scholarly journals The Potential of Traditional Knowledge to Develop Effective Medicines for the Treatment of Leishmaniasis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz Felipe D. Passero ◽  
Erika dos Santos Brunelli ◽  
Thamara Sauini ◽  
Thais Fernanda Amorim Pavani ◽  
Jéssica Adriana Jesus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Carica Papaya ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Cedrela Odorata ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Alternative Medicines ◽  
Traditional Communities

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects people living in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. There are few therapeutic options for treating this infectious disease, and available drugs induce severe side effects in patients. Different communities have limited access to hospital facilities, as well as classical treatment of leishmaniasis; therefore, they use local natural products as alternative medicines to treat this infectious disease. The present work performed a bibliographic survey worldwide to record plants used by traditional communities to treat leishmaniasis, as well as the uses and peculiarities associated with each plant, which can guide future studies regarding the characterization of new drugs to treat leishmaniasis. A bibliographic survey performed in the PubMed and Scopus databases retrieved 294 articles related to traditional knowledge, medicinal plants and leishmaniasis; however, only 20 were selected based on the traditional use of plants to treat leishmaniasis. Considering such studies, 378 quotes referring to 292 plants (216 species and 76 genera) that have been used to treat leishmaniasis were recorded, which could be grouped into 89 different families. A broad discussion has been presented regarding the most frequent families, including Fabaceae (27 quotes), Araceae (23), Solanaceae and Asteraceae (22 each). Among the available data in the 378 quotes, it was observed that the parts of the plants most frequently used in local medicine were leaves (42.3% of recipes), applied topically (74.6%) and fresh poultices (17.2%). The contribution of Latin America to studies enrolling ethnopharmacological indications to treat leishmaniasis was evident. Of the 292 plants registered, 79 were tested against Leishmania sp. Future studies on leishmanicidal activity could be guided by the 292 plants presented in this study, mainly the five species Carica papaya L. (Caricaceae), Cedrela odorata L. (Meliaceae), Copaifera paupera (Herzog) Dwyer (Fabaceae), Musa × paradisiaca L. (Musaceae), and Nicotiana tabacum L. (Solanaceae), since they are the most frequently cited in articles and by traditional communities.

Recent Advances in the Synthesis and Development of Nitroaromatics as Anti-Infective Drugs

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (36) ◽  
pp. 4658-4674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Kannigadu ◽  
David. D. N'Da
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Chest Pain ◽  
Muscle Pain ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Lymph Glands ◽  
Recent Advances ◽  
Personality Changes ◽  
Clinical Drugs ◽  
Antiparasitic Agents

: Infectious diseases commonly occur in tropical and sub-tropical countries. The pathogens of such diseases are able to multiply in human hosts, warranting their continual survival. Infections that are commonplace include malaria, chagas, trypanosomiasis, giardiasis, amoebiasis, toxoplasmosis and leishmaniasis. Malaria is known to cause symptoms, such as high fever, chills, nausea and vomiting, whereas chagas disease causes enlarged lymph glands, muscle pain, swelling and chest pain. People suffering from African trypanosomiasis may experience severe headaches, irritability, extreme fatigue and swollen lymph nodes. As an infectious disease progresses, the human host may also experience personality changes and neurologic problems. If left untreated, most of these diseases can lead to death. : Parasites, microbes and bacteria are increasingly adapting and generating strains that are resistant to current clinical drugs. Drug resistance creates an urgency for the development of new drugs to treat these infections. Nitro containing drugs, such as chloramphenicol, metronidazole, tinidazole and secnidazole had been banned for use as antiparasitic agents due to their toxicity. However, recent discoveries of nitrocontaining anti-tuberculosis drugs, i.e. delamanid and pretonamid, and the repurposing of flexinidazole for use in combination with eflornithine for the treatment of human trypanosomiasis, have ignited interest in nitroaromatic scaffolds as viable sources of potential anti-infective agents. : This review highlights the differences between old and new nitration methodologies. It furthermore offers insights into recent advances in the development of nitroaromatics as anti-infective drugs.

