Rosario del Carmen Flores Vallejo (original) (raw)

Papers by Rosario del Carmen Flores Vallejo

Cancers

Cancer is the second cause of mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis of this multifactorial disease... more Cancer is the second cause of mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis of this multifactorial disease is challenging, especially in populations with limited access to healthcare services. A vast repertoire of cancer biomarkers has been studied to facilitate early diagnosis; particularly, the use of antibodies against these biomarkers has been of interest to detect them through biorecognition. However, there are certain limitations to this approach. Emerging biorecognition engineering technologies are alternative methods to generate molecules and molecule-based scaffolds with similar properties to those presented by antibodies. Molecularly imprinted polymers, recombinant antibodies, and antibody mimetic molecules are three novel technologies commonly used in scientific studies. This review aimed to present the fundamentals of these technologies and address questions about how they are implemented for cancer detection in recent scientific studies. A systematic analysis of the scientific p...

Microorganisms, 2020

Heavy metal pollution has become an environmental and health problem worldwide. With the aim of f... more Heavy metal pollution has become an environmental and health problem worldwide. With the aim of finding novel strategies for metal bioremediation, endophytic fungi from the heavy metal hyperaccumulator plant Vachellia farnesiana were isolated and characterized. The plants were growing in mine tailings, rich in Zn, Pb, and Cu. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the fungal strains belonged to Neocosmospora and Aspergillus genera. The Neocosmospora isolate belongs to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) that groups phytopathogen species. However, in this case the plants from which it was isolated did not show any signs of disease. Both fungal strains were able to remove significant amounts of heavy metals from liquid cultures, either in a mixture of the three metals or each metal in a single culture. In response to lead exposure, the Neocosmospora sp. strain secreted specific novel phenolic compounds other than anthraquinones or naphtoquinones, which have been...

Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2006

The ethnobotanical survey conducted in this study showed that 21 plant species belonging to 14 fa... more The ethnobotanical survey conducted in this study showed that 21 plant species belonging to 14 families are used in traditional medical practice in Limpopo Province, South Africa, for the treatment of diarrhoea. Methanol, ethanol, acetone and hot water extract from different plant parts (leaves, roots, bark and stem rhizome), of several of these plants (Indigofera daleoides, Punica granatum, Syzygium cordatum, Gymnosporia senegalensis, Ozoroa insignis, Elephantorrhiza elephantina, Elephantorrhiza burkei, Ximenia caffra, Schotia brachypetala and Spirostachys africana), were screened for antibacterial activity against Vibro cholera, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella spp., Salmonella typhi. The antibacterial activity was determined by agar-well diffusion method and expressed as the average diameter of the zone of inhibition of bacterial growth around the wells. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of active extracts was determined by using the micro-plate dilution assay. Most of the extracts showed relatively high antibacterial activity against most of the tested microorganisms with the diameter of inhibition zones ranging between 10 and 31 mm. Of the plants studied, the most active extracts were those obtained from Punica granatum and Indigofera daleoides. All extracts from two plants, namely, Punica granatum and Ozoroa insignis, were active against all bacterial strains while only organic extracts of Indigofera daleoides inhibited the growth of all tested microorganisms. Water extract of Punica granatum were equally active as organic extracts against bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri. All extracts of Elephantorrhiza elephantina, Elephantorrhiza burkei and Ximenia caffra and Schotia brachypetala were not active against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi. The MIC values for active extracts ranged between 0.039 and 0.6 mg/ml. The results obtained appeared to confirm the antibacterial potential of the plants investigated, and their usefulness in the treatment of diarrhoea.

