Study of antiviral activity of extracts of bacteria isolated and identified from termite mounds

• Grant number: 11/08962-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: December 01, 2011
• End date: November 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Clarice Weis Arns
• Grantee: Clarice Weis Arns
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Fabiana Fantinatti Garboggini ; Luciana Konecny Kohn ; Roberto Gomes de Souza Berlinck

Abstract

Diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses are still a major problem in public health. Several of these infections have no effective treatment beyond symptomatic only that the development of resistance to current chemotherapy. In traditional medicine, termites are used to treat different diseases in various parts of the world. The widespread use of medicines made from termites and / or their nests and the eyewitness account of its users about its effectiveness to suggest that, probably, this effectiveness can be attributed to the bioactive compounds produced by Bacillus and actinomycetes present in the nest termites. Aiming to perform a screening to search for substances with antiviral action from extracts of microorganisms obtained from termites, using virus nucleic acid with RNA and DNA, and non-enveloped and enveloped viruses. The viruses selected for this study were Bovine Herpesvirus type 1 (enveloped DNA virus), avian Metapneumovirus (enveloped RNA virus) and porcine parvovirus (not enveloped DNA virus). In future we also perform the analysis with other antiviral viral strains, such as species of retroviruses and influenzavirus, among others. One consideration to be emphasized is that these viruses belong to families that elected representatives are also causing serious infections in humans. The bacteria used in this study were isolated from termites by Vargas de Freitas Bomfim in three distinct areas in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Will be extracted, quantification and molecular characterization of these strains c. This project proposes the study of potential antiviral agents from microorganisms associated with termite mounds. (AU)