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Copper can be opportunely complexed to modulate oncogenic pathways, being a promising strategy for cancer treatment. Herein, three new copper(II) complexes containing long-chain aliphatic hydrazides and 1,10-phenanthroline (1,10-phen), namely, [Cu(octh)(1,10-phen)(H 2 O)](NO 3 ) 2 1, [Cu(dech)(1,10-phen)(H 2 O)](NO 3 ) 2 2 and [Cu(dodh)(1,10-phen)(H 2 O)](NO 3 ) 2 .H 2 O 3 (where octh = octanoic hydrazide, dech = decanoic hydrazide, dodh = dodecanoic hydrazide) were successfully prepared and characterized by several physical-chemical methods. Furthermore, X-ray structural analysis of complex 2 indicated that the geometry around the copper(II) ion is distorted square-pyramidal, in which hydrazide and 1,10-phenanthroline act as bidentate ligands. A water molecule in the apical position completes the coordination sphere of the metal ion. All new copper(II) complexes were cytotoxic to breast cancer cell lines (MCF7, MDA-MB-453, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-157) and selective when compared to the non tumor lineage MCF-10A. In particular, complex 2 showed half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) values ranging between 2.7 and 13.4 μM in MDA-MB231 cells after 24 and 48 h of treatment, respectively. Furthermore, this complex proved to be more selective for tumor cell lines when compared to doxorubicin and docetaxel. Complex 2 inhibited the clonogenicity of MDA-MB231 cells, increasing adenosine diphosphate (ADP) hydrolysis and upregulating ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1 (ENTPD1) transcriptional levels. In this sense, we suggest that the inhibitory effect on cell proliferation may be related to the modulation of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) levels. Thus, a novel copper(II) complex with increased cytotoxic effects and selectivity against breast cancer cells was obtained, contributing to medicinal chemistry efforts toward the development of new chemotherapeutic agents., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Azithromycin (AZM) is a macrolide-type antibiotic used to prevent and treat serious infections (mycobacteria or MAC) that significantly inhibit bacterial growth. Knowledge of the predominant conformation in solution is of fundamental importance for advancing our understanding of the intermolecular interactions of AZM with biological targets. We report an extensive density functional theory (DFT) study of plausible AZM structures in solution considering implicit and explicit solvent effects. The best match between the experimental and theoretical nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) profiles was used to assign the preferred conformer in solution, which was supported by the thermodynamic analysis. Among the 15 distinct AZM structures, conformer M14 , having a short intramolecular C6-OH … N H-bond, is predicted to be dominant in water and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solutions. The results indicated that the X-ray structure backbone is mostly conserved in solution, showing that large flexible molecules with several possible conformations may assume a preferential spatial orientation in solution, which is the molecular structure that ultimately interacts with biological targets., Competing Interests: We declare we have no competing interests., (© 2023 The Authors.)

This work describes the synthesis, characterization and in vitro anticancer activity of two platinum(II) complexes of the type [Pt(L1) 2 (1,10-phen)] 1 and [Pt(L2) 2 (1,10-phen)] 2, where L1 = 5-heptyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-(3H)-thione, L2 = 5-nonyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-(3H)-thione and 1,10-phen = 1,10-phenanthroline. As to the structure of these complexes, the X-ray structural analysis of 1 indicates that the geometry around the platinum(II) ion is distorted square-planar, where two 5-alkyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-thione derivatives coordinate a platinum(II) ion through the sulfur atom. A chelating bidentate phenanthroline molecule completes the coordination sphere. We tested these complexes in two breast cancer cell lines, namely, MCF-7 (a hormone responsive cancer cell) and MDA-MB-231 (triple negative breast cancer cell). In both cells, the most lipophilic platinum compound, complex 2, was more active than cisplatin, one of the most widely used anticancer drugs nowadays. DNA binding studies indicated that such complexes are able to bind to ct-DNA with K b values of 10 4  M -1 . According to data from dichroism circular and fluorescence spectroscopy, these complexes appear to bind to the DNA in a non-intercalative, probably via minor groove. Molecular docking followed by semiempirical simulations indicated that these complexes showed favorable interactions with the minor groove of the double helix of ct-DNA in an A-T rich region. Thereafter, flow cytometry analysis showed that complex 2 induced apoptosis and necrosis in MCF-7 cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Azithromycin (AZM) is a well-known macrolide-type antibiotic that has been used in the treatment of infections and inflammations. Knowledge of the predominant molecular structure in solution is a prerequisite for an understanding of the interactions of the drug in biological media. Experimental structural determination can be carried out for samples in solid-state (X-ray diffraction technique) and gas phase (electron diffraction experiment). In solution, spectroscopic methods can be used to extract valuable information which combined with quantum chemical calculations can lead to the determination of the preferred molecular structures to be observed when a given solute is dissolved in each solvent. That is precisely the aim of this work. We used experimental NMR chemical shift data (in CDCl 3 ) as a reference for comparison with Density Functional Theory (DFT) NMR calculations, with geometry optimized having as guess input two crystallographic structures available in the literature with the configuration of all chiral carbon atoms inverted, named here A and B. The Polarizable Continuum Model (PCM) was used to describe the solvent effects (chloroform) including five explicit CHCl 3 solvent molecules, which we believe can account for short and long-range solute-solvent interactions. Analysis of calculated thermodynamic, NMR chemical shift, MAE (Mean Absolute Error), and spin-spin coupling constant values revealed that both supposable C3 R -C5 S (named M2-A) and C3 S -C5 R (named M2-B) structures are equally probable to exist in chloroform solution. In addition, we found that the heavy atoms' conformation is reasonably similar in the solid-state and chloroform solution; however, regarding the OH groups, the spatial orientations are rather different with intramolecular OH⋯N and OH⋯O hydrogen bonds present in solution and with some of them being absent in the X-ray structure probably due to crystal packing effects.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arthropod-born virus that is mainly transmitted to humans by mosquitoes of the genus Aedes spp. Since its first isolation in 1947, only a few human cases had been described until large outbreaks occurred on Yap Island (2007), French Polynesia (2013), and Brazil (2015). Most ZIKV-infected individuals are asymptomatic or present with a self-limiting disease and nonspecific symptoms such as fever, myalgia, and headache. However, in French Polynesia and Brazil, ZIKV outbreaks led to the diagnosis of congenital malformations and microcephaly in newborns and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in adults. These new clinical presentations raised concern from public health authorities and highlighted the need for anti-Zika treatments and vaccines to control the neurological damage caused by the virus. Despite many efforts in the search for an effective treatment, neither vaccines nor antiviral drugs have become available to control ZIKV infection and/or replication. Flavonoids, a class of natural compounds that are well-known for possessing several biological properties, have shown activity against different viruses. Additionally, the use of flavonoids in some countries as food supplements indicates that these molecules are nontoxic to humans. Thus, here, we summarize knowledge on the use of flavonoids as a source of anti-ZIKV molecules and discuss the gaps and challenges in this area before these compounds can be considered for further preclinical and clinical trials., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Cataneo, Ávila, Mendes, de Oliveira, Ferraz, de Almeida, Frabasile, Duarte dos Santos, Verri, Bordignon and Wowk.)

