Amedea B Seabra

• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at Federal University of ABC

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is an antimicrobial and anti-biofilm agent with significant potential for combating biofilm-associated infections and antibiotic resistance. However, owing to its high reactivity due to the possession of a free radical and short half-life (1–5 s), the practical application of NO in clinical settings is challenging. Obj...

In this study, we designed three promising platforms based on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to develop paper-based analytical devices (PADs) for biosensing applications. PADs have become increasingly popular in field sensing in recent years due to their portability, low cost, simplicity, efficiency, fast detection capability, excellent sensitivit...

In this study, we have designed a promising platform based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to develop paper-based analytical devices (PADs) to immobilize biomolecules for application in biosensors. PADs have become increasingly popular in sensing applications in recent years due to their portability, low cost, simplicity, efficiency, fast detect...

Copper oxide nanoparticles (NCuO) have emerged as an alternative to pesticides due to their antifungal effect against various phytopathogens. Combining them with fungicides represents an advantageous strategy for reducing the necessary amount of both agents to inhibit fungal growth, simultaneously reducing their environmental release. This study ai...

Nanotechnology has emerged as a cornerstone in contemporary research, marked by the advent of advanced technologies aimed at nanoengineering materials with diverse applications, particularly to address challenges in human health. Among these challenges, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has risen as a significant and pressing threat to public health,...

Chlorpyrifos (CP) is a globally used pesticide with acute toxicity. This work studied the photocatalytic degradation of CP using TiO2, ZnO nanoparticles, and nanocomposites of TiO2 and ZnO supported on SPIONs (SPION@SiO2@TiO2 and SPION@SiO2@ZnO). The nanocomposites were synthesized by multi-step incipient wetness impregnation. The effects of the in...

Melanoma is a serious and aggressive type of skin cancer with growing incidence, and it is the leading cause of death among those affected by this disease. Although surgical resection has been employed as a first-line treatment for the early stages of the tumor, noninvasive topical treatments might represent an alternative option. However, they can...

The excessive application of pesticides and fertilizers has generated losses in biological diversity, environmental pollution, and harmful effects on human health. Under this context, nanotechnology constitutes an innovative tool to alleviate these problems. Notably, applying nanocarriers as controlled release systems (CRSs) for agrochemicals can o...

The rise in the global population demands an increasing food supply and methods to boost agricultural production. Pesticides are necessary for agricultural production models, avoiding losses of close to 40%. Nevertheless, the extensive use of pesticides can cause their accumulation in the environment, causing problems for human health, biota, and e...

The green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using a diverse range of plant species has been extensively reported. Despite the success achieved by biogenic synthesis, there are problems with the control and prediction of the properties of ZnO NPs, due to phytochemical diversity between plant species. In this sense, the main objective o...

Nanoparticles are recognized due to their particular physical and chemical properties, which are conferred due to their size, in the range of nanometers. Nanoparticles are recognized for their application in medicine, electronics, and the textile industry, among others, but also in agriculture. The application of nanoparticles as nanofertilizers an...

Due to the environmental risks of conventional Cu-based fungicides, Cu-loaded chitosan nanoparticles have been developed as nano-pesticides, aiming to protect plants against different diseases. In this sense, the objective was to verify the effects of chitosan nanoparticles containing Cu2+ ions on leaf discs of Coffea arabica cv. IPR 100 infected w...

The food industry has been exploring the association of polymers with nanoparticles in packaging production, and active products are essential to increase the shelf life of food and avoid contamination. Our study developed starch-poly (adipate co-terephthalate butyl) films with silver nanoparticles produced with Fusarium oxysporum components (bio-A...

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important endogenous molecule that plays several roles in biological systems. NO is synthesized in human skin by three isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and, depending on the produced NO concentration, it can actuate in wound healing, dermal vasodilation, or skin defense against different pathogens, for example. Beside...

