title: Trypanocidal activity of ergosterol peroxide from Pleurotus ostreatus.
abstract: Chagas' disease, which is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a public health problem in South America affecting millions of people, and more recently several thousands in countries where the disease is not endemic. Due to the magnitude of the problem, finding a cure for this disease remains a major challenge. The aim of this study is to evaluate the trypanocidal activity of ergosterol peroxide (5α, 8α-epidioxy-22E-ergosta-6, 22-dien-3β-ol) isolated from Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm. f. sp. Florida. The ergosterol peroxide showed strong trypanocidal activity on the intracellular form of T. cruzi. Ergosterol peroxide had an inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 6.74 µg/mL on T. cruzi, but showed no lytic action on erythrocytes and no cytotoxic effect on mammalian cells at concentrations higher than 1600 µg/mL. The interaction of Trypanosoma cruzi with ergosterol peroxide in vitro resulted in a strong lytic activity possibly due to the disruption of the parasite membrane. This is the first report of trypanocidal activity, a new biological property of ergosterol peroxide isolated from Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm. f. sp. Florida.
authors.affiliation: LADISER Inmunología y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Prolongación de Oriente 6 No. 1009, Col. Rafael Alvarado 94340, Orizaba, Veracruz, México.
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramos-Ligonio
authors.forename: Aracely
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Monteon
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trigos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004875:Ergosterol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D020076:Pleurotus / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects*; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; C036071:ergosterol-5,8-peroxide; D004875:Ergosterol