Endophytes are microorganisms that form symbiotic relationships with their host. These microorganisms can produce a variety of secondary metabolites, some of which have inhibitory effects on pests and pathogens or even act to promote plant growth. Due to these characteristics, these microorganisms are used as sources of biologically active substances for a wide range of biotechnological applications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess
September 2020
Phytochemical investigation of led to the isolation of a new cadinene-sesquiterpene, chromolaevigone glucoside (), along with nine known compounds: daucosterol (), stigmasterol glycoside (), stigmasterol (), β-sitosterol (), pilloin (), gonzalitosin I (), quercetin-3--α-rhamnopyranoside (), 7,7-dihydroxy-calamen-12-oic acid lactone () and trachelanthic acid (). Others 11 known compounds were identified by UHPLC-HRMS/MS. These compounds are being described for the first time in this species, with the exception of cadinene .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDaidzein (DZ) is a polyphenolic compound belonging to Biopharmaceutical Classification System class IV, which shows that it may have limited therapeutic effects due to its low solubility and poor bioavailability. This study aimed to obtain high-purity DZ and prepare and characterize different types of solid dispersions (SDs) in order to enhance aqueous solubility and bioavailability. Excipients were investigated in order to manufacture different types of solid dispersions (SDs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVisceral leishmaniasis, caused by , is a neglected tropical disease, to which efforts in the innovation of effective and affordable treatments remain limited, despite the rising incidence in several regions of the world. In this work, the antileishmanial effects of sugiol were investigated . This compound was isolated from the bark of and showed promising activity against .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) is widely distributed throughout the world's population. The virus spreads through direct contact with an infected individual. After primary infection, the virus remains in a latent state, and the recurrence of herpetic lesions is common.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe antiviral potential of natural polysaccharide compounds has been demonstrated, especially against enveloped viruses and members of the family. Two polysaccharide fractions obtained from (Bertoni) leaves, that were active against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) were studied to investigate their mode of action. Both polysaccharides - SFW (crude faction) and SSFK (homogeneous alkaline fraction) - exerted antiviral effects on the initial stages of HSV-1 infection by inhibiting viral adsorption and penetration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is one of the most important ectoparasites in cattle breeding worldwide, causing direct and indirect losses to animals and producers. Chemical acaricides are utilized in the control of cattle tick and the increase in the development of resistance by ectoparasites makes new alternative necessary. Therefore, research studies have been carried out using bioactive molecules that are quickly degraded and that reduce poisoning to appliers and non-target organisms, environmental contamination and development of resistance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer that affects women, mainly through human papilloma virus (HPV) infection with high-risk HPV16 and HPV18. The present study investigated the anticancer activity and mechanism of action of a proanthocyanidin polymer-rich fraction of (F2) in cervical cancer cell lines, including HeLa (HPV18-positive), SiHa (HPV16-positive), and C33A (HPV-negative) cells, and also evaluated anticancer activity. , cell viability was determined by the MTT assay.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground/aims: Parthenolide is a sesquiterpene lactone that is present in plants of the Tanacetum genus, for which many biological effects have already been reported, including antiherpetic activity. Although the effectiveness of parthenolide against Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) has already been demonstrated, such findings are still controversial. The objective of this study was to investigate the ways in which parthenolide exerts anti-HSV-1 activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhotodiagnosis Photodyn Ther
September 2017
Background: Approximately 6-7 million people are infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas' disease. Only two therapeutic compounds have been found to be useful against this disease: nifurtimox and benznidazole. These drugs have been effective in the acute phase of the disease but less effective in the chronic phase; they also have many side effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDrug combination therapy is a current trend to treat complex diseases. Many benefits are expected from this strategy, such as cytotoxicity decrease, retardation of resistant strains development, and activity increment. This study evaluated combination between an innovative thiosemicarbazone molecule - BZTS with miltefosine, a drug already consolidated in the leishmaniasis treatment, against .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFvirus infections persist throughout the lifetime of the host and affect more than 80 % of the humans worldwide. The intensive use of available therapeutic drugs has led to undesirable effects, such as drug-resistant strains, prompting the search for new antiherpetic agents. Although diverse bioactivities have been identified in , its antiviral activity has not attracted much attention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLeishmaniasis is a neglected infection that is caused by Leishmania protozoa, affecting millions of people worldwide, mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. This disease has different clinical forms: cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral. The drugs that are currently available for the treatment of this infection have limitations, such as high toxicity, long-term treatment, and leads to drug-resistant strains.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Pharm Sci
