Cissus verticillata Leaf Extract Decreases the Production of AGEs and ROS In Vitro Felipe Nunes Cardoso, Emanuel Victor dos Santos Nunes, Ingrid Delbone Figueiredo, Winner Duque Rodrigues, Renata Pires Assis, et al. Molecules, 2026 Cissus verticillata (plant-insulin) is used in the Brazilian popular medicine to treat symptoms of diabetes. Studies about its ability to contrast glycoxidative stress is lacking, which may add mechanistic information about its effects on treat diabetic complications. This study investigated the ability of Cissus verticillata leaf hydroethanolic extract (CvExt) to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) and to inhibit the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). ROS scavenging assays were used to test CvExt antioxidant activity. Incubations of bovine serum albumin with glucose (0.5 M) or methylglyoxal (2 mM) and CvExt (250, 125, and 62.5 μg/mL) were used to test the antiglycation activity, by monitoring fluorescent AGEs, markers of amino acid oxidation, and protein carbonyl groups (PCO). The plant extract was submitted to liquid−liquid extractions, fractions were analyzed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, and the data obtained were subjected to partial least-squares discriminant analysis. CvExt scavenged ROS inhibited the formation of AGEs and amino acid oxidation products, and decreased PCO levels. The main metabolites found in CvExt were flavonoids, cinnamic acid derivatives, coumarins, free amino acids, and some lipophilic compounds. CvExt inhibited glycoxidative stress in vitro, which can be associated with its complex chemical composition.
Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Reparative Effects of Casearia sylvestris Leaf Derivatives on Periodontium In Vitro Angélica L. R. Pavanelli, Maria Eduarda S. Lopes, André T. Reis, Flávio A. Carvalho, Sven Zalewski, et al. Antioxidants, 2025 Gingival inflammation compromises the integrity of the gingival epithelium and the underlying tissues, highlighting the need for adjuvant therapies with immunomodulatory and healing properties. Casearia sylvestris, a medicinal plant known as guaçatonga, is traditionally used to treat inflammatory lesions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of C. sylvestris on the synthesis of pro- and anti-inflammatory, proteolytic, and antioxidant molecules and on wound healing in epithelial cells. A human telomerase-immortalized gingival keratinocyte cell line (TIGKs) was used, and cells were exposed to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence and absence of C. sylvestris extract, its diterpene-concentrated fraction, and its clerodane diterpene casearin J for 24 h and 48 h. Gene expression and protein synthesis were analyzed by RT-qPCR and ELISA, respectively. Nitric oxide (NO) and NF-κB activation were analyzed by Griess reaction and immunofluorescence, respectively. Additionally, cell viability was evaluated by alamarBlue® assay, and an automated scratch assay was used for wound healing. LPS significantly increased the expression of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17), proteases (MMP-1 and MMP-13), iNOS as well as NO synthesis, and triggered NF-κB nuclear translocation. It also reduced IL-4 expression, cell viability, and cellular wound repopulation. Treatment with C. sylvestris derivatives significantly abrogated all aforementioned LPS-induced effects by 80–100%. Furthermore, even at higher concentrations, C. sylvestris did not affect cell viability, thus proving the safety of its derivatives. C. sylvestris exerts anti-inflammatory, antiproteolytic, and antioxidant effects on gingival keratinocytes, highlighting its potential as a valuable adjunct in the prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases.
Unconventional food plants from Brazil Mateus Kawata Salgaço, Vanderson Gabriel Souza Torres, David de Paulo Farias, Flavio Alexandre Carvalho, Laira Lorraine Agostinho, et al. Science and Culture of Latin American Foods Harnessing Ingredients for Health, 2025
Promising Effects of Casearins in Tumor-Bearing Mice and Antinociceptive Action against Oncologic Pain: Molecular Docking and In Vivo Findings Jurandy do Nascimento Silva, José Ivo Araújo Beserra Filho, Boris Timah Acha, Fernanda Regina de Castro Almeida, Emanuelle Karine Frota Batista, et al. Pharmaceuticals, 2024 Safer analgesic drugs remain a hard challenge because of cardiovascular and/or gastrointestinal toxicity, mainly. So, this study evaluated in vivo the antiproliferative actions of a fraction with casearins (FC) from Casearia sylvestris leaves against human colorectal carcinomas and antihyperalgesic effects on inflammatory- or opiate-based pain relief and oncologic pain in Sarcoma 180 (S180)-bearing mice. Moreover, docking investigations evaluated the binding among Casearin X and NMDA(N-methyl-D-aspartate)-type glutamate receptors. HCT-116 colorectal carcinoma-xenografted mice were treated with FC for 15 days. Antinociceptive assays included chemically induced algesia and investigated mechanisms by pharmacological blockade. Intraplantar region S180-bearing animals received a single dose of FC and were examined for mechanical allodynia and behavior alterations. AutoDock Vina determined molecular interactions among Cas X and NMDA receptor subunits. FC reduced tumor growth at i.p. (5 and 10 mg/kg) and oral (25 mg/kg/day) doses (31.12–39.27%). FC reduced abdominal pain, as confirmed by formalin and glutamate protocols, whose antinociception activity was blocked by naloxone and L-NAME (neurogenic phase) and naloxone, atropine, and flumazenil (inflammatory phase). Meanwhile, glibenclamide potentiated the FC analgesic effects. FC increased the paw withdrawal threshold without producing changes in exploratory parameters or motor coordination. Cas X generated a more stable complex with active sites of the NMDA receptor GluN2B subunits. FC is a promising antitumor agent against colorectal carcinomas, has peripheral analgesic effects by desensitizing secondary afferent neurons, and inhibits glutamate release from presynaptic neurons and/or their action on cognate receptors. These findings emphasize the use of clerodane diterpenes against cancer-related pain conditions.
