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Background: Biodiesel has been shown to be effectively produced by immobilized enzymatic catalysts. The selection of support material is a prominent factor for obtaining an efficient lipase. Silk fibroin (SF) is a natural polymer produced by glands of some arthropods, especially by the Bombyx mor, attracting attention for immobilization of lipase. Objective: This paper presents a novel method to obtain silk microfibers (SMF) from Oxone® salt in water, used as support for Amano AK lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens in biodiesel production from deodorization distillate of palm oil (DDPO). Method: The oxone® salt in the presence of Ca2+ ions acts as a mineralizing agent in the peptide bonds present in silk fibroin, altering some of its physical and chemical properties, such as zeta potential, crystallinity, micro-morphology, infrared spectroscopic profile, and showing formation or absence of SF original connections. Results: The modified support was tested as a support alternative for the immobilization of Amano AK lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens. Enzyme activity values indicated that lipase immobilization on SMF was efficient as a heterogeneous catalyst in the esterification of DDPO (deodorization distillate palm oil). Conclusion: The effect of some reaction parameters, such as catalyst concentration, molar ratio, temperature, and reaction time, was studied to optimize the conditions for maximum conversion of DDPO (40.5%).

Mosquitoes can be vectors of pathogens and transmit diseases to both animals and humans. Species of the genus

Palm fatty acid distillate PFAD is an example of potential low-cost palm biofuel second generation feedstock, most used as a source of fatty acid for non-food applications in industry. Catalytic application of Oxone® salt was used in the present study for the esterification reaction of PFAD for biodiesel production for the first time. After optimizing the conversion rate, was possible to observe that, among the process variables studied [Oxone® concentration (%), temperature (°C) and reaction time (h)], Oxone® concentration was the only significant variable for the fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) generation response variable. A > 90% conversion rate was reached with 15% Oxone® at 42 °C, using a PFAD:ethanol molar ratio of 1:5 at 12 h reaction time. The reaction system has a series of advantages, such as mild conditions, simple operation, green and high conversion. As alternative for make the biodiesel production as sustainable as possible.

Many personal cleansing products contain microplastics threatening coastal habitats, deep sea, as well as freshwater lakes. Non-pollutant biomasses with natural abrasiveness are potential substitutes for scrub-type cosmetics. This study sought to explore the potential of applying crabwood seed bagasse from Amazonia as an exfoliating agent of skincare soaps. The raw feedstock was characterized by chemical composition and particle size distribution. The morphologies of the crabwood particles and commercial exfoliating agents were compared. Thermal pretreatments were carried out in an attempt to make the particles inert. It was verified that crabwood particles contain above 50% of non-structural organic components in their mass. The high heterogeneity of particle size allowed selecting portions with dimensions comparable to commercial products, between 0.3 and 0.4 mm. The rough surface of crabwood particles was similar to those of other natural plant exfoliating agents suitable for intense skin exfoliation. Thermal pretreatments only partially volatilized non-structural components. The release of oil traces, which contains mainly palmitic and oleic acids, led the pH of the water to an unacceptable level (≤ 5.0), discouraging the direct application of crabwood bagasse in the skin. Nevertheless, when added to non-ionic surfactant based-soaps, pH remains adequate for skincare (≈ 6.0). The smaller particles (average diameter of 0.3 mm) submitted to the most drastic thermal pretreatment, 140 °C for 48 h of exposure, resulted in liquid skincare soaps with better properties. The crabwood particles’ potential to be added as an exfoliating agent in skincare soaps was confirmed.

Dyslipidemias are lipid metabolism alterations that cause increased levels of serum lipoprotein, cholesterol, and triglycerides. These alterations are associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases and are a risk factor for atherosclerosis development. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil (EORO, 100 mg/kg) and its nanoemulsion (NEORO, 500 µg/kg) on Triton and coconut saturated-fat-induced (CSF) dyslipidemias using Wistar rats. The phytochemical evaluation of EORO performed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) revealed 1,8-cineole (33.70%), camphor (27.68%), limonene (21.99%), and α-pinene (8.13%) as its major compounds. Triton-induced dyslipidemia significantly increased total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides levels. On the other hand, the groups treated with EORO and NEORO had significantly reduced total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides compared to the group treated only with Triton. Similar results were observed on the positive control treated with simvastatin. Dyslipidemia induced with coconut saturated-fat (CSF) caused abdominal fat gain, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, increased LDL levels, and atherogenesis in the aorta. In contrast, the groups treated with EORO, NEORO, and simvastatin had significantly reduced hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, reduced abdominal fat gain, and absence of atherogenesis in the vascular endothelium. Overall, in the Triton-induced dyslipidemia model, EORO treatment had superior values than NEORO's (and simvastatin), although the differences were not too high, while in the CSF model, the values were mixed. In this manner, our results show an anti-dyslipidemic and anti-atherogenic activity effect by EORO and NEORO.

