Evidence of malarial chemoprophylaxis among travellers who died from malaria: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Chemoprophylaxis is a prevention method for malaria during travel in malaria-endemic countries. This study aimed to collate and synthesize the evidence of malarial chemoprophylaxis among malaria death cases. METHODS: Studies documenting malarial chemoprophylaxis related to malaria deaths were searched in PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL until 3 July 2022. The pooled proportion of malarial chemoprophylaxis among death cases was synthesized using logit transformation and back transformation to a proportion performed using generalized linear mixed models. The pooled log odds ratio (log-OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of malarial chemoprophylaxis in death cases compared to survivors were synthesized. RESULTS: Fifty-eight studies were included in the systematic review and the meta-analysis. Of 602 pooled malaria death cases, the number of patients who took chemoprophylaxis was 187 (30%) (95% CI 22-40, P < 0.01, 58 studies), and those who took adequate chemoprophylaxis were 24 (5%) (95% CI 2-13, P < 0.01, 42 studies). A comparable log-OR of underwent chemoprophylaxis was observed between malaria death cases and survivors (P = 0.94, pooled log-OR: - 0.02, 95% CI - 0.46-0.42, I2: 0%, 17 studies). Similarly, a comparable log-OR of adequate chemoprophylaxis was identified between malaria death cases and survivors (P = 0.15, pooled log-OR: 0.83, 95% CI - 0.30-1.97, I2: 47.08%, 11 studies). CONCLUSIONS: Among the studies where malarial chemoprophylaxis was reported, approximately 30% of malaria death cases had taken such prophylaxis. Notably, only 5% of these cases adhered fully or adequately to the recommended chemoprophylactic regimen. However, the analysis did not reveal a significant difference in the odds of malarial chemoprophylaxis between malaria death cases and survivors.

Gametocyte prevalence and risk factors of P. falciparum malaria patients admitted at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Thailand: a 20-year retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of malaria in Thailand has dramatically declined over the past two decades, and the goal is to eliminate malaria by 2025. Despite significant progress, one of the key challenges to malaria elimination are undetected gametocyte carriers. Human migration adds complexity to the malaria situation, as it not only sustains local transmission but also poses the risk of spreading drug-resistant parasites. Currently, no study has assessed the prevalence of gametocytes across multiple years in Plasmodium falciparum malaria patients in Thailand, and the risk factors for gametocyte carriage have not been fully explored. METHODS: Medical records of all P. falciparum malaria patients admitted from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2020 at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Thailand, were retrospectively examined and a total of 1962 records were included for analysis. Both P. falciparum parasites and gametocytes were diagnosed by microscopy. A regression model was used to evaluate predictors of gametocyte carriage. RESULTS: The study demonstrated gametocyte prevalence in low malaria transmission areas. Nine risk factors for gametocyte carriage were identified: age between 15 and 24 years [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18-3.26], Karen ethnicity (aOR = 2.59, 95% CI 1.56-4.29), preadmission duration of fever > 7 days (aOR = 5.40, 95% CI 3.92-7.41), fever on admission (> 37.5 °C) (aOR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.48-0.77), haemoglobin ≤ 8 g/dL (aOR = 3.32, 95% CI 2.06-5.33), asexual parasite density > 5000-25,000/µL (aOR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.52-0.98), asexual parasite density > 25,000-100,000/µL (aOR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.53-1.03), asexual parasite density > 100,000/µL (aOR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.36-0.72), platelet count ≤ 100,000/µL (aOR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.50-0.85, clinical features of severe malaria (aOR = 2.33, 95% CI 1.76-3.10) and dry season (aOR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.10-1.80). An increasing incidence of imported transnational malaria cases was observed over the past two decades. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to determine the prevalence of gametocytes among patients with symptomatic P. falciparum malaria, identify the risk factors for gametocyte carriage, and potential gametocyte carriers in Thailand. Blocking transmission is one of the key strategies for eliminating malaria in these areas. The results might provide important information for targeting gametocyte carriers and improving the allocation of resources for malaria control in Thailand. This study supports the already nationally recommended use of a single dose of primaquine in symptomatic P. falciparum malaria patients to clear gametocytes.

