title: Susceptibility of Trypanosoma evansi to propolis extract in vitro and in experimentally infected rats.
abstract: Current therapy of Trypanosoma evansi infections is not effective for the vast majority of animals with relapsing parasitemia and clinical signs. Recently, attention is being focused on the antiparasitic activity of propolis. This study evaluated the susceptibility of T. evansi to propolis extract in vitro and in vivo. A dose-dependent trypanocidal activity of propolis extract was observed in vitro. All trypomastigotes were killed 1 h after incubation with 10 μg mL(-1) of the extract. In vivo, the concentrations of 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg kg(-1) administered orally for 10 consecutive days showed no curative effect, and the rats died from the disease. However, rats treated with the two highest concentrations of propolis extract showed higher longevity than the other groups. Based on these data, we concluded that T. evansi is susceptible to propolis in vitro. Despite the lack of curative efficacy observed in vivo at the concentrations tested, the propolis extract can prolong life in rats infected with the protozoan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucas T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Gressler
authors.forename: Aleksandro S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dalla Rosa
authors.forename: Fellipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dorneles
authors.forename: Letícia T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Gressler
authors.forename: Mauricio S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Régis A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Zanette
authors.forename: Agueda C P
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de Vargas
authors.forename: Silvia G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Monteiro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D011429:Propolis / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D014345:Trypanosoma / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects*; D014352:Trypanosomiasis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D011429:Propolis