Activity of extracts and terpenoids from Tontelea micrantha (Mart. ex Schult.) A.C.Sm. (Celastraceae) against pathogenic bacteria Ranieli Paiva Lopes, Fernanda Lopes Ferreira, Grasiely Faria de Sousa, Waleska Stephanie da Cruz Nizer, Cintia Lopes de Brito Magalhães, et al. Natural Product Research, 2025 The pharmacological properties of plant extracts and phytochemicals, such as flavonoids and terpenoids, remain of great interest. In this work, the effect of extracts, friedelan-3,21-dione, and 3β-O-D-glucosyl-sitosterol isolated from Tontelea micrantha roots was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca and Escherichia coli. The antibacterial activity was evaluated by the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC, respectively), and the synergistic effect was assessed by the Checkerboard assay. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of the plant-derived compounds against Vero cells was measured by the 3-(4 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. The biological effects of the isolated compounds were predicted using the PASS online software. The chloroform and hexane extracts of T. micrantha roots showed promising antibacterial effect, with MIC in the range of 4.8-78.0 µg/mL. Further analyses showed that these compounds do not affect the integrity of the membrane. The combination with streptomycin strongly reduced the MIC of this antibiotic and extracts. The extracts were highly toxic to Vero cells, and no cytotoxicity was detected for the two terpenoids isolated from them (i.e. friedelan-3,21-dione and 3β-O-D-glucosyl-sitosterol; CC50 > 1000 μg/mL). Therefore, extracts obtained from T. micrantha roots significantly inhibited bacterial growth and are considered promising agents against pathogenic bacteria. The cytotoxicity results were very relevant and can be tested in bioassays.
Flavonoids and Triterpenoids Isolated From the Ethyl Acetate Extract of M. quadrangulata Leaves Mariana Guerra de Aguilar, Sandy Veríssimo Morais Quintão, Karen Caroline Camargo, Lucienir Pains Duarte, Laisa Resende Vasconcelos, et al. Chemistry and Biodiversity, 2024 The new flavonoid (−)‐4’‐O‐methylepicatechin 5‐O‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside (1), along with four known triterpenes (2‐5), a steroid (6), and a flavonoid (7) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of Maytenus quadrangulata leaves. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were determined through analysis of 1D NMR (1H and 13C) spectroscopic data, in addition to 2D NMR and spectrometric (MS) data for compound 1. This is the first report of the isolation of daucosterol (6) and (−)‐4’‐O‐methylepigallocatechin (7) from this species. Compounds 1 and 7 were evaluated against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, but neither exhibited activity even at the highest concentration tested.
Untargeted-based metabolomics analysis and in vitro/in silico antiviral activity of extracts from Phyllanthus brasiliensis (Aubl.) Poir Alice Rhelly V. Carvalho, José Diogo E. Reis, Paulo Wender P. Gomes, Ariane Coelho Ferraz, Horrana A. Mardegan, et al. Phytochemical Analysis, 2023 IntroductionThis study describes the molecular profile and the potential antiviral activity of extracts from Phyllanthus brasiliensis, a plant widely found in the Brazilian Amazon. The research aims to shed light on the potential use of this species as a natural antiviral agent.MethodsThe extracts were analysed using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) system, a potent analytical technique to discover drug candidates. In the meantime, in vitro antiviral assays were performed against Mayaro, Oropouche, Chikungunya, and Zika viruses. In addition, the antiviral activity of annotated compounds was predicted by in silico methods.ResultsOverall, 44 compounds were annotated in this study. The results revealed that P. brasiliensis has a high content of fatty acids, flavones, flavan‐3‐ols, and lignans. Furthermore, in vitro assays revealed potent antiviral activity against different arboviruses, especially lignan‐rich extracts against Zika virus (ZIKV), as follows: methanolic extract from bark (MEB) [effective concentration for 50% of the cells (EC50) = 0.80 μg/mL, selectivity index (SI) = 377.59], methanolic extract from the leaf (MEL) (EC50 = 0.84 μg/mL, SI = 297.62), and hydroalcoholic extract from the leaf (HEL) (EC50 = 1.36 μg/mL, SI = 735.29). These results were supported by interesting in silico prediction, where tuberculatin (a lignan) showed a high antiviral activity score.ConclusionsPhyllanthus brasiliensis extracts contain metabolites that could be a new kick‐off point for the discovery of candidates for antiviral drug development, with lignans becoming a promising trend for further virology research.
