Associate Professor of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE) working in the Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology - DMFA in the area of Physiology and Pharmacology.
Coordinator of the Nucleus of Technological Innovation - UFRPE (2014 to 2020).
Coordinator of the Animal Bioscience Graduate Program - UFRPE (2021 - 2023).
Member of the Brazilian Society of Physiology - SBFIS (2013 to present).
Leader of the research group "Nanobiotechnology, Toxicology and Animal Behavior".
Research areas: Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Animal Physiology and Toxicology, Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Development of Analytical Methods.
Advisor in Graduate Programs: Animal Bioscience, and Biology Applied to Health.
Advisor of undergraduate students and high school students.
EDUCATION
Bachelor and Licentiate in Biological Sciences, Master of Science in Biochemistry and Physiology and Doctor in Biological Sciences.
Nanoemulsions of Sicilian lemon and wild orange essential oils, using soy lecithin as a surfactant, preserve the acrosome of ram sperm post-thawing Aline Saraiva de Oliveira, Lúcia Cristina Pereira Arruda, Gustavo de Oliveira Alves Pinto, Amanda Rodrigues dos Santos Magnabosco, André Lucas Correa de Andrade, et al. Animal Reproduction, 2025 The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding Sicilian lemon and wild orange essential oil nanoemulsion, using soy lecithin as a surfactant, to ram semen freezing extender. The nanoemulsions were prepared by high-energy emulsification method using soy lecithin (5%) as a surfactant. The organoleptic and physicochemical characteristics were evaluated. Semen samples (n = 7) obtained from adult rams (n = 6) were frozen in a Tris-egg yolk extender supplemented with Sicilian lemon or wild orange nanoemulsion at different concentrations (0.0%, 1.5%, 2.5%, and 3.5%). After thawing (37oC, 30 s), the samples were evaluated for kinematics, plasma and acrosomal membrane integrity, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Visually, the nanoemulsions of Sicilian lemon or wild orange essential oil appeared homogeneous, fluid, opaque, without lumps, odorless, and colored, immediately after preparation (0 h) and after thermal stress (24 h). The physicochemical characterization of the nanoemulsions showed vesicles with average sizes < 220.00 nm, polydispersity index < 0.30, and zeta potential of -59.00 mV. Semen samples from the groups treated with Sicilian lemon (1.5%, 2.5%, and 3.5%) or wild orange (1.5%, 2.5%, and 3.5%) nanoemulsions did not differ (P ≤ 0.05) in terms of kinematics, plasma membrane integrity, and mitochondrial membrane potential when compared to the control group. However, the groups treated with Sicilian lemon (2.5% and 3.5%) and wild orange (1.5%, 2.5%, and 3.5%) nanoemulsions had a higher percentage (P ≤ 0.05) of cells with intact acrosomes when compared to the control group. It can be concluded that nanoemulsions of essential oils of Sicilian lemon (2.5% and 3.5%) and wild orange (1.5%, 2.5%, and 3.5%), using soy lecithin (5%) as a surfactant, can be used as additives to the Tris-egg yolk extender for ram semen freezing due to their ability to preserve the acrosome post-thawing.
