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Nofal AE, Shaaban AM, Ibrahim HM, Abouelmagd F, Mohamed AH. In Vivo Antischistosomicidal and Immunomodulatory Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Taraxacum officinale. J Xenobiot 2024; 14:1003-1022. [PMID: 39189171 PMCID: PMC11348042 DOI: 10.3390/jox14030056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Bilharziasis is a widespread trematode parasite that poses a severe public health burden. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has several pharmacological and traditional properties critical for treating several hepatic disorders. The present study was designed to assess the potential efficacy of T. officinale root (TOR) dietary supplementation with or without praziquantel (PZQ) against liver and intestinal disorders in mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni. This study was conducted on five groups; G1: uninfected control, G2: untreated S. mansoni-infected mice, G3: infected animals treated with 250 mg/kg PZQ for three alternative days, G4: infected animals were orally administered 600 mg/kg bw TOR daily for 10 days, and G5: infected animals that received both PZQ and TOR as previously described. The current findings after different treatments indicated topographical scanning electron microscopy alterations of male adult worms and a critical reduction in worm burden, ova count, granuloma diameter, hepatic and intestinal histological abnormalities, fibrosis, immunohistochemical expression of CD3+ and CD20+ cells, oxidative stress, and interleukin-10, also upregulation of interferon-gamma, and antioxidant enzymes, when compared to the infected untreated mice. The best results were obtained in mice administered PZQ+TOR together because of their antioxidant properties and ability to promote the host immune response to parasitic infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amany Ebrahim Nofal
- Histology and Histochemistry Unit, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom 32511, Egypt
| | - Amal Mohamed Shaaban
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom 32511, Egypt; (A.M.S.); (A.H.M.)
| | - Hany Mohammed Ibrahim
- Immunology Unit, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom 32511, Egypt;
| | - Faten Abouelmagd
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag 82524, Egypt;
| | - Azza Hassan Mohamed
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom 32511, Egypt; (A.M.S.); (A.H.M.)
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Liu C, Fisher D, Pronyuk K, Musabaev E, Thu Hien NT, Dang Y, Zhao L. Therapeutic potential of natural products in schistosomiasis-associated liver fibrosis. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1332027. [PMID: 38770001 PMCID: PMC11102961 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1332027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease that endangers human health and social development. The granulomatous reaction of Schistosoma eggs in the liver is the main cause of hepatosplenomegaly and fibrotic lesions. Anti liver fibrosis therapy is crucial for patients with chronic schistosomiasis. Although Praziquantel is the only clinical drug used, it is limited in insecticide treatment and has a long-term large-scale use, which is forcing the search for cost-effective alternatives. Previous research has demonstrated that plant metabolites and extracts have effective therapeutic effects on liver fibrosis associated with schistosomiasis. This paper summarizes the mechanisms of action of metabolites and some plant extracts in alleviating schistosomiasis-associated liver fibrosis. The analysis was conducted using databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. Some plant metabolites and extracts ameliorate liver fibrosis by targeting multiple signaling pathways, including reducing inflammatory infiltration, oxidative stress, inhibiting alternate macrophage activation, suppressing hepatic stellate cell activation, and reducing worm egg load. Natural products improve liver fibrosis associated with schistosomiasis, but further research is needed to elucidate the effectiveness of natural products in treating liver fibrosis caused by schistosomiasis, as there is no reported data from clinical trials in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiling Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - David Fisher
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Khrystyna Pronyuk
- Infectious Diseases Department, O.Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Erkin Musabaev
