Challenges and advancements in the development of vaccines and therapies against Chagas disease.

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, presents a substantial global health burden, affecting millions of individuals worldwide and posing a continual risk of infection. Despite the high mortality and morbidity rates, effective vaccines to prevent infection by the parasite remain elusive, and the drugs currently available are suboptimal. Understanding the intricate dynamics of parasite-host interactions and the resulting immune responses, which contribute to both protection and pathology, is crucial for the development of effective vaccines and therapies against Chagas disease.

Enzymatic Synthesis of Austroeupatol Esters with Enhanced Antiprotozoal Activity.

Austroeupatol, the principal diterpene isolated from the invasive shrub , holds promise for structural diversification and biological assessment of its derivatives due to its abundant availability and high yield isolation. We propose an efficient enzymatic synthesis of a series of austroeupatol esters derived from aliphatic and heterocyclic carboxylic acids. Systematic optimization of reaction parameters, including enzyme type and quantity, acylating agent amount, solvent, and temperature, was conducted.

Trypanocidal and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Three -Kaurane Diterpenoids from var. (Asteraceae).

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan , affects 6-7 million people worldwide. The dichloromethane extract obtained from the aerial parts of var showed trypanocidal activity in vitro. The fractionation of the dewaxed organic extract via column chromatography led to the isolation of three diterpenoids: -9α,11α-dihydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid or adenostemmoic acid B, (16)--11α-hydroxy-15-oxokauran-19-oic acid and -11α-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid.

Plant Extracts and Phytochemicals from the Asteraceae Family with Antiviral Properties.

Asteraceae (Compositae), commonly known as the sunflower family, is one of the largest plant families in the world and includes several species with pharmacological properties. In the search for new antiviral candidates, an in vitro screening against dengue virus (DENV) was performed on a series of dichloromethane and methanolic extracts prepared from six Asteraceae species, including , , , , , and , along with pure phytochemicals isolated from Asteraceae: mikanolide (), eupatoriopicrin (), eupahakonenin B (), minimolide (), estafietin (), 2-oxo-8-deoxyligustrin (), santhemoidin C (), euparin (), jaceidin (), nepetin (), jaceosidin (), eryodictiol (), eupatorin (), and 5-demethylsinensetin (). Results showed that the dichloromethane extracts of and and the methanolic extracts prepared from and were highly active and selective against DENV-2, affording EC values of 0.