Plantas medicinales sudamericanas como fuente potencial de nuevas moléculas líderes com actividad antiparasi taria

SULSEN VP; FRANK FM; CAZORLA SI; MALCHIODI EL; ANESINI C; MUSCHIETTI LV; MARTINO VS

Belo Horizonte MG, Brasil.

Congreso; II Congresso de Fitoterápicos do Mercosul- VI Reuniao da Sociedade Latinoamericana de Fitoquímica; 2008

New antiparasitic drugs, with less adverse effects are needed, especially  for the treatment of malaria, leishmaniasis and Chagas’disease. Natural products are attractive as source of new drugs because of their structural diversity which can provide useful lead structures for synthetic modification and optimization of activity. The investigation of medicinal plants traditionally used to treat parasitic infections is a promising field of study. South American indian populations have been and are highly relying on the use of herbal preparations for the relief of symptoms related to parasitic diseases. Some examples are given herein of South American medicinal plants from which many active molecules have been isolated and a summary of our investigations in the search of new trypanocidal and leishmanicidal compounds is presented. Peruvin and psilostachyin, two sesquiterpene lactones isolated from the argentine medicinal plant Ambrosia tenuifolia, showed significant trypanocidal activity in vitro on epimastigotes and trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi. Besides, both compounds showed also significant activity on promastigotes of Leishmania sp. and Plasmodium falciparum. Psilostachyin was active in vivo when tested in a model using mice infected with T. cruzi. The results obtained suggest that peruvin and psilostachyin can be considered potential candidates for the development of new antiprotozoal agents against Chagas’disease and leishmaniosis.Ambrosia tenuifolia, showed significant trypanocidal activity in vitro on epimastigotes and trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi. Besides, both compounds showed also significant activity on promastigotes of Leishmania sp. and Plasmodium falciparum. Psilostachyin was active in vivo when tested in a model using mice infected with T. cruzi. The results obtained suggest that peruvin and psilostachyin can be considered potential candidates for the development of new antiprotozoal agents against Chagas’disease and leishmaniosis. Keywords: South American medicinal plants; antiparasitic activity; Ambrosia tenuifolia; sesquiterpene lactones.: South American medicinal plants; antiparasitic activity; Ambrosia tenuifolia; sesquiterpene lactones.