Ultrastructural changes in Raillietina (Platyhelminthes: cestoda), exposed to sulfonoquinovosyldiacylglyceride (SQDG), isolated from Neem (Azadirachta indica)

Glyceroglycolipids in marine algae: A review of their pharmacological activity

Glyceroglycolipids are major metabolites of marine algae and have a wide range of applications in medicine, cosmetics, and chemistry research fields. They are located on the cell surface membranes. Together with glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans, known as the glycocalyx, they play critical roles in multiple cellular functions and signal transduction and have several biological properties such as anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, anti-viral activity, and anti-tumor immunity. This article focused on the sources and pharmacological effects of glyceroglycolipids, which are naturally present in various marine algae, including planktonic algae and benthic algae, with the aim to highlight the promising potential of glyceroglycolipids in clinical treatment.

The Antimicrobial Potential of the Neem Tree Azadirachta indica

Azadirachta indica (A. Juss), also known as the neem tree, has been used for millennia as a traditional remedy for a multitude of human ailments. Also recognized around the world as a broad-spectrum pesticide and fertilizer, neem has applications in agriculture and beyond. Currently, the extensive antimicrobial activities of A. indica are being explored through research in the fields of dentistry, food safety, bacteriology, mycology, virology, and parasitology. Herein, some of the most recent studies that demonstrate the potential of neem as a previously untapped source of novel therapeutics are summarized as they relate to the aforementioned research topics. Additionally, the capacity of neem extracts and compounds to act against drug-resistant and biofilm-forming organisms, both of which represent large groups of pathogens for which there are limited treatment options, are highlighted. Updated information on the phytochemistry and safety of neem-derived products are discussed as well. Although there is a growing body of exciting evidence that supports the use of A. indica as an antimicrobial, additional studies are clearly needed to determine the specific mechanisms of action, clinical efficacy, and in vivo safety of neem as a treatment for human pathogens of interest. Moreover, the various ongoing studies and the diverse properties of neem discussed herein may serve as a guide for the discovery of new antimicrobials that may exist in other herbal panaceas across the globe.

Antimicrobial Lipids from Plants and Marine Organisms: An Overview of the Current State-of-the-Art and Future Prospects

In the actual post-antibiotic era, novel ways of rethinking antimicrobial research approaches are more urgent than ever. Natural compounds with antimicrobial activity such as fatty acids and monoacylglycerols have been investigated for decades. Additionally, the interest in other lipid classes as antimicrobial agents is rising. This review provides an overview on the research about plant and marine lipids with potential antimicrobial activity, the methods for obtaining and analyzing these compounds, with emphasis on lipidomics, and future perspectives for bioprospection and applications for antimicrobial lipids. Lipid extracts or lipids isolated from higher plants, algae or marine invertebrates are promising molecules to inactivate a wide spectrum of microorganisms. These lipids include a variety of chemical structures. Present and future challenges in the research of antimicrobial lipids from natural origin are related to the investment and optimization of the analytical workflow based on lipidomics tools, complementary to the bioassay-guided fractionation, to identify the active compound(s). Also, further work is needed regarding the study of their mechanism of action, the structure-activity relationship, the synergistic effect with conventional antibiotics, and the eventual development of resistance to lipids, which, as far as is known, is unlikely.