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Antileishmanial, antitrypanosomal, and cytotoxic screening of ethnopharmacologically selected Peruvian plants

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Abstract

Extracts (34) from eight plant species of the Peruvian Amazonia currently used in traditional Peruvian medicine, mostly as antileishmanial remedies and also as painkiller, antiseptic, antipyretic, anti-inflamatory, antiflu, astringent, diuretic, antipoison, anticancerous, antiparasitic, insecticidal, or healing agents, have been tested for their antileishmanial, antitrypanosomal, and cytotoxic activity. Plant species were selected based on interviews conducted with residents of rural areas. The different plant parts were dried, powdered, and extracted by maceration with different solvents (hexane, chloroform, and 70% ethanol–water). These extracts were tested on promastigote forms of Leishmania infantum strain PB75, epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi strain Y, and the mammalian CHO cell line. Parasite viability and nonspecific cytotoxicity were analyzed by a modified MTT colorimetric assay method. The isolation and identification of pure compounds from selected extracts were performed by column chromatography, gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS; mixtures), spectroscopic techniques [MS, infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV)], and mono and two-dimensional 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR; COSY, HSQC, NOESY) experiments. Chondodendron tomentosum bark and Cedrela odorata were the most active extracts against Leishmania, while C. odorata and Aristoloquia pilosa were the most active against Trypanosoma, followed by Tabebuia serratifolia, Tradescantia zebrina, and Zamia ulei. Six compounds and two mixtures were isolated from Z. ulei [cycasin (1)], T. serratifolia {mixtures 1–2, and naphthoquinones 2-acetyl-4H,9H-naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione (2) and 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-4H,9H-naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione (3)}, and C. tomentosum [chondrocurine (4); (S,S′)-12-O-methyl(+)-curine (5); and cycleanine (6)]. Four compounds and the two mixtures exhibited significant activity.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grant CTQ2009-14629-C02-01 (Spain) and a collaborative research project CSIC-CONCYTEC (Perú). We also thank S. Carlin for language revision.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, C/Serrano 115-bis, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    Azucena González-Coloma & Claudia Sáenz

  2. Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 3, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

    Matías Reina

  3. Grupo de Alelopatía, Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cádiz, Avda. República Saharaui S/N, 11510, Cadiz, Spain

    Rodney Lacret

  4. Laboratorio de Productos Naturales Antiparasitarios de la Amazonía Peruana, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana, Pasaje Los Paujiles S/N Nuevo San Lorenzo, San Juan Bautista, Maynas, Peru

    Lastenia Ruiz-Mesia

  5. Instituto de Química Médica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, C/Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    Vicente J. Arán

  6. Instituto de Química Orgánica General, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, C/Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    Jesús Sanz

  7. Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Salud Pública y Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/Arzobispo Morcillo S/N, 28029, Madrid, Spain

    Rafael A. Martínez-Díaz

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  1. Azucena González-Coloma
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  2. Matías Reina
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  3. Claudia Sáenz
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  7. Jesús Sanz
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  8. Rafael A. Martínez-Díaz
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Correspondence to Rafael A. Martínez-Díaz.

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González-Coloma, A., Reina, M., Sáenz, C. et al. Antileishmanial, antitrypanosomal, and cytotoxic screening of ethnopharmacologically selected Peruvian plants. Parasitol Res 110, 1381–1392 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2638-3

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