Osteoarthritis (OA) is a whole-joint disease primarily characterized by the deterioration of hyaline cartilage. Current treatments include microfracture and chondrocyte implantation as early surgical strategies that can be combined with scaffolds to repair osteochondral lesions; however, intra-articular (IA) injections or implantations of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are new approaches that have presented encouraging therapeutic results in animal models and humans. We critically reviewed clinical trials with MSC therapies for OA, focusing on their effectiveness, quality, and outcomes in the regeneration of articular cartilage. Several sources of autologous or allogeneic MSCs were used in the clinical trials. Minor adverse events were generally reported, indicating that IA applications of MSCs are potentially safe. The evaluation of articular cartilage regeneration in human clinical trials is challenging, particularly in the inflammatory environment of osteoarthritic joints. Our findings indicate that IA injections of MSCs are efficacious in the treatment of OA and the regeneration of cartilage, but that they may be insufficient for the full repair of articular cartilage defects. The possible interference of clinical and quality variables in the outcomes suggests that robust clinical trials are still necessary for generating reliable evidence with which to support these treatments. We suggest that the administration of just-sufficient doses of viable cells in appropriate regimens is critical to achieve effective and durable effects. In terms of future perspectives, genetic modification, complex products with extracellular vesicles derived from MSCs, cell encapsulation in hydrogels, and 3D bioprinted tissue engineering are promising approaches with which to improve MSC therapies for OA.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains an important public health problem which often causes permanent loss of muscle strength, sensation, and function below the site of the injury, generating physical, psychological, and social impacts throughout the lives of the affected individuals, since there are no effective treatments available. The use of stem cells has been investigated as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of SCI. Although a significant number of studies have been conducted in pre-clinical and clinical settings, so far there is no established cell therapy for the treatment of SCI. One aspect that makes it difficult to evaluate the efficacy is the heterogeneity of experimental designs in the clinical trials that have been published. Cell transplantation methods vary widely among the trials, and there are still no standardized protocols or recommendations for the therapeutic use of stem cells in SCI. Among the different cell types, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are the most frequently tested in clinical trials for SCI treatment. This study reviews the clinical applications of MSCs for SCI, focusing on the critical analysis of 17 clinical trials published thus far, with emphasis on their design and quality. Moreover, it highlights the need for more evidence-based studies designed as randomized controlled trials and potential challenges to be addressed in context of stem cell therapies for SCI.

The antioxidant, photoprotective and antinociceptive Marcetia macrophylla active extract was investigated as an active ingredient in a sunscreen cream formulation. Thus, the M. macrophylla extract showed IC50 of 3.43 mg/ml of the antioxidant (DPPH∙ scavenging test) and Sun Protection Factor of 20.25 (SPF/UV-B, at 250 µg/ml) and UV-A of 78.09% (photobleaching trans-resveratrol test). The antinociceptive activity was superior to all standards tested using the in vivo acetic acid-induced writhing test (99.14% at the dose of 200 mg/kg) and the high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector and mass spectroscopy multi-stage (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS) enabled the structural characterization of the quercetin-3-O-hexoside, quercetin-3-O-pentoside and quercetin-3-O-desoxihexoside. The pharmaceutical formulation containing the Marcetia macrophylla crude active extract was prepared and the physicochemical tests (organoleptic characteristics, pH analysis and centrifugation), the in vitro UVB (sun protection factor, SPF) and UVA (β-carotene) using the spectroscopic method were investigated. The formulation showed satisfactory results concerning the physicochemical parameters evaluated and active against the UV test. Thus, M. macrophylla showed biological activities with potential use in pharmaceutical preparations.

A produção nacional de café gera uma grande quantidade de resíduos como cascas e madeiras devido à substituição de plantios antigos. O estudo químico da madeira auxilia a compreender a composição dos seus constituintes e pode agregar valor ao resíduo. Assim, os objetivos deste trabalho foram avaliar o potencial antioxidante e os teores de compostos fenólicos e flavonoides dos extratos da madeira do cafeeiro de duas cultivares diferentes e produzidas em diferentes sistemas de cultivo. De acordo com os resultados, a amostra que apresentou melhores resultados foi a variedade Catuaí cultivada no sistema Natural, apresentando 28,02 mg EAG/100mg do extrato para compostos fenólicos, 18,49 mg EQ/100mg do extrato para flavonoides e 34,5% de sequestro do DPPH• o que sugere que está condição favorece o potencial antioxidante da madeira do cafeeiro.ABSTRACTNational coffee production generates a large amount of waste such as bark and wood due to the replacement of old plantations. The chemical study of wood helps to understand the composition of its constituents and it can add value to the residue. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the antioxidant potential and the levels of phenolic compounds and flavonoids extracts of coffee wood from two different cultivars and produced in different cropping systems. According to the results, the sample which showed best results was the Catuaí variety which is grown in the natural system, showing 28.02 mg EAG/100 mg of the extract for phenolic compounds, 18.49 mg Eq/100 mg of the extract to flavonoids and 34.5% of the DPPH•, which suggests that this condition favors the antioxidant potential of the wood of the coffee plant.

Natural products exhibiting pancreatic lipase inhibition and antioxidant properties offer valuable health benefits, particularly in diseases associated with lipid metabolism. Considering that the primary sources of these beneficial compounds are fruits, this study showed that Pithecellobium dulce exhibited substantial in vitro pancreatic lipase inhibition and antioxidant activity among five fruits of the Brazilian semiarid region fruits (Averrhoa bilimbi, Spondias dulcis, Macadamia integrifolia, Pimenta dioica and Momordica charantia). The chemical investigation of the active extract of Pithecellobium dulce by HPLC-ESI-MSn analysis made it possible to characterise three known flavonoids (astragalin, quercitrin and afzelin) and the docking study of these flavonoids showed effective interaction with the active site of the pancreatic lipase enzyme (PDB ID 1ELM). These findings suggest that flavonoid compounds present in Pithecellobium dulce seem to be responsible for some of its health benefits.