Croton pulegiodorus Baill and Croton piauhiensis Mull. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) Essential Oils: Chemical Composition and Anti-Leishmania Activity

Abstract

Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonosis transmitted by sandflies insects infected with Leishmania infantum, the etiological agent. It is a serious disease that may evolve to a fatal outcome when patients do not receive treatment for more than two years. Plant essential oils are a promising alternative to control this parasite. Therefore, in the present work Croton pulegiodorus and C. piauhiensis leaves essential oils were chemically characterized and tested for their anti-Leishmania infantum activity. Forty-three constituents were identified in the oils through GC-MS and GC-FID analysis. In C. pulegiodorus oil, ascaridole (47.99%), p-cymene (10.92%) and camphor (8.42%) were the predominant compounds, while in C. piauhiensis the major compounds were (E)-caryophyllene (15.22%), caryophyllene oxide (14.87%), d-limonene (11.84%), epi-α-muurolol (7.64%) and p-cymene (6.09%). Regarding the bioassays, the oils presented activity against L. infantum promastigote (IC50 = 0.05-1.70 µg/mL) and amastigote forms (IC50 = 2.33-13.79 µg/mL). C. pulegiodorus oil was the most active. Nevertheless, it did not present higher efficacy than routine drugs. Therefore, the tested oils are promising for the development of new leishmanicidal agents, however, further research is needed.