Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) are a severe public health problem worldwide, consisting of a significant part of all the emerging infectious diseases. It is estimated that arboviruses infect hundreds of millions of people globally each year, resulting in several thousand deaths. Despite their clear health threat, there are no prophylactic or pharmacological therapies available for most of them. Control of arbovirus infections is beyond pharmacological options; handling the larvae of mosquitos is an important and successful strategy, although currently available insecticides and larvicides are already associated with resistance. Therefore, searching for new strategies to prevent arbovirus infection is urgent and necessary. Marine organisms are an excellent source for structurally novel compounds due to their unique secondary metabolism, with outstanding antiviral and larvicidal activities. In the present review, we explored the ability of various marine natural products (MNPs) such as indole derivatives, diketopiperazines, scequinadoline A, cyclohexadepsipeptides, and others, to act as both antiviral and larvicidal, in an attempt to highlight their structure activity potential against the most relevant arboviruses affecting the human health. Arthropodborne Arthropod borne (arboviruses worldwide diseases year deaths threat them options strategy resistance Therefore necessary metabolism activities review MNPs (MNPs derivatives diketopiperazines A cyclohexadepsipeptides others

The assignment of absolute configuration (AC) is a crucial step in the structural characterization of natural products, especially for those subjected to biological assays. Methods such as X-ray crystallography, stereocontrolled organic synthesis, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and chiroptical spectroscopies are commonly used to determine the AC of chiral natural compounds. Even with these well-established techniques, however, unambiguous stereochemical assignments of natural products remain a challenge, resulting in an increasing number of structural misassignments being reported every year. Herein, we will present the main techniques that have been used in AC reassignments of natural products over the last 10 years, along with some selected examples. Special attention will be paid to the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. With this, we expect to provide the readers with critical information to help them to choose the appropriate methods for correct AC determinations.

Abstract Access to genetic resources (GR) and/or traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources (ATK) has been regulated in Brazil since 2001. The law 13,123 / 2015 determined a significant change in the theme, mainly on the rules of distribution of benefits obtained for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, the access to technology and technology transfer, the exploitation of products or reproductive material from the GR or ATK and consignment to the outside of part or all the living or dead organism shipped for GR. The implementation of international treaties on GR and ATK for research, biotechnological development and bioprospecting have been causing difficulties for Brazilian researchers, mainly due to the lack of information and dissemination available for compliance with the legislation. In this work, the members of the Committee for Access to Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge of the Federal Fluminense University (UFFGEN) - Brazil, and collaborators performed a critical reflection on the new law, helping Brazilian researchers with information necessary to understand the changes made by the new legislation, especially in the field of Biotechnology associated with Brazilian Biodiversity.

Abstract The extensive marine biodiversity has proved to be a promising source of substances with biomedical potential. In this study, the cytotoxicity of the Brazilian octocoral Phyllogorgia dilatata (Gorgoniidae) was evaluated against two tumor cell lines and three bacterial strains. The methanol/dichloromethane crude extract presented no antibacterial activity up to the highest concentration tested (512 µg/mL), however it revealed a noteworthy antiproliferative effect against HCT-116 (80%) and MCF-7 (54%) cell lines at 50 μg/mL. Therefore, guided by the cytotoxic activity, a multistep chemical fractionation of the extract provided the subfraction 5 (PDPH2-5) with IC50 values of 3.18 and 17.80 μg/mL against HCT-116 and MCF-7, respectively. The LC-HRMS/MS analysis of PDPH2-5 showed ions of m/z 219.1742 and 219.1743, characterized as (E,E) and (Z,E) germacrone, after a LC-DAD-SPE/NMR analysis of the hexanic fraction and comparisons of NMR data with the literature. Previously reported assessments to the cytotoxic activity of the (E,E)-diastereoisomer disclosed higher IC50 values than that obtained for the PDPH2-5 fraction, suggesting, herein, a potentiated effect of the diastereoisomeric mixture. Such remark encourage further bioactivity studies with stereoisomer mixtures and reduce the urge for compound isolation.

