Efeitos in vitro de Blepharocalyx salicifolius (H.B.K.) O. berg na viabilidade de protoescóleces de Echinococcus spp.

Abstract

Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic infection caused by a metacestode belonging to Taeniidae family, Echinococcus genus and Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato specie. Is a condition that accidentally causes the disease in men, may leading serious damage to health and, in some cases, it can lead to death. Their life cycle comprises two distinct hosts, the final host has the adult parasite forms parasite while the intermediate host has the larval stage (hydatid cyst). Often the diagnosis of CE is non-specific and it is performed when the symptoms are already aggravated. Most of the time, its treatment requires surgery and, despite the advances in this kind of therapeutic procedure, the risk of protoscoleces leakage cannot be ruled out, or underestimated, and it may, over the years, triggers the disease recurrence. Therefore, there is a special interest in researches that investigate scolicidal agents, particularly in order to inhibit the formation of secondary hydatid cysts. Considering that the extracts of different plants have been used for various purposes such as bactericides, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and also as antiparasitic, the investigation of their use in the control and/or treatment of cystic echinococcosis is encouraging, especially because these extracts can consist in new treatment options. Several advances have been established involving chemical and pharmacological studies of medicinal plants which permit new compounds with therapeutic properties. A species of medicinal interest, Blepharocalyx salicifolius (H.B.K.) O. Berg, known in Brazil as murta, is presented as a promising option for this purpose. In view of this, this study aimed to evaluate the in vitro effect of the crude extract and fractions of leaves of B. salicifolius on the viability of protoscoleces of Echinococcus spp. Protoscoleces of Echinococcus ortleppi were exposed to concentrations of crude extract the B. salicifolius (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 1000 and 1500 mg/mL) on predefined times (5, 10, 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes (min)). N-butanol and ethyl acetate fractions, obtained from the crude extract, were analyzed at 100 and 200 mg/mL concentrations, at 5, 10, 15 and 30 min, yielding scolicidal activity of 100% at 200 mg/mL at 5 min of evaluation, for both fractions. The fractions were identified as rutin and gallic acid by high performance liquid chromatography. The standart of gallic acid showed scolicidal action of 100% at 25 mg/mL in 5 min of evaluation. Therefore, the results reached showed that the crude extract and fractions the B. salicifolius, as well as gallic acid standard led to a scolicidal action on protoscoleces of E. ortleppi.