Venom of Viperidae: A perspective of its antibacterial and antitumor potential

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Silva ◽  
Fernando Gonçalves ◽  
Helena Oliveira ◽  
Sérgio Marques

: The emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria and limitations on cancer treatment represent two important challenges in modern medicine. Biological compounds have been explored with particular focus on venoms. Although they can be lethal or cause considerable damage to humans, venom is also a source rich in components with high therapeutic potential. Viperidae family is one of the most emblematic venomous snake families and several studies highlighted the antibacterial and antitumor potential of viper toxins. According to the literature, these activities are mainly associated to five protein families – svLAAO, Disintegrins, PLA2, SVMPs and C-type lectins- that act through different mechanisms leading to the inhibition of the growth of bacteria, as well as, cytotoxic effects and inhibition of metastasis process. In this review we provide an overview of the venom toxins produced by species belonging to the Viperidae family, exploring their roles during the envenoming and their pharmacological properties, in order to demonstrate its antibacterial and antitumor potential.

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (a1) ◽  
pp. C714-C714
Author(s):  
Calvin Steussy ◽  
Cynthia Stauffacher ◽  
Mark Lipton ◽  
Mohamed Seleem

The emergence of multi-drug resistant pathogenic bacteria is one of the great challenges to modern medicine. The gram positive cocci Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE) are two particularly virulent examples. In vivo studies have shown that the eukaryotic like 'mevalonate' isoprenoid pathway used by these pathogenic cocci is essential to their growth and virulence [1]. Our structures of HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) from P. mevalonii demonstrated that the bacterial enzymes are structurally distinct from the human enzymes allowing for specific antibacterial activity [2]. High throughput in vitro screening against bacterial HMGR at the Southern Research Center, Birmingham, AL uncovered a lead compound with an IC50 of 80 µM with a competitive mode of action. Our x-ray crystal structures of HMGR from E. faecalis complexed with the lead compound and its variations have informed the synthesis of new inhibitors that have improved the IC50 to 5 µM [3]. Studies of this compound show it to be active against both MRSA and VRE in culture, effective against these bacteria in biofilms, and efficacious in a model system of eukaryotic infection. Structures and kinetics of these compounds will be presented and future directions discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 1522
Author(s):  
Rachita Dash ◽  
Surajit Bhattacharjya

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) possess great potential for combating drug-resistant bacteria. Thanatin is a pathogen-inducible single-disulfide-bond-containing β-hairpin AMP which was first isolated from the insect Podisus maculiventris. The 21-residue-long thanatin displays broad-spectrum activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as against various species of fungi. Remarkably, thanatin was found to be highly potent in inhibiting the growth of bacteria and fungi at considerably low concentrations. Although thanatin was isolated around 25 years ago, only recently has there been a pronounced interest in understanding its mode of action and activity against drug-resistant bacteria. In this review, multiple modes of action of thanatin in killing bacteria and in vivo activity, therapeutic potential are discussed. This promising AMP requires further research for the development of novel molecules for the treatment of infections caused by drug resistant pathogens.


Author(s):  
E.A. Martis ◽  
G M Doshi ◽  
G V Aggarwal ◽  
P P Shanbhag

With the emergence of newer diseases, resistant forms of infectious diseases and multi-drug resistant bacteria, it has become essential to develop novel and more effective antibiotics. Current antibiotics are obtained from terrestrial life or made synthetically from intermediates. The ocean represents virtually untapped resource from which novel antibiotic compounds can be discovered. It is the marine world that will provide the pharmaceutical industry with the next generation of antibiotics. Marine antibiotics are antibiotics obtained from marine organisms. Scientists have reported the discovery of various antibiotics from marine bacteria (aplasmomycin, himalomycins, and pelagiomycins), sponges (Ara C, variabillin, strobilin, ircinin-1, aeroplysin, 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxyphenylacetamide), coelenterates (asperidol and eunicin), mollusks (laurinterol and pachydictyol), tunicates (geranylhydroquinone and cystadytins), algae (cycloeudesmol, aeroplysinin-1(+), prepacifenol and tetrabromoheptanone), worms (tholepin and 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybezaldehyde), and actinomycetes (marinomycins C and D). This indicates that the marine environment, representing approximately half of the global diversity, is an enormous resource for new antibiotics and this source needs to be explored for the discovery of new generation antibiotics. The present article provides an overview of various antibiotics obtained from marine sources.


Author(s):  
Daniel Berman

How can we prevent the rise of resistance to antibiotics? In this video, Daniel Berman,  Nesta Challenges, discusses the global threat of AMR and how prizes like the Longitude Prize can foster the development of rapid diagnostic tests for bacterial infections, helping to contribute towards reducing the global threat of drug resistant bacteria. Daniel outlines how accelerating the development of rapid point-of-care tests will ensure that bacterial infections are treated with the most appropriate antibiotic, at the right time and in the right healthcare setting.


Author(s):  
Ryunosuke Hakuta ◽  
Yousuke Nakai ◽  
Tsuyoshi Hamada ◽  
Yusuke Nomura ◽  
Tomotaka Saito ◽  
...  

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 321
Author(s):  
Shekh Sabir ◽  
Tsz Tin Yu ◽  
Rajesh Kuppusamy ◽  
Basmah Almohaywi ◽  
George Iskander ◽  
...  

The quorum sensing (QS) system in multi-drug-resistant bacteria such as P. aeruginosa is primarily responsible for the development of antibiotic resistance and is considered an attractive target for antimicrobial drug discovery. In this study, we synthesised a series of novel selenourea and thiourea-containing dihydropyrrol-2-one (DHP) analogues as LasR antagonists. The selenium DHP derivatives displayed significantly better quorum-sensing inhibition (QSI) activities than the corresponding sulphur analogues. The most potent analogue 3e efficiently inhibited the las QS system by 81% at 125 µM and 53% at 31 µM. Additionally, all the compounds were screened for their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against the Gram-positive bacterium S. aureus, and interestingly, only the selenium analogues showed antibacterial activity, with 3c and 3e being the most potent with a MIC of 15.6 µM.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document