Acinetobacter baumannii in suspected bacterial infections: Association between multidrug resistance, virulence genes, & biofilm production.

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as a nosocomial pathogen with a tendency of high antibiotic resistance and biofilm production. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of A. baumannii from different clinical specimens of suspected bacterial infections and furthermore to see the association of biofilm production with multidrug resistance and expression of virulence factor genes in A. baumannii. METHODS: A. baumannii was confirmed in clinical specimens by the detection of the blaOXA-51-like gene. Biofilm production was tested by microtitre plate assay and virulence genes were detected by real-time PCR. RESULTS: A. baumannii was isolated from a total of 307 clinical specimens. The isolate which showed the highest number of A. baumannii was an endotracheal tube specimen (44.95%), then sputum (19.54%), followed by pus (17.26%), urine (7.49%) and blood (5.86%), and <2 per cent from body fluids, catheter-tips and urogenital specimens. A resistance rate of 70-81.43 per cent against all antibiotics tested, except colistin and tigecycline, was noted, and 242 (78.82%) isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR). Biofilm was detected in 205 (66.78%) with a distribution of 54.1 per cent weak, 10.42 per cent medium and 2.28 per cent strong biofilms. 71.07 per cent of MDR isolates produce biofilm (P<0.05). Amongst virulence factor genes, 281 (91.53%) outer membrane protein A (OmpA) and 98 (31.92%) biofilm-associated protein (Bap) were detected. Amongst 100 carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii, the blaOXA-23-like gene was predominant (96%), the blaOXA-58-like gene (6%) and none harboured the blaOXA-24-like gene. The metallo-ß-lactamase genes blaIMP-1 (4%) and blaVIM-1(8%) were detected, and 76 per cent showed the insertion sequence ISAba1. INTERPRETATION CONCLUSIONS: The majority of isolates studied were from lower respiratory tract specimens. The high MDR rate and its positive association with biofilm formation indicate the nosocomial distribution of A. baumannii. The biofilm formation and the presence of Bap were not interrelated, indicating that biofilm formation was not regulated by a single factor. The MDR rate and the presence of OmpA and Bap showed a positive association (P<0.05). The isolates co-harbouring different carbapenem resistance genes were the predominant biofilm producers, which will seriously limit the therapeutic options suggesting the need for strict antimicrobial stewardship and molecular surveillance in hospitals.

Hirsutine, an Emerging Natural Product with Promising Therapeutic Benefits: A Systematic Review.

Fruits and vegetables are used not only for nutritional purposes but also as therapeutics to treat various diseases and ailments. These food items are prominent sources of phytochemicals that exhibit chemopreventive and therapeutic effects against several diseases. Hirsutine (HSN) is a naturally occurring indole alkaloid found in various Uncaria species and has a multitude of therapeutic benefits. It is found in foodstuffs such as fish, seafood, meat, poultry, dairy, and some grain products among other things. In addition, it is present in fruits and vegetables including corn, cauliflower, mushrooms, potatoes, bamboo shoots, bananas, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits. The primary emphasis of this study is to summarize the pharmacological activities and the underlying mechanisms of HSN against different diseases, as well as the biopharmaceutical features. For this, data were collected (up to date as of 1 July 2023) from various reliable and authentic literature by searching different academic search engines, including PubMed, Springer Link, Scopus, Wiley Online, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Findings indicated that HSN exerts several effects in various preclinical and pharmacological experimental systems. It exhibits anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-diabetic, and antioxidant activities with beneficial effects in neurological and cardiovascular diseases. Our findings also indicate that HSN exerts promising anticancer potentials via several molecular mechanisms, including apoptotic cell death, induction of oxidative stress, cytotoxic effect, anti-proliferative effect, genotoxic effect, and inhibition of cancer cell migration and invasion against various cancers such as lung, breast, and antitumor effects in human T-cell leukemia. Taken all together, findings from this study show that HSN can be a promising therapeutic agent to treat various diseases including cancer.

