Veronique Seidel

• PhD
• Senior Lecturer at University of Strathclyde

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic complication that affects people of all ages. The increased prevalence of diabetes worldwide has led to the development of several synthetic drugs to tackle this health problem. Such drugs, although effective as antihyperglycemic agents, are accompanied by various side effects, costly, and inaccessible to the majority...

Morinda citrifolia L., commonly known as Noni, has a longstanding history in traditional medicine for treating various diseases. Recently, there has been an increased focus on exploring Noni extracts and phytoconstituents, particularly for their effectiveness against cancers such as lung, esophageal, liver, and breast cancer, and their potential in...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) comprises a range of metabolic disorders characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by defects in insulin release, insulin action, or both. DM is a widespread condition that affects a substantial portion of the global population, causing high morbidity and mortality rates. The prevalence of this major public health cri...

Conditions like diabetes mellitus (DM), cancer, infections, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders continue to have a major global impact on mortality and morbidity. Medicinal plants have been used since ancient times in ethnomedicine (e.g., Ayurveda, Unani, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and European Tradi...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is currently regarded as a global public health crisis for which lifelong treatment with conventional drugs presents limitations in terms of side effects, accessibility, and cost. Type 2 diabetes (T2DM), usually associated with obesity, is characterized by elevated blood glucose levels, hyperlipidemia, chronic inflammation, i...

Background Antibiofilm agents serve as an essential tool in the fight against antibiotic resistance, and natural products provide a promising source for potential drug leads. Objective This study investigates the activity of twenty Bangladeshi medicinal plants against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms and predicts the inter...

Conditions like diabetes mellitus (DM), cancer, infection, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) as well as gastrointestinal (GI) disorders continue to have a major global impact on mortality and morbidity. Medicinal plants have been used since ancient times in ethnomedicine (e.g. Ayurveda, Unani, Traditional Chinese Medicine, European Tradi...

A combination of network pharmacology, molecular docking and ADME/drug-likeness predictions was employed to explore the potential of Salvia officinalis compounds to interact with key targets involved in the pathogenesis of T2DM. These were predicted using the SwissTargetPrediction, Similarity Ensemble Approach and BindingDB databases. Networks were...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers and a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The efficacy of chemotherapy agents in CRC treatment is often limited due to toxic side effects, heterogeneity of cancer cells, and the possibility of chemoresistance which promotes cancer cell survival through several mechanisms. Comb...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is currently regarded as a global public health crisis for which lifelong treatment with conventional drugs present limitations in terms of side effects, accessibility and cost. Type 2 diabetes (T2DM), usually associated with obesity, is characterized by elevated blood glucose levels, hyperlipidemia, chronic inflammation, imp...

Pistacia atlantica Desf. (Anacardiaceae) is traditionally used in Mediterranean medicine, with previous studies showing antidiabetic potential in its fruits and leaves. This study evaluates the antidiabetic activity of P. atlantica galls (PAG) extracts using in vitro, chemometric, and in silico approaches. The antidiabetic activity of the samples w...

Background: Dipterocarpus turbinatus is a well-known ethnomedicinal plant species. Traditionally, it has been used to treat various medical ailments, including diabetes, diarrhea, tuberculosis, leprosy, ringworm, gonorrhea, ulcers, skin infections, wounds, and burns. The study aimed to assess the pharmacological properties of methanol extract of D....

Garcinia mangostana fruits are used traditionally for inflammatory skin conditions, including acne. In this study, an in silico approach was employed to predict the interactions of G. mangostana xanthones and benzophenones with three proteins involved in the pathogenicity of acne, namely the human JNK1, Cutibacterium acnes KAS III and exo-β-1,4-man...

Naphthoquinones (NQs) are small molecules bearing two carbonyl groups. They have been the subject of much research due to their significant biological activities such as antiproliferative, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimalarial effects. NQs are produced mainly by bacteria, fungi and higher plants. Among them, microorganisms...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) comprises a range of metabolic disorders characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by defects in insulin release, insulin action, or both. DM is a widespread condition that affects a substantial portion of the global population, causing high morbidity and mortality rates. The prevalence of this major public health cri...

Samples of oils from seven types of Ficus carica L. fruits from Algeria were investigated through determinations of their chemical characteristics, quantifying sterols and tocopherols, and analysis of the fatty acids profiles using gas chromatography, and evaluation of antioxidant activity by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method and total an...

