Essential oils from Protium heptaphyllum fresh young and adult leaves (Burseraceae): chemical composition, in vitro leishmanicidal and cytotoxic effects

ABSTRACT

In this study, the chemical composition and in vitro antileishmanial activity of essential oils (EOs) from Protium heptaphyllum fresh young (PY-EO) and adult (PA-EO) leaves against promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis were evaluated. PY-EO and PA-EO leaves were highly active and activeagainst promastigote forms of L. amazonensis, since IC50 = 9.02 and 28.88 μg/mL, respectively. Chemical constituents of PY-EO and PA-EO leaves were identified by GC-MS and GC-FID. β-Caryophyllene (15.1%), α-amorphene (9.4%) and α-copaene (8.1%) were the major constituents identified in the PY-EO, whereas onlyβ-caryophyllene (15.0%), α-amorphene (9.1%) and α-copaene (8.0%) were identified at high concentrations in the PA-EO. Both PY-EO and PA-EO leaves showed moderate toxicity to Artemia salina by the Brine shrimp test.Results support the concept that several EOs, or at least some of their constituents, can become useful in the research of new therapeutic agents for leishmaniasis and in its clinical management.

KEYWORDS:

• Leishmania amazonensis
• Amphotericin B
• Artemia salina
• toxicity
• influence of age

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to CAPES, CNPq, FAPEG and IF Goiano – Campus Rio Verde for their financial support and to biologist Wendel C. Sousa for collecting the plant material.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).