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Recent Advances in Biological Properties of Natural Products, for Age-Related Diseases

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 20101

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Guglielmina Froldi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
Interests: natural compounds; anti-senescence activities; new drugs; aging; diabetes mellitus; atherosclerosis; gender differences; advanced glycation end products; ROS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose of the Special Issue on “Recent Advances in Biological Properties of Natural Products for Age-Related Diseases” is to draw researchers’ attention to the usefulness of natural compounds in the prevention and treatment of diseases related to aging, with particular consideration to the treatment of diabetes mellitus, atherosclerotic processes, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Numerous pathways lead to aging, including increased oxidative stress, metabolism dysfunction, deregulated autophagy, telomere shortening, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation. One mechanism of age-dependent pathologies is the accumulation of non-enzymatic glycosylation products of proteins, DNA, and lipids, with the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These are triggered by endogenous processes related to hyperglycemia and oxidative stress. The glycation process leads to a loss of protein function and impaired elasticity of tissues, which is one of the endogenous aging mechanisms that occur spontaneously with time, but also in a pathological manner during diabetes, renal failure, and inflammation.

This Special Issue concerns natural compounds and their derivatives affecting aging-related diseases, focusing on their properties in both in vitro and in vivo experimental models.

Prof. Dr. Guglielmina Froldi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Natural compounds
  • Cellular senescence
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
  • Advanced glycation end products (AGEs)
  • Glycation
  • Pharmacokinetics of natural compounds

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 26299 KiB  
Article
Inhibition on α-Glucosidase Activity and Non-Enzymatic Glycation by an Anti-Oxidative Proteoglycan from Ganoderma lucidum
by Ying Zhang, Yanna Pan, Jiaqi Li, Zeng Zhang, Yanming He, Hongjie Yang and Ping Zhou
Molecules 2022, 27(5), 1457; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27051457 - 22 Feb 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3025
Abstract
The prevention of postprandial hyperglycemia and diabetic complications is crucial for diabetes management. Inhibition of α-glucosidase to slow carbohydrate metabolism is a strategy to alleviate postprandial hyperglycemia. In addition, suppression of non-enzymatic glycation can diminish the advanced glycation end products and reduce the [...] Read more.
The prevention of postprandial hyperglycemia and diabetic complications is crucial for diabetes management. Inhibition of α-glucosidase to slow carbohydrate metabolism is a strategy to alleviate postprandial hyperglycemia. In addition, suppression of non-enzymatic glycation can diminish the advanced glycation end products and reduce the oxidative stress and inflammation, thereby preventing the diabetic complications. In this study, an anti-oxidative proteoglycan (named FYGL) extracted from Ganoderma lucidum was investigated in vitro for its inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase and non-enzymatic glycation using molecular kinetics, intrinsic fluorescence assay, and bovine serum albumin glycation models. The molecular kinetics and fluorescence assay revealed that FYGL decreases α-glucosidase activity by forming a FYGL–α-glucosidase complex. To evaluate the anti-glycation effect, fructose-glycated and methylglyoxal-glycated BSA models were analyzed by spectroscopic and SDS-PAGE methods. Results showed that FYGL inhibited the glycation at every stage and suppressed glycoxidation, possibly due to its anti-oxidative capacity and FYGL–BSA complex formation. Furthermore, we demonstrated in vivo that FYGL could alleviate postprandial hyperglycemia in db/db mice as well as AGE accumulation and vascular injury in diabetic rats. Overall, FYGL possesses anti-postprandial hyperglycemia and anti-glycation functions and would be potentially used in clinic for diabetes and related complication management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Biological Properties of Natural Products, for Age-Related Diseases)
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15 pages, 3654 KiB  
Article
Anti-α-Glucosidase and Antiglycation Activities of α-Mangostin and New Xanthenone Derivatives: Enzymatic Kinetics and Mechanistic Insights through In Vitro Studies
by Francine Medjiofack Djeujo, Valeria Francesconi, Maddalena Gonella, Eugenio Ragazzi, Michele Tonelli and Guglielmina Froldi
Molecules 2022, 27(2), 547; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27020547 - 15 Jan 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2153
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia that promotes ROS formation, causing severe oxidative stress. Furthermore, prolonged hyperglycemia leads to glycation reactions with formation of AGEs that contribute to a chronic inflammatory state. This research aims to evaluate the inhibitory activity of α-mangostin [...] Read more.
Diabetes mellitus is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia that promotes ROS formation, causing severe oxidative stress. Furthermore, prolonged hyperglycemia leads to glycation reactions with formation of AGEs that contribute to a chronic inflammatory state. This research aims to evaluate the inhibitory activity of α-mangostin and four synthetic xanthenone derivatives against glycation and oxidative processes and on α-glucosidase, an intestinal hydrolase that catalyzes the cleavage of oligosaccharides into glucose molecules, promoting the postprandial glycemic peak. Antiglycation activity was evaluated using the BSA assay, while antioxidant capacity was detected with the ORAC assay. The inhibition of α-glucosidase activity was studied with multispectroscopic methods along with inhibitory kinetic analysis. α-Mangostin and synthetic compounds at 25 µM reduced the production of AGEs, whereas the α-glucosidase activity was inhibited only by the natural compound. α-Mangostin decreased enzymatic activity in a concentration-dependent manner in the micromolar range by a reversible mixed-type antagonism. Circular dichroism revealed a rearrangement of the secondary structure of α-glucosidase with an increase in the contents of α-helix and random coils and a decrease in β-sheet and β-turn components. The data highlighted the anti-α-glucosidase activity of α-mangostin together with its protective effects on protein glycation and oxidation damage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Biological Properties of Natural Products, for Age-Related Diseases)
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Review

