BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SECRETION SKIN OF ANURAN Dermatonotus muelleri

• Grant number: 13/04250-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2013
• End date: February 28, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Chemistry of Macromolecules
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Carvalho Pimenta
• Grantee: Ingrid Duarte Cavalcante
• Host Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Venoms and animal secretions are among the most complex and rich sources of biological materials, i.e., new molecules with potential pharmaceutics and biotechnological applications. Therefore, the secretion of molecules isolated from amphibian skin may be used as alternatives for new drugs, such as combating resistant pathogens. Thus, this project aims to identify and characterize molecules presents in the skin secretion Dermatonotus muelleri (the sole species in the genus of the family Microhylidae) in order to isolate and biochemically characterize molecules with potential antimicrobial, antifungal (among other possible) effects, due to the lack of biochemical studies on species belonging to this family. An initial screening will be done with the antimicrobial action, since pathogenic micro-organisms have become increasingly resistant to the drugs used. New molecules are likely to provide other types of drugs that work to combat this resistance acquired over the years. In addition to that, isolated compounds will be tested on other biological assays according to their molecular features as well as their spectroscopic and / or spectrometric features.