title: Biflorin: an o-naphthoquinone of clinical significance.
abstract: Biflorin is an o-naphthoquinone with proven cytotoxic effects on tumor cells showing antimicrobial, antitumor and antimutagenic activities. Biflorin is an isolated compound taken from the roots of the plant Capraria biflora L. (Schrophulariaceae), indigenous of the West Indies and South America, which is located in temperate or tropical areas. This compound has shown to be strongly active against grampositive and alcohol-acid-resistant bacteria. It has been efficient in inhibiting the proliferation tumor cell lines CEM, HL-60, B16, HCT-8 and MCF-7. Recently, SK-Br3 cell line was treated with biflorin showing important cytotoxic effects. In this article, information related to the first structural characterization studies are presented, as well as the latest reports concerning the biological activity of this molecule.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genômica, Proteômica e Reparo de DNA, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Gabrielle G N S
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Wisintainer
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Oncologia Experimental, Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Evelyne R B
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Orgânica e Inorgânica, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Telma L G
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biotecnologia de Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Sidnei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moura
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Orgânica e Inorgânica, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Luciana G S
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza/ICEN, Campos dos Palmares, Universidade da Integração Internacional da Lusofonia Afro-Brasileira, Acarape, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Aluisio M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Manoel Odorico
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Moraes
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Oncologia Experimental, Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pessoa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genômica, Proteômica e Reparo de DNA, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roesch-Ely
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Genômica, Proteômica e Reparo de DNA, Instituto de Biotecnologia, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: João A P
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Henriques
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D028083:Scrophulariaceae / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D009285:Naphthoquinones; C522781:biflorin