Ergosterol isolated from the basidiomycete Pleurotus salmoneostramineus affects Trypanosoma cruzi plasma membrane and mitochondria

Background Major drawbacks of the available treatment against Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) include its toxicity and therapeutic inefficiency in the chronic phase of the infection, which makes it a concern among neglected diseases. Therefore, the discovery of alternative drugs for treating chronic Chagas disease requires immediate action. In this work, we evaluated the mushroom Pleurotus salmoneostramineus in the search for potential antiparasitic compounds. Methods Fruit bodies of the basidiomycete Pleurotus salmoneostramineus were triturated and submitted to organic solvent extraction. After liquid-liquid partition of the crude extract, three fractions were obtained and the bioguided fractionation study was conducted to isolate the active metabolites. The elucidation of the chemical structure was performed using GC-MS and NMR techniques. The biological assays for antiparasitic activity were carried out using trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi and murine macrophages for mammalian cytotoxicity. The mechanism of action of the isolated compound used different fluorescent probes to evaluate the plasma membrane permeability, the potential of the mitochondrial membrane and the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Results The most abundant fraction showing the antiparasitic activity was isolated and chemically elucidated, confirming the presence of ergosterol. It showed anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity against trypomastigotes, with an IC50 value of 51.3 μg/mL. The compound demonstrated no cytotoxicity against mammalian cells to the maximal tested concentration of 200 μg/mL. The mechanism of action of ergosterol in Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes resulted in permeabilization of the plasma membrane, as well as depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential, leading to parasite death. Nevertheless, no increase in ROS levels could be observed, suggesting damages to plasma membrane rather than an induction of oxidative stress in the parasite. Conclusions The selection of naturally antiparasitic secondary metabolites in basidiomycetes, such as ergosterol, may provide potential scaffolds for drug design studies against neglected diseases.(AU)

Ergosterol isolated from the basidiomycete Pleurotus salmoneostramineus affects Trypanosoma cruzi plasma membrane and mitochondria

Abstract Background Major drawbacks of the available treatment against Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) include its toxicity and therapeutic inefficiency in the chronic phase of the infection, which makes it a concern among neglected diseases. Therefore, the discovery of alternative drugs for treating chronic Chagas disease requires immediate action. In this work, we evaluated the mushroom Pleurotus salmoneostramineus in the search for potential antiparasitic compounds. Methods Fruit bodies of the basidiomycete Pleurotus salmoneostramineus were triturated and submitted to organic solvent extraction. After liquid-liquid partition of the crude extract, three fractions were obtained and the bioguided fractionation study was conducted to isolate the active metabolites. The elucidation of the chemical structure was performed using GC-MS and NMR techniques. The biological assays for antiparasitic activity were carried out using trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi and murine macrophages for mammalian cytotoxicity. The mechanism of action of the isolated compound used different fluorescent probes to evaluate the plasma membrane permeability, the potential of the mitochondrial membrane and the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Results The most abundant fraction showing the antiparasitic activity was isolated and chemically elucidated, confirming the presence of ergosterol. It showed anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity against trypomastigotes, with an IC50 value of 51.3 g/mL. The compound demonstrated no cytotoxicity against mammalian cells to the maximal tested concentration of 200 g/mL. The mechanism of action of ergosterol in Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes resulted in permeabilization of the plasma membrane, as well as depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential, leading to parasite death. Nevertheless, no increase in ROS levels could be observed, suggesting damages to plasma membrane rather than an induction of oxidative stress in the parasite. Conclusions The selection of naturally antiparasitic secondary metabolites in basidiomycetes, such as ergosterol, may provide potential scaffolds for drug design studies against neglected diseases.

Estudo do potencial anti-leishmania e anti-trypanosoma cruzi do ergosterol isolado do basidiomiceto pleurotus salmoneostramineus

Considerando a necessidade de novos tratamentos para doenças negligenciadas como a leishmaniose visceral e a doença de Chagas, o presente trabalho realizou o fracionamento do basidiomiceto comestível Pleurotus salmoneos tramineus na busca por substâncias potencialmente antiparasitárias. Dentre as frações ativas, foi isolado um composto denoninado ergosterol, o qual apresentou atividade anti-Leishmania (L.) infantum e anti-Trypanosoma cruzi. O ergosterol foi ativo contra amastigotas intracelulares de Leishmania (L.) infantum, com valor de Concentração Efetiva 50% (CE50) de 125 µM e de 129 µM contra formas tripomastigotas de Trypanosoma cruzi. O estudo da citotoxicidade em células de mamífero resultou em um valor de CE50 de 619 µM. Seu mecanismo de ação em tripomastigotas resultou uma rápida permeabilização da membrana plasmática, com a despolarização do potencial de membrana mitocondrial,levando o parasito à morte. Apesar disso, não se verificou aumento de espécies reativas de oxigênio no parasito, demonstrando que seu mecanismo de ação não envolve a indução de estresse oxidativo. A seleçãode metabólitos secundários antiparasitários presentes na natureza podefornecer futuros protótipos para o desenho de novos fármacos para doenças negligenciadas.

Considering the need for new treatments for neglected diseases as visceralleishmaniasis and Chagas disease, in this work we fractionated the ediblemushroom Pleurotus salmoneostramineus in the search for potentialantiparasitic compounds. Among the active fractions, it was isolated theergosterol, which showed anti-Leishmania (L.) infantum e anti-Trypanosomacruzi activities. The ergosterol was active against intracellular amastigotes ofLeishmania (L.) infantum and trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi, with50% Inhibitory Concentration (IC50) values of 125 µM and 129 µM,respectively. The cytotoxicity in mammalian cells resulted in an IC50 value of619 µM. Its mechanism of action in Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotesresulted in permeabilization of the plasma membrane, as well asdepolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential, leading to parasitedeath. Nevertheless, there was no increase in reactive oxygen species,demonstrating that its mechanism of action does not involve the induction ofoxidative stress in the parasite. The selection of antiparasitic secondarymetabolites present in nature can provide future prototypes for the design ofnew drugs for neglected diseases.