Anna Aiello

Prof. Anna Aiello

University Federico II of Naples
+2

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

24Years (2003-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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17 May 2013 in Marine Drugs
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Journal Article
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Marialuisa MennaMarialuisa Menna
Marialuisa Menna
Concetta ImperatoreConcetta Imperatore
Concetta Imperatore
FDFilomena D'Aniello
Filomena D'Aniello
Anna AielloAnna Aiello
Anna Aiello
Meroterpenes are widely distributed among marine organisms; they are particularly abundant within brown algae, but other important sources include microorganisms and invertebrates. In the present review the structures and bioactivities of meroterpenes from marine invertebrates, mainly sponges and tunicates, are summarized. More than 300 molecules, often complex and with unique skeletons originating from intra- and inter-molecular cyclizations, and/or rearrangements, are illustrated. The reported syntheses are mentioned. The issue of a potential microbial link to their biosynthesis is also shortly outlined.

5 December 2014 in Molecules
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Concetta ImperatoreConcetta Imperatore
Concetta Imperatore
Anna AielloAnna Aiello
Anna Aiello
FDFilomena D'Aniello
Filomena D'Aniello
MSMaria Senese
Maria Senese
Marialuisa MennaMarialuisa Menna
Marialuisa Menna
The present review describes research on novel natural antitumor alkaloids isolated from marine invertebrates. The structure, origin, and confirmed cytotoxic activity of more than 130 novel alkaloids belonging to several structural families (indoles, pyrroles, pyrazines, quinolines, and pyridoacridines), together with some of their synthetic analogs, are illustrated. Recent discoveries concerning the current state of the potential and/or development of some of them as new drugs, as well as the current knowledge regarding their modes of action, are also summarized. A special emphasis is given to the role of marine invertebrate alkaloids as an important source of leads for anticancer drug discovery.

10 May 2019 in Marine Drugs
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Journal Article
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Marcello CasertanoMarcello Casertano
Marcello Casertano
Concetta ImperatoreConcetta Imperatore
Concetta Imperatore
PLPaolo Luciano
Paolo Luciano
Anna AielloAnna Aiello
Anna Aiello
Masteria Yunovilsa PutraMasteria Yunovilsa Putra
Masteria Yunovilsa Putra
Marialuisa MennaMarialuisa Menna
Marialuisa Menna
A deep study of the metabolic content of the tunicate Polycarpa aurata, collected from Indonesian coast, afforded the isolation of two novel alkaloids, polyaurines A (1) and B (2), along with two new p-substituted benzoyl derivatives (3 and 4) and four known compounds (5–8). The structural elucidation of the new secondary metabolites was assigned by 1D, 2D NMR, and HRESIMS techniques. Computational studies resulted a useful tool to unambiguously determine in polyaurine B the presence of rarely found 1,2,4-thiadiazole ring. The effects of polyaurines A and B on mammalian cells growth and on the viability of different blood-dwelling Schistosoma mansoni (phylum: Platyhelminthes) stages, as well as egg production, were evaluated. Both compounds resulted not cytotoxic; interestingly some of the eggs produced by polyaurine A-treated adult pairs in vitro are smaller, deformed, and/or fragmented; therefore, polyaurine A could represent an interesting bioactive natural molecule to be further investigated.

14 February 2020 in Marine Drugs
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Concetta ImperatoreConcetta Imperatore
Concetta Imperatore
RGRoberto Gimmelli
Roberto Gimmelli
MPMarco Persico
Marco Persico
Marcello CasertanoMarcello Casertano
Marcello Casertano
AGAlessandra Guidi
Alessandra Guidi
Marialuisa MennaMarialuisa Menna
Marialuisa Menna
The chemical analysis of the sponge Dysidea avara afforded the known sesquiterpene quinone avarone, along with its reduced form avarol. To further explore the role of the thiazinoquinone scaffold as an antiplasmodial, antileishmanial and antischistosomal agent, we converted the quinone avarone into the thiazinoquinone derivative thiazoavarone. The semisynthetic compound, as well as the natural metabolites avarone and avarol, were pharmacologically investigated in order to assess their antiparasitic properties against sexual and asexual stages of Plasmodium falciparum, larval and adult developmental stages of Schistosoma mansoni (eggs included), and also against promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania tropica. Furthermore, in depth computational studies including density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed. A toxic semiquinone radical species which can be produced starting both from quinone- and hydroquinone-based compounds could mediate the anti-parasitic effects of the tested compounds.

21 February 2010 in Marine Drugs
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Anna AielloAnna Aiello
Anna Aiello
EFErnesto Fattorusso
Ernesto Fattorusso
Concetta ImperatoreConcetta Imperatore
Concetta Imperatore
Marialuisa MennaMarialuisa Menna
Marialuisa Menna
Werner E.G. MüllerWerner E.G. Müller
Werner E.G. Müller
Chemical investigation of the Mediterranean ascidian Ciona edwardsii has been performed, leading to the isolation of two halogenated compounds: a new tyrosine-iodinated derivative iodocionin (1) and the relevant brominated analogue (2), previously isolated from a Caribbean sponge. The structure of the new compound 1 has been assigned on the basis of spectroscopic analysis.Both compounds were tested for cytotoxicity in vitro against two different cancer cell lines, L5178Y (mouse lymphoma) and PC-12 (rat pheochromocytoma). Iodocionin was shown to possess significant and selective activity against lymphoma cells with an IC50 of 7.75 μg/mL.

24 September 2021 in Marine Drugs
Verified
Journal Article
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MGMassimo Genovese
Massimo Genovese
Concetta ImperatoreConcetta Imperatore
Concetta Imperatore
Marcello CasertanoMarcello Casertano
Marcello Casertano
Anna AielloAnna Aiello
Anna Aiello
Francesco BalestriFrancesco Balestri
Francesco Balestri
Paolo PaoliPaolo Paoli
Paolo Paoli
An in-depth study on the inhibitory mechanism on protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) and aldose reductase (AR) enzymes, including analysis of the insulin signalling pathway, of phosphoeleganin, a marine-derived phosphorylated polyketide, was achieved. Phosphoeleganin was demonstrated to inhibit both enzymes, acting respectively as a pure non-competitive inhibitor of PTP1B and a mixed-type inhibitor of AR. In addition, in silico docking analyses to evaluate the interaction mode of phosphoeleganin with both enzymes were performed. Interestingly, this study showed that phosphoeleganin is the first example of a dual inhibitor polyketide extracted from a marine invertebrate, and it could be used as a versatile scaffold structure for the synthesis of new designed multiple ligands.