high throughput screen, we have turned to "reverse pharmacology" or "bed to benchside" approach. We found that Ayurveda, a science of long life, almost 6,000 years old, can serve as a "goldmine" for novel anti-inflammatory agents used for centuries to treat chronic diseases. The current review is an attempt to provide description of various Ayurvedic plants currently used for treatment, their active chemical components, and the inflammatory pathways that they inhibit.

Identification of Novel Anti-inflammatory Agents from Ayurvedic Medicine for Prevention of Chronic Diseases: “Reverse Pharmacology” and “Bedside to Bench” Approach

Cordyceps species, including C. sinensis, C. militaris, C. pruinosa and C. ophioglossoides, are prized traditional medicinal materials. The aim of this article is to review the chemical constituents and pharmacological actions of Cordyceps species. The chemical constituents include cordycepin (3′-deoxyadenosine) and its derivatives, ergosterol, polysaccharides, a glycoprotein and peptides containing α-aminoisobutyric acid. They include anti-tumour, anti-metastatic, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal, antimicrobial, hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic, anti-ageing, neuroprotective and renoprotective effects. Polysaccharide accounts for the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumour, anti-metastatic, immunomodulatory, hypoglycaemic, steroidogenic and hypolipidaemic effects. Cordycepin contributes to the anti-tumour, insecticidal and antibacterial activity. Ergosterol exhibits anti-tumour and immunomodulatory activity. A DNase has been characterized.

Pharmacological actions of Cordyceps, a prized folk medicine

Objectives

Natural remedies are becoming increasingly popular and important in the public and scientific communities. Historically, natural remedies have been shown to present interesting biological and pharmacological activity and are used as chemotherapeutic agents. For centuries Cordyceps, which is a genus of more than 400 species in the family Clavicipitaceae, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine. This study highlights the chemistry and pharmacology of Cordyceps, especially Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc. and C. militaris (Fr.) L. Information was obtained from Google Scholar and the journal databases PubMed and Scopus.



Key findings

 Many bioactive components of Cordyceps have been extracted, such as cordycepin, cordycepic acid, ergosterol, polysaccharides, nucleosides and peptides. Studies show that Cordyceps and its active principles possess a wide range of pharmacological actions, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumour, antihyperglycaemic, antiapoptosis, immunomodulatory, nephroprotective, and hepatoprotective.



Summary

More research is required to discover the full extent of the activity of Cordyceps.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.2042-7158.2012.01601.x

The genus Cordyceps: a chemical and pharmacological review.

Effects of ergosterol peroxide (C28H44O3; Cpd 6A) from Cordyceps cicadae on phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated cell proliferation were studied in primary human T cells. The results showed that Cpd 6A suppressed T-cell proliferation for about 24 h after stimulation with PHA. Cell cycle analysis indicated that Cpd 6A arrested the cell cycle progression of activated T cells from the G1 transition to the S phase. To localize the point in the cell cycle where arrest occurred, a set of key regulatory events leading to the G1/S boundary, including the expression of cyclins D2, E, A1, and B1, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), and activating protein-1 (AP-1), was examined. Cpd 6A suppressed, in activated T lymphocytes, the production and mRNA expression of cyclin E, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-gamma in a dose-dependent manner. Expression of AP-1 proteins, consisting of c-Fos and c-Jun, in activated T lymphocytes was decreased by Cpd 6A. The kinetic study indicated that the inhibitory effects of Cpd 6A on IL-2 mRNA expressed in T cells might be related to blocking c-Fos protein synthesis. T-cell proliferation after Cpd 6A treatment was partially restored by addition of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-gamma. These suppressant effects of Cpd 6A on T-cell proliferation, activated by PHA, appeared to be mediated, at least in part, through the inhibition of early gene transcripts, especially those of cyclin E, IFN-gamma, IL-2, and IL-4, and by arresting cell cycle progression in the cells.

https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1038/sj.bjp.0705500

Activation and proliferation signals in primary human T lymphocytes inhibited by ergosterol peroxide isolated from Cordyceps cicadae

Background and purpose:
Extracts of Plumbago zeylanica containing suberosin exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. We purified suberosin from such extracts and studied its effects on a set of key regulatory events in the proliferation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) stimulated by phytohemagglutinin (PHA).

/pdf/suberosin-inhibits-proliferation-of-human-peripheral-blood-3wxd2b5g1p.pdf

Suberosin inhibits proliferation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells through the modulation of the transcription factors NF-AT and NF-κB

Vandellia cordifolia (V. cordifolia) used for treatment inflammation in traditional Chinese medicine was selected for immunopharmacological activity test. The effects of V. cordifolia extracted fractions on human mononuclear cells (HMNC) proliferation were determined by tritiated thymidine uptake. The results indicated that VC-ME fraction suppressed HMNC proliferation activated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and stimulated cell cycle progression was arrested at the G0/G1 stage. The inhibitory mechanisms may involve the blocking of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production, since VC-ME suppressed IL-2 and IFN-γ production of HMNC in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, it is suggested that immunomodulatory agents are contained in V. cordifolia.

Vandellia cordifolia regulated cell proliferation and cytokines production in human mononuclear cells.

From the ethanol extract of the stem of Piper kadsura (Piperaceae), seven compounds-futoquinol; futoenone; (+)-crotepoxide; galgravin; (-)galbelgin; piperlactam S and piperolactam B were isolated, identified and tested for immunopharmacological activities with human mononuclear cells (HMNC) being used as target cells and cell proliferation determined by 3Hthymidine uptake. The results indicated that compounds futoquinol, galgravin, piperlactam S and piperolactam B potently inhibited HMNC proliferation and interferon-g production. Therefore immunosup pressive mechanisms might involve the impairment of cytokines production.

Some Immunomodulatory Principles Isolated from Piper Kadsura

Vandellia cordifolia (V. cordifolia), used for the treatment of inflammation and cancer in traditional Chinese medicine was selected for antitumor activity test Altogether, 5 fractions (VC-HE, VC-ME, VC-CH, VC-BU, and VC-W) were obtained from crude etranolic extracts of V. cordifolia. Effects of VC-HE, VC-ME, VC-CH, VC-BU, and VC-W fractions on K562, Vero, Raji, Calu-1, HeLa, and Wish tumor cells proliferation were determined by the 3H-thymidine uptake method. The results indicated that the VC-CH fraction suppressed proliferation of the various tumor cells in a concentration dependent manner. The IC50 values of VC-CH on the K562, Raji, Wish, HeLa, Calu-1, and Vero tumor cell lines were 47.5±9.7, 40.0±10.0, 38.1±8.4, 51.3±16.7, 45.6±7.1, and 36.3±5.0 μg/mL, respectively. Cell cycle analysis indicated that VC-CH arrested the cell cycle progression of tumor cells at the G1 transition to the S phase. Thus, the suppressant effects of VC-CH on proliferation of various tumor cells appeared to be mediated, at least in part, through arresting cell cycle progression in the cells. Therefore, it is suggested that tumor cell growth inhibitors are contained in V. cordifolia.

Yuh-Chi Kuo

Papers

Activation and proliferation signals in primary human T lymphocytes inhibited by ergosterol peroxide isolated from Cordyceps cicadae

Suberosin inhibits proliferation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells through the modulation of the transcription factors NF-AT and NF-κB

Vandellia cordifolia regulated cell proliferation and cytokines production in human mononuclear cells.

Some Immunomodulatory Principles Isolated from Piper Kadsura

Inhibitory Effects of Extracts from Vandellia Cordifolia on Tumor Cells Proliferation