Trypanocidal activity of organic extracts from the Brazilian and Spanish marine sponges

Abstract Chagas' disease is a parasitic infection caused by protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi that affect millions of people worldwide. The available drugs for treatment of this infection cause serious side effects and have variable efficacy, especially in the chronic phase of the disease. In this context, natural compounds have shown great potential for the discovery of new chemotherapies for the treatment of this infection and various other diseases. In present study, we evaluated the in vitro antiprotozoal activity of five species of Brazilian and Spanish marine sponges (Condrosia reniformes, Tethya rubra, Tethya ignis, Mycale angulosa and Dysidea avara) against T. cruzi. By GC–MS data, we observed that in these extracts were present the major classes of the following compounds: hydrocarbons, terpenes, steroids and alcohols. The extracts showed activity against the three forms of this parasite and did not induce toxicity in mammalian cells. Better activities were observed with the extracts of marine sponges, C. reniformes (EC50 = 0.6 μg/ml), D. avara (EC50 = 1.1 μg/ml) and M. angulosa (EC50 = 3.8 μg/ml), against trypomastigote forms. In intracellular amastigote forms, the extract of T. ignis showed IC50 of 7.2 μg/ml and SI of 24.65. On this basis, our results indicate that these extracts can be promising chemotherapeutic agents against T. cruzi.

Triagem fitoquímica e avaliação das atividades antimicrobiana e citotóxica de plantas medicinais nativas da região oeste do estado do paraná / Phytochemical screening and evaluation of antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of native medicinal plants from west region of paraná state

Muitas plantas não apresentam suas potencialidades terapêuticas comprovadas por meio de estudos científicos. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar um estudo fitoquímico, antimicrobiano e citotóxico das espécies vegetais Eupatorium serratum (Asteraceae), Myrcianthes pungens (Myrtaceae), Urera nitida (Urticaceae), Campomanesia xanthocarpa (Myrtaceae) e duas variedades de Psidium cattleyanum (Myrtaceae). Para tanto, as plantas foram secas e extraídas com diferentes solventes (hexano, metanol e acetato de etila) obtendo-se 18 extratos brutos. Métodos específicos foram usados para identificação de alcalóides, saponinas, flavonóides, taninos e esteróides. Para determinar as concentrações inibitória mínima (CIM) e bactericida mínima (CBM) utilizaram-se bactérias Gram positivas (Staphylococcus aureus e Micrococcus luteus) e Gram negativas (Escherichia coli e Salmonella typhi). O método de difusão em disco foi usado contra leveduras (Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae). C. xanthocarpa, M. pungens (extratos acetato de etila e hexano) e uma variedade de P. cattleyanum (extrato acetato de etila), apresentaram CIM ? 62,5 µg/ml contra bactérias Gram-positivas, o que pode estar relacionado aos taninos encontrados nas folhas dessas plantas. O extrato hexânico de M. pungens mostrou a mais forte inibição, apresentando CBM de mesma concentração. Os extratos metanólicos de C. xanthocarpa e M. pungens mostraram boa atividade antifúngica. O ensaio citotóxico verificou o efeito hemolítico e o extrato hexânico de uma variedade de P. cattleyanum apresentou alta citotoxicidade nas concentrações testadas.

Many plants do not present its proven therapeutic potentialities through scientific studies. Thus, the aim of this work was to accomplish a phytochemical, antimicrobial and cytotoxic study of the vegetal species Eupatorium serratum (Asteraceae), Myrcianthes pungens (Myrtaceae), Urera nitida (Urticaceae), Campomanesia xanthocarpa (Myrtaceae) and two varieties of Psidium cattleyanum (Myrtaceae). The plants were dried and extracted with different solvents (hexane, methanol and ethyl acetate) resulting in 18 crude extracts. Specific methods had been used for identification of alkaloids, saponnins, flavonoids, tannins and steroids. To determine the minimum inhibitory (MIC) and bactericidal (MBC) concentrations were used Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus luteus) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi) bacteria. The method of disc diffusion was used against yeasts (Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae). C. xanthocarpa, M. pungens (ethyl acetate and hexane extracts) and a variety of P. cattleyanum (ethyl acetate extract), presented MIC ? 62.5 µg/ml against Gram-positive bacteria, which may be related to tannins in the leaves of these plants. The hexanic extract of M. pungens showed the strongest inhibition, presenting MBC of equal concentration. The methanolic extracts of C. xanthocarpa and M. pungens showed good antifungal activity. The cytotoxic assay verified the hemolytic effect and the hexanic extract of a variety of P. cattleyanum presented high citotoxicity at the concentrations tested.