Bioactive Insecticides from Chemometric Diverse Ant-Associated Symbionts and against the Fall Armyworm Larvae.

The genus has long been recognized as a prolific and valuable source of diverse secondary metabolites. These metabolites contribute significantly to the intricate chemical diversity exhibited by , making them an indispensable reservoir for drug discovery, agricultural applications, and industrial processes. Exploiting the potential of these natural compounds holds the promise of ushering in a new era in insect pest management, reducing reliance on synthetic chemicals and fostering ecologically sustainable solutions.

Characterizing lipid constituents of B. moojeni snake venom: a comparative approach for chemical and biological investigations.

Snake venoms are complex mixtures majorly composed of proteins with well-studied biological effects. However, the exploration of non-protein components, especially lipids, remains limited despite their potential for discovering bioactive molecules. This study compares three liquid-liquid lipid extraction methods for both chemical and biological analyses of Bothrops moojeni snake venom.

Naphthoquinone derivatives as potential immunomodulators: prospective for COVID-19 treatment.

Inflammation plays a crucial role in COVID-19, and when it becomes dysregulated, it can lead to severe outcomes, including death. Naphthoquinones, a class of cyclic organic compounds widely distributed in nature, have attracted significant interest due to their potential biological benefits. One such naphthoquinone is 3,5,8-trihydroxy-6-methoxy-2-(5-oxohexa-1,3-dienyl)-naphthanthene-1,4-dione (3,5,8-TMON), a compound produced by fungi.

Microbial Metabolites Annotation by Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics.

Since the discovery of penicillin, microbial metabolites have been extensively investigated for drug discovery purposes. In the last decades, microbial derived compounds have gained increasing attention in different fields from pharmacognosy to industry and agriculture. Microbial metabolites in microbiomes present specific functions and can be associated with the maintenance of the natural ecosystems.

Glycomic profiling identifies key-structural differences in three arabinoxylan fractions from sugarcane culms.

Sugarcane is an important food and bioenergy crop, and although the residual biomass is potentially available for biorefinery and biofuels production the complex plant cell wall matrix requires pretreatment prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. Arabinoxylans require multiple enzymes for xylose backbone and saccharide side-branch hydrolysis to release xylooligosaccharides and pentoses. The effect of arabinoxylan structure on xylooligosaccharide release by combinations of up to five xylanolytic enzymes was studied using three arabinoxylan fractions extracted from sugarcane culms by sodium chlorite, DMSO and alkaline treatments.

Targeted analysis of eicosanoids derived from cytochrome P450 pathway by high-resolution multiple-reaction monitoring mass spectrometry.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) pathway is one of the critical enzymatic via eicosanoid biosynthesis. Nevertheless, their metabolites are far less explored. This pathway plays a crucial role in converting arachidonic acid to hydroxyeicosatetraenoic (HETEs), epoxyeicosatrienoic (EETs), dihydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (DiHETEs), and dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (DiHETrEs), which mediate several physiological and pathological functions.

Actinobacteria from Antarctica as a source for anticancer discovery.

Although many advances have been achieved to treat aggressive tumours, cancer remains a leading cause of death and a public health problem worldwide. Among the main approaches for the discovery of new bioactive agents, the prospect of microbial secondary metabolites represents an effective source for the development of drug leads. In this study, we investigated the actinobacterial diversity associated with an endemic Antarctic species, Deschampsia antarctica, by integrated culture-dependent and culture-independent methods and acknowledged this niche as a reservoir of bioactive strains for the production of antitumour compounds.

Extraction of carotenoid-rich palm pressed fiber oil using mixtures of hydrocarbons and short chain alcohols.

Solvent extraction is the most efficient method for recovering residual oil from palm pressed fiber (PPFO), which may contain up to eight times the carotenoid content of that found in crude palm oil. The objective of the present study is the use of binary mixtures of hydrocarbons (HC), hexane (Hex), cyclohexane (CHex) or heptane (Hep), and alcohols (ALC), ethanol (Eth) or isopropanol (IPA), in order to promote the highest recovery of a carotenoid-rich PPFO, in which the compositions of the mixtures are defined based on the calculation of solute-solvent distance (Ra) considering β-carotene as the solute. The extraction experiments were conducted in batch, at 60 ± 2 °C, or in a fixed-bed packed column, at 55 ± 3 °C.

Plasma Eicosanoid Profile in Malaria: Clinical Analysis and Impacts of Self-Medication.

The participation of cytokines and chemokines in malaria (-malaria) activates the immune response and thus causes the production of several inflammatory mediators. This process is already well-established, but little is known about eicosanoids in malaria physiopathology, especially in regards to inflammation and immunity. Malaria is an acute febrile syndrome similar to any other less important infectious disease and people may self-medicate with any anti-inflammatory drugs in order to cease the recurrent symptoms of the disease.

Solid phase microextraction as a powerful alternative for screening of secondary metabolites in actinomycetes.

Actinobacteria are one of the most promising producers of medically and industrially relevant secondary metabolites. However, screening of such compounds in actinobacteria growth demands simple, fast, and efficient extraction procedures that enable detection and precise quantification of biologically active compounds. In this regard, solid phase microextraction (SPME) emerges as an ideal extraction technique for screening of secondary metabolites in bacteria culture due to its non-exhaustive, minimally invasive, and non-destructive nature: its integrated sample preparation workflow; balanced coverage feature; metabolism quenching capabilities; and superior cleanup, as well as its versatility in configuration, which enables automation and high throughput applications.

Williamsia aurantiacus sp. nov. a novel actinobacterium producer of antimicrobial compounds isolated from the marine sponge.

