Maria Carmen Recio

University of Valencia | UV · Department of Pharmacology

Grape extract-loaded fibre-enriched vesicles, nutriosomes, were prepared by combining antioxidant extracts obtained from grape pomaces and a prebiotic, soluble fibre (Nutriose®FM06). The nutriosomes were small in size (from ∼140 to 260 nm), homogeneous (polydispersity index <0.2) and highly negative (∼ −79 mV). The vesicles were highly stable durin...

The potential anti-inflammatory effect of plant sterols (PS) enriched milk-based fruit beverages (PS, 1 g/100 mL) (MfB) with/without galactooligosaccharides (GOS, 2 g/100 mL) (MfB-G) in an experimental mice model of chronic ulcerative colitis was evaluated. Beverages were orally administered to mice every day by gavage to achieve PS and GOS doses o...

Ellagic acid is a common metabolite present in many medicinal plants and vegetables. It is present either in free form or as part of more complex molecules (ellagitannins), which can be metabolized to liberate ellagic acid and several of its metabolites, including urolithins. While ellagic acidʼs antioxidant properties are doubtless responsible for...

The complexity of the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease) has led to the quest of empirically drug therapies, combining immunosuppressant agents, biological therapy and modulators of the microbiota. Helminth parasites have been proposed as an alternative treatment of these diseases based on the hygien...

Shikonin is the main active principle in the root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for its anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties. Recent research highlights shikoninʼs antitumor properties and capacity to prevent acute ulcerative colitis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of...

The therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases is still rather inefficient, and about 80% of patients require surgery at some stage. Improving the treatments by more efficient medication is, therefore, an urgent medical need.

Apocynin has been widely used as an inhibitor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphatase oxidase (NADPH-oxidase) system and shows promise as an anti-inflammatory drug. Diapocynin, the dimeric product generated by the oxidation of apocynin in presence of myeloperoxidase (MPO), is supposed to be its active form. In this study, diapocynin has be...

In the present paper, a strategy to identify novel compounds against ulcerative colitis (UC) by molecular topology (MT) is presented. Several quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models based on molecular topology have been developed to predict inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (\(\hbox {TNF-}\alp...

The traditional medicines of Asia and Europe have long used various Rhodiola species, which are endemic to the subarctic areas of the northern hemisphere, as tonic, adaptogen, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory drugs. In order to establish the therapeutic uses of these plants in modern medicine, the pharmacological effects of Rhodiola sp. have b...

Numerous studies on intestinal inflammation have established a critical role for the recently discovered Th17 cells, since an amount of this subtype of infiltrating leukocytes and their related cytokines are found in inflamed mucosa of colitic mice and in ulcerative colitis patients, as well. Once we demonstrated that oleuropein acts as an anti-inf...

Scope: The main phenolic secoiridoid oleuropein and active constituent from olive tree (Olea europaea, Oleaceae), has demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties in intestinal inflammation and anti-tumoral effects in different cancer cells. In this study, we evaluated the chemoprevention of oleuropein in a model of azoxymethane (AOM)/Dextran sulfate...

Background and purpose: Colorectal and prostate cancers are two of the most common types and cause of a high rate of deaths worldwide. Therefore, any strategy to stop or at least slacken the development and progression of malignant cells is an important therapeutic choice. The aim of the present work is the identification of novel cancer chemother...

The beneficial effects of the secoiridoid oleuropein, mainly found in leaves of olive tree (Olea europaea), are known for a long time. Our studies are focussed on the ability of this polyphenol to protect from inflammation, especially in large intestine. We tested its effect successfully in two intestinal acute and chronic inflammatory models, usin...

The naphthoquinone shikonin is the main active principle of Zicao, a traditional Chinese herbal medicine made from the dried root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon. Studies carried out over the past 30 years have provided a scientific basis for the use of Zicao which has been long employed in folk medicine to treat a variety of inflammatory and infecti...

Apocynin, a constituent of Picrorhiza kurroa, successfully inhibits NADPH oxidase and shows promise as an anti-inflammatory drug. Now, we report anti-inflammatory effects of apocynin in an experimental colitis model induced by dextran sulfate sodium as well as the effects on the mediators involved in this process. Apocynin reduced the colitis induc...

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an immune-mediated chronic and relapsing intestinal inflammatory disease. Interleukin (IL)-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, plays a key role in the uncontrolled intestinal inflammatory process, which is a main characteristic of UC. In this work, a quantitative structure–activity relationship model based on molecular topolo...