- The Research Institute of Virology, Ministry of Health, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | | | - Yiping Dang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lei Zhao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Elgendy DI, Elmahy RA, Amer AIM, Ibrahim HA, Eltantawy AF, Mansour FR, Salama AM. Efficacy of artemether against toxocariasis in mice: parasitological and immunopathological changes in brain, liver, and lung. Pathog Glob Health 2024; 118:47-64. [PMID: 37978995 PMCID: PMC10769145 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2023.2285182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxocariasis is a zoonosis that represents a serious threat to public health particularly in tropical and subtropical areas. Currently, albendazole, the most effective drug for treating visceral toxocariasis, shows moderate efficacy against the larvae in tissues and has some adverse effects. Artemether is an antiparasitic drug mainly used in the treatment of malaria and showed effectiveness against numerous helminthic infections. Besides, it possesses potent anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, antifibrotic, and neuroprotective properties. Thus, the study's aim was to investigate artemether's effects in comparison with albendazole on the therapeutic outcome of experimental toxocariasis. For this aim, 140 laboratory-bred mice were divided into four main groups: uninfected control, treatment control, albendazole-treated, and artemether-treated groups. The treatment regimens were started at the 15th dpi (early treatment), and at the 35th dpi (late treatment). The effectiveness of treatment was determined by brain larval count, histopathological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical examination. Artemether showed more effectiveness than albendazole in reducing brain larval counts, markers of brain injury including NF-κB, GFAP, and caspase-3, the diameter and number of hepatic granulomas, hepatic oxidative stress, hepatic IL-6, and TG2 mRNA, and pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. The efficacy of artemether was the same when administered early or late in the infection. Finally, our findings illustrated that artemether might be a promising therapy for T. canis infection and it could be a good substitution for albendazole in toxocariasis treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina I. Elgendy
- Medical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Rasha A. Elmahy
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | | | - Hoda A. Ibrahim
- Medical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Asmaa Fawzy Eltantawy
- Medical Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Fotouh Rashed Mansour
- Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Amina M. Salama
- Medical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
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Adel Madbouly N, Emam M, Ayman M, Ayman M, Rabia I, El Amir A. In vitro and in vivo impacts of nifedipine and diltiazem on praziquantel chemotherapy in murine Schistosoma mansoni. Exp Parasitol 2022; 236-237:108256. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2022.108256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Sharaf OF, Ahmed AA, Ibrahim AF, Shariq A, Alkhamiss AS, Alghsham R, Althwab SA, Alghaniam SA, Alhumaydhi FA, Alghamdi R, Alshomar A, Alabdullatif T, Alkhulayfi A, Alghunaim AA, Abdulmonem WA. Modulation of mice immune responses against Schistosoma mansoni infection with anti-schistosomiasis drugs: Role of interleukin-4 and interferon-gamma. Int J Health Sci (Qassim) 2022; 16:3-11. [PMID: 35300269 PMCID: PMC8905037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) is endemic in Africa, the Middle East, South America, and the Caribbean. This study investigated the modulation of immune response against S. mansoni through estimation of interleukin-4 (IL-4) (Th2 cytokine) and interferon-gamma (INF-γ) (Th1 cytokine) under the effect of anti-schistosomal drugs. METHODS Laboratory bred female albino mice (n = 120) were divided into the following groups: untreated mice, S. mansoni infected mice, S. mansoni infected mice treated with artemisinin (ART), arachidonic acid (ARA), nifedipine or praziquantel (PZQ). Levels of IL-4 and INF-γ cytokines in the serum samples of treated and untreated mice were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the results were further validated by measuring the mRNA levels IL-4 and INF-γ using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Anti-schistosomiasis drugs ART and ARA increased the levels of Th2 cytokine IL-4 (P < 0.05), whereas PZQ drug decreased the response of IL-4 (P < 0.05). However, nifedipine was found to be ineffective in modulating the response of IL-4 (P > 0.05). As far as Th-1 cytokine IFN γ was concerned, only PZQ increased its levels (P < 0.05), whereas other tested anti-schistosomiasis drugs; ART, ARA, and nifedipine were found to be infective (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS These findings indicated that anti-schistosomiasis drugs ART, ARA, and PZQ play a role in the modulation of expression of Th2 cytokines. Whereas, only PZQ may play a role in the modulation of Th1 cytokines. These findings provide a scope for the formulation of novel anti-schistosomal drugs as well as in the therapeutic management of patients infected with S. mansoni.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osama F. Sharaf
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Parasitology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shibin Al kom, Al Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Ahmed A. Ahmed
- Research Center, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Asmaa F. Ibrahim
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Parasitology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shibin Al kom, Al Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Ali Shariq
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah S. Alkhamiss
