Cancer stem cells (CSCs), are a critical subpopulation within tumours, and are defined by their capacity for self-renewal, differentiation, and tumour initiation. These unique traits contribute to tumour progression, metastasis, and resistance to conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy, often resulting in cancer recurrence and poor patient outcomes. As such, CSCs have become focal points in developing advanced cancer therapies. This review highlights progress in CSC-targeted treatments, including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, immunotherapy, molecular targeting, and nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. Plant-derived compounds and gene-editing technologies, such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), are explored for their potential to enhance precision and minimize side effects. Metabolic pathways integral to CSC survival, such as mitochondrial dynamics, mitophagy (regulated by dynamin-related protein 1 [DRP1] and the PINK1/Parkin pathway), one-carbon metabolism, amino acid metabolism (involving enzymes like glutaminase (GLS) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH]), lipid metabolism, and hypoxia-induced metabolic reprogramming mediated by hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF-1α and HIF-2α), are examined as therapeutic targets. The adaptability of CSCs through autophagy, metabolic flexibility, and epigenetic regulation by metabolites like α-ketoglutarate, succinate, and fumarate is discussed. Additionally, extracellular vesicles and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) metabolism are identified as pivotal in redox balance, DNA repair, and epigenetic modifications. Addressing challenges such as tumour heterogeneity, immune evasion, and treatment durability requires interdisciplinary collaboration. Advancing CSC-targeted therapies is essential for overcoming drug resistance and preventing cancer relapse, paving the way for transformative cancer treatments. This review underscores the importance of leveraging innovative technologies and fostering collaboration to revolutionize cancer treatment. Graphical Abstract

Lead (Pb) exposure remains an important public health problem, especially in developing countries, as it has had very harmful vasculotoxic effects. In the present study, BHT, a phenolic antioxidant, is investigated as a protective agent against PbAc-induced vasculopathy through in vivo and in silico methods. Forty-two male Wistar rats were divided into seven groups and were administered BHT (25 or 50 mg/kg b.wt.), PbAc (50 mg/kg b.wt) and a combination of them for 21 days. PbAc intoxication induced major adverse changes in lipid profile, elevated atherogenic index, oxidative stress, inflammatory markers, dysregulated vascular regulators, such as endothelin-1, and nitric oxide. Remarkably, treatment with BHT mitigated dyslipidaemia, replenished the level of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx, and GSH), and decreased lipid peroxidation. BHT improved protection against the vascular thickening and degeneration induced by PbAc in the aorta, as observed after histological analysis. More so, in silico network pharmacology identified 242 overlapping gene targets between PbAc toxicity and BHT action. Protein-protein interaction and topological comparison of the genes revealed that the JUN, IL-6, AKT1, STAT3 and TNF-α were the central mediators. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis indicated participation in oxidative stress pathways, inflammatory, vascular tone regulation and atherosclerosis-related pathways. Molecular docking studies validated the strong binding affinities of BHT to MAPK8, ITGB1, STAT3, and other hub proteins, suggesting that direct molecular interactions underpin its vasculoprotective effect. Conclusively, BHT reduces PbAc-induced vasculopathy by regulating oxidative stress, inflammatory response and lipid metabolism; a multi-target engagement has been shown by in silico studies.

