Search for compounds with anthelmintic action in Guarea macrophylla (Meliaceae)

• Grant number: 25/21539-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2026
• End date: January 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: João Henrique Ghilardi Lago
• Grantee: Igor Seixas Alborghetti
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Santo André , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), such as schistosomiasis, affect millions of people in tropical regions, especially in areas with low socioeconomic development. The current dependence on a single drug, praziquantel, highlights the need for new therapeutic alternatives. Natural products, especially terpenes, have emerged as promising sources of bioactive compounds, particularly those with anthelmintic action. The Meliaceae family, notably the Guarea genus, is recognized for the production of pharmacologically relevant secondary metabolites, primarily terpenoids. However, the Guarea macrophylla Vahl species presents a wide diversity of diterpenes and triterpenes, described in previous phytochemical studies but little explored for their biological activity. This project aims to chemically identify and evaluate the antiparasitic activity of terpenes isolated from the leaves of G. macrophylla against the parasite Schistosoma mansoni, which causes schistosomiasis. To this end, extraction, chromatographic fractionation, isolation, and structural characterization using spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques will be performed, as well as in vitro and in vivo biological assays. The ADME profile of the isolated compounds will also be evaluated, as well as changes in the parasite's proteomic profile. The results are expected to contribute to the advancement of chemophenetic knowledge of the Guarea genus and provide support for the development of new prototypes for the development of drugs for schistosomiasis. (AU)