Anti-trypanosomal activity of (8-hydroxymethylen)-trieicosanyl acetate against infective forms of Trypanosoma cruzi

Abstract

The activity of an (8-hydroxymethylen)-trieicosanyl acetate compound obtained from chloroform extracts of Senna villosa (Mill.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby (Leguminosae) against Trypanosoma cruzi was evaluated in vivo. Oral doses of 2.1, 8.4, and 33.6 µg/g were tested for 28 days in BALB/c mice infected with T. cruzi. Reduced parasitemia levels of 70.5%, 73.8%, and 80.9%, respectively, were observed. A significant reduction in amastigote nests was detected in the cardiac tissue of treated animals at doses of 8.4 and 33.6 µg/g. The LD₅₀ of (8-hydroxymethylen)-trieicosanyl acetate was impossible to determine because none of the animals died, even at oral doses of 5000 µg/g; consequently, it was impossible to determine the acute oral toxicity in vivo.

Keywords::

• American trypanosomiasis
• antiprotozoal
• BALB/c mice
• natural products
• Senna villosa