Secondary Metabolites and Peptides in Bothrops Venoms: Prospection of Potential Against Trypanosoma cruzi and Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

• Grant number: 24/07481-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
• Principal Investigator: André Gustavo Tempone Cardoso
• Grantee: Julia Maria Godoi Lima
• Host Institution: Instituto Butantan. Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Parasitic infectious diseases, such as Chagas disease, and multidrug-resistant bacterial infections afflict millions of people worldwide and urgently require new therapies. Considering the importance of natural prototypes in approved drugs, snake venoms stand out for their antibacterial, antiparasitic, and antifungal actions. This project aims to study the secondary metabolites of the venom of the Bothrops jararaca snake, evaluating its antiparasitic/antimicrobial potential. Using bio-guided fractionation, the isolation of bioactive compound(s) will be performed. Molecular dereplication and structural elucidation will be carried out using spectroscopic and spectrometric methods. The EC50 of the isolated compounds will be determined in trypomastigote and amastigote forms of T. cruzi, and the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration will be measured in multidrug-resistant ESKAPE bacteria (E. faecium, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp.). Studies on the electric potential and membrane permeability of the microorganisms will be evaluated by flow cytometry. In parallel, the antiparasitic/antimicrobial potential of peptide fractions from the venoms of B. pubescens, B. diporus, B. erythromelas, B. mattogrossensis, B. neuwiedi, B. marmoratus, B. pauloensis, B. jararacussu, B. moojeni, B. atrox, and B. alternatus will be assessed. The results may contribute to new prototypes against T. cruzi and multidrug-resistant bacteria.