Chemistry,Biosynthesis and Pharmacology of Sarsasapogenin: A Potential Natural Steroid Molecule for New Drug Design,Development and Therapy

Sarsasapogenin is a natural steroidal sapogenin molecule obtained mainly from Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge. Among the various phytosteroids present, sarsasapogenin has emerged as a promising molecule due to the fact of its diverse pharmacological activities. In this review, the chemistry, biosynthesis and pharmacological potentials of sarsasapogenin are summarised. Between 1996 and the present, the relevant literature regarding sarsasapogenin was obtained from scientific databases including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Overall, sarsasapogenin is a potent molecule with anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-osteoclastogenic and neuroprotective activities. It is also a potential molecule in the treatment for precocious puberty. This review also discusses the metabolism, pharmacokinetics and possible structural modifications as well as obstacles and opportunities for sarsasapogenin to become a drug molecule in the near future. More comprehensive preclinical studies, clinical trials, drug delivery, formulations of effective doses in pharmacokinetics studies, evaluation of adverse effects and potential synergistic effects with other drugs need to be thoroughly investigated to make sarsasapogenin a potential molecule for future drug development.     

Antibacterial Potential of Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst. and Its Bioactive Molecules against Uropathogens—An In Silico Study to Identify Potential Lead Molecule(s) for the Development of New Drugs to Treat Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are becoming more common, requiring extensive protection from antimicrobials. The global expansion of multi-drug resistance uropathogens in the past decade emphasizes the necessity of newer antibiotic treatments and prevention strategies for UTIs. Medicinal plants have wide therapeutic applications in both the prevention and management of many ailments. Bacopa monnieri is a medicinal plant that is found in the warmer and wetlands regions of the world. It has been used in Ayurvedic systems for centuries. The present study aimed to investigate the antibacterial potential of the extract of B. monnieri leaves and its bioactive molecules against UTIs that are caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis. This in vitro experimental study was conducted by an agar well diffusion method to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of 80% methanol, 96% ethanol, and aqueous extracts of B. monnieri leaves on uropathogens. Then, further screening of their phytochemicals was carried out using standard methods. To validate the bioactive molecules and the microbe interactions, AutoDock Vina software was used for molecular docking with the Klebsiella pneumoniae fosfomycin resistance protein (5WEW) and the Zn-dependent receptor-binding domain of Proteus mirabilis MR/P fimbrial adhesin MrpH (6Y4F). Toxicity prediction and drug likeness were predicted using ProTox-II and Molinspiration, respectively. A molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was carried out to study the protein ligand complexes. The methanolic leaves extract of B. monnieri revealed a 22.3 mm ± 0.6 mm to 25.0 mm ± 0.5 mm inhibition zone, while ethanolic extract seemed to produce 19.3 mm ± 0.8 mm to 23.0 mm ± 0.4 mm inhibition zones against K. pneumoniae with the use of increasing concentrations. In the case of P. mirabilis activity, the methanolic extracts showed a 21.0 mm ± 0.8 mm to 24.0 mm ± 0.6 mm zone of inhibition and the ethanol extract produced a 17.0 mm ± 0.9 mm to 23.0 mm ± 0.7 mm inhibition zone with increasing concentrations. Carbohydrates, flavonoids, saponin, phenolic, and terpenoid were common phytoconstituents identified in B. monnieri extracts. Oroxindin showed the best interactions with the binding energies with 5WEW and 6Y4F, −7.5 kcal/mol and −7.4 kcal/mol, respectively. Oroxindin, a bioactive molecule, followed Lipinski’s rule of five and exhibited stability in the MD simulation. The overall results suggest that Oroxindin from B. monnieri can be a potent inhibitor for the effective killing of K. pneumoniae and P. mirabilis. Additionally, its safety has been established, indicating its potential for future drug discovery and development in the treatment for UTIs.     

Photopolymerization initiated by charge transfer complex. II. Photopolymerization of methyl methacrylate with the use of γ-picoline–bromine charge transfer complex as photoinitiator

Polymerization of MMA was carried out in the presence of visible light (440 nm) with the use of γ-picoline-bromine charge transfer complex as the initiator. The rate of polymerization R_p increases with increasing monomer concentration and the monomer exponent was computed to be unity. The rate of polymerization increases with increasing initiator concentration. The initiator exponent was computed to be 0.5. The reaction was carried out at three different temperatures and the overall activation energy was calculated to be 4.5 kcal/mol. The polymerization was inhibited in the presence of hydroquinone. Kinetic and other evidence indicates that the overall polymerization takes place by a radical mechanism.     

Dye-sensitized photopolymerization. I. Photopolymerization of ethyl acrylate by sodium fluorescein-ascorbic acid system in aqueous solution

The kinetics of the polymerization of ethyl acrylate (EA) sensitized by dye-reducing agent systems were investigated. The redox system sodium fluorescein-ascorbic acid was used for the polymerization. The systems were buffered with phosphate buffer, and the effects of monomer, dye, temperature, etc., on the reaction system were investigated. The polymerization was followed by measurement of monomer disappearance (gravimetrically) and the chain length of the polymer formed (viscometrically). In the light of the experimental results a suitable kinetic scheme was proposed and the composite rate constants were evaluated.     

Vinyl polymerization initiated by peroxydiphosphate. V. Polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by peroxydiphosphate-cyclohexanol redox system in the presence of silver ion

The polymerization of acrylonitrile was carried out using peroxydiphosphate-cyclohexanol redox system in the presence of silver ion. The rate of polymerization increases with increasing peroxydiphosphate concentration and the initiator exponent was computed to be 0.5. The rate of polymerization increases with increasing monomer concentration and the monomer exponent was computed to be unity. The plot of R_p vs [Ag⁺]^1/2 was linear, indicating 0.5 order with respect to [Ag⁺]. The reaction was carried out at three different temperatures and the overall activation energy was calculated to be 7.60 kcal/mol. The effect of certain surfactants on the rate of polymerization has been investigated and a suitable kinetic scheme has been pictured.     

Photopolymerization initiated by charge-transfer complex. VI. Photopolymerization of methyl methacrylate with the use of isoquinoline–chlorine charge-transfer complex

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate in visible light was studied at 30°C using the isoquino-line–chlorine charge-transfer complex as the photoinitiator. Analyses of kinetic and other data indicate that the polymerization proceeds via a radical mechanism and the termination is initiator dependent. Chain termination via degradative chain (initiator) transfer appears to be significant.