Effects of Byrsonima aerugo extract as a treatment for schistosomiasis - In vivo and in vitro analysis

• Grant number: 24/12394-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Helminthology of Parasites
• Principal Investigator: Fernanda de Freitas Anibal
• Grantee: Isabela Cardoso Canossa
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Schistosomiasis mansoni is a parasitosis caused by the trematode Schistosoma mansoni, classified by the WHO as a Neglected Tropical Disease and is still associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Endemic in regions of Brazil that have susceptible intermediate hosts and inadequate basic sanitation, its incidence is closely linked to poverty. The aggravation of the disease is mainly the result of an exacerbated and uncontrolled immune-inflammatory response by the host that harbors the worm. Praziquantel has been the only chemotherapy available to treat the disease for over 40 years, highlighting the need for new therapeutic alternatives due to its therapeutic limitations and emerging drug resistance. Studies about the sapwood extract of Byrsonima aerugo highlights its high anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential, showing it to be a promising phytotherapeutic option for treating schistosomiasis mansoni. There is a lack of studies in the literature regarding the therapeutic use of plants from the genus Byrsonima for helminthiasis. This study outlines the use of extract of the sapwood of B. aerugo in a murine model and in isolated worms (in vitro), in order to analyze its effects on experimental schistosomiasis. Parasitological parameters will be examined through the recovery of adult worms by abdominal perfusion and egg counts in the feces using the Kato-Katz method, and the immunological profile will be evaluated through the global leukocyte count and differential of blood cells and peritoneal cavity lavage, dosage of the cytokines IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-³ and IgE antibody, as well as in vitro analysis of the parasites subjected to the herbal medicine.