Bothrops moojeni snake venom (VBm) has toxins that cause pronounced tissue damage and exacerbated inflammatory reaction. Cannabis sativa L. is a plant species that produces an oil (CSO) rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Nano-emulsions have several advantages, such as better stability and higher penetrating power in membranes. Therefore, this study evaluated the effect of a nano-emulsion based on this herbal derivative (NCS) against VBm-induced inflammation in Wistar rats. The CSO and NCS were submitted to physicochemical characterization. The inflammatory process was induced by the VBm (0.10 mg/kg) as follows: rat paw edema, peritonitis, analysis of leukocyte infiltrate in gastrocnemius muscle of rats and formation of granulomatous tissue. No significant changes were observed when the NCS was submitted to the centrifugation and thermal stress tests. There was no phase separation, changes in density (0.978 ± 0.01 g/cm3) and viscosity (0.889 ± 0.15). The droplet diameter ranged from 119.7 ± 065 to 129.3 ± 0.15 nm and the polydispersity index ranged from 0.22 ± 0.008 to 0.23 ± 0.011. The results showed that treatments with CSO (200 and 400 mg/kg) and NCS (100 mg/kg) were able to decrease significantly (p

This study compared the in vitro anthelmintic activity of Copaifera reticulata oleoresin (200, 400, 600, 800 and 1,000 mg/L) and of nanoemulsions prepared with this oleoresin (50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg/L) against monogeneans on the gills of Colossoma macropomum. The major compounds present in the oleoresin of C. reticulata were γ-macrocarpene (14.2%), α-bergamotene (13.6%), β-selinene (13.4%) and β-caryophyllene (11.7%). All concentrations of the nanoemulsion and the oleoresin without nanoformulation showed anthelmintic efficacy against monogeneans, and higher concentrations led to more rapid parasite mortality. Structural damages to the tegument of the parasites exposed to C. reticulata oleoresin were observed with scanning electron microscopy. At two hours of exposure, fish showed 100% tolerance to all nanoemulsion concentrations used in the in vitro assays, whereas 100% mortality was shown in the fish exposed to the oleoresin without nanoformulation after one hour. The results of this study suggest that nanoemulsions with oleoresin of C. reticulata have advantages in the control and treatment of monogenean infections in C. macropomum when compared to the oleoresin without nanoformulation. In addition, since nanoemulsions with the C. reticulata oleoresin are safe to control monogeneans, the efficacy of these nanoformulations may be assayed in therapeutic baths to treat C. macropomum infected by monogeneans.

Baicalein (BA) is a flavonoid with wide-ranging pharmacological activity. However, its biological evaluation is hampered by its low solubility in aqueous medium, making forms of incorporation that improve its solubility necessary. In the present study, BA was combined with a solution of silk fibroin protein (SF), a biomaterial used as a drug carrier, to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of this combination, in vivo, in an experimental model, zebrafish (Danio rerio). Baicalein-Silk fibroin (BASF) improved the DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picryl‐hydrazyl‐hydrate) free radical scavenging rate (95%) in comparison with BA in solution. The acute toxicity study and histopathological analysis in zebrafish showed that BASF showed low cytotoxic potential up to a dose of 2.000 mg/kg. The use of BA in combination with SF enhanced the anti-inflammatory effect of flavonoids by inducing inflammatory peritoneal edema through carrageenan and achieved 77,6% inhibition of abdominal edema at a dose of 75 mg/kg. The results showed that the BASF, significantly increases the bioavailability and therapeutic effect of flavonoids and several results observed in this study may help in the development of new drugs.

