Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and neurodegenerative disorder of the cortex and hippocampus, which eventually leads to cognitive impairment. Although the etiology of AD remains unclear, the presence of β‐amyloid (Aβ) peptides in these learning and memory regions is a hallmark of AD. Therefore, the inhibition of Aβ peptide aggregation has been considered the primary therapeutic strategy for AD treatment. Many studies have shown that resveratrol has antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties and can decrease the toxicity and aggregation of Aβ peptides in the hippocampus of AD patients, promote neurogenesis, and prevent hippocampal damage. In addition, the antioxidant activity of resveratrol plays an important role in neuronal differentiation through the activation of silent information regulator‐1 (SIRT1). SIRT1 plays a vital role in the growth and differentiation of neurons and prevents the apoptotic death of these neurons by deacetylating and repressing p53 activity; however, the exact mechanisms remain unclear. Resveratrol also has anti‐inflammatory effects as it suppresses M1 microglia activation, which is involved in the initiation of neurodegeneration, and promotes Th2 responses by increasing anti‐inflammatory cytokines and SIRT1 expression. This review will focus on the antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory neuroprotective effects of resveratrol, specifically on its role in SIRT1 and the association with AD pathophysiology.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a multifactorial chronic disease, commonly associated with alteration in the composition and function of gut microbiota. This process can lead to a decreased production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) by the gut microbiota, mainly butyrate, which is an important immunomodulatory molecule in the intestine. Butyrogenic bacteria normally produces butyrate through carbohydrate fermentation or amino acids degradation pathways. This molecule plays an important protective role in intestinal homeostasis acting in both adaptive immunity and innate immunity. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the role of butyrate on the development of IBD and the protective mechanisms of this metabolite on the intestinal mucosa and the whole body, as reported by in vitro and in vivo studies. Thus, butyrate can regulate the activation of regulatory T cells, increasing the acetylation of histones and decreasing the activation of NF-κB. In addition, it can also stimulate the mucus production from epithelial cells and the rearrangement of tight junction proteins.

Background: Chrysobalanus icaco is a medicinal plant commonly used to treat fungal infections in Brazilian Amazonian region. Objective: This work aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of C. icaco (HECi) against oral clinical isolates of Candida spp. and to determine the pharmacognostic parameters of the herbal drug and the phytochemical characteristics of HECi. Materials and Methods: The pharmacognostic characterization was performed using pharmacopoeial techniques. Phytochemical screening, total flavonoid content, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis were used to investigate the chemical composition of the HECi. A broth microdilution method was used to determine the antifungal activity of the extract against 11 oral clinical isolates of Candida spp. Results: Herbal drug presented parameters which were within the limits set forth in current Brazilian legislation. A high amount of flavonoid content (132,959.33 ± 12,598.23 μg quercetin equivalent/g of extract) was found in HECi. Flavonoids such as myricetin and rutin were detected in the extract by HPLC analyses. HECi showed antifungal activity against oral isolates of Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis (minimum inhibitory concentrations [MIC] 3.12 and 6.25 mg/mL, respectively), and C. albicans American American Type Culture Collection (MIC <1.56 mg/mL). Conclusion: HECi was shown to possess antifungal activity against Candida species with clinical importance in the development of oral candidiasis, and these activities may be related to its chemical composition. The antifungal activity detected for C. icaco against Candida species with clinical importance in the development of oral candidiasis can be attributed to the presence of flavonoids in HECi, characterized by chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques.

Petiveria alliacea is a perennial Amazonian shrub used in traditional medicine for many purposes worldwide, including as antirheumatic, antispasmodic, antifungal, and analgesic for pain relief. Herein, this review aimed to provide a concise overview of the phytochemistry and antimicrobial, anticancer, and immunomodulatory properties reported in the literature for P. alliacea. The herb is rich in sulfur-containing compounds that possess a broad-spectrum of in vitro antimicrobial activity against pathogenic fungi and bacteria at low concentrations. P. alliacea also showed cytotoxicity and antiproliferative activity against cancer cell lines through sophisticated machinery of cellular damage in vitro. Other compounds such as flavonoids, terpenoids, and benzenoids are commonly identified in P. alliacea extracts, and they may also justify these activities. Despite the great pharmacological potential, clinical trials are required to ensure its effectiveness and safety. This review may raise new trends on the studies as well as contribute to the community by offering data for decision-making with regard to its use in treating diseases.

The generation of free radicals is a physiological event resulting mainly from the cellular respiration process and the overactivation of the NOX leads to an excess production of ROS that is associated with oxidative stress. Chrysobalanus icaco, a medicinal plant that belongs to the Chrysobalanaceae family, possesses a high number of polyphenols, including phenolic acids and flavonoids. Due to its phytochemical composition, this study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the hydroalcoholic extract from the leaves of Chrysobalanus icaco (HECi) and the inhibitory potential of its main flavonoids against NOX. The in silico predictions of absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET), drug-likeness properties, and molecular docking with the enzyme NOX (PDB code 2CDU) were also performed to support the experimental results. The phytochemical screening of the HECi showed the presence of phenols and flavonoids. HECi performed an excellent antioxidant activity (IC50 = 8.1 μg/mL), probably due to its rich phenolic (220.11 ± 0.4 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (110.98 ± 0.37 mg QE/g) constitution. The ADMET prediction indicated that myricetin and quercetin had the best pharmacokinetic parameters. The molecular docking results showed that myricetin and especially quercetin had strong docking score on NOX (ΔG = –8.1 kcal/mol and ΔG = –8.3 kcal/mol, respectively). Frontier Orbital’s analyzes (HOMO and LUMO) suggested that quercetin has better antioxidant properties than myricetin. Our results demonstrate for the first time the in silico action of quercetin against NOX, as well as reiterate the antioxidant potential of C. icaco.