Metabolomics Approach Expands the Classification of Propolis Samples from Midwest Brazil

Propolis samples collected from five areas in Mato Grosso do Sul state, Midwest Brazil, comprising portions of the Cerrado, Pantanal, and Atlantic Forest ecosystems, were investigated for metabolomic profiles and evaluated for antioxidant and antitumor potential. Chemical profiles were determined by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS data and evaluated using principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis to discern chemical composition patterns. Based on phytogeographical origin and chemical composition, 20 potential markers were identified and five groups were distinguished: (I) Cerrado/Central, (II) Atlantic Forest/South, (III) Cerrado-Pantanal transition area/Northwest, (IV) Cerrado/North, and (V) Pantanal/West. Drawing on HPLC-DAD-MS/MS and NMR data, 47 compounds were successfully or tentatively identified, including prenylated phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and di- and triterpenoids, among other constituents. Isoflavonoids, typically found in red propolis from Northeast Brazil, are being reported for the first time in a propolis sample from the Midwest. A new prenylated aromatic compound, (E)-3-[4-hydroxy-3-(2-hydroxy-3-methylbut-3-en-1-yl)-5-(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)phenyl]propenoic acid, was obtained. Samples in group II exhibited promising antitumor potential against prostate and breast carcinoma cells, as did samples in groups III and IV against the latter cell line. The sample in group I, despite containing the highest amount of total phenolic compounds and being the only sample to exhibit scavenging activity against DPPH, was not the most cytotoxic against the cell lines tested.

A new cytotoxic β-carboline alkaloid from Galianthe thalictroides

A cytotoxicity-guided fractionation of the roots of Galianthe thalictroides afforded a new β-carboline alkaloid, 1-(hydroxymethyl)-3-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-2-(5-methoxy-9H- β-carbolin-1-yl)cyclopentanol, which exhibited strong cytotoxic activity against three human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, 786-0, and UACC62). Its structure was established on the basis of 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopic techniques supported by HRMS data.

Cloning and expression of an antigenic domain of a major surface protein (Nc-p43) of Neospora caninum

Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular protozoan that can infect domestic and wild canids, as well as ruminants and equines. It was described in 1988 as causing neuromuscular alterations and death in dogs. Recently, N. caninum has been the focus of considerable attention for its large impact on the dairy industry, given the economic losses related to breeding failures and to a decrease in productivity. ELISA diagnosis of neosporosis has not been widely used in Brazil, mostly because of the assay's cost, and thus the distribution of the disease in the country is not well known. In order to evaluate its ability to react with sera from infected animals from the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, an antigenic determinant domain of a major surface protein (Nc-p43) was produced. The antigenic domain, located in the distal 2/3 region of the C-terminus, was amplified by polymerase chain reaction. The DNA fragments were cloned into pet100/D-TOPO vectors. The recombinant plasmids were transformed into Escherichia coli of the BL21 Star (DE3) strain and induced to express the fused fragment of Nc-p43 as a 29-kDa protein that, when assayed with bovine Neospora-positive serum from a regional sample, was sensitive for identification by immunoblotting. This Nc-p43 fragment may be of use in additional studies targeted at diagnosing N. caninum infection and at evaluating the immunoprotection conferred by the protein fragment to animal hosts.