Anticancer Potentials of the Lignan Magnolin: A Systematic Review.

Magnolin is a naturally occurring, multi-bioactive lignan molecule with inherent anticancer effects. This study aims to summarize the botanical origins and anticancer properties of magnolin. For this, a recent (as of March 2023) literature review was conducted using various academic search engines, including PubMed, Springer Link, Wiley Online, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. All the currently available information about this phytochemical and its role in various cancer types has been gathered and investigated. Magnolin is a compound found in many different plants. It has been demonstrated to have anticancer activity in numerous experimental models by inhibiting the cell cycle (G1 and G2/M phase); inducing apoptosis; and causing antiinvasion, antimetastasis, and antiproliferative effects via the modulation of several pathways. In conclusion, magnolin showed robust anticancer activity against many cancer cell lines by altering several cancer signaling pathways in various non- and pre-clinical experimental models, making it a promising plant-derived chemotherapeutic option for further clinical research.

Plant Polyphenols and Their Potential Benefits on Cardiovascular Health: A Review.

Fruits, vegetables, and other food items contain phytochemicals or secondary metabolites which may be considered non-essential nutrients but have medicinal importance. These dietary phytochemicals exhibit chemopreventive and therapeutic effects against numerous diseases. Polyphenols are secondary metabolites found in vegetables, fruits, and grains. These compounds exhibit several health benefits such as immune modulators, vasodilators, and antioxidants. This review focuses on recent studies on using dietary polyphenols to treat cardiovascular disorders, atherosclerosis, and vascular endothelium deficits. We focus on exploring the safety of highly effective polyphenols to ensure their maximum impact on cardiac abnormalities and discuss recent epidemiological evidence and intervention trials related to these properties. Kaempferol, quercetin, and resveratrol prevent oxidative stress by regulating proteins that induce oxidation in heart tissues. In addition, polyphenols modulate the tone of the endothelium of vessels by releasing nitric oxide (NO) and reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation to prevent atherosclerosis. In cardiomyocytes, polyphenols suppress the expression of inflammatory markers and inhibit the production of inflammation markers to exert an anti-inflammatory response. Consequently, heart diseases such as strokes, hypertension, heart failure, and ischemic heart disease could be prevented by dietary polyphenols.

Plectranthus Species with Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Potential: A Systematic Review on Ethnobotanical and Pharmacological Findings.

The use of medicinal plants to treat inflammatory conditions and painful processes has attracted the attention of scientists and health professionals due to the evidence that natural products can promote significant therapeutic benefits associated with fewer adverse effects compared to conventional anti-inflammatory drugs. The genus Plectranthus is composed of various plants with pharmacological potential, which are used to treat various diseases in traditional communities worldwide. The present study systematically reviewed Plectranthus species with anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential. To this end, a systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. The search was conducted on the following databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect, SciVerse Scopus, and Web of Science. Different combinations of search terms were used to ensure more excellent article coverage. After the selection, a total of 45 articles were included in this review. This study identified twelve Plectranthus species indicated for the treatment of different inflammatory conditions, such as wounds, fever, bronchitis, abscess, asthma, hepatitis, labyrinthitis, tonsillitis, and uterine inflammation. The indications for pain conditions included headache, sore throat, heartburn, menstrual cramp, colic, toothache, stomachache, migraine, chest pain, abdominal pain, local pain, labor pain, and recurring pain. Among the listed species, ten plants were found to be used according to traditional knowledge, although only four of them have been experimentally studied. When assessing the methodological quality of preclinical in vivo assays, most items presented a risk of bias. The SR results revealed the existence of different Plectranthus species used to treat inflammation and pain. The results of this systematic review indicate that Plectranthus species have the potential to be used in the treatment of diseases with an inflammatory component, as well as in the management of pain. However, given the risk of biases, the experimental analysis of these species through preclinical testing is crucial for their safe and effective use.