Cytotoxicity, structural, conformational, and techno-functional properties of α-lactalbumin nanostructured aggregates Jhonatan Rafael de Oliveira Bianchi, Bruna Elisa Reis Paz, Larissa Germano Fonseca, Rebeca Lima Carvalho, José Carlos Magalhães, et al. Journal of Food Science, 2023 Protein nanostructures can be used in food applications to improve the techno‐functional properties of a food formulation. This study aims to find the best conditions for the production and conformational change of α‐lactalbumin nanostructured aggregates. The criteria to determine the best operating conditions to produce α‐lactalbumin nanostructured aggregates were intensification of foaming and emulsification, techno‐functional proprieties, cytotoxic, and antibacterial activity of nanostructures compared with native α‐lactalbumin. Conformational alterations occurred in the α‐helix and sheet‐β protein structures. The size obtained by dynamic light scattering was 163.84 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.29. The nano protein improved the techno‐functional property compared to the native protein. Additionally, nanostructures had no cytotoxic effect and were innocuous to bacterial activity. Thus, this study presents the best conditions to produce α‐lactalbumin nanostructured aggregates with improved properties that allow new food industry applications.
Oropouche virus infection induces ROS production and oxidative stress in liver and spleen of mice Marília Bueno da Silva Menegatto, A. Ferraz, R. Lima, Letícia T. Almeida, R. D. De Brito, et al. Journal of General Virology, 2023 Oropouche virus (OROV) is the aetiological agent of Oropouche fever, the symptoms of which are common to most arboviruses, such as fever, headache, malaise, nausea and vomiting. More than half a million people have been infected with OROV since its isolation in 1955. Although Oropouche fever is classified as a neglected and emerging disease, to date, there are no antiviral drugs or vaccines available against the infection and little is known about its pathogenicity. Therefore, it is essential to elucidate the possible mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis. Since oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the progression of various viral diseases, in this study, redox homeostasis in the target organs of OROV infection was evaluated using an animal model. Infected BALB/c mice exhibited reduced weight gain, splenomegaly, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, anaemia, development of anti-OROV neutralizing antibodies, increased liver transaminases, and serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). The OROV genome and infectious particles were detected in the liver and spleen of infected animals, with liver inflammation and an increase in the number and total area of lymphoid nodules in the spleen. In relation to redox homeostasis in the liver and spleen, infection led to an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, increased oxidative stress biomarkers malondialdehyde (MDA) and carbonyl protein, and decreased activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Taken together, these results help elucidate some important aspects of OROV infection that may contribute to the pathogenesis of Oropouche.
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Activity of extracts and terpenoids from Tontelea micrantha (Mart. ex Schult.) A.C.Sm. (Celastraceae) against pathogenic bacteria RP Lopes, FL Ferreira, G Faria de Sousa, WS Cruz Nizer, ... Natural Product Research 39 (10), 2724-2733 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Flavonoids and Triterpenoids Isolated From the Ethyl Acetate Extract of M. quadrangulata Leaves MG de Aguilar, S Verissimo Morais Quintao, KC Camargo, L Pains Duarte, ... Chemistry & Biodiversity 21 (7), e202400636 , 2024 2024 Citations: 4