Four gold(I) complexes conceived as anticancer agents were synthesized by reacting [Au(PEt 3 )Cl] and [Au(PPh 3 )Cl] with ligands derived from δ-d-gluconolactone. The ligands' structure was designed to combine desired biological properties previously reported for each group. Ligands were synthesized from δ-d-gluconolactone via ketal protection and hydrazide formation followed by cyclization with CS 2 to produce the novel oxadiazolidine-2-thione 7 and 8. Increasing of the ligands' lipophilicity via ketal protection proved useful since all four gold(I) complexes showed anticancer and antileishmanial properties. The IC 50 values are at low micromolar range, varying from 2 to 3 μm for the most active compounds. The free D-gluconate 1,3,4 oxadiazole-derived ligands were neither toxic nor presented anticancer or antileishmanial properties. Triethylphosphine-derived compounds 9 and 10 were more selective against B16-F10 melanoma cell line. Although similar in vitro antileishmanial activity was observed for the gold(I) precursors themselves and their derived complexes, the latter were three times less toxic for human THP-1 macrophage cell line; this result is attributed to an isomeric variation of the D-gluconate ligand and the oxadiazole portion, which was one of the key concepts behind this work. These findings should encourage further research on gold(I) complexes to develop novel compounds with potential application in cancer and leishmaniasis chemotherapy., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is one of the main animal models used for the study of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Long-chain lipophilic amino alcohols with immunoregulatory activities have already been studied in some models of inflammatory diseases, but the action of these compounds in EAE and MS is still unknown. In this study, we investigated whether the lipophilic amino alcohol 4b would act to improve the clinical signs of EAE and reduce the demyelination process and the neuroinflammatory parameters in the spinal cord, as well as the inflammatory process in the inguinal lymph nodes, of C57Bl/6 mice induced with EAE after stimulation with MOG 35-55 and pertussis toxin. The 4b treatment (1.0 mg/kg/day) was orally administered, starting on the day of onset of clinical signs of the disease (10th) and ending on the 20th day after immunization. This treatment was able to reduce the cell count on the inguinal lymph nodes, the migration of inflammatory cells into the central nervous system (CNS), as well as the processes of microgliosis, astrogliosis, and the production of chemokines and pro-inflammatory cytokines, thus increasing the IL-10 anti-inflammatory cytokine levels in EAE mice. The inhibition of Akt phosphorylation in the CNS of EAE mice after treatment with 4b indicates that the immunoregulatory action of 4b is related to the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Our results indicate the immunoregulatory efficacy of the new compound 4b in the control of some inflammatory parameters and in the glial proliferation. In addition, 4b was able to reduce the demyelination of neurons and the worsening of clinical signs of EAE as effectively as the compound FTY720, the first oral drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of MS., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The effect of N-geranyl-ethane-1,2-diamine dihydochloride (GIB24), a synthetic diamine, was assayed against different developmental forms of the parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (strain Dm28c). The compound was effective against culture epimastigote forms (IC 50 /24h = 5.64 μM; SI = 16.4) and intracellular amastigotes (IC 50 /24h = 12.89 μM; SI = 7.18), as detected by the MTT methodology and by cell counting, respectively. Incubation of epimastigotes for 6h with 6 μM GIB24 (IC 50 /24h value) resulted in significant dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, prior to permeabilization of the plasma membrane. Rounded epimastigotes with cell size reduction were observed by scanning electron microscopy. These morpho-physiological changes induced by GIB24 suggest an incidental death process. Treatment of infected Vero cells did not prevent the intracellular amastigotes from completing the intracellular cycle. However, there was a decrease in the number of released parasites, increasing the ratio amastigotes/trypomastigotes. Proteomic analysis of 15 μM GIB24 resistant epimastigotes indicated that the compound acts mainly on mitochondrial components involved in the Krebs cycle and in maintaining the oxidative homeostasis of the parasites. Our data suggest that GIB24 is active against the main morphological forms of T. cruzi., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The drugs currently used to treat leishmaniases have limitations concerning cost, efficacy, and safety, making the search for new therapeutic approaches urgent. We found that the gold(I)-derived complexes were active against L. infantum and L. braziliensis intracellular amastigotes with IC 50 values ranging from 0.5 to 5.5 μM. All gold(I) complexes were potent inhibitors of trypanothione reductase (TR), with enzyme IC 50 values ranging from 1 to 7.8 μM. Triethylphosphine-derived complexes enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and decreased mitochondrial respiration after 2 h of exposure, indicating that gold(I) complexes cause oxidative stress by direct ROS production, by causing mitochondrial damage or by impairing TR activity and thus accumulating ROS. There was no cross-resistance to antimony; in fact, SbR (antimony-resistant mutants) strains were hypersensitive to some of the complexes. BALB/c mice infected with luciferase-expressing L. braziliensis or L. amazonensis and treated orally with 12.5 mg/kg/day of AdT Et ( 3 ) or AdO Et ( 4 ) presented reduced lesion size and parasite burden, as revealed by bioimaging. The combination of ( 3 ) and miltefosine allowed for a 50% reduction in miltefosine treatment time. Complexes 3 and 4 presented favorable pharmacokinetic and toxicity profiles that encourage further drug development studies. Gold(I) complexes are promising antileishmanial agents, with a potential for therapeutic use, including in leishmaniasis caused by antimony-resistant parasites.

