ANTITRYPANOSOMAL AND ANTILEISHMANIAL ACTIVITY OF FLAVONOIDS FROM EUPATORIUM ARNOTTIANUM

CLAVIN ML; CAZORLA SI; DONDI P; FRANK FM; MARTINO V

Cordoba

Congreso; Reunion de Biotecnologia Aplicada a Plantas; 2009

E. arnottianum is a medicinal herb used in Argentina and Bolivia. Kallawaya healers of the Bolivian Altiplano use its tea against bronchitis and colds, and the fresh or dried leaves for bone fractures and dislocations. In a previous work, Eupatorium arnottianum dichloromethane extract presented significant growth inhibition of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and Leishmania donovani (Clavin et al., 2006). These results led to a further screening of E. arnottianum dichloromethane and ethanol 50% extracts against Leishmania spp. promastigotes (L. amazoniensis, L. mexicana) and Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes. The susceptibility of parasites was assayed using the (3H) thymidine uptake at concentrations of 10 and 100 ìg/ml for extracts, and 0.5 to 100 mg/ml for fractions and isolated compounds. Bioassay-guided fractionation of dichloromethane (DC) and ethanol 50% (E) extracts was carried out by L/L separations, CC in Sephadex LH 20, preparative HPTLC in silicagel 60 and preparative DAD- HPLC. Hyperoside, eriodyctiol and nepetin, isolated and identified from (E), demonstrated activity against L. amazoniensis with IC50 of 3.03, 1.15 and 3.24 µg/ml respectively. Jaceosidin and eupatilin, isolated from (DC), also inhibited the growth of L. amazoniensis  (IC50 5.26 and 10.54 µg/ml respectively). Besides, eupatilin, jaceosidin, and nepetin were found to be active against T. cruzi epimastigotes with IC50 of 0.75, 0.81 and 16.6 µg/ml respectively. References: Clavin M., Yardley V., Croft S., Anke T. & Martino V., 2006. Antiprotozoal and Antimicrobial assay guided fractionation of Eupatorium arnottianum extracts. Revista Cubana de Farmacia, vol. 40 Suplemento Especial: 82. ISSN 0034-7515.