Qualea grandiflora Mart. (“pau-terra”) is a medicinal plant symbolic from Cerrado biome. Qualea species reportedly have antiparasitic properties, but their active compounds have yet to be identified. In this study, we investigated the antiplasmodial activity of Q. grandiflora fruit and stem extracts against Plasmodium falciparum. The polar extracts of both fruits and stems showed promising in vitro antiplasmodial activity against sensitive and resistant P. falciparum strains (half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) = 1.2 and 4.2 ng mL-1, respectively), low cytotoxicity against human hepatic cells (IC50HepG2 ≥ 400 ng mL-1), and a noteworthy selectivity index (SI ≥ 322 and ≥ 96, respectively). The fruit ethanolic extract revealed significant oral efficacy at 100 mg kg-1 in a mouse model of P. berghei malaria (100% reduction in parasitemia on day 5 post-infection). To investigate the chemical composition of the extracts, we developed a method involving liquid chromatography-high resolution quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometer. The chemical profiling of active extracts indicated 32 compounds, including gallotannins, ellagic acid derivatives and flavonoids. The common component in the active polar extracts was found to be ellagic acid (EA), which may contribute favorably to the in vitro and in vivo inhibitory activity observed in this study.

A combined phytochemical, crystallographic and biological study of Worsleya procera roots was performed. Fifteen alkaloids were identified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and seven of them were isolated. The structures of the alkaloids were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, and a detailed crystallographic study of tazettine was carried out. The isolated alkaloids and the obtained extracts were tested in vitro against Plasmodium falciparum (3D7 and K1 strains) and human hepatocarcinoma cells (HepG2) to assess their antiplasmodial and cytotoxic effects, respectively. One of the isolated alkaloid derivatives, lycorine, exhibited antiplasmodial activity against both sensitive (3D7) and resistant (K1) parasite strains in the low micromolar range (half-maximal sample inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 2.5 and 3.1 µM, respectively) and displayed a low cytotoxicity profile, with a selectivity index greater than 100. Our findings indicate that lycorine is a hit for antimalarial drug discovery.

In the 21st century, medicinal chemists will face many challenges to improve the quality of life of populations. The challenges consist of emerging infectious (ex. bacterial, viral and parasite infections) and non-communicable diseases (ex. autoimmune, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson’s disease) that will require innovative technologies (ex. microfluidics, nanotechnology, biotechnology) to be fully understood and combated. In this work, we indicate trends, perspectives and opportunities related to drug discovery as well as highlight the tools and strategies that could be used in drug discovery of the 21st century.

Medicinal Chemistry includes the invention, discovery, design, identification, and interpretation of the molecular mechanism of action of biologically active compounds. In addition to the discovery of bioactive molecules, Medicinal Chemistry investigates drug metabolism and the relationships between chemical structure and biological activity. The advances achieved in the 20th century have significantly contributed to the better understanding of pathophysiological processes as well as the development of new, safer and more effective drugs for many diseases. In this article, we review the evolution of Medicinal Chemistry in Brazil during the last 40 years and evaluate the impact of the Brazilian contributions in the international context. The analyzed data revealed that Medicinal Chemistry research in Brazil has increased exponentially in the last two decades, the research groups became more well-distributed across the Brazilian regions and our scientific contributions have significant impact in the main journals of the field. Therefore, aiming at evolving steadily and striving for excellence in drug discovery and development, we shall focus on national and international collaborations and investment in translational research, as well.

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a key enzyme involved in the Trypanosoma cruzi glycolytic pathway, parasite that causes Chagas' disease. There are only few drugs available to treat this disease, most of which present strong side effects. Natural products constitute a prime source for the discovery of new scaffolds potentially useful for the treatment of several diseases, including Chagas' disease. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of Spiranthera odoratissima extract using T. cruzi GAPDH (TcGAPDH) as a target led to the isolation of the flavonoid tiliroside (kaempferol-3-O-β-D-(6''-trans-p-coumaroyl)-glucopyranoside), identified as an excelent inhibitor of this enzyme and for the first time reported for this plant species. Mechanistic studies of tiliroside showed that it is a reversible non-competitive inhibitor of TcGAPDH. In additon, molecular modeling analysis indicated the binding mode of tiliroside to TcGAPDH. Therefore, the identification of tiliroside as TcGPADH inhibitor in a complex matrix such as the plant crude extract and the discovery of a new binding site may contribute to the opening of new paths in the search for natural product inhibitors of this enzyme.