Bacteria belonging to Mycobacterium avium complex are organisms of low pathogenicity that infect immunosuppressed individuals. Infection is treated with an antimicrobial macrolide, Clarithromycin (CAM) or Azitromycin, associated with Ethambutol and Rifabutin during 12 months. Regimen long duration and side effects hinder patient's commitment to treatment favoring emergence of antibiotic resistance. In this present study, we evaluated the activity of JVA, an Isoniazid (INH) derivative, against M. avium 2447, a clinical isolate. We demonstrated that JVA reduces M. avium 2447 growth in macrophages, more efficiently than CAM and INH. In order to explore JVA mechanism of action, we investigated compound properties and performed pH-dependent stability studies. Our results suggest an enhanced ability of JVA to cross biological membranes. Furthermore, we suggest that in acidic conditions of macrophages' phagosomes, where mycobacteria replicate, JVA would be promptly hydrolyzed to INH, delivering the adduct INH-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and thus inhibiting M. avium 2447 growth., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In order to improve the previously observed antichagasic activity of Cu(II) complexes containing 2-chlorobenzhydrazide (2-CH), we report herein the synthesis and anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity of novel copper complexes containing 2-methoxybenzhydrazide (2-MH), 4-methoxybenzhydrazide (4-MH) and three α-diimine ligands, namely, 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 2,2-bipyridine (bipy) and 4-4'-dimethoxy-2-2'-bipyridine (dmb). Two of these complexes showed higher in vitro anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity when compared to benznidazole, the main drug used in Chagas disease treatment. One of them, the copper complex with 4-MH and dmb, [Cu(4-MH)(dmb)(ClO 4 ) 2 ], exhibited a higher selectivity index than that recommended for preclinical studies. Considering this observation, complex [Cu(4-MH)(dmb)(ClO 4 ) 2 ] was selected for preliminary in vivo assays, which verified that this compound was able to reduce parasitemia by 64% at the peak of infection. Further investigations were performed on all compounds. The Cu(II) complexes bind to ct-DNA with K b values in the range of 10 3 -10 4 M -1 , with [Cu(4-MH)(dmb)(ClO 4 ) 2 ] showing the highest K b value (1.45 × 10 4 M -1 ). Molecular docking simulations predicted that [Cu(4-MH)(dmb)(ClO 4 ) 2 ] binds in the minor groove of the double helix of ct-DNA and forms one hydrogen bond., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Stem bark, root bark, and leaf extracts of Erythroxylum pungens were subjected to phytochemical analysis. N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) was isolated and characterized from E. pungens roots. This unprecedented result is remarkable since no indole alkaloid has been previously reported from Erythroxylaceae so far. Eleven known tropane alkaloids were identified by their mass spectra and 3-(2-methylbutyryloxy)tropan-6,7-diol as well as 3-(2-methylbutyryloxy)nortropan-6,7-diol were isolated and characterized based on mass spectrometry, 1 H, 13 C, COSY, and NOESY NMR analysis. The complete NMR data are reported for the first time. Inverse Structure-based and Ligand-Based virtual screening were carried out to identify possible targets for 3-(2-methylbutyryloxy)tropan-6,7-diol. The level of cytotoxicity of this tropane alkaloid aliphatic ester was discrete with potencies on the order of 0.3-1.0 mg/mL and better results against HeLa (50% cell viability reduction). Otherwise, atropine (0.3 mg/mL), a Solanaceae tropane alkaloid, and DMT (0.5 mg/mL) from E. pungens roots impaired at 50% the cell viability against HeLa, SiHa, PC3, and 786-0. This study stimulates scientific investigation of the impact of edaphoclimatic features in a semi-arid environment on tropane alkaloid biosynthesis., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This article has been corrected. One of the author names was given incorrect. Please find in this erratum the correct author name: "Heloiza Diniz Nicolella" that should be regarded as final by the reader.

Novel lipophilic gold(I) complexes containing 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-thione or 1,3-thiazolidine-2-thione derivatives were synthesized and characterized by IR, high resolution mass spectrometry, and 1 H, 13 C 31 P NMR. The cytotoxicity of the compounds was evaluated considering cisplatin and/or auranofin as reference in different tumor cell lines: colon cancer (CT26WT), metastatic skin melanoma (B16F10), breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), cervical carcinoma (HeLa), glioblastoma (M059 J). Normal human lung fibroblasts (GM07492-A) and kidney normal cell (BHK-21) were also evaluated. The gold(I) complexes were more active than their respective free ligands and cisplatin. Furthermore, antibacterial activity was evaluated against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25213, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228 and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli ATCC 11229 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and expressed as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The complexes exhibited lower MIC values when compared to the ligands and chloramphenicol against Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria. Escherichia coli was sensitive one to the action of gold(I) complexes.

Human and bovine trichomoniasis are sexually transmitted diseases (STD) caused by Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus, respectively. Human trichomoniasis is the most common non-viral STD in the world and bovine trichomoniasis causes significant economic losses to breeders. Considering the significant impact of the infections caused by these protozoa and the treatment failures, the search for new therapeutic alternatives becomes crucial. In this study the effect of diamines and amino alcohols in the in vitro viability of trichomonads was evaluated. Screening demonstrated the high activity of diamine 4 against these protozoa. Although cytotoxicity against HMVII cell line and slight hemolysis were observed in vitro, the compound showed no toxic effect on the Galleria mellonella in vivo model. Importantly, diamine 4 was active against both trichomonads species at 6h and 24h of incubation, and these effects was reverted by putrescine, a polyamine, suggesting competition for the same metabolic pathway. These findings indicate that the mechanism of action of diamine 4 is through the polyamine metabolism, a pathway distinct from that presented by metronidazole, the drug usually used to treat trichomoniasis and to which resistance is widely reported. These data demonstrate the importance of diamines as potential novel candidates as anti-T. vaginalis and anti-T. foetus agents., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, density functional theory calculations of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shifts for l-quebrachitol isomer, previously studied in our group, are reported with the aim of investigating in more detail the water solvent effect on the prediction of 1 H NMR spectra. In order to include explicit water molecules, 20 water-l-quebrachitol configurations obtained from Monte Carlo simulation were selected to perform geometry optimizations using the effective fragment potential method encompassing 60 water molecules around the solute. The solvated solute optimized geometries were then used in B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p) NMR calculations with PCM-water. The inclusion of explicit solvent in the B3LYP NMR calculations resulted in large changes in the 1 H NMR profiles. We found a remarkable improvement in the agreement with experimental NMR profiles when the explicit hydrated l-quebrachitol structure is used in B3LYP 1 H NMR calculations, yielding a mean absolute error (MAE) of only 0.07 ppm, much lower than reported previously for the gas phase optimized structure (MAE = 0.11 ppm). In addition, a very improved match between theoretical and experimental 1 H NMR spectrum measured in D 2 O was achieved with the new hydrated optimized l-quebrachitol structure, showing that a fine-tuning of the theoretical NMR spectra can be accomplished once solvent effects are properly considered.

