In the last few decades, attention on new natural antimicrobial compounds has arisen due to a change in consumer preferences and the increase in the number of resistant microorganisms. Macroalgae play a special role in the pursuit of new active molecules as they have been traditionally consumed and are known for their chemical and nutritional composition and their biological properties, including antimicrobial activity. Among the bioactive molecules of algae, proteins and peptides, polysaccharides, polyphenols, polyunsaturated fatty acids and pigments can be highlighted. However, for the complete obtaining and incorporation of these molecules, it is essential to achieve easy, profitable and sustainable recovery of these compounds. For this purpose, novel liquid–liquid and solid–liquid extraction techniques have been studied, such as supercritical, ultrasound, microwave, enzymatic, high pressure, accelerated solvent and intensity pulsed electric fields extraction techniques. Moreover, different applications have been proposed for these compounds, such as preservatives in the food or cosmetic industries, as antibiotics in the pharmaceutical industry, as antibiofilm, antifouling, coating in active packaging, prebiotics or in nanoparticles. This review presents the main antimicrobial potential of macroalgae, their specific bioactive compounds and novel green extraction technologies to efficiently extract them, with emphasis on the antibacterial and antifungal data and their applications.

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/9/10/642/pdf

Macroalgae as a Source of Valuable Antimicrobial Compounds: Extraction and Applications.

Recent developments on production, purification and biological activity of marine peptides.

Antibiotic resistance is now considered a worldwide problem that puts public health at risk. The onset of bacterial strains resistant to conventional antibiotics and the scarcity of new drugs have prompted scientific research to re-evaluate natural products as molecules with high biological and chemical potential. A class of natural compounds of significant importance is represented by alkaloids derived from higher plants. In this review, we have collected data obtained from various research groups on the antimicrobial activities of these alkaloids against conventional antibiotic-resistant strains. In addition, the structure-function relationship was described and commented on, highlighting the high potential of alkaloids as antimicrobials.

Naturally-Occurring Alkaloids of Plant Origin as Potential Antimicrobials against Antibiotic-Resistant Infections.

Biofilm is a complex aggregation of microorganisms characterized by the presence of a dynamic, adhesive and protective extracellular matrix composed of polysaccharides, proteins and nucleic acids. ...

Biofilm and Quorum Sensing inhibitors: the road so far

The introduction of antifungals in clinical practice has an enormous impact on the provision of medical care, increasing the expectancy and quality of life mainly of immunocompromised patients. However, the emergence of pathogenic fungi that are resistant and multi-resistant to the existing antifungal therapy has culminated in fungal infections that are almost impossible to treat. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover new strategies. The marine environment has proven to be a promising rich resource for the discovery and development of new antifungal compounds. Thus, this review summarizes more than one hundred marine natural products, or their derivatives, which are categorized according to their sources—sponges, bacteria, fungi, and sea cucumbers—as potential candidates as antifungal agents. In addition, this review focus on recent developments using marine antifungal compounds as new and effective approaches for the treatment of infections caused by resistant and multi-resistant pathogenic fungi and/or biofilm formation; other perspectives on antifungal marine products highlight new mechanisms of action, the combination of antifungal and non-antifungal agents, and the use of nanoparticles and anti-virulence therapy.

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/24/5856/pdf

Marine-Derived Compounds and Prospects for Their Antifungal Application.

Targeting antimicrobial drug resistance with marine natural products

Anthropometry has been widely used in different fields, providing relevant information for medicine, ergonomics and biometric applications. However, the existent solutions present marked disadvantages, reducing the employment of this type of evaluation. Studies have been conducted in order to easily determine anthropometric measures considering data provided by low-cost sensors, such as the Microsoft Kinect. In this work, a methodology is proposed and implemented for estimating anthropometric measures considering the information acquired with this sensor. The measures obtained with this method were compared with the ones from a validation system, Qualisys. Comparing the relative errors determined with state-of-art references, for some of the estimated measures, lower errors were verified and a more complete characterization of the whole body structure was achieved.

Towards a detailed anthropometric body characterization using the Microsoft Kinect.

Momordica balsamina L. (Cucurbitaceae), frequently named balsam apple, southern balsam pear or African pumpkin, is a vegetable with high nutritional value, being mostly used as food in sub-Saharan Africa. It has also been largely used in traditional medicine to treat several diseases, such as malaria fevers and diabetes. As a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, the main constituents are cucurbitane-type triterpenoids, with different oxidation patterns, named cucurbitacins. This review aims at summarizing our contribution to the phytochemical study of M. balsamina and the evaluation of the isolated cucurbitacins and derivatives as multidrug resistance reversers in cancer cells and bacteria. In this way, the selective antiproliferative activity against multidrug resistant cancer cells of cucurbitacins obtained from M. balsamina, their ability as P-glycoprotein inhibitors in cancer cells overexpressing this ABC transporter, as well as efflux pump inhibitors in resistant bacteria strains are reviewed. Moreover, the in vitro antimalarial activity of cucurbitacins and acyl derivatives against the blood and liver-stages of Plasmodium strains, and the in vivo activity of selected compounds is also reviewed. Besides our work, edible and medicinal uses, and other studies mainly reporting the biological activities of M. balsamina extracts, such as antidiabetic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties are also addressed. 

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11101-022-09802-7.pdf

Momordica balsamina: phytochemistry and pharmacological potential of a gifted species

/pdf/momordica-balsamina-phytochemistry-and-pharmacological-29v7ukdv.pdf

In order to verify whether there is a considerable increase in body skin temperature during different swimming techniques (crawl and backstroke) and identifying the most affected regions. The athlete’s thermal symmetry was also analyzed, as well as its modification after the swimming, according to the performed technique. The accuracy of thermography as a method to identify and distinguish these different styles was also evaluated. Ten male swimmers were recruited and two different swimming techniques were assessed, crawl and backstroke. After a 10 minute acclimatization period in the pool, the swimmers were quickly dried with microfiber towels. The thermograms were taken before and after the swimming task, which consisted in a 7x200m protocol in crawl or backstroke. Infrared thermography revealed an increase of temperature after exercise and no significant differences were found between both techniques. Thermal symmetry was not affected by exercise. Infrared Thermography in Swimming: Thermal Characterization of Swimming Technique

Filipa Barbosa

Papers

Targeting antimicrobial drug resistance with marine natural products

Towards a detailed anthropometric body characterization using the Microsoft Kinect.

Momordica balsamina: phytochemistry and pharmacological potential of a gifted species

Momordica balsamina: phytochemistry and pharmacological potential of a gifted species

Infrared Thermography in Swimming: Thermal Characterization of Swimming Technique