The nanoencapsulation of nitric oxide (NO) donors is an attractive technique to protect these molecules from rapid degradation, expanding, and enabling their use in agriculture. Here, we evaluated the effect of the soil application of chitosan nanoparticles containing S-nitroso-MSA (a S-nitrosothiol) on the protection of soybeans (Glycine max cv. B...

The antimicrobial activity of metal nanoparticles obtained by biogenic routes has been extensively reported. However, their combined use with other antimicrobial formulations, such as essential oils, remains scarcely explored. In this work, a manganese-ferrite/silver nanocomposite (MnFe2O4/Ag-NC) was synthesized in a two-step procedure: first, MnFe...

Background: In this study, L-cysteine-capped silver nanoparticles (Cys-AgNPs) were successfully linked in a cotton textile, being attached in a covalent way to the cotton fibers via esterification with the hydroxyl groups from the cellulose. The AgNPs were strongly adhered to the fiber surface through coordination bonds with the thiol groups from t...

This study aimed to evaluate the toxicity of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) synthesized by biogenic (BS) and chemical (CH) routes. The nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), vibrating-sample magnetometry (VSM-SQUID), Fourier-transform infrared spectr...

Nitric oxide (NO) is a multifunctional gaseous signal that modulates the growth, development and stress tolerance of higher plants. NO donors have been used to boost plant endogenous NO levels and to activate NO‐related responses, but this strategy is often hindered by the relative instability of donors. Alternatively, nanoscience offers a new, pro...

Magnetic bioactive glass-ceramics are biomaterials applied for magnetic hyperthermia in bone cancer treatment, thereby treating the bone tumor besides regenerating the damaged bone. However, combining high bioactivity and high saturation magnetization remains a challenge since the thermal treatment step employed to grow magnetic phases is also rela...

Accumulation of toxic contaminants and heavy metals in the environment is among the major problems causing pollution. They cause contamination of air, soil, and water. It ultimately leads to the development of hazardous effects on the humans and other organisms. They are quite difficult to recover from the environment. Traditionally those pollutant...

In nanomedicine, hybrid nanomaterials stand out for providing new insights in both the diagnosis and treatment of several diseases. Once administered, engineered nanoparticles (NPs) interact with biological molecules, and the nature of this interaction might directly interfere with the biological fate and action of the NPs. In this work, we synthes...

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) are characterized by their biodegradability, low toxicity, and great effectiveness to apply bioactive compounds, potentiating their application in agricultural systems to decrease the use of agrochemicals. The objective was to evaluate the effect of doses of 2-ketones released from SLN on seedling growth in Lactuca s...

Main conclusion Advances in nanotechnology make it an important tool for improving agricultural production. Strong evidence supports the role of nanomaterials as nutrients or nanocarriers for the controlled release of fertilizers to improve plant growth. Scientific research shows that nanotechnology applied in plant sciences is smart technology. Ab...

The rapid development of nanomedicine has created a high demand for silver, copper and copper oxide nanoparticles. Due to their high reactivity and potent antimicrobial activity, silver and copper-based nanomaterials have been playing an important role in the search for new alternatives for the treatment of several issues of concern, such as pathol...

The combination of nitric oxide (NO) donors with nanomaterials for agricultural purposes is a promising approach. The encapsulation of NO donors emerged as a strategy for protecting these molecules from rapid degradation, besides allowing more controlled release. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that encapsulated NO donors attenuate oxidativ...

Much progress has been achieved in the preparation and application of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) in the field of medicine, mainly for antibacterial and antiviral applications. In the war against bacteria and viruses, besides traditional antibiotics and antiviral drugs, metal-based nanoparticles, such as silver (AgNPs), copper (CuNPs), copper ox...

Nitric oxide (NO) is a small but powerful molecule. It is involved in several biological pathways such as vasodilation, wound healing and toxicity towards pathogens. At high concentrations, NO has a toxicity towards bacteria, virus and fungi which has a great biomedical potential. However, NO has a small half-life of just a few seconds and this haz...

