title: Activity of cycloartane-type triterpenes and sterols isolated from Musa paradisiaca fruit peel against Leishmania infantum chagasi.
abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate in vitro the antileishmanial activity of triterpenes and sterols isolated from Musa paradisiaca (banana) fruit peel used traditionally to treat leishmaniasis. The compounds were isolated from the ethanolic extract of the peel of the banana fruit by column chromatography. The chemical structure of compounds was determined by (1)H and (13)C - nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The cytotoxicity was measured in RAW 264.7 cells and LLC-MK2. Leishmanicidal activity against L. infantum chagasi promastigotes was performed by the MTT colorimetric method and activity against amastigotes was assayed in mammalian cells using in situ ELISA method. Five compounds were identified, consisting of three triterpenes: cycloeucalenone, 31-norcyclolaudenone and 24-methylene-cicloartanol and a mixture of two sterols: beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol. With the exception of cycloeucalenone, all compounds showed statistically similar activity against promastigote to pentamidine. While, acting against amastigotes, excluding 31-norcyclolaudenone, other compounds showed activity similar to amphotericin B. All compounds showed low cytotoxicity in mammalian cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study partially confirms the use of Musa paradisiaca in folk medicine against leishmaniasis. Further in vivo studies are necessary to evaluate the efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: A A S
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Ceará, Brazil; Curso de Química, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Ceará, Brazil. Electronic address: selenemaiademorais@gmail.com.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.affiliation: Curso de Química, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: M J C
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Falcão
authors.affiliation: Curso de Química, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: I G P
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Curso de Química, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Viana
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: R P A
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Andrade-Junior
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000187:drug effects*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D028521:Musa / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013261:Sterols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013261:Sterols; D014315:Triterpenes; C085352:cycloartane
keywords: Leishmania infantum chagasi; Sterols; Triterpenes