Fernanda Borges

Bio: Fernanda Borges is an academic researcher from University of Porto. The author has contributed to research in topics: Chromone & Oxidative stress. The author has an hindex of 55, co-authored 389 publications receiving 12540 citations. Previous affiliations of Fernanda Borges include Cardiff University & Federal University of São Paulo.

Simple coumarins and analogues in medicinal chemistry: occurrence, synthesis and biological activity.

Abstract: Coumarins, also known as benzopyrones, are present in remarkable amounts in plants, although their presence has also been detected in microorganisms and animal sources. The structural diversity found in this family of compounds led to the division into different categories, from simple coumarins to many other kinds of policyclic coumarins, such as furocoumarins and pyranocoumarins. Simple coumarins and analogues are a large class of compounds that have attracted their interest for a long time due to their biological activities: they have shown to be useful as antitumoural, anti-HIV agents and as CNS-active compounds. Furthermore, they have been reported to have multiple biological activities (anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory), although all these properties have not been evaluated systematically. In addition, their enzyme inhibition properties, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities are other foremost topics of this field of research. The present work is to survey the information published or abstracted from 1990 till 2003, which is mainly related to the occurrence, synthesis and biological importance of simple coumarins and some analogues, such as biscoumarins and triscoumarins. Data are also highlighted, concerning the development of new synthetic strategies that could help in drug design and in the work on SAR or QSAR.

Chromone: A Valid Scaffold in Medicinal Chemistry

Abstract: This work was supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portugal (projects PTDC/QUI-QUI/113687/2009 and PEst-C/QUI/UI0081/2013). A.G. (SFRH/BD/43531/2008) and M.J.M. (SFRH/BD/61262/2009) thank FCT for grants.

New insights on the anticancer properties of dietary polyphenols.

Abstract: Cancer, one of the major causes of death across the world, has shown to be a largely preventable disease, highly susceptible to modulation by dietary factors. Phenolic compounds, abundant in vegetables and fruits ubiquitous in diet, were described to play an important role as chemopreventive agents. Since conventional therapeutic and surgical approaches have not been able to control the incidence of most cancer types, the development of chemopreventive strategies is an urgent priority in public health. The current diet phenolic intake is often insufficient to protect from mutagens (either exogenous or endogenous), which leads to the need for dietary supplementation as an alternative approach. Research efforts are placing increasing emphasis on identifying the biological mechanisms and in particular the signal transduction pathways related to the chemopreventive activities of these compounds. These effects are believed to occur by the regulation of signaling pathways such as nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), activator protein-1 (AP-1) or mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK). Dietary polyphenols can exert their effects on these pathways separately or sequentially and in addition the occurrence of crosstalk between these pathways cannot be overlooked. By modulating cell signaling pathways, polyphenols activate cell death signals and induce apoptosis in precancerous or malignant cells resulting in the inhibition of cancer development or progression. However, regulation of cell signaling pathways by dietary polyphenols can also lead to cell proliferation/survival or inflammatory responses due to increased expression of several genes. The present review summarizes the most recent advances providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the promising anticarcinogenic activity of dietary polyphenols.

Phenolic acids and derivatives: studies on the relationship among structure, radical scavenging activity, and physicochemical parameters.

Abstract: The antiradical activity of caffeic acid (1), dihydrocaffeic acid (5), and their corresponding n-alkyl esters was evaluated by using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH(*)) method Dihydrocaffeic acid (5) was the most potent compound, having an antiradical effect higher than that of (+/-)-alpha-tocopherol, whereas caffeic acid (1) was less efficient Esterification of the carboxyl group of dihydrocaffeic acid (5) had a dramatic effect on its antiradical potency, but similar effects were not observed for caffeic acid (1) derivatives The n-alkyl esters of both phenolic series had similar potencies, and their antiradical activities were independent of the alkyl chain length Dose-dependent scavenger effects were found in both series Acid-base properties of the compounds, evaluated by using potentiometry and spectrophotometry, showed that the catechol moiety had pK(a2) and pK(a3) values of 9 24-902 and 1138-1099 in the dihydrocaffeic series and 848-824 and 1138-1107 in the caffeic series, respectively Antiradical activity and pK(a) values of the compounds were not related

“Bioinformatics” 특집을 내면서

Abstract: BIOE 402. Medical Technology Assessment. 2 or 3 hours. Bioentrepreneur course. Assessment of medical technology in the context of commercialization. Objectives, competition, market share, funding, pricing, manufacturing, growth, and intellectual property; many issues unique to biomedical products. Course Information: 2 undergraduate hours. 3 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Junior standing or above and consent of the instructor.

Applied Predictive Modeling

Abstract: General Strategies.- Regression Models.- Classification Models.- Other Considerations.- Appendix.- References.- Indices.