Conventional Versus Natural Alternative Treatments for Leishmaniasis: A Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 1275-1286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz Felipe Domingues Passero ◽  
Lucas Antal Cruz ◽  
Gabriela Santos-Gomes ◽  
Eliana Rodrigues ◽  
Márcia Dalastra Laurenti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Conventional Therapy ◽  
Pathogenic Species ◽  
Action Mechanism ◽  
In Vivo Assays ◽  
Clinical Forms

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease caused by protozoan belonging to the Leishmania genus. There are at least 16 pathogenic species for humans that are able to cause different clinical forms, such as cutaneous or visceral leishmaniasis. In spite of the different species and clinical forms, the treatment is performed with few drug options that, in most cases, are considered outdated. In addition, patients under classical treatment show serious side effects during drug administration, moreover parasites are able to become resistant to medicines. Thus, it is believed and well accepted that is urgent and necessary to develop new therapeutic options to overpass these concerns about conventional therapy of leishmaniasis. The present review will focus on the efficacy, side effects and action mechanism of classic drugs used in the treatment of leishmaniasis, as well as the importance of traditional knowledge for directing a rational search toward the discovery and characterization of new and effective molecules (in vivo assays) from plants to be used against leishmaniasis.

Conceptual Analysis Rebooted

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edouard Machery
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Method ◽  
Conceptual Analysis ◽  
Philosophical Tradition ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
Philosophical Significance ◽  
Conceptual Engineering ◽  
Method Of Cases

Chapter 7 proposes a new, naturalistic characterization of conceptual analysis, defends its philosophical significance, and shows that usual concerns with conceptual analysis do not apply to this revamped version. So understood, conceptual analysis encompasses both a descriptive project and a normative project, similar to explication or to conceptual engineering. Chapter 7 also defends the philosophical significance of this novel form of conceptual analysis and its continuity with the role of conceptual analysis in the philosophical tradition. Furthermore, naturalized conceptual analysis often requires empirical tools to be pursued successfully, and an experimental method of cases 2.0 should often replace the traditional use of cases in philosophy.

scholarly journals Characterization of CRISPR Spacer and Protospacer Sequences in Paenibacillus larvae and Its Bacteriophages

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 459
Author(s):  
Casey Stamereilers ◽  
Simon Wong ◽  
Philippos K. Tsourkas
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Paenibacillus Larvae ◽  
Bacterial Disease ◽  
American Foulbrood ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Complete Genomes ◽  
Point Of Reference

The bacterium Paenibacillus larvae is the causative agent of American foulbrood, the most devastating bacterial disease of honeybees. Because P. larvae is antibiotic resistant, phages that infect it are currently used as alternative treatments. However, the acquisition by P. larvae of CRISPR spacer sequences from the phages could be an obstacle to treatment efforts. We searched nine complete genomes of P. larvae strains and identified 714 CRISPR spacer sequences, of which 384 are unique. Of the four epidemiologically important P. larvae strains, three of these have fewer than 20 spacers, while one strain has over 150 spacers. Of the 384 unique spacers, 18 are found as protospacers in the genomes of 49 currently sequenced P. larvae phages. One P. larvae strain does not have any protospacers found in phages, while another has eight. Protospacer distribution in the phages is uneven, with two phages having up to four protospacers, while a third of phages have none. Some phages lack protospacers found in closely related phages due to point mutations, indicating a possible escape mechanism. This study serve a point of reference for future studies on the CRISPR-Cas system in P. larvae as well as for comparative studies of other phage–host systems.

scholarly journals Characterization of Volatile Organic Compounds in Mango Ginger (Curcuma amada Roxb.) from Myanmar

Metabolites ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Yanhang Chen ◽  
Musavvara Kh. Shukurova ◽  
Yonathan Asikin ◽  
Miyako Kusano ◽  
Kazuo N. Watanabe
Keyword(s):  
Solid Phase ◽  
Species Variation ◽  
Mango Ginger ◽  
Food Industries ◽  
Curcuma Amada ◽  
Alternative Medicines ◽  
Flight Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Loss Of Appetite