The anti-inflammatory effect of oleuropein (1), the major phenolic secoiridoid in Olea europaea, was evaluated in an experimental model of chronic colitis in mice. Animals were exposed to four repeated cycles of dextran sodium sulfate in drinking water followed by a 7-day rest period. Animals receiving a standard diet supplemented with 0.25% of 1 (...

The intestinal barrier is a complex system with a dynamic structure that is designed for the maintenance of homeostasis in healthy individuals. Ulcerative colitis, one of the main manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease, is characterized by an inadequate and delayed wound healing. Shikonin, the active principle in the root of Lithospermum eryt...

Shikonin is the major constituent of the root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, which has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat external wounds, burns, and dermatitis for centuries. Nowadays, this root is commonly used as an herbal medicine against cancer. Studies carried out over the past 30 years have demonstrated that many of the effec...

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) represents an important class of chronic gastrointestinal tract disease. And although there are already several useful treatments to reduce and control the symptoms, there is still no cure. One drug discovery technique used is the computer-aided (in silico) discovery approach which has largely demonst...

The naphthoquinone shikonin, a major component of the root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon , now is studied as an anti-inflammatory agent in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). Acute UC was induced in Balb/C mice by oral administration of 5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). The disease activity index was evaluated, and a histologic study was carri...

In addition to its nutritional value, Cocoa seeds (Theobroma cacao L, Sterculiaceae) and its derivatives also have a great interest due to its pharmacological properties. Three groups of constituents stand out: nitrogen bases, lipids and polyphenols, mainly catechins and their oligomers proanthocianidins (dimers to decamers). The phenolic compounds...

This paper compiles the beneficial effects of cocoa polyphenols on human health, especially with regard to cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, metabolic disorders, and cancer prevention. Their antioxidant properties may be responsible for many of their pharmacological effects, including the inhibition of lipid peroxidation and the protection...

Lanostanes are a group of tetracyclic triterpenoids derived from lanosterol. They have relevant biological and pharmacological properties, such as their cytotoxic effects via induction of apoptosis. This review compiles the most relevant lanostanoids studied from 2000 to 2011, principally those isolated from Ganoderma lucidum and other related fung...

Shikonin (Shk) inhibits the development of colorectal dysplasia and the colitis induced in a mouse model of azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), as demonstrated both by macroscopic and biochemical determinations. The oral administration of shikonin prevents weight loss and colorectum shortening. Histological analysis revealed a decrease...

Triterpenes have been reported to induce cell death. One relevant group of this family of compounds is cucurbitacins, which have been studied as inducers of apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. The most significant mechanisms with regard to the apoptotic effects of cucurbitacins are their ability to modify transcriptional activities via nuclear...

The identification of substances that can promote the resolution of inflammation in a way that is homeostatic, modulatory, efficient, and well-tolerated by the body is of fundamental importance. Traditional medicines have long provided front-line pharmacotherapy for many millions of people worldwide. Medicinal extracts are a rich source of therapeu...

In this report, we propose the combination of computational methods and in vivo primary screening in zebrafish larvae and confirmatory in mice models as a novel strategy to accelerate anti-inflammatory drug discovery. Initially, a database of 1213 organic chemicals with great structural variability - 587 of them anti-inflammatory agents plus 626 co...

Oleuropein, the major secoiridoid in olive tree leaves, possesses a wide range of health promoting properties. It has recently been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. We have evaluated the effect of oleuropein on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced experimental colitis in mice in order to provide insight into its mechanisms of action. Or...

Marrero-Ponce, Yovani xD;Siverio-Mota, Dany xD;Galvez-Llompart, Maria xD;Recio, Maria C xD;Giner, Rosa M xD;Garcia-Domenech, Ramon xD;Torrens, Francisco xD;Aran, Vicente J xD;Cordero-Maldonado, Maria Lorena xD;Esguera, Camila V xD;de Witte, Peter A M xD;Crawford, Alexander D xD;Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't xD;France xD;European journal of medic...

Three phenolic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds: 7-methylaromadendrin, isoprenylhydroquinone glucoside, and 3.5-dicaffeoylquinic acid methyl ester, all isolated from Western Mediterranean Asteraceae species, have been studied for their inhibitory activity against protein carbonylation, a harmful post-translational modification of peptide...

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB) is a transcription factor that plays a key role in regulating expression of multiple inflammatory and immune genes. In this study, a Topological Virtual Screening study has been carried out to achie...

We studied a polyphenol-enriched cocoa extract (PCE) with epicatechin, procyanidin B2, catechin, and procyanidin B1 as the major phenolics for its anti-inflammatory properties against dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice. PCE reduced colon damage, with significant reductions in both the extent and the severity of the...