South African Journal of Botany, 2020

Abstract Endophytic fungi represent a promising biotechnological tool to identify and produce in ... more Abstract Endophytic fungi represent a promising biotechnological tool to identify and produce in large scale novel anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds. In this study, Crescentia alata Kunth was selected following the ethnomedical criteria and a total of 219 isolates grouped in 86 morphotypes were obtained. From these, 44 isolates that presented a pigment-producing morphotype were selected as the screening panel. The ITS2 ribotypes of the selected endophytic fungi were annotated and classified phylogenetically based on a sequence-structure analysis. The isolates belonged to 17 genera: Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Lophotrichus, Podospora, Xylaria, Diaporthe, Aspergillus, Periconia, Didymella, Prosthemium, Trematophoma, Cladosporium, Cercospora, Pseudocercosporella, Aureobasidium, Bjerkandera, and Trametes. From the anti-inflammatory screening with the Griess assay only 14.77% were highly active with no significant difference compared to indomethacin, and showed promising in vitro anti-inflammatory effect tested in murine macrophages induced with bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Interestingly, 11.36% of the extracts increased the production of nitrite on LPS-induced macrophages. None of the extracts at the tested concentrations presented a pro-inflammatory effect on non-induced macrophages, nor a cytotoxic effect (cell viability >85%) in the resazurin bioassay. Metabolic profiling of the endo-metabolome and exo-metabolome extracts using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), revealed that the exo-metanolome extracts had a relative higher number and diversity of chemical groups. The 1H NMR metabolomic analysis showed characteristic signals that differentiate the fungal genera with high anti-inflammatory activity from those with the least activity. These signals could be associated with the group of terpenes. This is the first report on the isolation of endophytes from C. alata, from which 13 isolates exhibit pharmacological value as sources of potential anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory compounds. These bioactive metabolites are likely to belong to the groups of terpenes.

Applied Organometallic Chemistry, 2001

Reaction of mepirizole (M) with diorganotin(IV) dihalides yielded compounds of type [SnR 2 X 2 (M... more Reaction of mepirizole (M) with diorganotin(IV) dihalides yielded compounds of type [SnR 2 X 2 (M)] (R, X = Et, Cl; Et, Br; Bu, Cl; Bu, Br; Ph, Cl). The structure of dichlorodiphenyl (mepirizole)tin(IV) was determined by X-ray diffractometry. The crystal consists of discrete [SnPh 2 Cl 2 (M)] units in which an N,N'-bidentate mepirizole, the trans phenyl rings and the cis chlorine atoms define a pseudo-octahedral coordination polyhedron around the tin atom. Mössbauer and vibrational spectroscopic data suggest similar structures for the other compounds prepared. The 1 H NMR spectra show that the mepirizole ligand is largely dissociated in CDCl 3. The most active compounds against the human carcinoma cell line KB were the butyl derivatives.

New Journal of Chemistry, 2020

Five new structurally related half-sandwich cationic Ru(II) complexes of general formula [(η6-p-c... more Five new structurally related half-sandwich cationic Ru(II) complexes of general formula [(η6-p-cymene)RuL]Cl (6) and [(η6-p-cymene)RuL]PF6 (L = [2-C8H5N(Ph2PNC6H4XR)]− [R = C6H5, X = S (9), and Se (6, and 10); R = CH3, X = S (11), and Se (12)]) were designed and synthesized in search of new ruthenium anticancer drugs. The complexes were fully characterized by elemental analysis and various spectral methods (multinuclear NMR, and MS). The solid-state molecular structures of complexes 6, 9, and 10 were determined by X-ray crystallography and confirm the presence of pseudo-octahedral geometry around ruthenium and the facial tridentate N,N,X coordination of the iminophosphorane ligands. Solubility tests have shown compounds 9–12 to be highly soluble in polar solvents (DMSO, DMF, THF, and CH2Cl2), but insoluble in water or mixtures of DMSO/water. Different surfactants have been tested to resolve this issue, and only Tween 80 advantageously prevented precipitation in aqueous medium, and ...

This editorial summarises the organisation, activities, and scientific content of the 6th Europea... more This editorial summarises the organisation, activities, and scientific content of the 6th European Student Council Symposium (ESCS) organised by the International Society for Computational Biology Student Council (ISCB-SC). The event was held on September 6, 2020, as a satellite event preceding the ISCB’s 19th European Conference in Computational Biology. Both events were first planned to be held in-person in Sitges, Spain, but moved virtually as a strategy to face the SARS-CoV2 sanitary crisis. This completely unforeseen situation has posed several challenges that have been successfully addressed thanks to the robust ISCB Student Council community structure and the strong commitment of the organisers. Despite all the obstacles and challenges, we have found that virtuality has several advantages that can continue to be kept to improve in-person meetings in the future and make conferences more inclusive allowing a larger audience to participate.

