The phylogenetic relationships of the charismatic poster frogs, Phyllomedusinae (Anura, Hylidae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Computer-aided design of a novel ligand for retinoic acid receptor in cancer chemotherapy

The isotypes of RAR and RXR are retinoic acid and retinoid X acid receptors, respectively, whose ligand-binding domain contains the ligand-dependent activation function, with distinct pharmacological targets for retinoids, involved in the treatment of various cancers and skin diseases. Due to the major challenge which cancer treatment and cure still imposes after many decades to the international scientific community, there is actually considerable interest in new ligands with increased bioactivity. We have focused on the retinoid acid receptor, which is considered an interesting target for drug design. In this work, we carried out density functional geometry optimizations, and different docking procedures. We performed screening in a large database (hundreds of thousands of molecules which we optimized at the AM1 level) yielding a set of potential bioactive ligands. A new ligand was selected and optimized at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. A flexible docking program was used to investigate the interactions between the receptor and the new ligand. The result of this work is compared with several crystallographic ligands of RAR. Our theoretically more bioactive new-ligand indicates stronger and more hydrogen bonds as well as hydrophobic interactions with the receptor. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

New sources of oilseeds from Latin American native fruits

Three Latin American oilseeds obtained from native fruits: nopal (tuna) (Opuntia ficus-indica), cherimoya (chirimoya) (Annona cherimola), and papaya, Chilean variety (Carica pubescens or C. candamarcensis) were studied for their fatty acid composition and bioactive compounds, such as tocols and phytosterols, looking for new sources of special oilseeds for this region. The results indicated that each species represents an interesting possibility. Nopal oilseed is a good source of linoleic acid (62%), with a good balance between SFA and MUFA (1: 1.3). Cherimoya oilseed presents quite a different composition, with 24% SFA, 43% MUFA and 33% PUFA. Palmitic and stearic acids (15% and 7.6%, respectively) are the main SFA. A good balance between oleic acid (42.7%) and linoleic acid (31%) was observed. Papaya oilseed is a highly MUFA oil (72% with 71% oleic acid), with a very interesting composition, according to the new nutritional and technological recommendations.With respect to bioactive compounds, the main tocol in these three oilseeds was gamma-tocopherol, with 136, 300 and 317 mg/kg for cherimoya, papaya and nopal oilseeds, respectively. According to the total tocol content, papaya oilseed presented the highest value with 384 mg/kg. The total amount and distribution of phytosterols was different, with values of 3092, 3554 and 5474 mg/kg for nopal, cherimoya and papaya oilseeds, respectively, with beta-sitosterol forming 47.6%, 65.0 % and 78.7% of the total phytosterol fractions, respectively. From the results obtained, Chilean papaya oilseed can be considered as a very promising new source of special plant oil for different applications, followed by cherimoya and nopal oilseeds.

A multi-screening approach for marine-derived fungal metabolites and the isolation of cyclodepsipeptides from Beauveria felina

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Desenvolvimento e caracterização de suportes porosos de polietileno de ultra alto peso molecular (PEUAPM) para utilização como biomaterial para reposição e regeneração óssea

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Dihydroisocoumarins produced by Xylaria sp and Penicillium sp., endophytic fungi associated with Piper aduncum and Alibertia macrophylla

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Cytotoxic Clerodane Diterpenoids from Casearia obliqua

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Natural products from Brazilian biodiversity as a source of new models for medicinal chemistry

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Geranylation of benzoic acid derivatives by enzymatic extracts from Piper crassinervium (Piperaceae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Comportamento térmico de composto ciclopaladados binucleares contendo azo-ligantes aniônicos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Folk uses and pharmacological properties of Casearia sylvestris: a medicinal review

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Planejamento racional de fármacos baseado em produtos naturais

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Ésteres triterpênicos de Himatanthus sucuuba (Spruce) Woodson

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Derivado cinamoílico com atividade no reparo de DNA e outras substâncias de Cinnamomum australe (Lauraceae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Atividade tripanocida de Piper arboreum e Piper tuberculatum (Piperaceae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)