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- Stalling the course of neurodegenerative diseases: could cyanobacteria constitute a new approach toward therapy?Publication . Ramos, Vitória; Reis, Mariana; Ferreira, Leonor; Silva, Ana Margarida; Ferraz, Ricardo; Vieira, Mónica; Vasconcelos, Vitor; Martins, RosárioNeurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are characterized by progressive and irreversible neuronal loss, accompanied by a range of pathological pathways, including aberrant protein aggregation, altered energy metabolism, excitotoxicity, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Some of the most common NDs include Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), Parkinson’s Disease (PD), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and Huntington’s Disease (HD). There are currently no available cures; there are only therapeutic approaches that ameliorate the progression of symptoms, which makes the search for new drugs and therapeutic targets a constant battle. Cyanobacteria are ancient prokaryotic oxygenic phototrophs whose long evolutionary history has resulted in the production of a plethora of biomedically relevant compounds with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective properties, that can be valuable in this field. This review summarizes the major NDs and their pathophysiology, with a focus on the anti-neurodegenerative properties of cyanobacterial compounds and their main effects.
- Hierridin B Isolated from a Marine Cyanobacterium Alters VDAC1, Mitochondrial Activity, and Cell Cycle Genes on HT-29 Colon Adenocarcinoma CellsPublication . Freitas, Sara; Martins, Rosario; Costa, Margarida; Leão, Pedro; Vitorino, Rui; Vasconcelos, Vitor; Urbatzka, RalphHierridin B was isolated from a marine cyanobacterium Cyanobium sp. strain and induced cytotoxicity selectively in HT-29 adenocarcinoma cells. The underlying molecular mechanism was not yet elucidated.
- Tracing the path between mushrooms and Alzheimer’s Disease—a literature reviewPublication . Silva, Ana Margarida; Preto, Marco; Grosso, Clara; Vieira, Mónica; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Vasconcelos, Vitor; Reis, Mariana; Barros, Lillian; Martins, RosarioAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is well-known among neurodegenerative diseases for the decline of cognitive functions, making overall daily tasks difficult or impossible. The disease prevails as the most common form of dementia and remains without a well-defined etiology. Being considered a disease of multifactorial origin, current targeted treatments have only managed to reduce or control symptoms, and to date, only two drugs are close to being able to halt its progression. For decades, natural compounds produced by living organisms have been at the forefront of research for new therapies. Mushrooms, which are well-known for their nutritional and medicinal properties, have also been studied for their potential use in the treatment of AD. Natural products derived from mushrooms have shown to be beneficial in several AD-related mechanisms, including the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and β-secretase (BACE 1); the prevention of amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregation and neurotoxicity; and the prevention of Tau expression and aggregation, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. Several studies in the literature relate mushrooms to neurodegenerative diseases. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no publication that summarizes only AD data. In this context, this review aims to link the therapeutic potential of mushrooms to AD by compiling the anti-AD potential of different mushroom extracts or isolated compounds, targeting known AD-related mechanisms.
- Wild mushrooms for Alzheimer’s diseasePublication . Silva, Margarida Lobo; Reis, Filipa S.; Grosso, Clara; Pérez, Diana Valverde; Barros, Lillian; Martins, RosárioAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is among the most incident, debilitating, and widespread forms of dementia. AD causes the decline of cognitive function, making overall day-to-day tasks difficult and even impossible. Despite extensive research, its origin and progression are still unclear, and no efficient treatment is available to prevent disease progression or mitigate symptoms. Due to the low efficiency in the available treatments, natural compounds have arisen as an alternative. These are gaining crescent relevance and have been explored, given their promising results as immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, or neuroprotective factors. Mountain natural resources, specifically mushrooms, are among the most studied sources of bioactive molecules. The Montesinho Natural Park, located in northeast Portugal, has incredible mushroom biodiversity, which has been exploited to obtain health-beneficial compounds, namely with anti-inflammatory potential. This work aimed to study different mushroom extracts and isolated compounds for the prevention and progression of AD. So far, our work aimed at bringing insight into the effect of extract administration in neuroblastoma and endothelial cell lines through the MTT viability assay, as well as studying their effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), enzymes known to be involved in AD pathogenesis through a modified Ellman’s method: dry extracts were resuspended in tris-HCl 50mM + 10% DMSO to concentrations between 2 and 0.03125 mg/mL for enzymatic inhibition assays. To be considered promising, extracts must not cause cellular death of over 15-20% and cause enzymatic inhibition. So far, our results using nine mushroom extracts show low-to-no cytotoxicity in concentrations between 100 and 6.25 µg/mL in endothelial and neuroblastoma cell lines. High concentrations of Lycoperdon umbrinum extract caused cytotoxicity levels of approximately 35% in endothelial cells after 24h treatment; different extracts caused cell proliferation in both cell lines, the most evident being 128% in the lowest concentrations of Russula delica and Boletus fragrans. The most promising results were obtained for Boletus aereus, which, while not cytotoxic, inhibited both enzymes by 60%. Around 30% AChE inhibition was achieved for the two highest concentrations of Agaricus silvicola and Boletus fragrans making both extracts good candidates for further studies.
