Many phenolic compounds such as xanthones, quinones and coumarins have been isolated from Kielmeyera species; however the presence of flavonoids have been showed in other genera in the Calophylleae tribe as Caraipa, Mesua and Calophyllum. Six known glycosidic flavonoids: quercetin 3-β-O-galactopyranoside (1), quercetin 3-β-O-glucopyranoside (2), quercetin 3-O-α-rhamnoside (3), luteolin 6-C-β-glucopyranoside (4), isovitexin (5), kaempferol 3-O-α-rhamnoside (6) and one triterpene, lupenone (7) were isolated, for the first time, from organic crude extract of Kielmeyera variabilis Mart. & Zucc., Calophyllaceae, leaves. The crude organic extract from K. variabilis leaves exhibited 95% of leishmanidal activity at 20 µg/mL on amastigote-like form of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis in vitro model and only compound 3 showed 40-45% of growth inhibition at concentration ranging from 0.78 to 20 µg/mL. In addition, quercetin 3-O-α-rhamnoside (quercitrin) was found to be the major metabolite. Our results and previous reports suggest that synergistic effects of flavonoid glycosides are the cause of significant leishmanidal activity of the crude organic extract from K. variabilis leaves.

Blepharocalyx salicifolius (Kunth) O. Berg, Myrtaceae, is an endemic species that occurs at Southern America. This species was studied to intend to isolation of the active compounds that could be used in vitro model against leishmaniosis, tumoral cell and paracoccidioidomycosis. After Gel Permeation Chromatography, the ethanolic extract from leaves yielded sixteen fractions. Five compounds were isolated and assayed, showing activity against tumoral cells, from 3.33 to 12.83 µg.mL-1; Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis from 2.19 to 20.80 µg.mL-1 and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis from 3.10 to 12.5 µg.mL-1.

Organic extracts from leaves and stems of Stillingia oppositifolia Baill. ex Müll. Arg., Euphorbiaceae, were screened for antifungal and cytotoxic properties. The extracts presented Minimum Inhibitory Concentration values around 250 µg.mL-1 against Candida krusei and Candida tropicalis, and around 63 µg.mL-1 for Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. They were tested on three human cell lines (UACC-62, MCF-7, and TK-10), disclosing GI50 values, (concentration able to inhibit 50% of the cell growth) ranging from 50 to 100 µg.mL-1. Organic extract from stems furnished hexanic, dichloromethanic and aqueous phases after partition. Chromatographic fractionation of the hexanic soluble phase of the stems yielded aleuritolic acid 3-acetate, β-sitosterol, 3-epi-β-amyrin, β-amyrone and palmitic acid. These compounds showed antifungal and cytotoxic activities in the same range as the organic crude extract and low toxic effect against mononuclear cells obtained from human peripheral blood. This is the first report on chemical and biological potential of S. oppositifolia.

Foi realizada a comparação entre dois métodos de extração dos compostos voláteis obtidos de seis espécies de Verbenaceae, coletadas na Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Os óleos essenciais e as frações hexanica obtidos das folhas de duas espécies de Lantana e quatro espécies de Lippia, coletadas em duas diferentes estações do ano, foram analisados por CG/EM. Grande número de constituintes foi identificado nas amostras oriundas dos dois métodos de extração e o componente majoritário para a maior parte das espécies foi o β-cariofileno, seguido pelo germacreno D, biciclogermacreno e α-pineno. Para os dois gêneros estudados, foram observadas pequenas diferenças na composição do óleo essencial e fração hexânica. Esses resultados sugerem que a análise da fração hexânica pode ser usada para identificar os componentes voláteis majoritários dessas espécies, além de ser uma técnica alternativa para a análise dos compostos voláteis presentes no óleo essencial, uma vez que ambos mostraram composição similar.

A comparison between two extraction approaches of volatiles compounds from six species of Verbenaceae collected at Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais, Brazil was done. The essential oil and hexanic fraction of leaves from two Lantana and four Lippia species collected in two different seasons were analyzed by GC/MS. Among various identified compounds from both extraction methods the majority of species showed major amounts of β-caryophyllene followed by germacrene D, bicyclogermacrene and α-pinene. Few differences were observed between the composition of essential oil and the hexanic fraction regarding the two studied genera. These results suggest that the analysis of hexanic fraction can be used, as an alternative way, to analyze the volatile compounds of the essential oil.

