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Ethyl acetate extracts of cultures grown in liquid Czapek and on solid rice media of the fungal endophyte Fusarium oxysporum SS46 isolated from the medicinal plant Smallanthus sonchifolius (Poepp.) H. Rob., Asteraceae, exhibited considerable cytotoxic activity when tested in vitro against human cancer cells. Chromatographic separation yielded anhydrofusarubin (1) and beauvericin (2) that were identified based on their ¹H and 13C NMR data. Compounds 1 and 2 showed the strongest cytotoxic activity against different cancer cell lines. Compound 2 also showed promising activity against Leishmania braziliensis. Hexanic extract of F. oxysporum SS50 grown on solid rice media also afforded a mixture of compounds that displayed cytotoxic activity against different cancer cell lines. Chemical analysis of the mixture of compounds, investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), showed that there was a predominance of methyl esters of fatty acids and alkanes.

The essential oil (EO) of aerial parts of Lantana camara L., Verbenaceae, from Simões, Piaui, Northeast of Brazil, were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS techniques. In total, 68 compounds were identified. The most representative compounds of the oil were mono and sesquiterpenes. The main compounds found in the oil of the leaves in different months were β-caryophyllene (10.5%, in June of 2009), sabinene (7.98%, in September of 2008), limonene (7.68%, in September of 2008), spathulenol (11.64%, in September of 2008). The oil from stems of L. camara was characterized by a largest amount of sesquiterpenoids, with spatulenol (15.9%) and caryophyllene oxide (17.1% in June of 2009), as main components. β-Gurjunene (32.7%, in September of 2008) was the most prominent compound in the stems oils, which was absent or at very low relative abundance in leaves. L. camara essential oils from leaves were cytotoxic to V79 mammalian cells and also to Artemia salina, showing 50% lethal concentration (LC50) values from 0.23 µg/mL. The in vitro data obtained in this study suggested that EO may also be effective treating yeast infection in patients infected with fluconazole and terbinafine resistant isolates, but its toxicity must be monitored carefully.

The syntheses of new Pt-II complexes with 4-acyl-5-pyrazolones [HQ(Ph) = 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoylpyrazol-5-one, a; HQ(py,CF3) = 1-(2-pyridyl)-3-methyl-trifluoroacetylpyrazol-5-one, b] are reported: trans-[PtCl2(DMSO)(HQ(Ph))] (1a), cis-[PtCl2(DMSO)(HQ(Ph))] (2a), [PtCl(DMSO)(Q(py,CF3))] (1b), and [PtCl2(KQ(py,CF3))] (2b). All complexes were characterized by multinuclear (H-1, C-13, F-19, and Pt-195), multidimensional NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The isomer trans-[PtCl2(DMSO)(HQ(Ph))] (1a) crystallizes in two polymorphic forms, which correspond to two different conformers. In the trans-syn conformer (1a(M)) (monoclinic, space group P2(1)/c), the H atom of the enol group [O(1)H(1)] establishes an intramolecular hydrogen bond with the ketone oxygen (O2), whereas in the trans-anti conformer (1a(O)) (orthorhombic, space group Pca2(1)), the same groups are involved in an analogous intermolecular H bond. Interestingly, the cis isomer (2a) showed in solution and at room temperature slow rotation around both the Pt-N1 and the Pt-S bonds, which restrained both the acylpyrazolone and DMSO ligand motion. Moreover, the water solubility of the complexes trans- and cis-[PtCl2(DMSO)(HQ(Ph))] (1a and 2a) and [PtCl2(KQ(py,CF3))] (2b) allowed to perform in vitro biological assays on platinum-sensitive human endometrium (HeLa) and platinum-resistant human breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines. It was also possible to compare their cytotoxicity to cisplatin. Interestingly, trans isomer 1a showed higher cytotoxicity on HeLa cells compared to the cis isomer 2a.

The [M(ESDT)Cl] n (M=Pd or Pt; ESDT=EtO 2 CCH 2 (CH 3 )NCS 2 − , methylamino-acetic acid ethyl ester-dithiocarboxylate) species have been reacted with various amines (py, pyridine; PrNH 2 , n -propylamine; c -BuNH 2 , cyclobutylamine; en, ethylenediamine) in dichloromethane or chloroform with the aim to obtain mixed ligand complexes. The neutral complexes [M(ESDT)(L)Cl] (L=py, PrNH 2 or c -BuNH 2 ) and the ionic species ([M(ESDT)(L) 2 ]Cl and [M(ESDT)(En)]Cl) have been isolated, and characterized by IR and proton NMR spectroscopies. The crystal structure of [Pd(ESDT)(PrNH 2 )Cl] has been determined by X-ray crystallography. The behaviour of the complexes in various solvents was described on the basis of the proton NMR spectra. The complexes and the dithiocarbamato intermediates have been tested for in vitro cytostatic activity against human leukemic HL-60 and HeLa cells.