Machine Learning-Based Virtual Screening of Antibacterial Agents against Methicillin-Susceptible and Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Philipe Oliveira Fernandes, Anna Letícia Teotonio Dias, Valtair Severino dos Santos Júnior, Mateus Sá Magalhães Serafim, Yamara Viana Sousa, et al. Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling, 2024 The application of computer-aided drug discovery (CADD) approaches has enabled the discovery of new antimicrobial therapeutic agents in the past. The high prevalence of methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) strains promoted this pathogen to a high-priority pathogen for drug development. In this sense, modern CADD techniques can be valuable tools for the search for new antimicrobial agents. We employed a combination of a series of machine learning (ML) techniques to select and evaluate potential compounds with antibacterial activity against methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and MRSA strains. In the present study, we describe the antibacterial activity of six compounds against MSSA and MRSA reference (American Type Culture Collection (ATCC)) strains as well as two clinical strains of MRSA. These compounds showed minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) in the range from 12.5 to 200 μM against the different bacterial strains evaluated. Our results constitute relevant proven ML-workflow models to distinctively screen for novel MRSA antibiotics.
Casearia Essential Oil: An Updated Review on the Chemistry and Pharmacological Activities Flavio Alexandre Carvalho, Natália Valadares de Moraes, Antônio Eduardo Miller Crotti, Eduardo José Crevelin, André Gonzaga dos Santos Chemistry and Biodiversity, 2023 Casearia species are found in the America, Africa, Asia, and Australia and present pharmacological activities, besides their traditional uses. Here, we reviewed the chemical composition, content, pharmacological activities, and toxicity of the essential oils (EOs) from Casearia species. The EO physical parameters and leaf botanical characteristics were also described. The bioactivities of the EOs from the leaves and their components include cytotoxicity, anti‐inflammatory, antiulcer, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antifungal, and antiviral activities. The main components associated with these activities are the α‐zingiberene, (E)‐caryophyllene, germacrene D, bicyclogermacrene, spathulenol, α‐humulene, β‐acoradiene, and δ‐cadinene. Data on the toxicity of these EOs are scarce in the literature. Casearia sylvestris Sw. is the most studied species, presenting more significant pharmacological potential. The chemical variability of EOs components was also investigated for this species. Caseria EOs have relevant pharmacological potential and must be further investigated and exploited.
Metabolism Characterization and Chemical and Plasma Stability of Casearin B and Caseargrewiin F Fernando Bombarda Oda, Flávio Alexandre Carvalho, Priscila Akemi Yamamoto, Jonata Augusto de Oliveira, Rosângela Gonçalves Peccinini, et al. Planta Medica, 2023 Oral preparations of Casearia sylvestris (guacatonga) are used as antacid, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antiulcerogenic medicines. The clerodane diterpenes casearin B and caseargrewiin F are major active compounds in vitro and in vivo. The oral bioavailability and metabolism of casearin B and caseargrewiin F were not previously investigated. We aimed to assess the stability of casearin B and caseargrewiin F in physiological conditions and their metabolism in human liver microsomes. The compounds were identified by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS and quantified by validated LC-MS methods. The stability of casearin B and caseargrewiin F in physiological conditions was assessed in vitro. Both diterpenes showed a fast degradation (p < 0.05) in simulated gastric fluid. Their metabolism was not mediated by cytochrome P-450 enzymes, but the depletion was inhibited by the esterase inhibitor NaF. Both diterpenes and their dialdehydes showed a octanol/water partition coefficient in the range of 3.6 to 4.0, suggesting high permeability. Metabolism kinetic data were fitted to the Michaelis-Menten profile with KM values of 61.4 and 66.4 µM and Vmax values of 327 and 648 nmol/min/mg of protein for casearin B and caseargrewiin F, respectively. Metabolism parameters in human liver microsomes were extrapolated to predict human hepatic clearance, and suggest that caseargrewiin F and casearin B have a high hepatic extraction ratio. In conclusion, our data suggest that caseargrewiin F and casearin B present low oral bioavailability due to extensive gastric degradation and high hepatic extraction.
Estudo do potencial antitumoral de cordialina a em sistema nanoemulsionado para tratamento de linhagens celulares de tumor cervical humano Revista De Ciencias Farmaceuticas Basica E Aplicada, 2017
Evaluation of the population's knowledge about toxic plants in visitors of the 19th SAFE in Araraquara-SP Revista De Ciencias Farmaceuticas Basica E Aplicada, 2017
Evaluation of micronuclei frequency in Tradescantia pallida pollen mother cells treated with ethanolic extracts isolated from Cryptocarya mandioccana, Cryptocarya moschata and Pterogyne nitens Revista Brasileira De Toxicologia, 2007