Efeito do extrato bruto etanólico da planta Annona muricata L. (Graviola) e suas frações no controle da infecção in vitro e in vivo por Toxoplasma gondii

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most successful parasites in the world, infecting a wide variety of mammals, including a third of the global human population. Extracts from various morphological parts of Annona muricata L. (Annonaceae) are widely used medicinally in many parts of the world for the management, control and/or treatment of several human diseases. In this context, we investigated the action of ethanolic extract of A. muricata L (EtOHAm) treatment during T. gondii-infection in vitro and in vivo. For in vitro, NIH/3T3 fibroblast and J774 macrophages cell lines were infected and treated with different concentrations of EtOHAm, and hexane (HexAm), dichloromethane (CH2Cl2Am) and ethyl acetate (EtOAcAm) fractions, and the parasitism and nitric oxide (NO) production were analyzed. For in vivo experiments, C57BL/6 mice were infected with T. gondii and treated as described above, and analyzed for parasitism, histology, biochemical and immunological parameters. The EtOHAm-treatment was able to control the parasitism in fibroblasts and macrophages, and additionally, increased the NO production by the hematopoietic cells; and HexAm, CH2Cl2Am and EtOAcAm fractions controlled parasite grow at 20 or 50, 50 and 200 g/mL concentrations, respectively. In vivo, the EtOHAm -treatment prolonged the survival, controlled the parasite proliferation in the small intestine and lung on day 8 post-infection (p.i.) and in the brain on day 30 p.i., but not the fractions. The lower parasitism in EtOHAm-treated mice was associated with IFN-γ and TNF moderated levels, increased goblet cell numbers in the small intestine and decreased triglycerides and VLDL lipid levels systemically. Therefore, EtOHAm could be a good candidate for toxoplasmosis treatment.