Antiparasitary potential of Sarcomphalus joazeiro (Mart.) Hauenschild (Rhamnaceae)

Leishmaniasis and American trypanosomiasis are part of a set of diseases characterized by the World Health Organization as neglected diseases caused by infectious and parasitic agents in populations in situations of poverty and poor sanitation. Pharmaceutical industries neglect such diseases, which have limited treatments, mainly due to few drug options and significant toxicity. Therefore, it is essential to search for new substances that have the potential to replace these medications. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the leishmanicidal and trypanocidal activity of the ethanolic extract of the leaves and bark of Sarcomphalus joazeiro (Mart.) Hauenschild. These extracts were prepared by maceration with cold extraction. When carrying out the susceptibility tests, the extracts were tested in four different concentrations against the epimastigote forms of the CL-B5 parasite strains of Trypanosoma cruzi and promastigote forms of Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania infantum, both tests were carried out "in vitro" in plates 96-well microdilution system, with nifurtimox and metronidazole as reference medicine. The cytotoxicity assay was performed with mammalian fibroblast lines from the NCTC 929 clone. The results indicate that the ethanolic extract of the bark of the stem of S. joazeiro (EBSJ) presented a more significant antiparasitic effect when compared to the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Sarcomphalus joazeiro (ELSJ) particularly against L. braziliensis and L. infantum. Regarding cytotoxicity, EBSJ and ELSJ presented moderate and low degrees, respectively. Based on the data obtained, further investigations into the properties of the bark extract are necessary, mainly due to its leishmanicidal potential.