Frontiers for Young Minds, Feb 6, 2019

Microbes are tiny forms of life that can be found everywhere. The microbes that live inside healt... more Microbes are tiny forms of life that can be found everywhere. The microbes that live inside healthy plants are commonly known as endophytes. Plants live together with their endophytes in symbiosis, which means that they work together to help each other out. Plants give shelter and food to their microbial guests, and in exchange, their microbial helpers produce chemicals that support the plants to grow faster, resist droughts, or fight against plant eaters. Scientists are very interested in studying the chemicals produced by endophytes, because new medicines and agricultural products can be developed from them. In this article, we will describe the interactions between plants and their endophytes, and answer some questions, like: How do scientists

Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

Heavy metal pollution has become an environmental and health problem worldwide. With the aim of f... more Heavy metal pollution has become an environmental and health problem worldwide. With the aim of finding novel strategies for metal bioremediation, endophytic fungi from the heavy metal hyperaccumulator plant Vachellia farnesiana were isolated and characterized. The plants were growing in mine tailings, rich in Zn, Pb, and Cu. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the fungal strains belonged to Neocosmospora and Aspergillus genera. The Neocosmospora isolate belongs to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) that groups phytopathogen species. However, in this case the plants from which it was isolated did not show any signs of disease. Both fungal strains were able to remove significant amounts of heavy metals from liquid cultures, either in a mixture of the three metals or each metal in a single culture. In response to lead exposure, the Neocosmospora sp. strain secreted specific novel phenolic compounds other than anthraquinones or naphtoquinones, which have been...

Microorganisms, 2020

Heavy metal pollution has become an environmental and health problem worldwide. With the aim of f... more Heavy metal pollution has become an environmental and health problem worldwide. With the aim of finding novel strategies for metal bioremediation, endophytic fungi from the heavy metal hyperaccumulator plant Vachellia farnesiana were isolated and characterized. The plants were growing in mine tailings, rich in Zn, Pb, and Cu. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the fungal strains belonged to Neocosmospora and Aspergillus genera. The Neocosmospora isolate belongs to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) that groups phytopathogen species. However, in this case the plants from which it was isolated did not show any signs of disease. Both fungal strains were able to remove significant amounts of heavy metals from liquid cultures, either in a mixture of the three metals or each metal in a single culture. In response to lead exposure, the Neocosmospora sp. strain secreted specific novel phenolic compounds other than anthraquinones or naphtoquinones, which have been described in similar situations. The Aspergillus sp. dropped the pH in the medium. High-performance liquid chromatography determinations indicated that this strain secreted mainly glutamic acid in response to lead, a novel mechanism, which has not been reported elsewhere. Malic and succinic acids were also produced in response to lead exposure. Possibly, glutamic and succinic acids (synthesized in the Krebs cycle) can be used to cope with metal toxicity due to the plant providing photosynthates to the fungus. These fungi showed the potential to be used for bioremediation or restoration of metal-polluted environments.

South African Journal of Botany, 2020

Endophytic fungi represent a promising biotechnological tool to identify and produce in large sca... more Endophytic fungi represent a promising biotechnological tool to identify and produce in large scale novel anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds. In this study, Crescentia alata Kunth was selected following the eth-nomedical criteria and a total of 219 isolates grouped in 86 morphotypes were obtained. From these, 44 isolates that presented a pigment-producing morphotype were selected as the screening panel. The ITS2 ribotypes of the selected endophytic fungi were annotated and classified phylogenetically based on a sequence-structure analysis. The isolates belonged to 17 genera: Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Lophotrichus, Podo-spora, Xylaria, Diaporthe, Aspergillus, Periconia, Didymella, Prosthemium, Trematophoma, Cladosporium, Cerco-spora, Pseudocercosporella, Aureobasidium, Bjerkandera, and Trametes. From the anti-inflammatory screening with the Griess assay only 14.77% were highly active with no significant difference compared to indometha-cin, and showed promising in vitro anti-inflammatory effect tested in murine macrophages induced with bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Interestingly, 11.36% of the extracts increased the production of nitrite on LPS-induced macrophages. None of the extracts at the tested concentrations presented a pro-inflammatory effect on non-induced macrophages, nor a cytotoxic effect (cell viability >85%) in the resazurin bioassay. Metabolic profiling of the endo-metabolome and exo-metabolome extracts using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), revealed that the exo-metanolome extracts had a relative higher number and diversity of chemical groups. The 1 H NMR metabolomic analysis showed characteristic signals that differentiate the fungal genera with high anti-inflammatory activity from those with the least activity. These signals could be associated with the group of terpenes. This is the first report on the isolation of endophytes from C. alata, from which 13 isolates exhibit pharmacological value as sources of potential anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory compounds. These bioactive metabolites are likely to belong to the groups of terpenes.

