Activity of alkaloids from Aspidosperma nitidum against Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 8662
• Main Authors: do Socorro Silva da Veiga, Andreza, Silveira, Fernando Tobias, da Silva, Edilene Oliveira, Júnior, José Antônio Picanço Diniz, Araújo, Sanderson Corrêa, Campos, Marliane Batista, do Rosário Marinho, Andrey Moacir, Brandão, Geraldo Célio, Vale, Valdicley Vieira, Percário, Sandro, Dolabela, Maria Fâni
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 23.05.2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/1647; 631/1647/328; 631/1647/328/2082; 631/1647/328/968; 631/326/417; 631/92/349; Acetic acid; Alkaloids; Alkaloids - pharmacology; Antiprotozoal Agents - chemistry; Aspidosperma - chemistry; Dichloromethane; Ethyl acetate; Flagella; Fractionation; High-performance liquid chromatography; Humanities and Social Sciences; Indole Alkaloids; Leishmania; Liquid chromatography; multidisciplinary; Parasites; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Promastigotes; Scanning electron microscopy; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Transmission electron microscopy
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12396-x

This study evaluated the morphological changes caused by fractions and subfractions, obtained from barks of Aspidosperna nitidum , against L . ( L .) amazonensis promastigotes. The ethanolic extract (EE) obtained through the maceration of trunk barks was subjected to an acid–base partition, resulting the neutral (FN) and the alkaloid (FA) fractions, and fractionation under reflux, yielded hexane (FrHEX), dichloromethane (FrDCL), ethyl acetate (FrACoET), and methanol (FrMEOH) fractions. The FA was fractionated and three subfractions (SF5-6, SF8, and SF9) were obtained and analyzed by HPLC–DAD and 1 H NMR. The antipromastigote activity of all samples was evaluated by MTT, after that, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for the active fractions were performed. Chromatographic analyzes suggest the presence of alkaloids in EE, FN, FA, and FrDCL. The fractionation of FA led to the isolation of the indole alkaloid dihydrocorynantheol (SF8 fractions). The SF5-6, dihydrocorynantheol and SF-9 samples were active against promastigotes, while FrDCL was moderately active. The SEM analysis revealed cell rounding and changes in the flagellum of the parasites. In the TEM analysis, the treated promastigotes showed changes in flagellar pocket and kinetoplast, and presence of lipid inclusions. These results suggest that alkaloids isolated from A. nitidum are promising as leishmanicidal.