In vitro evaluation of the schistosomicidal potential of Eremanthus erythropappus (DC) McLeisch (Asteraceae) extracts

Eremanthus erythropappus (DC) McLeisch, a plant popularly known as Candeia (Asteraceae), has high therapeutic potential. In this study, the in vitro schistosomicidal potentials of the ethanolic, dichloromethane and hexane extract of branches were evaluated. Couples of worms obtained from the infected mice were cultured in RPMI supplemented with foetal bovine serum and antibiotics. Four pairs of adult worms were exposed to increasing concentrations of each extract and examined by light microscope. The extracts at 100 and 200 µg mL(-1) had schistosomicidal activity, as demonstrated by the analysis of several aspects such as tegument darkening, absence of motility, incapacity of adhesion in culture plate and absence of egg in culture medium. At 50 and 75 µg mL(-1), the dichloromethane and hexane extracts were highly effective. The results suggest that these extracts could be useful in the development of new schistosomicidal drugs.