In Vivo and in Vitro Antileishmanial Effects of Methanolic Extract From Bark of Bursera Aptera

Abstract

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis lacks effective and well-tolerated treatments. The current therapies mainly rely on antimonial drugs that are inadequate because of their poor efficacy. Traditional medicine offers a complementary alternative for the treatment of various diseases. Additionally, several plants have shown success as anti-leishmanial agents. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo activity of MEBA against Leishmania mexicana . Materials and Methods: Methanolic extract of B. aptera was obtained by macetration, after we determined in vitro anti-leishmanial activity of MEBA by MTT assay and the induced apoptosis in promastigotes by flow cytometry. To analyze the in vivo anti-leishmanial activity, we used infected mice that were treated and not treated with MEBA and we determined the levels of cytokines using ELISA. The phytochemical properties were determined by CG-MS and DPPH assay. Results: We determined of LC 50 of 0.408 mg/mL of MEBA for in vitro anti-leishmanial activity. MEBA induced apoptosis in promastigotes (15.3% ± 0.86). Treated mice exhibited smaller lesions and contained significantly fewer parasites than did untreated mice; in addition, we found that IFN-γ and TNF-α increased in the sera of MEBA-treated mice. GC-MS analysis showed that podophyllotoxin was the most abundant compound. Evaluation of the activity by DPPH assay demonstrated an SC 50 of 11.72 μg/mL. Conclusion: Based on the above data, it was concluded that MEBA is a good candidate in the search for new anti-leishmanial agents.

An Ethnopharmacological, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Review on Lignans from Mexican Bursera spp.

“…The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) phytochemical analysis of the extract showed the presence of 11 compounds. Most of these compounds were fatty acids and fatty acid esters, but they revealed the presence of podophyllotoxin ( 19 ) ( Figure 3 ) [ 100 ].…”

Biological activity and flavonoid profile of five species of the Bursera genus

“…Anti-inflammatory activity: TPA-induced mouse-ear oedema assay. The ear oedema in mice assay was based on the method described by Merlos et al in 1991. A group of six male CD1 mice (25-30 g) were anaesthetised with Sedalphorte ® (63 mg/kg i.p.)…”

Lignans from Bursera fagaroides: Chemistry, Pharmacological Effects and Molecular Mechanism. A Current Review

“…However, lignans isolated from B. fagaroides have been studied mostly for their cytotoxic and antitumor properties; only a few have been described to possess other activities [ 6 ]. For instance, podophyllotoxin ( 1 ), together with other aliphatic compounds, was detected as a component of the antileishmanial active extract of B. aptera [ 63 ]. Another study describes the in vitro effect of an ethanolic extract of B. fagaroides on Ornithine decarboxylase enzymes activity and on the growth of Entamoeba histolytica [ 42 ].…”