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and involves an oxidative stress mechanism. The transcription factor Nrf2 has a crucial role in cytoprotective response against oxidative stress, including cancer growth and progression and therapy resistance. For this reason, inhibitors of Nrf2 are new targets to be studied. Traditional plant-based reme...

Abstract: The diarylheptanoid curcumin [(1E,6E)-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)hepta-1,6-diene-3,5-dione] is one of the phenolic pigments responsible for the yellow colour of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). This phytochemical has gained much attention in recent years due to its therapeutic potential in cancer. A range of drug delivery approaches ha...

The Kelch-like eCH associated protein 1 (Keap1)/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response elements (ARe) signaling pathway is considered a master regulator of the cellular response against oxidative stress. Numerous studies have investigated the role of Keap1/Nrf2/ARe in the different stages of cancer development. A co...

A new series of Fe(III), Cr(III), and La(III) mixed-ligand complexes, resulting from the interaction of 2-aminophenol with 2-hydroxy acetophenone (HL1) as primary ligand and L- histidine (L2) as a secondary ligand, has been investigated using various physicochemical studies such as elemental analyses, molar conductivity, magnetic moment, infrared,...

The Omicron (B.1.1.529), fifth variant of concern (VOC) of SARS‐CoV‐2, initially identified following a steep increase in COVID‐19 cases in Southern Africa in November 2021. It is a highly‐mutated variant and is more contagious as compared with the Delta variant, however less deadly. Due to its high transmission rate, it spreads dramatically, and c...

Phloroglucinol and derived compounds comprise a huge class of secondary metabolites widely distributed in plants and brown algae. A vast array of biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer has been associated to this class of compounds. In this review, the available data on the antiviral and antib...

Mangroves are forests commonly found in tropical and subtropical countries at the interface between the aquatic and the terrestrial environment. In this unique environment, plants have adapted to thrive in extreme conditions such as high salinity, strong light intensity, regular tidal floodings, and low oxygen levels. Mangrove plants harbor a rich...

Diabetes mellitus, a major cause of mortality around the globe, can result in several secondary complications, including diabetic foot syndrome, which is brought on by diabetic neuropathy and ischemia. Approximately 15% of diabetic patients suffer from diabetic foot complications, and among them 25% are at risk of lower limb amputations. Diabetic f...

Antimicrobial drug resistance (AMR) is a severe global threat to public health. The increasing emergence of drug-resistant bacteria requires the discovery of novel antibacterial agents. Quinoline derivatives have previously been reported to exhibit antimalarial, antiviral, antitumor, antiulcer, antioxidant and, most interestingly, antibacterial pro...

Camellia sinensis (green tea) is used in traditional medicine to treat a wide range of ailments. In the present study, the insulin-releasing and glucose-lowering effects of the ethanol extract of Camel-lia sinensis (EECS), along with molecular mechanism/s of action, were investigated in vitro and in vivo. The insulin secretion was measured using cl...

Objectives Fraxinus excelsior L. (FE) is traditionally used to treat inflammatory and pain disorders. This study aimed to identify the constituents of FE leaves and evaluate the effects of its n-hexane (FEH), ethyl acetate (FEE), methanol (FEM) extracts and constituents on the viability of THP-1 cells and their ability to release pro-inflammatory c...

Tinospora crispa (L.) Hook. f. & Thomson (Menispermaceae) is a plant indigenous to Africa and South-East Asia. It is widely used in ethnomedicine to alleviate various diseases including hypertension, diabetes, rheumatism, jaundice, inflammation, fever, fractures, scabies, and urinary disorders. A total of 167 phytoconstituents, belonging to 12 diff...

Annona squamosa, commonly known as custard apple, is traditionally used for the treatment of various diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and gastritis. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of an ethanolic (80% v/v) extract of A. squamosa (EEAS) leaves in vitro on insulin secretion from clonal pancreatic BRIN B...

Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in the biological activity of metal complexes of α-aminophosphonates. Here for the first time, a detailed DFT study on five α-aminophosphonate ligated mononuclear/dinuclear CuII complexes is reported using the dispersion corrected density functional (B3LYP-D2) method. The electronic structures spin den...

