Novos produtos naturais capazes de atuar na estabilização de microtúbulos, um importante alvo no combate ao câncer

Microtubules are involved in many aspects of cellular biology and represent an important target of anticancer chemotherapeutics. In the past five years, novel natural products such as epothilones, discodermolide, sarcodictyin, eleutherobin, and laulimalide, all of which have biological activities similar to those of paclitaxel (Taxolâ), have been discovered. Taxolâ is an important antitumor drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of ovarian, breast and non-small-cell lung carcinomas and became the first natural product described that stabilized microtubules avoiding the cellular replication. The present article reports new natural products that are able to act on the stabilization of microtubules.

Programa de pesquisa em produtos naturais: a experiência da CEME

The Brazilian effort on R&D of products from the national biodiversity dates back to the 70's. The Central de Medicamentos - CEME - was tailored to add scientific and technological competence to the production of pharmaceutical drugs derived from the Brazilian biodiversity by means of the Research Programme on Medicinal Plants - PPPM. Although previous to the Convention on Biological Diversity - CBD - and to the current debate and the ever-growing interest on phytomedicines, CEME has historical importance in the present governmental efforts on fostering the R&D on phytomedicines. This article makes a historical redemption of the PPPM, the actions and the results in the course of its existence.

Aplicações sintéticas de lipases imobilizadas em polímeros

The application of biocatalysis is a promising field related to new technologies for organic synthesis. The development of immobilization techniques is very important due to the multiple or repetitive use of a single batch of enzymes and the ability to stop the reaction rapidly, at any stage, by removing the enzymes. In most cases, after immobilization, enzymes and microorganisms maintain or even increase their activity and stability. This work presents an overview of the common methods for lipase immobilization in polymers and applications of these systems to obtain compounds of synthetic interest.

Produtos naturais como candidatos a fármacos úteis no tratamento do Mal de Alzheimer

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative pathology with severe economic and social impact. There is currently no cure, although cholinesterase inhibitors provide effective temporary relief of symptoms in some patients. Nowadays drug research and development are based on the cholinergic hypothesis that supports the cognition improvement by regulation of the synthesis and release of acetylcholine in the brain. There are only four commercial medicines approved for treatment of AD and natural products have played an important role in the research for new acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.

Digestão fotoquímica, assistida por microondas, de águas naturais: aplicação em estudos de partição e especiação do cobre

The efficiency of a new procedure for the digestion of natural waters, based on a microwave-activated photochemical reactor was evaluated in this work. Fluorescence spectra showed a 99% reduction in the emission of a 40 mg L-1 humic acid solution after 15 min of UV irradiation. In the presence of H2O2, only 3 min were necessary to accomplish a reduction of almost 100% in the emission and 6 min to reduce the concentration of dissolved organic carbon by 95%. The copper recovery from synthetic samples containing commercial humic acid, from soil suspensions, as well as from natural waters varied between 91.5 and 106.6%. The digestion of dissolved and unfiltered samples was successfully accomplished in 6 and 12 min, respectively. No contaminations or sample losses were observed. Results of copper speciation in natural waters showed that this metal is predominantly bound to natural ligands. Only 3-6% of the total recoverable copper is present in the labile form.

Quantificação do pesticida diclorvos por voltametria de onda quadrada em águas puras e naturais

This work reports the use of square wave voltammetry (SWV) to analyse the electrochemical reduction of dichlorvos (2, 2-dichlorovinyl-dimethylphosphate) in spiked pure and natural waters. SWV measurements were carried out in 0.5 mol L-1 Na2SO4 aqueous solutions at pH 5, prepared with water originated from three different sources, namely, one sample of purified water and others from two urban creeks in São Carlos County. In all cases, two reduction peaks were observed, at potentials of -0.15 and -1.05 V vs Ag/AgCl, with both current and potential being dependent on pesticide concentration. This allowed the calculation of the following detection limits: 1.0, 2.5 and 3.0x10-8 mol L-1 for purified, Gregorio creek and Monjolinho creek waters, respectively, in a working range between 2.0x10-7 and 1.4x10-6 mol L-1. Recovery measurements found values higher than 80% in all cases, for an added concentration of 4.0 x 10-7 mol L-1 of dichlorvos in each solution. All analytical experiments were performed in triplicate and showed a standard deviation always less than 3%.

A tecnologia da reciclagem de polímeros

Solid municipal waste contains a large volume of polymers and its final disposal is a serious environmental problem. Consequently, the recycling of the principal polymers present in the solid waste is an alternative. In this review we describe the mechanical and chemical recycling of polymers and the energy recovery from plastic wastes. Polymer recycling involves not only the development of processing technologies, but also the solution of many chemical and analytical problems. The technological, economical and social aspects of polymer recycling are also considered.

