Amphibians are a rich source of biologically active molecules, but the majority of Toxinology scientific articles devoted themselves to investigating the anurans, given its worldwide distribution, abundance, and diversity. On the other hand, only 8.6% of Caudata species and 7.1% of Gymnophiona species have some study. This review brings the most fascinating biological activities from skin, skin secretions, and isolated components of Caudata and Gymnophiona species including taste aversion, adhesive secretion, toxic effect in animals, and cytotoxic activity as well as described molecules such as biogenic amines, tetrodotoxins, steroidal alkaloids, proteins, antimicrobial peptides, and pheromones.

The number of multidrug-resistant pathogenic microorganisms has been growing in recent years, most of which is due to the inappropriate use of the commercial antibiotics that are currently available. The dissemination of antimicrobial resistance represents a serious global public health problem. Thus, it is necessary to search for and develop new drugs that can act as antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial peptides are a promising alternative for the development of new therapeutic drugs. Anurans’ skin glands are a rich source of broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds and hylids, a large and diverse family of tree frogs, are known as an important source of antimicrobial peptides. In the present study, two novel antimicrobial peptides, named Raniseptins-3 and -6, were isolated from Boana raniceps skin secretion and their structural and biological properties were evaluated. Raniseptins-3 and -6 are cationic, rich in hydrophobic residues, and adopt an α-helix conformation in the presence of SDS (35 mM). Both peptides are active against Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive pathogens, with low hemolytic activity at therapeutic concentrations. No activity was observed for yeasts, but the peptides are highly cytotoxic against B16F10 murine melanoma cells and NIH3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. None of the tested compounds showed improvement trends in the MTT and LDH parameters of MHV-3 infected cells at the concentrations tested.

Introduction: Toxoplasmosis is a globally prevalent disease, affecting approximately 25% to 30% of the population. Despite its high prevalence, clinical manifestations are rare. Diagnosing Toxoplasma gondii infection during pregnancy is crucial, even in asymptomatic cases, with the primary goal of preventing congenital toxoplasmosis and its potential long-term sequelae. Objective: To describe the epidemiological profile of gestational and congenital toxoplasmosis in the Federal District, Brazil, from 2019 to 2023. Methods: This study is a descriptive, retrospective analysis of gestational and congenital toxoplasmosis, utilizing secondary data obtained from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (Sinan-Net) database. Results: During the study period, 370 cases of gestational toxoplasmosis and 253 cases of congenital toxoplasmosis were confirmed. The cumulative incidence was 35 per 100,000 women of childbearing age and 79.7 per 10,000 live births, respectively. Notably, the incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis increased by 143.8% over the study period. Among pregnant women, prevalence was highest in the second trimester and in those aged 20 to 29 years. In both groups, individuals of brown race/color and those residing in urban areas were most affected. The highest cumulative incidences were observed in the Structural Administrative Region for gestational toxoplasmosis and the Fercal Administrative Region for congenital toxoplasmosis. Conclusion: The incidence of both gestational and congenital toxoplasmosis increased during the study period. Gestational toxoplasmosis was more frequently observed in the second trimester of pregnancy and among young women. Cases of congenital toxoplasmosis were evenly distributed between sexes but were more prevalent among children of brown race/color residing in urban areas.

Objetivo: Estimar a incidência da dengue em residentes do Distrito Federal no período de 2014 a 2024. Método: Estudo descritivo do tipo ecológico longitudinal retrospectivo com base nos dados secundários do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Sinan Online), dados de temperatura e precipitação e o Índice de Vulnerabilidade Social (IVS). Resultados: Os resultados indicam um aumento da incidência da dengue no Distrito Federal durante o período relatado, com possível influência de fatores ambientais, sociais, comportamentais e de acesso à saúde. Conclusão: No período de 2014 a 2024 houve aumento expressivo da incidência de dengue no Distrito Federal, com o registro de surtos recorrentes no período.