Cytotoxicity of Essential Oil Cordia verbenaceae against Leishmania brasiliensis and Trypanosoma cruzi.

The species Cordia verbenacea DC (Boraginaceae), known as the whaling herb and camaradinha, is a perennial shrub species native to the Atlantic Forest. Its leaves are used in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiulcerogenic and curative agent, in the form of teas or infusions for internal or topical use. The present study aimed to verify the cytotoxicity of the essential oil and the leishmanicidal and trypanocidal potential of C. verbenacea. The essential oil was characterized by GC-MS. The in vitro biological activity was determined by anti-Leishmania and anti-Trypanosoma assays. The cytotoxixity was determined using mammalian fibroblasts. The C. verbenacea species presented α-pinene (45.71%), ß-caryophyllene (18.77%), tricyclo[2,2,1-(2.6)]heptane (12.56%) as their main compounds. The essential oil exhibited strong cytotoxicity at concentrations below 250 µg/mL (LC50 138.1 µg/mL) in mammalian fibroblasts. The potent anti-trypanosome and anti-promastigote activities occurred from the concentration of 62.5 µg/mL and was considered clinically relevant. The results also demonstrate that at low concentrations (<62.5 µg/mL), the essential oil of C. verbenacea managed to be lethal for these activities. This can be considered an indication of the power used in daily human consumption. Therefore, it can be concluded that the essential oil of C. verbenacea contains a compound with remarkable antiparasitic activities and requires further research.

Cytotoxic and anti-kinetoplastid potential of the essential oil of Alpinia speciosa K. Schum.

Alpinia speciosa K. Schum, known as colônia (colony), is native to tropical Asia and found in parts of tropical America. Its leaves are used to wrap food, rhizomes for food preparation and seeds for health maintenance, and have been widely used by the population as a diuretic, antihypertensive, antiulcerogenic and sedative. The present study aimed to verify the leishmanicidal and trypanocidal potential, as well as the cytotoxicity, of the A. speciosa essential oil, in vitro. A. speciosa presented 1,8-cineole (28.46%), camphor (17.10%) and sabinene (9.95%) as major constituents. The cytotoxic activity of the essential oil presented a low value, while the antipromastigote and antiepimastigote activity presented values considered clinically relevant, since it had an action below 500 µg/mL. In relation to this study, it can be concluded that this is a pioneer in the potential of the A. speciosa essential oil and in the use against the parasites Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas and Leishmania brasiliensis Vianna, having its importance also rooted in this fact. Still in accordance with the results, A. speciosa was effective because it presented values of clinical relevance and low toxicity. It was also observed that the chemical constitution of the above identified compounds with remarkable antiparasitic activities.