Breynia cernua has been used as an alternative medicine for wounds, smallpox, cervical cancer, and breast cancer. This plant is a potential source of new plant-derived drugs to cure numerous diseases for its multiple therapeutic functions. An in vitro study revealed that the methanol extract of B. cernua (stem) exhibits antioxidant activity according to DPPH and SOD methods, with IC₅₀ values of 33 and 8.13 ppm, respectively. The extract also exerts antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with minimum bactericidal concentration of 1875 ppm. Further analysis revealed that the extract with a concentration of 1–2 ppm protects erythrocytes from the ring formation stage of Plasmodium falciparum, while the extract with a concentration of 1600 ppm induced apoptosis in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. GC–MS analysis showed 45 bioactive compounds consisting of cyclic, alkyl halide, organosulfur, and organoarsenic compounds. Virtual screening via a blind docking approach was conducted to analyze the binding affinity of each metabolite against various target proteins. The results unveiled that two compounds, namely, N-[β-hydroxy-β-[4-[1-adamantyl-6,8-dichloro]quinolyl]ethyl]piperidine and 1,3-phenylene, bis(3-phenylpropenoate), demonstrated the best binding score toward four tested proteins with a binding affinity varying from −8.3 to −10.8 kcal/mol. Site-specific docking analysis showed that the two compounds showed similar binding energy with native ligands. This finding indicated that the two phenolic compounds could be novel antioxidant, antibacterial, antiplasmodial, and anticancer drugs. A thorough analysis by monitoring drug likeness and pharmacokinetics revealed that almost all the identified compounds can be considered as drugs, and they have good solubility, oral bioavailability, and synthetic accessibility. Altogether, the in vitro and in silico analysis suggested that the extract of B. cernua (stem) contains various compounds that might be correlated with its bioactivities.

Curcumin, the principal bioactive compound in turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), is widely recognized for its pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. However, its low bioavailability remains a major obstacle in the development of curcumin-based applications in food and pharmaceutical sectors. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent technological advancements aimed at enhancing curcumin’s bioavailability, including encapsulation techniques, lipid-based delivery systems, and chemically modified curcumin derivatives. These innovations have demonstrated significant potential in improving the solubility, stability, and absorption of curcumin in the human body. Furthermore, recent trends in research utilizing natural carriers such as plant-derived proteins and polysaccharides are discussed, aligning with sustainable and food-safe delivery approaches. The review emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach that integrates food material science, biodegradable packaging, bioactive compound chemistry, and nanotechnology engineering. As formulation technologies continue to evolve, the application of curcumin in functional foods and health supplements becomes increasingly promising. The article also highlights existing research gaps and future directions, focusing on biological efficacy, long-term safety, and production scalability. This review aims to serve as a valuable reference for researchers and industry stakeholders in accelerating the utilization of curcumin through effective and sustainable smart delivery systems.

J. Pharm. Pharmacogn. Res., vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 699-713, Jul-Aug 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.56499/jppres23.1591_11.4.699 Original Article Virtual screening of anticancer activity of chalcones and pyrazolines as potential EGFR, VEGFR, and cytochrome P450 inhibitors [Detección virtual de la actividad anticancerígena de las chalconas y las pirazolinas como posibles inhibidores de EGFR, VEGFR y citocromo P450] Hesti Lina Virtual screening of anticancer activity of chalcones and pyrazolines as potential EGFR, VEGFR, and cytochrome P450 inhibitors.

