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A robust, well-functioning immune system is the cornerstone of good health. Various factors may influence the immune system's effectiveness, potentially leading to immune system failure. This review aims to provide an overview of the structure and action of immunomodulators isolated from African medicinal plants. The research was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Full-text access research articles published in English up to December 2023, including plant characteristics, isolated phytochemicals, and immuno-modulatory activities, were screened. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were generated using ChemDraw® (version 12.0.1076), and convergent and distinctive signaling pathways were highlighted. These phytochemicals with demonstrated immunostimulatory activity include alkaloids (berberine, piperine, magnoflorine), polysaccharides (pectin, glucan, acemannan, CALB-4, GMP90-1), glycosides (syringin, cordifolioside, tinocordiside, aucubin), phenolic compounds (ferulic acid, vanillic acid, eupalitin), flavonoids (curcumin, centaurein, kaempferin, luteolin, guajaverin, etc.), terpenoids (oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, boswellic acids, corosolic acid, nimbidin, andrographolides). These discussed compounds exert their effects through various mechanisms, targeting the modulation of MAPKs, PI3K-Akt, and NF-kB. These mechanisms can support the traditional use of medicinal plants to treat immune-related diseases. The outcomes of this overview are to provoke structural action optimization, to orient research on particular natural chemicals for managing inflammatory, infectious diseases and cancers, or to boost vaccine immunogenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Falsified drugs are of serious concern to public health worldwide, particularly for developing countries where quality control of drugs is inefficient. In law enforcement against such fake medicines, there is a need to develop reliable, fast, and inexpensive screening methods. In this work, the ability of an innovative low-cost handheld near-infrared spectrometer to identify falsifications among two antimalarial fixed dose combination tablets, dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine and sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine, has been investigated. Analyzed samples were collected in Burkina Faso mainly in rural transborder areas that could be infiltrated by illicit drugs. A principal component analysis was applied on the acquired near-infrared spectra to identify trends, similarities, and differences between collected samples. This allowed to detect some samples of dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine and sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine which seemed to be falsified. These suspicious samples were semiquantitatively analyzed by thin-layer chromatography using Minalab® kits. Obtained results allowed to confirm the falsifications since the suspected samples did not contain any of the expected active pharmaceutical ingredients. The capacity of the low-cost near-infrared device to identify specifically a brand name of dihydroartemisinin/piperaquine or sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine has been also studied using soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA) in the classical and data driven versions. The built models allowed a clear brand identification with 100% of both sensitivity and specificity in the studied cases. All these results demonstrate the potential of these low-cost near-infrared spectrometers to be used as first line screening tools, particularly in resource limited laboratories, for the detection of falsified antimalarial drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Erythrina senegalensis is a plant widely used in traditional medicine in sub-Saharan Africa, its biological properties have been poorly investigated to date. We first characterized by conventional reactions the composition of several stem bark extracts and evaluated in acellular and cellular assays their pro- or antioxidant properties supported by their high phenolic and flavonoid content, particularly with the methanolic extract. The pro- or antioxidant effects observed did not correlate with their IC50 concentrations against five cancer cell lines determined by MTT assay. Indeed, the CH2Cl2 extract and its ethyl acetate (EtOAc) subfraction appeared more potent although they harbored lower pro- or antioxidant effects. Nevertheless, at equipotent concentration, both extracts induced ER- and mitochondria-derived vacuoles observed by fluorescent microscopy that further led to non-apoptotic cell death. LC coupled to high resolution MS investigations have been performed to identify chemical compounds of the extracts. These investigations highlighted the presence of compounds formerly isolated from E. senegalensis including senegalensein that could be retrieved only in the EtOAc subfraction but also thirteen other compounds, such as 16:3-Glc-stigmasterol and hexadecanoic acid, whose anticancer properties have been previously reported. Nineteen other compounds remain to be identified. In conclusion, E. senegalensis appeared rich in compounds with antioxidant and anticancer properties, supporting its use in traditional practice and its status as a species of interest