Antileishmanial in vitro activity of essential oil from Myrciaria plinioides, a native species from Southern Brazil

Abstract

In South American folk medicine members of the genus Myrciaria are used for the treatment of malaria, diarrhoea, asthma, inflammation and post-partum uterine cleansing. The aim of this work was to evaluate its antileishmanial properties (in vitro) of essential oil derived from leaves of Myrciaria plinioides D. Legrand, a plant species that is native in South of Brazil. The essential oil was obtained by hydro-distillation using fresh leaves of M. plinioides. The chemical composition of this essential oil (MPEO, M. plinioides essential oil) was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). MPEO was assayed in vitro for antileishmanial properties against promastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania infantum, and for cytotoxicity against murine peritoneal macrophages. The MPEO comprised 66 components and was rich in oxygenated sesquiterpenes (82.66%) containing spathulenol (21.12%) as its major constituent. The MPEO was effective against L. amazonensis with IC 50 value of 14.16 ± 7.40 µg/mL, while against L. infantum the IC 50 value was higher with 101.50 ± 5.78 µg/mL. The MPEO showed significant activity against L. amazonensis, and presented a selectivity index (SI) of 6.60. The results suggest that the essential oil from leaves of M. plinioides is a promising source for new antileishmanial agents against L. amazonensis.

Chemical Composition and Variability of the Volatile Components of Myrciaria Species Growing in the Amazon Region

“…Profile I (Mpli-1) was characterized by spathulenol (27.3%), α-copaene (9.5%), α-cadinol (8.6%), viridiflorol (8.5%), humulene epoxide II (7.2%), and cubenol (6.5%) [ 35 ]. In profile II, predominated spathulenol (21.1%), caryophyllene oxide (15.2%), isolongifolan-7-α-ol (9.8%), mustakone (5.6%), and α-cadinol (5.4%) [ 36 ]. Both leaf samples were collected in the Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and hydrodistilled to obtain their essential oils [ 35 , 36 ].…”

“…In profile II, predominated spathulenol (21.1%), caryophyllene oxide (15.2%), isolongifolan-7-α-ol (9.8%), mustakone (5.6%), and α-cadinol (5.4%) [ 36 ]. Both leaf samples were collected in the Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and hydrodistilled to obtain their essential oils [ 35 , 36 ]. In the chemical variability of M. plinioides , it seems that a significant contribution of genetic factors and/or seasonality between the two samples can be inferred.…”

“…The M. tenella leaf oil, rich in E -caryophyllene (25.1%), spathulenol (9.7%), globulol (5.9%), and α-cadinol (5.2%), showed an anti-inflammatory activity on chemotaxis assay, at the doses of 9 mg/mL, with 93% neutrophils inhibition [ 32 ]. Moreover, the M. plinioides oil, with significant contents of spathulenol (21.1%), caryophyllene oxide (15.2%), isolongifolan-7-α-ol (9.8%), mustakone (5.6%), and α-cadinol (5.4%), exhibited antileishmanial activity against promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis (IC 50 14.16 μg/mL) and Leishmania infantum (IC 50 101.50 μg/mL) [ 36 ].…”

Chemical Physical Characterization and Profile of Fruit Volatile Compounds from Different Accesses of Myrciaria floribunda (H. West Ex Wild.) O. Berg through Polyacrylate Fiber

“…Regarding the lyophilized fruits of the same species, the characterization was different, as they presented a higher composition of monoterpenes (59.4%) than sesquiterpenes (40.6%) [ 24 ]. By its turn, Kauffmann et al [ 25 ] found oxygenated sesquiterpenes (82.66%) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (11.05%) in the composition of the Myrciaria plinioides essential oil.…”

Volatile oils from Philodendron meridionale Buturi & Sakur: chemical composition and in vitro effect against Ctenocephalides felis and leukemia cells

“…In addition, researchers are interested in precursors to be used in new medicines for human and animal use with higher efficacy and safety. Many essential oils demonstrate strong pharmacological properties as antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, anticytotoxic, antioxidant, antifungal, antinociceptive, antipyretic, healing and antileishmanial activities (Bakkali et al, 2008;Cardile et al, 2009;Ribeiro et al, 2010;Pereira et al, 2011;Sousa, 2012;Ract et al, 2015;Miranda et al, 2016;Damasceno et al, 2017;Pereira et al, 2017;Kauffmann et al, 2019).…”