Chitinase from the Latex of L. Displays Antifungal Activity by Inducing ROS Generation and Structural Damage to the Fungal Cell Wall and Plasma Membrane.

Background: Chitinases are plant defense-related proteins with a high biotechnological potential to be applied in agriculture.

Objectives: This study aimed to purify a chitinase from the latex of Ficus benjamina.

Methods: An antifungal class I chitinase, named FbLx-Chi-1, was purified from the latex of Ficus benjamina after precipitation with 30-60% ammonium sulfate and affinity chromatography on a chitin column and antifungal potential assay against phytopathogenic fungi important to agriculture.

Protective effect of green tea catechins on eroded human dentin: an in vitro/in situ study.

The present study sought to evaluate the protective effect of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and commercial green tea (GT) on eroded dentin using in vitro and in situ experimental models. For the in vitro experiment, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were extracted from demineralized human coronary dentin powder (citric acid, pH 2.3) and assessed via a colorimetric assay and electrophoresis in gelatin.

Antidermatophytic activity of synthetic peptides: Action mechanisms and clinical application as adjuvants to enhance the activity and decrease the toxicity of Griseofulvin.

Background: Dermatophytes belonging to the Trichophyton genus are important human pathogens, but they have developed resistance to griseofulvin, the most common antifungal drug used to treat dermatophytosis.

Objective: This study was aimed to evaluate the antidermatophytic activity of synthetic peptides, as well as mechanisms of action and synergistic effect with griseofulvin.

Methods: Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and fluorescence microscopy (FM) were employed to understand the activity and the mechanism of action of peptides.

Trypsin inhibitor from Enterolobium contortisiliquum seeds impairs Aedes aegypti development and enhances the activity of Bacillus thuringiensis toxins.

Background: Disease vector insects are barriers for human development. The use of synthetic chemicals to control these vectors has caused damage to the environment and contributed to the arising of resistant insect populations. This has led to an increased search for plant-derived molecules with insecticidal activity or that show synergistic effects with known insecticidal substances, such as protease inhibitors.

Identification, characterization, and expression analysis of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) miRNAs in response to cowpea severe mosaic virus (CPSMV) challenge.

Cowpea miRNAs and Argonaute genes showed differential expression patterns in response to CPSMV challenge Several biotic stresses affect cowpea production and yield. CPSMV stands out for causing severe negative impacts on cowpea. Plants have two main induced immune systems.

Anticandidal activity of synthetic peptides: Mechanism of action revealed by scanning electron and fluorescence microscopies and synergism effect with nystatin.

Candida albicans has emerged as a major public health problem in recent decades. The most important contributing factor is the rapid increase in resistance to conventional drugs worldwide. Synthetic antimicrobial peptides (SAMPs) have attracted substantial attention as alternatives and/or adjuvants in therapeutic treatments due to their strong activity at low concentrations without apparent toxicity.

In vitro toxicological characterisation of the antifungal compound soybean toxin (SBTX).

Soybean toxin (SBTX) is a protein isolated from soybean seeds and composed of two polypeptide subunits (17 and 27 kDa). SBTX has in vitro activity against phytopathogenic fungi such as Cercospora sojina, Aspergillus niger, and Penicillium herguei, and yeasts like Candida albicans, C. parapsilosis, Kluyveromyces marxiannus, and Pichia membranifaciens.

Gene expression during development and overexpression after Cercospora kikuchii and salicylic acid challenging indicate defensive roles of the soybean toxin.

SBTX has defensive role against C. kikuchii, and therefore, its constituent genes SBTX17 and SBTX27 are promising candidates to engineer pathogen resistant plants. Soybean (Glycine max [L.

Mo-CBP, a purified chitin-binding protein from Moringa oleifera seeds, is a potent antidermatophytic protein: In vitro mechanisms of action, in vivo effect against infection, and clinical application as a hydrogel for skin infection.

Dermatophytes belonging to Trichophyton ssp. are important anthropophilic and zoophilic pathogens, which developed resistance to griseofulvin, the common antifungal drug used to treat dermatophytosis. In this context, Moringa oleifera seed proteins have been described as antifungal agents with potential applications.

HOAccumulation, Host Cell Death and Differential Levels of Proteins Related to Photosynthesis, Redox Homeostasis, and Required for Viral Replication Explain the Resistance of EMS-mutagenized Cowpea to Cowpea Severe Mosaic Virus.

Infection with Cowpea severe mosaic virus (CPSMV) represents one of the main limitations for cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) productivity due to the severity of the disease symptoms, frequency of incidence, and difficulties in dissemination control.

Risk assessment of the antifungal and insecticidal peptide Jaburetox and its parental protein the Jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) urease.

Jaburetox (JBTX) is an insecticidal and antifungal peptide derived from jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) urease that has been considered a candidate for developing genetically modified crops. This study aimed to perform the risk assessment of the peptide JBTX following the general recommendations of the two-tiered, weight-of-evidence approach proposed by International Life Sciences Institute. The urease of C.

Role of membrane sterol and redox system in the anti-candida activity reported for Mo-CBP, a protein from Moringa oleifera seeds.

Plant proteins are emerging as an alternative to conventional treatments against candidiasis. The aim of this study was to better understand the mechanism of action of Mo-CBP against Candida spp, evaluating redox system activity, lipid peroxidation, DNA degradation, cytochrome c release, medium acidification, and membrane interaction. Anti-candida activity of Mo-CBP decreased in the presence of ergosterol, which was not observed with antioxidant agents.

Scanning electron microscopy reveals deleterious effects of Moringa oleifera seed exuded proteins on root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita eggs.

Plant seeds can exudate active molecules with inhibitory effects against several soil pathogens, including nematodes. This study aimed to characterize and evaluate the nematicidal properties against Meloidogyne incognita of exuded proteins from Moringa oleifera seeds. M.

