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Hagemann CL, Macedo AJ, Tasca T. Therapeutic potential of antimicrobial peptides against pathogenic protozoa. Parasitol Res 2024; 123:122. [PMID: 38311672 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08133-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Protozoal infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans and animals. The use of several antiprotozoal drugs is associated with serious adverse effects and resistance development, and drugs that are more effective are urgently needed. Microorganisms, mammalian cells and fluids, insects, and reptiles are sources of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that act against pathogenic microorganisms; these AMPs have been widely studied as a promising alternative therapeutic option to conventional antibiotics, aiming to treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens. One advantage of AMP molecules is their adaptability, as they can be easily fine-tuned for broad-spectrum or targeted activity by changing the amino acid residues in their sequence. Consequently, these variations in structural and physicochemical properties can alter the antimicrobial activities of AMPs and decrease resistance development. This article presents an overview of peptide activities against amebiasis, giardiasis, trichomoniasis, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, malaria, and toxoplasmosis. AMPs and their analogs demonstrate great potential as therapeutics, with potent and selective activity, when compared with commercially available drugs, and hold the potential to act as new scaffolds for the development of novel anti-protozoal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corina Lobato Hagemann
- Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga, 2752, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90610-000, Brazil
| | - Alexandre José Macedo
- Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga, 2752, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90610-000, Brazil
| | - Tiana Tasca
- Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga, 2752, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 90610-000, Brazil.
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Dubashynskaya NV, Petrova VA, Sgibnev AV, Elokhovskiy VY, Cherkasova YI, Skorik YA. Carrageenan/Chitin Nanowhiskers Cryogels for Vaginal Delivery of Metronidazole. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15102362. [PMID: 37242937 DOI: 10.3390/polym15102362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of polymeric carriers based on partially deacetylated chitin nanowhiskers (CNWs) and anionic sulfated polysaccharides is an attractive strategy for improved vaginal delivery with modified drug release profiles. This study focuses on the development of metronidazole (MET)-containing cryogels based on carrageenan (CRG) and CNWs. The desired cryogels were obtained by electrostatic interactions between the amino groups of CNWs and the sulfate groups of CRG and by the formation of additional hydrogen bonds, as well as by entanglement of carrageenan macrochains. It was shown that the introduction of 5% CNWs significantly increased the strength of the initial hydrogel and ensured the formation of a homogeneous cryogel structure, resulting in sustained MET release within 24 h. At the same time, when the CNW content was increased to 10%, the system collapsed with the formation of discrete cryogels, demonstrating MET release within 12 h. The mechanism of prolonged drug release was mediated by polymer swelling and chain relaxation in the polymer matrix and correlated well with the Korsmeyer-Peppas and Peppas-Sahlin models. In vitro tests showed that the developed cryogels had a prolonged (24 h) antiprotozoal effect against Trichomonas, including MET-resistant strains. Thus, the new cryogels with MET may be promising dosage forms for the treatment of vaginal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natallia V Dubashynskaya
- Institute of Macromolecular Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Bolshoy pr. V.O. 31, St. Petersburg 199004, Russia
| | - Valentina A Petrova
- Institute of Macromolecular Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Bolshoy pr. V.O. 31, St. Petersburg 199004, Russia
| | - Andrey V Sgibnev
- Institute for Cellular and Intracellular Symbiosis, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pionerskaya st. 11, Orenburg 460000, Russia
| | - Vladimir Y Elokhovskiy
- Institute of Macromolecular Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Bolshoy pr. V.O. 31, St. Petersburg 199004, Russia
| | - Yuliya I Cherkasova
- Institute for Cellular and Intracellular Symbiosis, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pionerskaya st. 11, Orenburg 460000, Russia
| | - Yury A Skorik
- Institute of Macromolecular Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Bolshoy pr. V.O. 31, St. Petersburg 199004, Russia
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Almeida de Menezes S, Galego GB, Rigo GDV, de Aguiar JCRDOF, Veras BDO, Cortez Sombra Vandesmet L, Bezerra Dos Santos CR, Gomes Vidal Sampaio M, Marques CDC, Luiz Lermen V, Navarro DMDAF, Silva MVD, Dos Santos Correia MT, Tasca T. Anti- Trichomonas vaginalis activity of essential oils extracted from Caatinga Myrtaceae species and chemical composition of Eugenia pohliana DC. Nat Prod Res 2023; 37:1042-1046. [PMID: 35848393 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2022.2101050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The current trichomoniasis treatment is restrict to 5-nitroimidazole drugs and the emergence of resistant isolates points the need for new therapeutical alternatives. In this study the anti-Trichomonas vaginalis activity of essential oils obtained from Myrtaceae occurring in Caatinga, a plant family with potential antiparasitic activity, was showed. The essential oils varied in their capacity to kill ATCC and fresh clinical T. vaginalis isolates, which was associated with heterogeneity and different patterns of endosymbiosis. Essential oils caused moderate to strong cytotoxicity against mammalian cells, but essential oil of Eugenia pohliana (EOEp) exhibited promising selectivity index towards vaginal epithelial cells. A checkerboard assay revealed a synergistic effect when EOEp and metronidazole were associated, indicating different mechanisms of action. The GC/MS analysis demonstrated the volatile composition of EOEp, with δ-cadinene as majoritary component. This molecule seems to contribute to the trichomonacidal effect and shows potential for the prospection of new antiparasitic compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saulo Almeida de Menezes
