Larrea tridentata: A novel source for anti-parasitic agents active against Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia and Naegleria fowleri (original) (raw)
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Natural Remedies in the Fight Against Parasites, 2017
The protozoan parasites Plasmodium, Leishmania, Trypanosoma, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, and Trichomonas vaginalis, cause high morbidity and mortality in developed and developing countries. P. falciparum is responsible for malaria, one of the most severe infectious diseases in Africa. Hundreds of million people are affected by Trypanosoma and Leishmania that cause African and South American trypanosomiasis, and leishmaniasis. E. histolytica and G. lamblia contribute to the enormous burden of diarrheal diseases worldwide; trichomoniasis is the most common nonviral sexually transmitted disease in the world. Because of the important side effects of current treatments and the decrease in drug susceptibility, there is a renewed interest for the search of therapeutic alternatives against these pathogens. Natural products obtained from medicinal plants and their derivatives have been recognized for many years as a source of therapeutic agents. There are numerous reports about medicinal plants that are used by indigenous communities to treat gastrointestinal complaints. Importantly, phytochemical studies have allowed the identification of several secondary metabolites with anti-parasite activity. Our review revealed that Mexican medicinal plants have a great potential for the identification of new molecules with activity against protozoan parasites of medical importance worldwide and their potential use as new therapeutic compounds.
African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2017
Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia are parasitic protozoa that cause gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea and dysentery. Naegleria fowleri is a free living amoeba that causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. However, there are limited treatments for these parasitic diseases. Extracts, fractions from extracts and some isolated compounds from selected Ghanaian medicinal plants were screened against Naegleria fowleri, Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica in the search for newer and safer agents for the treatment of infections caused by these parasites. Of all the extracts and compounds tested for the activity against E. histolytica, only xylopic acid and geraniin were active with IC 50 values of 4.80 μg/mL (13.30 μM) and 34.71 μg/mL (36.44 μM), respectively. Metronidazole, the positive control had an IC 50 of 1.287 μM. All other extracts and fractions exhibited IC 50 values >100 µg/mL. For G. lamblia, extracts of Albizia glaberrima, Margaritaria nobilis, Maerua angolensis and Ulva fasciata, the ethyl acetate fraction of Erythrophleum ivorense bark extract, and the isolated compound, xylopic acid exhibited IC 50 values of 15.91, 44.25, 20.00, 35.86, 13.76 and 11.45 µg/mL, respectively. The IC 50 of the positive control agent metronidazole, was 10.47 µM. The extract of A. glaberrima and xylopic acid exhibited IC 50 values of 38.70 and 16.06 µg/mL, respectively, against N. fowleri. The IC 50 of the reference drug, amphotericin B, was 0.2 µM. Thus, Ghanaian medicinal plant extracts, their fractions and isolated compounds possess anti-parasitic activity.
A novel galacto-glycerolipid from Oxalis corniculata kills Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 2010
Oxalis corniculata is a naturally occurring weed that has been used in traditional medicine for the cure of dysentery and diarrhea in India. One of the common causes of dysentery is due to infection by the protist pathogen Entamoeba histolytica. Bioactivity profiling of extracts from O. corniculata identified several compounds that showed antiamoebic activity in axenic cultures of E. histolytica. These were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, and mass spectrometry as (i) Oc-1, a mixture of saturated fatty acids C 24 to C 28 ; (ii) Oc-2, a mixture of long-chain alcohols C 18 to C 28 ; and (iii) Oc-3, a single compound that was a galacto-glycerolipid (GGL). Of the different compounds that were obtained, the strongest antiamoebic activity was found in GGL. The addition of GGL to E. histolytica xenic cultures containing other microbial flora from the large intestine did not affect its antiamoebic activity. Amoebicidal concentrations of GGL had no effect on intestinal microbial flora or on the mammalian cell line HEK-293. GGL was also found to be equally effective in killing another protist pathogen, Giardia lamblia, that causes diarrhea in humans. The importance of this study is based on the identification of novel natural products and the possibility of developing these compounds as active agents to treat at least two pathogenic parasitic intestinal infections endemic to tropical regions.
Medicinal Plants - International Journal of Phytomedicines and Related Industries, 2023
Antiprotozoal activity of 36 medicinal plants was evaluated. Materials & methods: In vitro potency against Trypanosoma brucei brucei, T. b. rhodesiense, T. cruzi and Leishmania infantum beside cytotoxicity on MRC-5 fibroblasts were determined. Results & conclusion: Maytenus parviflora showed the highest activity against T. b. brucei (IC 50 of 0.6 μg/ml) and T. b. rhodesiense (IC 50 of 0.5 μg/ml) with low cytotoxicity (CC 50 of 30 μg/ml). Saussurea costus and Commiphora wightii, showed pronounced potency against T. cruzi with an IC 50 of 3.6 and 2.5 μg/ml, respectively. Jatropha pelargonifolia and Solanum villosum exhibited pronounced activity toward L. infantum with an IC 50 of 3.2 and 2.0 μg/ml, respectively. M. parviflora, S. costus, C. wightii, J. pelargonifolia and S. villosum showed relevant selectivity.
