The schistosomicidal activity of ethanolic extracts from branches, leaves, flowers and fruits of Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos (Bignoniaceae) plant and metabolic profile characterization by UPLC-ESI-QTOF analysis.

Schistosomiasis, caused by Schistosoma mansoni Sambon, 1907, is a severe and widely distributed parasitic disease, affecting about 200 million people worldwide. The disease is recognized by elevated mortality rates, especially among those living in areas of poor sanitation. Currently, the chemotherapeutic treatment is solely based on using the praziquantel drug. Therefore, there is a need for the discovery of new medicines for the treatment of this parasitosis. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the schistosomicidal activity of ethanolic crude extracts from the branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits of Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart ex DC.) Masttos and characterize its metabolic profile by UPLC-ESI-QTOF analysis. Evaluation of plant extract on S. mansoni was carried out in adult worms in vitro, in which the mortality rate was quantified, and the damages in the tegument of the worms were monitored. All extracts induced changes in the viability of adult males of S. mansoni, causing the death of the parasites, which was directly dependent of the concentration.

Assessment of the cytotoxic, genotoxic, and antigenotoxic activities of sucupira oil (Pterodon emarginatus).

The present study aimed to assess the cytotoxic, genotoxic, and antigenotoxic activities of sucupira oil (Pterodon emarginatus), which is commonly used as an anti-rheumatic, analgesic, antimicrobial, anticercariae, and anti-inflammatory. We used the mouse bone marrow micronucleus test as an experimental model. The experimental groups, which consisted of 5 animals, was administered sucupira oil (100 mg/kg body weight) intraperitoneally and evaluated 24 h after the treatment. The negative control group was treated with sterile distilled water, and the positive control group received an intraperitoneal dose of 4 mg/kg mitomycin C, a dose that corresponds to 80% of its median lethal dose. Cytotoxicity was determined by the polychromatic to normochromatic erythrocytes ratio (PCE/NCE). Sucupira oil had no significant effects (P > 0.05) on the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes as compared to the negative control group. However, the difference was significant (P < 0.005) as compared to the positive control group. The PCE/NCE (100 mg/kg oil and 4 mg/kg mitomycin) ratio did not differ between the experimental group and the positive control group, but it differed significantly when compared to the negative control group (P < 0.05). Thus, these findings suggested that the P. emarginatus oil showed no cytotoxic, mutagenic, or antimutagenic activities at a dose of 100 mg/kg.

In vitro schistosomicidal effects of aqueous and dichloromethane fractions from leaves and stems of Piper species and the isolation of an active amide from P. amalago L. (Piperaceae).

Dichloromethane and aqueous fractions from leaves and stems of Piper arboreum Aubl., P. aduncum L., P. amalago L., P. crassinervium H.B. & K., P. diospyrifolium Kunth, P. hispidum Sw. and P. xylosteoides (Kunth) Steud. were tested against adult worms of Schistosoma mansoni. The in vitro activity was evaluated in terms of mortality, number of separated worms and number of worms with reduced motor activity. Most dichloromethane fractions from all Piper species showed moderate schistosomicidal activity, but aqueous fractions were not active. The dichloromethane fraction of P. amalago leaves (at 100 µg/ml) showed the highest activity, resulting in worm mortality, the separation of worm pairs and reduced motor activity. Chromatographic fractionation of the dichloromethane fraction of P. amalago leaves led to the isolation of its major compound, which was also tested against adults of S. mansoni. The isolated piperamide N-[7-(3',4'-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2(Z),4(Z)-heptadienoyl] pyrrolidine, at 100 µ m, resulted in the mortality of all adult worms after 24 h of incubation. The findings suggest that species of Piper are potential sources of schistosomicidal compounds.