title: Trypanocide, cytotoxic, and antifungal activities of Momordica charantia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is a public health problem. Currently, chemotherapy is the only available treatment for this disease, and the drugs used, nifurtimox and benzonidazol, present high toxicity levels. An alternative for replacing these drugs are natural extracts from Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) used in traditional medicine because of their antimicrobial and biological activities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we evaluated the extract of M. charantia for its antiepimastigote, antifungal, and cytotoxic activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ethanol extract of leaves from M. charantia was prepared. To research in vitro antiepimastigote activity, T. cruzi CL-B5 clone was used. Epimastigotes were inoculated at a concentration of 1 × 10(5) cells/mL in 200 µl tryptose-liver infusion. For the cytotoxicity assay, J774 macrophages were used. The antifungal activity was evaluated by microdilution using strains of Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, and Candida krusei.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The effective concentration capable of killing 50% of parasites (IC(50)) was 46.06 µg/mL. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was ≤ 1024 µg/mL. Metronidazole showed a potentiation of its antifungal effect when combined with an extract of M. charantia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that M. charantia could be a source of plant-derived natural products with antiepimastigote and antifungal-modifying activity with moderate toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Microbiologia e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Regional do Cariri, Crato (CE), Brasil.
authors.forename: Karla K A
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Edinardo F F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Matias
authors.forename: Celestina E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Sobral-Souza
authors.forename: Saulo R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Tintino
authors.forename: Maria F B
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Morais-Braga
authors.forename: Glaucia M M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Guedes
authors.forename: Francisco A V
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Ana Carla A
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rolón
authors.forename: Celeste
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vega
authors.forename: Antonieta Rojas
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: de Arias
authors.forename: José G M
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Irwin R A
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.forename: Henrique D M
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Coutinho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D004357:Drug Synergism; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D029777:Momordica charantia / Q000737:chemistry*; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D018515:Plant Leaves; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D008795:Metronidazole