Maquiaveli CDC, Oliveira E Sá AM, Vieira PC, da Silva ER.
Stachytarpheta cayennensis extract inhibits promastigote and amastigote growth in Leishmania amazonensis via parasite arginase inhibition.
J Ethnopharmacol 2016;
192:108-113. [PMID:
27432217 DOI:
10.1016/j.jep.2016.07.044]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Revised: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE
Stachytarpheta cayennensis is a plant that is traditionally used to treat tegumentary leishmaniasis and as an anti-inflammatory agent.
AIM OF THE STUDY
This study aimed to evaluate the action of S. cayennensis extracts on the Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis arginase enzyme.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
S. cayennensis was collected from the Brazilian Amazon region. Aqueous extracts were fractionated with n-butanol. The leishmanicidal effects of the n-butanolic fraction (BUF) were evaluated in L. (L.) amazonensis promastigotes and amastigotes. BUF was tested against recombinant arginase from both L. (L.) amazonensis and macrophage arginase. Promastigote cultures and infected macrophage cultures were supplemented with L-ornithine to verify arginase inhibition. NMR analysis was used to identify the major components of BUF.
RESULTS
BUF showed an EC50 of 51 and 32µg/mL against promastigotes and amastigotes of L. (L.) amazonensis, respectively. BUF contains a mixture of verbascoside and isoverbascoside (7:3 ratio) and is a potent L. (L.) amazonensis arginase inhibitor (IC50=1.2µg/mL), while macrophage arginase was weakly inhibited (IC50>1000µg/mL). The inhibition of arginase by BUF in promastigotes and amastigotes could be demonstrated by culture media supplementation with L-ornithine, a product of the hydrolysis of L-arginine by arginase.
CONCLUSIONS
Leishmanicidal effects of the S. cayennensis BUF fraction on L. (L.) amazonensis are associated with selective parasite arginase inhibition.
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