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Planta Med 2016; 82(15): 1346-1350
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-107082
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Original Papers
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Evaluation of Antiparasitc Activity of Mentha crispa Essential Oil, Its Major Constituent Rotundifolone and Analogues against Trypanosoma brucei

Damião Pergentino de Sousa
1   Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
,
Tamires Cardoso Lima
2   Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil
,
Dietmar Steverding
3   Bob Champion Research and Education Building, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 16 February 2016
revised 07 April 2016

accepted 13 April 2016

Publication Date:
24 May 2016 (online)

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Abstract

Considering the pressing need for new drugs to treat sleeping sickness and Nagana disease, Mentha crispa essential oil, its principal constituent rotundifolone, and four related p-menthane-type monoterpenes (two stereoisomers of limonene epoxide, perillyl alcohol, and perillyl aldehyde) were investigated for their activity against bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei. The general cytotoxicity of the compounds was determined with human myeloid HL-60 cells. The effect of the M. crispa essential oil and the monoterpenes on the growth of parasite and human cells was evaluated in cell cultures with the resazurin viability assay. Of all of the compounds tested, M. crispa essential oil, rotundifolone, and perillyl aldehyde showed the highest trypanocidal activities with 50 % growth inhibition (GI50) and minimum inhibitory concentration values of 0.3 µg/mL and 1 µg/mL, respectively. In contrast, HL-60 cells were considerably less sensitive to the compounds with minimum inhibitory concentration values of 100 µg/mL and GI50 values ranging between 3.4 to 13.8 µg/mL. As a consequence of this, GI50 and minimum inhibitory concentration ratios of cytotoxic to trypanocidal activity (selectivity index) of these three compounds were promising with values of 11–45 and 100, respectively. These results indicate that the p-menthane-type monoterpenes rotundifolone and perillyl aldehyde are interesting lead candidates for further rational antitrypanosomal drug development.

Key words

Mentha crispa essential oil - monoterpenes - rotundifolone - Trypanosoma brucei - HL-60 cells - trypanocidal activity
 

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