Cancers

Cancer is the second cause of mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis of this multifactorial disease... more Cancer is the second cause of mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis of this multifactorial disease is challenging, especially in populations with limited access to healthcare services. A vast repertoire of cancer biomarkers has been studied to facilitate early diagnosis; particularly, the use of antibodies against these biomarkers has been of interest to detect them through biorecognition. However, there are certain limitations to this approach. Emerging biorecognition engineering technologies are alternative methods to generate molecules and molecule-based scaffolds with similar properties to those presented by antibodies. Molecularly imprinted polymers, recombinant antibodies, and antibody mimetic molecules are three novel technologies commonly used in scientific studies. This review aimed to present the fundamentals of these technologies and address questions about how they are implemented for cancer detection in recent scientific studies. A systematic analysis of the scientific p...

Microorganisms, 2020

Heavy metal pollution has become an environmental and health problem worldwide. With the aim of f... more Heavy metal pollution has become an environmental and health problem worldwide. With the aim of finding novel strategies for metal bioremediation, endophytic fungi from the heavy metal hyperaccumulator plant Vachellia farnesiana were isolated and characterized. The plants were growing in mine tailings, rich in Zn, Pb, and Cu. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the fungal strains belonged to Neocosmospora and Aspergillus genera. The Neocosmospora isolate belongs to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) that groups phytopathogen species. However, in this case the plants from which it was isolated did not show any signs of disease. Both fungal strains were able to remove significant amounts of heavy metals from liquid cultures, either in a mixture of the three metals or each metal in a single culture. In response to lead exposure, the Neocosmospora sp. strain secreted specific novel phenolic compounds other than anthraquinones or naphtoquinones, which have been...

Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2006

The ethnobotanical survey conducted in this study showed that 21 plant species belonging to 14 fa... more The ethnobotanical survey conducted in this study showed that 21 plant species belonging to 14 families are used in traditional medical practice in Limpopo Province, South Africa, for the treatment of diarrhoea. Methanol, ethanol, acetone and hot water extract from different plant parts (leaves, roots, bark and stem rhizome), of several of these plants (Indigofera daleoides, Punica granatum, Syzygium cordatum, Gymnosporia senegalensis, Ozoroa insignis, Elephantorrhiza elephantina, Elephantorrhiza burkei, Ximenia caffra, Schotia brachypetala and Spirostachys africana), were screened for antibacterial activity against Vibro cholera, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella spp., Salmonella typhi. The antibacterial activity was determined by agar-well diffusion method and expressed as the average diameter of the zone of inhibition of bacterial growth around the wells. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of active extracts was determined by using the micro-plate dilution assay. Most of the extracts showed relatively high antibacterial activity against most of the tested microorganisms with the diameter of inhibition zones ranging between 10 and 31 mm. Of the plants studied, the most active extracts were those obtained from Punica granatum and Indigofera daleoides. All extracts from two plants, namely, Punica granatum and Ozoroa insignis, were active against all bacterial strains while only organic extracts of Indigofera daleoides inhibited the growth of all tested microorganisms. Water extract of Punica granatum were equally active as organic extracts against bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella sonnei and Shigella flexneri. All extracts of Elephantorrhiza elephantina, Elephantorrhiza burkei and Ximenia caffra and Schotia brachypetala were not active against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi. The MIC values for active extracts ranged between 0.039 and 0.6 mg/ml. The results obtained appeared to confirm the antibacterial potential of the plants investigated, and their usefulness in the treatment of diarrhoea.