Social restriction versus herd immunity policies in the early phase of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: A mathematical modelling study.

BACKGROUND: Two main strategies to cope with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-lockdown (social restriction) and non-lockdown (herd immunity plan)-have been implemented in several countries. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to statistically compare the outcomes of the two strategies, represented by data from Thailand and Sweden, respectively. METHODS: Data for COVID-19 pandemic control from Thailand, representing social restriction, versus data from Sweden, representing the herd immunity plan, collected from January 13 to May 31, 2020, were analyzed by using the SIR (susceptible, infectious, recovered) model. RESULTS: The SIR model analysis demonstrated a beneficial effect of each model on the attenuation of the mortality rate, with lower mortality in social restriction and shorter overall pandemic duration in the herd immunity plan. However, the herd immunity plan demonstrated a higher mortality rate than social restriction (46.9% versus 1.9%) despite the later entry of the virus in Sweden. When the SIR model was used for predicting the COVID-19 status, Sweden was shown to likely end its COVID-19 epidemic earlier than Thailand (268 vs. 368 days). With the nonlinear estimation, at least one log difference between total confirmed cases versus active cases could be used as an indicator for relaxation of the lockdown policy in Thailand. CONCLUSIONS: Both the social restriction and herd immunity plans are beneficial for COVID-19 pandemic control in terms of the amelioration of pandemic mortality. The cumulative number of total recovered cases might be a potential parameter that could be used for determining the policy direction for COVID-19 control.

Synthesis of M-Ag3PO4, (M = Se, Ag, Ta) Nanoparticles and Their Antibacterial and Cytotoxicity Study.

Silver Phosphate, Ag3PO4, being a highly capable clinical molecule, an ultrasonic method was employed to synthesize the M-Ag3PO4, (M = Se, Ag, Ta) nanoparticles which were evaluated for antibacterial and cytotoxicity activities post-characterization. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were used for antibacterial testing and the effects of sonication on bacterial growth with sub-MIC values of M-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were examined. The effect of M-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles on human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) and human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa cells) was examined by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) assay and DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining. Additionally, we analyzed the effect of nanoparticles on normal and non-cancerous human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293). Ag-Ag3PO4 exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity followed by Ta-Ag3PO4, Ag3PO4, and Se-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles against E. coli. Whereas the order of antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus was Ag3PO4 > Ag-Ag3PO4 > Ta-Ag3PO4 > Se-Ag3PO4, respectively. Percentage inhibition of E. coli was 98.27, 74.38, 100, and 94.2%, while percentage inhibition of S. aureus was 25.53, 80.28, 99.36, and 20.22% after treatment with Ag3PO4, Se-Ag3PO4, Ag-Ag3PO4, and Ta-Ag3PO4, respectively. The MTT assay shows a significant decline in the cell viability after treating with M-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles. The IC50 values for Ag3PO4, Se-Ag3PO4, Ag-Ag3PO4, and Ta-Ag3PO4 on HCT-116 were 39.44, 28.33, 60.24, 58.34 µg/mL; whereas for HeLa cells, they were 65.25, 61.27, 75.52, 72.82 µg/mL, respectively. M-Ag3PO4 nanoparticles did not inhibit HEK-293 cells. Apoptotic assay revealed that the numbers of DAPI stained cells were significantly lower in the M-Ag3PO4-treated cells versus control.

Dietary Polyphenols: Extraction, Identification, Bioavailability, and Role for Prevention and Treatment of Colorectal and Prostate Cancers.

