EVALUATION OF THE AMOEBICIDAL ACTIVITIES OF CENTAUREA BELLA, CENTAUREA DAGHESTANICA, RHAPONTICUM PULCHRUM AND TANACETUM VULGARE AGAINST PATHOGENIC ACANTHAMOEBA SPP

摘要

The ethanolic extracts obtained from aerial parts of four species belonging to the Asteraceae family - Centaurea bella, Centaurea daghestanica, Rhaponticum pulchrum, and Tanacetum vulgare - were evaluated in vitro for amoebicidal activity against pathogenic Acanthamoeba spp. This free-living amoeba causes diseases including Acanthamoeba keratitis, which is a painful, sight-threatening disease of the eyes, and chronic granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. Treatment of these diseases is very difficult and not always effective because of encystation, making it highly resistant to anti-amoebic drugs. The search for new natural amoebicidal agents of plant origin is still of current interest. The results of our study showed that three extracts (excluding that of R. pulchrum) had an inhibitory effect on the multiplication of Acanthamoeba trophozoites as compared to the non-treated control. The inhibitory potential mainly depends on yield and composition of sesquiterpene lactones. Among the crude extracts tested, the ethanol extract of Tanacetum vulgare had remarkable amoebicidal action against the trophozoites.