Many protozoa are parasites and cause diseases.
Protozoa constitute a group of microorganisms, also known as protists, some of which are responsible for serious diseases in humans, such as malaria and Chagas' disease. Chemical compounds and natural extracts can exhibit antiprotozoal activity, thus offering valuable resources in medical research. Protocols for antiprotozoal activity include tests with plant extracts, phenethyl-4-aminopiperidine, and cationic 2-phenylbenzofurans.
Plant Extracts
According to an article published in the "International Journal of Phytotherapy and Phytopharmacology," some plant extracts called alkaloids exhibit antiprotozoal activity. These plants include the genera Annona and Xylopia, native to Brazil. This protocol involves the drying of leaves and posterior alkaloid extraction in alcoholic solution, the protist culture in fetal bovine serum and 5 percent human urine medium, and mice cells culturing in a fetal bovine serum medium. The extracts are then tested in protists and also in the mice cells, to check whether the compounds are toxic to mammals.
Phenethyl-4-Aminopiperidine
Phenethyl-4-aminopiperidine is a chemical compound used to test antiprotozoal activity against many protists, including Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, which causes trypanosomiasis and is transmitted to humans and other animals through the bite of the African tsetse fly. Before testing the effects of phenethyl-4-aminopiperidine in the protist, technicians cultivate them in vitro in a medium of glucose, horse blood serum, amino acids, and the chemicals 2-mercaptoethanol and sodium pyruvate, the American Society for Microbiology says.
Cationic 2-Phenylbenzofurans
Cationic 2-henylbenzofurans are chemical compounds with antiprotozoal properties against the microorganisms that cause malaria, trypanosomiasis, and leishmaniasis. According to the "Journal of Medicinal Chemistry," the protocol to evaluate antiprotozoal properties of phenylbenzofurans involves in vitro testing of the microorganism's resistance to such compounds. This protocol also consists of posterior comparison with well-established drugs, such as pentamidine and melarsoprol, used to treat these diseases.
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