South African Journal of Botany, 2020

Abstract Endophytic fungi represent a promising biotechnological tool to identify and produce in ... more Abstract Endophytic fungi represent a promising biotechnological tool to identify and produce in large scale novel anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds. In this study, Crescentia alata Kunth was selected following the ethnomedical criteria and a total of 219 isolates grouped in 86 morphotypes were obtained. From these, 44 isolates that presented a pigment-producing morphotype were selected as the screening panel. The ITS2 ribotypes of the selected endophytic fungi were annotated and classified phylogenetically based on a sequence-structure analysis. The isolates belonged to 17 genera: Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Lophotrichus, Podospora, Xylaria, Diaporthe, Aspergillus, Periconia, Didymella, Prosthemium, Trematophoma, Cladosporium, Cercospora, Pseudocercosporella, Aureobasidium, Bjerkandera, and Trametes. From the anti-inflammatory screening with the Griess assay only 14.77% were highly active with no significant difference compared to indomethacin, and showed promising in vitro anti-inflammatory effect tested in murine macrophages induced with bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Interestingly, 11.36% of the extracts increased the production of nitrite on LPS-induced macrophages. None of the extracts at the tested concentrations presented a pro-inflammatory effect on non-induced macrophages, nor a cytotoxic effect (cell viability >85%) in the resazurin bioassay. Metabolic profiling of the endo-metabolome and exo-metabolome extracts using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), revealed that the exo-metanolome extracts had a relative higher number and diversity of chemical groups. The 1H NMR metabolomic analysis showed characteristic signals that differentiate the fungal genera with high anti-inflammatory activity from those with the least activity. These signals could be associated with the group of terpenes. This is the first report on the isolation of endophytes from C. alata, from which 13 isolates exhibit pharmacological value as sources of potential anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory compounds. These bioactive metabolites are likely to belong to the groups of terpenes.

Applied Organometallic Chemistry, 2001

Reaction of mepirizole (M) with diorganotin(IV) dihalides yielded compounds of type [SnR 2 X 2 (M... more Reaction of mepirizole (M) with diorganotin(IV) dihalides yielded compounds of type [SnR 2 X 2 (M)] (R, X = Et, Cl; Et, Br; Bu, Cl; Bu, Br; Ph, Cl). The structure of dichlorodiphenyl (mepirizole)tin(IV) was determined by X-ray diffractometry. The crystal consists of discrete [SnPh 2 Cl 2 (M)] units in which an N,N'-bidentate mepirizole, the trans phenyl rings and the cis chlorine atoms define a pseudo-octahedral coordination polyhedron around the tin atom. Mössbauer and vibrational spectroscopic data suggest similar structures for the other compounds prepared. The 1 H NMR spectra show that the mepirizole ligand is largely dissociated in CDCl 3. The most active compounds against the human carcinoma cell line KB were the butyl derivatives.

New Journal of Chemistry, 2020

Five new structurally related half-sandwich cationic Ru(II) complexes of general formula [(η6-p-c... more Five new structurally related half-sandwich cationic Ru(II) complexes of general formula [(η6-p-cymene)RuL]Cl (6) and [(η6-p-cymene)RuL]PF6 (L = [2-C8H5N(Ph2PNC6H4XR)]− [R = C6H5, X = S (9), and Se (6, and 10); R = CH3, X = S (11), and Se (12)]) were designed and synthesized in search of new ruthenium anticancer drugs. The complexes were fully characterized by elemental analysis and various spectral methods (multinuclear NMR, and MS). The solid-state molecular structures of complexes 6, 9, and 10 were determined by X-ray crystallography and confirm the presence of pseudo-octahedral geometry around ruthenium and the facial tridentate N,N,X coordination of the iminophosphorane ligands. Solubility tests have shown compounds 9–12 to be highly soluble in polar solvents (DMSO, DMF, THF, and CH2Cl2), but insoluble in water or mixtures of DMSO/water. Different surfactants have been tested to resolve this issue, and only Tween 80 advantageously prevented precipitation in aqueous medium, and ...

This editorial summarises the organisation, activities, and scientific content of the 6th Europea... more This editorial summarises the organisation, activities, and scientific content of the 6th European Student Council Symposium (ESCS) organised by the International Society for Computational Biology Student Council (ISCB-SC). The event was held on September 6, 2020, as a satellite event preceding the ISCB’s 19th European Conference in Computational Biology. Both events were first planned to be held in-person in Sitges, Spain, but moved virtually as a strategy to face the SARS-CoV2 sanitary crisis. This completely unforeseen situation has posed several challenges that have been successfully addressed thanks to the robust ISCB Student Council community structure and the strong commitment of the organisers. Despite all the obstacles and challenges, we have found that virtuality has several advantages that can continue to be kept to improve in-person meetings in the future and make conferences more inclusive allowing a larger audience to participate.

