Anthelmintic activity of a traditionally used root extract from Paullinia pinnata

Extracts from the roots of Paullinia pinnata L. are used in West Africa as traditional remedies for a variety of diseases including infestationswith soil-transmitted helminths (STH) [1]. Based on the results of an ethnopharmacological survey in Ghana [2] an aqueous acetone (70%) extract was investigated in this study for its anthelmintic properties and chemical composition. The crude extract showed lethal effects against the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (LC₅₀ 2.5 mg/mL after 72h of incubation; positive control: Levamisole-HCl 40 mM, negative control: DMSO 1%). Subsequent partitioning between EtOAc and H₂O revealed a superior activity of the lipophilic phase (LC₅₀ 1.0 mg/mL vs. LC₅₀ 2.9 mg/mL), which was further fractionated on a Sephadex^® LH-20 column. Phytochemical analysis of crude extract and fractions by UHPLC-qTOF-MS indicated A-type oligomeric proanthocyanidins as the predominant class of compounds. B-type proanthocyanidins have previously been shown to be active against C. elegans [3] and they have been proposed as an alternative for the control of parasites in livestock, since a dramatic increase in resistances to conventional anthelmintic drugs has occurred [4]. The extract and primary fractions were therefore additionally tested in vitro against the sheep parasite Haemonchus contortus. However, no inhibition of egg hatching or larval migration was observed. In summary, this study is one of the first investigations of A-type proanthocyanidins against helminths and confirms the traditional use of the root extract from P. pinnata as a treatment for STH infestations.

Keywords: Paullinia pinnata, anthelmintic, A-type proanthocyanidins, C. elegans, H. contortus.

References:

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