Anthelmintic Activities of Extract and Ellagitannins from Phyllanthus urinaria against Caenorhabditis elegans and Zoonotic or Animal Parasitic Nematodes

Abstract

The aerial parts of Phyllanthus urinaria are used in traditional medicine in West Africa against helminthiasis, but their anthelmintic potential has not been evaluated until now. Within the current study, a hydroacetonic extract (AWE) and fractions and isolated ellagitannins from P. urinaria were, therefore, tested in vitro against Caenorhabditis elegans and the larvae of the animal parasites Toxocara canis, Ascaris suum, Ancylostoma caninum, and Trichuris suis. Compounds 1 – 13, mainly representing ellagitannins, were isolated using different chromatographic methods, and their structures were elucidated by HR-MS and ¹H/¹³C-NMR. AWE exerted concentration-dependent lethal effects (LC₅₀ of 2.6 mg/mL) against C. elegans and inhibited larval migration of all animal parasites tested (T. suis L1 IC₅₀ 24.3 µg/mL, A. suum L3 IC₅₀ 35.7 µg/mL, A. caninum L3 IC₅₀ 112.8 µg/mL, T. canis L3 IC₅₀ 1513.2 µg/mL). The anthelmintic activity of AWE was mainly related to the polar, tannin-containing fractions. Geraniin 1, the major ellagitannin in the extract, showed the strongest anthelmintic activity in general (IC₅₀ between 0.6 and 804 µM, depending on parasite species) and was the only compound active against A. caninum (IC₅₀ of 35.0 µM). Furosin 9 was least active despite structural similarities to 1. Among the parasites tested, Trichuris suis L1 larvae turned out to be most sensitive with IC₅₀ of 0.6, 6.4, 4.0, 4.8, and 2.6 µM for geraniin 1, repandusinic acid A 3, punicafolin 8, furosin 9, and phyllanthusiin A 10, respectively.

Key words

Phyllanthus urinaria - Phyllanthaceae - nematodes - ellagitannins - geraniin

^* Contributed equally, shared senior authorship.

Publication History

Received: 17 March 2023

Accepted after revision: 20 June 2023

Article published online:
17 July 2023

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