title: Antileishmanial activity of indole alkaloids from Aspidosperma ramiflorum.
abstract: The present study was designated to evaluate the antileishmanial activity of acid and basic fractions that were obtained after acid-basic extraction, from ethanolic 70% crude extract and pure compounds from the stem bark of Aspidosperma ramiflorum. The basic alkaloidal fraction presented a good activity against the extracellular form (promastigotes) of Leishmania (L.) amazonensis (LD(50) value<47 microg/ml). Based on these findings, the basic fraction was fractionated on silica gel column chromatography in a bioassay-guided fractionation affording individual purified ramiflorines A and B. Both ramiflorines A and B showed significant activity against Leishmania (L.) amazonensis (LD(50) values of 16.3+/-1.6 microg/ml and 4.9+/-0.9 microg/ml, respectively). Our results are promising, showing that these compounds are biologically active against Gram-positive bacteria.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química da Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, PR, Brasil.
authors.forename: J C A
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: I C P
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: G M C
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Leon
authors.forename: A J B
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D030009:Aspidosperma / Q000737:chemistry*; D026121:Indole Alkaloids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007891:Leishmania / Q000187:drug effects*; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D008517:Phytotherapy; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D026121:Indole Alkaloids