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

PLoS One. 2021 Feb 25;16(2):e0247334. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247334. eCollection 2021.

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antiprotozoal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line
  • Chagas Disease / drug therapy*
  • Chagas Disease / parasitology
  • Female
  • Lauraceae / chemistry*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Phytochemicals / pharmacology*
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Trypanocidal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Trypanosoma cruzi / drug effects*

Substances

  • Antiprotozoal Agents
  • Phytochemicals
  • Plant Extracts
  • Trypanocidal Agents

Grants and funding

1. Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo - FAPESP, projects 2018/07885-1, 2018/10279-6, 2015/23403-9, 2016/20633-6, and 2018/18975-1. 2. Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for scientific research award to J.H.G.L and A.G.T. 3. Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) to fellow to T.A.C.S. L.M.Q.G 4. Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología y Telecomunicaciones, MICITT, from Costa Rica for the Scholarship provided (N° 214171-025). 5. Swiss National Science Foundation for the support in the acquisition of the NMR 600 MHz (SNF R’Equip grant 316030_164095).