Most anti-inflammatory drugs used nowadays have an excessive cost and their prolonged use has been connected with several injurious effects. Thus, the search for new anti-inflammatory agents is increasing. Lectins are carbohydrate-interacting proteins that can modulate immune response and the release of inflammation mediators. The Microgramma vacciniifolia frond lectin (MvFL) was previously reported to be an immunomodulatory agent in vitro. This work aimed to evaluate the effects of MvFL on the in vivo inflammatory status in the carrageenan-induced peritonitis and paw edema, using female Swiss mice. The animals were pretreated intraperitoneally with MvFL (5 and 10 mg/kg). In the peritonitis assay, the total and differential migration of white blood cells was evaluated, as well as the levels of cytokines, nitric oxide (NO), and total proteins in the peritoneal fluid. In the paw edema evaluation, the paw volume was measured in the early (from 30 min–2 h) and late (3–4 h) phases of edema formation. MvFL (5 and 10 mg/kg) was efficient in reducing neutrophil infiltration, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α), NO, and protein content in the peritoneal fluid. It also repressed the edema formation in the late phase of the assay. In conclusion, MvFL showed inhibitory effects in in vivo acute inflammation, which encouraged future studies exploiting its immunomodulatory ability.

Objetivo: Destacar, através de uma revisão narrativa, o manejo e medidas de controle da COVID-19 para as gestantes e os possíveis riscos durante a transmissão vertical e a amamentação. Utilizaram-se bases de dados PubMed e Science Direct que retrataram artigos sobre infecções virais, COVID-19, gestação e amamentação. Revisão bibliográfica: Alterações fisiológicas, metabólicas e vasculares podem agravar a apresentação clínica da COVID-19, promovendo disfunção endotelial, ativação do sistema complemento e um efeito pró-trombótico nas gestantes. Não há relatos da detecção do novo coronavírus nos líquidos amniótico e placentário, sangue do cordão umbilical ou no leite materno. No entanto, alguns estudos sugerem que é possível a transmissão vertical do vírus e uma maior prevalência de partos prematuros tem sido notificada. O tratamento inicia-se quando possíveis benefícios superam os potenciais riscos da terapia ao feto. Considerações finais: Procedimentos devem ser implementados para contornar as lacunas de conhecimento sobre o efeito da COVID-19 na gravidez, incluindo estratégias das vigilâncias sanitária, epidemiológica, pesquisas socioeconômicas e de soroprevalência.

Plants have been used for medicinal purposes both intuitively and based on traditional knowledge for centuries. Recently, however, there has been a significant increase in research focused on medicinal plants to meet the growing demands of the pharmaceutical industry. As a result, it has become essential to evaluate the safety of natural products for human use. This review examines in vitro and in vivo toxicity studies of lectins, a class of plant proteins with pharmacological applications. The reviewed data indicate that many of these proteins do not appear to be toxic to human and animal cells, nor when administered to rodents through oral, intraperitoneal, or intravenous routes. However, some lectins have shown toxicity under certain conditions, such as depending on the administration route, dose, and treatment duration. These adverse effects may include behavioral changes, antinutritional effects, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, pancreatic hypertrophy, allergic reactions, and even death. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize toxicological studies to ensure the safety of these plant proteins as potential drug candidates in the future.

In this study, we evaluated the susceptibility of Alphitobius diaperinus larvae and adults to saline extract (SE), lectin-rich fraction (FR), and isolated lectin (MvRL) from Microgramma vacciniifolia rhizomes. To determine immediate effects, larvae and adults were exposed to SE (10.5 mg/mL), FR (7.5 mg/mL), or MvRL (1.0 mg/mL) for 48 h. Live insects were evaluated for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. The delayed effects of SE (10.5 mg/mL), FR (7.5 mg/mL), and MvRL (0.2 and 0.4 mg/mL) were checked by incubating the adults for 16 days with a diet containing the preparations. In vitro effects on gut digestive enzymes were investigated. All preparations showed immediate larvicidal effect but had no effect on adult survival. Extracts from FR-treated larvae showed higher AChE activity than control insects. In the delayed effect assay, the adults lost biomass after consuming SE and FR. FR was the most effective inhibitory agent of trypsin-like and amylase activities (88% and 65% inhibition, respectively). All preparations inhibited endoglucanase activity in 94–98%, while SE and FR inhibited exoglucanase activity in 93.2 and 94.1%, respectively. In conclusion, M. vacciniifolia rhizomes contain compounds (including MvRL) that affect the survival and physiology of A. diaperinus, acting as potential natural insecticides for controlling this pest.

Antitumor research leads to the development of new molecules that act specifically in tumor cells by blocking or inhibiting their molecular targets. New therapeutic approaches for the screening of bioactive compounds present in medicinal plants have received increasing attention due to their chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic properties. In ethnomedicine, plants of the genus Vernonia (Asteraceae) are widely used and some have shown several and interesting biological activities, including anticancer. This present study aimed to document experimental evidence supporting the claimed ethnomedical uses of Vernonia species for the treatment of various types of cancer and also to confirm the anticancer potential of these plants. The compounds isolated from aqueous and alcoholic extracts, as well as fractions from different parts of Vernonia plants have acted as potential anticancer agents that inhibited the proliferation of various types of human cancer cell lines, including cervical cancer cells, melanoma cells, promyelocytic leucemia cells, breast adenocarcinoma cells, ovarian cancer, liver cancer cell, and human lung cancer cells. Studies have correlated the antitumor activity of Vernonia plants by inducing apoptosis and modulating mitochondrial signaling pathways controlled by NF-κB, Bcl-2 and p53, as well as inducing DNA damage and arresting the cell cycle at the S-phase checkpoint by oxidative stress. In conclusion, Vernonia species act as a promising source for drug development. However, further studies are needed to explore the exact mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, chronic toxicological studies, safe dose consumption, and possible interactions with other herbs.

Lipedema é uma doença crônica e progressiva do tecido adiposo subcutâneo, podendo aparecer ou agravar-se na fase reprodutiva feminina que envolve alterações nas concentrações hormonais, especialmente do estrogênio. O presente estudo trata-se de uma revisão narrativa de literatura e teve como objetivo avaliar os possíveis benefícios do consumo dietético de fitoestrogênios no tratamento do lipedema em mulheres. Estudos apoiam que o estrogênio promove o acúmulo de gordura especificamente na parte inferior do corpo, tais como quadris, panturrilha, coxas e nádegas. Os fitoestrogênios são considerados moduladores seletivos dos receptores de estrogênio, capazes de modular a atividade estrogênica em diferentes órgãos e tecidos de maneira específica. Verificou-se na literatura que estas biomoléculas parecem atuar de maneira antiestrogênica no receptor alfa (ER-α), bloqueando seus efeitos sobre a hiperplasia e hipertrofia do tecido adiposo nas regiões periféricas do corpo, igualmente ao que ocorre no lipedema. Conclui-se que o consumo de alimentos ricos em fitoestrógenos - a exemplo da soja, ervilha e linhaça - pode ser benéfico no tratamento de lipedema, uma vez que os resultados indicam que os ER-α podem desempenhar um papel importante na fisiopatologia do lipedema e sua modulação pode ser uma abordagem terapêutica a ser investigada.