title: Amebicidal activity of the essential oils of Lippia spp. (Verbenaceae) against Acanthamoeba polyphaga trophozoites.
abstract: Amoebic keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis are caused by some strains of free-living amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba. In the case of keratitis, one of the greatest problems is the disease recurrence due to the resistance of parasites, especially the cystic forms, to the drugs that are currently used. Some essential oils of plants have been used as potential active agents against this protist. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the amebicidal activity of essential oils from plants of the genus Lippia against Acanthamoeba polyphaga trophozoites. To that end, 8 × 10(4) trophozoites were exposed for 24 h to increasing concentrations of essential oils from Lippia sidoides, Lippia gracilis, Lippia alba, and Lippia pedunculosa and to their major compounds rotundifolone, carvone, and carvacrol. Nearly all concentrations of oils and compounds showed amebicidal activity. The IC50 values for L. sidoides, L. gracilis L. alba, and L. pedunculosa were found to be 18.19, 10.08, 31.79, and 71.47 μg/mL, respectively. Rotundifolone, carvacrol, and carvone were determined as the major compounds showing IC50 of 18.98, 24.74, and 43.62 μg/mL, respectively. With the exception of oil from L. alba, the other oils evaluated showed low cytotoxicity in the NCI-H292 cell line. Given these results, the oils investigated here are promising sources of compounds for the development of complementary therapy against amoebic keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and can also be incorporated into cleaning solutions to increase their amebicidal efficiency.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfologia, Laboratório de Entomologia e Parasitologia Tropical, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon, s/n, Roza Elze, CEP 49100-000, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors.forename: Israel Gomes de Amorim
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfologia, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Bioagentes Patogênicos, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scher
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marilise Brittes
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Rott
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leociley Rocha
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emmanoel Vilaça
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmácia, Laboratório de Química Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sócrates Cabral de Holanda
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Agronomia, Laboratório de Fitotecnia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arie Fitzgerald
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Blank
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Antibióticos, Laboratório de Bioensaios para Pesquisa de Fármacos, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jaciana dos Santos
authors.initials: Jdos S
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Antibióticos, Laboratório de Bioensaios para Pesquisa de Fármacos, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
authors.forename: Teresinha Gonçalves
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Morfologia, Laboratório de Entomologia e Parasitologia Tropical, Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Av. Marechal Rondon, s/n, Roza Elze, CEP 49100-000, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil. dolabella@ufs.br.
authors.forename: Silvio Santana
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Dolabella
mesh_terms: D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000187:drug effects*; D000563:Amebicides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D000081007:Cymenes; D006801:Humans; D032411:Lippia; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053058:Trophozoites / Q000187:drug effects; D029648:Verbenaceae / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000563:Amebicides; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D000081007:Cymenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils; C467828:rotundifolone; C006923:carvone; C073316:carvacrol
keywords: Acanthamoeba polyphaga; Amebicidal activity; Carvacrol; Carvone; Lippia spp.; Rotundifolone