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Copaifera officinalisOleoresin (COR) and Chitosan (CH) were combined to test the potential to inhibit oral bacteria. First, COR was analyzed by GC-MS to identify its main constituents and then Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) assays and Minimum Microbiocidal Concentration (MMC) of the compounds alone against 17 pathogens were performed. Sixteen primary compounds were identified in COR, but the major constituent was β-Caryophyllene (40.5%). COR showed MIC concentrations of 26.04 to 46.87 µg/mL and CH 0.1 mg/mL to 0.8 mg/mL. Second, the combination against oral bacteria strains was tested using a checkerboard test with the determination of Fractional Inhibitory Concentration (FIC) for synergistic effect, followed by the bacterial biofilm aggregation test using monospecies and mixed biofilm. The combination of COR and CH showed a synergistic effect for S. oralis(ATCC 10557) and an additive effect for the other strains tested, promoting bactericidal activity, as well as reducing the concentrations needed to cause bacterial inhibition. In addition, it showed good activity in inhibiting biofilm formation, with inhibition percentages close to Azithromycin. The results of this study highlight the synergistic potential of COR and CH combination as a promising strategy in the search for innovative antimicrobial therapies for infections related to oral bacterial biofilms.

Breast cancer represents the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, accounting for approximately one in eight cancers diagnosed. Despite significant advances in the diagnosis and detection of this disease, there is still a great need for more effective therapies to combat the invasive forms, especially those with a high incidence of metastasis. For that reason, bioactive molecules as peptides, including bovine lactoferricin (LfcinB), have been investigated. In this sense, there are reports that 20RRWQWR25motif derivate from the LfcinB has shown activity against different cancer cell lines. Thus, current studies are being carried out with synthetic derivatives (linear, palindromic, dimer and tetrameric structures) that contain the 20RRWQWR25motif in order to increase its activity against cancer cell lines by altering its hydrophobicity and net positive charge. In this regard, studies have focused on the use of LfcinB derivatives to combat breast cancer cell lines, with encouraging results. Therefore, in this mini-review, we present the state of the art regarding the activity of LfcinB and its analogs against breast cancer cell lines.

Many dermatological diseases still do not have an adequate treatment, such as melanoma. The treatments are usually lengthy, complex, with low cure rates and with severe side effects. This leads to low patient compliance, generating recurrence and/or worsening of the disease. Ethosomes, which are phospholipid-based vesicles containing ethanol, have shown great potential as drug delivery systems for the treatment of melanoma and other skin diseases. The unique structure of ethosomes allows for enhanced skin penetration and efficient delivery of therapeutic agents to the target site, improving the efficacy of treatment. The use of ethosomes in melanoma treatment holds promise for overcoming the limitations of conventional therapies, offering the potential for improved patient outcomes, reduced treatment duration, and minimized side effects. In this mini-review we present the advances, challenges, limitations and advantages, and future perspectives of the use of ethosomes in the treatment of the melanoma.

Pterodon pubescensBenth is a Brazilian native species, used in folk medicine for chronic pain relief. The anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and antiproliferative activities attributed to the species have a straight relationship with vouacapans (furanditerpenes) and geranylgeraniol (acyclic diterpenes), identified in P. pubescensextracts. Nevertheless, scarce reports are found on product development and stability studies containing this species. This gap prompted the stability outcome evaluation of carbomer-940 gel-based formulations containing P. pubescensmicroencapsulated extract compared to non-encapsulated extract reported herein. Seeds were extracted with dichloromethane providing 46.6% (w/w) crude extract yield. Phytochemical markers were monitored by High Pressure Liquid Chromatography with Diode Array Detector (HPLC-DAD) and Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Detection (GC-MS) using the vouacapans 1:1 ratio isomers 6α-hydroxy-7β-acetoxy-vouacapan-17β-oate methyl ester and 6α-acetoxy-7β-hydroxy-vouacapan-17β-oate methyl ester for quantification and identification purposes. Spray-dried microcapsules were produced with cashew gum as wall material with structure confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and size distribution by light scattering parameters. The particles presented a bimodal size distribution ranging from 0.2 to 500 μm, vouacapans content and encapsulation efficiency of 55.6% and 44.4% respectively, with an overall spray-drying yield of 82.6% (w/w). The formulation containing microencapsulated extract did not achieve an acceptable outcome under test condition, with further studies needed for optimization. Nevertheless, the gel containing 2.5% (w/v) of non-encapsulated extract stored at 25 °C protected from light presented the best results within 180 days in stability study. P. pubescensincorporation maintained rheological properties with better performance when exposed to light during storage time compared to the gel base formulation. The formulation delivered vouacapans throughout a synthetic membrane. This formulation is the first step to achieve a novel topical gel-based product containing P. pubescensbeneficial activities.