- Laboratório de Produtos Naturais, Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.,Grupo de Pesquisa em Tricomonas, Faculdade de Farmácia e Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Giulia Bongiorni Galego
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Tricomonas, Faculdade de Farmácia e Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Graziela de Vargas Rigo
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Tricomonas, Faculdade de Farmácia e Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Bruno de Oliveira Veras
- Laboratório de Produtos Naturais, Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Lilian Cortez Sombra Vandesmet
- Laboratório de Produtos Naturais, Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Cícero Ramon Bezerra Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Produtos Naturais, Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Mariana Gomes Vidal Sampaio
- Laboratório de Produtos Naturais, Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Clécia de Carvalho Marques
- Laboratório de Produtos Naturais, Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | | | | | - Márcia Vanusa da Silva
- Laboratório de Produtos Naturais, Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.,Núcleo de Bioprospecção e Conservação da Caatinga, Instituto Nacional do Semiárido, Campina Grande, Brazil
| | - Maria Tereza Dos Santos Correia
- Laboratório de Produtos Naturais, Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.,Núcleo de Bioprospecção e Conservação da Caatinga, Instituto Nacional do Semiárido, Campina Grande, Brazil
| | - Tiana Tasca
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Tricomonas, Faculdade de Farmácia e Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Menezes SA, Tasca T. Essential Oils and Terpenic Compounds as Potential Hits for Drugs against Amitochondriate Protists. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8. [PMID: 36668944 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8010037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human anaerobic or microaerophilic protists Giardia duodenalis, Entamoeba histolytica, and Trichomonas vaginalis are classified as amitochondriate parasites, a group of unicellular organisms that lack canonical mitochondria organelles. These microorganisms suffered adaptations to survive in hostile microenvironments and together represent an increasing threat to public health in developing countries. Nevertheless, the current therapeutic drugs to manage the infections are scarce and often cause several side effects. Furthermore, refractory cases associated with the emergence of parasitic resistance are concerns that guide the search for new pharmacological targets and treatment alternatives. Herein, essential oils and terpenic compounds with activity against amitochondriate parasites with clinical relevance are summarized and insights into possible mechanisms of action are made. This review aims to contribute with future perspectives for research with these natural products as potential alternatives for the acquisition of new molecules for the treatment of amitochondriate protists.
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Endres CT, Rigo GV, Loges LA, Landell MF, Silva DB, Macedo AJ, Tasca T. Mass Spectrometry Metabolomics Approach Reveals Anti-Trichomonas vaginalis Scaffolds from Marine Fungi. Mar Biotechnol (NY) 2022; 24:1014-1022. [PMID: 36102994 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-022-10164-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Trichomoniasis is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world caused by Trichomonas vaginalis. Failures in the treatment with the 5-nitroimidazole class including parasite resistance to metronidazole elicit new alternatives. Marine natural products are sources of several relevant molecules, presenting a variety of metabolites with numerous biological activities. In this work, we evaluated the anti-T. vaginalis activity of fungi associated with marine invertebrates by mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approaches. After screening of six marine fungi, extract from Penicillium citrinum FMPV 15 has shown to be 100% active against T. vaginalis, and the gel permeation column on Sephadex LH-20® yielded twelve organic fractions which five showed to be active. Metabolomics and statistical analyses were performed with all the samples (extract and fractions), and several compounds were suggested to be related to the activity. These components include citrinin, dicitrinin C, citreoisocoumarin, dihydrocitrinone, decarboxycitrinin, penicitrinone C, and others. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of anti-T. vaginalis activity of citrinin was 200 µM. The marine fungi metabolites show potential as new alternatives to overcome drug resistance in T. vaginalis infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Teresinha Endres
- Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Graziela Vargas Rigo
- Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Luciana Angelo Loges
- Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Melissa Fontes Landell
- Laboratório de Diversidade Molecular, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
| | - Denise Brentan Silva
- Laboratório de Produtos Naturais E Espectrometria de Massas (LaPNEM), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos E Nutrição (FACFAN), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso Do Sul, Mato Grosso Do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Alexandre José Macedo
- Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Tiana Tasca
- Faculdade de Farmácia and Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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