MOLECULAR DEREPLICATION OF VOLATILE OILS FROM Saururus cernuus L. AND EVALUATION OF ANTI-Trypanosoma cruzi ACTIVITY

The present study reports the molecular dereplication and the evaluation of anti-Ttypanosoma cruzi activity of volatile oils from inflorescences, leaves, branches, and roots of Saururus cernuus L. (Saururaceae). Chemically, the oils showed the predominance of sesquiterpenes in inflorescences (64.04%) and branches (63.82%), with beta-sesquiphellandrene (25.50%) and (E)-caryophyllene (22.40%) corresponding to the main constituents of each oil. Furthermore, it was possible to detect safrole as the most predominant compound in the leaves oil (49.09%). On the other hand, the oil from roots was mainly composed by monoterpenes (84.60%), with limonene in higher concentration (38.41%), followed by alpha-pinene (20.19%), and camphene (14.71%). The oils from inflorescences and branches displayed higher antitrypanosomal potency with EC50 values of 7.1 and 8.8 mu g mL(-1), respectively, followed by the oils from the roots and inflorescences, with EC50 values of 17.3 and 30.4 mu g mL(-1), respectively. Additionally, branches and inflorescences oils displayed no toxicity in mammalian NCTC cells (CC50 > 200 mu g mL(-1)). Using two PLS-DA methods, it was possible to suggest that the anti-T cruzi activity of the tested oils could be associated with the presence of beta-sesquiphellandrene, safrole, beta-elemene, and alpha-zingiberene whereas threo-austrobailignan-5, beta-sesquiphellandrene, alpha-humulene, germacrene D, and bicyclogermacrene play a role in the cytotoxicity against NCTC cells.