Yellow fever virus infection in human hepatocyte cells triggers an imbalance in redox homeostasis with increased reactive oxygen species production, oxidative stress, and … AC Ferraz, MB da Silva Menegatto, RLS Lima, OS Ola-Olub, DC Costa, ... Free Radical Biology and Medicine 213, 266-273 , 2024 2024 Citations: 23
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Untargeted‐based metabolomics analysis and in vitro/in silico antiviral activity of extracts from Phyllanthus brasiliensis (Aubl.) Poir ARV Carvalho, JDE Reis, PWP Gomes, AC Ferraz, HA Mardegan, ... Phytochemical Analysis 34 (7), 869-883 , 2023 2023 Citations: 7
Virucidal antiviral activity of Maytenus quadrangulata extract against Mayaro virus: Evidence for the presence of catechins DA de Fátima Nunes, GFM Lopes, WS da Cruz Nizer, MG de Aguilar, ... Journal of Ethnopharmacology 311, 116436 , 2023 2023 Citations: 8
Cytotoxicity, structural, conformational, and techno‐functional properties of α‐lactalbumin nanostructured aggregates JRO Bianchi, BER Paz, LG Fonseca, RL Carvalho, JC Magalhães, ... Journal of Food Science 88 (7), 3049-3062 , 2023 2023 Citations: 5
Oropouche virus infection induces ROS production and oxidative stress in liver and spleen of mice MB da Silva Menegatto, AC Ferraz, RLS Lima, LT Almeida, RCF de Brito, ... Journal of General Virology 104 (5), 001857 , 2023 2023 Citations: 29
Chemical Diversity and In Vitro/In Silico Antiviral Activity of Extracts from Different Parts of Phyllanthus brasiliensis (Aubl.) Poir ARV Carvalho, JDE Reis, PWP Gomes, AC Ferraz, HA Mardegan, ... 2023
Anti-Mayaro virus activity of a hydroethanolic extract from Fridericia chica (Bonpl.) LG Lohmann leaves GFM Lopes, WG Lima, FRS Santos, DAF Nunes, MJF Passos, ... Journal of ethnopharmacology 299, 115685 , 2022 2022 Citations: 6
Netzahualcoyonol from Salacia multiflora (Lam.) DC. (Celastraceae) roots as a bioactive compound against gram-positive pathogens WS da Cruz Nizer, AC Ferraz, TFS Moraes, WG Lima, JP Dos Santos, ... Natural Product Research 36 (22), 5904-5909 , 2022 2022 Citations: 5
NS2B‐NS3 protease inhibitors as promising compounds in the development of antivirals against Zika virus: A systematic review DAF Nunes, FRS Santos, STD da Fonseca, WG de Lima, WSC Nizer, ... Journal of Medical Virology 94 (2), 442-453 , 2022 2022 Citations: 37
A methanol extract and N,N-dimethyltryptamine from Psychotria viridis Ruiz & Pav. inhibit Zika virus infection in vitro TFS Moraes, AC Ferraz, WS da Cruz Nizer, AH Tótola, DBS Soares, ... Archives of virology 166 (12), 3275-3287 , 2021 2021 Citations: 11
Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral activities of silymarin against mayaro virus infection AC Ferraz, LT Almeida, CC da Silva Caetano, MB da Silva Menegatto, ... Antiviral research 194, 105168 , 2021 2021 Citations: 53
Bauhinia holophylla (Bong.) Steud. leaves-derived extracts as potent anti-dengue serotype 2 M Dos Santos, TR Teixeira, FRS Santos, WG Lima, AC Ferraz, NL Silva, ... Natural product research 35 (16), 2804-2809 , 2021 2021 Citations: 12
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Antibacterial and antifungal activities of phenolic compound-enriched ethyl acetate fraction from Cochlospermum regium (mart. Et. Schr.) Pilger roots: Mechanisms of action and … RS Carvalho, CA Carollo, JC De Magalhães, JMC Palumbo, AG Boaretto, ... South African Journal of Botany 114, 181-187 , 2018 2018 Citations: 152
A mitogenic signal triggered at an early stage of vaccinia virus infection: implication of MEK/ERK and protein kinase A in virus multiplication JC de Magalhaes, AA Andrade, PNG Silva, LP Sousa, C Ropert, ... Journal of Biological Chemistry 276 (42), 38353-38360 , 2001 2001 Citations: 131
Phytotherapy: an introduction to its history, use and application TS Ferreira, CZ Moreira, NZ Caria, G Vitoriano, WF Silva Jr, ... Revista Brasileira de Plantas Medicinais 16 (FERREIRA, T.S.; MAGALHÃES, J.C … , 2014 2014 Citations: 106