Fruits, vegetables, and other edible plants in our diet have numerous health benefits, due to the bioactive compounds in these food items, including polyphenols. These plants are a rich and promising source of natural products and phytochemicals that can be used to treat and prevent numerous diseases and prevent the progression of cancer. Dietary polyphenols exhibit chemo-preventive and therapeutic effects against various ailments, including several types of cancer. The current study focuses on polyphenol's traditional and advanced extraction methods, with supercritical extraction as a novel approach. It also deals with their identification, bioavailability, and role in preventing and treating colorectal and prostate cancers. Additionally, the article covers the literature that deals with the anticancer activities of polyphenols, as well as their potential use as anticancer agents.

Neuroinflammatory Markers: Key Indicators in the Pathology of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Neuroinflammation, a protective response of the central nervous system (CNS), is associated with the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. The CNS is composed of neurons and glial cells consisting of microglia, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes. Entry of any foreign pathogen activates the glial cells (astrocytes and microglia) and overactivation of these cells triggers the release of various neuroinflammatory markers (NMs), such as the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-1ß (IL-10), nitric oxide (NO), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), among others. Various studies have shown the role of neuroinflammatory markers in the occurrence, diagnosis, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. These markers also trigger the formation of various other factors responsible for causing several neuronal diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), multiple sclerosis (MS), ischemia, and several others. This comprehensive review aims to reveal the mechanism of neuroinflammatory markers (NMs), which could cause different neurodegenerative disorders. Important NMs may represent pathophysiologic processes leading to the generation of neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, various molecular alterations related to neurodegenerative diseases are discussed. Identifying these NMs may assist in the early diagnosis and detection of therapeutic targets for treating various neurodegenerative diseases.

Exploring the Immune-Boosting Functions of Vitamins and Minerals as Nutritional Food Bioactive Compounds: A Comprehensive Review.

Food components have long been recognized to play a fundamental role in the growth and development of the human body, conferring protective functionalities against foreign matter that can be severe public health problems. Micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals are essential to the human body, and individuals must meet their daily requirements through dietary sources. Micronutrients act as immunomodulators and protect the host immune response, thus preventing immune evasion by pathogenic organisms. Several experimental investigations have been undertaken to appraise the immunomodulatory functions of vitamins and minerals. Based on these experimental findings, this review describes the immune-boosting functionalities of micronutrients and the mechanisms of action through which these functions are mediated. Deficiencies of vitamins and minerals in plasma concentrations can lead to a reduction in the performance of the immune system functioning, representing a key contributor to unfavorable immunological states. This review provides a descriptive overview of the characteristics of the immune system and the utilization of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in preventative strategies designed to reduce morbidity and mortality among patients suffering from immune invasions or autoimmune disorders.

Mechanisms, Anti-Quorum-Sensing Actions, and Clinical Trials of Medicinal Plant Bioactive Compounds against Bacteria: A Comprehensive Review.

Bacterial strains have developed an ability to resist antibiotics via numerous mechanisms. Recently, researchers conducted several studies to identify natural bioactive compounds, particularly secondary metabolites of medicinal plants, such as terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, as antibacterial agents. These molecules exert several mechanisms of action at different structural, cellular, and molecular levels, which could make them candidates or lead compounds for developing natural antibiotics. Research findings revealed that these bioactive compounds can inhibit the synthesis of DNA and proteins, block oxidative respiration, increase membrane permeability, and decrease membrane integrity. Furthermore, recent investigations showed that some bacterial strains resist these different mechanisms of antibacterial agents. Researchers demonstrated that this resistance to antibiotics is linked to a microbial cell-to-cell communication system called quorum sensing (QS). Consequently, inhibition of QS or quorum quenching is a promising strategy to not only overcome the resistance problems but also to treat infections. In this respect, various bioactive molecules, including terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, exhibit numerous anti-QS mechanisms via the inhibition of auto-inducer releases, sequestration of QS-mediated molecules, and deregulation of QS gene expression. However, clinical applications of these molecules have not been fully covered, which limits their use against infectious diseases. Accordingly, the aim of the present work was to discuss the role of the QS system in bacteria and its involvement in virulence and resistance to antibiotics. In addition, the present review summarizes the most recent and relevant literature pertaining to the anti-quorum sensing of secondary metabolites and its relationship to antibacterial activity.