Abstracts: A green methodology was developed to obtain a large scope of Knoevenagel adducts with high yields (77-95%). The compounds were synthetized in 30 min, using aromatic aldehyde derivatives, malononitrile, water as a solvent, microwave irradiation as a heating source and in free-catalyst conditions. In a particular case, in the synthesis of the adduct derived from the α-methyl-trans-cinnamaldehyde, a [2+2] photochemical cycloaddition product was observed, a tetrasubstituted cyclobutane dimeric compound 3w’. Its complex structure was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (first time), nuclear magnetic resonance analysis and electronic structure calculations. Theoretical results suggest that the thermal decomposition of 3w’ back to 3w can occur by means of a biradical intermediate.

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is a vector of several diseases, such as dengue, malaria and the Zika virus. Synthetic insecticides such as chlorpyrifos and chlorothalonil have been used for plague control, despite causing damage to the environment and to humans. It is therefore important to study natural active compounds with a low environmental impact. The present paper developed an environmentally friendly formulation of silk fibroin (SF) associated with fatty acid esters [ethyl (FAEE-SF), propyl (FAPE-SF) and butyl (FABE-SF)] from Astrocaryum murumuru Mart. fat, which was effective against Aedes aegypti 3th instar larvae. The FABE-SF nanoemulsion induced a higher mortality rate in the larvae of the A. aegypti after 48 h (LC50 = 18.92 µg / mL). The stabilities of the nanoemulsions were monitored for 21 days, and FABE-SF exhibited greater stability throughout the monitored period, with average particle, zeta and PDI values of around 217 ± 0.85 nm, -25.6 ± 3.24 mV and 0.338 ± 0.01, respectively. This paper reported the first effective action of fatty acid esters from A. murumuru Mart. associated with silk fibroin against A. aegypti. The FABE-SF solution also had a low hemolytic index, suggesting that treatment may be safe for animal and human use.

Fatty amides (N-alkylamides) are a group of bioactive lipids widely distributed in microorganisms, animals, and plants. The low yield in the extraction process of spilantol, a grease amide, which has been related mainly to diverse biological effects, compromises its application on a large scale. Thus, this study proposed an alternative to the synthesis of fatty amides from Bertholletia excelsa (AGBe) oil, with a chemical structure similar to that of spilantol. In vivo models induced by carrageenan were used in Zebrafish (Danio rerio). In in vivo studies, oral AGBe produced no signs of toxicity. In the histopathological study, AGBe did not cause significant changes in the main metabolizing organs (liver, kidneys, and intestines). In the anti-inflammatory evaluation, all doses (45 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, and 1000 mg/kg) were effective, significantly reducing edema and producing a dose-response effect when compared to spilantol. In the in silico study, with the use of molecular docking, he showed that among the AGBe, the molecules 18:1, ω-7-ethanolamine and 18:1, ω-9-ethanolamine stood out, which had 21 interactions for COX-2 and 20 interactions for PLA2, respectively, surpassing the spilantol standard with 15 interactions for COX-2 and PLA2. The hypothesis of anti-inflammatory action was confirmed in the in silico study, demonstrating the involvement of AGBe in the process of inhibiting the enzymes COX-2 and PLA2. Therefore, based on all the results obtained and the fact that until the dose of 1000 mg/kg, orally, in zebrafish, it was not possible to determine the LD50, it can be said that AGBe is effective and safe for the activity anti-inflammatory.

This work showed the crude extract of the endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp, isolated from the almonds of Bertholletia excelsa Humn & Bonlp collected in the Brazilian Amazon, oviposition deterrent, and larvicidal activity of against Aedes aegypti. In the oviposition deterrence test was observed that females able to lay eggs preferred the control oviposition sites (46.6%), suggesting the extract also could repel the oviposition. Futhermore, the extract showed larvicidal activity with LC50 26.86 µg/mL at 24 hours and 18.75 µg/mL at 48 hours. Molecular docking studies were carried out to elucidate the mechanism of action of the compounds identified against the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. The compound Aspergillol B was a potent larvicide with potential for inhibition for the acetylcholinesterase enzyme (-7.74 Kcal/mol). These unprecedented results reported indicate that the secondary metabolites obtained from crude extract of Aspergillus sp. present useful biological potential against vectors of public health importance and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Endophytic fungi are microorganisms capable of colonizing the interior of plant tissues without causing damage to them. The study of the secondary metabolites produced by their vast biodiversity fungal is relevant for the discovery of new products for biotechnological and agrochemical applications. In addition, extract of the endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp., isolated from the almonds of Bertholletia excelsa HumnBonlp collected in the Brazilian Amazon, oviposition deterrent, and larvicidal activity of against Aedes aegypti. In the oviposition deterrence test was observed that females able to lay eggs preferred the control oviposition sites (46.6%). Furthermore, the extract showed larvicidal activity with LC50 26.86 µg/mL at 24 h and 18.75 µg/mL at 48 h. Molecular docking studies showed the compound Aspergillol B a potent larvicide by to inhibit the acetylcholinesterase enzyme (- 7.74 kcal/mol). These results indicate that compounds from secondary metabolites of Aspergillus sp., isolated from almonds of B. excelsa, are useful biological potential against vectors A. aegypti.

