title: The effect of Bulgarian propolis against Trypanosoma cruzi and during its interaction with host cells.
abstract: Propolis has shown activity against pathogenic microorganisms that cause diseases in humans and animals. The ethanol (Et-Blg) and acetone (Ket-Blg) extracts from a Bulgarian propolis, with known chemical compositions, presented similar activity against tissue culture-derived amastigotes. The treatment of Trypanosoma cruzi-infected skeletal muscle cells with Et-Blg led to a decrease of infection and of the intracellular proliferation of amastigotes, while damage to the host cell was observed only at concentration 12.5 times higher than those affecting the parasite. Ultrastructural analysis of the effect of both extracts in epimastigotes revealed that the main targets were the mitochondrion and reservosomes. Et-Blg also affected the mitochondrion-kinetoplast complex in trypomastigotes, offering a potential target for chemotherapeutic agents.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biologia Celular Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural, Departamento de Ultra-estrutura e Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Av. Brasil 4365, 21040-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Andréia Pires
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Dantas
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salomão
authors.forename: Helene Santos
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Solange Lisboa
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: De Castro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000469:parasitology; D011429:Propolis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D011429:Propolis