Maria da Conceição de Menezes Torres

Globally, breast cancer is one of the most prevalent tumors in women and remains a major concern due to its high mortality rate. Although treatment options for this disease have evolved over the years, there are still many cases of recurrence and metastasis. In this context, considering the importance of evaluating less aggressive and more efficient therapeutic alternatives to aid in the treatment of breast cancer, the present study critically discusses the cytotoxic effects of diterpenoids isolated from Croton species (Euphorbiaceae). The articles were retrieved from different databases, from the first report published in 2005 to October 2025. A total of 115 diterpenoids were isolated from 15 Croton species and investigated against different breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-468). These compounds mainly belong to the kaurane group (40%), followed by clerodane (14%), tigliane (12%), and abietane (10%). Of this total, only 25 compounds showed promising results (IC₅₀ = < 10 µM). The mechanisms of action of the compounds crokokaugenoid A, kongensin A, kongensin D, ent-16β,17α-dihydroxykaurane, and lauicyclone A have been reported. These compounds likely act by inducing apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle arrest, inhibition of cell migration and invasion, and DNA fragmentation in breast cancer cell lines. To date, no randomized clinical trials have been conducted using Croton diterpenoids for the treatment of breast cancer. Therefore, further studies on the modulation of the immune response by these natural products are essential to better understand their immunotherapeutic activity in the tumor microenvironment during breast cancer progression.

Psilocybin is a molecule with significant potential for the treatment of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse. In this study, it was explored the extraction of psilocybin from Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms using a factorial design approach, along with the physicochemical and phytochemical characterization of the extracted material, aiming to optimize the process. The results indicate that the optimal extraction conditions were achieved using an acidified ethanol solvent (without water addition) at pH 2 and at temperature of 25 °C. The maximum yield obtained was 50.03 mg of psilocybin g-1 of extract (ca. 1% psilocybin), which exceeds the values reported in the literature for similar studies, demonstrating the efficiency of the proposed method. Through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, six compounds were annotated: the indole alkaloids psilocybin and psilocin, previously reported in the P. cubensis genus, and four additional compounds, sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, norvaline, tetronomycin and N-(tetradecanoyl)-sphinganine, which have not previously been reported in the Psilocybe genus.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo analisar uma sequência didática desenvolvida para contextualizar o ensino de funções orgânicas, tendo como público alunos do último ano do ensino médio de uma escola pública, utilizando-se das plantas medicinais como uma abordagem temática. A execução da proposta foi conduzida via google meet onde inicialmente foi aplicado um questionário a fim de coletar dados do conhecimento prévio dos alunos sobre plantas medicinais. A partir destas informações foram desenvolvidas oficinas temáticas de funções orgânicas tomando como eixo as plantas medicinais conhecidas pelos alunos e os seus princípios ativos. Após cada oficina foram aplicados quizzes avaliativos, verificando uma evolução significativa do aprendizado dos alunos. Ao final do desenvolvimento da sequência didática, foi aplicado um questionário de avaliação da metodologia utilizada, a qual foi avaliada positivamente por mais de 90% da turma. A proposta tornou o aprendizado de Química orgânica mais empolgante, contextualizado e interdisciplinar, minimizando assim os danos causados ao ensino de ciências num contexto de ensino remoto.

Plants of the genus Pseudobombax Dugand (Malvaceae) exhibit a wide range of medicinal properties, including antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, antinociceptive, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities. This study is the first to analyze the phytochemical composition, antioxidant properties, and sun protection factor (SPF) of Pseudobombax simplicifolium . Phytochemical tests of the hydroalcoholic extracts from the stem barks (HEB) and leaves (HEL) of P. simplicifolium indicated the presence of saponins, phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids, and terpenoids. Chromatographic fractionation of the HEB and HEL resulted in isolating of the three known compounds lupeol, β‐sitosterol, and lup‐20(29)‐en‐3β‐28‐diol that are being reported here for the first time in this species. The extracts and fractions exhibited antioxidant activity as measured by the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (IC ₅₀ = 14.85 ± 0.15 for HEB‐F9), 2,2‐azinobis‐3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid (ABTS) (IC ₅₀ = 27.47 ± 0.53 for HEB‐F9), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (IC ₅₀ = 627.43 ± 2.16 for HEB‐F9) assays. Additionally, the HEB and its fractions demonstrated photoprotective activity against ultraviolet radiation, with SPF values of 25.01 at concentrations as low as 50 µg mL, exceeding the minimum SPF required by regulations. LC–MS analysis of the HEB and its fractions identified a variety of compounds phenolic, which are likely responsible for the observed activities.

Innovative therapies, such as psilocybin-assisted psychotherapies, hold great promises for treating anxiety, depression, and various other mental health disorders, addressing some of the challenges faced by conventional psychiatric medicine. This study focuses on developing and validating an HPLC-DAD methodology for detecting psilocybin and psilocin in extracts from psychedelic mushrooms intended for medicinal use. The methodology to has been validated following the guidelines of RDC No. 166/2017 from the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA). Utilizing a PerkinElmer C18 column (150.0 mm length × 4.6 mm internal diameter × 5 μm particle size), the gradient method employed ultrapure Milli-Q water (mobile phase A) and acetonitrile (mobile phase B), both acidified to 0.3% with formic acid (starting at a ratio of 95:5 v/v), with a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min over 18 min and an injection volume of 15 μL. The column temperature was maintained at 30 °C, and the analysis was conducted at a wavelength of 266 nm. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit od quantification (LOQ) values for psilocybin were 1.58 and 4.78 mg/L, respectively, while for psilocin, they were 1.70 and 5.17 mg/L. The method’s accuracy showed recovery intervals for psilocybin ranging from 80 to 120% and for psilocin from 98 to 116%. Accurately determining the content of psilocybin (2.57%) and psilocin (0.16%) is essential for their application as pharmaceutical compounds. This methodological rigor ensures that these substances can be reliably used in therapeutic contexts, underscoring the importance of precise quantification in developing safe and effective medical treatments.

The Psilocybe genus is known for producing tryptamine alkaloids, specifically the compounds psilocybin and psilocin, which have shown antidepressant and anxiolytic potential. The presence of these alkaloids makes Psilocybe mushrooms promising sources of molecules with potential applications in the treatment of mental disorders. To explore this, a bibliographic study was conducted with the aim of synthesizing published data regarding the biological properties and chemical composition of Psilocybe mushrooms. Searches were performed on indexing platforms, and the articles found were processed using StArt software. These articles were then classified by score and selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. This survey yielded a total of 74 articles, and among them, 66 works showed the presence of psilocybin and/or psilocin alkaloids, indicating the psychoactivity of the mushrooms, and 4 works demonstrated the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the extract from certain species of the genus. Additionally, 37 chemical compounds were identified across the genus, 23 of which are alkaloids. Data regarding the temporal and chemical stability of these compounds were also observed, which could help optimize the handling of materials that contain indole alkaloids. Therefore, it is evident that species of this genus remain underexplored in terms of chemical diversity; only compounds classified as alkaloids, terpenoids and phenolic compounds were found, and, in total, only 36 compounds in a study range time of 67 years. Furthermore, most studies focused primarily on evaluating the tryptamine alkaloids responsible for the psychoactivity of the mushrooms, without any study focusing on demonstrating the biological activity of isolated compounds against any pathological factor, except for studies relating the whole extract to larvicidal, antimicrobial and antioxidant potential. So, this review provides a general overview of the molecules isolated from the genus and their biological activities and also suggests that researchers working with these mushroom species could focus their efforts on isolating new compounds and evaluating other types of biological activities that can improve the knowledge of mushrooms’ alternative applications.