The aim of this study was to document the biodiversity of cyanobacteria genera isolated from intertidal and subtidal zones in Cabo Verde. The identification of the strains was conducted using a polyphasic study, comprising 16S rRNA gene maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference phylogeny, 16S rRNA identity (-distance), 16S-23S ITS secondary structure, morphological, and habitat analyses. A total of 51 strains were isolated by micromanipulation and by streaking biomass onto Petri dishes with a solid medium.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRev Bras Parasitol Vet
February 2025
Aplectana comprises species of gastrointestinal helminths commonly found parasitizing amphibians and reptiles worldwide. However, most species of the genus are described based only on morphological traits. During helminthological surveys, we found nematodes identified as Aplectana pella parasitizing the hylid frog Osteocephalus cabrerai from the same locality as the original description.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecules
September 2024
This study characterized the binding mechanisms of the lectin cMoL (from Moringa oleifera seeds) to carbohydrates using spectroscopy and molecular dynamics (MD). The interaction with carbohydrates was studied by evaluating lectin fluorescence emission after titration with glucose or galactose (2.0-11 mM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis an arboreal anuran widely distributed in South America. However, there are no parasitological studies conducted on the species, resulting in a parasite fauna completely unknown. Thus, this study aims to characterize the parasitic community structure of in the municipality of Pedra Branca do Amapari, Amapá state, Amazon region, Brazil.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFare gastrointestinal parasites of anurans, distributed throughout Central and South America. and are some of the most commonly reported species parasitising anurans from Brazil, and the morphological differences between them are unclear. In the present study, we redescribed based on a re-examination of type series and newly collected material from the frog in the state of Amapá, Brazil.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Oleo Sci
July 2024
The Bauhinia ungulata, also known by its common name "pata de vaca", is one of the species used in Brazil for medicinal purposes, and is commonly used for the treatment of diabetes. In this study, the authors studied the interaction between the chemical constituents which are present in the essential oil of Bauhinia ungulata (EOBU), collected in Boa Vista-RR, Legal Amazon, and their effects on the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the essential oil. The analysis that we perform includes proton magnetic resonance ( H NMR), enzymatic inhibition, molecular docking, in silico toxicity prediction, enrichment analysis, and target prediction for biological interactions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Parasitol Parasites Wildl
August 2024
is the most diverse genus among proteocephalids, composed of species commonly found parasitizing snakes worldwide. However, the diversity of in the Neotropical region is still underestimated. This study describes n.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe venom of cone snails has been proven to be a rich source of bioactive peptides that target a variety of ion channels and receptors. α-Conotoxins (αCtx) interact with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and are powerful tools for investigating the structure and function of the various nAChR subtypes. By studying how conotoxins interact with nAChRs, we can improve our understanding of these receptors, leading to new insights into neurological diseases associated with nAChRs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHere, we presented a second-order scattering sensor based on the ZnLaO compound (LaZnO) for selective and stable detection of glycated albumin (GA, glycemic long-term biomarker). The LaZnO sample was obtained through the co-precipitation method and then characterized using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Furthermore, the selectivity, molecular interference, temporal stability, and pH effects of the LaZnO SOS signal in the absence and presence of GA were investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe ability to bind plasma proteins helps in comprehending relevant aspects related to the pharmacological properties of many drugs. Despite the vital role of the drug mubritinib (MUB) in the prophylaxis of various diseases, its interaction with carrier proteins still needs to be clarified. The present work focuses on the interaction between MUB and Human serum albumin (HSA), investigated by employing multispectroscopic, biochemical, and molecular docking approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNature-based and sustainably sourced cosmetics have been dominating the area of skincare products worldwide. Due to their antioxidant and antiaging properties, compounds from cyanobacteria, such as carotenoids and phycobiliproteins, may replace synthetic ingredients in cosmetic formulations and may be used in products such as sunscreens, skincare creams, and makeup. In this study, we evaluated the potential of acetonic and aqueous extracts from cyanobacteria strains of the genera Cyanobium and Leptothoe and from strains within Synechococcales and Oscillatoriales orders, for use in cosmetics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study verified typing performance on smartphones of public transportation passengers using subjective assessments of comfort and difficulty and objective assessments of the number of errors and typing speed. Three frequency values (5, 10, and 15 Hz), two magnitudes (0.6 and 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are antitumor compounds that prevent the phosphorylation of proteins in a biological environment. However, the multitarget performance of TKIs promotes them as possible candidates for drug repositioning. In this work, interaction and inhibition studies through spectroscopic and computational techniques to evaluate the binding effectiveness of lapatinib and pazopanib TKIs to acetylcholinesterase (AChE) are reported.