2-isoprenylhydroquinone-1-glucoside (1), 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (2), and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid methyl ester (3), isolated from Phagnalon rupestre, improved the contact hypersensitivity response to 2,4,6-trinitrochlorobenzene in mice. These phenolics reduced ear swelling and IL-1β content by 50% 24 h after challenge; in addition, 2 inhibited...

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Cucurbitacin R, a natural anti-inflammatory product, has been shown to exhibit activity against both adjuvant-induced arthritis and delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions induced by various agents. Previous studies have demonstrated that the effects of cucurbitacin R stem from its inhibition of both cytokine production and lymphocyte proliferation...

A topological-mathematical model obtained by linear discriminant analysis has been used to the search of new nonsteroidal antinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). After carrying out an in silico screening based on such a model, on the Aldrich database, new structures potentially active were selected. Among these structures stand fourteen compounds, from whi...

In the present paper we studied the effect of shikonin on ear oedema induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), and determined the mechanisms through which shikonin might exert its topical anti-inflammatory action. Acute ear oedema was induced in mice by topical application of TPA. The in vitro assays used macrophages RAW 264.7 cells st...

Introducción: El objetivo prioritario de la actividad Farmacinema es favorecer el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de los estudiantes de Farmacología (Licenciatura o Grado en Farmacia), con una metodología complementaria a la empleada en la enseñanza tradicional, utilizando películas comerciales para reforzar aspectos terapéuticos y bioéticos. Los...

Introduction: The main objective of Pharmacinema is to favour the teaching-learning process of Pharmacology students of the School of Pharmacy, as a complementary method to the conventionally used one, using commercial movies to reinforce therapeutic and bioethical aspects. Methodology: Students may assist to 3 different sessions throughout the sch...

Cucurbitacin R is known to exhibit an anti-inflammatory effect in different experimental models of inflammation. In this article, we outline the effect of cucurbitacin R on T lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine production, and nuclear factor activation, as well as its influence on various experimental models of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) in...

In our search for anti-inflammatory agents from natural products we found that shikonin, a naphthoquinone major component of the root of Lithospermum erythrorhyzon Sieb. et Zucc., topically applied in vivo reduced the acute inflammation in mouse ear oedema induced by TPA (ED50=1mg/ear) [1]. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), such as ERK, p3...

Inflammation is a general term used to describe various pathological processes with diverse causes that can include infection, trauma, or an autoimmune response. Due to its many causes, the inflammatory response involves multiple and varied mediators, including vasoactive amines, free radicals, and both lipidic and peptidic mediators. Medicinal pla...

Berenjenol (1), isolated from Oxandra cf. xylopioides (Annonaceae), was tested on two different experimental models of inflammation. The compound showed anti-inflammatory activity in the test of acute mouse ear edema induced by TPA (54 % inhibition, 1 μmol/ear) as well as in the test of subchronic inflammation induced by repeated application of TPA...

Taiuiá or tayuya (Cayaponia tayuya, Cucurbitaceae) is a climbing, lignified plant with a large swollen root that has traditionally been used as an anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic agent in the folk medicine of Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. We have assayed the pharmacological properties of a flavonoid fraction obtained from the butanol extract of...

The effect of the lipophilic extract of S. willeana and three terpenoids isolated therefrom, camphor, lupeol and oleanolic acid, on oxazolone-induced hypersensitivity was evaluated. The extract reduced the ear edema by 46% at 24 h after challenge. All three terpenoids inhibited the edema and suppressed cytokines release at different rates. Lupeol i...

Cucurbitacins have been shown to inhibit proliferation in a variety of cancer cell lines. The aim of this study was to determine their biological activity in colon cancer cell lines that do not harbor activated STAT3, the key target of cucurbitacin. In order to establish the role of activated kRas in the responsiveness of cells to cucurbitacins, we...

Plant phenolic antioxidants, among them catechins and hydroxycinnamoyl conjugates, constitute a well defined class of inhibitors of reactive nitrogen species (RNS). To gain deeper insight in this field, we examined the effects of 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (DCA), its methyl ester (DCE) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in nitrative and oxidativ...

The effect of the flavonoid and saponin fractions from the leaves and root bark of Zizyphus lotus (200 mg/kg) was evaluated on carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats and on acetic acid-induced algesia in mice. In addition, two methanolic extracts from the plant (1 mg/ear) were tested on oxazolone-induced contact-delayed hypersensitivity (DTH) in mic...