The distillate from the deodorization of palm oil (DDPO) is an agro-industrial residue, approximately 84% of which consists of free fatty acids (FFAs), which can be used for the production of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE). A catalyst (10HPMo/AlSiM) obtained from a waste material, Amazon flint kaolin, was applied in the esterification of the DDPO, reaching a conversion index of 94%, capable of maintaining satisfactory activity (>75%) after four consecutive cycles. Flint kaolin is therefore proven to be an efficient option in the search for new heterogeneous low-cost catalysts obtained from industrial by-products, contributing to the reduction of environmental impact and adding value to widely available wastes that would otherwise be discarded directly into the environment. Based on the catalytic results, esterification of DDPO using 10HPMo/AlSiM can be a cheaper alternative for the production of sustainable fuels.

The indiscriminate use of organophosphate pesticides causes serious environmental and human health problems. This study aims the biodegradation of chlorpyrifos, methyl parathion and profenofos with the proposal of new biodegradation pathways employing marine-derived fungi as biocatalysts. Firstly, a growth screening was carried out with seven fungi strains and Aspergillus sydowii CBMAI 935 was selected. For chlorpyrifos, 32% biodegradation was observed and the metabolites tetraethyl dithiodiphosphate, 3,5,6-trichloropyridin-2-ol, 2,3,5-trichloro-6-methoxypyridine, and 3,5,6-trichloro-1-methylpyridin-2(1H)-one were identified. Whereas 80% methyl parathion was biodegraded with the identification of isoparathion, methyl paraoxon, trimethyl phosphate, O,O,O-trimethyl phosphorothioate, O,O,S-trimethyl phosphorothioate, 1-methoxy-4-nitrobenzene, and 4-nitrophenol. For profenofos, 52% biodegradation was determined and the identified metabolites were 4-bromo-2-chlorophenol, 4-bromo-2-chloro-1-methoxybenzene and O,O-diethyl S-propylphosphorothioate. Moreover, A. sydowii CBMAI 935 methylated different phenolic substrates (phenol, 2-chlorophenol, 6-chloropyridin-3-ol, and pentachlorophenol). Therefore, the knowledge about the fate of these compounds in the sea was expanded, and the marine-derived fungus A. sydowii CBMAI 935 showed potential for biotransformation reactions.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease characterized by excessive neuronal activity leading to seizure, about 30% of affected patients suffer from the refractory and pharmacoresistant form of the disease. The anticonvulsant drugs currently used for seizure control are associated with adverse reactions, making it important to search for more effective drugs with fewer adverse reactions. There is increasing evidence that endocannabinoids can pharmacologically modulate action against seizure and antiepileptic disorders. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the anticonvulsant effects of fatty acid amides (FAAs) in a pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizure model in mice. FAAs (FAA1 and FAA2) are obtained from Carapa guianensis oil by biocatalysis and are characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Analysis (FT-IR) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Only FAA1 is effective in controlling the increased latency time of the first myoclonic jerk and in significantly decreasing the total duration of tonic-clonic seizures relative to the pentylenetetrazol model. Also, electrocortical alterations produced by pentylenetetrazol are reduced when treated by FAA1 that subsequently decreased wave amplitude and energy in Beta rhythm. The anticonvulsant effects of FAA1 are reversed by flumazenil, a benzodiazepine antagonist on Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid-A (GABA-A) receptors, indicating a mode of action via the benzodiazepine site of these receptors. To conclude, the FAA obtained from C. guianensis oil is promising against PTZ-induced seizures.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-10T19:49:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-02-12 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Procad Amazonia Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) The objectives of this study were to extract and purify Bixin from the seeds of Bixa orellana and to evaluate its hypoglycemic activity in vivo, as well as, to conduct an in silico study of selectivity on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors via molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Oral administration of Bixin (10 mg/kg) significantly reduced their glucose level that was alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Bixin showed in silico selectivity on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), particularly by the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma), which supports the hypoglycemic activity of Bixin. From the results obtained, it can be inferred that Bixin presents hypoglycemic characteristics, which was confirmed by the results obtained from the in vivo and in silico tests. Bixin may act by other pathways to control blood glucose and thus it is possible that it presents a different toxicity profile than troglitazone, rosiglitazone and pioglitazone. However, more studies on the activity and toxicity of Bixin are needed to evaluate for further clinical use. Univ Fed Amapa, Dept Biol Sci & Hlth, Lab Drugs Discovery, Macapa, Brazil Univ Sierra, Div Postgrade, Ixtlan De Juarez, Mexico Univ Fed Amapa, Dept Biol Sci & Hlth, Lab Modeling & Computat Chem, Macapa, Brazil Univ Fed Amapa, Res Grp Biocatalysis & Apllied Organ Synth, Macapa, Brazil Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Nat Act Principles & Toxicol, Fac Pharmaceut Sci, Araraquara, SP, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Cellular & Mol Biol, Ribeirao Preto Med Sch, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Fac Chem, Dept Pharm, Lab Pharmacol Nat Prod, Mexico City, DF, Mexico Univ Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto Med Sch, Bioinformat Grp, Dept Genet, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Nat Act Principles & Toxicol, Fac Pharmaceut Sci, Araraquara, SP, Brazil CAPES: PNPD/20130076-14001012005P1 Procad Amazonia: Auxpe - 1723/2018 CNPq: 407768/2013-0

