In Vitro Anti- Toxoplasma Activity of Extracts Obtained from Tabebuia rosea and Tabebuia chrysantha : The Role of β-Amyrin

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2024-02, Vol.29 (5), p.920
• Main Authors: Cardona-Trujillo, Maria Camila, Jiménez-González, Francisco Javier, Veloza, Luz Angela, Sepúlveda-Arias, Juan Carlos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: anti-Toxoplasma activity; Antibiotics; Bignoniaceae; Congenital diseases; Dihydrofolate reductase; Drugs; Encephalitis; Fatty acids; Fetuses; Flavonoids; Flow cytometry; Humans; Infections; Leaves; Natural products; Oleanolic Acid - analogs & derivatives; Parasites; Phytochemicals; Protozoa; Tabebuia; Tabebuia chrysantha; Tabebuia rosea; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis; Toxoplasmosis - drug therapy; β-amyrin
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules29050920

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan that is highly prevalent worldwide. Although the infection is asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, it severely affects immunocompromised individuals, causing conditions such as encephalitis, myocarditis, or pneumonitis. The limited therapeutic efficacy of drugs currently used to treat toxoplasmosis has prompted the search for new therapeutic alternatives. The aim of this study was to determine the anti- activity of extracts obtained from two species of the genus . Twenty-six extracts, 12 obtained from and 14 from , were evaluated by a colorimetric technique using the RH strain of that expresses β-galactosidase. Additionally, the activity of the promising extracts and their active compounds was evaluated by flow cytometry. β-amyrin was isolated from the chloroform extract obtained from the leaves of and displayed important anti- activity. The results show that natural products are an important source of new molecules with considerable biological and/or pharmacological activity.