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a major public health problem caused by Leishmania parasites that produce destructive and disfiguring skin conditions. There is an urgent need for alternative topical therapies due to the limitations of current systemic treatments. Recently, we have synthesized nitric oxide-releasing chitosan nanoparticles (NONPs) an...

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on education. The restrictions imposed have undoubtedly led to impairment of the psychological well-being of both teachers and students, and of the way they experience interpersonal relationships. As reported previously in the literature, adverse effects such as loneliness, anxiety, and stress have re...

Durante dois anos a equipe do grupo de extensão em orientações sobre segurança alimentar com foco em Folhas e Legumes da Horticultura de Santo André (FoLHoSA) percorreu hortas urbanas do município de Santo André. O objetivo da equipe foi de promover um diálogo entre a Universidade (UFABC) e os horticultores urbanos, no sentido de alertá-los para a...

BACKGROUND The unique features of nanoparticles can improve the effectiveness of seed priming with metallic ions, boosting plant growth and the defense response. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of nanopriming of maize (Zea mays L.) seeds with chitosan nanoparticles containing copper ions (NPCu) on the growth and photosynthetic activ...

Nanozymes are human-made nanomaterials with an intrinsic enzyme-like activity that offer a versatile alternative to natural enzymes for disease treatment, environmental remediation, and sensing. In this work, we proposed a novel spectrophotometric assay for determining the oxidase-like activity of manganese ferrite nanoparticles (MnFe2O4 NPs) based...

BACKGROUND A biomimetic method was developed for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Synthetic chemical compounds were used according to the metabolites present in the fungal extracts for the synthesis of AgNPs. The main objective of this study was to find a simple and effective synthesis method without the presence of a living organism....

Nanotechnology plays an important role to increase food production by improving plant performance. Specifically, nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are an important tool for the controlled release of compounds in agriculture. Furthermore, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have shown an important growth-inducing effect in vegetables. Nevertheless,...

Traditional cancer treatments, such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, are still the most effective clinical practice options. However, these treatments may display moderate to severe side effects caused by their low temporal or spatial resolution. In this sense, photonic nanomedicine therapies have been arising as an alternative to tradit...

Arginine (Arg) metabolism is associated with many cellular and developmental processes in plants and proline, nitric oxide (NO) and polyamines (PAs) have a wide range of physiological functions in plants, including increased tolerance to environmental stresses. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that Arg spraying would stimulate the synthesis...

BACKGROUND Green‐tea‐synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) and S‐nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), a nitric oxide (NO) donor, were applied individually and in combination to lettuce leaves. We aimed to investigate whether a combined application of CuO NPs and GSNO might enhance plant growth when compared to individual treatments and the control...

The accumulation of compatible solutes, as sugar and polyols, as a response to stress is a widely biochemical adaptation. However, the signaling process involved in this regulation remains unclear. Lichens and their microalgae have to cope with a variety of stresses associated with sudden changes in water content during daily cycles of desiccation-...

The endogenous free radical nitric oxide (NO) plays a pivotal role in the immunological system. NO has already been reported as a potential candidate for use in the treatment of human coronavirus infections, including COVID-19. In fact, inhaled NO has been used in clinical settings for its antiviral respiratory action, and in the regulation of bloo...

The aim of the current study is to report a simple and efficient method to chemically modify chitosan in order to form S-nitroso-chitosan for antibacterial applications. Firstly, commercial chitosan (CS) was modified to form thiolated chitosan (TCS) based on an easy and environmental-friendly method. TCS was featured based on physicochemical and mo...

The SARS‐CoV‐2 virus outbreak revealed that these nano‐pathogens have the ability to rapidly change lives. Undoubtedly, SARS‐CoV‐2 as well as other viruses can cause important global impacts, affecting public health, as well as, socioeconomic development. But viruses are not only a public health concern, they are also a problem in agriculture. The...

In kidney disease (KD), several factors released into the bloodstream can induce a series of changes in the heart, leading to a wide variety of clinical situations called cardiorenal syndrome (CRS). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the signaling and progression of systemic inflammatory conditions, as observed in KD. The aim o...

