文摘
This article reports on the m>in vitrom> activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of m>Pfaffia glomeratam> roots, its hydrolyzed fractions, and pfaffic acid against m>Trypanosoma cruzim>. The hydroalcoholic extract obtained from dried, milled m>Pm>. m>glomeratam> roots was submitted to acid hydrolysis followed by partition with CHCl<sub>3sub>. The concentrated CHCl<sub>3sub> fraction was suspended in MeOH/H<sub>2sub>O and partitioned with hexane (m>F1m>), CHCl<sub>3sub> (m>F2m>), and AcOEt (m>F3m>), in this sequence. The trypanocidal activity of the hydrolyzed extract and its fractions was evaluated m>in vitrom>. The hydroalcoholic extract displayed low activity, but fraction m>F1m> was active against trypomastigotes of the Y strain of m>Tm>. m>cruzim>, with m>ICm><sub>50sub> = 47.89 μg/ml. The steroids campesterol (7.7%), stigmasterol (18.7%), m>βm>-sitosterol (16.8%), Δ<sup>7sup>-stigmastenol (4.6%), and Δ<sup>7sup>-spinasterol (7.5%) were the major constituents of m>F1m>, along with fatty acid esters (7.6%) and eight aliphatic hydrocarbons (30.1%). Fractions m>F2m> and m>F3m> exhibited moderate activity, and pfaffic acid, one of the main chemical constituents of these fractions, displayed m>ICm><sub>50sub> = 44.78 μ<span class="smallCaps">mspan> (21.06 μg/ml). On the other hand, the hydroalcoholic extract of m>Pm>. m>glomeratam> roots, which is rich in pfaffosides, was inactive. Therefore, the main aglycone of pfaffosides, pfaffic acid, is much more active against trypomastigotes of the Y strain of m>Tm>. m>cruzim> than its corresponding glycosides and should be further investigated.