One hundred and twenty-one isolates of endophytic fungi were recovered from leaves of the bioactive Brazilian plant species Ageratum myriadenia, Palicourea tetraphylla, Piptadenia adiantoides, and Trixis vauthieri. All fungal isolates were cultivated in liquid media and crude extracts were obtained with ethyl acetate. The crude extracts were tested in bioassay panels using Leishmania amazonensis, Trypanosoma cruzi, the enzyme trypanothione reductase (TryR) from Trypanosoma cruzi, and three human cancer cell lines. Thirty-three extracts (27.2%) exhibited at least one biological activity. Seventeen extracts (14%) were cytotoxic against one or more human cancer cell line with the IC50 values ranged of >0.2 to 25 µg/mL. Twenty-four extracts (19.8%) inhibited the activity of TryR, and three showed ability to inhibit the growth of T. cruzi above 60% and their IC50 values ranged among 1 to 10 µg/mL. Eleven extracts (9%) were able to inhibit the growth of L. amazonensis and showed with IC50 values ranged among 4.6 to 24.4 µg/mL. The endophytic fungi were identified as belonging to the genera Alternaria, Arthrinium, Cochliobolus, Colletotrichum, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Gibberella. An interesting result was obtained for the bioactive isolates UFMGCB 508, 537, 899 and 903, which were related to fungi associated with medicinal plants native to Asia, Australia, Africa, and Polynesia. These results indicate that bioactive plants living in Brazilian ecosystems are a potential host of endophytic fungi able to produce bioactive prototype molecules for drug development against neglected tropical diseases.

Trypanosoma cruzi is a protozoan parasite that causes a severe disease (Chagas'disease) in Central and South America. The currently available chemotherapeutic agents against this disease are still inadequate. The enzyme trypanothione reductase (TR) is considered a validated molecular target for the development of new drugs against this parasite. In this regard, a series of arylfurans based on 2,5-bis-(4-acetamidophenyl)furan was synthesized and tested for their in vitro inhibitory activity against TR. Molecular modeling studies of putative enzyme-inhibitor complexes revealed a possible mechanism of interaction. From synthesized compounds, a benzylaminofuran derivative was found to be more active than the lead compound.

A espectrometria de massas com ionização electrospray no modo negativo, ESI(-)-MS, foi usada para investigar a decomposição da água oxigenada catalisada por iodeto em meio aquoso. O monitoramento por ESI(-)-MS revelou a presença de um ânion intenso de m/z 287, o qual foi sugerido possuir a estrutura [I-IOOH]- em solução aquosa, através de uma interação entre o íon iodeto e a espécie neutra e instável IOOH. Evidências da estrutura proposta para tal ânion foram obtidas através de sua fragmentação por colisão com hélio, a qual forneceu, exclusivamente, um íon-produto de m/z 254 (I2•-), através de uma perda de radical peroxila (HOO , 33 Da). Cálculos teóricos ab initio revelaram que a formação do ânion [I-IOOH]-, a partir da interação entre IOOH e I-, é um processo termodinamicamente favorável, enquanto que sua fragmentação levando a I2 e HOO , é o canal de dissociação mais provável. Deste modo, foi proposto um novo mecanismo para a decomposição da H2O2 catalisada por iodeto para gerar H2O e O2 tendo como base a participação do intermediário-chave IOOH.

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in the negative ion mode, ESI(-)-MS, was used to investigate the iodide-catalyzed decomposition of H2O2 in aqueous medium. ESI(-)-MS monitoring revealed the presence of an intense anion of m/z 287, suggested to be the [I-IOOH]- anion, which was proposed to be formed in solution (and then transferred to the gas phase by the ESI process) via an interaction between iodide and the neutral and short-lived species IOOH. Evidences for the proposed structure were obtained by CID (collision-induced dissociation) experiments, which yielded exclusively a product ion of m/z 254 (I2•-) via a peroxide radical (HOO , 33 Da) loss. High level ab initio calculations revealed that the formation of the [I-IOOH]- anion from IOOH and I- is a thermodynamically-favored process whereas its fragmentation leading to I2•- and HOO is the most favorable dissociation channel. Hence, an unprecedented mechanism for the iodide-catalyzed decomposition of H2O2 to H2O and O2 based on the assumption of the participation of the key intermediate IOOH was proposed.

Uma nova substância, denominada habenariosídeo {[(2R)-2-[(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetil-β-D-glicopiranosil)oxi]-2-(2-metilpropil)-1,4-dioxo-1,4-butanodiil]bis(oximetileno-4,1-fenileno) bis-β-D-glicopiranosídeo}, foi isolada das frações polares do extrato etanólico de Habenaria petalodes Lindl. (Orchidaceae), juntamente com duas substâncias conhecidas e estruturalmente relacionadas, a loroglossina e a militarina. Os flavonóides: isoquercitrina, isorramnetina 3-O-β-D-glicopiranosídeo e isorramnetina 3,7-di-O-β-D-glicopiranosídeo, também foram isolados. As estruturas do habenariosídeo e das demais substâncias foram determinadas pela análise dos dados de EM, IV, UV e RMN mono e bidimensional e comparação com os dados publicados na literatura.