Plants and chemical constituents with giardicidal activity
Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia, 2006
RESUMO: "Plantas e constituintes químicos com atividade giardicida". Infecção intestinal causada por Giardia lamblia representa grave problema de saúde pública, com elevadas taxas de prevalência em diversos países. O aumento de resistência do parasita e os efeitos colaterais dos fármacos de referência empregados no tratamento da giardíase, tornam necessário a busca de novos agentes terapêuticos. Produtos naturais, especialmente de origem vegetal, representam excelentes fontes de pesquisas. Este trabalho tem como objetivo revisar a literatura de extratos de plantas, frações e compostos químicos com estudos in vitro de avaliação da atividade giardicida. A revisão refere 153 (cento e cinqüenta e três) espécies vegetais de 69 (sessenta e nove) famílias que foram submetidas à avaliação da atividade giardicida. Descreve a distribuição geográfi ca das espécies vegetais, parte usada, preparação, cepa de Giardia lamblia testada e resultados por autores. Apresenta 101 (cento e um) compostos isolados de espécies vegetais classifi cados por classes químicas. Discute aspectos recentes da pesquisa de produtos naturais de origem vegetal empregados no tratamento da giardíase.
Medicinal Plants: A Source of Anti-Parasitic Secondary Metabolites
Molecules, 2012
This review summarizes human infections caused by endoparasites, including protozoa, nematodes, trematodes, and cestodes, which affect more than 30% of the human population, and medicinal plants of potential use in their treatment. Because vaccinations do not work in most instances and the parasites have sometimes become resistant to the available synthetic therapeutics, it is important to search for alternative sources of anti-parasitic drugs. Plants produce a high diversity of secondary metabolites with interesting biological activities, such as cytotoxic, anti-parasitic and anti-microbial properties. These drugs often interfere with central targets in parasites, such as DNA (intercalation, alkylation), membrane integrity, microtubules and neuronal signal transduction. Plant extracts and isolated secondary metabolites which can inhibit protozoan parasites, such as Plasmodium, Trypanosoma, Leishmania, Trichomonas and intestinal worms are discussed. The identified plants and compounds offer a chance to develop new drugs against parasitic diseases. Most of them need to be tested in more detail, especially in animal models and if successful, in clinical trials.
Phytotherapy Research, 2009
Chia (Salvia polystachya Ort., Lamiaceae) is frequently used in Mexican traditional medicine to treat dysentery. In this study the main neo-clerodane diterpenes (polystachynes A, B and D, as well as linearolactone) were isolated from the aerial parts of chia, and their antiprotozoal activities toward Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia trophozoites were evaluated in vitro. Linearolactone was the most potent antiamoebic and antigiardial compound with IC 50 values of 22.9 mM for E. histolytica and 28.2 mM for G. lamblia. Polystachynes A, B and D, showed moderate antiprotozoal activity against both protozoans with IC 50 values ranging from 117.0 to 160.6 mM for E. histolytica and from 107.5 to 134.7 mM for G. lamblia. These data suggest that linearolactone may play an important role in the antidiarrhoeal activity of S. polystachya.
Screening of Native Plants from Yucatan for Anti– Giardia lamblia . Activity
Pharmaceutical Biology, 2005
The in vitro activity of 10 methanol extracts prepared from native plants collected in the Yucatan Peninsula [Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth, Cupania dentata DC., Diphysa carthagenensis Jacq., Dorstenia contrajerva L., Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth ex Walp., Justicia spicigera Schldl., Pluchea odorata (L.) Cass., Spigelia anthelmia L., Tridax procumbens L., and Triumfetta semitriloba Jacq.] was evaluated against Giardia lamblia trophozoites. All the extracts showed activity against G. lamblia trophozoites. T. procumbens was most active, with an IC 50 of 6.34 mg=ml, followed by C. dentata, 7.59 mg=ml, D. carthagenensis, 11.53 mg=ml, and B. crassifolia, 15.55 mg=ml.
Molecules, 2014
Amebiasis caused by Entamoeba histolytica is nowadays a serious public health problem worldwide, especially in developing countries. Annually, up to 100,000 deaths occur across the world. Due to the resistance that pathogenic protozoa exhibit against commercial antiprotozoal drugs, a growing emphasis has been placed on plants used in traditional medicine to discover new antiparasitics. Previously, we reported the in vitro antiamoebic activity of a methanolic extract of Lippia graveolens Kunth (Mexican oregano). In this study, we outline the isolation and structure elucidation of antiamoebic compounds occurring in this plant. The subsequent work-up of this methanol extract by bioguided isolation using several chromatographic techniques yielded the flavonoids pinocembrin (1), sakuranetin (2), cirsimaritin (3), and naringenin (4). Structural elucidation of the isolated compounds was achieved by spectroscopic/spectrometric analyses and comparing literature data. These compounds revealed significant antiprotozoal activity against E. histolytica trophozoites using in vitro tests, showing a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC 50) ranging from 28 to 154 µg/mL. Amebicide activity of sakuranetin and cirsimaritin is reported for the first time in this study. These research data may help to corroborate the use of this plant in traditional Mexican medicine for the treatment of dyspepsia.