Individual and combined antiparasitic effect of six plant metabolites against Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi

Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2016 Apr 1;26(7):1772-5. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.02.044. Epub 2016 Feb 17.

Abstract

Six plant metabolites including isobavachalcone (1), 4-hydroxylonchocarpine (2), and (E)-1-(2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromen-6-yl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one (3), 6,8-(di-3-methyl-but-2-enyl)eriodictyol (4), damnacanthal (5), and buesgenine (6) were evaluated for their leishmanicidal and trypanocidal activities against intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi. Compounds 2-4 and 6 displayed antileishmanial activity while 3 and 5 showed trypanocidal effect. The leishmanicidal activity of 6 was expressed with the lowest IC50 (5.70μg/mL) whereas the most trypanocidal metabolite (5) showed its activity with IC50 at 11.14μg/mL. In addition, antiprotozoal effect of mixtures of 1-6 prepared at different ratios (3:1, 1:1, and 1:3) was also investigated. Interestingly, 1 and 2 initially inactive against T. cruzi, displayed trypanocidal activities when mixed together. This activity increased when 3 (13.63μg/mL) was combined with 1 in ratios 1:1 (10.01μg/mL) and 3:1 (7.78μg/mL). Moreover, the leishmanicidal effect of 4 against L. amazonensis increased in the mixture 6/4 (1:3).

Keywords: Activity in combination; Antiparasitic effect; Secondary metabolites.

MeSH terms

  • Alkaloids / chemistry
  • Alkaloids / pharmacology
  • Anthraquinones / chemistry
  • Anthraquinones / pharmacology
  • Antiparasitic Agents / chemistry*
  • Antiparasitic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antiprotozoal Agents / chemistry
  • Antiprotozoal Agents / pharmacology
  • Chagas Disease / drug therapy
  • Chalcones / chemistry
  • Chalcones / pharmacology
  • Flavanones / chemistry
  • Flavanones / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Leishmania mexicana / drug effects*
  • Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / drug therapy
  • Moraceae / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Plants / chemistry*
  • Rubiaceae / chemistry
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Trypanocidal Agents / chemistry
  • Trypanocidal Agents / pharmacology
  • Trypanosoma cruzi / drug effects*
  • Zanthoxylum / chemistry

Substances

  • Alkaloids
  • Anthraquinones
  • Antiparasitic Agents
  • Antiprotozoal Agents
  • Chalcones
  • Flavanones
  • Plant Extracts
  • Trypanocidal Agents