Toxicity and Larvicidal Activity of Podophyllum-Based Lignans Against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).

Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) is a mosquito species that has adapted to urban environments and is the main vector of dengue viruses. Because of the increasing incidence of dengue, a more environmentally acceptable insecticide needs to be found. Natural products have been and continue to be an important source of leading compounds that can be modified in order to develop new drugs. The lignan family of natural products includes compounds with a diverse spectrum of biological activity. Podophyllotoxin and its related lignans represent an exciting class of natural products that can be targeted at different types of biological activity and are therefore worth exploring further. This study had the aim of evaluating the larvicidal activity of an ethanolic extract from the rhizomes and roots of Podophyllum hexandrum (PM-3) and its isolated lignans, podophyllotoxone (1) and desoxypodophyllotoxin (2), on the larvae of the mosquito vector Ae. aegypti. The PM-3 extract and the compounds (1) and (2) were dissolved in a mixture of acetone and dimethylsulfoxide at final concentrations of 1, 10, 30, 50, 100, and 200 µg/ml. After dilution, the solutions were applied (µg/ml) to the larvae-rearing medium. Overall, the ethanolic extract from the rhizomes and roots of P. hexandrum and the compounds (1) and (2) showed larvicidal activity against the larvae of Ae. aegypti According to the results from this study, it can be concluded that podophyllotoxone (1) and desoxypodophyllotoxin (2) exhibited significant toxicity toward Ae. aegypti larvae.

Burchellin: study of bioactivity against Aedes aegypti.

BACKGROUND: The dengue mosquito Aedes aegypti Linnaeus, 1762 is a widespread insect pest of serious medical importance. Since no effective vaccine is available for treating dengue, the eradication or control of the main mosquito vector is regarded as essential. Since conventional insecticides have limited success, plants may be an alternative source of larvicidal agents, since they contain a rich source of bioactive chemicals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the larvicidal activity of the neolignan burchellin isolated from Ocotea cymbarum (Lauraceae), a plant from the Amazon region, against third instar larvae of A. aegypti. METHODS: Burchellin obtained from O. cymbarum was analyzed. The inhibitory activity against A. aegypti eggs and larvae and histological changes in the digestive system of treated L3 larvae were evaluated. In addition, nitric oxide synthase activity and nitric oxide levels were determined, and cytotoxicity bioassays performed. RESULTS: The data showed that burchellin interfered with the development cycle of the mosquito, where its strongest toxic effect was 100% mortality in larvae (L3) at concentrations ≥ 30 ppm. This compound did not show target cell toxicity in peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice, and proved to have molecular stability when dissolved in water. The L3 and L4 larvae treated with the compound showed cellular destruction and disorganization, cell spacing, and vacuolization of epithelial cells in small regions of the midgut. CONCLUSION: The neolignan burchellin proved to be a strong candidate for a natural, safe and stable phytolarvicidal to be used in population control of A. aegypti.

Avaliação da atividade e toxicidade de derivados de tiossemicarbazonas e semicarbazonas contra Trypanosoma cruzi e Leishmania (L. ) amazonensis in vitro / Evaluation of the activity and toxicity of thiosemicarbazones and semi-carbazones against Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania (L. ) amazonensis in vitro

Os tratamentos disponíveis para a Doença de Chagas e as leishmanioses não são eficientes e apresentam alta toxicidade. Efeito sinérgico tem sido demonstrado, quando drogas referência e novos compostos, são associados e utilizados contra estas patologias. Tiossemicarbazonas (TS) e semicarbazonas (SC) são classes de compostos com importante atividade sobre vários patógenos, incluindo o T. cruzi e a Leishmania sp. Na presente tese foram avaliados in vitro, os efeitos de três derivados de tiossemicarbazonas [estiril-tiosemicarbazona, (2-metoxi-estiril)-tiosemicarbazona e (3-metoxi-4-hidroxi-estiril)-tiosemicarbazona] e de duas semicarbazonas [(2-metoxi-estiril)-semicarbazona e (3-metoxi-4-hidroxi-estiril)-semicarbazona] sobre o T. cruzi e a Leishmania (L.) amazonensis. Nossos resultados revelaram a excelente atividade antiparasitária da maioria dos compostos, sendo que as tiossemicarbazonas mostraram-se mais ativas sobre formas tripomastigotas de T. cruzi em relação as formas promastigotas de L. (L.) amazonensis. Também observamos que a (2-metoxi-esteril)-tiossemicarbazona foi mais efetiva sobre formas amastigotas de T. cruzi, presentes em culturas de macrófagos humanos, em comparação aos parasitos intracelulares alojados em macrófagos peritoneais de camundongos, infectados in vitro. Os ensaios de associação dos compostos as drogas de referência Benzonidazol (BZ) para T. cruzi e Pentamidina (PT) para L. (L) amazonensis), revelaram uma importante potencialização da ação tripanocida e leishmanicida das TS e SC, apresentando baixa toxicidade sobre células de mamíferos. Nossos resultados promissores reforçam a importância da continuidade destes estudos, de modo a identificar terapias mais eficientes para o tratamento das doenças de Chagas e leishmanioses.

Atividade antineoplásica e tripanocida de Hovenia dulcis Thunb. cultivada in vivo e in vitro

Muitas são as substâncias do metabolismo vegetal que têm despertado grande interesse, principalmente no setor de fármacos. No presente estudo, foram avaliadas as atividades antineoplásica e tripanocida de extratos vegetais de Hovenia dulcis (Rhamnaceae) cultivada sob condições in vivo e in vitro. Extratos metanólicos das folhas de material jovem desenvolvido in vivo e in vitro, exibiram altas porcentagens na inibição do crescimento de todas as linhagens de células tumorais testadas, enquanto extratos etanólicos do pseudofruto mostraram seletividade com elevado percentual de inibição do crescimento celular nas linhagens SP2/0 e BW. Quanto à atividade tripanocida, os extratos aquoso do pseudofruto e metanólico das folhas das plantas germinadas in vivo, apresentaram percentual de inibição em 48 h, de 95 por cento e 100 por cento, respectivamente.

Plants produce a wide range of secondary metabolites, many of which are pharmaceutically important. In this paper were evaluated anti-cancer and trypanocidal activities from Hovenia dulcis (Rhamnaceae) in vivo and in vitro propagated plants. Methanolic extracts of young leaves from in vivo and in vitro material were remarkably active for all tumor cells lines tested, while ethanolic extracts of pseudofruit showed high degree of selectivity against to SP2/0 and BW cells in culture. Mortality of 95 and 100 percent (48 h) on Trypanosoma cruzi were observed on the aqueous extract of pseudofruit and methanolic extracts of leaves from seedlings.