Antigiardial activity of Ocimum basilicum essential oil.
In this study, we investigated the effects of Ocimum basilicum essential oil on Giardia lamblia and on the modulation of the interaction of these parasites by peritoneal mouse macrophage. The essential oil (2 mg/ml) and its purified substances demonstrated antigiardial activity. Linalool (300 microg/ml), however, was able to kill 100% parasites after 1 h of incubation, which demonstrates its high antigiardial potential. Pretreatment of peritoneal mouse macrophages with 2 mg/ml essential oil dilution reduced in 79% the association index between these macrophages and G. lamblia, with a concomitant increase by 153% on nitric oxide production by the G. lamblia-ingested macrophages. The protein profiles and proteolitic activity of these parasite trophozoites, previously treated or not with 2 mg/ml essential oil or with the purified fractions, were also determined. After 1 and 2 h of incubation, proteins of lysates and culture supernatants revealed significant differences in bands patterns when compared to controls. Besides, the proteolitic activity, mainly of cysteine proteases, was clearly inhibited by the essential oil (2 mg/ml) and the purified linalool (300 microg/ml). These results suggest that, with G. lamblia, the essential oil from O. basilicum and its purified compounds, specially linalool, have a potent antimicrobial activity.
de Almeida
Igor
I
Instituto de Microbiologia Prof. Paulo de Góes, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 219491-590, Brazil.
Alviano
Daniela Sales
DS
Vieira
Danielle Pereira
DP
Alves
Péricles Barreto
PB
Blank
Arie Fitzgerald
AF
Lopes
Angela Hampshire C S
AH
Alviano
Celuta Sales
CS
Rosa
Maria do Socorro S
Mdo S
D000080462:Acyclic Monoterpenes; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018649:Ocimum basilicum / Q000737:chemistry*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000032:analysis
D000080462:Acyclic Monoterpenes; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C018584:linalool