Miniaturized Carbon Fiber Paper Electrodes for In Situ High Resolution NMR Analyses.

Combining spectroscopic techniques with electrochemistry is a promising strategy, as it allows the detailed investigation of the species that are consumed and produced by the reaction in real time. However, as with any in situ coupling technique, the junction between NMR and electrochemistry presents some challenges, notably the distortion of NMR signals due to the placement of electrodes close to or within the detection region. In this work, miniaturized electrodes made of carbon fiber paper were developed and later modified with platinum.

The toxic effects of piperine against Trypanosoma cruzi: ultrastructural alterations and reversible blockage of cytokinesis in epimastigote forms.

In a previous work, we have investigated the effects of piperine and several of its chemical derivatives on the proliferation of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. It was observed that natural piperine is more active against intracellular amastigotes than axenically grown epimastigotes with IC50 values of 4.91 and 7.

Toxic effects of natural piperine and its derivatives on epimastigotes and amastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi.

We describe herein an evaluation of trypanocidal effects of the natural alkaloid piperine and twelve synthetic derivatives against epimastigote and amastigote forms of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of the incurable human disease, Chagas' disease. The results obtained point to piperine as a suitable template for the development of new drugs with trypanocidal activity.