for further investigations in anticancer drug research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmacovigilance is the science and activities related to the detection, evaluation, understanding and prevention of adverse drug reactions or any other possible drug-related problems. In our tropics, this discipline is in an embryonic state. The availability of a management system capable of responding to pharmacovigilance activities is the main objective of our study. The coding was done on the DJANGO Framework. Signal detection was done using the ROR method. We designed three modules which are the notification module, the analysis module and the statistics module. This study has allowed us to launch the basis for a computerization of the pharmacovigilance information system and partly meets our objective. However, it could lead to the integration of the dictionary of adverse effects such as MedDRA as well as the International Classification of Medicines (ATC, EphMRA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmacovigilance is the science and activities related to the detection, evaluation, understanding and prevention of adverse drug reactions or any other possible drug-related problems. In our tropics, this discipline is in an embryonic state. The availability of a management system capable of responding to pharmacovigilance activities is the main objective of our study. The coding was done on the DJANGO Framework. Signal detection was done using the ROR method. We designed three modules which are the notification module, the analysis module and the statistics module. This study has allowed us to launch the basis for a computerization of the pharmacovigilance information system and partly meets our objective. However, it could lead to the integration of the dictionary of adverse effects such as MedDRA as well as the International Classification of Medicines (ATC, EphMRA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to carry out a systematic review of the substances isolated from the African medicinal plant Erythrina senegalensis, focusing on compounds harboring activities against cancer models detailed in depth herein at both in vitro and in vivo preclinical levels. The review was conducted through Pubmed and Google Scholar. Nineteen out of the forty-two secondary metabolites isolated to date from E. senegalensis displayed interesting in vitro and/or in vivo antitumor activities. They belonged to alkaloid (Erysodine), triterpenes (Erythrodiol, maniladiol, oleanolic acid), prenylated isoflavonoids (senegalensin, erysenegalensein E, erysenegalensein M, alpinumisoflavone, derrone, warangalone), flavonoids (erythrisenegalone, senegalensein, lupinifolin, carpachromene) and pterocarpans (erybraedine A, erybraedine C, phaseollin). Among the isoflavonoids called "erysenegalensein", only erysenealenseins E and M have been tested for their anticancerous properties and turned out to be cytotoxic. Although the stem bark is the most frequently used part of the plant, all pterocarpans were isolated from roots and all alkaloids from seeds. The mechanisms of action of its metabolites include apoptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy and mitophagy via the modulation of cytoplasmic proteins, miRNA and enzymes involved in critical pathways deregulated in cancer. Alpinumisoflavone and oleanolic acid were studied in a broad spectrum of cancer models both in vitro and in preclinical models in vivo with promising results. Other metabolites, including carpachromen, phaseollin, erybraedin A, erysenegalensein M and maniladiol need to be further investigated, as they display potent in vitro effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to carry out a systematic review of the substances isolated from the African medicinal plant Erythrina senegalensis, focusing on compounds harboring activities against cancer models detailed in depth herein at both in vitro and in vivo preclinical levels. The review was conducted through Pubmed and Google Scholar. Nineteen out of the forty-two secondary metabolites isolated to date from E. senegalensis displayed interesting in vitro and/or in vivo antitumor activities. They belonged to alkaloid (Erysodine), triterpenes (Erythrodiol, maniladiol, oleanolic acid), prenylated isoflavonoids (senegalensin, erysenegalensein E, erysenegalensein M, alpinumisoflavone, derrone, warangalone), flavonoids (erythrisenegalone, senegalensein, lupinifolin, carpachromene) and pterocarpans (erybraedine A, erybraedine C, phaseollin). Among the isoflavonoids called "erysenegalensein", only erysenealenseins E and M have been tested for their anticancerous properties and turned out to be cytotoxic. Although the stem bark is the most frequently used part of the plant, all pterocarpans were isolated from roots and all alkaloids from seeds. The mechanisms of action of its metabolites include apoptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy and mitophagy via the modulation of cytoplasmic proteins, miRNA and enzymes involved in critical pathways deregulated in cancer. Alpinumisoflavone and oleanolic acid were studied in a broad spectrum of cancer models both in vitro and in preclinical models in vivo with promising results. Other metabolites, including carpachromen, phaseollin, erybraedin A, erysenegalensein M and maniladiol need to be further investigated, as they display potent in vitro effects.