Insights on the inhibition properties of Jatromollistatin (a cyclic heptapeptide) against Crotalus adamanteus metalloendopeptidase using molecular docking analysis.

Jatropha mollissima is endemic to Brazil and is used for traditional medicinal purposes, including the treatment of snakebite. In this study, latex obtained from this plant was fractioned using reversed-phase chromatography, and the fractions were then screened for peptides. A 755 g/mol peptide was obtained, and MS/MS analyses indicated it had a cyclic sequence (Pro-Leu-Gly-Val-Leu-Leu-Tyr).

Drought, desertification and poverty: A geospatial analysis of snakebite envenoming in the Caatinga biome of Brazil.

Epidemiological data on snakebite in the Brazilian state of Ceará are scarce, as the only report on this subject was last published in 1997. However, according to the Brazilian system of recording disease incidents (Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação [SINAN]), more than 13,000 snakebites have been registered since 2001 in the state of Ceará, making this disease an important public health issue. In the present study, we evaluate the influence of environmental changes, including drought and desertification, on the risk of snakebite envenoming in the Brazilian northeastern state of Ceará.

Peptide from thaumatin plant protein exhibits selective anticandidal activity by inducing apoptosis via membrane receptor.

Osmotin- and thaumatin-like proteins (OLPs and TLPs) have been associated with plant defense responses to different biotic stresses. In the present work, several in silico sequences from OLPs and TLPs were investigated by means of bioinformatics tools aiming to prospect for antimicrobial peptides. The peptide sequences chosen were further synthesized and characterized, and their activities and action mechanisms were assayed against some phytopathogenic fungi, bacteria and yeasts of clinical importance.

Insights on the phytochemical profile (cyclopeptides) and biological activities of Calotropis procera latex organic fractions.

Calotropis procera is a medicinal plant whose pharmacological properties are associated with its latex. Here, the Calotropis procera latex fractions were investigated in an attempt to trace its phytochemical profile and measure its anti-inflammatory and toxicity activity. The crude latex was partitioned, yielding five fractions (49.