Prosopis juliflora Pods Alkaloid-rich Fraction: In vitro Anthelmintic Activity on Goat Gastrointestinal Parasites and Its Cytotoxicity on Vero Cells

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to assess the in vitro anthelmintic activity of the fraction containing alkaloid from Prosopis juliflora pods on goat gastrointestinal nematodes using the egg hatch assay (EHA), larval migration inhibition assay (LMIA), and larval motility assay (LMA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The alkaloid-rich fraction (AF) – content juliprosopine as major alkaloid – was obtained from ethyl acetate extract after fractionation in Sephadex LH-20 chromatography column and its characterization were made by nuclear magnetic resonance analysis together with literature data comparison. The concentrations tested were 4.0, 2.67, 1.78, 1.19, and 0.79 mg/mL (EHA) and 4 mg/mL (LMIA and LMA). The in vitro cytotoxicity on Vero cell cultures was determined with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and trypan blue tests. RESULTS: High ovicidal activity was observed with IC(50) and IC(90) values at 1.1 and 1.43 mg/mL for AF. On the other hand, this fraction showed low larvicidal activity and high toxic effect. CONCLUSION: Thus, P. juliflora pod alkaloid rich-fraction has ovicidal activity in vitro against goat gastrointestinal nematodes and cytotoxic in Vero cell cultures. SUMMARY: Prosopis juliflora alkaloid-rich fraction (AF) showed in vitro anthelmintic effect against gastrointestinal nematodes of goats. The AF was more effective against eggs than third larval stage (L(3)) of gastrointestinal nematodes. The AF showed cytotoxicity activity on Vero cell line. The juliprosopine was the main alkaloid found in the AF from P. juliflora pods. [Image: see text] Abbreviations used: AF: Alkaloid-rich fraction; DMSO: Dimethyl sulfoxide; EE: Ethyl acetate extract; EHA: Egg hatch assay; IC50: Inhibitory concentration 50%; IC90: Inhibitory concentration 90%; L3: Infective larvae; LMA: Larval motility assay; LMIA: Larval migration inhibition assay; MTT: Bromide 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide; NMR: Nuclear magnetic resonance; PBS: Phosphate buffered saline; RPMI: Roswell Park Memorial Institute médium; TLC: Thin Layer Chromatography.