BRAZILIAN SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTIMYCOBACTERIAL NATURAL PRODUCTS: POTENTIAL OF INSPIRING NOVEL ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS AGENTS DEVELOPMENT

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is the leading cause of death globally from an infectious agent. The search for new antituberculosis compounds is vital for developing effective drugs that reduce treatment duration and side effects, particularly for multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB). Natural products from plants, marine organisms, microorganisms, and animals have demonstrated antimycobacterial properties. Brazilian research on natural products is crucial, especially concerning antituberculosis activity, as Brazil is among the nations with the highest TB burden and possesses immense biodiversity. This study reviewed Brazilian research on antimycobacterial natural products, identifying promising compounds and extracts for antituberculosis studies. In summary, the most promising extracts reported were obtained from the plants Peschiera affinis, Plathymenia foliosa, Pouteria filipes, and Psychotria vellosiana, and the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa, showing minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ≤ 1 µg mL–1. Among the isolated natural compounds, the alkaloid piperovatine (MIC 7.8 µg mL–1) and the neolignan eupomatenoid-5 (MIC 1.9 µg mL–1) stood out. Considering the results compiled and discussed in the present review, it is important to highlight the need to continue the studies with the most promising extracts, in order to identify the antimycobacterial compounds responsible for their activity. In the case of piperovatin and eupomatenoid-5, it is essential to perform advanced studies to complement the preclinical results, characterizing them as new candidates for antituberculosis drug development.