Chiral chlorohydrins are used as intermediates in the synthesis of various compounds with biological activities. This paper reports the synthesis of α-chloroketones 2a–c with oxone® and NH4Cl at reflux via 30 min of exposure to microwave irradiation and conventional heating, in situ, followed by reduction with whole cells of marine-derived fungi (Penicillium citrinum CBMAI 1186, Mucor racemosus CBMAI 847, Aspergillus sydowii CBMAI 935, Penicillium raistrickii CBMAI 931, and Penicillium oxalicum CBMAI 1185), yielding the respective chlorohydrins 3a–c with good conversion (32–97%) and enantioselectivities (60–94%). This is the first study involving the synthesis of α-chlorophenones in situ followed by biocatalytic reduction from whole cells of marine-derived fungi to obtain enantio-enriched chlorohydrins 3a–c.

Mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus, are important vectors of diseases, such as dengue fever, chikungunya fever, Zika virus, and filariasis, and these diseases are public health problems. The present study was carried out to evaluate the larvicidal activity of the hydroethanolic extract from leaves of Acmella oleracea leaves against 3rd instar larvae of the Ae. aegypti dengue vector and the Cx. quinquefasciatus filariasis vector. The hydroethanolic extract caused significant mortality in Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus. After 24 h of exposure to the extract, it was possible to establish the LC50 values for the extract: 11.41 ppm for Ae. aegypti and LC50 32.40 ppm for Cx. quinquefasciatus. The hydroethanolic extract from leaves of A. oleracea showed very low ecotoxicity suggesting that it can be used without causing environmental damage. This is the first study that shows the use of hydroethanolic extract from leaves of A. oleracea as an alternative to synthetic larvicides to eliminate larvae of Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus in an easy, cheap and safe way.

The amidation of fatty acid is an important reaction for synthesis of fatty alkolamines with a variety of pharmacological activities. The objective of this paper was to demonstrate the aminolysis direct and solvent of the triglycerides from the patawa oil by heterogeneous catalysis. The results of the amidation direct free solvents were favorable using 5% Al2O3 as catalyst, with a conversion of 94% at 24 h of reaction. After spectroscopic characterization, we decided explore the antimicrobial tests of the fatty amides (FAA) against the Staphylococcus aureus strain (ATCC 33591), showing a MIC activity of 1.9612 mg/mL and the fatty ethyl esters (FAEE) a 3.4125 mg/mL MIC. Therefore, the synthesis direct free solvents of FAA by Al2O3 from patawa oil was viable and innovative.