Frontiers for Young Minds, Feb 6, 2019

Microbes are tiny forms of life that can be found everywhere. The microbes that live inside healt... more Microbes are tiny forms of life that can be found everywhere. The microbes that live inside healthy plants are commonly known as endophytes. Plants live together with their endophytes in symbiosis, which means that they work together to help each other out. Plants give shelter and food to their microbial guests, and in exchange, their microbial helpers produce chemicals that support the plants to grow faster, resist droughts, or fight against plant eaters. Scientists are very interested in studying the chemicals produced by endophytes, because new medicines and agricultural products can be developed from them. In this article, we will describe the interactions between plants and their endophytes, and answer some questions, like: How do scientists

Brain, Behavior, and Immunity

Heavy metal pollution has become an environmental and health problem worldwide. With the aim of f... more Heavy metal pollution has become an environmental and health problem worldwide. With the aim of finding novel strategies for metal bioremediation, endophytic fungi from the heavy metal hyperaccumulator plant Vachellia farnesiana were isolated and characterized. The plants were growing in mine tailings, rich in Zn, Pb, and Cu. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the fungal strains belonged to Neocosmospora and Aspergillus genera. The Neocosmospora isolate belongs to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) that groups phytopathogen species. However, in this case the plants from which it was isolated did not show any signs of disease. Both fungal strains were able to remove significant amounts of heavy metals from liquid cultures, either in a mixture of the three metals or each metal in a single culture. In response to lead exposure, the Neocosmospora sp. strain secreted specific novel phenolic compounds other than anthraquinones or naphtoquinones, which have been...

Microorganisms, 2020

Heavy metal pollution has become an environmental and health problem worldwide. With the aim of f... more Heavy metal pollution has become an environmental and health problem worldwide. With the aim of finding novel strategies for metal bioremediation, endophytic fungi from the heavy metal hyperaccumulator plant Vachellia farnesiana were isolated and characterized. The plants were growing in mine tailings, rich in Zn, Pb, and Cu. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the fungal strains belonged to Neocosmospora and Aspergillus genera. The Neocosmospora isolate belongs to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) that groups phytopathogen species. However, in this case the plants from which it was isolated did not show any signs of disease. Both fungal strains were able to remove significant amounts of heavy metals from liquid cultures, either in a mixture of the three metals or each metal in a single culture. In response to lead exposure, the Neocosmospora sp. strain secreted specific novel phenolic compounds other than anthraquinones or naphtoquinones, which have been described in similar situations. The Aspergillus sp. dropped the pH in the medium. High-performance liquid chromatography determinations indicated that this strain secreted mainly glutamic acid in response to lead, a novel mechanism, which has not been reported elsewhere. Malic and succinic acids were also produced in response to lead exposure. Possibly, glutamic and succinic acids (synthesized in the Krebs cycle) can be used to cope with metal toxicity due to the plant providing photosynthates to the fungus. These fungi showed the potential to be used for bioremediation or restoration of metal-polluted environments.

South African Journal of Botany, 2020

Endophytic fungi represent a promising biotechnological tool to identify and produce in large sca... more Endophytic fungi represent a promising biotechnological tool to identify and produce in large scale novel anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds. In this study, Crescentia alata Kunth was selected following the eth-nomedical criteria and a total of 219 isolates grouped in 86 morphotypes were obtained. From these, 44 isolates that presented a pigment-producing morphotype were selected as the screening panel. The ITS2 ribotypes of the selected endophytic fungi were annotated and classified phylogenetically based on a sequence-structure analysis. The isolates belonged to 17 genera: Colletotrichum, Fusarium, Lophotrichus, Podo-spora, Xylaria, Diaporthe, Aspergillus, Periconia, Didymella, Prosthemium, Trematophoma, Cladosporium, Cerco-spora, Pseudocercosporella, Aureobasidium, Bjerkandera, and Trametes. From the anti-inflammatory screening with the Griess assay only 14.77% were highly active with no significant difference compared to indometha-cin, and showed promising in vitro anti-inflammatory effect tested in murine macrophages induced with bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Interestingly, 11.36% of the extracts increased the production of nitrite on LPS-induced macrophages. None of the extracts at the tested concentrations presented a pro-inflammatory effect on non-induced macrophages, nor a cytotoxic effect (cell viability >85%) in the resazurin bioassay. Metabolic profiling of the endo-metabolome and exo-metabolome extracts using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), revealed that the exo-metanolome extracts had a relative higher number and diversity of chemical groups. The 1 H NMR metabolomic analysis showed characteristic signals that differentiate the fungal genera with high anti-inflammatory activity from those with the least activity. These signals could be associated with the group of terpenes. This is the first report on the isolation of endophytes from C. alata, from which 13 isolates exhibit pharmacological value as sources of potential anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory compounds. These bioactive metabolites are likely to belong to the groups of terpenes.