Studies the effect of metallocomplexes in Trypanosoma cruzi bioenergetics and antioxidant defenses.
EDUCATION
Graduated in Biomedicine (Pontifical University of Campinas, PUC-CAMPINAS). Currently MSc student at Instute of Biology, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), in Molecular and Morphophunctional Biology - Biochemistry.
In Vitro and In Vivo Leishmanicidal Activity of Beauvericin Virlânio A. de Oliveira Filho, Juliana R. Gubiani, Vitória D. Borgonovi, Felipe Hilário, Marcelo R. de Amorim, Karen Minori, Vitor K. S. Bertolini, Antonio G. Ferreira, Andressa R. Biz, Marcos A. Soares, Helder L. Teles, Fernanda R. Gadelha, Roberto G. S. Berlinck, Danilo C. Miguel Journal of Natural Products, 2024 Leishmaniasis is a worldwide disease caused by more than 20 species of Leishmania parasites. Leishmania amazonensis and L. braziliensis are among the main causative agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis, presenting a broad spectrum of clinical forms. As these pathologies lead to unsatisfactory treatment outcomes, the discovery of alternative chemotherapeutic options is urgently required. In this investigation, a leishmanicidal bioassay-guided fractionation of the growth media extract produced by Aspergillus terreus P63 led to the isolation of the cyclic depsipeptide beauvericin (1). The viability of L. amazonensis, L. braziliensis and mammalian cells (macrophages and L929 fibroblasts) was assessed in 1 incubated cultures. Leishmania promastigotes were sensitive to 1, with EC50 values ranging from 0.7 to 1.3 μM. Microscopy analysis indicated that Leishmania spp. parasites showed morphological abnormalities in a dose-dependent manner in the presence of 1. L. amazonensis intracellular amastigotes were more sensitive to 1 than promastigotes (EC50 = 0.8 ± 0.1 μM), with a good selectivity index (22–30). 1 reduced the infectivity index at very low concentrations, maintaining the integrity of the primary murine host cell for up to the highest concentration tested for 1. In vivo assays of 1 conducted using BALB/c mice infected with stationary-phase promastigotes of L. amazonensis in the tail base presented a significant reduction in the lesion parasite load. A second round of in vivo assays was performed to assess the efficacy of the topical use of 1. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in the total ulcerated area of mice treated with 1 when compared with untreated animals. Our results present promising in vitro and in vivo leishmanicidal effects of beauvericin, emphasizing that systemic inoculation of 1 led to a decrease in the parasite load at the lesion site, whereas topical administration of 1 delayed the progression of leishmaniasis ulcers, a cure criterion established for cutaneous leishmaniasis management.
Exploring antiviral and antiparasitic activity of gold N-heterocyclic carbenes with thiolate ligands Igor S. Oliveira, Marcus S. A. Garcia, Natasha M. Cassani, Ana L. C. Oliveira, Lara C. F. Freitas, Vitor K. S. Bertolini, Jennyfer Castro, Gustavo Clauss, João Honorato, Fernanda R. Gadelha, Danilo C. Miguel, Ana C. G. Jardim, Camilla Abbehausen Dalton Transactions, 2024 Novel gold(i)(NHC) containing thiopyrimidines and thiazolidines with promising antiviral and antiparasitic activity.
