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Amoebicidal activity of α-bisabolol, the main sesquiterpene in chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) essential oil against the trophozoite stage of Acanthamoeba castellani Neff

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Abstract

Acanthamoeba genus includes opportunistic pathogens which are distributed worldwide and are causative agents of a fatal encephalitis and severe keratitis in humans and other animals. Until present there are not fully effective therapeutic agents against this pathogen and thus the need to search for novel anti-amoebic compounds is urgent. Recently, essential oils of aromatic and medicinal plants have shown activity against Acanthamoeba strains. Therefore, this study was aimed to evaluate the activity of main component of chamomile essential oil (a sesquiterpene) namely α-bisabolol against the Acanthamoeba castellani Neff strain. After evaluation of the activity and toxicity of this molecule, IC50 values of 20.839 ± 2.015 for treated amoebae as well as low citotoxicty levels in a murine macrophage cell line was observed. Moreover, in order to elucidate mechanism of action of this molecule, changes in chromatin condensation levels, permeability of the plasmatic membrane, the mitochondrial membrane potential and the ATP levels in the treated amoebic strains were checked. The obtained results revealed that α-bisabolol was able to induce apoptosis, increase the permeability of the plasmatic membrane and decrease both mitochondrial and ATP levels in the treated amoebae. Therefore, and given the obtained results, α-bisabolol could be used a future therapeutic agent against Acanthamoeba infections.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Parasitologie, Université de la Manouba, École Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi thabet, 2020, Tunisia

    Soumaya Hajaji & Hafidh Akkari

  2. Faculté des sciences de Bizerte, Université de Carthage, 7021, Zarzouna, Tunisia

    Soumaya Hajaji

  3. University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

    Ines Sifaoui, Atteneri López-Arencibia, María Reyes-Batlle, Basilio Valladares, José E. Pinero & Jacob Lorenzo-Morales

Authors
  1. Soumaya Hajaji
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  2. Ines Sifaoui
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  3. Atteneri López-Arencibia
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  4. María Reyes-Batlle
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  5. Basilio Valladares
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  6. José E. Pinero
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  7. Jacob Lorenzo-Morales
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  8. Hafidh Akkari
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Correspondence to Jacob Lorenzo-Morales.

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Hajaji, S., Sifaoui, I., López-Arencibia, A. et al. Amoebicidal activity of α-bisabolol, the main sesquiterpene in chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) essential oil against the trophozoite stage of Acanthamoeba castellani Neff. Acta Parasit. 62, 290–295 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2017-0036

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2017-0036

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