Eupomatenoid-5 Isolated from Leaves of Piper regnellii Induces Apoptosis in Leishmania amazonensis. (21st March 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Garcia, Francielle Pelegrin; Lazarin-Bidóia, Danielle; Ueda-Nakamura, Tânia; Silva, Sueli de Oliveira; Nakamura, Celso Vataru
• Other Names: Setzer William Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine. Volume 2013(2013)
• Publication Date: 2013-03-21
• Subjects: Alternative medicine -- Periodicals; 615.505
• DOI: 10.1155/2013/940531
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1741-427X

Abstract

Abstract : Leishmania spp. are protozoa responsible for leishmaniasis, a neglected disease that kills up to 50, 000 people every year. Current therapies mainly rely on antimonial drugs that are inadequate because of their poor efficacy and safety and increased drug resistance. An urgent need exists to find new and more affordable drugs. Our previous study demonstrated the antileishmanial activity of eupomatenoid-5, a neolignan obtained from leaves of Piper regnellii var. pallescens . The aim of the present study was to clarify the mode of action of eupomatenoid-5 against L. amazonensis . We used biochemical and morphological techniques and demonstrated that eupomatenoid-5 induced cell death in L. amazonensis promastigotes, sharing some phenotypic features observed in metazoan apoptosis, including increased reactive oxygen species production, hypopolarization of mitochondrial potential, phosphatidylserine exposure, decreased cell volume, and G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest.