James H. Zothantluanga

Dibrugarh University · Department of Pharmaceutical Science

Identification of lead compounds with the traditional laboratory approach is expensive and time-consuming. Nowadays, in silico techniques have emerged as a promising approach for lead identification. In this study, we aim to develop robust and predictive 2D-QSAR models to identify lead flavonoids by predicting the IC50 against Plasmodium falciparum...

Knipholone is an antiplasmodial phytocompound obtained from the roots of Kniphofia foliosa. Despite several available studies, the molecular drug targets of knipholone in P. falciparum remained unknown. Nowadays, in silico techniques are widely used to study the molecular interactions between compounds and proteins as they provide results quickly w...

The β-lactamase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is known to degrade β-lactam antibiotics such as penicillins, cephalosporins, monobactams, and carbapenems. With the discovery of an extended-spectrum β-lactamase in a clinical isolate of P. aeruginosa, the bacterium has become multi-drug resistant. In this study, we aim to identify new β-lactamase inhibito...

In-silico techniques offer a fast, accurate, reliable, and economical approach to studying the molecular interactions between compounds and proteins. In this study, our main aim is to use in-silico techniques as a rational approach for the prediction of the molecular drug targets for luteolin against Plasmodium falciparum. Multi-target molecular do...

The tumor-suppressing p-53 binding protein is a crucial protein that is involved in the prevention of cancer via its regulatory effect on a number of cellular processes. Recent evidence indicates that it interacts with a number of other proteins involved in cancer in ways that are not fully understood. An understanding of such interactions could pr...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid-β plaques. Recent research has unveiled the pivotal role of insulin signaling dysfunction in the pathogenesis of AD. Insulin, once thought to be unrelated to brain function, has emerged as a crucial factor in neu...

Telepharmacy is an innovative approach that utilizes telecommunication and technology to provide remote pharmacy services. It addresses the growing need for increased accessibility, convenience, and cost-effectiveness in healthcare. This chapter provides information about telepharmacy services, including medication therapy, chronic disease manageme...

This comprehensive reference explores medicinal plants, phytomedicines, and traditional herbal remedies as potential sources for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. It features 9 chapters authored and edited by renowned experts. The book specifically highlights the promising drug discovery opportunities grounded in bioactive compounds from me...

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) (Chagas disease, lymphatic filariasis, leprosy, Buruli ulcer, trypanosomiasis, cysticercosis, fascioliasis, dracunculiasis, mycetoma, schistosomiasis, trachoma, and onchocerciasis) burden the low-income or poverty-embedded populations of the tropical region. Many drugs are currently being used to treat parasitic d...

Ellagic acid (EA) is an antiplasmodial polyphenol with reported in-vitro activity against Plasmodium falciparum. Studies have reported that EA acts in the late erythrocytic stages of P. falciparum (Pf) when DNA synthesis is taking place. Pf dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (PfDHFR-TS) is an important enzyme for DNA synthesis as its inhi...

Morus alba Linn. is a popular medium-sized tree with a potent neuroprotective activity such as anti-Alzheimer. To date, it is not known which phytocompound of M. alba exerts anti-Alzheimer activity. Therefore, the present study was aimed to identify the phytochemicals of M. alba responsible for the anti-Alzheimer activity by targeting proteins such...

The aqueous extract of the shoot tips of Acacia pennata showed a high enzyme inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase. However, the enzyme inhibiting phytocompound is not known. Identification of the antidiabetic phytocompound will be beneficial in designing drugs with higher efficacy to treat diabetes mellitus. We attempted to identify the compou...

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic infecting the respiratory system through a notorious virus known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Due to viral mutations and the risk of drug resistance, it is crucial to identify new molecules having potential prophylactic or therapeutic effect against SAR...

In silico techniques reduce the need for rigorous animal experimentations. It is time-efficient, eco-friendly, sustainable, and also adheres to the principle of green chemistry. In silico techniques such as molecular docking, molecular dynamics, binding free energy calculations, quantitative structure-activity relationship, network pharmacology, de...

Advancement in nanotechnology has unleashed the therapeutic potentials of dietary polyphenols by enhancing bioavailability, improving biological half-life, and allowing site-specific drug delivery. In this review, through citation of relevant literature reports, we discuss the application of nano-pharmaceutical formulations, such as solid lipid nan...

In this opinion, the basics of molecular docking (MD) such as binding affinity, binding pose, and ligand interactions with common docking-related terminologies (Apo protein, positive control, native ligand, co-crystal inhibitors) are discussed. We have provided different figures to aid in the graphical interpretation of the discussed literature. Fo...