This work describes the first determination of the absolute configuration (AC) of (−)-cubebin by means of electronic circular dichroism (ECD), supported by quantum chemical calculations. The comparison of experimental ECD with the corresponding quantum chemical prediction for the proper diastereoisomer resulted in the definitive assignment of the AC of the naturally occurring (−)-cubebin as (8R,8aR,9S). The challenging determination of the relative configuration (RC) of cubebin based only on experimental nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods is stressed. Computation of the 13C and 1H NMR chemical shifts for all the possible diastereoisomers leads to values of mean absolute error and root mean square deviation that do not allow distinguishing among them. Thus, errors in stereochemical determination can easily occur even when using two-dimensional methods, which clearly demonstrate the complexity of this special case. To determine the RC of this bioactive natural compound with high level of confidence, it was necessary to combine the DP4+ method with X-ray crystallography. Therefore, employing the commonly used empirical methods to determine the AC of (−)-cubebin can easily lead to misassignment of its stereochemistry.

ABSTRACT This study aims the anatomical description and chemical characterization of aerial parts of Clusia criuva Cambess., Clusiaceae in addition to the evaluation of the antioxidant activity of crude extracts, correlated to the flavonoid content. The morphological characterization was performed using traditional techniques of plant anatomy. For phytochemical studies, crude extracts were obtained by static maceration and analyzed by thin layer chromatography. The antioxidant activity and the flavonoids content were determined by colorimetric methods involving, respectively, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical and aluminum chloride. C. criuva has uniseriate epidermis, paracytic stomata, hypostomatic leaves, cuticular flanges and cordiform vascular cylinder with accessory bundles. Chemical prospecting confirmed the abundant presence of terpenes and phenols in the extracts of leaves and of fruits. The methanolic extract of seeds showed the lowest EC50 value, but the methanolic extract of pericarps exhibited the highest maximum antioxidant activity. The results suggested a high percentage of flavonoids in the hexanic extract of pericarps, however, this could represent, in fact, the presence of benzophenones. Secretory ducts and the shape of the midrib are diagnostic for C. criuva. The antioxidant activity is not directly related to the flavonoids. The results indicate the importance of future studies with C. criuva chemical constituents.

Abstract Four bisabolanes 1–4, including perezone (1) and triacetyl perezone (2), were isolated through a bioassay-guided fractionation of the extract obtained from the Caribbean gorgonian coral Pseudopterogorgia rigida collected during an expedition cruise to the Bahamas. All isolated compounds showed to be cytotoxic toward panel of four human tumor cell lines, as quantified by the MTT assay after 72 h incubation. Perezone (1), the most active one, was further analyzed, showing to be cytotoxic, but not selective, in a 12-cell line panel comprising tumor and non-tumor, as well as human and murine cells. Additionally, 1 was assayed for cytotoxicity against HL-60 leukemic cells. Pre-treatment with an acute free radical scavenger (L-NAC) before exposure of cells to perezone virtually eliminated the generation of intracellular ROS and lessened its severe cytotoxicity. The protective effect delivered by L-NAC evidences that the mechanism of perezone-induced cytotoxicity is partially associated to production of ROS and a consequent induction of oxidative stress.

Uma das formas de combate a helmintos que possuem moluscos em seu ciclo biológico é o controle da população malacológica. A tentativa de combater os criadouros naturais de hospedeiros intermediários, através de moluscicidas, tem sido uma das formas almejadas para a redução da incidência de enfermidades, como as esquistossomoses e fascioloses. Essa medida epidemiológica tem se concretizado através da utilização dos moluscicidas sintéticos que, dentre outras desvantagens, trazem danos ao ecossistema. Visando a obtenção de novos compostos, os estudos sobre a potencialidade de produtos naturais moluscicidas têm crescido consideravelmente. Alguns pesquisadores apontam os moluscicidas vegetais como fontes alternativas para o tratamento profilático de parasitoses. Tendo em vista a abrangência, endemicidade e relevância, este trabalho revela um maior enfoque à atividade moluscicida de plantas relacionada às esquistossomíases.

An effective way to combat helminthes having mollusk in their life cycle is by controlling their population. The attempt to battle the natural breeding of intermediary hosts through molluscicides has been the targeted approach to reduce the incidence of such diseases as schistosomiasis and fascioloses. This epidemiological measure has been performed using synthetic molluscicides which, among other drawbacks, cause damages to the ecosystem. In order to obtain new compounds, studies on the potential of natural molluscicides products are increasing. Researchers draw attention to molluscicides plants as alternative sources for the prophylactic management of parasitoses. In view of the scope, significance and endemism, the present work highlights plant activities related to schistosomiasis.