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Research Project
Madeira Chemistry Research Centre
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Publications
Physicochemical properties and cell viability of shrimp chitosan films as affected by film casting solvents. I-potential use as wound dressing
Publication . Eulálio, Hugo Yves C.; Vieira, Mariana; Fideles, Thiago B.; Tomás, Helena; Silva, Suédina M. L.; Peniche, Carlos A.; Fook, Marcus Vinícius L.
: Chitosan solubility in aqueous organic acids has been widely investigated. However, most of
the previous works have been done with plasticized chitosan films and using acetic acid as the
film casting solvent. In addition, the properties of these films varied among studies, since they are
influenced by different factors such as the chitin source used to produce chitosan, the processing
variables involved in the conversion of chitin into chitosan, chitosan properties, types of acids used to
dissolve chitosan, types and amounts of plasticizers and the film preparation method. Therefore,
this work aimed to prepare chitosan films by the solvent casting method, using chitosan derived
from Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp shell waste, and five different organic acids (acetic, lactic, maleic,
tartaric, and citric acids) without plasticizer, in order to evaluate the effect of organic acid type
and chitosan source on physicochemical properties, degradation and cytotoxicity of these chitosan
films. The goal was to select the best suited casting solvent to develop wound dressing from shrimp
chitosan films. Shrimp chitosan films were analyzed in terms of their qualitative assessment, thickness,
water vapor permeability (WVP), water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), wettability, tensile properties,
degradation in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and cytotoxicity towards human fibroblasts using
the resazurin reduction method. Regardless of the acid type employed in film preparation, all films
were transparent and slightly yellowish, presented homogeneous surfaces, and the thickness was
compatible with the epidermis thickness. However, only the ones prepared with maleic acid presented
adequate characteristics of WVP, WVTR, wettability, degradability, cytotoxicity and good tensile
properties for future application as a wound dressing material. The findings of this study contributed
not only to select the best suited casting solvent to develop chitosan films for wound dressing but
also to normalize a solubilization protocol for chitosan, derived from Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp
shell waste, which can be used in the pharmaceutical industry.
Cyclotriphosphazene-based derivatives for antibacterial Applications: an update on recent advances
Publication . Su, Xiqi; Wang, Le; Xie, JingHua; Liu, XiaoHui; Tomás, Helena
As a phosphorus scaffold, hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) is widely used
for the synthesis of varieties of derivatives, including metal-binding complexes and several
unique organometallic compounds, which exhibit potential catalytic, flame retardant and bio logical activities. Some metal-binding HCCP derivatives have shown antibacterial activities as
free ligands and metal complexes. These derivatives can also serve as building blocks for the
formation of antibacterial metal-containing polymers. This mini-review is focused on the de sign and development of HCCP derivatives as potential antibacterial agents with representa tive examples as well as antibacterial mechanisms from recent years
A novel and simpler alkaline hydrolysis methodology for extraction of ferulic acid from brewer’s spent grain and its (partial) purification through adsorption in a synthetic resin
Publication . Ideia, Pedro; Sousa-Ferreira, Ivo; Castilho, Paula C.
This work aims to develop simpler methodologies of extracting ferulic acid (FA) from
brewer’s spent grain (BSG). BSG is produced by brewing companies at high amounts all over the
year and does not possess a direct application. Thus, its use as raw material for extraction of
bioactive compounds has gained attention in the last years. FA has different interesting applications
in cosmetics, food industry, and pharmaceutics. Several studies aim for its extraction from BSG by
various methods, namely alkaline hydrolysis. In the present work, we suggest the use of autoclave
to process higher amounts of BSG in a lab scale. A simplification of the regular post-hydrolysis
procedures is also proposed to decrease the number of experimental steps and energy costs and to
simultaneously increase the extraction yield (up to 470 mg of FA per 100 g of BSG). The adsorption of
extracted FA in a synthetic resin is suggested as a partial purification method.
Engineered Neutral Phosphorous Dendrimers Protect Mouse Cortical Neurons and Brain Organoids from Excitotoxic Death
Publication . Posadas, Inmaculada; Romero-Castillo, Laura; Ronca, Rosa-Anna; Karpus, Andrii; Mignani, Serge; Majoral, Jean-Pierre; Muñoz-Fernández, Mariángeles; Ceña, Valentin
Nanoparticles are playing an increasing role in biomedical applications. Excitotoxicity
plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s
or Parkinson’s disease. Glutamate ionotropic receptors, mainly those activated by N-methyl-D aspartate (NMDA), play a key role in excitotoxic death by increasing intraneuronal calcium levels;
triggering mitochondrial potential collapse; increasing free radicals; activating caspases 3, 9, and 12;
and inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress. Neutral phosphorous dendrimers, acting intracellularly,
have neuroprotective actions by interfering with NMDA-mediated excitotoxic mechanisms in rat
cortical neurons. In addition, phosphorous dendrimers can access neurons inside human brain
organoids, complex tridimensional structures that replicate a significant number of properties of
the human brain, to interfere with NMDA-induced mechanisms of neuronal death. Phosphorous
dendrimers are one of the few nanoparticles able to gain access to the inside of neurons, both in
primary cultures and in brain organoids, and to exert pharmacological actions by themselves.
Functionalized Nitroimidazole Scaffold Construction and Their Pharmaceutical Applications: A 1950–2021 Comprehensive Overview
Publication . Gupta, Ria; Sharma, Sumit; Singh, Rohit; Vishwakarma, Ram A.; Mignani, Serge; Singh, Parvinder Pal
Nitroimidazole represents one of the most essential and unique scaffolds in drug discovery
since its discovery in the 1950s. It was K. Maeda in Japan who reported in 1953 the first nitroimidazole
as a natural product from Nocardia mesenterica with antibacterial activity, which was later identified
as Azomycin 1 (2-nitroimidazole) and remained in focus until now. This natural antibiotic was the
starting point for synthesizing numerous analogs and regio-isomers, leading to several life-saving
drugs and clinical candidates against a number of diseases, including infections (bacterial, viral,
parasitic) and cancers, as well as imaging agents in medicine/diagnosis. In the present decade, the
nitroimidazole scaffold has again been given two life-saving drugs (Delamanid and Pretomanid) used
to treat MDR (multi-drug resistant) tuberculosis. Keeping in view the highly successful track-record
of the nitroimidazole scaffold in providing breakthrough therapeutic drugs, this comprehensive
review focuses explicitly on presenting the activity profile and synthetic chemistry of functionalized
nitroimidazole (2-, 4- and 5-nitroimidazoles as well as the fused nitroimidazoles) based drugs and
leads published from 1950 to 2021. The present review also presents the miscellaneous examples in
each class. In addition, the mutagenic profile of nitroimidazole-based drugs and leads and derivatives
is also discussed.
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Funding agency
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Funding programme
6817 - DCRRNI ID
Funding Award Number
UIDB/00674/2020