Many pathogens of parasitic diseases (PDs) and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) have developed resistance against the present medications. It is important to identify newer alternatives with improved efficacy for the treatment of PDs and NTDs. Natural compounds have shown promising efficacy against many diseases. In this chapter, polyphenols pres...

Background: The healthcare sector is facing an unprecedented amount of pressure due to antibiotic resistance. This problem mandates the need for newer molecules with higher efficacy and lower toxicity. Objective: In this study, we aim to virtually design and carry out in-silico studies to identify a potent quinolone derivative by targeting Staphylo...

Phytoantioxidants refer to chemicals of plant origin such as flavonoids (flavones, flavonones, flavonols, flavononol, isoflavones, and flavan‐3‐ols) and other polyphenols (phenolic acids, stilbenes, lignans, and tannins). Phytoantioxidants have been reported to act against parasitic diseases (malaria, dengue, chikungunya, leishmaniasis, Zika virus,...

Background: Cardiovascular disorders (CVDs) are the most prominent killer in the twenty‐first century. Antioxidant therapy has represented an effective strategy for the treatment of CVDs. However, the conventional phytoantioxidant agents showed limited in vivo effects owing to their nonspecific distribution and low retention in target sites. Object...

Nanophytomedicine involves the application of nanomedicine-based systems to phytomedicine and therapy. Currently, nanophytomedicine has gained significant interest among researchers for applications in biomedical applications and drug delivery. Phytoconstituents and herbal drugs in nano-sized formulations enable delivery systems with improved bioav...

Drug resistance, toxicity, and adverse effects of current antimalarial drugs have mandated the need to search for newer antimalarial agents. The present study aims to identify promising flavonoid-glycosides (FGs) from Acacia pennata as possible antimalarial agents effective against PfDHFR-TS (PDB ID: 3DGA) by in-silico studies. The co-crystal inhib...

Diabetes-related wounds have physiological factors that make healing more complicated. High sugar levels can increase microbial infection risk while limiting nutrition and oxygen transfer to the wound area. The secretome of mesenchymal stem cells has been widely known for its efficacy in regenerative therapy. However, applying the secretome directl...

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected billions and has killed millions to date. Studies are being carried out to find therapeutic molecules that can potentially inhibit the replication of SARS-CoV-2. 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CL pro) involved in the polyprotein cleavage process is believed to be the key targ...

The present study was aimed to develop silybin phytosome (SIBP) and evaluate its effectiveness against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CIR) injury in rats. Initially, SIBP was prepared and characterized with Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. Drug loading and entrapment effic...

Background:Cancer-induced mortality is increasingly prevalent globally which skyrocketed the necessity to discover new/novel safe and effective anticancer drugs. Cancer is characterized by the continuous multiplication of cells in the human which is unable to control. Scientific research is drawing its attention towards naturally-derived bioactive...

In this study, a hybrid compound library of 72 phytocompounds from two antiviral medicinal plants (Baccaurea ramiflora and Bergenia ciliata) was computationally investigated for their inhibitory potential against SARSCoV- 2 Mpro. Molecular docking showed that 6-O-vanilloylicariside B5, 6-Ovanilloylisotachioside, leucoanthocyanidin 4-(2-galloyl), an...

The inhibition of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) main protease (Mpro) and papain-like protease (PLpro) prevents viral multiplications; these viral enzymes have been recognized as one of the most favorable targets for drug discovery against SARS-CoV-2. In the present study, we screened 225 phytocompounds present in 28 d...

Liposomes have been used extensively as micro- and nanocarriers for hydrophobic or hydrophilic molecules. However, conventional liposomes are biodegradable and quickly eliminated, making it difficult to be used for delivery in specific routes, such as the oral and systemic routes. One way to overcome this problem is through complexation with polyme...

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease (SARS-CoV-2) induced coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is the present worldwide health emergency. The global scientific community faces a significant challenge in developing targeted therapies to combat the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Computational approaches have been critical for identify...

Buah Merah, a typical fruit from Papua, Indonesia which is used empirically in cancer therapy is rich in carotenoids and flavonoids. However, the mechanisms by which Buah Merah ameliorates cancer remained unknown. Natural antioxidant enzymes and pro-oxidant enzymes modulation significantly suppressed ROS production and cancer growth. Therefore,...

BACKGROUND: Malaria is caused by five species of Plasmodium parasites. It is responsible for causing more than 200 million people malaria positive and kills more than 400,000 people every year. Toxicity, price, bioavailability issues and emergence of drug resistance have doubled down the suitability of the drugs. OBJECTIVE: To tackle these problems...