Vegetables and Their Bioactive Compounds as Anti-Aging Drugs.

Aging is a continuous process over time that is mainly related to natural alterations in mechanical-biological processes. This phenomenon is due to several factors, including the time and energy of biological processes. Aging can be attributed to biological factors such as oxidative stress, cell longevity, and stem cell senescence. Currently, aging is associated with several diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and other diseases related to oxidative stress. In addition, certain natural molecules, including those derived from vegetables, have shown the ability to delay the aging process. Their effects are linked to different mechanisms of action, such as tissue regeneration and the activation of longevity and anti-senescence genes. The present work discusses the impact of vegetables, and bioactive compounds isolated from vegetables, against the physiological and pathological aging process and accompanying human diseases.

Natural Bioactive Compounds Targeting Histone Deacetylases in Human Cancers: Recent Updates.

Cancer is a complex pathology that causes a large number of deaths worldwide. Several risk factors are involved in tumor transformation, including epigenetic factors. These factors are a set of changes that do not affect the DNA sequence, while modifying the gene's expression. Histone modification is an essential mark in maintaining cellular memory and, therefore, loss of this mark can lead to tumor transformation. As these epigenetic changes are reversible, the use of molecules that can restore the functions of the enzymes responsible for the changes is therapeutically necessary. Natural molecules, mainly those isolated from medicinal plants, have demonstrated significant inhibitory properties against enzymes related to histone modifications, particularly histone deacetylases (HDACs). Flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolic acids, and alkaloids exert significant inhibitory effects against HDAC and exhibit promising epi-drug properties. This suggests that epi-drugs against HDAC could prevent and treat various human cancers. Accordingly, the present study aimed to evaluate the pharmacodynamic action of different natural compounds extracted from medicinal plants against the enzymatic activity of HDAC.

Evaluation of the In Vitro Antiparasitic Effect of the Essential Oil of Cymbopogon winterianus and Its Chemical Composition Analysis.

Cymbopogon winterianus, known as "citronella grass", is an important aromatic and medicinal tropical herbaceous plant. The essential oil of C. winterianus (EOCw) is popularly used to play an important role in improving human health due to its potential as a bioactive component. The present study aimed to identify the components of the essential oil of C. winterianus and verify its leishmanicidal and trypanocidal potential, as well as the cytotoxicity in mammalian cells, in vitro. The EOCw had geraniol (42.13%), citronellal (17.31%), and citronellol (16.91%) as major constituents. The essential oil only exhibited significant cytotoxicity in mammalian fibroblasts at concentrations greater than 250 µg/mL, while regarding antipromastigote and antiepimastigote activities, they presented values considered clinically relevant, since both had LC50 < 62.5 µg/mL. It can be concluded that this is a pioneer study on the potential of the essential oil of C. winterianus and its use against the parasites T. cruzi and L. brasiliensis, and its importance is also based on this fact. Additionally, according to the results, C. winterianus was effective in presenting values of clinical relevance and low toxicity and, therefore, an indicator of popular use.

Solanaceae Family Phytochemicals as Inhibitors of 3C-Like Protease of SARS-CoV-2: An In Silico Analysis.

COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, emerged in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China. As of 8 April 2022, the virus has caused a global pandemic, resulting in 494,587,638 infections leading to 6,170,283 deaths around the world. Although several vaccines have received emergency authorization from USA and UK drug authorities and two more in Russia and China, it is too early to comment on the prolonged effectiveness of the vaccines, their availability, and affordability for the developing countries of the world, and the daunting task to vaccinate 7 billion people of the world with two doses of the vaccine with additional booster doses. As a result, it is still worthwhile to search for drugs and several promising leads have been found, mainly through in silico studies. In this study, we have examined the binding energies of several alkaloids and anthocyanin derivatives from the Solanaceae family, a family which contains common consumable vegetables and fruit items such as eggplant, pepper, and tomatoes. Our study demonstrates that Solanaceae family alkaloids such as incanumine and solaradixine, as well as anthocyanins and anthocyanidins, have very high predicted binding energies for the 3C-like protease of SARS-CoV-2 (also known as Mpro). Since Mpro is vital for SARS-CoV-2 replication, the compounds merit potential for further antiviral research towards the objective of obtaining affordable drugs.