January 2016
The aim of the present work was to develop a topical delivery system that contains Brazilian green propolis extract (PE-8) to increase efficiency and convenience when applied to herpetic lesions. The cytotoxicity and antiherpetic activity was determined in vitro and in vivo. The PE-8 was added to a system that contained poloxamer 407 and carbopol 934P.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvid Based Complement Alternat Med
September 2015
The ethnomedicinal plant Curatella americana L. (Dilleniaceae) is a common shrub in the Brazilian cerrado, in which crude extract showed antifungal activity in a preliminary study. In this work, the antifungal and cytotoxic properties of the crude extract, fractions, and isolated compounds from C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe effect of the alkaloid 1-(phenyl)-N'-(4-methoxybenzylidene)- 9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole-3-carbohydrazide (PMC) on the poliovirus (PV) replication cycle in Vero cells was assayed by inhibition of the cytopathic effect (CPE) and inhibition of plaque forming units (PFU). Both methodologies suggested that the mode of action was avoidance of infection progression in the host cell. The compound was able to prevent CPE and PFU formation when the cells were pretreated with PMC for 24 h prior to PV infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasitology
June 2015
Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas' disease, a parasitic disease that remains a serious health concern with unsatisfactory treatment. Drugs that are currently used to treat Chagas' disease are partially effective in the acute phase but ineffective in the chronic phase of the disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antitrypanosomal activity and morphological, ultrastructural and biochemical alterations induced by a new molecule, 4-nitrobenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (BZTS), derived from S-(-)-limonene against epimastigote, trypomastigote and intracellular amastigote forms of T.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe most bioactive soy isoflavones (SI), daidzein (DAI) and genistein (GEN) have poor water solubility, which reduces their bioavailability and health benefits and limits their use in industry. The goal of this study was to develop and characterize a new gelatin matrix to microencapsulate DAI and GEN from soy extract (SE) by spray drying, in order to obtain solid dispersions to overcome solubility problems and to allow controlled release. The influences of 1:2 (MP2) and 1:3 (MP3) SE/polymer ratios on the solid state, yield, morphology, encapsulation efficiency, particle size distribution, release kinetics and cumulative release were evaluated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Clin Microbiol Antimicrob
September 2014
Background: Dermatophyte species infect the epidermis and appendages, often with serious social and health-economic consequences. The hydroalcoholic extract of pomegranate fruit peel showed activity against the dermatophyte fungi Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, Microsporum canis and M.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntimicrob Agents Chemother
July 2014
The effect of a meropenem-ciprofloxacin combination (MCC) on the susceptibility of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA) clinical isolates was determined using checkerboard and time-kill curve techniques. Structural changes and differential gene expression that resulted from the synergistic action of the MCC against one of the P. aeruginosa isolates (1071-MRPA]) were evaluated using electron microscopy and representational difference analysis (RDA), respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this work is to investigate the photoprotection activity and toxicity level of formulations containing the extract and its fractions obtained from leaves of Arrabidaea chica. The ex vivo percutaneous penetration of the extract was evaluated using the photoacoustic spectroscopy technique. The formulation presented optical absorption in the ultraviolet region, including UVA and UVB.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStryphnodendron adstringens has a high tannin content and is used as an antiseptic and antimicrobial and in the treatment of leucorrhea, gonorrhea, wound healing, and gastritis. The present study evaluated the toxic effects of the heptamer prodelphinidin (F2) from the stem bark of S. adstringens in rodents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis work evaluated the activity and ultrastructural and morphological alterations induced by the xanthone 1,3,7-trihydroxy-2-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-xanthone (C23) isolated from Kielmeyera coriacea against Trypanosoma cruzi. This xanthone had inhibitory activity against the three forms of this protozoan and did not induce toxicity in mammalian cells. The best activity of this xanthone was against the intracellular amastigote form.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLeishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease. According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 1.5-two million new cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis each year worldwide.
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