Publications by authors named "Francisca C O Silva"

The aim of this study was to select the best exopolysaccharide (EPS) producer among the Enterococcus strains to optimize, characterize, and evaluate its biological properties. Among the eleven strains, Enterococcus faecium KT990028 was selected, and the production conditions were optimized: 16.3 % (w/v) sucrose, 0.

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Polysaccharides in plant-exuded gums are complex biopolymers consisting of a wide range of structural variability (linkages, monosaccharide composition, substituents, conformation, chain length and branching). The structural features of polysaccharides confer the ability to be exploited in different industrial sectors and applications involving biological systems. Moreover, these characteristics are attributed to a direct relationship in the process of polysaccharide enzymatic degradation by the fermentative action in the gut microbiota, through intrinsic interactions connecting bacterial metabolism and the production of various metabolites that are associated with regulatory effects on the host homeostasis system.

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The use of microalgae as a source of food and pharmaceutical ingredients has garnered growing interest in recent years. Despite the rapid growth of the nutraceutical market, knowledge about the potential of bioactive molecules from microalgae remains insufficient. The present study aimed to investigate the biotechnological potential of the green microalga isolated from a semi-arid region of Brazil.

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General anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health problems worldwide. The emergence and development of anxiety disorders can be due to genetic (30-50%) or non-genetic (50-70%) factors. Despite medical progress, available pharmacotherapies are sometimes ineffective or can cause undesirable side effects.

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Benzodiazepines are commonly used to treat disorders of the central nervous system, including anxiety. However, due to their adverse effects, there is a continuing interest in discovering new safe and effective drugs. Marine natural products have emerged as a prolific source of bioactive nitrogenated compounds.

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Croton zehntneri is a plant known as canelinha de cunhã, prevalent in the northeast region of Brazil. Many constituents of the vegetable have already been studied, and their pharmacological properties have been proven, but this is the first study to analyze the antinociceptive effect in adult zebrafish (ZFa) of the triterpene acetyl aleuritolic acid (AAA) isolated from the stem bark. The animals (ZFa; n = 6/group) were treated intraperitoneally (ip; 20 μL) with AAA (0.

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The frequency of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is growing rapidly with longer life expectancy and the consequent increase of people with a high risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Anacardic acid (AA) has several pharmacological actions, such as antioxidants, anticholinesterase, and anti-inflammatory, which are related to the protection against aging disorders. Also, the metals copper and zinc are co-factors of antioxidant enzymes that can be associated with AA to improve brain-protective action.

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Drugs used to treat pain are associated with adverse effects, increasing the search for new drugs as an alternative treatment for pain. Therefore, we evaluated the antinociceptive behavior and possible neuromodulation mechanisms of triterpene 3β, 6β, 16β-trihydroxylup-20(29)-ene (CLF-1) isolated from Combretum leprosum leaves in zebrafish. Zebrafish (n = 6/group) were pretreated with CLF-1 (0.

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The action of anxiolytic compounds that act on selective serotonin receptors (SSRIs) have been scarcely evaluated. Serotonergic drugs have been shown to be effective in treating anxiety without presenting adverse effects as benzodiazepines. However, the anxiolytic effects take days to occur.

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The level of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter essential for processing memory and learning, is lower in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease due to the higher concentration of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. The main compounds used for Alzheimer's treatment are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Quercetin coordination complexes with the metal ions Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, and Fe were synthesized to investigate their potential use against Alzheimer's disease, by evaluating the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase in vitro and in silico, as well as the antioxidant activity, toxicity, and anxiolytic action in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) model.

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Benzodiazepines are the standard drugs for the treatment of anxiety, but their undesirable side effects make it necessary to develop new anxiolytic drugs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible anxiolytic-simile effect of synthetic chalcone N-{(4'-[(E)-3-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-(phenyl) prop-2-en-1-one]} acetamide (PAAPFBA) on adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). PAAPFBA was synthesized with an 88.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The parts of the Genipa americana (Rubiaceae) tree, also known as "jenipapo" or "jenipapeiro", has been used in traditional Medicine in parasitic and bacterial infections. Thus, the experimental evolution of the antiparasitic activity of polysaccharide extracts from Genipa americana leaves, and correlation with antiparasitic and popular use is important.

Aim Of The Study: To evaluate the effect of polysaccharide extract obtained from Genipa americana leaves on all Trypanosoma cruzi (Y strain: benznidazole-resistant) developmental forms, a protozoan that causes Chagas' disease.

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