Oxidative stress and inflammation act on skin squamous cell carcinoma (SSCC) development and progression. Curative therapy for SSCC patients is mainly based on surgical resection, which can cause various sequelae. Silver ions have in vitro activities over tumor cells, while nimesulide has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a silver(I) complex with nimesulide (AgNMS) incorporated in a sustained release device based on bacterial cellulose membrane, named AgNMS@BCM, on topic SSCC treatment. The antiproliferative effect of AgNMS complex was evaluated in the SCC4, SCC15 and FaDu SCC lines. AgNMS complex activity on exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS) residues and multicaspase activation were evaluated on FaDu cells by flow cytometry. The AgNMS@BCM effects were evaluated in a SSCC model induced by 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene/12-o-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (DMBA/TPA) in mice. Toxicity and tumor size were evaluated throughout the study. AgNMS complex showed antiproliferative activity in SCC15 and FaDu lines in low to moderate concentrations (67.3 µM and 107.3 µM, respectively), and induced multicaspase activation on FaDu cells. The AgNMS@BCM did not induce toxicity and reduced tumor size up to 100%. Thus, the application of AgNMS@BCM was effective and safe in SSCC treatment in mice, and can be seen as a potential and safe agent for topic treatment of SSCC in humans.

The growth of antibiotic resistance is a matter of worldwide concern. In parallel, cancer remains one of the main causes of death. In the search for new and improved antiproliferative agents, one of the strategies is the combination of bioactive ligands and metals that are already consolidated in the synthesis of metallopharmaceutical agents. Thus, this work deals with the synthesis, characterization, and study of naproxen (Nap)-based complexes of copper(II) and platinum(II) as antiproliferative agents. The copper complex (Cu–Nap) presents a binuclear paddle-wheel structure in a 1 Cu:2 Nap:1 H₂O molar composition, in which Cu(II) is bonded to the carboxylate oxygens from naproxenate in a bidentate bridging mode. The platinum complex (Pt–Nap) was identified as the square planar cis-[Pt(Nap)₂(DMSO)₂] isomer, in which Pt(II) is bonded to the carboxylate oxygen atom of Nap in a monodentate fashion. Both complexes were inactive against the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains assessed. Pt–Nap presented low cytostatic behavior over a set of tumor cells, but good viability for normal cells, while Cu–Nap was cytotoxic against all cells, with a cytocidal activity against glioma tumor cells.

The industrial production of bioethanol takes place through the fermentation process by the action of selected yeasts in a favorable environment generated by the high concentration of sugar in the must. For the process to occur properly, it is essential to minimize the presence and action of microbial contaminants, which enter the process compromising production. With the prospect of a growing increase in bioethanol production, the sugar-energy sector seeks to minimize contamination using antibiotics. This use has been questioned due to environmental concerns and limitation of the dry yeast trade by leaving residues and in this way, the use of plant extracts becomes attractive. In this sense, aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of Byrsonima intermedia, a plant from the Brazilian cerrado, were evaluated and revealed the ability to inhibit bacteria isolated from fermentation processes. The hydroalcoholic extract showed MIC ranging from 2.5 to less than 0.156 mg.mL^-1, the aqueous extract showed less variation (between 1.25 to 0.312 mg.mL^-1) and was used in the fermentation process. In the fermentative process the aqueous extract presented a gain of 10.06% of fermentative efficiency. The results obtained accentuate desirable qualities of the aqueous extract for use in production units and may be an alternative for microbial control in fermentation processes to produce bioethanol.