- Exploring bioactive properties of marine cyanobacteria Isolated from the Portuguese coast: high potential as a source of anticancer compoundsPublication . Costa, Margarida; Garcia, Mónica; Costa-Rodrigues, Joao; Costa, Maria Sofia; Ribeiro, Maria João; Fernandes, Maria Helena; Barros, Piedade; Barreiro, Aldo; Vasconcelos, Vítor; Martins, RosarioThe oceans remain a major source of natural compounds with potential in pharmacology. In particular, during the last few decades, marine cyanobacteria have been in focus as producers of interesting bioactive compounds, especially for the treatment of cancer. In this study, the anticancer potential of extracts from twenty eight marine cyanobacteria strains, belonging to the underexplored picoplanktonic genera, Cyanobium, Synechocystis and Synechococcus, and the filamentous genera, Nodosilinea, Leptolyngbya, Pseudanabaena and Romeria, were assessed in eight human tumor cell lines. First, a crude extract was obtained by dichloromethane:methanol extraction, and from it, three fractions were separated in a Si column chromatography. The crude extract and fractions were tested in eight human cancer cell lines for cell viability/toxicity, accessed with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactic dehydrogenase release (LDH) assays. Eight point nine percent of the strains revealed strong cytotoxicity; 17.8% showed moderate cytotoxicity, and 14.3% assays showed low toxicity. The results obtained revealed that the studied genera of marine cyanobacteria are a promising source of novel compounds with potential anticancer activity and highlight the interest in also exploring the smaller filamentous and picoplanktonic genera of cyanobacteria.
- Cyanobacteria in cosmetics: a natural alternative for anti-aging ingredientsPublication . Morone, Janaína; Lopes, Graciliana; Oliveira, Beatriz; Vasconcelos, Vítor; Martins, RosarioBeing exposed to endogenous and exogenous stressors, and being the body’s external defense line, skin protection is of pivotal importance, in order to maintain morphological and physiologic integrity and health. Fostering by individual psychological comfort, esthetic performance, and young appearance, along with motivation for natural products with less side effects and sustainable production, consumer’s demands drive the cosmetic industry into the relentless pursuit for innovation. In this context, cyanobacteria enforce as a promising source of ingredients with cosmetic potential. With the ability to withstand adverse conditions for survival, the adaptation to extreme environments is reflected in the production of compounds with moisturizing, photoprotective, antioxidant, and whitening potential, all attributes required in cosmetics, namely in anti-aging products. In this chapter, we will focus on the interconnection between cyanobacteria and skin, by presenting the main applications of these organisms in skincare products.
- Bridging cyanobacteria to neurodegenerative diseases: a new potential source of bioactive compounds against Alzheimer’s diseasePublication . Castaneda, Andrea; Ferraz, Ricardo; Vieira, Mónica; Cardoso, Isabel; Vasconcelos, Vítor; Martins, RosárioNeurodegenerative diseases (NDs) represent a drawback in society given the ageing population. Dementias are the most prevalent NDs, with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) representing around 70% of all cases. The current pharmaceuticals for AD are symptomatic and with no effects on the progression of the disease. Thus, research on molecules with therapeutic relevance has become a major focus for the scientific community. Cyanobacteria are a group of photosynthetic prokaryotes rich in biomolecules with confirmed activity in pathologies such as cancer, and with feasible potential in NDs such as AD. In this review, we aimed to compile the research works focused in the anti-AD potential of cyanobacteria, namely regarding the inhibition of the enzyme β-secretase (BACE1) as a fundamental enzyme in the generation of β-amyloid (Aβ), the inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) lead to an increase in the availability of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, as phenomena associated with neurodegeneration mechanisms.