The current anticancer and antileishmanial drug arsenal presents several limitations concerning their specificity, efficacy, costs and the emergence of drug-resistant cells lines, which encourages the urgent need to search for new alternatives. Inspired by the fact that gold(I)-based compounds are promising antitumoral and antileishmanial drug candidates, we synthesized novel gold(I) complexes containing phosphine and 5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione and evaluated their anticancer and antileishmanial activities. Synthesis was performed by reacting 5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione derivatives with chloro(triphenylphosphine)gold(I) and chloro(triethylphosphine)gold(I). The novel compounds were characterized by infrared, Raman, 1 H, 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance, high-resolution mass spectra, and x-ray crystallography. The coordination of the ligands to gold(I) occurred through the exocyclic sulfur atom. All gold(I) complexes were active at low micromolar or nanomolar range with IC 50 values ranging from <0.10 to 1.66 μM against cancer cell lines and from 0.9 to 4.2 μM for Leishmania infantum intracellular amastigotes. Compound (6-A) was very selective against murine melanoma B16F10, colon cancer CT26.WT cell lines and L. infantum intracellular amastigotes. Compound (7-B) presented the highest anticancer activity against both cancer cell lines while the promising antileishmanial lead was compound (6-A). Tiethylphosphine gold(I) complexes were more active than the conterparts triphenylphosphine derivatives for both anticancer and antileishmanial activities. Triethylphosphine gold(I) derivatives presented antimony cross-resistance in L. guyanensis demonstrating their potential to be used as chemical tools to better understand mechanisms of drug resistance and action. These findings revealed the anticancer and antileishmanial potential of gold(I) oxadiazole phosphine derivatives., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

We report the synthesis of a series of diaminated terpenoids containing, as side-chain of the diamine core, the "head-to-tail" prenyl derivatives, with amino amino spacers of variable length. In vitro biological activity of these compounds was evaluated against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Leishmania amazonensis, and the structure-activity relationships are discussed. Different biological results were observed depending on the terpenic side-chain length. The best results were obtained for trans,trans-farnesol derivatives. Moreover, these results demonstrated that the stereochemistry of the double bond could play an important role in determining antitubercular and antileishmanial activities of these compounds., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Crotalaria genus belongs to the subfamily Papilionoideae comprising about 600 species spread throughout tropical, neotropical and subtropical regions. In this study, seeds of Crolatalaria pallida were used to the isolation of usaramine, a pyrrolizidine alkaloid. Thus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis were utilized as strains to test some activities of this alkaloid, such as antibiofilm and antibacterial. Meanwhile, monocrotaline obtained from Crotalaria retusa seeds, was used as the starting material for synthesis of necine base derivatives with anti-Trichomonas vaginalis potential. Alkaloids were characterized by 1D and 2D NMR techniques and GC-MS analysis. Usaramine demonstrated a highlighted antibiofilm activity against S. epidermidis by reducing more than 50% of biofilm formation without killing the bacteria, thus it could be assumed as a prototype for the development of new antibiofilm molecules for pharmaceutical and industrial purposes. Monocrotaline activity against T. vaginalis was evaluated and results indicated inhibition of 80% on parasite growth at 1mg/mL, in addition, neither cytotoxicity against vaginal epithelial cells nor hemolytic activity were observed. On the other hand, retronecine showed no anti-T. vaginalis activity while azido-retronecine was more active than monocrotaline killing 85% of the parasites at 1mg/mL. In conclusion, pyrrolizidine alkaloids are suggested as promising prototypes for new drugs especially for topical use., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Gold complexes that could act as antitumor agents have attracted great attention. Heterocyclic compounds and their metal complexes display a broad spectrum of pharmacological properties. The present study reports the preparation and characterization of four novel gold(I) complexes containing tertiary phosphine and new ligands 5-adamantyl-1,3-thiazolidine-2-thione, 3-methyladamantane-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thione. Spectroscopic data suggest that gold is coordinated to the exocyclic sulfur atom in all cases, as confirmed by X-ray crystallographic data obtained for complex (1) and supported by quantum-mechanical calculations. The cytotoxicity of the compounds has been evaluated in comparison to cisplatin and auranofin in three different tumor cell lines, colon cancer (CT26WT), metastatic skin melanoma (B16F10), mammary adenocarcinoma (4T1) and kidney normal cell (BHK-21). The gold complexes were more active than their respective free ligands and able to inhibit the thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) enzyme, even in the presence of albumin. Molecular modeling studies were carried out to understand the interaction between the compounds and the TrxR enzyme, considered as a potential target for new compounds in cancer treatment. The docking results show that the adamantane ring is essential to stabilize the ligand-enzyme complex prior the formation of covalent bond with gold center. The structure of the new gold compounds was established on the basis of spectroscopic data, DFT calculations and X-ray diffraction. TrxR inhibition was evaluated and the results correlated with the assays in tumor cells, suggesting the TrxR as possible target for these compounds.

Three series of d-galactose derivatives linked to a lipophilic aminoalcohol moiety were synthesized and their antibacterial activity was evaluated against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and representative species of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Five out of the thirteen tested compounds displayed activity against M. tuberculosis, with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 12.5 μg/mL and seven compounds were active against the four bacterial strains tested. The best results were obtained for amino alcohols 10 and 11 against Staphylococcus epidermidis (MIC = 2 μg/mL). The antitumor activity was evaluated against three tumor cell lines (MCF-7, HeLa and MO59J) and compared to the normal cell line GM07492A. The results showed that the lowest IC50 values were observed for the amino alcohol 16 against MCF-7 (11.9 μM) and MO59J (10.0 μM)., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: Dengue is the most prevalent arboviral disease in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world. The incidence of infection is estimated to be 390 million cases and 25,000 deaths per year. Despite these numbers, neither a specific treatment nor a preventive vaccine is available to protect people living in areas of high risk., Results: With the aim of seeking a treatment that can mitigate dengue infection, we demonstrated that the quinic acid derivatives known as compound 2 and compound 10 were effective against all four dengue virus serotypes and safe for use in a human hepatoma cell line (Huh7.5). Both compounds were non-virucidal to dengue virus particles and did not interfere with early steps of the dengue virus life cycle, including binding and internalization. Experiments using a replicon system demonstrated that compounds 2 and 10 impaired dengue virus replication in Huh7.5 cells. Additionally, the anti-dengue virus effects of the quinic acid derivatives were preserved in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells., Conclusions: Taken together, these data suggest that quinic acid derivatives represent a novel chemical class of active compounds that could be used to combat dengue virus infection.

