Publications by authors named "Maiara C Moura"

Aims: We investigated the putative fungistatic and fungicidal activities of pomegranate sarcotesta lectin (PgTeL) against Cryptococcus neoformans B3501 (serotype D), specifically the ability of PgTeL to inhibit yeast capsule and biofilm formation in this strain.

Methods And Results: PgTeL showed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 172.0 μg ml-1, at which it did not exhibit a fungicidal effect.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant properties, and antimicrobial effects of different extracts from Punica granatum (pomegranate) leaves, using various extraction and analysis techniques.
  • The ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) showed significant antimicrobial activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria, especially Gram-positive strains, and could enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics like ampicillin and ciprofloxacin.
  • The findings suggest that combining antioxidant-rich extracts with antibiotics may provide a new therapeutic strategy to combat antibiotic resistance.
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The chemical composition, the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of crude extract from leaves and their enriched fractions was studied. Phytochemical analyses were performed by TLC and HPLC, and the antioxidant capacity was verified by DPPH and ABTS. The Minimal Inhibitory/Bactericidal Concentration was conducted against twenty-two bacteria to select five strains susceptible to extracts/fractions and resistant to the antibiotics tested.

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The objective of this study was to conduct phytochemical characterization and biological evaluation of . Crude extracts and fractions from the bark, leaves and pods, were obtained for phytochemical screening by TLC and HPLC, and evaluation of antibacterial and antioxidant potential. Chromatographic data revealed the presence of several metabolites, notably from the flavonoid class.

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The sarcotesta of Punica granatum fruit contains an antimicrobial lectin called PgTeL. In this work, we evaluated the antibacterial activity of PgTeL against five drug-resistant Escherichia coli isolates able to produce β-lactamases. Minimum inhibitory (MIC) and bactericidal (MBC) concentrations were determined by broth dilution.

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This work aimed to evaluate the effects of CasuL on growth and viability of 15 mastitis isolates from cows and goats, to determine the synergistic potential between CasuL and antibiotics, and to investigate the effects on bacterial ultrastructure and antibiofilm activity. The lectin inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus isolates from either bovine (Ssp6PD and Sa) or caprine (Ssp5D and Ssp01) mastitis. The minimal inhibitory concentrations were ranged from 3.

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Currently, the research of new natural compounds with biological potential demonstrates great ethnopharmacological importance. In this study, we evaluated the biological properties promoted by saline extract from Malpighia emarginata DC leaves, whose objective is to evaluate the antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity potential. Phytochemical characterization was performed by UPLC-MS chromatography to identify the chemical compounds.

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The study evaluated the advanced oxidative processes concerning the degradation of green leaf and purple açaí dyes, as well as the prediction of data through artificial neural networks (ANNs). It was verified that percentage of degradation on the wavelengths (λ) of 215, 248, 523 and 627 nm was 5.95, 49.

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The Alpinia purpurata inflorescence contains a lectin (ApuL), which has immunomodulatory activities on human cells. In the present work, it was evaluated the antibacterial and antifungal effects of ApuL against human pathogens. ApuL showed bacteriostatic activity against non-resistant (UFPEDA-02) and an oxacillin-resistant isolate (UFPEDA-672) of Staphylococcus aureus with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 50 and 400 μg/mL, respectively.

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In this work, the degradation of Remazol Yellow Gold RNL-150% and Reactive Turquoise Q-G125 were investigated using AOP: photolysis, UV/HO, Fenton and photo-Fenton. It was found that the photo-Fenton process employing sunlight radiation was the most efficient, obtaining percentages of degradation above 87%. The ideal conditions for the degradation of the dyes were determined from a factorial design 2 and study of the [HO] ([HO] equal to 100 mg·L); [Fe] equal to 1 mg·L and pH between 3 and 4.

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The pomegranate (Punica granatum) sarcotesta contains a chitin-binding lectin (PgTeL) with antibacterial activity against human pathogenic species. In this work, the structural stability of PgTeL was evaluated by fluorimetric analysis and the lectin was evaluated for cytotoxicity to human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Candida krusei. PgTeL folding was impaired when lectin was incubated at pH≥6.

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Gastrointestinal nematodes are the major cause of animal diseases, and the indiscriminate use of synthetic anthelmintic contributes to the development of drug resistance. Natural bioproducts are noteworthy since they have proved to be promising for alternative antiparasitic therapies. This study evaluated the in vitro effect of WSMoL (water soluble Moringa oleifera lectin) on hatching of eggs and on the development of early-stage larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes from naturally infected goats.

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Biotechnological techniques allow the investigation of alternatives to outdated chemical insecticides for crop protection; some investigations have focused on the identification of molecules tailored from nature for this purpose. We, herein, describe the negative effects of water-soluble lectin from Moringa oleifera seeds (WSMoL) on Anagasta kuehniella development. The chitin-binding lectin, WSMoL, impaired the larval weight gain by 50% and affected the activity of the pest's major digestive enzymes.

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This work describes the isolation of a lectin (CasuL) from the leaf pinnulae of Calliandra surinamensis and the evaluation of its cytotoxic, antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties. Proteins from pinnulae extract were precipitated with ammonium sulphate (60% saturation) and submitted to Sephadex G-75 chromatography, which yielded isolated CasuL (purification factor: 113). Native CasuL is an acidic protein (pI 5.

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Aluminum salts are used as coagulants in water treatment; however, the exposure to residual aluminum has been associated with human brain lesions. The water-soluble Moringa oleifera lectin (WSMoL), which is extracted with distilled water and isolated by chitin chromatography, has coagulant activity and is able to reduce the concentration of metal ions in aqueous solutions. This study evaluated the potential of using aluminum sulfate and WSMoL to reduce the turbidity and toxicity of water from the Cavouco stream located in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.

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The efficacy of Moringa oleifera seed lectin (WSMoL) as a metal remover in water and the effects of metals on its hemagglutinating and antibacterial activities were determined. Aqueous metal solutions were incubated with WSMoL for 8 h at 4°C and the concentrations of metals were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Hemagglutination and antibacterial assays were conducted with WSMoL and lectin exposed or not to the metals.

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Background: The extract from Moringa oleifera seeds is used worldwide, especially in rural areas of developing countries, to treat drinking water. M. oleifera seeds contain the lectins cmol and WSMoL, which are carbohydrate-binding proteins that are able to reduce water turbidity because of their coagulant activity.

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Moringa oleifera flower extract, with trypsin inhibitor activity, is a larvicidal agent on Aedes aegypti. This work reports the isolation of trypsin inhibitor (M. oleifera flower trypsin inhibitor (MoFTI)) and its effect on A.

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