Special issue: Frontiers in Pharmacology

Background and aim This study evaluated the anxiolytic, antidepressant, and antioxidant activity of the methanol extract of Canarium resiniferum (MECR) leaves, and determined the total phenolic and flavonoid contents in this extract. Experimental procedure The anxiolytic effect of MECR (100, 200, 400 mg/kg, p.o.) was tested in mice using the eleva...

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that is spreading alarmingly around the globe. Type-2 DM (T2DM) is characterized by low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance and is closely linked to obesity. T2DM is mainly controlled by lifestyle/dietary changes and oral antidiabetic drugs but requires insulin in severe cases. Many of the drugs...

Prunus armeniaca L. (Rosaceae)-syn. Amygdalus armeniaca (L.) Dumort., Armeniaca armeniaca (L.) Huth, Armeniaca vulgaris Lam is commonly known as the apricot tree. The plant is thought to originate from the northern, north-western, and north-eastern provinces of China, although some data show that it may also come from Korea or Japan. The apricot fr...

The purpose of this study was to test extracts from P. atlantica Desf. galls (PAG) for anti‐acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and anti‐butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity, and investigate the influence of harvesting time, plant gender, and growing location on such activity. The IC50 values of PAG extracts ranged from 56.42‐68.94 μg/mL and 82.43‐95.81μ...

Renal cell carcinoma is the most lethal cancer of the urological system due to late diagnosis and treatment resistance. Propolis, a beehive product, is a valuable natural source of compounds with bioactivities and may be a beneficial addition to current anticancer treatments. A Portuguese propolis sample, its fractions (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-b...

A compound that could inhibit multiple targets associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection would prove to be a drug of choice against the virus. Human receptor-ACE2, receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 S-protein, Papain-like protein of SARS-CoV-2 (PLpro), reverse transcriptase of SARS-CoV-2 (RdRp) were chosen for in silico study. A set of previous...

Neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD), are characterised with neuronal synapse and memory dys-function, and thus, there is an urgent need to find novel therapeutic medicines that can target different pathways to restore the deficits. In this investigation, we assessed the medicinal potency of folecitin (a flavonoid isolate...

Objective: This study aimed to demonstrate the mechanistic basis of Heritiera fomes, which has traditionally been used to treat diabetes. Methods: Clonal pancreatic β-cells and primary islets were used to measure insulin release. 3T3-L1 cells were used to analyse insulin action, and in vitro systems were used to measure further glucose-lowering...

The genus Allium comprises of at least 918 species; the majority grown for dietary and medicinal purposes. This review describes the traditional uses, phytoconstituents, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity, and safety profile of six main species, namely Allium sativum L. (garlic), Allium cepa L. (onions), Allium ampeloprasum L. (leek), Allium...

The current COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants, remains a serious health hazard globally. The SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and spike proteins, as well as the human ACE2 receptor, have previously been reported as good targets for the development of new drug leads to combat COVID-19. Vari...

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Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) studies were performed on four benzimidazoles (compounds 1-4) and two benzothiazoles (compounds 5 and 6), previously synthesized by our group. The compounds were also investigated for their binding affinity and interactions with the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro (PDB ID: 6LU7...

This study was designed to assess in vitro probiotic attributes of potent bacterium isolated from the feces of healthy horse. Initially, a total of 8 bacteria were isolated from the feces and evaluated their antibacterial activities against indicator bacterial pathogens using agar well diffusion assay. Results showed significant (P<0.05) antibacter...

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the place where proteins and lipids are biosynthesized and where transmembrane proteins are folded. Both pathological and physiological situations may disturb the function of the ER, resulting in ER stress. Under stress conditions, the cells initiate a defensive procedure known as the unfolded protein response (UPR...

Neurological disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease, are commonly associated with persistent neuro-inflammation, and there is an urgent need to discover new therapeutic agents that may target the various pathways involved in neurodegeneration. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic pot...

Ethnopharmacological relevance Glycosmis pentaphylla (Retz.) DC. is a perennial shrub indigenous to the tropical and subtropical regions of India, China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippine, Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Australia. The plant is used extensively within these regions as a traditional medicin...

The anti-inflammatory, thrombolytic, and hair growth-promoting activity of the n-hexane fraction from the methanol extract of Leea indica (NFLI) leaves was investigated. NFLI showed significant inhibition of hemolysis and protein denaturation, and exhibited a concentration-dependent thrombolytic activity. When applied topically to mice at concentra...