Produtos naturais da ascídia Botrylloides giganteum, das esponjas Verongula gigantea, Ircinia felix, Cliona delitrix e do nudibrânquio Tambja eliora, da costa do Brasil

Two new marine metabolites, 3Z, 6Z, 9Z-dodecatrien-1-ol (1) from the ascidian Botrylloides giganteum and 4H-pyran-2ol acetate from the sponge Ircinia felix (4) are herein reported. The known bromotyrosine compounds, 2-(3,5-dibromo-4-methoxyphenyl)-N,N,N-dimethylethanammonium (2) and 2,6-dibromo-4-(2-(trimethylammonium)ethyl)phenol (3), have been isolated from the sponge Verongula gigantea. Serotonin (5) is reported for the first time from the sponge Cliona delitrix, and tambjamines A (15) and D (16) isolated as their respective salts from the nudibranch Tambja eliora. Only tambjamine D presented cytotoxicity against CEM (IC50 12.2 µg/mL) and HL60 (IC50 13.2 µg/mL) human leukemya cells, MCF-7 breast cancer cells (IC50 13.2 µg/mL), colon HCT-8 cancer cells (IC50 10.1 µg/mL) and murine melanoma B16 cancer cells (IC50 6.7 µg/mL).

Comportamento dinâmico-mecânico e relaxações em polímeros e blendas poliméricas

Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) is widely used in materials characterization. In this work, we briefly introduce the main concepts related to this technique such as, linear and non-linear viscoelasticity, relaxation time, response of material when it is submitted to a sinusoidal or other periodic stress. Moreover, the main applications of this technique in polymers and polymer blends are also presented. The discussion includes: phase behavior, crystallization; spectrum of relaxation as a function of frequency or temperature; correlation between the material damping and its acoustic and mechanical properties.

Modelos para dispersão Raman em polímeros conjugados

Raman dispersion refers to the dependence of the position of Raman bands on the energy of the exciting radiation. In this work, the three main models currently used to explain this phenomenon (Conjugated Length Model, Amplitude Mode Model and Effective Conjugation Coordinate Model) are discussed. Raman dispersion is a consequence of pi electron delocalization, but each model describes in a different way how pi electron delocalization affects the position of Raman bands. Here the features, qualities and problems of the three models are highlighted.

Polímeros biomiméticos em química analítica. Parte 1: preparo e aplicações de MIP ("Molecularly Imprinted Polymers") em técnicas de extração e separação

MIPs are synthetic polymers that are used as biomimetic materials simulating the mechanism verified in natural entities such as antibodies and enzymes. Although MIPs have been successfully used as an outstanding tool for enhancing the selectivity or different analytical approaches, such as separation science and electrochemical and optical sensors, several parameters must be optimized during their synthesis. Therefore, the state-of-the-art of MIP production as well as the different polymerization methods are discussed. The potential selectivity of MIPs in the extraction and separation techniques focusing mainly on environmental, clinical and pharmaceutical samples as applications for analytical purposes is presented.

Polímeros biomiméticos em química analítica. Parte 2: aplicações de MIP ("Molecularly Imprinted Polymers") no desenvolvimento de sensores químicos

The aim of this paper is the description of the strategies and advances in the use of MIP in the development of chemical sensors. MIP has been considered an emerging technology, which allows the synthesis of materials that can mimic some highly specific natural receptors such as antibodies and enzymes. In recent years a great number of publications have demonstrated a growth in their use as sensing phases in the construction of sensors . Thus, the MIP technology became very attractive as a promising analytical tool for the development of sensors.

Ação de colorantes na degradação e estabilização de polímeros

Dyes and pigments are additives used in polymers to improve mainly the aesthetic properties of the material. However, the incorporation of these additives can directly affect polymer stability. The colorants can drastically decrease the lifetime and the performance of the material or can act as a stabilizer, improving significantly the stability of the polymer against degradation. Interaction between colorants and polymers is the cause of the stability changes. Some mechanisms are proposed to explain the action of colorants on polymers. However it is difficult to foresee this action without experiments. This work reviews the main mechanisms involved in the degradation and stabilization of polymers containing colorants.

Os produtos naturais e a química medicinal moderna

Natural products have been utilized by humans since ancient times and the relief and cure of their diseases was the first purpose for using natural products in medicine. The history of the oriental and occidental civilizations is very rich in examples of the utilization of natural products in medicine and health care. Chinese traditional medicine is one of the most important examples of how natural products can be efficient in the treatment of diseases, and it points to the importance of scientific research on natural products, concerning the discovery of new active chemical entities. The complexity, chemical diversity and biological properties of natural products always fascinated people, and during the last 200 years, this led to the discovery of important new drugs. In the last 30 years, the development of new bioassay techniques, biotechnology methods, bio-guided phytochemical studies, automated high throughput screening and high performance analytical methods, have introduced new concepts and possibilities of rational drug design and drug discovery. In this context, natural products have played an important and decisive role in the development of modern medicinal chemistry.

Polímeros biodegradáveis - uma solução parcial para diminuir a quantidade dos resíduos plásticos

The large use of plastics has generated a waste deposit problem. Today plastic wastes represent 20% in volume of the total waste in the municipal landfills. To solve the disposal problem of plastics methods have been employed such as incineration, recycling, landfill disposal, biodegradation and the use of biodegradable polymers. Incineration of plastic wastes provokes pollution due to the production of poisonous gases. Recycling is important to reduce final costs of plastic materials, but is not enough in face of the amount of discarded plastic. In landfills plastic wastes remain undegraded for a long time, causing space and pollution problems. Biodegradation is a feasible method to treat some plastics, but intensive research is necessary to find conditions for the action of microorganisms. All of these methods are important and the practical application of each one depends on the type and amount of the plastic wastes and the environmental conditions. Therefore, a great deal of research has focused on developing biodegradable plastics and its application because it is an important way for minimizing the effect of the large volume of plastic waste discarded in the world.