Research Indicates Brazilian Plant Compound May Hold Promise for Kala-Azar Treatment
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New Delhi, Jan 8 (NationPress) Kala-azar, also known as visceral leishmaniasis, is a severe neglected tropical disease that can potentially be treated more effectively with a compound extracted from Nectandra leucantha, a tree native to southern Brazil, which is commonly referred to as canela-seca or canela-branca, according to a recent study.
This disease is caused by a protozoan parasite that is transmitted through the bite of a sandfly and is marked by prolonged fever, weight loss, decreased muscle strength, spleen and liver enlargement, and anaemia.
A collaborative research team from Brazil, the UK, and Portugal conducted a study that demonstrated the effectiveness of the compound from the Nectandra leucantha plant in eliminating Leishmania infantum, the parasite responsible for the disease. Notably, the plant-derived compound does not harm host cells, as stated in their findings published in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
The researchers initiated their work by synthesizing a compound akin to dehydrodieugenol B, a neolignan found in N. leucantha.
“We utilized this substance as a prototype to create novel variants of the molecule through slight structural modifications,” explained Andre Gustavo Tempone, the lead researcher from the Butantan Institute's Physiopathology Laboratory in Brazil.
Tempone noted that these modified compounds were tested individually against the parasite in laboratory conditions to refine their effectiveness.
As a result, the researchers developed a molecule that was four times more effective than the initial prototype; however, it did not perform well in animal trials, as it only remained in the rodents' systems for less than ten minutes.
The team then concentrated on further optimizing the molecule to improve its bioavailability, ensuring it would last longer in the animals’ systems.
Through numerous processes, they succeeded in creating a more potent molecule with an average plasma half-life of 21 hours.
This optimized compound was found to remain in the rat's system for a period that was 100 times longer than previously observed, according to the research team.
“The new compound not only exhibited enhanced potency against L. infantum but also did not cause any damage to host cells,” the researchers reported.
“We need to investigate the compound's effects in rodents infected with leishmaniasis to determine its efficacy and appropriate treatment dosages,” Tempone stated, emphasizing the need for further research.