Habenarioside, a new natural product identified as [(2R)-2-[(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-2-(2-methylpropyl)-1,4-dioxo-1,4-butanediyl]bis(oxymethylene-4,1-phenylene) bis-β-D-glucopyranoside, along with two known related metabolites, loroglossin and militarin, were isolated from the ethanol extract of the whole plant Habenaria petalodes Lindl. (Orchidaceae). The flavonoids isoquercitrin, isorhamnetin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, and isorhamnetin 3,7-di-O-β-D-glucopyranoside were also isolated. The structures of all compounds were established by analysis of their MS, IR, UV, 1D and 2D NMR spectra, and comparison with published data.

A oxidação do paracetamol (1) promovida pelo sistema TiO2/UV em meio aquoso foi investigada. O contínuo monitoramento feito por várias técnicas, tais como espectroscopia UV-Vis, HPLC (cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência), TOC (carbono orgânico total) e ESI-MS (espectrometria de massas com ionização electrospray), mostrou que a remoção do paracetamol foi altamente eficiente, mas com um grau reduzido de mineralização. As análises por GC-MS (cromatografia a gás acoplada a um espectrômetro de massas) indicaram que hidroquinona, ácidos carboxílicos alifáticos, e paracetamol mono e dihidroxilados são os principais produtos formados neste processo de degradação. De acordo com estes resultados, uma rota para degradação do paracetamol induzida pelo sistema TiO2/UV foi proposta. A fragmentação dos derivados trimetilsililados (TMS) do monohidróxi e dihidróxi paracetamol, baseada em dados dos espectros de massas, foi também proposta.

The advanced oxidation of paracetamol (1) promoted by TiO2/UV system in aqueous medium was investigated. Continuous monitoring by several techniques, such as UV-Vis spectroscopy, HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography), TOC (total organic carbon), and ESI-MS (electrospray ionization mass spectrometry), revealed that whereas the removal of paracetamol was highly efficient under these conditions, its mineralization was not likewise accomplished. GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) analysis showed that hydroquinone, aliphatic carboxylic acids, monohydroxy and dihydroxy paracetamol were the main products formed as a result of such degradation process. Based on these results, a reaction route for the degradation of paracetamol induced by the TiO2/UV system was suggested. Fragmentation pathways, as obtained from the mass spectra data, were also proposed for the trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives of monohydroxy and dihydroxy paracetamol.

O Laboratório de Química de Produtos Naturais (LQPN) possui uma coleção ex situ de pequenas quantidades de extratos obtidos de componentes da biodiversidade para fins de bioprospecção. Esta coleção conta atualmente com cerca de 4000 extratos de mais de 1000 espécies distintas. Os extratos são usados na identificação de novos compostos bioativos que possam servir para o desenvolvimento de novas drogas contra as doenças negligenciadas como leishmanioses, doença de Chagas, malária e tuberculose. Após serem submetidos aos ensaios biológicos, os extratos que apresentaram atividade precisam ser preparados em uma quantidade maior a partir de recoletas dos vegetais, para permitir o isolamento dos seus componentes ativos. Neste ponto, o desenvolvimento de metodologias padronizadas que permitam comparar a composição dos extratos recém obtidos com a dos extratos originais são importantes para confirmação da identidade dos mesmos. Avaliou-se a metodologia de Micro-Extração em Fase Sólida, seguida de análise por Cromatografia Gasosa e Espectrometria de Massa (MEFS-CG-EM). Foi usado o software AMDIS (Automatic Mass Spectral Deconvolution and Identification System) para armazenar e comparar os perfis gerados (fingerprint). Quarenta e seis amostras foram analisadas, onde foi possível inferir sobre os constituintes de cada amostra e traçar um perfil de composição e de componentes comuns. Foram analisados nove grupos de amostras, coletadas em diferentes períodos onde se estudou as variações sazonais ocorridas entre elas. Os resultados mostraram a viabilidade do uso desta ferramenta para monitorar a composição de extratos, permitindo avaliar alterações químicas durante a estocagem, a comparação entre extratos oriundos de coletas distintas, e na ocorrência de alguns componentes em diferentes extratos.

The Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Products has an ex situ collection of extracts from organisms of the biodiversity aiming at bioprospecting. Nowadays the collection has about 4000 extracts from 1000 different species. Extracts are used to identify new bioactive compounds that could be useful for developing new drugs against neglected diseases like leishmaniosis, Chagas disease, malaria and tuberculosis. After biologic assays, the bioactive extracts need to be prepared in larger quantity to allow isolation and characterization of the bioactive component. At this time, it is important to not only confirm the bioactivity of new extract but also check if its composition is similar to the old one. It was evaluated the ability of Solid Phase Microextraction and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis (SPME-GC-MS). It was used the AMDIS (Automatic Mass Spectral Deconvolution and Identification System) software as tools to collect and to compare the chromatographic profiles of each extract (fingerprint). Forty six samples were analyzed, it was possible to infer from the composition of each sample and common compounds. Nine groups of samples, collected at different time, were analyzed and seasonal modifications between then could be elucidated. The results showed that this methodology can be used to monitor the composition of extracts, allowing to monitor chemical changes that may occur during storage periods and to investigate the occurrence of a determined component in different extracts.