In vitro and in vivo antileishmanial activities of a Brazilian green propolis extract.
Pontin K, Da Silva Filho AA, Santos FF, Silva ML, Cunha WR, Nanayakkara NP, Bastos JK, de Albuquerque S.
Source
Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Abstract
The in vitro antileishmanial activity of Brazilian green propolis hydroalcoholic extract (BPE) were carried out on Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis against both promastigote (doses ranging from 1 to 750 microg mL(-1)) and amastigote (10, 100, and 250 microg mL(-1)) assays in comparison with the positive (amphotericin B) and negative (dimethyl sulfoxide at 1% in physiologic solution) control groups. BPE displayed in vitro antileishmanial activities against promastigote forms of the parasite (p < 0.05). However, it was inactive against its amastigote ones. In the in vitro cytotoxicity assay against Vero cells, BPE showed no cytotoxicity in the maximum doses tested. The high-performance liquid chromatography analysis allowed the identification of caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, aromadendrine-4′-methyl-ether, 3-prenyl-p-coumaric acid (drupanin), and 3,5-diprenil-p-cumárico acid (artepillin C) as major compounds of BPE. In the in vivo assay, using a Balb/C lineage of Mus musculus male mice, groups of ten animals each were treated (1.5 mg kg day(-1)) with BPE orally (group 1), BPE topically (group 2), BPE orally and topically (group 3), and glucantime (group 4), using NaCl 0.9% (group 5) as the negative control group. Groups 1, 2, and 3 displayed a decrease on lesion development, after 90 days of treatment, by 78.6%, 84.3%, and 90.0%, respectively, while the glucantime-treated group showed 57.7% of decrease, all in comparison with the negative control group. It is the first time that the in vivo antileishmanial activity has been reported for Brazilian green propolis.
* THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.