ABSTRACT
Cocos nucifera (C. nucifera) (the coconut palm tree) has been traditionally used to fight a number of human diseases, but only a few studies have tested its components against parasites such as those that cause malaria. In this study, C. nucifera samples were collected from a private natural reserve in Punta Patiño, Darien, Panama. The husk, leaves, pulp, and milk of C. nucifera were extracted and evaluated against the parasites that cause Chagas' disease or American trypanosomiasis (Trypanosoma cruzi), leishmaniasis (Leishmania donovani) and malaria (Plasmodium falciparum), as well as against a line of breast cancer cells. While there was no activity in the rest of the tests, five and fifteen-minute aqueous decoctions of leaves showed antiplasmodial activity at 10% v/v concentration. Removal of some HPLC fractions resulted in loss of activity, pointing to the presence of synergy between the components of the decoction. Chemical molecules were separated and identified using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) approach coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (APCI-Q-TOF-MS) and molecular networking analysis, revealing the presence of compounds including polyphenol, flavone, sterol, fatty acid and chlorophyll families, among others.
Subject(s)
Antiparasitic Agents/pharmacology , Cocos/chemistry , Leishmaniasis/drug therapy , Malaria, Falciparum/drug therapy , Anti-Infective Agents/chemistry , Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology , Antiparasitic Agents/chemistry , Arecaceae/chemistry , Chagas Disease/drug therapy , Chagas Disease/parasitology , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Chromatography, Liquid , Humans , Leishmania donovani/drug effects , Leishmania donovani/pathogenicity , Leishmaniasis/parasitology , Malaria, Falciparum/parasitology , Panama , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Tandem Mass Spectrometry , Trypanosoma cruzi/drug effects , Trypanosoma cruzi/pathogenicityABSTRACT
AIM: This study was designed for isolating and characterizing antiplasmodial compounds from marine octocoral-associated bacteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The organic extract of the Bacillus sp. was subjected to purification using several chromatography techniques guided by bioassays to yield three isocoumarin derivatives (1-3). Chemical structures of the compounds were elucidated on the basis of HRMS spectra and NMR spectroscopy. The antiplasmodial activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated in vitro against the chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain W2. RESULTS: Isolated compounds were identified as bacilosarcin A (1), AI77-F (2), and AI77-H (3). Bacilosarcin A (1) displayed a low micromolar activity (IC(50) = 2.2 µM) against P. falciparum while compounds 2 and 3 showed no activity. CONCLUSIONS: Bacilosarcin A was found to be responsible for the antiplasmodial activity observed in the crude extract obtained from the Bacillus sp.
