Current antibiotics and chemotherapeutics are becoming ineffective because pathogenic bacteria and tumor cells have developed multiple drug resistance. Therefore, it is necessary to find new substances that can be used in treatment, either alone or as sensitizing molecules in combination with existing drugs. Peptaibols are bioactive, membrane-active peptides of non-ribosomal origin, mainly produced by filamentous fungi such as Trichoderma spp. This study focused on producing peptaibol-rich extracts from Trichoderma atroviride O1, cultivated on malt extract agar (MA) under circadian and constant darkness conditions for 13 days. Peptaibol production was detected by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry after six days of cultivation. The extracts demonstrated antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus strains, particularly the methicillin-resistant variant, but not against the Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Quorum sensing interference revealed that a peptaibol-rich extract suppressed Vibrio campbellii BAA-1119's AI-2 signaling system to a degree comparable with gentamycin. Beyond antibacterial properties, the extracts exhibited notable antiproliferative activity against human ovarian cancer cells and their adriamycin-resistant subline in both 2D and 3D models. Specifically, MA-derived extracts reduced ovarian cancer cell viability by 70% at 50 μg/mL, especially under light/dark regime of cultivation. Compared to previously published results for PDA-based extracts, MA cultivation shifted the biological effects of peptaibol-containing extracts toward anticancer potential. These findings support the idea that modifying fungal cultivation parameters, the bioactivity of secondary metabolite mixtures can be tailored for specific therapeutic applications.

• MeSH
• Agar * chemistry   MeSH
• Anti-Bacterial Agents * pharmacology   metabolism   MeSH
• Hypocreales MeSH
• Culture Media chemistry   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Microbial Sensitivity Tests MeSH
• Cell Line, Tumor MeSH
• Peptaibols * pharmacology   metabolism   biosynthesis   chemistry   MeSH
• Cell Proliferation drug effects   MeSH
• Antineoplastic Agents * pharmacology   metabolism   MeSH
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa drug effects   MeSH
• Staphylococcus aureus drug effects   MeSH
• Trichoderma * metabolism   growth & development   chemistry   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Agar * MeSH
• Anti-Bacterial Agents * MeSH
• Culture Media MeSH
• Peptaibols * MeSH
• Antineoplastic Agents * MeSH

The peumo (Cryptocarya alba) is a native fruit from central Chile that belongs to the Lauraceae family. To characterize the development and the potential health benefits of this edible fruit, quality and physiological parameters, along with antioxidant capacity, were evaluated during three clearly defined developmental stages of the fruit in two seasons. The most distinguishable attributes of ripe fruit were the change in size and color. Low CO2 production and no detectable ethylene levels suggested non-climacteric behavior of the peumo fruit. Peumo demonstrate a significant increase in their antioxidant capacity per 1 g of fresh weight (FW) of the sample, from small to ripe fruit. Higher values in ripe fruit (FRAP: 37.1-38.3 µmol FeSO4/gFW, TEAC: 7.9-8.1 mmol TE/gFW, DPPH: 8.4-8.7 IC50 μg/mL, and ORAC: = 0.19-0.20 mmol TE/gFW) were observed than those in blueberry fruit (FRAP: 4.95 µmol FeSO4/gFW, TEAC: 1.25 mmol TE/gFW, DPPH: 11.3 IC50 μg/mL, and ORAC: 0.032 mmol TE/ gFW). The methanol extracts of ripe fruit displayed the presence of polyphenol acids and quercetin, an ORAC value of 0.637 ± 0.061 mmol TE per g dried weight (DW), and a high cellular antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, the latter exceeding the effect of quercetin and indomethacin used as standard molecules. Also, the assay of isolated rat aorta with endothelium-dependent relaxation damage demonstrated that the peumo extract induced vascular protection, depending on its concentration under a high glucose condition. These results demonstrate that these endemic fruits have a good chance as ingredients or foods with functional properties.

• Keywords
• anti-inflammatory activity, antioxidants, bioactivity assessments, functional food, polyphenols, vascular protection,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH