In vitro Antiprotozoal Activity and Chemical Composition of Ambrosia tenuifolia and Ambrosia scabra Essential Oils

SÜLSEN VALERIA, CAZORLA SILVIA, FRANK FERNANDA, DI LEO LIRA PAOLA, ANESINI CLAUDIA, GUTIERREZ YAPU DAVID, GIMÉNEZ TURBA ALBERTO, BANDONI ARNALDO, MALCHIODI EMILIO, MUSCHIETTI LILIANA, MARTINO VIRGINIA

NATURAL PRODUCT COMMUNICATIONS

NATURAL PRODUCTS INC

Año: 2008 p. 557 - 562

1934-578X

The in vitro antimalarial, trypanocidal and leishmanicidal activities and the chemical composition of Ambrosia tenuifolia and Ambrosia scabra essential oils were investigated. The oils, obtained by hydrodistillation of the aerial parts, showed significant antimalarial activity against the cloroquine sensitive (F32) and  the cloroquine resistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values ranged from 2.8 to 7 mg/ml. Against Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes only A. tenuifolia exerted slight activity (IC50=59.7 mg/ml). None of the essential oils showed toxicity towards Leishmania mexicana. Cytotoxicity for murine T lymphocytes was compared with the parasiticidal activity by using the selectivity index (SI) ratio. Chemical composition of A. tenuifolia and A. scabra essential oils was analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Thirty-eight and twenty-four compounds were identified in A. tenuifolia and A. scabra respectively. The major constituents of A. tenuifolia oil were germacrene D (22.9%) and bicyclogermacrene (16.4%), while the oil of A. scabra contained limonene (22.0%), caryophyllene oxide (13.8%) and beta caryophyllene (13.5%). This is the first time that the antiprotozoal activity of both oils and the chemical composition of A. scabra essential oil are reported