Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb ), remains a major global health concern, particularly due to the emergence of multidrug‐resistant and extensively drug‐resistant strains. The persistence and propagation of TB are favored by the pathogen's sophisticated virulence mechanisms, its ability to evade immune responses, and the formation of latent infections within granulomas. Current therapeutic regimens are limited by long treatment durations, drug resistance, and significant socioeconomic burdens. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as promising alternatives because of their broad‐spectrum activity and reduced likelihood of resistance development. Nevertheless, their clinical application is hindered by rapid proteolytic degradation, low specificity and limited bioavailability. Recent advances in nanotechnology have facilitated the encapsulation and targeted delivery of AMPs, improving their therapeutic potential against TB. Furthermore, the integration of computational approaches—such as molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations—has enabled the rational design and optimization of AMPs, expediting the discovery of novel anti‐TB agents. This review summarizes the pathogenesis and resistance mechanisms of Mtb , highlights the current landscape and limitations of AMP‐based therapies, and discusses the role of nanotechnology and in silico tools in the development of new treatment strategies for TB.

The indiscriminate use of antimicrobials available in the market today has been contributing to the increase in the quantity of resistant pathogens. In recent years, significant attention has been given to the use of antimicrobial compounds of natural origin. This growing demand for new bioactive compounds stems from the knowledge that some medicinal plants often exhibit antimicrobial activity. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of hydroalcoholic extracts from the leaves of E. uniflora (Surinam cherry) and S. molle (Brazilian pepper tree) against clinically relevant microorganisms. The leaves were collected from adult plants, identified at the Herbarium of the University of Vale do Sapucaí, where a voucher specimen was deposited. The extract was prepared using the maceration technique in 70% ethanol. Antimicrobial activity was assessed using the disc diffusion method according to the Kirby-Bauer methodology. The microorganisms used were reference strains of: Escherichia coli ATCC8739, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC6538, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC9027, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC14028, Candida albicans ATCC90028, Candida glabrata MYA2950, Candida Krusei ATCC6258, Candida parapsilosis ATCC22019, and Candida utilis ATCC9950. The extracts showed antifungal and antibacterial activity against the studied microorganisms. These findings contribute to the potential future use of these plants as antimicrobial agents.

A Lavandula dentata L. (Lamiaceae) é utilizada por povos mediterrânicos pelas suas inúmeras aplicações na medicina tradicional. Suas vias secundárias operam produzindo grande variedade de terpenoides voláteis que atuam como eficientes antifúngicos e bactericidas. Logo, objetivou-se nesta pesquisa avaliar o potencial antimicrobiano do hidrolato e óleo essencial orgânicos de L. dentata, frente estirpes bacterianas de Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538 e ATCC 25923), Streptococcus pyogenes (ATCC 19615) e Mycobacterium tuberculosis (ATCC 25177), estirpes leveduriformes de Candida albicans (ATCC 10231), Candida parapsilosis (ATCC 22019), Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii. (ATCC 90113) e o fungo filamentoso Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (CMAA 1807) pela técnica de disco-difusão em meio. O teste de disco-difusão foi realizado em meio Ágar Mueller Hinton, com suplementação de 2% de glicose para as leveduras. Como controle positivo adotou-se o álcool etílico 70%, o antibiótico cefalexina (5 ug) e o antifúngico fluconazol (25 ug) foram escolhidos para avaliação do perfil de sensibilidade. Adotou-se o teste estatístico de variância ANOVA para determinação da significância dos resultados obtidos. O óleo essencial foi eficiente frente os microrganismos avaliados, especialmente frente as cepas gram-positivas de Staphylococcus aureus e Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Este, ainda, apresentou potencial inibitório superior ao álcool etílico frente Candida albicans e Streptococcus pyogenes. Portanto, infere-se que o óleo essencial de Lavandula dentata detém alta capacidade antimicrobiana frente estirpes gram-positivas, apresentando-se como um potencial agente antimicrobiano frente cepas microbianas de considerável importância.

