Trypanocidal activity of flavonoids and limonoids isolated from Myrsinaceae and Meliaceae active plant extracts

The activity of crude extracts of three Rapanea species (Myrsinaceae) and Cipadessa fruticosa (Meliaceae) was evaluated in vitro against the trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi. Thirty-three extracts from different organs of these species were assayed and eleven of them showed significant activity (lysis % >50). The fractionation of an active extract from branches of R. lancifolia (99.5%) led to the isolation of two flavonoids: quercetin and taxifolin, which have weak trypanocidal activity. Additionally, one active extract from fruits of C. fruticosa (97.7%) afforded mexicanolide limonoids: cipadesin, mexicanolide, febrifugin and cipadesin A, that were slightly active on T. cruzi. Moreover, other two flavonoids (flavone and 7-methoxyflavone), previously assayed against T. cruzi, were isolated from the hexane extract from branches of C. fruticosa (100%). The results presented here suggest that the plants evaluated could be a source of new active compounds against T. cruzi.