Antiviral activity of silymarin against Mayaro virus and protective effect in virus-induced oxidative stress FC Camini, TF da Silva, CC da Silva Caetano, LT Almeida, AC Ferraz, ... Antiviral research 158, 8-12 , 2018 2018 Citations: 83
Zika virus induces oxidative stress and decreases antioxidant enzyme activities in vitro and in vivo LT Almeida, AC Ferraz, CC da Silva Caetano, MB da Silva Menegatto, ... Virus research 286, 198084 , 2020 2020 Citations: 66
Oxidative stress in Mayaro virus infection FC Camini, CC da Silva Caetano, LT Almeida, JF da Costa Guerra, ... Virus research 236, 1-8 , 2017 2017 Citations: 64
Detection of the antiviral activity of epicatechin isolated from Salacia crassifolia (Celastraceae) against Mayaro virus based on protein C homology modelling and … PG Ferreira, AC Ferraz, JE Figueiredo, CF Lima, VG Rodrigues, ... Archives of virology 163 (6), 1567-1576 , 2018 2018 Citations: 63
Hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral activities of silymarin against mayaro virus infection AC Ferraz, LT Almeida, CC da Silva Caetano, MB da Silva Menegatto, ... Antiviral research 194, 105168 , 2021 2021 Citations: 53
Virucidal activity of proanthocyanidin against Mayaro virus AC Ferraz, TFS Moraes, WS da Cruz Nizer, M Dos Santos, AH Tótola, ... Antiviral research 168, 76-81 , 2019 2019 Citations: 49
Desempenho do salto vertical sob diferentes condições de execução KR da Silva, J Magalhães, MAC Garcia Arquivos em Movimento 1 (1), 17-24 , 2005 2005 Citations: 46
Differential role played by the MEK/ERK/EGR-1 pathway in orthopoxviruses vaccinia and cowpox biology PNG Silva, JAP Soares, BSAF Brasil, SV Nogueira, AA Andrade, ... Biochemical Journal 398 (1), 83-95 , 2006 2006 Citations: 44
NS2B‐NS3 protease inhibitors as promising compounds in the development of antivirals against Zika virus: A systematic review DAF Nunes, FRS Santos, STD da Fonseca, WG de Lima, WSC Nizer, ... Journal of Medical Virology 94 (2), 442-453 , 2022 2022 Citations: 37
Dengue virus detection in Aedes aegypti larvae from southeastern Brazil SG Cecilio, WF da Silva Jr, AH Tótola, CL de Brito Magalhães, ... JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY 40, 71-74 , 2015 2015 Citations: 32
Pristimerin isolated from Salacia crassifolia (Mart. Ex. Schult.) G. Don.(Celastraceae) roots as a potential antibacterial agent against Staphylococcus aureus WS da Cruz Nizer, AC Ferraz, TFS Moraes, WG Lima, JP Dos Santos, ... Journal of Ethnopharmacology 266, 113423 , 2021 2021 Citations: 30
Oropouche virus infection induces ROS production and oxidative stress in liver and spleen of mice MB da Silva Menegatto, AC Ferraz, RLS Lima, LT Almeida, RCF de Brito, ... Journal of General Virology 104 (5), 001857 , 2023 2023 Citations: 29
Swim training does not protect mice from skeletal muscle oxidative damage following a maximum exercise test TO Barreto, LS Cleto, CR Gioda, RS Silva, AC Campi-Azevedo, ... European Journal of Applied Physiology (Print) 111, 2523-2530 , 2011 2011 Citations: 27
Antiviral effect of silymarin against Zika virus in vitro TF da Silva, AC Ferraz, LT Almeida, CC da Silva Caetano, FC Camini, ... Acta tropica 211, 105613 , 2020 2020 Citations: 24
Plasma cytokine response, lipid peroxidation and NF-kB activation in skeletal muscle following maximum progressive swimming LS Cleto, AF Oleto, LP Sousa, TO Barreto, JS Cruz, CL Penaforte, ... Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research on line 44, 546-552 , 2011 2011 Citations: 24
Yellow fever virus infection in human hepatocyte cells triggers an imbalance in redox homeostasis with increased reactive oxygen species production, oxidative stress, and … AC Ferraz, MB da Silva Menegatto, RLS Lima, OS Ola-Olub, DC Costa, ... Free Radical Biology and Medicine 213, 266-273 , 2024 2024 Citations: 23
Mayaro virus induction of oxidative stress is associated with liver pathology in a non-lethal mouse model CC da Silva Caetano, FC Camini, LT Almeida, AC Ferraz, TF da Silva, ... Scientific reports 9 (1), 15289 , 2019 2019 Citations: 22