Browsing by Author "Arthur, Richmond"

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    Antifungal synergistic effects and anti-biofilm formation activities of some bioactive 2,3-dihydro-1,5-benzoxazepine derivatives
    (Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2022-12-26T00:00:00) Odame, Felix; Neglo, David; Sedohia, Daniel; Arthur, Richmond
    Benzoxazepines constitute a significant class of organic compounds extensively described in the literature. Several derivatives with pharmacological properties have been produced due to the semi-rigid azepine scaffold, which allows for the addition of other heteroatoms. This study investigated the possible antifungal effect and antioxidant activity of 2,3-dihydro-1,5-benzoxazepines. The antifungal effect was investigated using the broth dilution assay, while the antioxidant property was determined using the ABTS and DPPH scavenging tests. The results indicated that the 2,3-dihydro-1,5-benzoxazepine derivatives had antifungal properties and could be working via its fungicidal and biofilm inhibitory properties. It was also realized that it had synergistic effects when administered concomitantly with standard antifungal drugs. The antioxidant effects were high with 2,2-dimethyl-4-[(E)-2-(4-methylphenyl)ethenyl]-2,3-dihydro-1,5-benzoxazepine (1) compared to the other derivatives. It could be concluded that 2,3-dihydro-1,5-benzoxazepines could possess fungicidal and possible antioxidant properties. And hence could serve as new drug leads in discovering novel drugs that could help manage fluconazole-resistant vulvovaginal candidiasis. � 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
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    Bacillus calmette gaurine vaccine ameliorates the neurotoxicity of quinolinic acid in rats via the modulation of antioxidant, inflammatory and apoptotic markers
    (Elsevier B.V., 2023-05-11T00:00:00) Yedke, Narhari Gangaram; Arthur, Richmond; Kumar, Puneet
    A mutation in the Huntingtin gene causes �Huntington's disease, which presents as a motor and behavioral impairment. Due to the limited drug therapy for this disease, scientists are constantly searching for newer and alternative drugs that may either retard or prevent the progress of the disease. This study aims to explore the neuroprotective potential of Bacillus Calmette Gaurine (BCG) vaccine against quinolinic acid-induced (QA) neurotoxicity in rats. QA (200 nmol/2 �l, i.s) was injected bilaterally into the rat striatum, after which a single dose of BCG (2 � 10^7, cfu) was given to the rats. Animals were assessed for behavioral parameters on the 14th and 21st days. On the 22nd day, animals were sacrificed, brains were harvested, and striatum was separated to evaluate biochemical, inflammatory, and apoptotic mediators. Histopathological studies were performed using Hematoxyline and Eosin staining to assess neuronal morphology. BCG treatment reversed motor abnormalities, reduced oxidative stress and neuroinflammatory markers, apoptotic mediators and striatal lesions induced by QA treatment. In conclusion, treat' 'ing rats with BCG vaccine (2 � 10^7, cfu) mitigated the quinolinic acid-induced Huntington's disease-like symptoms. Hence, BCG vaccine (2 �10^7, cfu) could be used as an adjuvant in managing HD. � 2023 Elsevier B.V.
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    Calcium channelopathies in neurodegenerative disorder: an untold story of RyR and SERCA
    (Taylor and Francis Ltd., 2023-11-16T00:00:00) Dhureja, Maanvi; Arthur, Richmond; Soni, Divya; Upadhayay, Shubham; Temgire, Pooja; Kumar, Puneet
    Introduction: Recent neuroscience breakthroughs have shed light on the sophisticated relationship between calcium channelopathies and movement disorders, exposing a previously undiscovered tale focusing on the Ryanodine Receptor (RyR) and the Sarco/Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium ATPase (SERCA). Calcium signaling mainly orchestrates neural communication, which regulates synaptic transmission and total network activity. It has been determined that RyR play a significant role in managing neuronal functions, most notably in releasing intracellular calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum. Areas covered: It highlights the involvement of calcium channels such as RyR and SERCA in physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Expert opinion: Links between RyR and SERCA activity dysregulation, aberrant calcium levels, motor and cognitive dysfunction have brought attention to the importance of RyR and SERCA modulation in neurodegenerative disorders. Understanding the obscure function of these proteins will open up new therapeutic possibilities to address the underlying causes of neurodegenerative diseases. The unreported RyR and SERCA narrative broadens the understanding of calcium channelopathies in movement disorders and calls for more research into cutting-edge therapeutic approaches. � 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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    Ferulic acid ameliorates neurodegeneration via the Nrf2/ARE signalling pathway: A Review
    (Elsevier B.V., 2022-10-30T00:00:00) Singh, Surbhi; Arthur, Richmond; Upadhayay, Shubham; Kumar, Puneet
    Background: Ferulic acid is a polyphenolic phytoconstituent synthesized from the metabolism of amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine found in fruits and vegetables. Neurodegenerative disorders have been a thorn in the flesh of neuroscientists owing in part to the increase in the aged population. Several drugs used in the management of these disorders are either ineffective or come with unbearable side effects. We present a review of ferulic acid focusing on leveraging its antioxidant property in an attempt to explain its role in neurodegenerative disorders. Basic procedure: data were obtained by perusing scientific databases including Web of Science and PubMed. It was realised that 18,000 articles were associated with ferulic acid from 1960-to 2022. We narrowed it down using the keywords neuroprotection, and antioxidant of which we had 239 articles. Main findings: results indicated that ferulic acid has wide neuropharmacological applications due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and antiapoptotic effects among others. The neuroprotective effect of ferulic acid has been studied in many diseases like Alzheimer's, Epilepsy, and Parkinson's disease. Principal conclusion: the neuroprotective potential of FA may be due to its ability to absorb active forms of oxygen and nitrogen and use redox-bearing compounds to regulate genetic expression including, encoding for antioxidant enzymes, the anti-apoptotic protein family Bcl-2, and pro-survival neurotrophic factors like BDNF. Its higher bioavailability and lipophilic nature make it a better drug candidate than other polyphenols for neurological disorders. � 2022 The Author(s)
