Antiamoebic Properties of Metabolites against <i>Naegleria fowleri</i> and <i>Balamuthia mandrillaris</i>
<i>Naegleria fowleri</i> and <i>Balamuthia mandrillaris</i> are free-living, opportunistic protists, distributed widely in the environment. They are responsible for primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE), the fatal central nervo...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Book |
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MDPI AG,
2022-04-01T00:00:00Z.
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| Summary: | <i>Naegleria fowleri</i> and <i>Balamuthia mandrillaris</i> are free-living, opportunistic protists, distributed widely in the environment. They are responsible for primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE), the fatal central nervous infections with mortality rates exceeding 90%. With the rise of global warming and water shortages resulting in water storage in tanks (where these amoebae may reside), the risk of infection is increasing. Currently, as a result of a lack of awareness, many cases may be misdiagnosed. Furthermore, the high mortality rate indicates the lack of effective drugs available. In this study, secondary metabolites from the plants <i>Rinorea vaundensis</i> and <i>Salvia triloba</i> were tested for their anti-amoebic properties against <i>N. fowleri</i> and <i>B. mandrillaris.</i> Three of the nine compounds showed potent and significant anti-amoebic activities against both <i>N. fowleri</i> and <i>B. mandrillaris</i>: ursolic acid, betulinic acid, and betulin. Additionally, all compounds depicted limited or minimal toxicity to human cells and were capable of reducing amoeba-mediated host cell death. Moreover, the minimum inhibitory concentration required to inhibit 50% of amoebae growth, the half-maximal effective concentration, and the maximum non-toxic dose against human cells of the compounds were determined. These effective plant-derived compounds should be utilized as potential therapies against infections due to free-living amoebae, but future research is needed to realize these expectations. |
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| Item Description: | 10.3390/antibiotics11050539 2079-6382 |