Variation of leishmanicidal activity in four populations of Urechites andrieuxii.
Urechites andrieuxii Muell.-Arg. (Apocynaceae) is widely used in the Yucatan Peninsula for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. The influence of the environment in the variability of the leishmanicidal activity of the plant was evaluated using crude methanol extracts of roots from individuals belonging to four natural populations growing in the Yucatan Peninsula. The results of the growth inhibition test using three Leishmania spp. promastigotes showed a stronger leishmanicidal activity in populations of U. andrieuxii growing in more humid environments. Further evaluation against four human cancer cell lines and in the brine shrimp bioassay of both extracts from various parts of the plant and from the most active methanol root extracts, suggested that while the leaf extract appears to have selective toxicity against Leishmania parasites, the strong leishmanicidal activity detected in the root extracts of the plant might be due to its cytotoxicity.
Laboratorio de Microbiología Ambiental y Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Av. Agustín Melgar s/n, Mexico.
Manuel Jesús
MJ
Chan-Bacab
Elfride
E
Balanza
Eric
E
Deharo
Victoria
V
Muñoz
Rafael Durán
RD
García
Luis Manuel
LM
Peña-Rodríguez
D000818:Animals; D029062:Apocynaceae; D001156:Artemia; D006801:Humans; D007892:Leishmania braziliensis / Q000187:drug effects*; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000187:drug effects*; D008800:Mexico; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D018515:Plant Leaves; D018517:Plant Roots; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
D010936:Plant Extracts