Curcuma amada Roxb. (Zingiberaceae), commonly known as mango ginger because its rhizome and foliar parts have a similar aroma to mango. The rhizome has been widely used in food industries and alternative medicines to treat a variety of internal diseases such as cough, bronchitis, indigestion, colic, loss of appetite, hiccups, and constipation. The composition of the volatile constituents in a fresh rhizome of C. amada is not reported in detail. The present study aimed to screen and characterize the composition of volatile organic compound (VOC) in a fresh rhizome of three C. amada (ZO45, ZO89, and ZO114) and one C. longa (ZO138) accessions originated from Myanmar. The analysis was carried out by means of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS). As a result, 122 VOCs were tentatively identified from the extracted 373 mass spectra. The following compounds were the ten most highly abundant and broadly present ones: ar-turmerone, α-zingiberene, α-santalene, (E)-γ-atlantone, cuparene, β-bisabolene, teresantalol, β-sesquiphellandrene, trans-α-bergamotene, γ-curcumene. The intensity of ar-turmerone, the sesquiterpene which is mainly characterized in C. longa essential oil (up to 15.5–27.5%), was significantly higher in C. amada accession ZO89 (15.707 ± 5.78a) compared to C. longa accession ZO138 (0.300 ± 0.08b). Cis-α-bergamotene was not detected in two C. amada accessions ZO45 and ZO89. The study revealed between-species variation regarding identified VOCs in the fresh rhizome of C. amada and C. longa.

scholarly journals Insights into neutralizing antibody responses in individuals exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in Chile

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. eabe6855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Beltrán-Pavez ◽  
Sebastián Riquelme-Barrios ◽  
Aarón Oyarzún-Arrau ◽  
Aracelly Gaete-Argel ◽  
Roxana González-Stegmaier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Host Immunity ◽  
Antibody Responses ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Neutralization Activity ◽  
Future Studies

Chile has one of the worst numbers worldwide in terms of SARS-CoV-2 positive cases and COVID-19–related deaths per million inhabitants; thus, characterization of neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses in the general population is critical to understanding of immunity at the local level. Given our inability to perform massive classical neutralization assays due to the scarce availability of BSL-3 facilities in the country, we developed and fully characterized an HIV-based SARS-CoV-2 pseudotype, which was used in a 96-well plate format to investigate NAb responses in samples from individuals exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or treated with convalescent plasma. We also identified samples with decreased or enhanced neutralization activity against the D614G spike variant compared with the wild type, indicating the relevance of this variant in host immunity. The data presented here represent the first insights into NAb responses in individuals from Chile, serving as a guide for future studies in the country.

scholarly journals Identification and Characterization of Multiple Myeloma Stem Cell-Like Cells

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 3523
Author(s):  
Wancheng Guo ◽  
Haiqin Wang ◽  
Peng Chen ◽  
Xiaokai Shen ◽  
Boxin Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Drug Resistance ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Cell Therapies ◽  
High Relapse Rate ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Poorly Differentiated ◽  
Identification And Characterization

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a B-cell tumor of the blood system with high incidence and poor prognosis. With a further understanding of the pathogenesis of MM and the bone marrow microenvironment, a variety of adjuvant cell therapies and new drugs have been developed. However, the drug resistance and high relapse rate of MM have not been fundamentally resolved. Studies have shown that, in patients with MM, there is a type of poorly differentiated progenitor cell (MM stem cell-like cells, MMSCs). Although there is no recognized standard for identification and classification, it is confirmed that they are closely related to the drug resistance and relapse of MM. This article therefore systematically summarizes the latest developments in MMSCs with possible markers of MMSCs, introduces the mechanism of how MMSCs work in MM resistance and recurrence, and discusses the active pathways that related to stemness of MM.

scholarly journals Isolation and Molecular Characterization of the Romaine Lettuce Phylloplane Mycobiome

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 277
Author(s):  
Danny Haelewaters ◽  
Hector Urbina ◽  
Samuel Brown ◽  
Shannon Newerth-Henson ◽  
M. Catherine Aime
Keyword(s):  
Lactuca Sativa ◽  
New Combinations ◽  
Food Spoilage ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Plant Leaves ◽  
Romaine Lettuce ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
The Core ◽  
American Agriculture

Romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an important staple of American agriculture. Unlike many vegetables, romaine lettuce is typically consumed raw. Phylloplane microbes occur naturally on plant leaves; consumption of uncooked leaves includes consumption of phylloplane microbes. Despite this fact, the microbes that naturally occur on produce such as romaine lettuce are for the most part uncharacterized. In this study, we conducted culture-based studies of the fungal romaine lettuce phylloplane community from organic and conventionally grown samples. In addition to an enumeration of all such microbes, we define and provide a discussion of the genera that form the “core” romaine lettuce mycobiome, which represent 85.5% of all obtained isolates: Alternaria, Aureobasidium, Cladosporium, Filobasidium, Naganishia, Papiliotrema, Rhodotorula, Sampaiozyma, Sporobolomyces, Symmetrospora and Vishniacozyma. We highlight the need for additional mycological expertise in that 23% of species in these core genera appear to be new to science and resolve some taxonomic issues we encountered during our work with new combinations for Aureobasidiumbupleuri and Curvibasidium nothofagi. Finally, our work lays the ground for future studies that seek to understand the effect these communities may have on preventing or facilitating establishment of exogenous microbes, such as food spoilage microbes and plant or human pathogens.

