(±)-Licarin A and its semi-synthetic derivatives: In vitro and in silico evaluation of trypanocidal and schistosomicidal activities.

This paper reports the synthesis of (±)-licarin A 1, a dihydrobenzofuran neolignan, resultant of an oxidative coupling reaction of isoeugenol and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme. Following, three semi-synthetic derivatives from this compound were obtained: benzylated (±)-licarin A 2, methylated (±)-licarin A 3 and acetylated (±)-licarin A 4. After structural elucidation and assignment by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of 1H, 13C and DEPT, all compounds were evaluated in vitro against Trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, and Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) worms, the etiologic agent of schistosomiasis. Compound (4) was the most active against S. mansoni adult worms, displaying worm viability reduction at 25 µM and mortality of all worms at 100 and 200 µM within 24 h. Compound 1 was the second most active, showing worm viability reduction at 50 µM and mortality of 25% and 100% of worms in 24h at concentrations of 100 and 200 µM, respectively. In addition, theoretical calculations aiming at finding molecular properties that showed the correlation for schistosomicidal and trypanocidal activities of (±)-licarin A and three of its semi-synthetic derivatives were also performed.

Modulatory Effect of Betulinic Acid on the Genotoxicity Induced by Different Mutagens in V79 Cells.

Betulinic acid (BA) is a pentacyclic triterpene that can be isolated from many medicinal plants around the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotoxic potential of BA and its effect on the genotoxicity induced by different mutagens in V79 cells using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay. Different BA concentrations were combined with methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), doxorubicin (DXR), camptothecin (CPT), and etoposide (VP-16). The frequencies of micronuclei in cultures treated with different BA concentrations did not differ from those of the negative control. Treatment with BA and MMS resulted in lower micronucleus frequencies than those observed for cultures treated with MMS alone. On the other hand, a significant increase in micronucleus frequencies was observed in cultures treated with BA combined with DXR or VP-16 when compared to these mutagens alone. The results showed no effect of BA on CPT-induced genotoxicity. Therefore, BA was not genotoxic under the present experimental conditions and exerted a different influence on the genotoxicity induced by different mutagens. The modulatory effect of BA depends on the type of mutagen and concentrations used.