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Antiprotozoan activity of Brazilian marine cnidarian extracts and of a modified steroid from the octocoral Carijoa riisei

Parasitology Research volume 103, pages 1445–1450 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

In the present investigation, we have evaluated the antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal activity of methanolic crude extracts obtained from eight species of cnidarians and of a modified steroid isolated from the octocoral Carijoa riisei. The antileishmanial activity of cnidarians crude extracts showed 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values in the concentration range between 2.8 and 93.3 μg/mL. Trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi were less susceptible to the crude extracts, with IC50 values in the concentration range between 40.9 and 117.9 μg/mL. The steroid (18-acetoxipregna-1,4,20-trien-3-one) displayed a strong antileishmanial activity, with an IC50 value of 5.5 μg/mL against promastigotes and 16.88 μg/mL against intracellular amastigotes. The steroid also displayed mammalian cytotoxicity (IC50 of 10.6 μg/mL), but no hemolytic activity was observed at the highest concentration of 12.5 μg/mL. The antileishmanial effect of the steroid in macrophages suggested other mechanism than macrophage activation, as no upregulation of nitric oxide was observed. The antitrypanosomal activity of the steroid resulted in an IC50 value of 50.5 μg/mL. These results indicate the potential of cnidarian natural compounds as antileishmanial drug candidates.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from Instituto Adolfo Lutz and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) to J. Q. R. (scholarship number 06/05241-2), as well as from FAPESP to A. G. T. (05/00974-9), to R. G. S. B. (05/60175-2, BIOprospecTA) and from CNPq (300194/1994-3) to A. E. M. The authors thank Matilia A. N. Silva and Vicente D. S. Filho for technical assistance and Adriano Ablrud, Cleide P. C. Santos, Heda A. Francisco, and Maria F. A. Silva for animal care. We also thank Eduardo H., Joseilto M. de Oliveira, and Joseph M. E. V. Sebroeck (CEBIMar/USP) for their invaluable help in collecting specimens. The experiments comply with the current laws of Brazil in which they were performed.

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Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Toxinologia Aplicada, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Av. Dr. Arnaldo 351, 8 andar, Cerqueira Cesar, CEP 01246-000, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Juliana Quero Reimão & André Gustavo Tempone

  2. Centro de Biologia Marinha, Universidade de São Paulo, CEP 11600-000, São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil

    Alvaro Esteves Migotto

  3. Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, CP 780, CEP 13560-970, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil

    Miriam H. Kossuga & Roberto G. S. Berlinck

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  1. Juliana Quero Reimão
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  2. Alvaro Esteves Migotto
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  3. Miriam H. Kossuga
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  4. Roberto G. S. Berlinck
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  5. André Gustavo Tempone
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Correspondence to André Gustavo Tempone.

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Reimão, J.Q., Migotto, A.E., Kossuga, M.H. et al. Antiprotozoan activity of Brazilian marine cnidarian extracts and of a modified steroid from the octocoral Carijoa riisei . Parasitol Res 103, 1445–1450 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-008-1154-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-008-1154-6

Keywords

  • Crude Extract
  • Visceral Leishmaniasis
  • Leishmaniasis
  • Antileishmanial Activity
  • Antiparasitic Activity