Effects of andiroba oil (Carapa guianensis aublet) on the immune system in inflammation and wound healing: A scoping review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Andiroba seed oil (Carapa guianensis Aubl.) is widely used by traditional populations in tropical countries, especially in the Brazilian Amazon, because of its anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, antiseptic, healing and antipyretic properties, among others, which makes it useful for the treatment, mainly, of skin afflictions and wounds. AIM OF THE STUDY: To describe the modulation of the immune system by andiroba oil (Carapa guianensis Aubl.) in inflammation and wound healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A scoping review was performed, following the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and PRISMA for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). As inclusion criteria, in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, and clinical studies were selected, in Portuguese, English, or Spanish, in thirteen databases of published studies, gray literature, and references of the included studies, which deal with immune modulation by andiroba oil in the context of the various therapeutic applications that make use of its anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties. The selection of information sources was carried out by two independent reviewers between November 2022 and January 2023. The process of data extraction and evidence analysis was conducted by four pairs of independent reviewers between January and February 2023. RESULTS: 22 sources of evidence were included in this scoping review, mostly scientific articles published between 2005 and 2021 with in vivo sampling. The evidence suggests that andiroba oil reduces inflammation and promotes the healing of wounds of multiple etiologies by reducing leukocyte infiltration, increasing phagocytic activity, enhancing interleukin and inflammatory cytokine activity, promoting fibroblast recovery, increasing growth factors, reducing apoptotic cells, promoting reepithelialization, as well as promoting angiogenesis, reducing edema, and stimulating the production of glucocorticoids that alleviate pain. Additionally, different formulations of the oil (such as nanoemulsions, films and gels) are more effective in modulating inflammation and wound healing compared to in natura oil. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence in the literature suggests that andiroba oil (Carapa guianensis Aubl.) has positive effects on immune modulation in inflammation and wound healing, which makes it a biocompound with high therapeutic potential.

Combination of selol nanocapsules and magnetic hyperthermia hinders breast tumor growth in aged mice after a short-time treatment.

Short time treatment with reduced dosages of selol-loaded PLGA nanocapsules (NcSel) combined with magnetic hyperthermia (MHT) is evaluated in aged Erhlich tumor-bearing mice. Clinical, hematological, biochemical, genotoxic and histopathological parameters are assessed during 7 d treatment with NcSel and MHT, separately or combined. The time evolution of the tumor volume is successfully modeled using the logistic mathematical model. The combined therapy comprising NcSel and MHT is able to hinder primary tumor growth and a case of complete tumor remission is recorded. Moreover, no metastasis was diagnosed and the adverse effects are negligible. NcSel plus MHT may represent an effective and safe alternative to cancer control in aged patients. Future clinical trials are encouraged.

Oily core/amphiphilic polymer shell nanocapsules change the intracellular fate of doxorubicin in breast cancer cells.

The aim of this work was to develop and test the in vitro biological activity of nanocapsules loaded with a doxorubicin (DOX) free base dissolved in a core of castor oil shelled by poly(methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic anhydride) conjugated to n-octadecylamine residues. This system was stable and monodisperse, with a hydrodynamic diameter of about 300 nm. These nanocapsules changed the intracellular distribution of DOX, from the nuclei to the cytoplasm, and exhibited higher toxicity towards cancer cells - 4T1 and MCF-7 - and significantly lower toxicity towards normal cells - NIH-3T3 and MCF-10A - in vitro. In conclusion, these nanocapsules are suitable DOX carriers, which remain to be studied in in vivo tumor models.

Antibacterial, antibiofilm and cytotoxic activities of Terminalia fagifolia Mart. extract and fractions.

BACKGROUND: The methicillin resistance of bacteria from the genus Staphylococcus and its ability to form biofilms are important factors in pathogenesis of these microorganisms. Thus, the search for new antimicrobials agents, especially from plants, has been intensified. In this context, Terminalia species have been the subject of research for many pharmacological activities. In this study we evaluated the antibacterial, antibiofilm and cytotoxic activities of the ethanol extract (EtE) from Terminalia fagifolia stem bark as well as that of three fractions of the extract (AqF, HaF and WSF). METHODS: We determined the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) by microdilution in 96-well plates, where the strains were exposed to serial dilutions of the ethanol extract and fractions, ranging from 12.5 to 400 µg/mL. We then determined the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), seeding the inoculum (10 µL) with concentrations equal to or greater than the MIC in Mueller-Hinton agar. To test the antibiofilm activity biofilm formation was induced in the presence of concentrations equivalent to 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 of the MIC extract or fraction tested. In addition, the effect of the EtE and the fractions on cell viability was tested by the MTT assay on human MCF-7 breast cancer and mouse fibroblast NIH/3T3. To obtain high-resolution images of the effect of the aqueous fraction on the bacterial morphology, atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging of treated S. aureus cells was performed. RESULTS: We observed antibacterial activity of EtE and fractions with MICs ranging from 25-200 µg/mL and MBCs ranging from 200-400 µg/mL. Regarding antibiofilm activity, both the EtE as the AqF, HaF and WSF fractions showed significant inhibition of the biofilm formation, with inhibition of biofilms formation of over 80% for some strains. The EtE and fractions showed a moderate cytotoxicity in cell line NIH/3T3 viability and potential antitumoral activity on human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. The microscopic images obtained revealed morphological changes to the S. aureus ATCC 29213 surface caused by AqF, as well as significant size alterations. CONCLUSIONS: The results show potential antibacterial, antibiofilm and antitumoral activities of the ethanol extract and fractions of T. fagifolia.