An antibiotic-producing actinobacterium, designated isolate B375, was isolated from marine sponge Glodia corticostylifera collected from Praia Guaecá, São Paulo, Brazil (23°49S; 45°25W), and its taxonomic position established using data from a polyphasic study. The organism showed a combination of morphological, physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic characteristics consistent with its classification in the genus Williamsia. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the strain B375 was most closely related to Williamsia serinedens DSM 45037 and Williamsia spongiae DSM 46676 and having 99.

Microbial Diversity and Chemical Multiplicity of Culturable, Taxonomically Similar Bacterial Symbionts of the Leaf-Cutting Ant Acromyrmex coronatus.

Insects are a highly diverse group, exploit a wide range of habitats, and harbor bacterial symbionts of largely unknown diversity. Insect-associated bacterial symbionts are underexplored but promising sources of bioactive compounds. The community of culturable bacteria associated with the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex coronatus (Fabricius) and the diversity of their metabolites produced were investigated.

Tandem mass spectrometry methods to accelerate the identification of phytotoxic metabolites produced by sp. 39 PL.

Natural products isolated by microorganisms are interesting in the search for new compounds with several biological activities. However, low concentration and structural diversity make the isolation a time-consuming step. Tandem mass spectrometry is a well-established technology for the identification and characterization of target microbial natural products due to high sensitivity and selectivity of these experiments.

Characterization of Casearin X Metabolism by Rat and Human Liver Microsomes.

Casearin X (CAS X) is the major clerodane diterpene isolated from the leaves of and has been extensively studied due to its powerful cytotoxic activity at low concentrations. Promising results for antitumor action have also been described when CAS X was administered intraperitoneally in mice. Conversely, loss of activity was observed when orally administered.

Bioguided isolation, characterization and media optimization for production of Lysolipins by actinomycete as antimicrobial compound against Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri.

Citrus Canker disease is one of the most important disease in citrus production worldwide caused by gram-negative bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, leading to great economic losses. Currently, a spray of copper-based bactericides is the primary measure for citrus canker management.

Characterization and mapping of secondary metabolites of Streptomyces sp. from caatinga by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS).

The discovery of new secondary metabolites is a challenge to biotechnologists due to the emergence of superbugs and drug resistance. Knowledge about biodiversity and the discovery of new microorganisms have become major objectives; thus, new habitats like extreme ecosystems have become places of interest to research. In this context, caatinga is an unexplored biome.

High-resolution multiple reaction monitoring method for quantification of steroidal hormones in plasma.

Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) is one of the most powerful modes of analysis in liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometry for quantification of low-concentration metabolites in biological samples. The advances in mass spectrometry enabled the development of high-resolution multiple reaction monitoring (MRM ) and became suitable for the more specific analysis of target analytes. This is important for lipidomic studies and contributes in the medical and pharmaceutical fields, primarily in investigating alterations in cells or fluids relevant to various diseases.

Engineering the GH1 β-glucosidase from Humicola insolens: Insights on the stimulation of activity by glucose and xylose.

The activity of the GH1 β-glucosidase from Humicola insolens (Bglhi) against p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (pNP-Glc) and cellobiose is enhanced 2-fold by glucose and/or xylose. Kinetic and transglycosylation data showed that hydrolysis is preferred in the absence of monosaccharides. Stimulation involves allosteric interactions, increased transglycosylation and competition of the substrate and monosaccharides for the -1 glycone and the +1/+2 aglycone binding sites.

Development of a validated ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for determination of acid diterpenes in Copaifera oleoresins.

Species of Copaifera genus (Fabaceae - Caesalpinoiodidaeae) produces an important commercial oleoresin that displays many medicinal properties. Copaifera oleoresins (COR) are composed mainly of a mixture of diterpenes and sequiterpenes, and the main reported acid diterpenes for this genus are kaurenoic, copalic, hardwickiic and polyaltic acids. An ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for identification and quantification of nine acid diterpenes.

Tapping the biotechnological potential of insect microbial symbionts: new insecticidal porphyrins.

Background: The demand for sustainable agricultural practices and the limited progress toward newer and safer chemicals for use in pest control maintain the impetus for research and identification of new natural molecules. Natural molecules are preferable to synthetic organic molecules because they are biodegradable, have low toxicity, are often selective and can be applied at low concentrations. Microbes are one source of natural insecticides, and microbial insect symbionts have attracted attention as a source of new bioactive molecules because these microbes are exposed to various selection pressures in their association with insects.

Saccharopolyspora spongiae sp. nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from the marine sponge Scopalina ruetzleri (Wiedenmayer, 1977).

A novel marine actinomycete, designated strain CMAA 1452T, was isolated from the sponge Scopalina ruetzleri collected from Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago, in Brazil, and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic investigation. The organism formed a distinct phyletic line in the Saccharopolyspora 16S rRNA gene tree and had chemotaxonomic and morphological properties consistent with its classification in this genus. It was found to be closely related to Saccharopolyspora dendranthemae KLBMP 1305T (99.

Determination of Levetiracetam in Human Plasma by Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction Followed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Levetiracetam (LEV) is an antiepileptic drug that is clinically effective in generalized and partial epilepsy syndromes. The use of this drug has been increasing in clinical practice and intra- or -interindividual variability has been exhibited for special population. For this reason, bioanalytical methods are required for drug monitoring in biological matrices.

Streptomyces atlanticus sp. nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from marine sponge Aplysina fulva (Pallas, 1766).

The taxonomic position of a novel marine actinomycete isolated from a marine sponge, Aplysina fulva, which had been collected in the Archipelago of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (Equatorial Atlantic Ocean), was determined by using a polyphasic approach. The organism showed a combination of morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics consistent with its classification in the genus Streptomyces and forms a distinct branch within the Streptomyces somaliensis 16S rRNA gene tree subclade. It is closely related to Streptomyces violascens ISP 5183 (97.