Plant-based essential oils in the treatment of microbial infections

There is a growing demand for bioactive compounds from the great diversity of native plants, which have biological activities that are important for their application in the development of drugs and in the biomedical field. Among these bioactive compounds, essential oils have received great interest from researchers because they have numerous important biological properties for application in the pharmaceutical area, with an emphasis on antimicrobial activity. Due to the great biodiversity, the native Brazilian flora consists of thousands of species rich in these volatile compounds with self-added value. Therefore, this chapter will give an overview of the essential oils and their main compounds obtained from species of native Brazilian flora in terms of their antimicrobial activity, which can be useful in the future as new sources of bioactive compounds for developing innovative drugs in the treatment of microbial diseases.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Lyophilization of ImunoparvumR° as an alternative to reduce its side-effects

In Brazil, Imunoparvum R° is used as an immunomodulator. It is commercialized in 2 ml ampoules containing 2 mg of Propionebacterium acnes (formerly known as Corynebacterium parvum)/ml, in a 0.5 % phenol and 0.85% sodium chloride solution. High therapeutic power associated to minimum side effects is a great challenge to the pharmaceuticalindustry. Research results have shown that Imunoparvum R° induces side effects in humans and animals, probably because of its phenol content (SOUSA, 1993; RODRIGUES, 2001). The objective of this study was to determine the phenol content of lyophilized and non-lyophilized Imunoparvum R° and to compare their side effects in mice. It was demonstrated that the lyophilization process reduces the phenol content and the side effects of Imunoparvum R°, when compared to the commercialized Propionebacterium acnes suspension

Nanoparticles Obtained from Zein for Encapsulation of Mesalazine

We encapsulated MSZ in zein nanoparticles (NP-ZN) using a desolvation method followed by drying in a mini spray dryer. These nanoparticles exhibited a size of 266.6 ± 52 nm, IPD of 0.14 ± 1.1 and zeta potential of −36.4 ± 1.5 mV, suggesting colloidal stability. Quantification using HPLC showed a drug-loaded of 43.8 µg/mg. SEM demonstrated a spherical morphology with a size variation from 220 to 400 nm. A FTIR analysis did not show drug spectra in the NPs in relation to the physical mixture, which suggests drug encapsulation without changing its chemical structure. A TGA analysis showed thermal stability up to 300 °C. In vitro release studies demonstrated gastroresistance and a sustained drug release at pH 7.4 (97.67 ± 0.32%) in 120 h. The kinetic model used for the release of MSZ from the NP-ZN in a pH 1.2 medium was the Fickian diffusion, in a pH 6.8 medium it was the Peppas–Sahlin model with the polymeric relaxation mechanism and in a pH 7.4 medium it was the Korsmeyer–Peppas model with the Fickian release mechanism, or “Case I”. An in vitro cytotoxicity study in the CT26.WT cell line showed no basal cytotoxicity up to 500 μg/mL. The NP-ZN showed to be a promising vector for the sustained release of MSZ in the colon by oral route

Pharmacological properties of cashew (Anacardium occidentale)

Anacardium occidentale L. is a tree native to Brazil, which is rich in phenolic lipids. Nowadays, the cashew bark (Cashew Nut Shell Liquid) has received great attention in the pharmaceutical industry, due to its economy, abundance and important chemical compounds. Net of cashew nut shell is classified according to the method of production of: (1) net of the shell of natural cashew nut (60-65% anacardic acid; 15-20% cardol and 10% of cardanol) and (2) liquid from the technical cashew nut shell (60-65% of cardanol, 15-20% cardol and 10% of polymeric material). This work aims to report the pharmacological properties of liquids from cashew nut shells. Results suggest that both liquids have antifungal, antibacterial, antiparasitic, anti-tumor, antiulcerogenic, molluscicides, antimutagenic and antioxidant activities. Natural cashew nut liquid is non-genotoxic, whereas technical liquid is genotoxic in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, although there is no evidence of their mutagenic effects on eukaryotic cells. In conclusion, the excellent antioxidant and non-mutagenic activities of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) provide opportunities for CNSL in the cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical industries, but continuous study is needed to allow safe and efficacious preparations.Keywords: Cashew liquid, cosmetics, pharmacological, pharmaceutical, preparatio

Advances in Antitumor Effects Using Liposomal Citrinin in Induced Breast Cancer Model

The study aimed to evaluate the antitumor and toxicogenetic effects of liposomal nanoformulations containing citrinin in animal breast carcinoma induced by 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA). Mus musculus virgin females were divided into six groups treated with (1) olive oil (10 mL/kg); (2) 7,12-DMBA (6 mg/kg); (3) citrinin, CIT (2 mg/kg), (4) cyclophosphamide, CPA (25 mg/kg), (5) liposomal citrinin, LP-CIT (2 μg/kg), and (6) LP-CIT (6 µg/kg). Metabolic, behavioral, hematological, biochemical, histopathological, and toxicogenetic tests were performed. DMBA and cyclophosphamide induced behavioral changes, not observed for free and liposomal citrinin. No hematological or biochemical changes were observed for LP-CIT. However, free citrinin reduced monocytes and caused hepatotoxicity. During treatment, significant differences were observed regarding the weight of the right and left breasts treated with DMBA compared to negative controls. Treatment with CPA, CIT, and LP-CIT reduced the weight of both breasts, with better results for liposomal citrinin. Furthermore, CPA, CIT, and LP-CIT presented genotoxic effects for tumor, blood, bone marrow, and liver cells, although less DNA damage was observed for LP-CIT compared to CIT and CPA. Healthy cell damage induced by LP-CIT was repaired during treatment, unlike CPA, which caused clastogenic effects. Thus, LP-CIT showed advantages for its use as a model of nanosystems for antitumor studies

Cadmium Tolerance and Removal from Cunninghamella elegans Related to the Polyphosphate Metabolism

The aim of the present work was to study the cadmium effects on growth, ultrastructure and polyphosphate metabolism, as well as to evaluate the metal removal and accumulation by Cunninghamella elegans (IFM 46109) growing in culture medium. The presence of cadmium reduced growth, and a longer lag phase was observed. However, the phosphate uptake from the culture medium increased 15% when compared to the control. Moreover, C. elegans removed 70%–81% of the cadmium added to the culture medium during its growth. The C. elegans mycelia showed a removal efficiency of 280 mg/g at a cadmium concentration of 22.10 mg/L, and the removal velocity of cadmium was 0.107 mg/h. Additionally, it was observed that cadmium induced vacuolization, the presence of electron dense deposits in vacuoles, cytoplasm and cell membranes, as well as the distinct behavior of polyphosphate fractions. The results obtained with C. elegans suggest that precipitation, vacuolization and polyphosphate fractions were associated to cadmium tolerance, and this species demonstrated a higher potential for bioremediation of heavy metals