The compounds terrein (1), butyrolactone I (2), and butyrolactone V (3) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract (EtOAc) of the endophytic fungus Aspergillus terreus-F7 obtained from Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit. The extract and the compounds presented schistosomicidal activity against Schistosoma mansoni; at 100 µg/mL for EtOAc extract, 1297.3 µM for compound 1, 235.6 µM for compound 2, and 454.1 µM for compound 3, they killed 100% of the parasites after 72 h of treatment. Compounds 1, 2, and 3 exerted moderate leishmanicidal activity against Leishmania amazonensis (IC ranged from 23.7 to 78.6 µM). At 235.6 and 227.0 µM, compounds 2 and 3, respectively, scavenged 95.92 and 95.12% of the DPPH radical (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl), respectively. Regarding the cytotoxicity against the breast tumor cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, compound 2 gave IC of 34.4 and 17.4 µM, respectively, while compound 3 afforded IC of 22.2 and 31.9 µM, respectively. At 117.6 µM, compound 2 inhibited the growth of and killed the pathogen Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922). Compounds 1, 2, and 3 displayed low toxicity against the normal line of human lung fibroblasts (GM07492A cells), with IC of 15.3 × 10, 3.4 × 10, and 5.8 × 10 µM, respectively. This is the first report on (i) the in vitro schistosomicidal and leishmanicidal activities of the EtOAc extract of A. terreus-F7 and compounds 1, 2, and 3; and (ii) the antitumor activity of compounds 2 and 3 against MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells.

The occurrence of sulfated steroids and phenolics in marine organisms is quite widespread, being typically reported from Echinoderms. In contrast, alkane and alkene aliphatic sulfates are considerably rarer with examples being reported from a diverse array of organisms including echinoderms, sponges and ascidians. While no ecological roles for these metabolites have been proposed, they do exhibit a diverse array of biological activities including thrombin inhibition; the ability to induce metamorphosis in larvae; antiproliferative, antibacterial and antifungal properties; and metalloproteinase inhibition. Of particular interest and an avenue for future development is the finding of antifouling properties with low or nontoxic effects to the environment. This review focuses on alkyl sulfates and related sulfamates, their structures and biological activities. Spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques that can be used to recognize the presence of sulfate groups are also discussed, data for which will enhance the ability of researchers to recognize this class of chemically- and biologically-interesting marine natural products.

Anacardium othonianum Rizz., popularly known as the Cerrado cashew tree, is widely used in medicine due to its therapeutic properties, including its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antidiarrheal activities. Light is an important regulator of the growth, development of plants differentiation, and metabolism. Considering the influence of light on the production of phytochemicals, the aim of the present study was to evaluate production of gallic and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acids and amentoflavone in A. othonianum seedlings grown in vitro exposure to white, blue, green, red, and yellow light. The seedlings were evaluated with respect to the length of the aerial parts and the number of leaves, at 0, 20, and 40 days of treatment. The fresh and dry weights of the aerial parts and the levels of phenolic acid and biflavonoid were evaluated at 40 days via high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Regardless of the light wavelength used for the growth, the largest length of the aerial parts (5.54 cm) and an increase in the number of leaves (2.86-fold) were observed at 40 days. The largest accumulations of fresh weight (325.5 mg and 335.1 mg per seedling) and dry weight (83.3 mg and 84.5 mg per seedling) were observed in seedlings grown under red and yellow light, respectively. Relatively higher levels of gallic acid (0.66 mg.g -1 dry weight) and amentoflavone (1.41 mg.g -1 dry weight) were found in seedlings grown under blue light. In contrast, the 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid levels of the seedlings under red light increased (8.22 mg.g -1 dry weight).

Vochysia divergens (Vochysiaceae) is considered an invasive species in the wetlands of the Brazilian Pantanal, which hinders the cultivation of agricultural species. In this study, we evaluated the chemical profile by HPLC-DAD (high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector) of leaves extracts from V. divergens seedlings inoculated with endophytic fungi isolated from V. divergens roots. These fungi were collected on dry (D) and wet (W) seasons in the Pantanal. The presence of tannin hexahydroxydiphenoyl (HHDP)-galloyl-glucose and flavone 3',5'-dimethoxy-luteolin were predominant in the seedlings inoculated with endophytic fungi W experiments at 100 and 80%, respectively. Likewise, flavone 3',5-dimethoxy-luteolin-7-O-β-glucoside showed a similar representation in the two evaluated periods, compared with 5-methoxy-luteolin, which was detected only in seedlings inoculated with W endophytic fungi. This approach is new to V. divergens, which has no scientific data on its in vitro elicitation, in the search for a better understanding of the ecological relationships of this species.

The medicinal plant Vochysia divergens is a colonizing tree species of the Pantanal, a unique and little explored wetland region in Brazil. This species is used in folk medicine as syrups and teas to treat respiratory infections, digestive disorders, asthma, scarring, and skin diseases. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the antioxidant, cytotoxic, and genotoxic potential of the ethanolic extract of Vochysia divergens leaves (VdE), as well as the influence of VdE and its major component (the flavone 3′,5-dimethoxy luteolin-7-O-β-glucopyranoside; 3′5 DL) on MMS-induced genotoxicity. The extract significantly reduced the viability of V79 cells in the colorimetric XTT assay at concentrations ≥ 39 μg/mL. A significant increase in micronucleus frequencies was observed in V79 cell cultures treated with VdE concentrations of 160 and 320 μg/mL. However, animals treated with the tested doses of VdE (500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg b.w.) exhibited frequencies that did not differ significantly from those of the negative control group, indicating the absence of genotoxicity. The results also showed that VdE was effective in reducing MMS-induced genotoxicity at concentrations of 20, 40, and 80 μg/mL in the in vitro test system and at a dose of 15 mg/kg b.w. in the in vivo test system. Its major component 3′5 DL exerted no protective effect, suggesting that it is not responsible for the effect of the extract. The results of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay showed that VdE was able to scavenge 92.6% of free radicals. In conclusion, the results suggest that the protective effect of VdE may be related, at least in part, to the antioxidant activity of its chemical constituents.