In vitro efficacy of the essential oil of Piper cubeba L. (Piperaceae) against Schistosoma mansoni

Abstract

In this paper, cercariae, schistosomula, and adult Schistosoma mansoni worms were incubated in vitro with the essential oil of Piper cubeba (PC-EO) at concentrations from 12.5 to 200 μg/mL, and the viability was evaluated using an inverted microscopy. The effects of PC-EO at 100 and 200 μg/mL on the stages of S. mansoni were similar to those of the positive control (PZQ at 12.5 μg/mL), with total absence of mobility after 120 h. However, at concentrations from 12.5 to 50 μg/mL, PC-EO caused a reduction in the viability of cercariae and schistosomula when compared with the negative control groups (RPMI 1640 or dechlorinated water) or (RPMI 1640 + 0.1% DMSO or dechlorinated water + 0.1% DMSO). On the other hand, adult S. mansoni worms remained normally active when incubated with PC-EO at concentrations of 12.5 and 25 μg/mL, and their viabilities were similar to those of the negative control groups. In addition, at concentrations ranging from 50 to 200 μg/mL, separation of all the coupled adult worms was observed after 24 h of incubation, which is related to the fact of the reduction in egg production at this concentration. The main chemical constituents of PC-EO were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as being sabinene (19.99%), eucalyptol (11.87%), 4-terpineol (6.36%), β-pinene (5.81%), camphor (5.61%), and δ-3-carene (5.34%). The cytotoxicity of the PC-EO was determined, and a significant cytotoxicity was only obtained in the concentration of 200 μg/mL after 24 h treatment. The results suggest that PC-EO possesses an effect against cercariae, schistosomula, and adult worms of the S. mansoni.

In vivo and In vitro of Arctiin Schistosomicidal Activity

“…Acetate carvacrol (6.25 µg/mL) affected motility, parasite tegument and oviposition [7]. Similar results were also found for phloroglucinol derivatives (aspidina, flavaspidico acid, methylenebis-aspidinol and desaspidina) [21], dermaseptina antimicrobial peptide [27], essential oils of Piper cubeba and Tagete serecta [21,28], (+)-Epoxy-Limonene [29] and Mitracarpus frigidus methanolic extract [30].…”

“…PZQ (5 μM) also caused 100% mortality with tegumental alterations, whereas no effect was observed in worms in the negative (RPMI 1640 medium) and control (RPMI medium plus 0.5% DMSO) groups. Natural products are promising sources of new potentially therapeutic compounds, and several lignans, especially dibenzylbutyrolactones, have been reported as promising sources of antiparasitic compounds against neglected parasitic diseases [21]. In this sense, arctiin has also been assessed against some parasites ( Figure 1A).…”

Activity of Epiisopiloturine Against Schistosoma mansoni

“…6). In contrast, in a study of S. mansoni schistosomula incubated with essential oil from the fruit of the Piper cubeba plant, the authors reported some morphological changes and granularity of the parasite [30]. Unlike adult worms, which showed tegumental damage (Fig.…”

Evaluation of the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and gastric antiulcer activities of the essential oil from Piper aleyreanum C.DC in rodents

“…In addition, the literature suggests that the essential oil obtained from some species of Piper also have various biological activities, such as anti-parasitic, insecticidal, larvicidal, antimicrobial, antifungal and antioxidant properties Misni et al, 2011;Salleh et al, 2011;da Silva et al, 2010da Silva et al, , 2011Monzote et al, 2010;Magalhães et al, 2012).…”