In an article recently published in Química Nova, entitled "Chemistry Without Borders" ("Química Sem Fronteiras") [Pinto, A. C.; Zucco, C.; Galembeck, F.; Andrade, J. B.; Vieira, P. C. Quim. Nova 2012, 35, 2092], the authors highlighted the important aspects of science and technology with special emphasis on the field of Chemistry and its contributions toward a more prosperous Brazil of future. As a second step in that direction, this article extends the discussion of a key issue for the country in the framework of the chemistry community through the so called position papers in strategic areas. This document is a part of the contribution of the Brazilian Chemical Society to the World Science Forum to be held in Rio de Janeiro in November 2013. In this context, the present paper provides a brief discussion on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) with emphasis on the current challenges and opportunities towards the development and evolution of the field. NTDs leads to illness, long-term disability or death, and has severe social, economic and psychological consequences for millions of men, women, and children worldwide. In most cases, the available treatments are inadequate and extremely limited in terms of efficacy and safety, leading to an urgent demand for new drugs. In addition to the traditional challenges involved in any drug discovery process, it is widely recognized that there is an innovation gap and a lack of investment for research and development (R&D) in the area of NTDs. In the last few decades, methods toward combating, eradication, prevention, and treatment of NTDs have been repeatedly emphasized in the major international agendas. Developments in these strategies and alliances have continued to have an essential impact, particularly in the area of drug discovery, both in Brazil and globally and should be encouraged and supported. Several examples of international activities dedicated to the reduction of the devastating global impact of NTDs can be provided. Despite the beneficial developments in the past 30 years, NTDs continue to devastate poor communities in remote and vulnerable areas, in large part, due to market failures and public policies. Recent studies have shown that among 756 new drugs approved between 2000 and 2011, only four new chemical entities (NCEs) were identified for the treatment of malaria, while none were developed against NTDs or tuberculosis. Furthermore, only 1.4% of approximately 150,000 clinical trials were registered for neglected diseases, with a smaller number of trials for NCEs. Establishment and strengthening of global strategies involving the triad "government-academia-industry" is fundamental to the success in R&D of new drugs for NTDs. National and international public-private initiatives that aim to create, encourage, and invest in R&D projects have been implemented and therefore are of utmost importance to successfully integrate Brazil into this new paradigm. It is essential to lay the foundation for mechanisms that will intensify investments in infrastructure, training, and qualification of personnel with an ultimate strategic vision that foresees continuity. Our research group has made significant contributions to the development of this field with the goal of forging new frontiers while tackling both current and future challenges that include indispensable elements such as innovation and integration.

Estratégias modernas de planejamento de fármacos se fundamentam no conhecimento da fisiopatologia das doenças, no estudo de vias bioquímicas e na seleção de alvos moleculares. As ferramentas biotecnológicas modernas têm fornecido informações valiosas para a descoberta e o desenvolvimento de novos fármacos. A química medicinal possui papel central em vários processos que visam à identificação de substâncias bioativas e ao desenvolvimento de compostos-líderes com propriedades farmacodinâmicas e farmacocinéticas otimizadas. O presente artigo apresenta uma abordagem de alguns aspectos fundamentais da biotecnologia e da química medicinal como ferramentas úteis para o planejamento de candidatos a novos fármacos para a terapia de doenças infecciosas.

Current drug design strategies are based on the understanding of the physiopathology of diseases, biochemical pathways and selection of molecular targets. Modern biotechnological tools have provided valuable information to facilitate the discovery of new drug candidates. Medicinal chemistry has a vital role in a variety of processes aimed at the identification of bioactive substances and the development of lead-compounds with optimized pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties. The present paper presents some fundamental aspects of biotechnology and medicinal chemistry as useful tools in the design of new chemical entities for the therapy of infectious diseases.

O desenvolvimento de métodos rápidos e eficazes para a identificação de novas moléculas bioativas é fundamental para o processo de descoberta e planejamento de fármacos. A integração de um sistema de cromatografia liquida de alta eficiência (CLAE), com biorreatores como fase estacionária (IMER) é uma estratégia atrativa e versátil para a triagem de coleções de compostos visando à identificação de novos agentes terapêuticos. Os parâmetros cinéticos da enzima imobilizada gliceraldeído-3-fosfato desidrogenase (GAPDH) de Trypanosoma cruzi e humana foram determinados (T. cruzi: K M G3P = 0.50 mmol L-1; K M NAD+ = 0.67 mmol L-1; humana: K M G3P = 3.7 mmol L-1; K M NAD+ = 0.75 mmol L-1) e comparados com aqueles observados em solução (T. cruzi: K M G3P = 0.42 mmol L-1; K M NAD+ = 0.26 mmol L-1; humana: K M G3P = 0.16 mmol L-1; K M NAD+ = 0.18 mmol L-1). Os resultados indicaram uma diminuição na afinidade das enzimas imobilizadas, entretanto, os elementos estruturais necessários para o processo de reconhecimento molecular e atividade biológica permaneceram inalterados, aumentando a estabilidade das enzimas. Além disso, a análise estrutural forneceu dados moleculares importantes envolvidos nos efeitos da imobilização sobre as interações entre ligante e receptor e, consequentemente, sobre a atividade enzimática e parâmetros cinéticos.

The development of fast and reliable methods for the identification of new bioactive compounds is of utmost importance to boost the process of drug discovery and development. Immobilized enzyme reactors (IMERs), integrated with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), are attractive and versatile tools for screening collections consisting of natural products and synthetic small molecules. Standard kinetic parameters of the immobilized enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) from both Trypanosoma cruzi de and human have been determined (T. cruzi: K M G3P = 0.50 mmol L-1; K M NAD+ = 0.67 mmol L-1; humana: K M G3P = 3.7 mmol L-1; K M NAD+ = 0.75 mmol L-1), and comparisons of these values with those of the parasite and human free enzymes indicate a decrease in the affinity for the immobilized system (T. cruzi: K M G3P = 0.42 mmol L-1; K M NAD+ = 0.26 mmol L-1; humana: K M G3P = 0.16 mmol L-1; K M NAD+ = 0.18 mmol L-1). Interestingly, despite the kinetic differences between the two systems, the immobilized GAPDHs retained the required structural requirements for molecular recognition and biological activity, increasing the stability the enzyme. In the present work, we described an integrated structural analysis which has provided important insights into the molecular basis underlying the effects of immobilization on the ligand-receptor interactions and consequent enzymatic activity and kinetics parameters.