Plasmodium falciparum is the most common species of Plasmodium that causes malaria in Southeast Asia. Artemisinin, a drug with the mechanism of action by inducing oxidative stress in infected red blood cells (RBC) is currently used as the main therapy for malaria, after resistance to chloroquine has been found. However, evidence of artemisinin resistance was discovered in several regions in Southeast Asia. Therefore, a research is required to prove the existence of other drugs that have anti-malaria effects. A drug candidate, doxorubicin also can induce the formation of oxidative stress inside the cells. This study aims to determine the activity of doxorubicin to inhibit the development of P. falciparum in vitro. Red blood cell (RBC) infected with P. falciparum were treated with various concentrations of doxorubicin. Giemsa technique was applied to detect P. falciparum inside RBC. After 48 hours of incubation, the culture was observed to measure the number and the confluence of RBC and P. falciparum in the medium. This study revealed that doxorubicin reduced the number of RBC infected with P. falciparum lysis. The effective dose of doxorubicin-inhibit RBC cell lysis is 0.4 μM, which only reduces 81% RBC cell lysis compared to the control group that reduces 95% RBC cell lysis. At this concentration also found a decrease in the number of P. falciparum cells in the medium. The results proved that doxorubicin has an inhibitory effect on the development of P. falciparum and can decrease the lysis of RBC due to P. falciparum infection. This findings provide an insight that doxorubicin is a potential candidate for antimalarial drugs.

Context: Searching for novel anticancer-leading drugs is a current major concern for providing better treatment outcomes. Piper nigrum is one of the spice plants used as an anticancer in traditional medicine. Many studies reported the secondary metabolite content of P. nigrum. Some have been evaluated as anticancer agents, but many still need to be studied. Aims: To evaluate the in silico anticancer activity of P. nigrum secondary metabolites. Methods: Cheminformatics and bioinformatics analysis were used to investigate drug-likeness, toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and drug interaction against enzymes involved in reactive oxygen species production and cell growth. Results: Ten out of twenty-five compounds qualify as drugs according to the rules of Lipinski, Veber, Egan, Ghose, and Muegge, and they met the pharmacokinetic parameters. A molecular docking study showed that seven compounds showed a good affinity for enzymes involved in triggering cellular oxidative stress and cell death. Furthermore, piperine, piperidine derivatives, and piperettin may inhibit the cancer cell's growth due to their affinity with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) compared to erlotinib. Of all these compounds, (2E,4E,8E)-9-(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-5-yl)-1-(piperidine-1-yl)nona-2,4,8-trien- 1-one showed the best affinity with EGFR, monoamine oxidase B, apoptosis-inducing factor, and cytochrome P450. Conclusions: Besides piperine and piperidine derivatives, other compounds in P. nigrum, such as piperamide; piperamine; sarmentine; trichosta; piperettine; and pyrrolidine, 1-[5-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-yl)- 1 - oxo -2,4-pentadienyl]-,(E,E)-, also have promising potential as an anticancer.

Objective: Dental caries, primarily caused by Streptococcus mutans, pose a significant global health challenge, often treated with fluoride and synthetic dyes like erythrosine, despite associated toxicity risks. This study explores betalains, natural pigments from Beta vulgaris (beetroot), as dual-function agents for plaque detection and biofilm inhibition. Methods: Ten betalains were evaluated through in silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) analysis and molecular docking against glucosyltransferase and antigen I/II (Ag 1/II), key proteins in biofilm formation. Antibacterial activity against S. mutans was performed to determine the inhibition zone and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of beetroot extracts. Results: Docking validation showed root mean square deviation (RMSD) values below 4 Å, confirming reliability. Isobetanin exhibited the strongest binding affinities (-10.427 and-10.893kcal/mol) and interacted with active residues GLU515 and ASP477, crucial for biofilm formation. High solubility, low toxicity, and limited systemic absorption make betalains ideal for topical applications, such as dental disclosing solutions. In vitro studies have shown that the beetroot ethanol extract from Magelang has higher antibacterial activity than betalains. The beetroot ethanol extract contains not only betalains but also other compounds that synergistically inhibit the growth of S. mutans. Conclusion: These findings highlight betalains as safer, natural alternatives to synthetic dyes, paving the way for innovative and sustainable dental care formulations with enhanced safety and efficacy. Additionally, further study needs to determine the effectiveness of the extracts in inhibiting dental caries formation.