Can Artemisia herba-alba Be Useful for Managing COVID-19 and Comorbidities?

The focus of this roadmap is to evaluate the possible efficacy of Artemisia herba-alba Asso. (Asteraceae) for the treatment of COVID-19 and some of its symptoms and several comorbidities using a combination of in silico (molecular docking) studies, reported ethnic uses, and pharmacological activity studies of this plant. In this exploratory study, we show that various phytochemicals from Artemisia herba-alba can be useful against COVID-19 (in silico studies) and for its associated comorbidities. COVID-19 is a new disease, so reports of any therapeutic treatments against it (traditional or conventional) are scanty. On the other hand, we demonstrate, using Artemisia herba-alba as an example, that through a proper search and identification of medicinal plant(s) and their phytochemicals identification using secondary data (published reports) on the plant's ethnic uses, phytochemical constituents, and pharmacological activities against COVID-19 comorbidities and symptoms coupled with the use of primary data obtained from in silico (molecular docking and molecular dynamics) studies on the binding of the selected plant's phytochemicals (such as: rutin, 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, and schaftoside) with various vital components of SARS-CoV-2, it may be possible to rapidly identify plants that are suitable for further research regarding therapeutic use against COVID-19 and its associated symptoms and comorbidities.

A Potential New Source of Therapeutic Agents for the Treatment of Mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis: The Essential Oil of Rhaphiodon echinus.

Weeds are an important source of natural products; with promising biological activity. This study investigated the anti-kinetoplastida potential (in vitro) to evaluate the cytotoxicity (in vitro) and antioxidant capacity of the essential oil of Rhaphiodon echinus (EORe), which is an infesting plant species. The essential oil was analyzed by GC/MS. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated by reduction of the DPPH radical and Fe3+ ion. The clone Trypanosoma cruzi CL-B5 was used to search for anti-epimastigote activity. Antileishmanial activity was determined using promastigotes of Leishmania braziliensis (MHOM/CW/88/UA301). NCTC 929 fibroblasts were used for the cytotoxicity test. The results showed that the main constituent of the essential oil was γ-elemene. No relevant effect was observed concerning the ability to reduce the DPPH radical; only at the concentration of 480 µg/mL did the essential oil demonstrate a high reduction of Fe3+ power. The oil was active against L. brasiliensis promastigotes; but not against the epimastigote form of T. cruzi. Cytotoxicity for mammalian cells was low at the active concentration capable of killing more than 70% of promastigote forms. The results revealed that the essential oil of R. echinus showed activity against L. brasiliensis; positioning itself as a promising agent for antileishmanial therapies.

Bioactive Natural Products for Chemical Control of Microorganisms: Scientific Prospecting (2001-2021) and Systematic Review.

The inappropriate use of synthetic antibiotics has become a global public health problem. Therefore, the study of new alternatives for the treatment of infectious diseases is relevant and natural bioactive products are on the rise. This study conducted a scientific prospection of bioactive natural products with promising applications in the chemical control of microorganisms. A systematic review of the most recent articles was performed according to the following three steps: (i) eligibility assessment, (ii) screening, and (iii) inclusion of articles and information extraction. There has been an increase in the number of scientific publications on bioactive natural products for microbial control in the CAPES and SciELO databases (2001-2021). Seventeen relevant articles were included, most of which focused on extracts. Ascorbic acid, chlorogenic acid, chrysin, and quercetin were the most cited compounds. Natural products were shown to be effective in inhibiting more than 30 microorganisms. A discussion was presented on the research trends.