Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the susceptibility of Trypanosoma brucei to the Anthriscus nemorosa essential oils (EOs), isolated compounds from these oils, and artificial mixtures of the isolated compounds in their conventional and nanoencapsulated forms. The chemical composition of the essential oils from the aerial parts and roots of Anthriscus nemorosa, obtained from a wild population growing in central Italy, were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In both cases, the predominant class of compounds was monoterpene hydrocarbons, which were more abundant in the EOs from the roots (81.5%) than the aerial parts (74.0%). The overall results of this work have shed light on the biological properties of A. nemorosa EO from aerial parts (EC50 = 1.17 μg/mL), farnesene (EC50 = 0.84 μg/mL), and artificial mixtures (Mix 3–5, EC50 in the range of 1.27 to 1.58 μg/mL) as relevant sources of antiprotozoal substances. Furthermore, the pool measurements of ADP (adenosine diphosphate) and NTPs (nucleoside triphosphates) in the cultivated bloodstream form of trypanosomes exposed to different concentrations of EOs showed a disturbed energy metabolism, as indicated by increased pools of ADP in comparison to ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and other NTPs. Ultimately, this study highlights the significant efficacy of A. nemorosa EO to develop long-lasting and effective antiprotozoal formulations, including nanoemulsions.
Highlights
African trypanosomiasis (HAT), called sleeping sickness, is an endemic disease of rural sub-Saharan Africa, caused by two species of Trypanosoma brucei: T. brucei gambiense and T. brucei rhodesiense [1]
The predominant class of compounds was monoterpene hydrocarbons, which were more abundant in the essential oils (EOs) from the roots (81.5%) than the aerial parts (74.0%)
Testing the EOs hydrodistilled from A. nemorosa aerial parts and roots, we showed that both of them effectively inhibited T. brucei proliferation, especially the EO from aerial parts with an EC50 value of 1.17 μg/mL (Table 2 and Figure 1) and a selective index (SI) of 4.65
Summary
African trypanosomiasis (HAT), called sleeping sickness, is an endemic disease of rural sub-Saharan Africa, caused by two species of Trypanosoma brucei: T. brucei gambiense and T. brucei rhodesiense [1]. The T. brucei gambiense parasite causes more than 98% of human infections, and it is mainly present in Western and Central Africa. The T. brucei rhodesiense parasite mostly affects animals and rarely humans, and is most common in eastern and southern Africa [2]. T. brucei rhodesiense infections are acute, and the faster progression of the disease leads to death within a few months if untreated [3,4]. Two stages characterize HAT: the first stage symptoms are fever, headache, joint pain, and itching due to the parasite’s passage in the blood and lymph system [3,4]. The second stage symptoms are poor coordination, dramatic mood swings, confusion, and convulsions due to the parasite’s passage in the central nervous system [3,4]. Fexinidazole was introduced in 2018 as an oral treatment of gambiense HAT, and its efficacy was demonstrated in both stages of the disease
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