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ruqaih Alghsham
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sami A. Althwab
- Department of Clinical Nutrition, Qassim Health Affairs, Ministry of Health, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sultan A. Alghaniam
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahad A. Alhumaydhi
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rana Alghamdi
- Department of Chemistry, Science and Arts College, Rabigh Campus, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Alshomar
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tasleem Alabdullatif
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Waleed Al Abdulmonem
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraidah, Saudi Arabia,Address for correspondence: Dr. Waleed Al Abdulmonem, Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia. E-mail:
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Abdel-Azeem HH, Osman GY, El Garhy MF, Al Benasy KS. Efficacy of Miltefosine and Artemether on Infected Biomphalaria Alexandrina Snails with Schistosoma Mansoni: Immunological and Histological Studies. Helminthologia 2020; 57:335-343. [PMID: 33364902 PMCID: PMC7734665 DOI: 10.2478/helm-2020-0037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomphalaria alexandrina snails have received much attention due to their great medical importance as vectors for transmitting Schistosoma mansoni infection to humans. The main objective of the present work was to assess the efficacy of miltefosin a synthetic molluscicidal drug and artemether a natural molluscicidal drug. The correlation between immunological and histological observations from light and electron microscopy of the hemocytes of B. alexandrina post treatment with both drugs was also evaluated. LC50 and LC90 values were represented by 13.80 ppm and 24.40 ppm for miltefosine and 16.88 ppm and 27.97 ppm for artemether, respectively. The results showed that the treatment of S. mansoni-infected snails and normal snails with sublethal dose of miltefosine (LC25=8.20 ppm) and artemether (LC25=11.04 ppm) induced morphological abnormalities and a significant reduction in hemocytes count.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - G. Y. Osman
- Department of Zoology, Menoufia University, Shebeen El-koom, Egypt
| | | | - K. S. Al Benasy
- Department of Zoology, Menoufia University, Shebeen El-koom, Egypt
- College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, MajmaahSaudi Arabia
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Liu C, Zhang YS, Chen F, Wu XY, Zhang BB, Wu ZD, Lei JX. Immunopathology in schistosomiasis is regulated by TLR2,4- and IFN-γ-activated MSC through modulating Th1/Th2 responses. Stem Cell Res Ther 2020; 11:217. [PMID: 32503644 PMCID: PMC7275460 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-01735-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and aims A marked egg-induced CD4+ T cell programmed inflammation and subsequent hepatic fibrosis characterize the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) has been extensively studied for the treatment of schistosomiasis. However, the mechanism by which MSCs modulate the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis has not been clarified. Furthermore, the local inflammatory milieu may greatly influence the immunoregulatory properties of MSCs, and our early experiments demonstrated that Toll-like receptor (TLR)2/TLR4 agonist effected immune modulation of MSC. Here, we further investigated their modulation on the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis. Methods Adult BALB/c male mice were percutaneously infected with 16 ± 2 pairs S. japonicum cercariae and received intravenously pretreated MSC at 1 week and 3 weeks post-infection, respectively. At 8 weeks post-infection, effects of MSC on liver histology were shown by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Masson staining and quantitatively compared by the hepatic hydroxyproline content; α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen type I(Col-1), transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) gene expression in the liver were assessed by semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR); the Th1/Th2 dominance among different groups was compared by analyzing CD4+ interferon-γ (IFN-γ)+ and CD4+interleukin-4 (IL-4)+T cells in the liver by flow cytometry and serum level of IFN-γ and IL-5 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Effects of different kinds of MSC were further evaluated in vitro by the coculture system. Results Results showed TLR4- and IFN-γ-activated MSC alleviated liver fibrosis in infected mice, without a significant increase of mortality, and unpretreated MSC showed no clear improvement; however, TLR2- and IFN-γ-activated MSC displayed aggravated immunopathology. In accord with the pathological results, TLR4- and IFN-γ-activated MSC groups showed moderate enhancement of Th1 response in vitro and clear Th1 dominance in vivo without leading to extreme inflammation, whereas TLR2- and IFN-γ-activated MSC not only induced Th1 response, but also triggered excessive inflammation as evidenced by atrophy of the thymus and higher TNF level in the coculture system. Conclusions This study demonstrates that TLR4 combined with IFN-γ can activate the MSC group with positive effects on the pathology of schistosomiasis by modulating Th subsets at some degree. This result suggests that when MSC is being used to treat different immuno-disturbance complications, subtle pretreatment methods should be seriously considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Liu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi-Shu Zhang