Stryphnodendron adstringens (Mart.) Coville, commonly known as “barbatimão,” is native to the Cerrado biome in Brazil and belongs to the botanical family Fabaceae. The objective of this study was to evaluate the biological activity of crude hydroethanolic extracts formulated from the bark, leaves, and stems of S. adstringens. Soluble solids were determined using the incubation drying methodology. Colorimetric methods of complexation with ferric chloride were employed as a qualitative assay to identify the presence of tannins, while phenolics and flavonoids were quantified by the Folin-Ciocalteu method and aluminum chloride complexation, respectively. Antioxidant activity was assessed by the capture of DPPH free radicals. Antibacterial and antifungal analyses in vitro were conducted using the disk diffusion method against Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii. The MTT assay was used to determine antiparasitic activity against Leishmania amazonensis and to assess cytotoxicity using differentiated THP-1 macrophages. The extracts demonstrated efficacy against yeasts, especially the stem extract against C. albicans (7.62 mm), and against bacteria, with emphasis on the stem and leaf extracts against M. tuberculosis (both 9 mm). All extracts exhibited high antioxidant capacity, particularly the leaf and stem extracts (both over 92%) and low cytotoxicity (Cytotoxic Concentration - CC50 > 300 µg/mL). No extract was effective against L. amazonensis (Inhibitory Concentration - IC50 > 100 µg/mL). In conclusion, S. adstringens is a potential source of compounds with antibacterial properties (particularly against Gram-positive bacteria) and antifungal activity, with low cytotoxicity and high antioxidant activity. This work emphasizes the use of this plant as a source of molecules for the development of drugs against bacterial and fungal infectious diseases, as well as for combating diseases, such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, that are linked to cellular and DNA damage due to oxidative stress.

Este estudo buscou desenvolver e avaliar membranas de gelatina enriquecidas com extrato vegetal de barbatimão (Stryphnodendron adstringens) como biomaterial para cicatrização de feridas cirúrgicas. O extrato hidroetanólico de barbatimão foi obtido por maceração dinâmica. A concentração de fenóis totais foi quantificada e sua atividade antimicrobiana foi avaliada in vitro contra Staphylococcus aureus e Streptococcus pyogenes. As membranas foram preparadas a base de gelatina em solução de ácido acético, glicerol e extrato de barbatimão. Foram confeccionadas membranas sem e com extrato em diferentes concentrações (200 mg e 800 mg), cortadas em discos de 12 mm de diâmetro e coradas com fluoresceína. Para experimentação foram utilizados ratos Wistar, separados em quatros grupos: I (controle), II (membrana sem extrato), III (200 mg) e IV (800 mg). Foi realizada ferida cirúrgica de 10 mm de diâmetro no dorso dos animais até o alcance da camada muscular. As feridas foram tratadas conforme o desenho experimental. A membrana sob o ferimento foi monitorada mediante a marcação com fluoresceína. A retração do diâmetro da ferida foi mensurada após 7, 14 e 21 dias de experimentação. O extrato de barbatimão apresentou rica concentração em compostos fenólicos e atividade contra S. aureus. A membrana apresentou consistência adaptável à superfície de lesões cutâneas, com adesão superior a 7 dias e inferior a 14 dias. Os resultados apontam que a membrana desenvolvida apresenta propriedades que favorecem a cicatrização de lesões cutâneas cirúrgicas mediante o índice de retração.

Brazilian biodiversity is rich in compounds with biological potential. Propolis is a natural product formed from bee saliva and plant exudates. Brazilian brown and green propolis exhibit antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic activities. These properties arise from their rich phenolic content; molecules such as artepellin-C, quercetin, and kaempferol are important phenolic biomolecules described in propolis. The objective of this study was to determine the antifungal activity and chemical parameters of brown and green propolis samples commercialized in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, southern Minas Gerais, Brazil. The total phenolic compound content was assessed using the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method. Total flavonoid concentration was determined by the aluminum chloride complexation method. The pH and density were also determined. The antifungal activity of the extracts was evaluated using the disk diffusion technique against strains from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), following the Kirby-Bauer methodology. Both extracts showed similar densities; the green propolis extract presented a pH of 4.37, while the brown propolis extract showed a pH of 3.61. The ethanolic extract of brown propolis (706.79 mg GAE/g) exhibited a higher content of phenolic compounds compared to green propolis (697.65 mg GAE/g), whereas the green propolis extract (415.75 mg QE/g) presented a higher flavonoid content than brown propolis (378.75 mg QE/g). Clinically relevant strains, Candida albicans (EPM: 12.43 mm; EPV: 12.78 mm), Candida parapsilosis (EPM: 14.88 mm; EPV: 13.96 mm), and Cutaneotrichosporon dermatis (EPM: 11.95 mm; EPV: 12.28 mm), were the most susceptible to both extracts. It can be inferred that the extracts possess excellent antifungal activity, possibly associated with their rich phenolic and flavonoid content.