Anti-infective properties of the melanin-glucan complex obtained from medicinal tinder bracket mushroom, Fomes fomentarius (L.: Fr.) Fr. (Aphyllophoromycetideae).

The goal of this investigation was to comparatively study the efficiency of traditionally used anti-infective drugs and biopolymer complexes originated from the medicinal mushroom Fomes fomentarius (L.:Fr.) Fr.

Novel inhibitors of HIV discovered among existing classes of pharmaceutical compounds indicated for unrelated clinical indications.

In vitro screening of 307 drugs with various clinical indications (cardiotropic, neurotropic, antibacterial, etc.) has revealed 6 compounds which displayed remarkable antiretroviral activity. Three of these drugs had a tendency to have undesirable side effects and were thus excluded from further consideration.

Synthesis, characterization, antifungal and anti-HIV activities of metal(II) complexes of 4,6-di-tert-butyl-3-[(2-hydroxyethyl)thio]benzene-1,2-diol.

Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes with 4,6-di-tert-butyl-3-[(2-hydroxyethyl)thio]benzene-1,2-diol (L) have been synthesized and characterized by means of elemental analysis, TG/DTA, FT-IR, ESR, UV-vis, XRD, magnetic susceptibility, cyclic voltammetry and conductance measurements. According to the data obtained the organic compound acts as a bidentate O,S-coordinated ligand and yields Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes of the stoichiometry ML(2) which is characterized by square planar geometry. Antifungal and anti-HIV activities of the ligand and its metal(II) complexes were found to decrease in the sequence CuL(2)>CoL(2) ~ NiL(2)>HL, along with their reducing ability (determined electrochemically).

Therapeutic AIDS vaccines.

Therapeutic HIV vaccines represent promising strategy as an adjunct or alternative to current antiretroviral treatment options for HIV. Unlike prophylactic AIDS vaccines designed to prevent HIV infection, therapeutic vaccines are given to already infected individuals to help fight the disease by modulating their immune response. The first immunotherapeutic trial in AIDS patients was conducted in 1983.

Sorbicillactone A: a structurally unprecedented bioactive novel-type alkaloid from a sponge-derived fungus.

This chapter deals with the discovery of sorbicillactone A, as an illustrative example of the fruitful cooperation within BIOTECmarin--its isolation and chemical characterization, and its biological activities. Sorbicillactone A was isolated from a strain of Penicillium chrysogenum cultured from a sample of the Mediterranean sponge Ircinia fasciculata; it possesses a unique bicyclic lactone structure, seemingly derived from sorbicillin. Among the numerous known sorbicillin-derived structures, it is the first found to contain nitrogen and thus the first representative of a novel type of 'sorbicillin alkaloids', apparently originating from a likewise remarkable biosynthesis.