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16 pages, 841 KiB  
Review
Selenium: An Antioxidant with a Critical Role in Anti-Aging
by Geir Bjørklund, Mariia Shanaida, Roman Lysiuk, Halyna Antonyak, Ivan Klishch, Volodymyr Shanaida and Massimiliano Peana
Molecules 2022, 27(19), 6613; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27196613 - 05 Oct 2022
Cited by 65 | Viewed by 7560
Abstract
Aging is characterized by an imbalance between damage inflicted by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the antioxidative defenses of the organism. As a significant nutritional factor, the trace element selenium (Se) may remodel gradual and spontaneous physiological changes caused by oxidative stress, potentially [...] Read more.
Aging is characterized by an imbalance between damage inflicted by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the antioxidative defenses of the organism. As a significant nutritional factor, the trace element selenium (Se) may remodel gradual and spontaneous physiological changes caused by oxidative stress, potentially leading to disease prevention and healthy aging. Se is involved in improving antioxidant defense, immune functions, and metabolic homeostasis. An inadequate Se status may reduce human life expectancy by accelerating the aging process or increasing vulnerability to various disorders, including immunity dysfunction, and cancer risk. This review highlights the available studies on the effective role of Se in aging mechanisms and shows the potential clinical implications related to its consumption. The main sources of organic Se and the advantages of its nanoformulations were also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Biological Properties of Natural Products, for Age-Related Diseases)
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24 pages, 1526 KiB  
Review
Antiaging Mechanism of Natural Compounds: Effects on Autophagy and Oxidative Stress
by Elizabeth Taylor, Yujin Kim, Kaleb Zhang, Lenne Chau, Bao Chieu Nguyen, Srujana Rayalam and Xinyu Wang
Molecules 2022, 27(14), 4396; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27144396 - 08 Jul 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3710
Abstract
Aging is a natural biological process that manifests as the progressive loss of function in cells, tissues, and organs. Because mechanisms that are meant to promote cellular longevity tend to decrease in effectiveness with age, it is no surprise that aging presents as [...] Read more.
Aging is a natural biological process that manifests as the progressive loss of function in cells, tissues, and organs. Because mechanisms that are meant to promote cellular longevity tend to decrease in effectiveness with age, it is no surprise that aging presents as a major risk factor for many diseases such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, and diabetes. Oxidative stress, an imbalance between the intracellular antioxidant and overproduction of reactive oxygen species, is known to promote the aging process. Autophagy, a major pathway for protein turnover, is considered as one of the hallmarks of aging. Given the progressive physiologic degeneration and increased risk for disease that accompanies aging, many studies have attempted to discover new compounds that may aid in the reversal of the aging process. Here, we summarize the antiaging mechanism of natural or naturally derived synthetic compounds involving oxidative stress and autophagy. These compounds include: 2-cyano-3,12-dioxoolean-1,9-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO) derivatives (synthetic triterpenoids derived from naturally occurring oleanolic acid), caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE, the active ingredient in honey bee propolis), xanthohumol (a prenylated flavonoid identified in the hops plant), guggulsterone (a plant steroid found in the resin of the guggul plant), resveratrol (a natural phenol abundantly found in grape), and sulforaphane (a sulfur-containing compound found in cruciferous vegetables). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Biological Properties of Natural Products, for Age-Related Diseases)
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18 pages, 36328 KiB  
Review
Therapeutic Screening of Herbal Remedies for the Management of Diabetes
by Mahmoud Balbaa, Marwa El-Zeftawy and Shaymaa A. Abdulmalek
Molecules 2021, 26(22), 6836; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26226836 - 12 Nov 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2867
Abstract
The study of diabetes mellitus (DM) patterns illustrates increasingly important facts. Most importantly, they include oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular death. Up to now, there is a shortage of drug therapies for DM, and the discovery and the development of novel therapeutics for [...] Read more.
The study of diabetes mellitus (DM) patterns illustrates increasingly important facts. Most importantly, they include oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular death. Up to now, there is a shortage of drug therapies for DM, and the discovery and the development of novel therapeutics for this disease are crucial. Medicinal plants are being used more and more as an alternative and natural cure for the disease. Consequently, the objective of this review was to examine the latest results on the effectiveness and protection of natural plants in the management of DM as adjuvant drugs for diabetes and its complex concomitant diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Biological Properties of Natural Products, for Age-Related Diseases)
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