Novel gold(I) and gold(III) complexes containing derivatives of D-galactose, D-ribose and D-glucono-1,5-lactone as ligands were synthesized and characterized by IR, (1)H, and (13)C NMR, high resolution mass spectra and cyclic voltammetry. The compounds were evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxicity against three types of tumor cells: cervical carcinoma (HeLa) breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) and glioblastoma (MO59J) and one non-tumor cell line: human lung fibroblasts (GM07492A). Their antitubercular activity was evaluated as well expressed as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC90) in μg/mL. In general, the gold(I) complexes were more active than gold(III) complexes, for example, the gold(I) complex (1) was about 8.8 times and 7.6 times more cytotoxic than gold(III) complex (8) in MO59J and MCF-7 cells, respectively. Ribose and alkyl phosphine derivative complexes were more active than galactose and aryl phosphine complexes. The presence of a thiazolidine ring did not improve the cytotoxicity. The study of the cytotoxic activity revealed effective antitumor activities for the gold(I) complexes, being more active than cisplatin in all the tested tumor cell lines. Gold(I) compounds (1), (2), (3), (4) and (6) exhibited relevant antitubercular activity even when compared with first line drugs such as rifampicin.

A simple and mild method is demonstrated for assembling acyl carbamates through a base-free four-component Pd-catalyzed carbonylation of aryl halides in the presence of potassium cyanate and alcohols in a two-chamber system. This approach produces a wide range of aryl acyl carbamates in good to excellent yields from the corresponding aryl bromides or iodides with near-stoichiometric carbon monoxide. In addition, the method can be extended to the synthesis of primary amides thereby expanding the usefulness of cyanate as an ammonia equivalent.

A useful method was developed for the synthesis of active esters by palladium-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation of (hetero)aromatic bromides. The protocol was general for a range of oxygen nucleophiles including N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS), pentafluorophenol (PFP), hexafluoroisopropyl alcohol (HFP), 4-nitrophenol, and N-hydroxyphthalimide. A high functional group tolerance was displayed, and several active esters were prepared with good to excellent isolated yields. The protocol was extended to access an important synthetic precursor to the HIV-protease inhibitor, saquinavir, by formation of an NHS ester followed by acyl substitution.

Phytoremediation is an attractive alternative to conventional treatments of soil due to advantages such as low cost, large application areas, and the possibility of in situ treatment. This study presents the assessment of phytoremediation processes conducted under controlled experimental conditions to evaluate the ability of Ricinus communis L., tropical plant species, to promote the degradation of 15 persistent organic pollutants (POPs), in a 66-day period. The contaminants tested were hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), DDT, heptachlor, aldrin, and others. Measurements made in rhizosphere soil indicate that the roots of the studied species reduce the concentration of pesticides. Results obtained during this study indicated that the higher the hydrophobicity of the organic compound and its molecular interaction with soil or root matrix the greater its tendency to concentrate in root tissues and the research showed the following trend: HCHs < diclofop-methyl < chlorpyrifos < methoxychlor < heptachlor epoxide < endrin < o,p'-DDE < heptachlor < dieldrin < aldrin < o,p'-DDT < p,p'-DDT by increasing order of log K ow values. The experimental results confirm the importance of vegetation in removing pollutants, obtaining remediation from 25% to 70%, and demonstrated that Ricinus communis L. can be used for the phytoremediation of such compounds.

The isoflavone genistein 1 and some derivatives modulate IL-12, TNF-α and NO production by macrophages and lung cancer cell lines, and improve the clinical signs of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Seven genistein derivatives connected at C-6 position of a sugar, such as d-glucose and d-galactose, were synthesized. The ability to modulate macrophage response was evaluated, showing variable inhibition capacity of NO and TNF-α production in J774.A1 and RAW 264.7. Five of the seven compounds were non-cytotoxic; compound 8 was more effective to inhibit NO and TNF-α production, without affecting cell viability., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Salmonella is a major cause of foodborne diseases worldwide, which has fueled the demand for the development and evaluation of sensitive, specific, and rapid detection methodologies, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In this study, six primer pairs for the detection of Salmonella were evaluated by PCR with isolates of Salmonella spp. (115) and other bacteria (104). The primers designed for the sifB gene provided the best performance regarding specificity and sensitivity (100%). These primers were selected and used to develop a PCR assay for Salmonella detection during the enrichment steps of the conventional detection method in spiked beef samples. The enrichment steps were: buffered peptone water (BPW), Rappaport-Vassiliadis soya broth (RVS) and at the Müller-Kauffmann tetrathionate novobiocin broth (MKTTn), after 18 h (BPW) and 24 h (RVS and MKTTn) of incubation. The initial concentrations of the Salmonella inocula were 10¹, 10², and 10³ colony-forming units/25 g. The protocol was able to detect Salmonella at all concentrations in the enrichment steps, but not in the nonenriched samples. These results indicated that the proposed protocol was suitable to detect Salmonella in beef during the intermediate stages of the conventional isolation protocol, substantially reducing the time required to obtain the final results.

