BIOTRANSFORMATION OF NAPHTOQUINONES BY FILAMENTOUS FUNGI AND GASTROINTESTINAL BACTERIA AND EVALUATION OF CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF THE OBTAINED DERIVATIVES

• Grant number: 12/01468-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2012
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Niege Araçari Jacometti Cardoso Furtado
• Grantee: Marcela Etchebehere Severiano
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The human gastrointestinal tract possesses a great variety of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria which are capable of catalysing metabolic reactions of reduction, hydrolysis and heterocyclic ring rupture generating non-polar low molecular weight metabolites. Filamentous fungi are eukaryotic organisms and the enzymatic apparatus is similar to those of mammals producing polar high molecular weight metabolites via oxidation and conjugation. Quinones are widespread in nature and are used as colorant in cosmetics and foods, besides its application in medicine as antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, among others. The naphthoquinones are quinones with a naftalenic ring. There are manuscripts in the literature that describes the formation of cytotoxic quinones after oxidative metabolism of some xenobiotics. The aim of this work is to investigate the action of gastrointestinal bacteria,including probiotic strains, and filamentous fungi above naphthoquinones with different structural skeleton. The extracts from the cultures containing biotransformation products will be submitted to different chromatographic procedures in order to obtain isolated compounds, which will have their chemical structures elucidated and the majority compounds will be evaluated regarding their toxicity. The studies developed in order to understand the metabolism of naphthoquinones may also contribute to the understanding of the steps of biotransformation of drugs with related structures.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SEVERIANO, Marcela Etchebehere. Biotransformation of naphthoquinones by filamentous fungi and bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract and evaluation of the cytotoxic activity of the derivatives. 2016. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC) Ribeirão Preto.