Acta Cir Bras
July 2024
Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of an ethanol extract of Ocimum basilicum L. (EEOb) aerial parts against Ehrlich's experimental tumor (EET) in mice.
Methods: Swiss mice were divided into two groups (control and treated; n = 6).
Antibiotics (Basel)
March 2024
The urgent global health challenge posed by methicillin-resistant (MRSA) infections demands effective solutions. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent promising tools of research of new antibacterial agents and LyeTx I mn∆K, a short synthetic peptide based on the spider venom, is a good representative. This study focused on analyzing the antimicrobial activities of LyeTx I mn∆K, including minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations, synergy and resensitization assays, lysis activity, the effect on biofilm, and the bacterial death curve in MRSA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Active targeting of tumors by nanomaterials favors early diagnosis and the reduction of harsh side effects of chemotherapeuticals.
Methods: We synthesized magnetic nanoparticles (64 nm; -40 mV) suspended in a magnetic fluid (MF) and decorated them with anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (MFCEA; 144 nm; -39 mV). MF and MFCEA nanoparticles were successfully radiolabeled with technetium-99m (Tc) and intravenously injected in CEA-positive 4T1 tumor-bearing mice to perform biodistribution studies.
The jelleine family is a group of four peptides (jelleines I-IV) originally isolated from the royal jelly of honey bee (), but later detected in some honey samples. These oligopeptides are composed of 8-9 amino acid residues, positively charged (+2 to +3 at pH 7.2), including 38-50% of hydrophobic residues and a carboxamide -terminus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR-Ab) have become a public health emergency. Due to the small therapeutic arsenal available to treat these infections, health agencies have highlighted the importance of developing new antimicrobials against MDR-Ab. In this context, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) stand out, and animal venoms are a rich source of these compounds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrobiol Res
October 2022
Intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC) occurs due to the direct inoculation of Candida into the sterile peritoneal cavity or leakage of the gastrointestinal tract. An important difference between the two forms of the disease is the presence of fecal material, which is exclusive to the latter condition. However, the influence of fecal material on the prognosis of IAC is still poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe increase in the incidence of fungal infections associated with the limited therapeutic arsenal available and the increasing rate of resistance of pathogenic fungi reinforce the need for research of new antifungal agents. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the antifungal activity of the peptide LyeTx I mnΔK, a shortened analogue of the natural peptide LyeTx I derived from spider venom, against species. LyeTx I mnΔK showed potent activity against spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), such as Zika virus (ZIKV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), dengue virus (DENV), yellow fever virus (YFV), and West Nile virus (WNV), are pathogens of global importance. Therefore, there has been an increasing need for new drugs for the treatment of these viral infections. In this context, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) obtained from animal venoms stand out as promising compounds because they exhibit strong antiviral activity against emerging arboviral pathogens.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStaphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium responsible for a wide variety of infectious diseases, and its methicillin-resistant isolates pose a serious worldwide public health risk. New drugs are urgently needed for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Here, we evaluated the antibacterial activity of five 3-alkyl-pyridinic analogs against MRSA and, of these compounds, compound 6 showed promising antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Mycol Med
August 2022
Vulvovaginal candidosis (VVC) is one of the most frequent causes of gynecological consultations. Therefore, the development of new antifungal therapies against VVC is relevant. In this context, the leaves of Fridericia chica (Bonpl.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Prod Res
December 2022
Here, we demonstrated the and antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities of melittin, a peptide derived from honeybee venom, against uropathogenic (UPEC) resistant to quinolones. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of melittin varied from 0.5 to 8 μM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEthnopharmacological Relevance: Apitherapy is a branch of traditional medicine that uses bee products to manage numerous diseases. In this context, the antiherpetic effect of these bee products has been demonstrated in some studies with some controversial results.
Aim Of The Study: Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness of honey and propolis with acyclovir, the reference drug, in the treatment of cold sores and genital herpes.
Candida spp. is considered an important cause of healthcare-associated infections worldwide. Currently, the emergence and spread of resistant Candida isolates are being increasingly reported, making the development of new agents urgently needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZika virus (ZIKV) infections are associated with severe neurological complications and are a global public health concern. There are no approved vaccines or antiviral drugs to inhibit ZIKV replication. NS2B-NS3 protease (NS2B-NS3 pro), which is essential for viral replication, is a promising molecular target for anti-ZIKV drugs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Antibiot (Tokyo)
July 2021
The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, especially carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB), together with relative stagnation in the development of effective antibiotics, has led to enormous health and economic problems. In this study, we aimed to describe the antibacterial spectrum of LyeTx I mnΔK, a short synthetic peptide based on LyeTx I from Lycosa erythrognatha venom, against CRAB. LyeTx I mnΔK showed considerable antibacterial activity against extensively resistant A.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhytother Res
September 2021
Viral infections of the lower respiratory tract are considered a public health problem. They affect millions of people worldwide, causing thousands of deaths, and are treated with expensive medicines, such as antivirals or palliative measures. In this study, we conducted a systematic review to describe the use of quercetin-type flavonols against lower respiratory tract viruses and discussed the preclinical impact of this approach on different signs and clinical mechanisms of infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To estimate the overall frequency of epilepsy in children with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) and describe the profile of seizures and the response rate to anti-epileptic treatment in this group of patients.
Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following the Cochrane Handbook and preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, SciELO, and LILACS were searched until June 23, 2020.
Mayaro fever is an infection caused by Mayaro virus (MAYV) that stands out among the neglected diseases transmitted by arthropods. Brazil is the country with the highest number of confirmed cases of MAYV infection. However, epidemiological surveillance studies conducted in Brazil are decentralized and focus on small outbreaks and unconfirmed cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMeat Sci
March 2021
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the rate of contamination in bovine meat and meat products with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in Brazil over the last fifteen years. Data were obtained from online databases in February 2020, and 25 papers were selected from 1036 articles identified in the literature search and 13 articles from gray literature, totaling 4286 samples analyzed. The overall rate of STEC was estimated to be 1% in Brazil.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInvasive candidiasis, such as intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC), is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. IAC is still poorly understood, and its treatment represents a challenge for public health. In this study, we showed the in vitro anti-Candida activity of four alkaloid synthetic derivatives and their antifungal potential in a murine model of IAC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSkin infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) require the development of new and effective topical antibiotics. In this context, melittin, the main component of apitoxin, has a potent antibacterial effect. However, little is known regarding the anti-inflammatory potential this peptide in infection models, or its ability to induce clinically important resistance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Ethnopharmacol
February 2021
Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Pristimerin is a triterpenoid considered the main component of Salacia crassifolia extracts. This terpene has shown promising antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. Likewise, S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Vector Borne Dis
December 2021
Background & Objectives: Dengue is considered one of the greatest public health challenges in the world, especially, for tropical and subtropical countries. Brazil highlights with considerable number of registers associated with this arbovirus, with emphasis on the state of Minas Gerais and its municipalities in regions such as the midwest. We aimed to evaluate the economic and epidemiological impact of dengue in the midwest region of minas Gerais, from SUS perspective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe emergence of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019 in China marked the third outbreak of a highly pathogenic coronavirus infecting humans. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread worldwide, becoming an emergency of major international concern. However, even after a decade of coronavirus research, there are still no licensed vaccines or therapeutic agents to treat the coronavirus infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF