Candida albicans is a human pathogen that is part of the healthy microbiome. However, it is often associated with opportunistic fungal infections. The treatment of these infections is challenging because prolonged exposure to antifungal drugs can culminate in fungal resistance during therapy, and there is a limited number of available drugs. Therefore, this study investigated the antifungal activity of ononin by in silico and in vitro assays, and in Tenebrio molitor as an alternative in vivo model of infection caused by C. albicans. Ononin is an isoflavone glycoside derived from formononetin that has various biological activities. According in silico evaluation, ononin showed the best electron affinity in molecular docking with CaCYP51, with a binding free energy of −10.89 kcal/mol, superior to that of the antifungal drugs fluconazole and posaconazole. The ononin + CaCYP51 complex formed hydrogen bonds with Tyr132, Ser378, Phe380, and Met508, as well as hydrophobic connections with Tyr118, Leu121, Phe126, Leu131, Ile304, and Leu309, and interactions with the heme group. Ononin exerted anti-Candida albicans activity, with MIC between 3.9 and 7.8 µg/mL, and inhibited young and mature biofilms, with a reduction in cell density and metabolic activity of 50 to 80%. The compound was not cytotoxic to sheep red blood cells at concentrations up to 1000 µg/mL. Larvae of the mealworm T. molitor were used as an alternative in vivo model of C. albicans infection. Ononin was able to prolong larval survival at concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 5 mg/kg, and was not toxic up to a concentration of 20 mg/kg. Moreover, ononin reduced the fungal charge in treated animals. In conclusion, our results suggest that ononin has anti-Candida albicans activity and is a potential candidate for the development of new therapeutic alternatives.
Abstract. We report the rediscovery of the hummingbird Heliodoxa rubricauda (Boddaert, 1783) in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul after nearly 130 years without confirmed records. We captured 3 males and 1 female, and found 2 other birds (including an immature) at 3 sites in the municipalities of São Francisco de Paula and Cambará do Sul, in the northeast of the state. All records were at the top of the Southern Brazilian Plateau escarpment, at altitudes of about 900 m and near the southern limit of the Atlantic Forest.
The analysis of metal concentrations in feathers and the micronuclei (MN) and other nuclear abnormalities (NA) test in birds are tools used for evaluating the impacts that anthropogenic actions have been causing to the environment and organisms. Here we used these biomarkers to investigate the response of birds to disturbances observed in three areas with different environmental characteristics (natural, agricultural and urban) in southern Brazil. We obtained a diverse sample (108 individuals from 25 species and 17 families) without signi cant differences in metal concentrations, frequency of MN and AN between sampling points.The concentrations of zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) were signi cantly different between trophic guilds (Zn: p = 0.0006, Cu: p = 0.04) and age classes (Zn: p = 0.01, Cu: p = 0.03). Omnivore birds contributed to the increase in the number of MN (∆AICc: 0.00; w = 0.40) and NA, which was also in uenced by age classes and body condition index (BCI) (∆AICc: 0.00; w = 0.34; ∆AICc: 0.89; w = 0.22; ∆AICc: 1.15; w = 0.19; ∆AICc: 1.33; w = 0.18). We showed that in a diverse sample of birds, the variables analyzed affected each biomarker in distinct ways.
Introdução: No estado do Maranhão incluído na região da Pré-Amazônia, a diversidade da flora imprimiu a fitoterapia uma forte tradição popular de uso para tratamentos de enfermidades, porém, somente uma pequena parcela desses vegetais já foi avaliada cientificamente, destacando a importância da procura por novos agentes farmacologicamente ativos, encontrados nas plantas no intuito de obter drogas clinicamente ativas. Objetivo: Desta forma, o presente trabalho investigou o potencial analgésico de três extratos vegetais. Métodos: Utilizou-se dois extratos hidroalcoólicos preparados com folhas de Platonia insignis (EHPI) e Vismia guianensis (EHVG) e um extrato aquoso do mesocarpo de Attalea speciosa (EAB). A ação anti-nociceptiva foi avaliada por Tail flick em 25 camundongos Swiss fêmeas (n=5/grupo), distribuídos em 5 grupos, tratados como a seguir: grupo Controle recebeu solução salina tamponada com fosfato (PBS), por via oral e foi considerado como negativo; grupo Morfina: recebeu a droga (10mg/kg) via intraperitoneal, e foi utilizado como controle positivo; grupo EHPI (5mg/kg) via oral e grupo EHVG (5mg/kg) via oral e grupo EAB (5mg/kg) via oral. Resultados: Nos grupos EHPI, EHVG e EAB o tratamento com os extratos resultou em atividade anti-nociceptiva com magnitude semelhante à observada no grupo morfina, sobretudo nos intervalos de 60 e 120 minutos. Esses efeitos sugerem que os extratos podem ter efeito anti-nociceptivo central, uma vez que o modelo Tail-flick exibe uma resposta supra espinhal. Conclusão: Conclui-se que os extratos em estudo apresentaram atividade nociceptiva, sugerindo que a utilização desses compostos contidos nos extratos pode ser uma alternativa promissora no desenvolvimento de novas drogas com ação analgésica.
The analysis of metal concentrations in feathers and the micronuclei (MN) and other nuclear abnormalities (NA) test in birds are tools used for evaluating the impacts that anthropogenic actions have been causing to the environment and organisms. Here we used these biomarkers to investigate the response of birds to disturbances observed in three areas with different environmental characteristics (natural, agricultural and urban) in southern Brazil. We obtained a diverse sample (108 individuals from 25 species and 17 families) without significant differences in metal concentrations, frequency of MN and AN between sampling points. The concentrations of zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) were significantly different between trophic guilds (Zn: p = 0.0006, Cu: p = 0.04) and age classes (Zn: p = 0.01, Cu: p = 0.03). Omnivore birds contributed to the increase in the number of MN (∆AICc: 0.00; w = 0.40) and NA, which was also influenced by age classes and body condition index (BCI) (∆AICc: 0.00; w = 0.34; ∆AICc: 0.89; w = 0.22; ∆AICc: 1.15; w = 0.19; ∆AICc: 1.33; w = 0.18). We showed that in a diverse sample of birds, the variables analyzed affected each biomarker in distinct ways.
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