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Chemical Characterization and Leishmanicidal Activity In Vitro and In Silico of Natural Products Obtained from Leaves of Vernonanthura brasiliana (L.) H. Rob (Asteraceae).

Yuri Nascimento FróesJoão Guilherme Nantes AraújoJoyce Resende Dos Santos GonçalvesMilena de Jesus Marinho Garcia de OliveiraGustavo Oliveira EvertonVictor Elias Mouchrek FilhoMaria Raimunda Chagas SilvaLuís Douglas Miranda SilvaLucilene Amorim SilvaLídio Gonçalves Lima NetoRenata Mondêgo de OliveiraMylena Andréa Oliveira TorresLuís Cláudio Nascimento da SilvaAlberto Jorge Oliveira LopesAmanda Silva Dos Santos AliançaCláudia Quintino da RochaJoicy Cortez de Sá Sousa
Published in: Metabolites (2023)
Vernonanthura brasiliana (L.) H. Rob is a medicinal plant used for the treatment of several infections. This study aimed to evaluate the antileishmanial activity of V. brasiliana leaves using in vitro and in silico approaches. The chemical composition of V. brasiliana leaf extract was determined through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The inhibitory activity against Leishmania amazonensis promastigote was evaluated by the MTT method. In silico analysis was performed using Lanosterol 14alpha-demethylase (CYP51) as the target. The toxicity analysis was performed in RAW 264.7 cells and Tenebrio molitor larvae. LC-MS revealed the presence of 14 compounds in V. brasiliana crude extract, including flavonoids, flavones, sesquiterpene lactones, and quinic acids. Eriodictol (ΔGbind = -9.0), luteolin (ΔGbind = -8.7), and apigenin (ΔGbind = -8.6) obtained greater strength of molecular interaction with lanosterol demethylase in the molecular docking study. The hexane fraction of V. brasiliana showed the best leishmanicidal activity against L. amazonensis in vitro (IC 50 12.44 ± 0.875 µg·mL -1 ) and low cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells (CC 50 314.89 µg·mL -1 , SI = 25.30) and T. molitor larvae. However, the hexane fraction and Amphotericin-B had antagonistic interaction (FICI index ≥ 4.0). This study revealed that V. brasiliana and its metabolites are potential sources of lead compounds for drugs for leishmaniasis treatment.
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