User:Elominnie/sandbox

Introduction
Nimbin is a molecule from the Neem tree found in multiple Asian countries such as China, Thailand, and India. Nimbin is part of the chemical family of limonoids and triterpenoid s. Nimbin was first extracted in 1942 from the neem seed (Azadirachta indica in Latin) by Siddiqi et al. Its molecular formula was established by mass-spectrometry along with salannin, a compound very close in chemical formula and its properties. Nimbin can be extracted from different parts of the Neem tree with a solvent or supercritical carbon dioxide. Nimbin is used for multiple properties such as insecticide, antiviral, antimicrobial, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal. At first, it was commonly used in Indian and Chinese traditional medicine. For example, it can be used to treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Studies have also shown that it can be used to treat diseases caused by viruses such as the SARS COV-2 or the Dengue Virus. However, that hasn’t been demonstrated in humans and only in laboratory settings. It was a derivative of Nimbin (N2) used in laboratories for the dengue virus and other uses like antimicrobial. Nimbin is relatively hydrophobic, and there has been a study to make it more hydrophilic with an inclusion complex which can be helpful to be able to use this compound directly.

Properties and applications
=== Hydrophobicity ===

Inclusion complex of nimbin and CD
The use of Nimbin as a biopesticide or herbal medicine is limited by its low water solubility and bioavailability. To increase its water solubility, Nimbin was put in an inclusion complex with different kinds of cyclodextrins (that we will call CDs). An inclusion complex is when one molecule forms a cavity where our targeted molecule can be. CDs are used since they have a hydrophilic outer surface but a hydrophobic central cavity (where Nimbin will be).

Test of solubility
The preparation of its saturated solution assessed the water solubility of the Nimbin/CD complex. The results show that the water solubility of the Nimbin, compared with that of native Nimbin, was remarkably increased to approximately 4.7, 3.8, 1.3, and 2.4 mg/mL by the solubilizing effects of β-CD, HPβCD, DMβCD, and TMβCD, respectively.

Antiviral
==== SARS COV-2 ==== Nimbin is one of the molecules used to see if it affects SARS-COV-2. It was first used because of its high binding affinity towards spike glycoprotein of SARS-COV-2. Nimbin can bond to ACE2, the cellular receptor of SARS-COV2. The main goal was that Nimbin would link to the virus and that the binding would be stronger than the one on the host cell. Therefore the virus will detach from the host cell.

Nimbin is from the neem bark extract that we will call NBE. There has been an experiment in vitro where NBE could inhibit the pathologic effects of SARS-COV-2 infection on a human lung cell model. This proves that even though it isn’t a direct experiment, we can anticipate that NBE-derived compounds such as Nimbin will be able to prevent SARS-COV-2 infection of nasal and lung tissue in vivo as well.

The antiviral properties of Nimbin are that it significantly inhibits viral replication, spread, and fusion associated with pathogenesis. Nimbin is one the best-ranked drugs among the selected natural products showing an inhibitory effect for spike glycoprotein and ACE2 along with curcumin.

==== Dengue Virus ==== Nimbin is part of the family of triterpenoids which corresponds to terpenoids that are known to have biological properties such as anti-viral. For the dengue virus also called DENV NS2B-NS3 infection it shows promise in silico only.

The envelope of the dengue virus makes it so that the viral entry in the host cell is facilitated. Nimbin then can block the virus from entering. It has shown that it is effective on all four types of dengue viruses (dengue 1-4) in silico.

In the present study we report the anti-viral potency of nimbin, the active compound from the neem leaf extract against the envelope protein of dengue virus.