Microalgae extracts: Potential anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents?

• Published in: Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy 2020-07, Vol.127, p.110178-110178, Article 110178
• Main Authors: Veas, Rhonda, Rojas-Pirela, Maura, Castillo, Christian, Olea-Azar, Claudio, Moncada, Mauricio, Ulloa, Pablo, Rojas, Verónica, Kemmerling, Ulrike
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Protozoan activity; Chagas Disease - drug therapy; Chagas Disease - parasitology; Chlorocebus aethiops; Ethanol - chemistry; Methanol - chemistry; Microalgae - chemistry; Microalgae extracts; Trypanocidal Agents - isolation & purification; Trypanocidal Agents - pharmacology; Trypanosoma cruzi; Trypanosoma cruzi - drug effects; Vero Cells
• ISSN: 0753-3322; 1950-6007
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110178

[Display omitted] •Chlamydomonas reinhardtii presents anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity.•Scenedesmus obliquus presents anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity.•Tetraselmis suecica presents anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity.•The ethanolic extract of C. reinhardtii potentiates the activity of the antichagasic drug nifurtimox. Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasiteTrypanosoma cruzi, has no effective treatment available. On the other hand, microalgae are aquatic organisms that constitute an interesting reservoir of biologically active metabolites. Moreover, some species of green and red algae present anti-protozoan activity. Our aim was to study the antiparasitic effects of aqueous, methanolic and ethanolic extracts from different microalgae. : Our results show that the methanolic extracts of S. obliquus and T. suecica as well as the ethanolic extracts of C. reinhardtii and T. suecica present trypanocidal activity on the infective extracellular trypomastigotes and intracellular amastigotes. In addition, the ethanolic extract of C. reinhardtii potentiates the activity of the conventional antichagasic drug nifurtimox. In order to identify some potential compounds with trypanocidal activity, we performed a phytochemical screening analyzing the presence of phenolic compounds, pigments and terpenoids. The different microalgae extracts, particularly the ethanolic extract ofC. reinhardtii, are promising potential candidates for the development of future natural antichagasic drugs.