Evaluation of leishmanicidal and trypanocidal activities of phenolic compounds from<i>Calea uniflora</i>Less.

Abstract

The phytochemical study of Calea uniflora led to the isolation of nine phenolic compounds identified as noreugenin (1), ethyl caffeate (2), a mixture of butein (3) + orobol (4), α-hydroxy-butein (5), caffeic acid (6), butein 4'-O-glucopyranosyl (7), quercetin 3-O-glucopyranosyl (8) and 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (9). The chemical identity of the isolates was established on the basis of NMR and physical data. The chemical shifts of 5 and 7 have been reassigned and all the isolates were tested against Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi amastigotes. None of the metabolites showed promising leishmanicidal activity. However, 2 and the mixture of 3 and 4 demonstrated interesting trypanocidal effect with IC50 values of 18.27 and 26.53 μM, respectively. Besides, these compounds did not present cytotoxic effect towards THP-1 cells, and compound 2 was 3.5-fold more selective than the mixture of 3+4.