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Anti-Trichomonas vaginalis activity of saponins from Quillaja, Passiflora, and Ilex species

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Abstract

Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated protozoan that causes trichomonosis, the most prevalent non-viral STD worldwide. The pathogen has been associated with serious health consequences including predisposition to cervical cancer and adverse pregnancy outcomes and infertility. It also acts as a co-factor in HIV transmission and acquisition. The 5-nitroimidazole drugs are used in the treatment, however, treatment noncompliance is observed, and a growing number of T. vaginalis isolates resistant to the drugs have been related. Saponins are natural products possessing many biological activities such as antiprotozoan activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-T. vaginalis activity of saponins from Quillaja, Passiflora, and Ilex species. Saponins from Passiflora alata and Quillaja saponaria presented the best anti-T. vaginalis activity (MIC = 0.025%). In addition, all samples induced erythrocyte lysis and LDH release. As far as we know, this is the first report demonstrating the potential anti-T. vaginalis activity of these saponins.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank CNPq and CAPES (Brazil) for fellowships and financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Fitoquímica e Síntese Orgânica, Departamento de Produção de Matéria-Prima, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga 2752, 90610-000, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Tábitha Dahmer Rocha, Simone Cristina Baggio Gnoatto & Grace Gosmann

  2. Laboratório de Pesquisa em Parasitologia, Departamento de Análises, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Patrícia de Brum Vieira & Tiana Tasca

Authors
  1. Tábitha Dahmer Rocha
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  2. Patrícia de Brum Vieira
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  3. Simone Cristina Baggio Gnoatto
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  4. Tiana Tasca
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  5. Grace Gosmann
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Grace Gosmann.

Additional information

Tábitha Dahmer Rocha and Patrícia de Brum Vieira contributed equally to this work.

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Rocha, T.D., de Brum Vieira, P., Gnoatto, S.C.B. et al. Anti-Trichomonas vaginalis activity of saponins from Quillaja, Passiflora, and Ilex species. Parasitol Res 110, 2551–2556 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2798-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2798-1

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