Background and Objective: Phytochemicals are responsible for the definite physiological effects exerted on the human body by various parts of the plant and it has been reported to play a major role in nutrition and control of diseases. This study aimed to comparatively investigate the phytochemical and elemental components of five medicinal plants commonly used in South-Western, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening of all the extracts was done using different standard methods. Calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and other elements were determined using standard procedures. Results: Preliminary qualitative phytochemical screening indicates the presence of glycosides, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids and anthraquinones. The quantitative phytochemical screening revealed that glycosides, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids and anthraquinones were significantly (p<0.05) higher in ethanol extract compared to ethyl acetate extract in all the studied medicinal plants, however, the reverse was the case in Urena lobata. Sodium (Na), potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) were significantly (p<0.05) higher in ethyl acetate extract than in ethanol extract in all the studied medicinal plants. While, iron (Fe), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) were significantly (p<0.05) higher in ethanol extract compared to ethyl acetate extract in all the studied medicinal plants. Conclusion: This study suggests the different range of phytochemicals present in the medicinal plants studied with their potential therapeutic benefits, emphasizing the significance of these plants in traditional and modern medicine. Furthermore, the elemental composition sheds light on the nutritional and essential value of these plants, which could contribute to their holistic healing properties. APA-7 Style Usin, S.G., Okon, U.E., Daramola, A.E., Emmanuel, P.D. (2024). Evaluation of Phytochemical Constituents and Elemental Profiling of Selected Medicinal Plants in South-West, Nigeria. Asian Journal of Biological Sciences, 17(1), 145-155. https://doi.org/10.3923/ajbs.2024.145.155 ACS Style Usin, S.G.; Okon, U.E.; Daramola, A.E.; Emmanuel, P.D. Evaluation of Phytochemical Constituents and Elemental Profiling of Selected Medicinal Plants in South-West, Nigeria. Asian J. Biol. Sci 2024, 17, 145-155. https://doi.org/10.3923/ajbs.2024.145.155 AMA Style Usin SG, Okon UE, Daramola AE, Emmanuel PD. Evaluation of Phytochemical Constituents and Elemental Profiling of Selected Medicinal Plants in South-West, Nigeria. Asian Journal of Biological Sciences. 2024; 17(1): 145-155. https://doi.org/10.3923/ajbs.2024.145.155 Chicago/Turabian Style Usin, Saviour, Godswealth, Unwana Ema Okon, Adedoyin Elizabeth Daramola, and Praise Dyap Emmanuel. 2024. "Evaluation of Phytochemical Constituents and Elemental Profiling of Selected Medicinal Plants in South-West, Nigeria" Asian Journal of Biological Sciences 17, no. 1: 145-155. https://doi.org/10.3923/ajbs.2024.145.155

Background Breast cancer is one of the most common cancer types among women, especially in developing and underdeveloped nations like Nigeria. Anexelekto (AXL) is one of the well-known proteins that is implicated in various cancer types, including breast cancer, and it remains one of the focuses of targeted therapy. However, several drugs have been identified as inhibitors of this oncogenic protein, but they often come with toxic concerns in addition to their unaffordability to people of low- or middle-income countries. Thus, there is a crucial need to identify pocket-friendly inhibitors with negligible side effects targeting AXL. Therefore, bioactive compounds from plants such as Echinacea purpurea may be a promising agent in this regard. Objective The study sought to investigate the potential of bioactive compounds derived from Echinacea purpurea to inhibit the AXL protein implicated in breast cancer. Methods Structural bioinformatics via molecular docking and density functional theory (DFT) analysis was utilised for the identification of novel AXL inhibitors from Echinacea purpurea bioactive compounds. The compounds were further subjected to pharmacokinetic and drug-likeness analysis. Results obtained from the compounds were compared against those of Foretinib, a known AXL inhibitor. Additionally, their complexes with AXL were subjected to a 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation analysis utilising the Desmond v2020-4 software in Schrödinger (Academic version) in a Linux environment. Results Among all favourable binding scores, Kaempferol-7-o-Neohesperidoside, Kaempferol 3-gentiobioside-7-rhamnoside, and Kaempferol 3-o-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-7-o-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside showed the highest binding score of -9.2, -8.9, and − 8.6 Kcal/mol, respectively, compared to Foretinib (-8.1 Kcal/mol). Stigmasterol and β-sitosterol also showed a higher binding affinity and binding score of -8.4 and − 8.3 Kcal/mol, respectively, against the AXL compared to the standard drug. DFT analysis revealed that Kaempferol 3-o-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-7-o-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside has the highest LUMO-HOMO gap of -4.354 eV, suggesting greater potential for electron donation and high drug-enzyme reactivity. Also, the pharmacokinetic profiling of the selected compounds is favourable. Findings from MD simulation showed that the protein-ligand complexes formed by these compounds maintained structural stability, compactness, and low atomic fluctuations throughout a 100-ns simulation period. Conclusion In silico studies show that E. purpurea-derived compounds, especially Kaempferol 3-o-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-7-o-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside, have better inhibitory potential against AXL and better pharmacokinetic profiles when compared with Foretinib. These compounds are thus proposed as novel AXL inhibitors for the treatment of breast cancer. Further, in vivo studies are needed to confirm the potency of the studied compounds.