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The genus Gynura (Compositae) includes around 46 species and is native to the tropical regions of Southeast Asia, Africa and Australia. Many species within this genus are used in ethnomedicine to treat various disorders including skin diseases, injuries, ulcers, wounds, burns, sores, scalds, as well as for the manage...

The antidepressant activity of Spathodea campanulata flowers was evaluated in mice and in silico. When tested at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, the methanol extract of S. campanulata (MESC) showed dose-dependent antidepressant activity in the force swim test (FST), tail suspension test (TST), lithium chloride-induced twitches test and the open field t...

A molecular docking approach was employed to evaluate the binding affinity of six triterpenes, namely epifriedelanol, friedelin, α-amyrin, α-amyrin acetate, β-amyrin acetate, and bauerenyl acetate, towards the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1). Molecular docking studies showed that friedelin, α-amyrin, and epifriedelanol had the strongest binding a...

Heather honey was tested for its effect on the formation of biofilms by Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella Enteriditis and Acinetobacter baumanii in comparison with Manuka honey. At 0.25 mg/mL, Heather honey inhibited biofilm formation in S. aureus, A. baumanii,...

The Sundarbans forest in Bangladesh is the world’s largest mangrove. It is a unique ecosystem where living organisms face extreme challenges to compete for survival. Such competition results in the production of bioactive molecules which are useful for agriculture and human health. In this study, eighty fungal endophytes from nine mangrove plants g...

The Sundarbans forest in Bangladesh is the world’s largest mangrove. It is a unique ecosystem where living organisms face extreme challenges to compete for survival. Such competition results in the production of bioactive molecules which are useful for agriculture and human health. In this study, eighty fungal endophytes from nine mangrove plants g...

Plants have a long history of use as traditional remedies to treat a range of diseases and the diverse chemicals that they produce have provided great inspiration for the design of new drugs to date. Many plants have yet to be investigated for the presence of biologically-active products. This Special Issue presents a collection of scientific studi...

When tested in the acetic acid-induced writhing and formalin-induced paw-licking tests, the ethanol extract of Vernonia patula (VP) aerial parts showed significant anti-nociceptive activity. In neuropharmacological tests, it also significantly delayed the onset of sleep, increased the duration of sleeping time, and significantly reduced the locomot...

Pharmacological studies were performed in mice on the methanol extract of Tinospora crispa (TC), and of its hexane (HF) and chloroform (CF) fractions. Significant antinociceptive activity was observed for TC, HF, and CF in the acetic acid-induced writhing and formalin-induced paw licking tests. Anxiolytic and antidepressant activities were assessed...

Introduction: P. aeruginosa and S. aureus are opportunistic pathogens that cause a wide range of infections. Their increasing resistance to antibiotics is a serious concern and making them susceptible to treatments is now more essential than ever. There is a need to discover new biofilm inhibitors to increase the susceptibility of these bacteria to...

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a growing public health concern worldwide, especially with the emerging challenge of drug resistance to the current drugs. Efforts to discover and develop novel, more effective, and safer anti-TB drugs are urgently needed. Products from natural sources, such as medicinal plants, have playe...

Natural remedies have for centuries played a significant role in traditional medicine and continue to be a unique reservoir of new chemical entities in drug discovery and development research. Propolis is a natural substance, collected by bees mainly from plant resins, which has a long history of use as a folk remedy to treat a variety of ailments....

Human tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is the leading bacterial killer disease worldwide and new anti-TB drugs are urgently needed. Natural remedies have long played an important role in medicine and continue to provide some inspiring templates for drug design. Propolis, a substance naturally-produced by bees upon collection...

Background Dendrophthoe pentandra (L.) Miq. is a mistletoe species used in traditional medicine. Juice of leaves is used in wound healing, skin infection and cancer; whereas the whole plant is used to treat hypertension and cough. D. pentandra leaf extract has attracted interest due to its pharmacological properties including antioxidant, cytotoxic...

Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a major challenge to modern medicine and it has become urgent to seek alternative approaches to treat infections caused by fast-evolving multi-resistant clones of bacillary dysentery-causing Shigella sonnei. Here, we show that geraniol, a natural substance present in the essential oils of plants such as rose...

Plant with medicinal property contains different types of bioactive compounds and these compounds are effective against certain diseases. Biofilm infection is a disease caused by biofilm which is associated with the respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Biofilm-producing bacteria as such Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14 is a serious treat...

