Metabolite profile of Nectandra oppositifolia Nees & Mart. and assessment of antitrypanosomal activity of bioactive compounds through efficiency analyses

Geanne A. Alves Conserva, Luis M. Quirós-Guerrero, Thais A. Costa-Silva, Laurence Marcourt, Erika G. Pinto, Andre G. Tempone, João Paulo S. Fernandes, Jean-Luc Wolfender (Lead / Corresponding author), Emerson F. Queiroz (Lead / Corresponding author), João Henrique G. Lago (Lead / Corresponding author)

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4 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

EtOH extracts from the leaves and twigs of Nectandra oppositifolia Nees & Mart. shown activity against amastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi. These extracts were subjected to successive liquid-liquid partitioning to afford bioactive CH2Cl2 fractions. UHPLC-TOF-HRMS/MS and molecular networking were used to obtain an overview of the phytochemical composition of these active fractions. Aiming to isolate the active compounds, both CH2Cl2 fractions were subjected to fractionation using medium pressure chromatography combined with semi-preparative HPLC-UV. Using this approach, twelve compounds (1-12) were isolated and identified by NMR and HRMS analysis. Several isolated compounds displayed activity against the amastigote forms of T. cruzi, especially ethyl protocatechuate (7) with EC50 value of 18.1 μM, similar to positive control benznidazole (18.7 μM). Considering the potential of compound 7, protocatechuic acid and its respective methyl (7a), n-propyl (7b), n-butyl (7c), n-pentyl (7d), and n-hexyl (7e) esters were tested. Regarding antitrypanosomal activity, protocatechuic acid and compound 7a were inactive, while 7b-7e exhibited EC50 values from 20.4 to 11.7 μM, without cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. These results suggest that lipophilicity and molecular complexity play an important role in the activity while efficiency analysis indicates that the natural compound 7 is a promising prototype for further modifications to obtain compounds effective against the intracellular forms of T. cruzi.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere0247334
Number of pages18
JournalPLoS ONE
Volume16
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 25 Feb 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
  • General

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