The dichloromethane extract and pomolic acid (5) obtained from leaves of Cecropia pachystachya both reduced carrageenan-induced paw oedema in mice. Interestingly, while the triterpenoid inhibited the in vivo production of interleukin-1β by 39 %, it had no effect on tumour necrosis factor-α production. We also demonstrated that both the dichlorometh...

Ranunculus (Crowfoot) species are numerous and they are all reputed to be counter-irritants and are used in several topical conditions. In order to study the pharmacological mechanisms of action underlying this popular use, a methanol extract of Ranunculus peltatus was tested in vitro in various assays involving eicosanoid and human elastase releas...

Our aim was to examine the effect of demethylnobiletin on various experimental models of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions and to determine its influence on the mediators and enzymes involved in these reactions. DTH was induced in mice by oxazolone, dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) and sheep red blood cells (SRBC). The effect of demethylnobi...

The phenolic compounds isoprenylhydroquinone glucoside (IHG), 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (DCA), and its methyl ester (DCE) have previously been shown to inhibit both contact hypersensitivity (CHS) and peroxynitrite reactivity. The present work seeks to establish a relationship between the anti-inflammatory effect and the release of cytokines and tyr...

We have studied the effects of dihydrocucurbitacin B, a triterpene isolated from Cayaponia tayuya roots, on different models of delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) in mice, as well as on T-lymphocyte proliferation and the mediators involved. In experiments with mice, dihydrocucurbitacin B inhibited the inflammatory reactions induced by oxazolone, d...

The anti-inflammatory properties of three flavanones isolated from Inula viscosa, sakuranetin, 7-O-methylaromadendrin, and 3-acetyl-7-O-methylaromadendrin, have been tested both in vitro and in vivo. Acute inflammation in vivo was induced by means of topical application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) to mouse ears or by subcutaneous...

This work concerns the pharmacological activity of inuviscolide, a sesquiterpenoid from Inula viscosa. It exerts inhibitory effects on elastase, cyclooxygenase 1 and secretory phospholipase A(2). Furthermore, it reduces the skin leukocyte infiltration in a murine model of dermatitis induced by repeated application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-ac...

A new triterpenoid (1) derived from 24-methylcycloartanol was isolated from the leaves of Oxandra cf. xylopioides. An unusual structure of the new compound was assigned as 1, for which the name berenjenol is proposed, on the basis of the spectroscopic data of the natural product and of its derivatives 2 and 3. The leaves also afforded the known mon...

We have studied scrovalentinoside, an iridoid with anti-inflammatory properties isolated from Scrophularia auriculata ssp. pseudoauriculata, as an anti-inflammatory agent in different experimental models of delayed-type hypersensitivity. We found that scrovalentinoside reduced the edema induced by oxazolone at 0.5 mg/ear and sheep red blood cells a...

The nitration of tyrosine caused by peroxynitrite and other reactive nitrogen species is clearly detrimental for some physiological processes; however, its signalling role is still open to controversy. Among the natural phenolics known for their ability to oppose free tyrosine nitration, isoprenylhydroquinone glucoside is investigated due to its un...

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cucurbitacin R on an experimental model of adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. The treatment of arthritic rats with cucurbitacin R (1 mg/kg p.o. daily) modified the evolution of the clinical symptoms, whereas the histopathology of paws demonstrated a reduction in the signs of arthritis. Compar...

Scropolioside A, an iridoid isolated from Scrophularia auriculata ssp. pseudoauriculata, showed anti-inflammatory properties against different experimental models of delayed-type hypersensitivity. This iridoid reduced the oedema induced by oxazolone by 79% (72 h) at 0.5 mg/ear while reducing that induced by sheep red blood cells by 47% (18 h), 45%...

The present study was designed to optimize the experimental conditions that govern the heme-catalyzed nitration of protein tyrosine residues by nitrite, and, within this framework, to study the effects of 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and its methyl ester, both of which have been previously reported to be antioxidants and inhibitors of leukocyte functi...

Two flavonoids, gnaphaliin and tiliroside, isolated from Helichrysum italicum, were studied in vitro for their capacity to inhibit Cu(2+)-induced human low density lipoprotein (LDL) and diluted plasma oxidation. LDL oxidation was monitored by conjugated diene, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) formation and electrophoretic mobility on...

Modifications in apoptosis, a programmed form of cell death that participates in a wide variety of physiological processes, can contribute to many diseases, principally those associated with cell accumulation, such as inflammation. One hallmark of inflammation is the infiltration of leukocytes, which are programmed to undergo apoptosis at inflamed...