- Department of Parasitology of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, China
| | - Fang Chen
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Ying Wu
- The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bei-Bei Zhang
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhong-Dao Wu
- Department of Parasitology of Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun-Xia Lei
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
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El-Beshbishi SN, Saleh NE, Abd el-mageed SA, El-nemr HEDE, Abdalla HA, Shebl AM, Taman A. Effect of omega-3 fatty acids administered as monotherapy or combined with artemether on experimental Schistosoma mansoni infection. Acta Trop 2019; 194:62-68. [PMID: 30910394 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 01/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is on the top list of endemic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. Praziquantel is the drug of choice for treatment of human schistosomiasis. Yet, the sole dependence on the drug raises concerns about the potential for increased drug resistance, which would subsequently result in searching for alternative preventive chemotherapy options, ideally among natural compounds. Therefore, we conducted this work to assess the effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids [(ω-3) PUFAs] monotherapy or combined therapy with artemether (ART) against Schistosoma mansoni infection in a mouse model. A total of 42 mice were divided into 4 groups and infected with 50 ± 5 S. mansoni cercariae for 10 weeks. Mice were treated orally with either (ω-3) PUFAs as 273 mg/ kg, 4 times/ week throughout the experiment, ART as a single dose of 400 mg/ kg, 3 weeks post-infection, or combined ART + (ω-3) PUFAs using the same respective treatment regimen, while infected untreated mice were served as controls. The study explored that combined administration of (ω-3) PUFAs and ART has the best schistosomicidal efficacy as it significantly reduced liver and spleen indices, worm count, egg burdens, and granulomas count as well as diameter. Besides, the combined regimen was associated with a significant decrease in both hepatic nitric oxide and serum interleukin-4 level. The results highlighted the possibility of using (ω-3) PUFA combined with ART as a novel anti-schistosomal combination therapy. However, further researches should be conducted to clarify the possible synergistic mechanism/s between the two natural compounds.
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Herrera Acevedo C, Scotti L, Feitosa Alves M, Formiga Melo Diniz MDF, Scotti MT. Computer-Aided Drug Design Using Sesquiterpene Lactones as Sources of New Structures with Potential Activity against Infectious Neglected Diseases. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22010079. [PMID: 28054952 PMCID: PMC6155652 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22010079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2016] [Revised: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This review presents an survey to the biological importance of sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) in the fight against four infectious neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)—leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, Chagas disease, and sleeping sickness—as alternatives to the current chemotherapies that display several problems such as low effectiveness, resistance, and high toxicity. Several studies have demonstrated the great potential of some SLs as therapeutic agents for these NTDs and the relationship between the protozoal activities with their chemical structure. Recently, Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) studies have helped increase the knowledge of SLs regarding their mechanisms, the discovery of new lead molecules, the identification of pharmacophore groups and increase the biological activity by employing in silico tools such as molecular docking, virtual screening and Quantitative-Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chonny Herrera Acevedo
- Post-Graduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, 58051-900 João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
| | - Luciana Scotti
- Post-Graduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, 58051-900 João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
| | - Mateus Feitosa Alves
- Post-Graduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, 58051-900 João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
| | | | - Marcus Tullius Scotti
- Post-Graduate Program in Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products, Federal University of Paraíba, 58051-900 João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
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