AUTHOR=Herrera-Martínez Mayra , Hernández-Ramírez Verónica I. , Hernández-Carlos Beatriz , Chávez-Munguía Bibiana , Calderón-Oropeza Mónica A. , Talamás-Rohana Patricia 

TITLE=Antiamoebic Activity of Adenophyllum aurantium (L.) Strother and Its Effect on the Actin Cytoskeleton of Entamoeba histolytica

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2016.00169

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2016.00169

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>In Mexico, the <italic>Adenophyllum aurantium</italic> (L.) Strother plant is consumed as an infusion to treat intestinal diseases such as amoebiasis, which is an endemic health problem in Mexico and other countries. However, the effect of <italic>A. aurantium</italic> on <italic>Entamoeba histolytica</italic>, the causative agent of amoebiasis, is unknown. An aerial part methanolic extract (<italic>Aa</italic>MeA), a root methanolic extract (<italic>Aa</italic>MeR) and a root ethyl acetate extract (<italic>Aa</italic>EaR) were tested on <italic>E. histolytica</italic> trophozoites. <italic>Aa</italic>MeA and <italic>Aa</italic>MeR did not show antiproliferative activity; however, <italic>Aa</italic>EaR exhibited an <italic>in vitro</italic> GI<sub>50</sub> of 230 μg/ml, and it was able to inhibit the differentiation of <italic>Entamoeba invadens</italic> trophozoites into cysts. The intraperitoneal administration of <italic>Aa</italic>EaR (2.5 or 5 mg) to hamsters that were infected with <italic>E. histolytica</italic> inhibited the development of amoebic liver abscesses in 48.5 or 89.0% of the animals, respectively. Adhesion to fibronectin and erythrophagocytosis were 28.7 and 37.5% inhibited by <italic>Aa</italic>EaR, respectively. An ultrastructure analysis of <italic>Aa</italic>EaR-treated trophozoites shows a decrease in the number of vacuoles but no apparent cell damage. Moreover, this extract affected the actin cytoskeleton structuration, and it prevented the formation of contractile rings by mechanism(s) that were independent of reactive oxygen species and RhoA activation pathways. <sup>13</sup>C NMR data showed that the major compounds in the <italic>Aa</italic>EaR extract are thiophenes. Our results suggest that <italic>Aa</italic>EaR may be effective in treatments against amoebiasis, nevertheless, detailed toxicity studies on thiophenes, contained in <italic>Aa</italic>EaR, are required to avoid misuse of this vegetal species.</p>