Purpose: There is an urgent need to discover and develop new drugs to combat Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB) in humans. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the discovery of new anti-TB agents from natural sources. In the present investigation, molecular docking studies were carried out on two...

[Abstract] Propolis (bee glue) is a natural substance produced by bees upon collection of mainly plant resins. Bees use it as antiseptic sealing agent between honeycombs and to preserve the hive from external contamination. Numerous scientific studies have been published on the biological properties of propolis including its anti-inflammatory, anti...

Chemical investigation of a sample of propolis originating from North-Western Cameroon led to the isolation of thirteen alk(en)ylphenols (1-13) (inseparable mixture) along with α-amyrin (14), β-amyrin (15), lupeol (16), cycloartenol (17), mangiferonic acid (18), ambonic acid (19), mangiferolic acid (20), ambolic acid (21), isomangiferolic acid (22)...

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Arctium lappa and Tussilago farfara (Asteraceae) are two plant species used traditionally as antitubercular remedies. The aim of this study was (i) to screen Arctium lappa and Tussilago farfara extracts for activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and (ii) to isolate and identify the compound(s) responsible for t...

Currently, there is a growing interest in the study of natural products, especially as part of drug discovery programs. Secondary metabolites can be extracted from a variety of natural sources, including plants, microbes, marine animals, insects, and amphibians. This chapter focuses principally on laboratory-scale processes of initial and bulk extr...

Chemical investigation of the leaves of Struchium sparganophora by the application of VLC, CL and PTLC resulted in isolation of three compounds. The cytotoxicity activity of these compounds on malignant human cultured cells was examined. Vernodalin showed a significant cytotoxic activity on the melanoma and ovarian cancer cell lines (P<0.05) while...

This study focused on identifying possible new options derived from natural sources for the treatment of bacterial infections. Several natural products were investigated for their potential in modulating Shigella-host-cell interactions. The proliferation of Shigella sonnei was effectively inhibited inside HEp-2 cells in the presence of 4-methoxycin...

Struchium sparganophora (Linn) Ktze, (Asteraceae) is a culinary herbs used as part of a traditional dish in Nigeria and a medicinal plants for the treatment of different ailments in Africa. Dried leaf, stem and root parts of this plant were extracted with n-hexane, chloroform and methanol respectively, concentrated under reduced pressure, freeze dr...

Three Antimicrobial agents from the leaf of Struchium sparganophora were isolated by chromatographic methods and characterized. The microbial inhibitory activity of these compounds was investigated against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. The antimicrobial activity of some of these compounds was similar in some of the micro-organism...

Phytochemical investigation of the stem bark of Trewia nudiflora led to the isolation of two new cardenolides, trewianin (1) and trewioside (2), along with scopoletin (3) and indole-3-carboxylic acid (4). Structures were established by 1D- and 2D NMR spectroscopy, HR-MS analysis, and by comparison with literature data.

The need to discover and develop alternative therapies to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections is timely. This study was undertaken to purify and identify some anti-MRSA constituents from propolis, a natural product from the beehive traditionally used in folk medicine for its antimicrobial properties. A crude extract...

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Air-dried powdered L. adscendens (931 g) was Soxhlet extracted, successively with n-hexane, EtOAc and MeOH. Vacuum liquid chromatography of the hexane extract (14 g), using a hexane-CHCl3 gradient (100:0-0:100) yielded 11 fractions.

With tuberculosis the leading bacterial killer worldwide and other mycobacterial diseases on the increase, the search for new antimycobacterial agents is timely. In this study, extracts from plants, lichens and fungal endophytes of Scottish provenance were screened for activity against Mycobacterium aurum and M. tuberculosis H(37)Rv. The best activ...

Juniperus communis is a plant which has been reported as a traditional cure for tuberculosis (TB) and other respiratory diseases. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify the constituents responsible for the activity of the n-hexane extract of Juniperus communis roots against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv and Juniperus communis aerial...

Phytochemical investigation of the stem bark of Terminalia mollis afforded friedelin (1), catechin with epicatechin (2), gallocatechin with epigallocatechin (3) and 3-O-methylellagic acid 4'-O-alpha-rhamnopyranoside (4). Arjunolic acid with 2alpha, 3beta, 23-trihydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid (5), 2alpha-hydroxyursolic acid (6), gallic acid (7), cheb...