Evaluation of the Inhibition Effects of Natural Terpenoids on Toxoplasma gondii Tachyzoites

Abstract

Background At present, the preferred method for the clinical treatment of toxoplasmosis is still drug therapy such as pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine, but there are problems such as large side effects and drug resistance. Terpenoids are distributed in nature and a large number of studies have shown that they have effective inhibitory effects on various parasites. Methods In this study, we used small-molecule intermediate products of natural terpenoid chlorajaponilide C to evaluate their cytotoxicity and their intracellular and extracellular inhibitory effects on Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites. Results We demonstrated that two of these target compounds could induce tachyzoite apoptosis probably by altering tachyzoite mitochondrial membrane potential, calcium homeostasis, and lipid metabolism, effectively reducing the number of extracellular tachyzoites. In addition, the two target compounds were also able to effectively clear intracellular tachyzoites, possibly enhancing this effect by interacting with the host cell's immune system. Conclusions Two terpenoid natural products with low cytotoxicity had direct and indirect anti-toxoplasma effects and were expected to further evaluate their potential for the treatment of toxoplasmosis.