Avaliação da atividade esquistossomicida in vitro de extratos, metabólito e óleo essencial de Artemisia absinthium L. (Asteraceae)

Abstract

Schistosomiasis is a disease that affects more than 200 million individuals in the world and 600 million people remain under risk of infection. In Brazil, the Minas Gerais state is one of the most affected by this disease. Nowadays, the only drug available for schistosomiasis treatment is praziquantel (PZQ). However, this drug is already on market for decades and has shown ineffectiveness. In this context, extract and secondary metabolites of the genus Artemisia (Asteraceae) have shown an expressive schistosomicidal activity. Thus, the present work describes the phytochemical study of the dichloromethane extract of Artemisia absinthium L. leaves (AAF), as well as in vitro schistosomicidal evaluation of AAF, crude roots extracts, essential oil and metabolite. The phytochemical study of AAF allowed the isolation and identification of two metabolites: one flavone, artemetin and one sesquiterpene lactone, hydroxypelenolide. In the in vitro schistosomicidal study, was used adult worms of the S. mansoni BH strain and the parameters evaluated were mortality, motility and alterations tegumental surface. The results showed that AAF, at 200 μg/mL, presents expressive schistosomicidal activity being able to cause 100% of death in parasites after 24 h of incubation. Regarding the schistosomicidal activity of the extract crude roots extract (200 μg/mL), was able to kill all the parasites after 48 h. The A. absinthium L. essential oil (100 mg / mL) showed moderate schistosomicidal activity being able to cause 60% mortality of parasites after 48 h of incubation. Among the isolated compounds, artemetin, was subjected to the schistosomicidal activity test and was inactive. Additional schistosomicidal assays should be carried out with A. absinthium L. crude extract and metabolites in order to identify the molecules responsible for schistosomicidal in vitro activity observed by AAF.