Effect of Elatol, Isolated from Red Seaweed Laurencia dendroidea, on Leishmania amazonensis
نویسندگان
چکیده
In the present study, we investigated the antileishmanial activity of sesquiterpene elatol, the major constituent of the Brazilian red seaweed Laurencia dendroidea (Hudson) J.V. Lamouroux, against L. amazonensis. Elatol after 72 h of treatment, showed an IC(50) of 4.0 μM and 0.45 μM for promastigote and intracellular amastigote forms of L. amazonensis, respectively. By scanning and transmission electron microscopy, parasites treated with elatol revealed notable changes compared with control cells, including: pronounced swelling of the mitochondrion; appearance of concentric membrane structures inside the organelle; destabilization of the plasma membrane; and formation of membrane structures, apparently an extension of the endoplasmic reticulum, which is suggestive of an autophagic process. A cytotoxicity assay showed that the action of the isolated compound is more specific for protozoa, and it is not toxic to macrophages. Our studies indicated that elatol is a potent antiproliferative agent against promastigote and intracellular amastigote forms, and may have important advantages for the development of new anti-leishamanial chemotherapies.
منابع مشابه
Larvicidal Potential of the Halogenated Sesquiterpene (+)-Obtusol, Isolated from the Alga Laurencia dendroidea J. Agardh (Ceramiales: Rhodomelaceae), against the Dengue Vector Mosquito Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Culicidae).
Dengue is considered a serious public health problem in many tropical regions of the world including Brazil. At the moment, there is no viable alternative to reduce dengue infections other than controlling the insect vector, Aedes aegypti Linnaeus. In the continuing search for new sources of chemicals targeted at vector control, natural products are a promising alternative to synthetic pesticid...
متن کاملDetection of a chemical cue from the host seaweed Laurencia dendroidea by the associated mollusc Aplysia brasiliana
Chemical cues from sessile hosts can attract mobile and associated organisms and they are also impotant to maintain associations and overall biodiversity, but the identity and molecular structures of these chemicals have been little explored in the marine environment. Secondary metabolites are recognized as possible chemical mediators in the association between species of Laurencia and Aplysia,...
متن کاملSesquiterpenes from the essential oil of Laurencia dendroidea (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta): isolation, biological activities and distribution among seaweeds
Two known sesquiterpenes (1R*,2S*,3R*,5S*,8S*,9R*)-2,3,5,9tetramethyltricyclo[6.3.0.01,5]undecan-2-ol and (1S*,2S*,3S*,5S*,8S*,9S*)2,3,5,9-tetramethyltricyclo-[6.3.0.01,5]undecan-2-ol were isolated for the first time from the essential oil of the red seaweed Laurencia dendroidea collected in the Brazilian coast. These compounds were not active against eight bacteria strains and the yeast Candid...
متن کاملCloning and Functional Characterization of Cycloartenol Synthase from the Red Seaweed Laurencia dendroidea
The red seaweed Laurencia dendroidea belongs to the Rhodophyta, a phylum of eukaryotic algae that is widely distributed across the oceans and that constitute an important source of bioactive specialized metabolites. Laurencia species have been studied since 1950 and were found to contain a plethora of specialized metabolites, mainly halogenated sesquiterpenes, diterpenes and triterpenes that po...
متن کاملTrypanocidal Action of (−)-Elatol Involves an Oxidative Stress Triggered by Mitochondria Dysfunction
Natural compounds have shown good potential for the discovery of new chemotherapeutics for the treatment of Chagas' disease. Recently, our group reported the effective trypanocidal activity of (-)-elatol, extracted from the red macroalgae Laurencia dendroidea present in the Brazilian coast against Trypanosoma cruzi. However, the mechanism of action of this compound has remained unclear. There a...
متن کامل