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    Monkeypox infection: The past, present, and future
    (Elsevier B.V., 2022-10-29T00:00:00) Upadhayay, Shubham; Arthur, Richmond; Soni, Divya; Yadav, Poonam; Navik, UmaShanker; Singh, Randhir; Gurjeet Singh, Thakur; Kumar, Puneet
    Monkeypox is a zoonotic illness caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV) that has a similar etiology to smallpox. The first case of monkeypox was reported in Western and Central Africa in 1971, and in 2003, there was an outbreak of monkeypox viruses outside Africa. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), monkeypox is transmitted through direct contact with infected animals or persons exposed to infectious sores, scabs, or body fluids. Also, intimate contact between people during sex, kissing, cuddling, or touching parts of the body can result in the spreading of this disease. The use of the smallpox vaccine against monkeypox has several challenges and hence anti-virals such as cidofovir, brincidofovir, and tecovirimat have been used for the symptomatic relief of patients and reversing the lesion formation on the skin. Despite the recent outbreak of monkeypox most especially in hitherto non-endemic countries, there is still a lack of definitive treatment for monkeypox. In the present review, emphasis was focused on etiopathology, transmission, currently available therapeutic agents, and future targets that could be explored to halt the progression of monkeypox. From our review we can postulate that owing to the lack of a definitive cure to this reemerging disorder, there is a need for general awareness about the transmission as well as to develop appropriate diagnostic procedures, immunizations, and antiviral medication. � 2022 Elsevier B.V.
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    Repurposing artemisinins as neuroprotective agents: a focus on the PI3k/Akt signalling pathway
    (Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2022-12-05T00:00:00) Arthur, Richmond; Navik, Umashanker; Kumar, Puneet
    Artemisinin and its derivatives, since their discovery by professor Tu Youyou in the early 1970s, have been the bedrock for the management of malaria globally. Recent works have implied that they could be used to manage other diseases including neurodegenerative disorders. Neurodegenerative disorders mainly occur in the adult population resulting from a progressive deterioration of neuronal structures. These include Parkinson�s disease (PD), Alzheimer�s disease (AD), Huntington�s disease (HD), and Multiple sclerosis (MS), among others. The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway plays a significant role in the central nervous system. It has been investigated extensively for its role in central nervous system physiological processes such as cell survival, autophagy, neuronal proliferation, and synaptic plasticity. Therefore, the modulation of this pathway will be crucial in the management of neurodegenerative disorders. This review seeks to compile most of the research findings on the possible neuroprotective role of artemisinins with special emphasis on their modulatory role on the PI3k/Akt pathway. A literature survey was conducted on PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, and EMBASE using the keyword artemisinins, and a total of 10,281 articles were retrieved from 1956 to 2022. Among these, 120 articles were examined using Mesh words like PI3k/Akt, neurodegeneration, and neuroinflammation coupled with boolean operators. Most research revealed that artemisinins could help neurodegenerative disorders by modulating the PI3k/Akt with subsequent inhibition of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis. This paper illustrates that artemisinins could be repurposed as a neuroprotective agent. � 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
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    Trans-cinnamaldehyde mitigates rotenone-induced neurotoxicity via inhibiting oxidative stress in rats
    (Elsevier B.V., 2022-12-21T00:00:00) Kumar, Sandeep; Kumar, Sachin; Arthur, Richmond; Kumar, Puneet
    Background: The second most prevalent age-related brain condition, Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterised by the loss of neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). It is associated with symptoms like bradykinesia, stiffness, tremor, and impaired postural responses. Motor dysfunction, and neurochemical imbalance, are involved in the pathophysiology of PD. It has been hypothesised that trans cinnamaldehyde (TCA) a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can ameliorate Parkinson-like symptoms by altering the levels of different biochemical markers and reverse motor impairments. This research sought to determine the neuroprotective effect of TCA against the neurotoxicity caused by rotenone. Basic Procedure: Rotenone (1.5 mg/kg/day; s.c. for 35 days) was given to rats to induce Parkinson-like symptoms. TCA (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) and concomitant treatment of TCA (5 mg/kg) with L-NAME (10 mg/kg) were given one hour prior to rotenone administration. Every week until the 35th day, behavioral parameters (muscle coordination, spontaneous motor movement and gait abnormalities) were assessed using rotarod, actophotometer, and narrow beam apparatus respectfully. Rats were decapitated on the 35th day, the striatum and cortex were isolated for biochemical tests. Main findings: Rotenone treatment reduced body weight, altered motor coordination and reduced the oxidative defense system. Treatment with TCA significantly improved the alterations in antioxidant levels as well as behavioral parameters. Furthermore, L-NAME (nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) in combination with TCA had a more significant effect as compared to TCA alone, signifying a possible drug interaction. Principal conclusion: TCA could be employed as an adjuvant in PD management. � 2022 The Authors