LEISHMANICIDAL, TRYPANOCIDAL, AND CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITIES OF ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH BIOACTIVE PLANTS IN BRAZIL

Ano: 2010 | Volume: 41 | Número: 2

Autores: Luiz H. Rosa, Vívian N. Gonçalves, Rachel B. Caligiorne, Tânia M. A. Alves, Ana Rabello, Policarbo A. Sales, Alvaro J. Romanha, Marcos E. G. Sobral, Carlos A. Rosa, Carlos L. Zani

Palavras-chave: Endophytic fungi, human tumoral cell, Leishmania, secondary metabolites, Trypanosoma cruzi

Resumo Inglês:

One hundred and twenty-one isolates of endophytic fungi were recovered from leaves of the bioactive
Brazilian plant species Ageratum myriadenia, Palicourea tetraphylla, Piptadenia adiantoides, and Trixis
vauthieri. All fungal isolates were cultivated in liquid media and crude extracts were obtained with ethyl
acetate. The crude extracts were tested in bioassay panels using Leishmania amazonensis, Trypanosoma
cruzi, the enzyme trypanothione reductase (TryR) from Trypanosoma cruzi, and three human cancer cell
lines. Thirty-three extracts (27.2%) exhibited at least one biological activity. Seventeen extracts (14%)
were cytotoxic against one or more human cancer cell line with the IC50 values ranged of >0.2 to 25
μg/mL. Twenty-four extracts (19.8%) inhibited the activity of TryR, and three showed ability to inhibit the
growth of T. cruzi above 60% and their IC50 values ranged among 1 to 10 μg/mL. Eleven extracts (9%)
were able to inhibit the growth of L. amazonensis and showed with IC50 values ranged among 4.6 to 24.4
μg/mL. The endophytic fungi were identified as belonging to the genera Alternaria, Arthrinium,
Cochliobolus, Colletotrichum, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Gibberella. An interesting result was obtained
for the bioactive isolates UFMGCB 508, 537, 899 and 903, which were related to fungi associated with
medicinal plants native to Asia, Australia, Africa, and Polynesia. These results indicate that bioactive
plants living in Brazilian ecosystems are a potential host of endophytic fungi able to produce bioactive
prototype molecules for drug development against neglected tropical diseases.