title: In vitro biological action of aqueous extract from roots of Physalis angulata against Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused by various species of the protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus and transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies. The protozoa multiply in phagocytic cells, mainly macrophages, which play an important role defending the organism from pathogens. The most effective treatment for leishmaniasis is the chemotherapy and besides the high cost, these drugs are toxic and require a long period of treatment. Currently, some herbal products are considered an important alternative source of a new leishmanicidal agent, which includes the plant Physalis angulata, . We evaluated effects of an aqueous extract from roots of Physalis angulata (AEPa) on Leishmania proliferation, morphology and also determined whether physalins were present in the extract contributing to the knowledge of its pharmacological efficacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Morphological alterations were determined by light microscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Host cell viability was evaluated by MTT, and propidium iodide. AEPa were submitted in full HRESITOF analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AEPa promoted a dose-dependent reduction on promastigotes (IC50 = 39.5 μg/mL ± 5.1) and amastigotes (IC50 = 43.4 μg/mL ± 10.1) growth. This growth inhibition was associated with several morphological alterations observed in promastigote forms. No cytotoxic effect in mammalian cells was detected (IC50 > 4000 μg/mL). Furthemore, the presence of physalins A, B, D, E, F, G and H were described, for the first time, in the P. angulata root.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results demonstrate that AEPa effectively promotes antileishmanial activity with several important morphological alterations and has no cytotoxic effects on host cells.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Parasitologia e Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Avenida Augusto Corrêa, 01, Bairro Guamá, 660975-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil. rraick@yahoo.com.br.|Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem, Ilha do Fundão, 21941 902, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. rraick@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Raquel Raick P
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Parasitologia e Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Avenida Augusto Corrêa, 01, Bairro Guamá, 660975-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil. bjmartins04@yahoo.com.br.|Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem, Ilha do Fundão, 21941 902, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. bjmartins04@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Bruno J M
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem, Ilha do Fundão, 21941 902, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. anarodrigues@iec.pa.gov.br.|Instituto Evandro Chagas, Laboratório de Microscopia Eletrônica, SVS, MS, Av. Almirante Barroso 492, Bairro Marco, 66090-000, Belém, Pará, Brazil. anarodrigues@iec.pa.gov.br.
authors.forename: Ana Paula D
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Parasitologia e Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Avenida Augusto Corrêa, 01, Bairro Guamá, 660975-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil. luishsf@gmail.com.|Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem, Ilha do Fundão, 21941 902, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. luishsf@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Luis Henrique S
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Laboratório de Cromatografia Líquida, Avenida Augusto Corrêa, 01, Bairro Guamá, 660975-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil. miltonsilva@ufpa.br.
authors.forename: Milton N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Laboratório de Cromatografia Líquida, Avenida Augusto Corrêa, 01, Bairro Guamá, 660975-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil. danilavaleriano@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Danila Teresa V
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Neuroquímica Molecular e Celular, Avenida Augusto Corrêa, 01, Bairro Guamá, 660975-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil. gbastos@ufpa.br.
authors.forename: Gilmara N T
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Bastos
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Neuroquímica Molecular e Celular, Avenida Augusto Corrêa, 01, Bairro Guamá, 660975-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil. jlmn@ufpa.br.
authors.forename: José Luiz M
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: do Nascimento
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Parasitologia e Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Avenida Augusto Corrêa, 01, Bairro Guamá, 660975-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil. edilene@ufpa.br.|Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem, Ilha do Fundão, 21941 902, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. edilene@ufpa.br.|Universidade Federal do Pará, Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural, Avenida Augusto Corrêa, 01, Bairro Guamá, 660975-110, Belém, Pará, Brazil. edilene@ufpa.br.
authors.forename: Edilene O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007891:Leishmania / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D032321:Physalis / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts