Biosynthetic studies through feeding experiments in Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. hairy roots.

Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. is a medicinal plant of the Asteraceae family, and several extracts and isolated compounds of E. prostrata (L.) L. showed a wide range of biological activities such as antimicrobial, anticancer, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, hair growth promoting activities, and more recently against covid-19. Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. hairy roots produce wedelolactone (WL), demethylwedelolactone (DWL) and 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3,5-diCQA), and there is no data in literature regarding biosynthetic pathways are involved. To verify the biosynthetic route, feeding experiments were carried out using sodium [2-13C]acetate, [3-13C]dl-phenylalanine, and 13C-labeled compounds (WL, DWL and 3,5-diCQA) were detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTOF-MS). Analysis showed that the metabolic pathways operative of coumestans (WL and DWL) are derived from acetate and shikimate pathways, while that the phenylpropanoid (3,5-diCQA) biosynthesis is exclusively from shikimate pathway. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11240-022-02342-0.

Repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on athletes: a cross-sectional study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges and implications for the sports community. Thus, this study aimed to describe the prevalence of COVID-19 in Brazilian athletes and identify the epidemiological, clinical, athletic, life and health factors associated with the disease in these individuals. A cross-sectional study was performed involving 414 athletes from 22 different sports using an online questionnaire from August to November 2020. The association between the athletes' characteristics and COVID-19 was evaluated using a logistic regression model. The prevalence of COVID-19 was 8.5%, although only 40% of athletes reported having been tested. Being under 27 years of age (3-fold), having children (~5-fold), having a teammate test positive for COVID-19 (2.5-fold), and smoking (14-fold) were associated with a possible higher risk of disease. Almost 20% of athletes self-reported musculoskeletal injuries during the period of the pandemic that was studied. Athletes with a university education (P = 0.02), a profession other than sports (P < 0.001), those from a low-income family (P = 0.01), and public health system users (P = 0.04) were significantly less frequently tested for COVID-19, whereas international competitors, athletes who received a wage, and athletes who had a teammate who tested positive for COVID-19 were 2-, 3-, and 15-fold more likely to be tested for COVID-19, respectively. Approximately 26% of the athletes who tested negative or were untested reported more than three characteristic COVID-19 symptoms, and 11% of athletes who tested positive for COVID-19 were asymptomatic. The identification of modifiable (have children, smoking, and teammates positively tested) and non-modifiable (age under 27 years) factors related to COVID-19 in athletes can contribute to implementing surveillance programmes to decrease the incidence of COVID-19 in athletes and its negative impacts in sports.