Quercetin derivatives are known to have significant anticancer activity. The activity is strongly influenced by the type and position of the substituent group. By studying the structural pattern of quercetin and its impact on their binding affinity, the development of quercetin-based drugs can be optimized. The study aimed to determine the impact o...

This study involved cerebroprotective potential of aloe emodin (AE) by in silico molecular docking analysis against various cerebrotoxic proteins followed by in vivo activity on multiple occlusions and reperfusion of bilateral carotid arteries (MO/RCA) induced cerebral injury in experimental rats. Molecular docking studies were carried out to evalu...

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) started in 2019 and is still an on-going pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 uses a human protease called furin to aid in cellular entry and its main protease (M pro ) to achieve viral replication. By targeting these proteins, scientists are tryin...

Background From the start of the twenty-first century up to the year 2021, RNA viruses are the main causative agents of the majority of the disease outbreaks the world has confronted. Recently published reviews on SARS-CoV-2 have mainly focused on its structure, development of the outbreak, relevant precautions, management trials and available ther...

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has infected billions and has killed millions of people. Despite the advancement in drugs and vaccines, the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. Bioactive compounds of medicinal plants with antiviral properties such as flavonoids might be useful as phytotherapy for COVID-19. The present study aims to evaluate 16...

Micro- or nanoencapsulation has become one of the most attractive approaches to enhance the stability and bioavailability of bioactive compounds isolated from natural products. In addition, such encapsulation also provides an opportunity to modulate the release of bioactive compounds by using functional polymers that can be fine-tuned according to...

A protozoan infection called malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites. In 2018, it infected more than 228 million people and caused 405,000 fatalities. Worryingly, the present antimalarial drugs had developed drug resistance. Furthermore, they are associated with adverse effects and price issues. Amidst the gloomy scenario, drug discovery based on...

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an on-going pandemic that is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Originating from Wuhan, Hubei, China, SARS-CoV-2 had infected and induced COVID-19 in more than 61 million individuals. Also, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of more than 1.4 million individuals. Since its initi...

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) originates from Wuhan, Hubei, China. The causative agent of COVID-19 is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of 18 November 2020, COVID-19 had infected more than 55.9 million with 1.3 million deaths. As the therapeutic preference against SARS-CoV-2 remains undefined, vitami...

Diarrhea is the frequent passing of watery stools not less than three times per day and may occur due to unhygienic lifestyle or infection. Diarrhea kills approximately 1.4 million people annually and is the 9th and 6th leading cause of death at a global level and India respectively. The therapy for diarrhea includes antibiotics and other agents, i...

COVID-19 had ravaged the physical and mental health of millions of people globally. With more than 18 million infections and 0.7 million fatalities worldwide, the pandemic showed no signs of slowing down. Since the detection of the first COVID-19 case in Mizoram, there is still no scientific record of the incidence of the disease. Therefore, the ai...

Background: An ulcer is an ongoing health ailment affecting all age groups wherein the linings of the oesophagus, stomach, and intestine are mainly affected. Many discoveries were made for ulcer therapy but research findings on a disease soon become irrelevant due to ever-changing pathology. Therefore, there is a need for newer drugs for pharmacolo...

Essential oils are volatile, complex products of plants as secondary metabolites and include terpenes and their oxygenated derivatives, such as alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ketones, phenols and oxides. In recent years, out of 3000 essential oils obtained from plant origin only 300 essential oils have gained extensive attention for applications in v...

Pre-defined analytical features of a plant are used as a reference to aid in accurate identification, proper standardization, and quality control. However, no systematic work on the leaves of A. pennata is available for reference to check its authenticity, purity, and quality. Therefore, the study was aimed to develop pharmacognostic parameters usi...

Ulcerative colitis is one of the two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease which has unforeseeable clinical course, marked by a chronic inflammation of the colon and remission of the disease. The treatment of Ulcerative colitis is managed by the administration of anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive drugs that are ingested orally. However, th...

The modern popular ideology is that plant-based products do not have adverse effects. Hence, people are fond of using herbal products of their choice to treat their own ailments or anyone else. As majority of the population are not aware of herbal toxicity concept, the use of formulated single or combined medicinal and/or nutritional plant extracts...

Background: Acacia pennata is a widely used vegetable and medicinal plant by a number of tribes worldwide. However, it has limited scientific evidences to support the traditional claims. Further, the negligence of study on this plant obstructs its growth in the world of natural medicine. Objective: The review article aims to explore and compile all...