Ginkgo biloba L., also popularly known as living fossil, possesses a variety of biological and pharmacological activities. The leaf extract of G. biloba L. (EGb 761) has been used for years to treat age-related memory-deficit problems, including Alzheimer's and dementia. Experimental and clinical studies have revealed its beneficial effects on a wide range of pathological conditions including hepatoprotective, photoprotective effects, DNA repair mechanism, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Recent studies have also suggested that leaf extract of G. biloba L. may exert beneficial effects on cancer. This review focuses on recent scientific evidence of the reported medicinal effects of G. biloba L.
Over the centuries, cancer has been considered one of the significant health threats. It holds the position in the list of deadliest diseases over the globe. In women, breast cancer is the most common among many cancers and is the second most common cancer all over the world, while lung cancer is the first. Cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) has been identified as a critical oncogenic driver that is found in breast cancer and associated with tumor progression. Flavonoids were virtually screened against CDK8 using molecular docking, drug-likeness, ADMET prediction, and a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation approach to determine the potential flavonoid structure against CDK8. The results indicated that ZINC000005854718 showed the highest negative binding affinity of -10.7 kcal/mol with the targeted protein and passed all the drug-likeness parameters. Performed molecular dynamics simulation showed that docked complex systems have good conformational stability over 100 ns in different temperatures (298, 300, 305, 310, and 320 K). The comparison between calculated binding free energy via MM/PB(GB)SA methods and binding affinity calculated via molecular docking suggested tight binding of ZINC000005854718 with targeted protein. The results concluded that ZINC000005854718 has drug-like properties with tight and stable binding with the targeted protein.
The development of isoform selective inhibitors of the carbonic anhydrase (CA; EC 4.2.1.1) enzymes represents the key approach for the successful development of druggable small molecules. Herein we report a series of new benzenesulfamide derivatives (-NH-SO2NH2) bearing the 1-benzhydrylpiperazine tail and connected by means of a β-alanyl or nipecotyl spacer. All compounds 6a–l were investigated in vitro for their ability to inhibit the physiological relevant human (h) CA isoforms such as I, II, IV and IX. Molecular modeling provided further structural support to enzyme inhibition data and structure-activity relationship. In conclusion the hCA I resulted the most inhibited isoform, whereas all the remaining ones showed different inhibition profiles.
A series of novel 24 phenylhydrazono phenoxyquinoline derivatives were synthesized with moderate to excellent yield and screened for their efficacy against the α-amylase enzyme through in silico studies. The structures were characterized using spectroscopic techniques such as 1HNMR, 13CNMR, and HREI-MS. Comprehensive computational studies including, drug-likeness and ADMET profiling, quantum chemical calculations, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies, were performed. A density functional theory study of the synthesized compounds indicated a favorable reactivity profile. The synthesized novel analogues were docked against α-amylase (PDB 6OCN) enzymes to investigate the binding interactions. Based on the docking studies, one of the compounds was found to be the hit with the highest negative binding affinity for α-amylase. A MD simulation study indicated stable binding throughout the simulation.
Here, a large-scale feasible, chromatography-free process to purge triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) from the crude product of Mitsunobu and Wittig reactions has been developed. Divergence in physicochemical properties like polarity and solubility of TPPO against the product was utilized to precipitate TPPO directly from the reaction mixture and eliminate by simple filtration on a kilogram scale at a pilot plant with high purity of the product.