Introduction: Standardization of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) manufacturing is urgently needed to enable translational activities and ultimately facilitate comparison of clinical trial results. In this work we describe the adaptation of a proprietary method for isolation of a specific umbilical cord tissue-derived population of MSCs, herein designated by its registered trademark as UCX®, towards the production of an advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP)., Methods: The adaptation focused on different stages of production, from cell isolation steps to cell culturing and cryopreservation. The origin and quality of materials and reagents were considered and steps for avoiding microbiological and endotoxin contamination of the final cell product were implemented. Cell isolation efficiency, MSCs surface markers and genetic profiles, originating from the use of different medium supplements, were compared. The ATMP-compliant UCX® product was also cryopreserved avoiding the use of dimethyl sulfoxide, an added benefit for the use of these cells as an ATMP. Cells were analyzed for expansion capacity and longevity. The final cell product was further characterized by flow cytometry, differentiation potential, and tested for contaminants at various passages. Finally, genetic stability and immune properties were also analyzed., Results: The isolation efficiency of UCX® was not affected by the introduction of clinical grade enzymes. Furthermore, isolation efficiencies and phenotype analyses revealed advantages in the use of human serum in cell culture as opposed to human platelet lysate. Initial decontamination of the tissue followed by the use of mycoplasma- and endotoxin-free materials and reagents in cell isolation and subsequent culture, enabled the removal of antibiotics during cell expansion. UCX®-ATMP maintained a significant expansion potential of 2.5 population doublings per week up to passage 15 (P15). They were also efficiently cryopreserved in a DMSO-free cryoprotectant medium with approximately 100% recovery and 98% viability post-thaw. Additionally, UCX®-ATMP were genetically stable upon expansion (up to P15) and maintained their immunomodulatory properties., Conclusions: We have successfully adapted a method to consistently isolate, expand and cryopreserve a well-characterized population of human umbilical cord tissue-derived MSCs (UCX®), in order to obtain a cell product that is compliant with cell therapy. Here, we present quality and safety data that support the use of the UCX® as an ATMP, according to existing international guidelines.

Me-β-cyclodextrin (Me-βCD) and HP-β-cyclodextrin (HP-βCD) inclusion complexes with isoniazid (INH) were prepared with the aim of modulating the physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties of the guest molecule, a well-known antibuberculosis drug. The architectures of the complexes were initially proposed according to NMR data Job plot and ROESY followed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations of (1)H NMR spectra using the PBE1PBE functional and 6-31G(d,p) basis set, including the water solvent effect with the polarizable continuum model (PCM), for various inclusion modes, providing support for the experimental proposal. An analysis of the (1)H NMR chemical shift values for the isoniazid (H6',8' and H5',9') and cyclodextrins (H3,5) C(1)H hydrogens, which are known to be very adequately described by the DFT methodology, revealed them to be extremely useful, promptly confirming the inclusion complex formation. An included mode which describes Me-βCD partially enclosing the hydrazide group of the INH is predicted as the most favorable supramolecular structure that can be used to explain the physicochemical properties of the encapsulated drug. Antibacterial activity was also evaluated, and the results indicated the inclusion complexes are a potential strategy for tuberculosis treatment.

Leishmanicidal and trypanocidal activity of seventeen lipophilic diamines was evaluated in vitro against Leishmania braziliensis, L. chagasi, and Trypanosoma cruzi. Twelve compounds presented anti-Leishmania and six showed anti-T. cruzi amastigote activity. Compound 14 (N-tetradecyl-1,4-butanediamine) was the most active against both L. braziliensis (IC50  = 2.6 μm) and L. chagasi (IC50  = 3.0 μm) which showed a selectivity index (SI) >100. N-decyl-1,6-hexanediamine (compound 9) presented an IC50  = 1.6 μm and SI >187 and was over six times more potent than the reference drug benznidazole against T. cruzi. Treatment of infected or uninfected macrophages with compounds 9 and 14 did not induce significant TNFα and NO production. Four compounds (15, 16, 22, and 23) inhibited 78.9%, 77.7%, 83.7%, and 70.1% of rTRLb activity, respectively, and compound 23 inhibited 73.3% of rTRTc activity at 100 μm. A concentration-dependent effect on mitochondrial membrane depolarization was observed in T. cruzi epimastigotes treated with compound 9, suggesting this mechanism may be involved in the trypanocidal effect. On the contrary, in L. braziliensis promastigotes treated with compound 14, no mitochondrial depolarization was observed. Our results demonstrate that N-decyl-1,6-hexanediamine and N-tetradecyl-1,4-butanediamine are promising molecules for the development of novel leading compounds against T. cruzi and Leishmania spp., particularly given a possible alternative mechanism of action., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

Background: Severe asthma is associated with T helper (TH) 2 and 17 cell activation, airway neutrophilia and phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) activation. Asthma exacerbations are commonly caused by rhinovirus (RV) and also associated with PI3K-driven inflammation. Anthraquinone derivatives have been shown to reduce PI3K-mediated AKT phosphorylation in-vitro., Objective: To determine the anti-inflammatory potential of anthraquinones in-vivo., Methods: BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with crude house dust mite extract to induce allergic airways disease and treated with mitoxantrone and a novel non-cytotoxic anthraquinone derivative. Allergic mice were also infected with RV1B to induce an exacerbation., Results: Anthraquinone treatment reduced AKT phosphorylation, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor expression, and ameliorated allergen- and RV-induced airways hyprereactivity, neutrophilic and eosinophilic inflammation, cytokine/chemokine expression, mucus hypersecretion, and expression of TH2 proteins in the airways. Anthraquinones also boosted type 1 interferon responses and limited RV replication in the lung., Conclusion: Non-cytotoxic anthraquinone derivatives may be of therapeutic benefit for the treatment of severe and RV-induced asthma by blocking pro-inflammatory pathways regulated by PI3K/AKT.

Mitoxantrone is an anthracene-based anticancer agent whose efficacy in treating autoimmune diseases is believed to be due to cytotoxicity and inhibition of proliferation of cells. Several novel anthraquinone derivatives, analogs of mitoxantrone, were designed and synthesized. Lipophilic and functionalized mitoxantrone analogs were prepared by a simple methodology and the cytotoxicity and the inhibitory effect on nitric oxide release of these compounds were demonstrated in vitro on J774A.1 macrophages. Interestingly compounds 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 exhibited reduction in NO release (62.4%, 92.6%, 73.4%, 58.4%, 57.8% and 53.4%, respectively) in comparison to NG-n-methyl-arginine treated control, without cytotoxicity. In conclusion, anthraquinone derivatives were prepared in a good yield and showed promissory antiinflammatory properties.

