Background: Chagas disease, amebiasis, giardiasis and trichomoniasis represent a serious health problem in Latin America. The drugs
employed to treat these illnesses produce important side effects and resistant strains have appeared. The present study was aimed to
evaluate the antiprotozoal activity of leaves, stem bark and root bark of
Elaeodendron trichotomum
, a celastraceus, that is used in Mexico
as an anti-infective in febrile-type diseases.
Materials and methods: Dichloromethane and methanol extracts of leaves, bark and roots of
Elaeodendron trichotomum were tested
against
Entamoeba histolytica
,
Giardia lamblia
,
Trichomonas vaginalis , and
Trypanosoma cruzi . A quantitative HPLC analysis of
pristimerin and tingenone was performed.
Results: The dichloromethane extract of roots was active against
E. histolytica,
G. lamblia,
T. vaginalis, and
T. cruzi, at IC
50’s of 0.80,
0.44, 0.46, and 2.68 μg/mL, respectively. The HPLC analysis revealed the presence of tingenone (3.84%) and pristimerin (0.14%).
Conclusions: The dichloromethane extract of the roots bark showed significant activity against all screened protozoa.