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGap junctions mediate communication between adjacent cells and are fundamental to the development and homeostasis in multicellular organisms. In invertebrates, gap junctions are formed by transmembrane proteins called innexins. Gap junctions allow the passage of small molecules through an intercellular channel, between a cell and another adjacent cell.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSmall organic molecules have been extensively applied to achieve enzymatic inhibition. Although numerous efforts have been made to deliver efficient inhibitors, small inhibitors applications are hindered by many drawbacks. Moreover, reporters comprising nanoparticle inhibitory activity against enzymes are very scarce in the literature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVenomous molluscs (Superfamily Conoidea) comprise a substantial fraction of tropical marine biodiversity (>15,000 species). Prior characterization of cone snail venoms established that bioactive venom components used to capture prey, defend against predators and for competitive interactions were relatively small, structured peptides (10-35 amino acids), most with multiple disulfide crosslinks. These venom components ("conotoxins, conopeptides") have been widely studied in many laboratories, leading to pharmaceutical agents and probes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe plant popularly known as "negramina" (Siparuna guianensis Aubl.), member of the family Siparunaceae produces an essential oil that presents several biological activities reported in literature. Here, the essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation from fresh leaves collected in the state of Roraima, far north of the Amazon.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPyriproxyfen is an insecticide used worldwide that acts as a biomimetic of juvenile hormone. This study investigated metabolic and synaptic impairments triggered by pyriproxyfen using zebrafish acetylcholinesterase (zbAChE) and mitochondria as markers. A brain zbAChE assay was performed in vitro and in vivo covering a range of pyriproxyfen concentrations (0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to develop a conceptual model and to explore direct and indirect associations between paid work and life-course factors in a representative national sample of the Brazilian population 50 years and older. The analysis was based on 8,903 participants in the baseline of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil). The exposure variables were sociodemographic, health, work, and social interaction variables.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEgletes viscosa is a plant with therapeutic value due to its antibacterial, antinociceptive and gastroprotective properties. This study aimed to purify, characterize, and evaluate the cytotoxicity of a lectin (EgviL) from the floral capitula of E. viscosa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWork
June 2021
Background: Students, as well as other professional drivers, must have focus to adequately perform their tasks. However, they are subjected to whole-body vibration (WBV) in their journey to school or work.
Objective: To investigate the influence of in-loco WBV exposure on focus, both instantaneously, as well as residually.
Time use studies uncover the organization of daily routine of families of children with disabilities. The objective of this study is to identify determinants of time spent caring for children/adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and typical development (TD). Participants were caregivers of children/adolescents with/without disability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective of this study was to determine associations between socio-demographic and health characteristics with paid work among elderly Brazilians. The analysis included 11,177 subjects aged 60 years and over from the National Health Survey conducted in 2013. The multivariate analysis was based on prevalence ratios and their respective 95% confidence intervals estimated by Poisson regression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis a cone snail endemic to the west side of the island of Sal, in the Cabo Verde Archipelago off West Africa. We describe the isolation and characterization of the first bioactive peptide from the venom of this species. This 30AA venom peptide is named conotoxin AtVIA (δ-conotoxin-like).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMany skin disorders and diseases are related to tyrosinase activity, in particular, due to the vital role played by this enzyme in the melanogenic process. Although numerous natural and synthetic tyrosinase inhibitors have been published, substantial efforts have been made to understand the influence of tyrosinase inhibition on the viability of melanoma cells. Here, we assess the impact of two keto-derivatives: 2-acetyl-furan (F1), furfural-acetone (F2), and two carboxyl-derivatives: 2-furan-acrylic acid (F3), 5-methyl-2-furan-acrylic acid (F4), on the mushroom tyrosinase (mTYR) activity, by applying spectroscopic, kinetic and theoretical techniques.
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