Planta Med 2012; 78 - PJ83
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1321243

HPLC analysis and antileishmanial activity of supercritical fluids extracts from Piper amalago L

DAG Cortez 1, V da Silva Carrara 1, LZ Serra 1, L Cardozo-Filho 2, EF Cunha-Júnior 3, EC Torres-Santos 3, LER Cortez 4
  • 1Departamento de Farmácia
  • 2Departamento de Engenharia Química, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, 87020–900, Maringá, PR
  • 3Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro
  • 4Cesumar, Avenida Guedner, 1610 Maringá – PR, Brazil

Piper amalago L. leaves were extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide, compressed propane, and chloroform were compared in terms of alkaloid content, using the validated HPLC method. Supercritical carbon dioxide (SFE-CO2) at 313 K and 12.55 MPa showed the highest selectivity for the alkaloid (600.53mg/g of extract). All the extracts were tested against the promastigote and intracellular amastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis. The cytotoxicity was also evaluated against J774A1 macrophages. The antileishmanial activity was evaluated in terms of inhibitory concentration for 50% of protozoa (IC50). The cytotoxic concentrations for 50% of macrophages were obtained (CC50). The SFE-CO2 (313 K; 12.55 MPa) extract showed the highest antileishmanial activity with IC50 value of 16µg/ml against the promastigotes, and an IC50 value of 7µg/ml against the intracellular amastigotes forms. The extract showed cytotoxicity with CC50 value of 93µg/ml.