Mosquitoes in the genus Aedes are responsible for the four important human disease viruses, such as, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika. Although important advances have emerged in the development of alternative measures for mosquito control, chemical insecticides still remain a vital part of integrated control programs. In this sense, a set of benzylidenemalononitriles were synthetized in very good yields (99-71%), using only water and glycerol at temperature room. A comparative study of the larvicidal activity between benzylidenemalononitriles showed that the 2g (R= 4-Cl) compounds possess much better larvicidal activity (LC50 and LC90 of 9.42 and 15.02, respectively at 24h). Study of molecular docking was applied to identify the mode iteration of compound 2g with binding site at the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, the profile of interaction showed a score 48.9795, with five bonds in three different amino acids.

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of several low-cost reagents in obtaining high-quality diatom slides for microphytobenthos research. We evaluated the performance of eight reagents in sediment samples of beach intertidal zones. For each of the tested reagents, different pre-treatment conditions (pre-washed; non-washed) and three different temperatures (room temperature at 26 °C, 60 °C, and 100 °C) were also evaluated. For each treatment (combinations between reagents, temperatures, and pre-treatment conditions), we counted diatoms cells that met the criteria necessary for taxonomic identification (Whole/Half frustules or valves without cell material) in 30 randomly chosen fields of view in definitive preparations made from the treated samples. We also compared the treatments regarding species richness and diversity observed in the definitive preparations. The reagents influenced more the conditions of diatoms cells than the temperature and pre-treatment. H 2O2, HNO3, NaClO were the methods that had the best performance in relation to the number of identifiable items. The six treatments with H2O2 presented similar amounts of identifiable items, regardless of pre-treatment and temperature. HNO3 presented a higher number of identifiable items in non-washed and pre-washed treatments at 60 °C and non-washed at 100 °C. NaClO had its best performance the following treatments: non-washed at room temperature and non-washed and pre-washed at 60 °C. H2O2 and HNO3 also showed better results for diatom species richness and diversity, followed by NaClO. The use of H2O2 was more robust since it obtained good results regardless of temperature and pre-treatments and should be preferred. HNO3 and NaClO should be used only with the appropriate temperatures, and pre-washing should be avoided.

This study reports the synthesis of fatty acid amides (FAA), analogous to anandamide, prepared from Brazil nut oil (BNO), using Amano lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens as a catalyst of direct aminolysis, with a good yield (95-68%). The anti-inflammatory effects of BNO and FAA were evaluated by the carrageenan-induced paw edema method. Analysis of the formation of edema showed that these FAA, at all dose used, significantly reduced the development of edema.

Universidade Federal do Amap?. Departamento de Ci?ncias Biol?gicas e da Sa?de. Macap?, AP, Brasil. Universidade Federal do Amap?. Departamento de Ci?ncias Biol?gicas e da Sa?de. Macap?, AP, Brasil. Universidade Federal do Amap?. Departamento de Ci?ncias Biol?gicas e da Sa?de. Macap?, AP, Brasil. Universidade Federal do Amap?. Departamento de Ci?ncias Biol?gicas e da Sa?de. Macap?, AP, Brasil. Universidade de S?o Paulo. Faculdade de Ci?ncias Farmac?uticas de Ribeir?o Preto. Ribeir?o Preto, SP, Brasil. Universidade de S?o Paulo. Faculdade de Ci?ncias Farmac?uticas de Ribeir?o Preto. Ribeir?o Preto, SP, Brasil. Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil. Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil. Universidade Federal do Amap?. Colegiado de Qu?mica. Macap?, AP, Brasil. Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas F?sicas. Urca, RJ, Brasil. Universidade Federal do Amap?. Colegiado de Qu?mica. Macap?, AP, Brasil. Universidade Federal do Amap?. Departamento de Ci?ncias Biol?gicas e da Sa?de. Macap?, AP, Brasil. Glioblastoma is an aggressive primary tumor of the central nervous system (CNS). Is the most aggressive among infiltrative gliomas arising from the CNS. This tumor has low patient survival rate and several studies aiming at developing new drugs have increased. Patients with this cancer type face significant morbidity and mortality. This study evaluated the antineoplastic activity of synthetic chalcones (3a-3f) using in vitro glioblastoma models and molecular modeling. Cytotoxicity assay showed that Astrocitoma Hospital Ofir Loyola No 1 (AHOL1) and Uppsala 87 neoplastic glioblastoma lines (U87) cellular viability were significantly reduced compared to Healthy human fibroblasts cell lines (AN27) when exposed to chalcones. Interaction with the serine amino acid was present in the most promising and the reference binder docking, suggesting its importance inhibiting cell growth. Comparative analysis between the reference ligands and the molecules showed that the amino acid LYS352 present in all fittings, suggesting that this is the main amino acid for interaction with tubulin and are consistent with those in cytotoxicity assay, suggesting antineoplastic potential in glioblastoma. Long trajectory molecular dynamics studies were also carried out in order to investigate stability and conformations amongst the chalcones bound tubulin as well, in comparison to doxorubicin (here used as control), however future studies are needed to further assess the mechanism of inhibition of chalcones used in this investigation.

