1: Planta Med. 2006 Apr;72(5):480-2.

Antitrypanosomal compounds from the leaf essential oil of Strychnos spinosa.

Hoet S, Stevigny C, Herent MF, Quetin-Leclercq J.

Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, Unite d'Analyse Chimique et Physico-Chimique des
Medicaments, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Bruxelles, Belgium.

The composition of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of the leaves
of Strychnos spinosa (Loganiaceae) was analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Out of
twenty-two compounds identified in the oil, the main constituents were palmitic
acid (34.3%), linalool (16.0%), and (E)-phytol (6.7%). Since the leaves of this
plant are used in African traditional medicine to treat African trypanosomiasis,
we evaluated the in vitro activity of the essential oil as well as of 15 of its
components on Trypanosoma brucei brucei bloodstream forms and on mammalian cells
(J774 murine macrophages) to evaluate the selectivity of the antitrypanosomal
effect. The essential oil was active on the parasites without a great
selectivity [IC50 on T. b. brucei = 13.5 microg/mL with a selectivity index (SI)
of 4.4]. (E)-Nerolidol, a minor component of the hydrodistillate, as well as
linalool, were shown to have a more potent and selective effect on the
trypanosomes [IC50 = 1.7 and 2.5 microg/mL (7.6 and 16.3 microM) with SI = 35.7
and > 40, respectively]. These two oxygenated terpenes have promising activity
and it would be of interest to study their mechanism of action as well as their
in vivo activity.

PMID: 16557466 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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