In this study, thin LbL films were produced by combining the adhesive properties of the hyaluronic acid–dopamine conjugate with the bioactivity and bactericidal properties of silver doped bioactive glass nanoparticles.

Highlights d HIF-1a is a protective factor against Leishmania donovani infection d In absence of HIF-1a, lipogenesis is induced via BNIP3/ mTOR/SREBP-1c modulation d Blockage of lipogenesis reverts HIF-1a-associated Leishmania susceptibility d HIF1A polymorphism correlates with susceptibility to infection

Chrysobalanus icaco L. is a medicinal plant popularly known in Brazil as "Grageru" or "Abageru." It is used in African and American continents as medicinal food in the treatment of several diseases, including diabetes. This study used phytochemical screening to determine the antioxidant and α-amylase inhibitor activities of the aqueous extract (AECI) of C. icaco, and evaluated its antidiabetic potential in rodents. Phytochemical screening was performed using colorimetric tests with specific reagents. The in vitro antioxidant activity was evaluated by the scavenging activity of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picril-hydrazyl. The lethality test and behavioral screening was performed using an oral administration of 5 g/kg of AECI. The antidiabetic potential of AECI was evaluated through the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and chronic hypoglycemic test at the doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg (orally). Metformin was used as a reference drug in all tests. Diabetes was induced by injection of alloxan (40 mg/kg; intravenously). Phytochemical screening showed the presence of various compounds, including tannins, flavones, triterpenoids, steroids, saponins, and alkaloids. The in vitro antioxidant test demonstrated that AECI presented potent antioxidant activity. The lethality test and behavioral screening did not show lethality signs. In the OGTT test, AECI administration was not able to inhibit the elevation of glycemia. However, chronically administrated, it was able to cause a significant (P<.05) reduction of glycemia from 335±27 up to 197±15 mg/dL. These results demonstrate that the AECI presents a potential beneficial effect for diabetes.

Antisense oligomers and their analogs have been successfully utilized to silence gene expression for the treatment of many human diseases; however, the control of yeast's virulence determinants has never been exploited before. In this sense, this work is based on the key hypothesis that if a pathogen's genetic sequence is a determinant of virulence, it will be possible to synthesize a nucleic acid mimic based on antisense therapy (AST) that will bind to the mRNA produced, blocking its translation into protein and, consequently, reducing the pathogen virulence phenotype. EFG1 is an important determinant of virulence that is involved in the regulation of the Candida albicans switch from yeast to filamentous form. Thus, our main goal was to design and synthesize an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting the EFG1 mRNA and to validate its in vitro applicability. The results show that the anti-EFG1 2 0-OMethylRNA (2 0 OMe) oligomer was able to significantly reduce the levels of EFG1 gene expression and of Efg1p protein translation (both approximately 60%), as well as effectively prevent filamentation of C. albicans cells (by 80%). Moreover, it was verified that anti-EFG1 2 0 OMe keeps the efficacy in different simulated human body fluids. Undeniably, this work provides potentially valuable information for future research into the management of Candida infections, regarding the development of a credible and alternative method to control C. albicans infections, based on AST methodology.