Nitric oxide (NO) is related to a wide range of physiological processes such as vasodilation, macrophages cytotoxicity and wound healing. The human skin contains NO precursors (NOx). Those are mainly composed of nitrite (NO2-), nitrate (NO3-), and S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs) which forms a large NO store. These NOx stores in human skin can mobilize NO t...

Nitric oxide (NO) is an endogenous molecule with antimicrobial activity. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are also well known for its antimicrobial properties. In this work, we prepared, characterized, evaluated the cytotoxicity and the antibacterial activity of alginate nanoparticles (alginate NPs) containing S-nitroso-mercaptosuccinic acid (S-nitroso...

Hybrid nanomaterials have been extensively investigated because of the possibility of obtaining multiple functions in one stable entity. The magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) present unique superparamagnetic properties that enable their application in various fields. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) also stand out in biomedical applications, especia...

This study aims to describe the antibacterial and cytotoxic properties of a nanocomposite composed of silver chloride and silver nanoparticles (AgCl/Ag) biogenically synthesized using Arthrobacter sp., a non-pathogenic Antarctic soil bacterium. Spherical nanoparticles (hydrodynamic size of 42 nm) coated with biomolecules derived from Arthrobacter s...

Platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) is an autologous human platelet concentrate extracted from plasma. PRP has been investigated in order to be used in many fields, with emphasis on the musculoskeletal field applied to sports injuries, as well as on other medical fields such as cardiac surgery, gynecology, pediatric surgery, urology, ophthalmology and plast...

Nitric oxide (NO) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are well known for their antibacterial activity. In this work, S-nitroso-mercaptosuccinic acid (S-nitroso-MSA), a NO donor, and green tea synthesized AgNPs were individually or simultaneously incorporated into alginate hydrogel for topical antibacterial applications. The obtained hydrogels were cha...

New practices to improve the germination and the initial establishment of seedlings are needed to improve crop development in rainfed areas, where drought events may happen just after sowing. Here, we tested the hypothesis that pre-treatment of common bean seeds with S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO)—a nitric oxide donor (NO)—or calcium (Ca²⁺) improves t...

The free radical nitric oxide (NO) is an important endogenous molecule that controls several biological processes, ranging from the promotion of vasodilatation to the acceleration of wound repair process and potent antimicrobial effects. NO is synthesized in human skin through the action of three isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), with an imp...

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have attracted remarkable attention due to their powerful antimicrobial action as well as their particular physicochemical properties. This has led to their application in a wide variety of products with promising results. However, their interaction with the environment and toxicity in live terrestrial or aquatic organi...

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule associated with many biochemical and physiological processes in plants under stressful conditions. Nitrate reductase (NR) not only mediates the reduction of NO 3 ⁻ to NO 2 ⁻ but also reduces NO 2 ⁻ to NO, a relevant pathway for NO production in higher plants. Herein, we hypothesized that sugarcan...

Nitric oxide (NO) is a crucial molecule in the human body. The encapsulation of exogenous NO donors into chitosan nanoparticles (CS NPs) has been widely used to overcome NO drawbacks in pharmacological applications, such as, its short half-life. The NO donor, S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), was encapsulated into CS NPs (GSNO-CS NPs) and characterized...

Nitric oxide (NO) is an endogenous free radical that controls important physiological and pathophysiological processes, including a role in cancer biology. NO can have a direct toxic effect on tumors, or it can sensitize cancer cells and contribute to the reversal of multidrug resistance (MDR). As NO is a gas and free radical, NO donors have been i...

Nanotechnology has been proposed as an important tool and strategy for applying new products in agriculture at the nanometer scale in order to improve the food crop at sustainability and productivity levels for contributing with the agriculture security. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been planted as an intelligent material with a large contact surface p...

The incidence and mortality rates of all types of cancer have a global burden. The lack of specificity of chemotherapy is one of the major problems in cancer treatment and it is related with moderate to severe adverse effects. CD44 is a protein overexpressed in certain types of cancer cells and can be used as an anchor of attachment for nanoparticl...

Iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 NPs) are used to drive and to promote sustained release of drugs in target sites. Biocompatibility and superparamagnetic behaviour are important features to the successful biomedical applications of Fe 3 O 4 NPs. In this study, Fe 3 O 4 NPs were synthesized by the co-precipitation method and coated with c...

Zero-valent iron nanoparticles (ZVI NPs) have been employed in environmental and biomedical applications. These nanoparticles are used in the remediation of soil and water contaminated with heavy metals, and ZVI NPs can be used in the biomedical sector, as drug delivery system due to the large surface area-to-volume ratio. However, their toxicity s...

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that demands for new therapeutic strategies due to adverse side effects and resistance development promoted by current drugs. Nitric oxide (NO)-donors show potential to kill Leishmania spp. but their use is limited because of their instability. In this work, we synthesize, characterize, and encapsulate...

Previously we reported the biosynthesis of intracellular cadmium sulfide quantum dots (CdS QDs) at low temperatures by the Antarctic strain Pseudomonas fragi GC01. Here we studied the role of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) in the biosynthesis of CdS QDs by P. fragi GC01. The biosynthesis of nanoparticles was evaluated in the presence of sulfate,...

Oil-in-water (O/W) multilayer emulsions have been used to encapsulate volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Nevertheless, research associated with application in horticulture has been poorly studied. The objective of this study was to develop O/W emulsions for releasing VOCs to induce vegetable growth. Emulsions were prepared with vegetable oil, soybe...

Biological routes have been extensively explored in the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles due to their simplicity and low cost. Among metallic nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in medical applications because of their potent antimicrobial activity. In this work, the ability of the mycelium-free fungus extract produced by...

In this work, the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles by Galega officinalis extract using AgNO3 as a precursor was reported. The reaction parameters for the biosynthesis and efficiency in their antimicrobial control against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas syringae were determined. For biosynthesis, a central composite desig...

Due to their antibacterial activity, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been explored in biomedical applications. Similarly, nitric oxide (NO) is an important endogenous free radical with an antimicrobial effect and toxicity towards cancer cells that plays pivotal roles in several processes. In this work, biogenic AgNPs were prepared using green tea...

Metal nanoparticles and metal oxides nanoparticles (MNPs/MONPs) have been widely included in a great diversity of products and industrial applications and they are already a part of our everyday life. According to estimation studies, their production is expected to increase exponentially in the next few years. Consequently, soil has been suggested...

Hesperidin and its aglycone hesperetin have emerged as important anticancer natural products from orange resources, while bladder cancer has been a great treat to animals and humans in very severe forms. Bladder cancer is usually treated with extremely toxic chemotherapeutics, such as doxorubicin, cisplatin, mitomycin-C, etc., and there is as an ur...

Actually, many discussions on the potential risks of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been reported; however, unfortunately, very few considered the great differences between the nature of silver and sources of their syntheses. All data suggested that the effects on toxicity of AgNPs are related to the combination of the specific properties of AgN...

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in biomedical fields because of their potent antimicrobial activity. Biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles has gained considerable attention due to its simplicity, low cost and absence of organic solvents. This work describes the one-pot one-minute biogenic synthesis of AgNPs with a commercial green tea ex...

Bladder cancer treatment remains a challenge in the pharmaceutical field due to the recurrence and progression of the disease, as well as the pronounced side effects associated with the available therapeutic modalities. Although important strategies have been investigated in different clinical trial phases, efficient and well-tolerated treatment ap...

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in physiological processes, including vasodilatation, wound healing and antibacterial activities. As NO is a free radical, designing drugs to generate therapeutic amounts of NO in controlled spatial and time manners is still a challenge. In this study, the NO donor S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) was incorporated into the...

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in physiological processes, including vasodilatation, wound healing and antibacterial activities. As NO is a free radical, designing drugs to generate therapeutic amounts of NO in controlled spatial and time manners is still a challenge. In this study, the NO donor S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) was incorporated into the...