scholarly journals Time-Resolved Spectroscopic Study of N,N-Di(4-bromo)nitrenium Ions in Selected Solutions

Molecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 3182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Du ◽  
Xin Lan ◽  
Zhiping Yan ◽  
Ruixue Zhu ◽  
David Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Transient Absorption ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Reaction Pathway ◽  
Addition Reactions ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Nitrenium Ions ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Nitrenium Ion ◽  
Design Time

Nitrenium ions are important reactive intermediates in chemistry and biology. In this work, femtosecond and nanosecond transient absorption (fs-TA and ns-TA) along with nanosecond time-resolved resonance Raman (ns-TR3) experiments were employed to examine the photochemical pathways of N-(4,4′-dibromodiphenylamino)-2,4,6-trimethylpyridinium BF4− (salt (DN) from just absorption of a photon of light to the production of the important N,N-di(4-bromophenyl)nitrenium ion 2. In acetonitrile (MeCN), the formation of halogenated diarylnitrenium ion 2 was observed within 4 ps, showing the vibrational spectra with strong intensity. The nucleophilic adduct reaction of ion 2 with H2O was also examined in aqueous solutions. The direct detection of the unique ortho adduct intermediate 3 shows that there is an efficient and exclusive reaction pathway for 2 with H2O. The results shown in this paper give new characterization of 2, which can be used to design time-resolved spectroscopy investigations of covalent addition reactions of nitrenium ions with other molecules in future studies.

scholarly journals Antiangiogenic potential of Jatropha curcas latex in the chick chorioallantoic membrane model

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 32157
Author(s):  
Luciane Madureira Almeida ◽  
Elisa Flávia Luiz Cardoso Bailão ◽  
Illana Reis Pereira ◽  
Fabrício Alves Ferreira ◽  
Patrícia Lima D'Abadia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stability ◽  
Jatropha Curcas ◽  
Physicochemical Characterization ◽  
Chorioallantoic Membrane ◽  
Angiogenesis Inhibitor ◽  
Negative Control ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Membrane Model ◽  
Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane

AIMS: To perform a physicochemical and phytochemical characterization of Jatropha curcas latex and to investigate its antiangiogenic potential. METHODS: We performed an initial physicochemical characterization of J. curcas latex using thermal gravimetric analyses and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. After that, phenols, tannins and flavonoids were quantified. Finally, the potential of J. curcas latex to inhibit angiogenesis was evaluated using the chick chorioallantoic membrane model. Five groups of 20 fertilized chicken eggs each had the chorioallantoic membrane exposed to the following solutions: (1) water, negative control; (2) dexamethasone, angiogenesis inhibitor; (3) Regederm®, positive control; (4) 25% J. curcas latex diluted in water; (5) 50% J. curcas latex diluted in water; and (6) J. curcas crude latex. Analysis of the newly-formed vascular net was made through captured images and quantification of the number of pixels. Histological analyses were performed to evaluate the inflammation, neovascularization, and hyperemia parameters. The results were statically analyzed with a significance level set at p ˂0.05.RESULTS: Physicochemical characterization showed that J. curcas latex presented a low amount of cis-1.4-polyisoprene, which reduced its elasticity and thermal stability. Phytochemical analyses of J. curcas latex identified a substantial amount of phenols, tannins, and flavonoids (51.9%, 11.8%, and 0.07% respectively). Using a chick chorioallantoic membrane assay, we demonstrated the antiangiogenic potential of J. curcas latex. The latex induced a decrease in the vascularization of the membranes when compared with neutral and positive controls (water and Regederm®). However, when compared with the negative control (dexamethasone), higher J. curcas latex concentrations showed no significant differences.CONCLUSIONS: J. curcas latex showed low thermal stability, and consisted of phenols, tannins, and flavonoids, but little or no rubber. Moreover, this latex demonstrated a significant antiangiogenic activity on a chick chorioallantoic membrane model. The combination of antimutagenic, cytotoxic, antioxidant and antiangiogenic properties makes J. curcas latex a potential target for the development of new drugs.

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