The early diagnosis of diseases related to phosphate metabolism is very important for preventing, in most cases, severe kidney failure and cardiovascular events that have an increased risk of death. In this work, we present biofunctionalized quantum dots (b-QDs) prepared with chitosan and its chemically modified derivatives to detect and capture phosphate in water media. Chitosan (CHI), N,N,N-trimethylchitosan (TMC) and carboxymethylchitosan (CMC) were used as ligands for producing colloidal CdS nanocrystals in aqueous systems. UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), fluorescence microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta potential analysis (ZP), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the colloidal QDs. Additionally, in vitro assays based on the b-QDs were designed and used to evaluate phosphate ion adsorption. The results clearly indicated that chitosan and chitosan derivatives were effective in nucleating and stabilizing CdS QDs in aqueous colloidal suspensions with an average nanocrystal size ranging from 2.2 to 3.6 nm. The photoluminescent behavior of the CdS bioconjugates was highly dependent on the chemical functionality introduced in the chitosan-derivative polymer. Moreover, the presence of different chemical groups in chitosan significantly affected the capacity of the bioconjugates to bind phosphates. Finally, a "pseudo in vivo" assay was designed using an artificial biomembrane based on phospholipid bilayers to preliminarily assess the possibility of using the bioconjugates to biolabel cell membranes. Therefore, a new class of fluorescent biosorbent nano-hybrids was developed using chemically functionalized chitosan conjugated to quantum dots for potential applications in biochemical analysis and nanomedicine.

Twenty analogues of the anti-HIV-1 integrase (IN) inhibitors dicaffeoylquinic acids (DCQAs) were prepared. Their IC(50) values for 3'-end processing and strand transfer against recombinant HIV-1IN were determined in vitro, and their cell toxicities and EC(50) against HIV-1 were measured in cells (ex vivo). Acetylated or benzylated and/or with cyclohexylidene group compounds exhibited no inhibition of integration in biochemical assays or viral replication in HIV-infected cells, with the exception of 16 and 36. Removal of these groups, however, correlated with potent inhibition. Compounds 19, 31, and 38, all digalloyls, exhibited the most robust inhibitory performance in biochemical assays as well as in cell culture and less toxicity than other molecules in the current study.

Polyamines are substances involved in many aspects of cell growth, division, and differentiation. Because of the metabolic differences between host cells and parasite cells, polyamine metabolism has been considered as a potential target for the chemotherapy of parasitic diseases. The aim of this work was to evaluate the schistosomicidal activity of different N-alkylated diamines (3a-3h), amino alcohols (4a-4d), and glycosylated amino alcohols (10a-10d). Compounds were prepared by synthetic methods and submitted to in vitro evaluation against adult worms of Schistosoma mansoni. At 100 μM, 3b, 3e, and 3h as well as 4a, 4b, 4d, 10a, 10b, and 10d resulted in 100% mortality of adult schistosomes. Compound 3d (12.5 to 100 μM) caused the death of 100% of both male and female adult schistosomes, while 3f (12.5 to 100 μM) resulted in 100% mortality of only male adult worms, whereas no mortality in female worms was observed. Compounds 3d and 3f were also able to reduce viability and decrease production of developed eggs in comparison with the negative control group. Diamines 3d and 3f may represent useful lead compounds for further optimization in order to develop new schistosomicidal agents.

In this work the inclusion complex formation of isoniazid with sodium p-sulfonatocalix[n]arenes is reported aiming to improve the physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties of isoniazid a first line antibuberculosis drug. The architectures of the complexes were proposed according to NMR data Job plot indicating details on the insertion of the isoniazid in the calix[n]arenes cavities. DFT theoretical NMR calculations were also performed for sodium p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene complex with isoniazid, with various modes of complexation being considered, to provide support for the experimental proposal. A comparison between experimental and theoretical ¹H NMR chemical shifts profiles allowed for the inclusion complex characterization confirming the isoniazid inclusion mode which is preferentially through the hydrazide moiety. The remarkable agreement between experimental and theoretical NMR profiles adds support to their use in the structural characterization of inclusion compounds. Antibacterial activity was evaluated and the results indicated the inclusion complexes as a potential strategy for tuberculosis treatment., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A series of novel platinum(II) complexes derived from N-alkyl-ethanediamine and N-alkyl-propanediamine ligands were prepared and characterized. These complexes contain a long chain aliphatic diamine where the carbon length is variable and present a hydroxyl group in two different positions. The complexes with the ethanediamine derivatives were prepared from K(2)PtCl(4). Interestingly, the propanediamine derivatives did not react well with this platinum salt under the experimental conditions normally employed and could only be obtained from the more reactive K(2)PtI(4). A theoretical molecular modeling study was performed to understand this difference in reactivity and it showed that the conformation around the diamine plays an important role in the ring closure step of complex formation. The complexes had their cytotoxicity investigated in B16F1, CT26, B16F10, and MDA cell lines. Some of them demonstrated superior activity when compared to cisplatin and carboplatin. We were also able to confirm a structure-activity relationship between cytotoxicity and carbon chain length., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Novel carbohydrate-based hybrids combining chitosan and chemically modified chitosan with CdS inorganic nanoparticles were designed and prepared via aqueous route at room temperature. N,N,N-trimethylchitosan (TM-chitosan) was synthesized aiming at substantially improving the water solubility of chitosan for producing stable colloidal systems. UV-vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the synthesis and the relative stability of biopolymer-capped CdS nanocrystals. The results have clearly indicated that chitosan and chitosan-derivative (TM-chitosan) were remarkably effective on nucleating and stabilizing CdS nanoparticles in aqueous suspensions. In addition, the CdS nanocrystals were produced in the so-called "quantum-size confinement regime", with the calculated average size below 3.5 nm and fluorescent activity in the visible range of the spectra. Therefore, a new single-step process was developed for the bioconjugation of quantum dots with water soluble chemically functionalized carbohydrates at room temperature for potential biomedical applications., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of (1) H NMR chemical shifts for l-quebrachitol isomers were performed using the B3LYP functional employing the 6-31G(d,p) and 6-311 + G(2d,p) basis sets. The effect of the solvent on the B3LYP-calculated NMR spectrum was accounted for using the polarizable continuum model. Comparison is made with experimental (1) H NMR spectroscopic data, which shed light on the average uncertainty present in DFT calculations of chemical shifts and showed that the best match between experimental and theoretical B3LYP (1) H NMR profiles is a good strategy to assign the molecular structure present in the sample handled in the experimental measurements. Among four plausible O-methyl-inositol isomers, the l-quebrachitol 2a structure was unambiguously assigned based only on the comparative analysis of experimental and theoretical (1) H NMR chemical shift data. The B3LYP infrared (IR) spectrum was also calculated for the four isomers and compared with the experimental data, with analysis of the theoretical IR profiles corroborating assignment of the 2a structure. Therefore, it is confirmed in this study that a combined experimental/DFT spectroscopic investigation is a powerful tool in structural/conformational analysis studies., (Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

