Browsing by Author "Sharifi-Rad, Javad"
Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Areca catechu - from farm to food and biomedical applicationsPublication . Salehi, Bahare; Konovalov, Dmitry A.; Fru, Pascaline; Kapewangolo, Petrina; Peron, Gregorio; Ksenija, Mileski S.; Cardoso, Susana M.; Pereira, Olívia R.; Nigam, Manisha; Nicola, Silvana; Pignata, Giuseppe; Rapposelli, Simona; Sestito, Simona; Kumar, Nanjangud V. Anil; Cádiz‐Gurrea, María Luz; Segura‐Carretero, Antonio; Mishra, Abhay P.; Sharifi‐Rad, Mehdi; Cho, William C.; Taheri, Yasaman; Setzer, William N.; Sharifi-Rad, JavadThe family Arecaceae includes 181 genera and 2,600 species with a high diversity in physical characteristics. Areca plants, commonly palms, which are able to grow in nearly every type of habitat, prefer tropical and subtropical climates. The most studied species Areca catechu L. contains phytochemicals as phenolics and alkaloids with biological properties. The phenolics are mainly distributed in roots followed by fresh unripe fruits, leaves, spikes, and veins, while the contents of alkaloids are in the order of roots, fresh unripe fruits, spikes, leaves, and veins. This species has been reputed to provide health effects on the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, metabolic, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. However, in many developing countries, quid from this species has been associated with side effects, which include the destruction of the teeth, impairment of oral hygiene, bronchial asthma, or oral cancer. Despite these side effects, which are also mentioned in this work, the present review collects the main results of biological properties of the phytochemicals in A. catechu. This study emphasizes the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and clinical effectiveness in humans. In this sense, A. catechu have demonstrated effectiveness in several reports through in vitro and in vivo experiments on disorders such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, or anticancer. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that this species presents clinical effectiveness on neurological disorders. Hence, A. catechu extracts could be used as a bioactive ingredient for functional food, nutraceuticals, or cosmeceuticals. However, further studies, especially extensive and comprehensive clinical trials, are recommended for the use of Areca in the treatment of diseases.
- Chemotherapeutic properties and side-effects associated with the clinical practice of terpene alkaloids: paclitaxel, docetaxel, and cabazitaxelPublication . Sousa-Pimenta, Mário; Estevinho, Leticia M.; Szopa, Agnieszka; Basit, Mahnoor; Khan, Khushbukhat; Armaghan, Muhammad; Ibrayeva, Manshuk; Gurer, Eda Sonmez; Calina, Daniela; Hano, Christophe; Sharifi-Rad, JavadOver the years, many biological and synthetic agents have been explored and tested in attempts to halt the spread of cancer and/or cure it. Currently, several natural compounds have and are being considered in this regard. For example, paclitaxel is a potent anticancer drug that originates from the tree Taxus brevifolia. Paclitaxel has several derivatives, namely, docetaxel and cabazitaxel. These agents work by disrupting microtubule assembling dynamics and inducing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, ultimately triggering apoptosis. Such features have helped to establish paclitaxel as an authoritative therapeutic compound against neoplastic disorders. After the completion of compound (hemi) synthesis, this drug received approval for the treatment of solid tumors either alone or in combination with other agents. In this review, we explore the mechanisms of action of paclitaxel and its derivatives, the different formulations available, as well as the molecular pathways of cancer resistance, potential risks, and other therapeutic applications. In addition, the role of paclitaxel in hematological malignancies is explored, and potential limitations in the therapeutic use of paclitaxel at the clinical level are examined. Furthermore, paclitaxel is known to cause increased antigen presentation. The immunomodulatory potential of taxanes, alone or in combination with other pharmacologic agents, is explored. Despite terpene-alkaloids derivatives' anti-mitotic potential, the impact of this class of drugs on other oncogenic pathways, such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and the epigenetic modulation of the transcription profile of cancer cells, is also analyzed, shedding light on potential future chemotherapeutic approaches to cancer.
- Exploring the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in cancer by modulating signaling pathways and addressing clinical challengesPublication . Faiz, Manal Bint; Naeem, Faiza; Irfan, Muhammad; Aslam, Muhammad Adeel; Estevinho, Leticia M.; Ateşşahin, Dilek Arslan; Alshahrani, Asma M.; Calina, Daniela; Khan, Khushbukhat; Sharifi-Rad, JavadFor centuries, cannabinoids have been utilized for their medicinal properties, particularly in Asian and South-Asian countries. Cannabis plants, known for their psychoactive and non-psychoactive potential, were historically used for spiritual and remedial healing. However, as cannabis became predominantly a recreational drug, it faced prohibition. Recently, the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids has sparked renewed research interest, extending their use to various medical conditions, including cancer. This review aims to highlight current data on the involvement of cannabinoids in cancer signaling pathways, emphasizing their potential in cancer therapy and the need for further investigation into the underlying mechanisms. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using databases such as PubMed/MedLine, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase. The search focused on peer-reviewed articles, review articles, and clinical trials discussing the anticancer properties of cannabinoids. Inclusion criteria included studies in English on the mechanisms of action and clinical efficacy of cannabinoids in cancer. Cannabinoids, including Δ9-THC, CBD, and CBG, exhibit significant anticancer activities such as apoptosis induction, autophagy stimulation, cell cycle arrest, anti-proliferation, anti-angiogenesis, and metastasis inhibition. Clinical trials have demonstrated cannabinoids’ efficacy in tumor regression and health improvement in palliative care. However, challenges such as variability in cannabinoid composition, psychoactive effects, regulatory barriers, and lack of standardized dosing remain. Cannabinoids show promising potential as anticancer agents through various mechanisms. Further large-scale, randomized controlled trials are essential to validate these findings and establish standardized therapeutic protocols. Future research should focus on elucidating detailed mechanisms, optimizing dosing, and exploring cannabinoids as primary chemotherapeutic agents.
- Kaempferol: a key emphasis to its anticancer potentialPublication . Imran, Muhammad; Salehi, Bahare; Sharifi-Rad, Javad; Gondal, Tanweer; Saeed, Farhan; Imran, Ali; Shahbaz, Muhammad; Fokou, Patrick; Khan, Haroon; Guerreiro, Susana G.; Martins, Natália; Estevinho, Leticia M.A marked decrease in human cancers, including breast cancer, bone cancer, and cervical cancer, has been linked to the consumption of vegetable and fruit, and the corresponding chemoprotective e ect has been associated with the presence of several active molecules, such as kaempferol. Kaempferol is a major flavonoid aglycone found in many natural products, such as beans, bee pollen, broccoli, cabbage, capers, cauliflower, chia seeds, chives, cumin, moringa leaves, endive, fennel, and garlic. Kaempferol displays several pharmacological properties, among them antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, and antidiabetic activities, and is being applied in cancer chemotherapy. Specifically, kaempferol-rich food has been linked to a decrease in the risk of developing some types of cancers, including skin, liver, and colon. The mechanisms of action include apoptosis, cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase, downregulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathways. In this sense, this article reviews data from experimental studies that investigated the links between kaempferol and kaempferol-rich food intake and cancer prevention. Even though growing evidence supports the use of kaempferol for cancer prevention, further preclinical and clinical investigations using kaempferol or kaempferol-rich foods are of pivotal importance before any public health recommendation or formulation using kaempferol.
- Phenolic bioactives as antiplatelet aggregation factors: the pivotal ingredients in maintaining cardiovascular healthPublication . Sharifi-Rad, Javad; Quispe, Cristina; Zam, Wissam; Kumar, Manoj; Cardoso, Susana M.; Pereira, Olívia R.; Ademiluyi, Adedayo O.; Adeleke, Oluwakemi; Moreira, Ana Catarina; Živković, Jelena; Noriega, Felipe; Ayatollahi, Seyed Abdulmajid; Kobarfard, Farzad; Faizi, Mehrdad; Martorell, Miquel; Cruz-Martins, Natália; Butnariu, Monica; Bagiu, Iulia Cristina; Bagiu, Radu Vasile; Alshehri, Mohammed M.; Cho, William C.Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of the main causes of mortality in the world. The development of these diseases has a specific factor—alteration in blood platelet activation. It has been shown that phenolic compounds have antiplatelet aggregation abilities and a positive impact in the management of CVD, exerting prominent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, cardioprotective, antihyperglycemic, and antimicrobial effects. Thus, this review is intended to address the antiplatelet activity of phenolic compounds with special emphasis in preventing CVD, along with the mechanisms of action through which they are able to prevent and treat CVD. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown beneficial effects of phenolic compound-rich plant extracts and isolated compounds against CVD, despite that the scientific literature available on the antiplatelet aggregation ability of phenolic compounds in vivo is scarce. Thus, despite the current advances, further studies are needed to confirm the cardioprotective potential of phenolic compounds towards their use alone or in combination with conventional drugs for effective therapeutic interventions.
- Revolutionizing fruit juice: exploring encapsulation techniques for bioactive compounds and their impact on nutrition, flavour and shelf lifePublication . Gómez-Gaete, Carolina; Avendaño-Godoy, Javier; Escobar-Avello, Danilo; Campos-Requena, Víctor H.; Rogel-Castillo, Cristian; Estevinho, Leticia M.; Martorell, Miquel; Sharifi-Rad, Javad; Calina, DanielaBioactive compounds in food and beverages, including fruit juices, are susceptible to degradation or oxidation during processing and storage. This vulnerability can lead to a reduction in nutritional value and overall quality of the products. The objective of this research is to explore the potential of encapsulation techniques in preserving and enhancing the nutritional value of fruit juices. The encapsulation of natural compounds, enzymes, and probiotics is seen as a promising approach to fortifying fruit juices, improving their preservation and processing of these encapsulated natural compounds as additives in food packaging. The study involves a comprehensive review of various encapsulation techniques and materials used for encapsulating bioactive compounds. It also investigates the current applications of encapsulated natural products in the preservation of food and beverages. The encapsulation of bioactive compounds has shown the potential in improving the nutritional value and functional properties of fruit juice products and foods. It has also been found to enhance the preservation and processing of these products, contributing to their overall quality and safety. Encapsulation techniques offer a promising avenue for revolutionizing the fruit juice industry by enhancing the nutritional value and shelf life of products. They also present an opportunity for the development of more functional food products. Despite the promising results, more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of encapsulation, determine the optimal conditions for encapsulating different ingredients, and assess the effects of encapsulation on the quality and safety of fruit juices. Future studies should focus on these areas to further advance the application of encapsulation techniques in the food and beverage industry.