Antioxidant and anti-glycation activities of Mandevilla velutina extract and effect on parasitemia levels in Trypanosoma cruzi experimental infection: In vivo, in vitro and in silico approaches

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2025-01, Vol.337 (Pt 2), p.118994, Article 118994
• Main Authors: Silva, Regildo Márcio Gonçalves da, Barbosa, Fernando Cesar, Santos, Hugo Henrique, Granero, Filipe Oliveira, Figueiredo, Célia Cristina Malaguti, Nicolau-Junior, Nilson, Hamaguchi, Amélia, Silva, Luciana Pereira
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; antiparasitic properties; blood serum; Brazil; cerrado; Chagas Disease - drug therapy; Chagas Disease - parasitology; chemical constituents of plants; Computer Simulation; DNA; electrophoresis; flavonoids; high performance liquid chromatography; immune response; Male; Mandevilla; medicinal plants; Mice; Molecular Docking Simulation; Nitric oxide; nitrites; oxygen radical absorbance capacity; parasitemia; Parasitemia - drug therapy; Parasites; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; polyphenols; snake venoms; species; thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances; traditional medicine; Trypanocidal; Trypanocidal Agents - pharmacology; Trypanosoma cruzi; Trypanosoma cruzi - drug effects; Trypanosomes; trypomastigotes; Velutinol A; virulence
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118994

Mandevilla velutina (Mart. Ex Stadelm.) Woodson, known in Brazil as "infalível" and "jalapa", is a medicinal plant native from the Cerrado region (Brazilian Savannah). The underground organ (xylopodium) of this species is prepared as ethanolic extract or infusion and it is commonly used in traditional medicine to treat snake venom. Although, locals and indigenous populations from Cerrado have used M. velutina for the treatment of infection by Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas’ disease). This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant and anti-glycation activities of the crude hydroethanolic extract of M. velutina xylopodium. Besides, it aimed to evaluate its effect on parasitemia levels in vivo T. cruzi experimental infection. In addition, this study aimed to determine possible interactions between the main compound of the extract and molecular targets associated with survival and virulence of T. cruzi in silico approaches. Determination of total polyphenols, flavonoids and steroidal aglycones content were performed. In addition, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was carried out to identify main compounds of the extract. Antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH radical scavenging, ferric ion reducing power (FRAP), Thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) methods. Anti-glycation activity was demonstrated through relative mobility in electrophoresis (RME), determination of free amino groups and inhibition of AGEs formation. Determination of the action of extract in parasitemia levels was performed by T. cruzi experimental infection of mice and nitrite levels were measured in the serum of animals evaluated in this study. Molecular docking analyses of the main compound (Velutinol A) with DNA and molecular targets associated with survival and virulence of T. cruzi. Phytoconstituents evaluation exhibited the presence polyphenols, flavonoids and steroidal aglycone, and HPLC identified the major presence of Velutinol A. Antioxidant and anti-glycation evaluations showed that the extract present significant activity in all methods evaluated. In addition, extract reduced the number of trypomastigotes and increased the survival of treated animals. The treatment using extract showed an interference in the synthesis of physiological nitric oxide as an immune response to infection. In silico assays demonstrated interaction between Velutinol A and DNA and molecular targets of T. cruzi. The results showed that