4-Hydroxymethylbutenolide 4 was transformed into its sulfamoyl derivative 5, which upon treatment with iodosobenzene diacetate and magnesium oxide in the presence of a rhodium catalyst afforded the product of intramolecular aziridination 6. Reaction of 6 with primary or secondary amines in DMA led to regioselective opening of the aziridine ring at C2 to give the corresponding bicyclic derivatives 7a-7g in good to excellent yields. Methanolysis of the lactone ring of the N-benzyl-N-methyl derivative 7c followed by protection of the resulting secondary hydroxy group and treatment of the product with Boc anhydride provided the activated cyclic sulfamates 13 and 14. The latter then reacted with a second nucleophile (azide or thiophenol) to give the corresponding difunctionalized α,β-diamino methyl esters 15-18, 20.

Thalidomide is used to treat a variety of diseases including erythema nodosum leprosum, an inflammatory complication of leprosy. However, this drug has severe teratogenic activity and novel thalidomide analogues might be used to treat diseases without this severe side effect. A series of diamine compounds containing two hydrolyzed phthalimide units were chosen as analogues of thalidomide and evaluated regarding their capacity to regulate the production of molecules involved in inflammatory responses. TNF-α, IL-12 and IL-10 production, and the expression of CD80 and CD86 were investigated in LPS plus IFN-γ-stimulated J774A.1 cells by ELISA and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression of TNF-α and IL-10 mRNA was analyzed by real time RT-PCR. TNF-α, IL-6, IFN-γ, CXCL9 and CXCL10 production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were evaluated by flow cytometry. Compounds 3, 6 and 9 greatly inhibited TNF-α and IL-12 production while enhancing IL-10. In addition, CD80 expression was inhibited, but not CD86. The compounds inhibited TNF-α production by PBMC more than thalidomide and also had an inhibitory effect on the production of IL-6, IFN-γ, CXCL9 and CXCL10. Levels of mRNA for TNF-α were reduced after treatment with the compounds, suggesting post- transcriptional effects. The compounds had no effect on cell viability. Our results indicate that the novel diamine compounds 3, 6 and 9 inhibit critical pro-inflammatory cytokines and stimulate IL-10, which make them attractive candidate drugs for the treatment of certain inflammatory conditions and cancer., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Nanoenabled drug delivery systems against tuberculosis (TB) are thought to control pathogen replication by targeting antibiotics to infected tissues and phagocytes. However, whether nanoparticle (NP)-based carriers directly interact with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and how such drug delivery systems induce intracellular bacterial killing by macrophages is not defined. In the present study, we demonstrated that a highly hydrophobic citral-derived isoniazid analogue, termed JVA, significantly increases nanoencapsulation and inhibits M. tuberculosis growth by enhancing intracellular drug bioavailability. Importantly, confocal and atomic force microscopy analyses revealed that JVA-NPs associate with both intracellular M. tuberculosis and cell-free bacteria, indicating that NPs directly interact with the bacterium. Taken together, these data reveal a nanotechnology-based strategy that promotes antibiotic targeting into replicating extra- and intracellular mycobacteria, which could actively enhance chemotherapy during active TB.

Dihydroperoxides and tetraoxanes derived from symmetrically substituted bis(arylmethyl)acetones were synthesized in modest to good yields using several methods. Three of these compounds exhibit an important in vitro antimalarial activity (1.0 μm ≤ IC(50)  ≤ 5.0 μm) against blood forms of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum., (© 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

Polyamine biosynthesis and inhibition in parasites have been an attractive chemotherapeutic approach in the design of novel antiparasitic drugs. We study in this work the effect of N-dodecyl-1,2-ethylenediamine (NDDE) on the morphology and replication of Leishmania using macrophages cultured from the peritoneal exudate of mice infected in vitro with three species of Leishmania: Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, Leishmania (Viannia) brasiliensis and Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi. The results showed that NDDE inhibited Leishmania amastigotes multiplication into inflammatory peritoneal cells in concentrations which were not toxic to mammalian cells (0.5-1μg/mL). An intracellular disorganization of the promastigote forms was observed by transmission electron microscopy after 3 to 24h of treatment with 1μg/mL NDDE, suggesting that this compound affects the viability of the parasite by an autophagy pathway., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The water-soluble-fractions (WSF) from biodiesel and biodiesel/diesel blends were compared to diesel in their sub-lethal toxicity to microalgae. Chemical analyses of aromatics, non-aromatics hydrocarbons and methanol were carried out in the WSF, the former showing positive correlation with increasing diesel concentrations (B100 < B5 < B3 < B2 < D). Biodiesel interacted with the aqueous matrix, generating methanol, which showed lower toxicity than the diesel contaminants in blends. The WSF caused 50% culture growth inhibition (IC50-96 h) at concentrations varying from 2.3 to 85.6%, depending on the tested fuels and species. However, the same species sensitivity trend (S. costatum > N. oculata > T. chuii > P. subcapitata) was observed for all the tested fuels.

The type of sampling technique used to obtain food samples is fundamental to the success of microbiological analysis. Destructive and nondestructive techniques, such as tissue excision and rinsing, respectively, are widely employed in obtaining samples from chicken carcasses. In this study, four sampling techniques used for chicken carcasses were compared to evaluate their performances in the enumeration of hygiene indicator microorganisms. Sixty fresh chicken carcasses were sampled by rinsing, tissue excision, superficial swabbing, and skin excision. All samples were submitted for enumeration of mesophilic aerobes, Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms, and Escherichia coli. The results were compared to determine the statistical significance of differences and correlation (P < 0.05). Tissue excision provided the highest microbial counts compared with the other procedures, with significant differences obtained only for coliforms and E. coli (P < 0.05). Significant correlations (P < 0.05) were observed for all the sampling techniques evaluated for most of the hygiene indicators. Despite presenting a higher recovery ability, tissue excision did not present significant differences for microorganism enumeration compared with other nondestructive techniques, such as rinsing, indicating its adequacy for microbiological analysis of chicken carcasses.