Identification of new bioactive secondary metabolites from microalgae by integrated analytical approaches

• Grant number: 15/22742-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: February 01, 2016
• End date: February 28, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Ernani Pinto Junior
• Grantee: Lívia Soman de Medeiros
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) encompass a constant challenge in environmental, economical and biosafety issues due to several impacts caused in the affected ecosystems by them, in particular that ones involving the production of phycotoxins. Seafood contamination has commonly led to human poisoning and also to expressive losses in the fisheries and aquaculture industries, printing a current and global concern. Despite the fact that many secondary metabolites from microalgae are known, the chemodiversity from several species seems to be unclear and not so explored. In this sense, the prospecting of the biosynthetic potential from these microorganisms can boost the discovery of untapped compounds and mainly to assist in seafood risk assessment programs. Owing to these perspectives, the project aims the chemical investigation of the secondary metabolism of microalgae from Prymnesium and Cylindrospermopsis (cyanobacteria) genus, by the use of integrated analytical approaches. Studies of HRMS based molecular networking as well as UHPLC-HRMS and HRMS/MS based dereplication will be applied in combination to microbial compounds data base queries. The strategy will further faster and more effective screenings from unknown metabolites produced by the species, in different incubation media. The use of semi-preparative chromatography and NMR-1/2D data analysis will respectively enable the isolation and the structural elucidation of the target compounds. The new molecules produced by species of Prymnesium and Cylindrospermopsis will be evaluated according to their ichthyotoxicity and toxic activity in human cells. The obtained results will support a better comprehension about the chemical mechanisms involving massive losses of food from aquatic systems, as well as assist in monitoring programs in HAB outbreaks.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GERALDES, VANESSA; DE MEDEIROS, LIVIA S.; JACINAVICIUS, FERNANDA R.; LONG, PAUL F.; PINTO, ERNANI. Development and validation of a rapid LC-MS/MS method for the quantification of mycosporines and mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) from cyanobacteria. ALGAL RESEARCH-BIOMASS BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS, v. 46, MAR 2020. (15/22742-4, 14/50420-9)

GERALDES, VANESSA; DE MEDEIROS, LIVIA SOMAN; LIMA, STELLA T.; ALVARENGA, DANILLO OLIVEIRA; GACESA, RANKO; LONG, PAUL F.; FIORE, MARLI FATIMA; PINTO, ERNANI. Genetic and biochemical evidence for redundant pathways leading to mycosporine-like amino acid biosynthesis in the cyanobacterium Sphaerospermopsis torques-reginae ITEP-024. ALGAE, v. 35, n. 2, p. 177-187, JUN 2020. (14/50420-9, 15/22742-4, 18/01563-2)