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eCAM Advance Access published online on February 12, 2009
eCAM, doi:10.1093/ecam/nep014
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© 2009 The Author(s).
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Brazilian Green Propolis: Effects In Vitro and In Vivo on Trypanosoma cruzi

Kelly Salomão1, Elen M. de Souza1, Andréa Henriques-Pons1, Helene S. Barbosa2 and Solange L. de Castro1

1Laboratório de Biologia Celular and 2Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, CP 926, 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The composition of a Brazilian green propolis ethanolic extract (Et-Bra) and its effect on Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes and other pathogenic microorganisms have already been reported. Here, we further investigated Et-Bra targets in T. cruzi and its effect on experimental infection of mice. The IC50/4 days for inhibition of amastigote proliferation was 8.5 ± 1.8 µg ml–1, with no damage to the host cells. In epimastigotes Et-Bra induced alterations in reservosomes, Golgi complex and mitochondrion. These effects were confirmed by flow cytometry analysis. In trypomastigotes, Et-Bra led to the loss of plasma membrane integrity. The in vitro studies indicate that Et-Bra interferes in the functionality of the plasma membrane in trypomastigotes and of reservosomes and mitochondrion in epimastigotes. Acutely infected mice were treated orally with Et-Bra and the parasitemia, mortality and GPT, GOT, CK and urea levels were monitored. The extract (25–300 mg kg–1 body weight/day for 10 days) reduced the parasitemia, although not at significant levels; increased the survival of the animals and did not induce any hepatic, muscular lesion or renal toxicity. Since Et-Bra was not toxic to the animals, it could be assayed in combination with other drugs. Et-Bra could be a potential metacyclogenesis blocker, considering its effect on reservosomes, which are an important energy source during parasite differentiation.

Keywords: Chagas disease – electron microscopy – experimental infection – propolis – Trypanosoma cruzi

For reprints and all correspondence: Dr Solange L. de Castro, Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil 4365, Manguinhos 21045-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Tel.: +55-21-2598-4534; Fax: +55-21-2598-4577; E-mail: solange{at}ioc.fiocruz.br

Received November 12, 2008; accepted January 16, 2009


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