Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Volume 19, Issue 5, 2018

Background: This review is intended to draw the attention of pharmaceutical and biotechnological communities to the untapped potential of the Scutellaria genus. Skullcaps, as they are more widely known, are found in one of the oldest materia medica in the world, that of ancient Chinese pharmacology, and their numerous wide range of medicinal bioactivities have been studied both in vivo and in vitro. For thousands of ye Read More

Background: Increased demand for compounds that are derived from natural source are gaining more and more importance. Plumbagin is a plant naphthoquinone which is present in several families, including Iridaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Ebenceae, Drosophyllaceae, Nepenthaceae and Droseraceae. Plumbagin possesses high therapeutic efficacy and minimal side effects. It has various pharmaceutical activities which incl Read More

Background: Replacement therapies have revolutionized treatment paradigms in metabolic diseases by restoring defective enzymes and supplementing missing downstream metabolites. Through most of the 20th century, no targeted therapies existed for these conditions, the only treatment options available focusing on symptoms rather than the underlying disorders. Improved understanding of the molecular path Read More

Background: Insulin (INS) has been used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Due to its large molecular weight and short half-life, it has been usually administered subcutaneously accompanied with side effects such as the possibility of hypoglycemia episodes, weight gain and inadequate post-meal glucose control. Objective: In order to overcome these limitations, alternative delivery routes of insulin are expected to provid Read More

Background: Plants of the genus Campomanesia belong to the family Myrtaceae and are very abundant in Cerrado areas. Teas from leaves of species of this genus are used for intestinal infections, combating obesity, stomach pathology, fever and among others. Objective: The present study evaluated the chemical composition and antioxidant potential, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of ethanolic extract from leaves of Ca Read More

Background: Bioconjugates prepared from photoactive molecules and metal nanoparticles are suitable for the development of new optoelectronic devices and for theranostic applications in medicine. Methods: We produced a bioconjugate of R-phycoerythrin (R-PE), a photosynthetic pigment of red algae, with Ag0 nanoparticles (Ag0 NPs) synthesized in its tunnel cavities by mixing aqueous solutions of AgNO3 and R-PE without ex Read More

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate anti-apoptotic effects of luteolin on angiotensin II-stimulated murine peritoneal macrophages and to explore its mechanisms. Methods and Results: The viability and cytotoxicity of murine peritoneal macrophages were assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and measuring lactate dehydrogenase levels, respectively. Apoptotic rates were determined using Annexin V/propi Read More