No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the outbreak caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) a pandemic. The rapid spread of the disease surprised the scientific and medical community. Based on the latest reports, news, and scientific articles published, there is no doubt that the coronavirus has overloaded health systems globally. Practical actions against the recent emergence and rapid expansion of the SARS-CoV-2 require the development and use of tools for discovering new molecular anti-SARS-CoV-2 targets. Thus, this review presents bioinformatics and molecular modeling strategies that aim to assist in the discovery of potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents. Besides, we reviewed the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and innate immunity, since understanding the structures involved in this infection can contribute to the development of new therapeutic targets. Bioinformatics is a technology that assists researchers in coping with diseases by investigating genetic sequencing and seeking structural models of potential molecular targets present in SARS-CoV2. The details provided in this review provide future points of consideration in the field of virology and medical sciences that will contribute to clarifying potential therapeutic targets for anti-SARS-CoV-2 and for understanding the molecular mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis and virulence of SARS-CoV-2.

No abstract

Serotonin (5-HT) receptors are found throughout central and peripheral nervous systems, mainly in brain regions involved in the neurobiology of anxiety and depression. 5-HT receptors are currently promising targets for discovering new drugs for treating disorders ranging from migraine to neuropsychiatric upsets, such as anxiety and depression. It is well described in the current literature that the brain expresses seven types of 5-HT receptors comprising eighteen distinct subtypes. In this article, we comprehensively reviewed 5-HT1-7 receptors. Of the eighteen 5-HT receptors known today, thirteen are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and represent targets for approximately 40% of drugs used in humans. Signaling pathways related to these receptors play a crucial role in neurodevelopment and can be modulated to develop effective therapies to treat anxiety and depression. This review presents the experimental evidence of the modulation of the “serotonergic receptosome” in the treatment of anxiety and depression, as well as demonstrating state-of-the-art research related to phytochemicals and these disorders. In addition, detailed aspects of the pharmacological mechanism of action of all currently known 5-HT receptor families were reviewed. From this review, it will be possible to direct the rational design of drugs towards new therapies that involve signaling via 5-HT receptors.

No abstract

-This work describes the use of clavulanic acid (CA) precipitation as the final step in the process of purification of CA from fermentation broth as an alternative to conventional methods employed traditionally. The purpose of this study was to use a stable intermediate (t-octylamine) between the conversion of CA to its salt form (potassium clavulanate), thereby enabling the resulting intermediate (amine salt of clavulanic acid) to improve the purification process and maintain the stability of the resulting potassium clavulanate. To this end, response surface methodology was employed to optimize the precipitation step. For the first reaction, five temperatures (6.6 to 23.4 °C), concentrations of clavulanic acid in organic solvent (6.6 to 23.4 mg/mL) and t-octylamine inflow rates (0.33 to 1.17 drop/min) were selected based on a central composite rotatable design (CCRD). For the second reaction, five temperatures (11.6 to 28.4 °C), concentrations of clavulanic acid amine salt in organic solvent (8.2 to 41.8 mg/mL) and concentrations of potassium 2-ethylhexanoate (0.2 to 1.2 molar) were also selected using CCRD. From these results, precipitation conditions were selected and applied to the purification of CA from the fermentation broth, obtaining a yield of 72.37%.