Antiprotozoal Compounds from Urolepis hecatantha (Asteraceae)

Abstract

The dewaxed dichloromethane extract of <i>Urolepis hecatantha</i> and the compounds isolated from it were tested for their <i>in vitro</i> activity on <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i> epimastigotes and <i>Leishmania infantum</i> promastigotes. The extract of <i>U. hecatantha</i> showed activity against both parasites with IC₅₀ values of 7 <i>µ</i>g/mL and 31 <i>µ</i>g/mL, respectively. Fractionation of the dichloromethane extract led to the isolation of euparin, jaceidin, santhemoidin C, and eucannabinolide. The sesquiterpene lactones eucannabinolide and santhemoidin C were active on <i>T. cruzi</i> with IC₅₀ values of 10 ± 2 <i>µ</i>M (4.2 <i>µ</i>g/mL) and 18 ± 3 <i>µ</i>M (7.6 <i>µ</i>g/mL), respectively. Euparin and santhemoidin C were the most active on <i>L. infantum</i> with IC₅₀ values of 18 ± 4 <i>µ</i>M (3.9 <i>µ</i>g/mL) and 19 ± 4 <i>µ</i>M (8.0 <i>µ</i>g/mL), respectively. Eucannabinolide has also shown drug-like pharmacokinetic and toxicity properties.