| Grant number: | 05/04040-0 |
| Support Opportunities: | Regular Research Grants |
| Duration: | March 01, 2006 - July 31, 2008 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms |
| Principal Investigator: | Ana Lucia Fachin Saltoratto |
| Grantee: | Ana Lucia Fachin Saltoratto |
| Host Institution: | Universidade de Ribeirão Preto (UNAERP). Campus Ribeirão Preto. Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil |
Abstract
The study of medicinal plants has attracted the scientific interest, since they are considered source of biomolecules with different structure and novel mechanisms of action. Medicinal plants drug discovery continues to provide new and important leads against various pharmacological targets including cancer, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer's and malaria. Anemopaegma arvense and Jacaranda decurrens are vulnerable species of plants selected as targets for this proposal due to their economical use as a source of bioactive molecules and also because they are under risk of extinction. These species are widely used in folk medicine due to their pharmacological properties such as antiviral, antifungal, anticarcinogenic, immunoregulatory, hepatoprotector, antibacterial mainly because of the presence of cinchonina, the ursolic acid and the oleanolic acid (triterpenes). The presence of these substances suggests that A. arvense and J. decurrens possess a powerful therapeutical activity, on some illnesses, such as cancer and/or the fungal infections caused by multiple resistance drugs dermatophytes (MDR). ABC transporters (ATP-Binding Cassette) are highly conserved ATPases from bacteria to man involved in drug trafficking. Members of this large protein family account for transport of a large number of toxicants and have become well known for their involvement in multidrug resistance (MDR) of human tumor cells of chemically unrelated drugs. Similar effects were described in microrganisms, including the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum. Mutants of T.rubrum with one disrupted ABC transporter-encoding gene, which are sensible to drugs, can be used as tools to assay new compounds with specific antifungal activity. This study claims to characterize the biological activity of crude extracts from A. arvense and J. decurrens in order to evaluate the antitumoral and antifungal properties in human tumor cells, wild isolate and ΔABC mutant of T. rubrum. Based on the characterization of active principles, the study of these plants intends to collaborate for the valuation of the Brazilian biodiversity, in addition to the stimulation of the Brazilian pharmaceutical industry to invest in phytotherapy production. (AU)
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