Abstract

BENITEZ-APODACA, Fátima et al. In vitro biological evaluation of the ethanolic extract of Ka’a tái, Polygonum punctatum Elliot. (POLYGONACEAE). Mem. Inst. Investig. Cienc. Salud [online]. 2022, vol.20, n.2, pp.6-12. ISSN 1812-9528.  https://doi.org/10.18004/mem.iics/1812-9528/2022.020.02.06.

In Paraguay, as well as in the Americas, leishmaniasis constitutes one of the important public health problems, due to its epidemiological, clinical, and biological complexity, especially affecting the poorest and developing countries. Polygonum punctatum Elliot belongs to the Polygonaceae family, and popular medicine attributes several properties to it. Previous studies confirmed that different extracts of this plant have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antifungal activity. In this work, the cytotoxic activity of the ethanolic extract of Polygonum punctatum was evaluated at concentrations of 100, 50 and 25 µg/ml in mouse macrophage cells, in which no cytotoxic activity was found. In addition, the leishmanicidal activity was evaluated through experimental in vitro studies at concentrations 100, 75, 50, 25, 20 and 10 µg/ml against three strains of parasites: Leishmania infantum, L. amazonensis and L. braziliensis. Activities of 58 and 56% of parasite lysis were observed with the 100 µg/ml extract against strains of L. braziliensis and L. infantum, respectively, and 51% for L. amazonensis. These results are promising and provide a basis for the development and search of a new treatment for leishmaniasis. However, further studies are necessary regarding the isolation and identification of the compound and its evaluation in in vivo animal models.

Keywords : Leishmaniasis; Polygonum punctatum; in vitro.

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