RcAlb-PepII, a synthetic small peptide bioinspired in the 2S albumin from the seed cake of Ricinus communis, is a potent antimicrobial agent against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Candida parapsilosis.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are important constituents of the innate immunity system of all living organisms. They participate in the first line of defense against invading pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi. In view of the increasing difficulties to treat infectious diseases due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, AMPs have great potential to control infectious diseases in humans and animals.

ClTI, a Kunitz trypsin inhibitor purified from Cassia leiandra Benth. seeds, exerts a candidicidal effect on Candida albicans by inducing oxidative stress and necrosis.

Cassia leiandra is an Amazonian plant species that is used popularly for the treatment of mycoses. Recently, a protease inhibitor, named ClTI, with insecticidal activity against Aedes aegypti, was purified from the mature seeds of C. leiandra.

Mo-CBP, a 2S albumin from Moringa oleifera, is a complex mixture of isoforms that arise from different post-translational modifications.

Mo-CBP is a chitin-binding 2S albumin from Moringa oleifera. This seed storage protein is resistant to thermal denaturation and shows biological activities that might be of practical use, such as antifungal properties against Candida sp., a pathogen that causes candidiasis, and against Fusarium solani, a soil fungus that can cause diseases in plants and humans.

ClCPI, a cysteine protease inhibitor purified from Cassia leiandra seeds has antifungal activity against Candida tropicalis by inducing disruption of the cell surface.

Infections caused by Candida tropicalis have increased significantly worldwide in parallel with resistance to antifungal drugs. To overcome resistance novel drugs have to be discovered. The objective of this work was to purify and characterize a cysteine protease inhibitor from the seeds of the Amazon rainforest tree Cassia leiandra and test its inhibitory effect against C.

Gene expression and spatiotemporal localization of antifungal chitin-binding proteins during Moringa oleifera seed development and germination.

Chitin-binding proteins behave as storage and antifungal proteins in the seeds of Moringa oleifera. Moringa oleifera is a tropical multipurpose tree. Its seed constituents possess coagulant, bactericidal, fungicidal, and insecticidal properties.

The expression of the genes involved in redox metabolism and hydrogen peroxide balance is associated with the resistance of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] to the hemibiotrophic fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides.

Correlations between the transcriptional responses of genes that encode superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and peroxiredoxin (Prx) enzymes and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides development in cowpea leaves were assessed. Each of these genes is involved in the redox metabolism and hydrogen peroxide balance. Although electron microscopy revealed that conidia adhered to and germinated on the leaf cuticle, the inoculated cowpea leaves did not show any characteristic anthracnose symptoms.

A resistant cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) genotype became susceptible to cowpea severe mosaic virus (CPSMV) after exposure to salt stress.

In nature, plants are simultaneously challenged by biotic and abiotic stresses. However, little is known about the effects of these combined stresses for most crops. This work aimed to evaluate the responsed of the virus-resistant cowpea genotype BRS-Marataoã to the exposure of salt stress combined with CPSMV infection.

Mo-CBP-PepI, Mo-CBP-PepII, and Mo-CBP-PepIII are synthetic antimicrobial peptides active against human pathogens by stimulating ROS generation and increasing plasma membrane permeability.

The efficiency of current antimicrobial drugs is noticeably decreasing and thus the development of new treatments is necessary. Natural and synthetic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted great attention as promising candidates. Inspired on Mo-CBP, an antimicrobial protein from Moringa oleifera seeds, we designed and synthesized three AMPs named Mo-CBP-PepI, Mo-CBP-PepII, and Mo-CBP-PepIII.

A Bowman-Birk Inhibitor from the Seeds of Luetzelburgia auriculata Inhibits Staphylococcus aureus Growth by Promoting Severe Cell Membrane Damage.

Staphylococcus aureus is a multidrug-resistant bacterium responsible for several cases of hospital-acquired infections, which constitute a global public health problem. The introduction of new healthcare strategies and/or the discovery of molecules capable of inhibiting the growth or killing S. aureus would have a huge impact on the treatment of S.

First insights into insecticidal activity against Aedes aegypti and partial biochemical characterization of a novel low molecular mass chymotrypsin-trypsin inhibitor purified from Lonchocarpus sericeus seeds.

Background: Arboviroses such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya represent a serious public health issue as a consequence of the absence of approved vaccines or specific antiviral drugs against the arboviruses that cause them. One way to prevent these diseases is by combating the vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti (Diptera), which has serine proteases in the midgut. Protease inhibitors are molecules that can block enzyme activity, impairing digestion and nutrition, which can lead to death.

A Chitin-binding Protein Purified from Seeds Presents Anticandidal Activity by Increasing Cell Membrane Permeability and Reactive Oxygen Species Production.

species are opportunistic pathogens that infect immunocompromised and/or immunosuppressed patients, particularly in hospital facilities, that besides representing a significant threat to health increase the risk of mortality. Apart from echinocandins and triazoles, which are well tolerated, most of the antifungal drugs used for candidiasis treatment can cause side effects and lead to the development of resistant strains. A promising alternative to the conventional treatments is the use of plant proteins.

Gel-free/label-free proteomic, photosynthetic, and biochemical analysis of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) resistance against Cowpea severe mosaic virus (CPSMV).

Unlabelled: Cowpea severe mosaic virus (CPSMV) causes significant losses in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) production. In this present study biochemical, physiological, and proteomic analysis were done to identify pathways and defense proteins that are altered during the incompatible interaction between the cowpea genotype BRS-Marataoã and CPSMV. The leaf protein extracts from mock- (MI) and CPSMV-inoculated plantlets (V) were evaluated at 2 and 6days post-inoculation (DPI).