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Evaluation of the schistosomicidal activity of the steroidal alkaloids from Solanum lycocarpum fruits

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Abstract

Solanum lycocarpum (Solanaceae), a Brazilian medicinal plant known as “wolf fruit,” contains about 1.5% of glycoalkaloids in its dried fruits, consisting mainly of solamargine and solasonine. The present work reports the obtainment of the alkaloidic extract of the S. lycocarpum fruit by acid–base extraction and the isolation of the major alkaloid heterosides by chromatographic means, as well as the evaluation of their in vitro schistosomicidal activities. The in vitro schistosomicidal activities of the alkaloidic extract of S. lycocarpum fruits and its isolated steroidal alkaloids were undertaken against adult worms of Schistosoma mansoni. The alkaloidic extract (20, 32, and 50 μg mL−1), solasonine (50 μM), solamargine (32 and 50 μM), and equimolar mixture of glycoalkaloids (20, 32, and 50 μM) lead to the separation of all couple worms and extensive disruption on their teguments, such as sloughing, as well as their deaths within 24 h of incubation. In addition, the alkaloidic extract (10 and 15 μg mL−1), solasonine (50 μM), solamargine (10, 15, and 20 μM), and equimolar mixtures of glycoalkaloids (10 and 15 μM) reduced the development of eggs produced by the adult worms. Solamargine, containing the sugar chain moiety chacotriose, was more active than the solasonine, which contains solatriose sugar chain moiety. A synergistic effect was also observed for a mixture of solamargine and solasonine. Therefore, the alkaloidic extract of S. lycocarpum, and its major components, solamargine and solasonine, showed promising schistosomicidal activity.

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Acknowledgment

We are thankful to Ph.D. Milton Groppo Júnior for identifying the plant material. Mariza A. Miranda is thankful to FAPESP for her fellowship, grant number 2008/56324-0. We are also thankful to Elenice Aparecida Macedo and Olinda Mara Brigatto for the technical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto FCFRP-USP, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

    Mariza Abreu Miranda, Renata Fabiane Jorge Tiossi, Christian Collins Kuehn, Luiz Gustavo Rodrigues Oliveira & Jairo Kenupp Bastos

  2. Universidade de Franca, Avenida Doutor Armando Sales Oliveira, 201, 14404-600, Franca, São Paulo, Brazil

    Lizandra Guidi Magalhães

  3. Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café, s/n, 14040-903, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

    Vanderlei Rodrigues

  4. Arbor Therapeutics, LLC, 145 County Road 245, Etta, MS, 38627, USA

    James Dewey McChesney

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  1. Mariza Abreu Miranda
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  2. Lizandra Guidi Magalhães
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  3. Renata Fabiane Jorge Tiossi
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  5. Luiz Gustavo Rodrigues Oliveira
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Correspondence to Mariza Abreu Miranda or Jairo Kenupp Bastos.

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Miranda, M.A., Magalhães, L.G., Tiossi, R.F.J. et al. Evaluation of the schistosomicidal activity of the steroidal alkaloids from Solanum lycocarpum fruits. Parasitol Res 111, 257–262 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-012-2827-8

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