Antitubercular activity and the subacute toxicity of (-)-Licarin A in BALB/c mice: a neolignan isolated from Aristolochia taliscana.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:

Tuberculosis remains a worldwide health problem and requires long-term treatment with several antibiotics; therefore, compliance problems and the emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) are involved. (-)-Licarin A (LA) was isolated from diverse plants such as Aristolochia taliscana and possesses antimycobacterial, antiinflammatory, trypanocidal, and neuroprotective activities. The aim of the study was to determine the antitubercular and subacute toxicity of LA isolated from A. taliscana in BALB/c mice.

METHODS:

The antitubercular activity of LA was tested in a TB murine model inducing disease with M. tuberculosis H37Rv or MDR. Mice were treated with LA (5 mg/kg) for 30 and 60 days; post/treatment, lung bacilli loads and pneumonia percentage were determined. The subacute toxicity of LA (21 days) was evaluated in healthy mice. After treatment, biochemical and hematological parameters were determined and main organs were analyzed histologically.

RESULTS:

In animals infected with drug-sensitive or MDR strains, LA produced a significant decrease of pulmonary bacillary burdens at day 30 of treatment, and a significant pneumonia reduction at days 30 and 60 of treatment. Regarding subacute toxicity, LA administration during 21 days showed no abnormalities in main-organ macro- and microarchitecture. Biochemical and hematological parameters analyzed showed no statistical differences between control and treated groups.

CONCLUSIONS:

(-)-Licarin A reduces pneumonia of mice infected with both mycobacterium strains. Also, subacute toxicity of LA exhibits no major signs of damage. Biochemical and hematological parameters and histological analyses indicate that LA caused no significant changes at the doses assayed.

• Authors: Rosalba León-Díaz, Mariana Meckes-Fischer, Luis Valdovinos-Martínez, María G Campos, Rogelio Hernández-Pando, María Adelina Jiménez-Arellanes
• Journal: Archives of medical research (Arch Med Res) Vol. 44 Issue 2 Pg. 99-104 (Feb 2013) ISSN: 1873-5487 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23291382 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 IMSS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antitubercular Agents
• Lignans
• licarin A

Topics

• Animals
• Antitubercular Agents (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Aristolochia (chemistry)
• Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
• Lignans (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Lung (drug effects, microbiology, pathology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis (drug effects)
• Tuberculosis (drug therapy, microbiology)