Nanoemulsions with cannabidiol reduced autistic-like behaviors and reversed decreased hippocampus viable cells and cerebral cortex neuronal death in a prenatal valproic acid rat model MARIANA DE F.O. DA SILVA, AMANDA R. SANTOS-MAGNABOSCO, CLÁUDIA KATHARINY DA S. FARIAS, SANDRA MARIA DE TORRES, ANTÔNIO JOSÉ ALVES, et al. Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 2025 The highly lipophilic nature and low aqueous solubility of cannabidiol (CBD) limit its oral bioavailability, resulting in poor intestinal absorption. To overcome these limitations, we proposed the production of a nanoemulsion with CBD to be included in the therapeutic treatment of autism spectrum disorder. The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of CBD-rich corn oil nanoemulsion treatment in male rats born to females exposed to valproic acid (VPA) during pregnancy on autistic-like behaviors and hippocampal histology. Offspring rats were treated orally twice daily with CBD nanoemulsions at different doses (1 and 2 mg/animal). The endpoints evaluated were anxiety, grooming time, exploratory activity, sociability, the social preference index, and hippocampal and cerebral cortex histology. All formulations were characterized as nanoemulsions and showed a reduced vesicle size (107.6 - 72.6 nm), low PDI (0.290-0.432), negative zeta potential (-40.6 mv), and good stability. Prenatal exposure to VPA increased anxiety and grooming time, and reduced exploratory activity, sociability, and the social preference index in the animals. Furthermore, VPA-exposed animals exhibited elevated neuronal death and a reduction in viable cells in the hippocampus. In conclusion, CBD nanoemulsion treatment reversed autistic-like behaviors, potentially by protecting against hippocampal neuronal death. The highly lipophilic nature and low aqueous solubility of cannabidiol (CBD) limit its oral bioavailability, resulting in poor intestinal absorption. To overcome these limitations, we proposed the production of a nanoemulsion with CBD to be included in the therapeutic treatment of autism spectrum disorder. The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of CBD-rich corn oil nanoemulsion treatment in male rats born to females exposed to valproic acid (VPA) during pregnancy on autistic-like behaviors and hippocampal histology. Offspring rats were treated orally twice daily with CBD nanoemulsions at different doses (1 and 2 mg/animal). The endpoints evaluated were anxiety, grooming time, exploratory activity, sociability, the social preference index, and hippocampal and cerebral cortex histology. All formulations were characterized as nanoemulsions and showed a reduced vesicle size (107.6 - 72.6 nm), low PDI (0.290-0.432), negative zeta potential (-40.6 mv), and good stability. Prenatal exposure to VPA increased anxiety and grooming time, and reduced exploratory activity, sociability, and the social preference index in the animals. Furthermore, VPA-exposed animals exhibited elevated neuronal death and a reduction in viable cells in the hippocampus. In conclusion, CBD nanoemulsion treatment reversed autistic-like behaviors, potentially by protecting against hippocampal neuronal death.
Speckle statistics as a tool to distinguish collective behaviors of Zebrafish shoals Adauto J. F. de Souza, Antonio. R. de C. Romaguera, João V. A. Vasconcelos, Luis G. Negreiros-Neto, Viviane M. de Oliveira, et al. Scientific Reports, 2024 Zebrafish have become an important model animal for studying the emergence of collective behavior in nature. Here, we show how to properly analyze the polarization statistics to distinguish shoal regimes. In analogy with the statistical properties of optical speckles, we show that exponential and Rayleigh distributions emerge in shoals with many fish with uncorrelated velocity directions. In the opposite limit of just two fish, the polarization distribution peaks at high polarity, with the average value being a decreasing function of the shoal’s size, even in the absence of correlations. We also perform a set of experiments unveiling two shoaling regimes. Large shoals behave as small domains with strong intra-domain and weak inter-domain correlations. A strongly correlated regime develops for small shoals. The reported polarization statistical features shall guide future automated neuroscience, pharmacological, toxicological, and embryogenesis-motivated experiments aiming to explore the collective behavior of fish shoals.
Behavioral Effects of the Mixture and the Single Compounds Carbendazim, Fipronil, and Sulfentrazone on Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Larvae Samara da Silva Gomes, Jadson Freitas da Silva, Renata Meireles Oliveira Padilha, João Victor Alves de Vasconcelos, Luís Gomes de Negreiros Neto, et al. Biomedicines, 2024 Pesticides are often detected in freshwater, but their impact on the aquatic environment is commonly studied based on single compounds, underestimating the potential additive effects of these mixtures. Even at low concentrations, pesticides can negatively affect organisms, altering important behaviors that can have repercussions at the population level. This study used a multi-behavioral approach to evaluate the effects of zebrafish larvae exposure to carbendazim (C), fipronil (F), and sulfentrazone (S), individually and mixed. Five behavioral tests, thigmotaxis, touch sensitivity, optomotor response, bouncing ball test, and larval exploratory behavior, were performed to assess potential effects on anxiety, fear, and spatial and social interaction. Significant changes were observed in the performance of larvae exposed to all compounds and their mixtures. Among the single pesticides, exposure to S produced the most behavioral alterations, followed by F and C, respectively. A synergistic effect between the compounds was observed in the C + F group, which showed more behavioral effects than the groups exposed to pesticides individually. The use of behavioral tests to evaluate pesticide mixtures is important to standardize methods and associate behavioral changes with ecologically relevant events, thus creating a more realistic scenario for investigating the potential environmental impacts of these compounds.