Hydroethanolic preparations of the botanical species Acmella oleracea L. are used in the north of Brazil for the treatment of various diseases. However, few studies have been conducted to evaluate the toxicity of this species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the acute toxicity of the hydroethanolic extract of A. oleracea L. (EHFAo) flowers in zebrafish by immersion and oral administration. The extract was analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography&ndash, mass spectrometry (UPLC&ndash, MS). EHFAo was administered orally (44.457, 88.915, 199.94, 281.83, and 448.81 mg/kg) and by immersion (250, 300, 350, 400, and 450 &micro, g/L). Behavioral and histopathological analysis of gills, liver, intestine, and kidney were performed. The presence of (2E,6Z,8E)-N-isobutyl-2,6,8-decatrienamide (spilanthol) in EHFAo was identified by ultra-high-re.solution liquid chromatography&ndash, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UHPLC&ndash, ESI-MS). Treatment with EHFAo caused significant behavioral changes and death. The calculated median lethal dose (LD50) was 148.42 mg/kg, and the calculated median lethal concentration (LC50) was 320 &mu, g/L. In the histopathological study, it was observed that upon oral treatment, the tissue alterations that compromised the normal functioning of the organism occurred with EHFAo doses of 88.915, 199.53, and 281.83 mg/kg, the intestine being the most affected. When the treatment was performed by immersion, the most toxic EHFAo concentrations according to the histopathological evaluation were 300, 350, and 400 &mu, g/L, with the most affected organ being the gills. Finally, EHFAo in this study was shown to be more toxic to the liver, intestine, and kidneys when administered orally and to gills, liver, and kidneys when administered by immersion in water. Therefore, considering the results obtained and the chemical characteristics of the main phytochemical marker of EHFAo, spilanthol, it can be suggested that, depending on the dose, this compound can lead to histopathological damages in the organs highlighted in this study.

This study applied the use of marine-derived fungus Penicillium citrinum CBMAI 1186 in the stereoselective reduction of the C=C double bond of the prochiral (E)-2-methyl-3-phenylacrylaldehyde 1. The fungus immobilized on chitosan, obtained by multistep ultrasound-assisted deacetylation process (Ch-USAD), produced the (S)-(+)-2-methyl-3-phenylpropan-1-ol 3 (c = 49%, 40% ee) isomer and (±)-2-methyl-3-phenylacrilic acid 4 (c = 35%); in contrast, immobilized mycelia on commercial chitosan (Ch-C) yielded the (S)-(+)-2-methyl-3-phenylpropan-1-ol 3 (c = 48%, 10% ee) and (±)-2-methyl-3-phenylpropanal 1a (c = 41%). The reaction using free mycelia gave a 40% yield of (S)-(+)-2-methyl-3-phenylpropan-1-ol 3 with 10% ee. These results showed that the crystallinity form and molecular weight of chitosan (Ch-C or Ch-USAD) used to immobilized mycelia of P. citrinum CBMAI 1186 influenced in the biotransformation of (E)-2-methyl-3-phenylacrylaldehyde 1. Therefore, marine-derived fungus P. citrinum CBMAI 1186 immobilized on chitosan can be a potential alternative in the studies of hydrogenation of the α,β-unsaturated carbon-carbon (α,β-C=C) double bond. Marine-derived fungus Penicillium citrinum CBMAI 1186 immobilized on chitosan in the stereoselective reduction of the C=C double bond of the prochiral (E)-2-methyl-3-phenylacrylaldehyde.

The plant species Acmella oleracea L. is used in the north of Brazil for the treatment of a range of illnesses, such as tuberculosis, flu, cough, and rheumatism and as an anti-inflammatory agent; besides, hydroethanolic formulations with this species are popularly used as a female aphrodisiac agent. However, currently, there are no studies performed evaluating its effect on embryonic development. Hence, this research aimed to evaluate the effects of the hydroethanolic extract of A. oleracea (EHFAo) on the reproductive performance (parental) and embryonic development (F1 generation) of zebrafish, at concentrations of 50, 100, and 200 μg/L. Histopathology of parental gonads after 21 days of exposure to EHFAo reveals few alterations in the ovaries and testes, not impairing the reproduction; an increase of eggs deposition was observed in animals treated with EHFAo at the highest concentrations. Nevertheless, concerning the embryonic development of F1, teratogenic effects were observed including tail deformation, cardiac and yolk edema, scoliosis, and growth retardation; these alterations were more prominent in the groups born from progenitors exposed to the highest concentrations (100 and 200 μg/L.); but only the occurrence of yolk and cardiac edema had a statistically significant difference when compared to the control group. The chromatographic analysis shows that spilanthol (affinin) was the primary compound found in the EHFAo. Hence, in silico assessment was performed to evaluate the pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties of this molecule and 37 metabolites derived from it. Overall, our data show that the treatment caused no detrimental changes in progenitors regarding their gonads or fertility but caused some potentially teratogenic activity in embryos, which may be due to the action of spilanthol’s metabolites M3, M6, M7, M8, M16, M28, and M31.

Mercury is an inorganic contaminant with serious harmful consequences to the environment. There has been a continuous rise in its level due to industrialization and other anthropogenic activities, such as the burning of coal and petroleum products, use of mercurial fungicides in agriculture and mercury catalyst in industries, and production of waste by paper industries. Five strains of Trichoderma sp., a filamentous fungi, were used in this study to evaluate their resistance to high concentrations of mercury for the purpose of using them for bioremediation. The solid culture medium used was prepared with malt agar 2% with pH 7.0 in which the strains of Trichoderma sp. were inoculated. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the selected Trichoderma sp. isolates was calculated considering the time for growth and concentration of the mercury salt (Hg(NO3)2). At a mercury concentration of 50 mg/mL, maximum growth was first observed in TCH 1 (89.42 ± 0.63 mm) followed by TCH 2 isolate (87.33 ± 0.58 mm). At this concentration, all isolates reached the maximum mycelia growth. When the concentration of 200 mg/L Hg(NO3)2 was used, complete growth inhibition of the isolates was observed. Scanning electron microscopy suggested that differences in sporulation between the control and mercury treatment groups. In conclusion, it can be stated that Trichoderma isolates have great potential for bioremediation of sources contaminated with mercury.

The chemoselective bioreduction of α,β-unsaturated compounds is an important synthetic tool that can have applications in the synthesis of many fine chemicals and pharmaceutical molecules. The synthesis of aromatic malononitrile derivatives through Knoevenagel condensation by microwave radiation under green chemistry conditions using methanol like solvent, free base and free catalyst is here reported. In addiction the biocatalytic reduction of the C–C double bond of aromatic malononitrile derivatives by whole cells of the marine-derived fungal Penicillium citrinum CBMAI 1186 was also tested. The products catalyzed by the fungus ene-reductase were obtained in very good yields (up to >98%).

This paper report the use of Carapa guianensis Abul. (Meliaceae) oil and derivates [fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE’s) and free fatty acid (FFA’s)] associate with silk fibroin (SF), and its activity against the larvae of the vector Aedes aegypti. The emulsions FFA2-SF derived from AO2, that mostly contained unsaturated fatty acids, presented the best results against the larvae of Ae. aegypti after a 48 h period (LC50 = 16.79 mg.mL−1), causing structural alterations to the vector. It is suggested that the biopolymeric matrix of silk fibroin increases the biodistribution and bioavailability of active in medium aqueous. This is the first work of its type which has pointed larvicidal activity of the free fatty acid from C. guianensis, associate with silk fibroin against Aedes aegypti.