Phenolic Acid Composition and Anti-Parasitic Effects of Four Peucedanum Species on Entamoeba histolytica Trophozoites

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine phenolic acid composition and anti-parasitic effects of Peucedanum caucasicum, P. palimbioides, P. longibracteolatum and P. chryseum on Entamoeba histolytica. METHODS Methanol extracts of the plant species were prepared by soxhlet extraction. Phenolic acid compositions were determined by HPLC. Anti-proliferative effect of extracts on trophozoites was determined by using trypan blue dye exclusion test. For counting the cells, approximately a hundred of E. histolytica trophozoites were examined in each time. The data were presented as mean values with standard deviations and analyzed by repeated measures of ANOVA followed by Tukey test for post-hoc pairwise comparisons. The P-value was set at 0.05 for significance level. RESULTS All of the extracts showed a time and dose dependent amoebicidal action on trophozoites. Among the extracts tested, P. longibracteolatum showed the strongest amoebicidal effect on the trophozoites. As expected, this plant species also exhibited time and dose dependent activity on the trophozoites. At 4.0 mg/ml extract concentration, all of the trophozoites were killed by the extract in 72(nd) hour. Gallic (11.144 mg/g), P-hydroxybenzoic (17.646 mg/g), and o-coumaric acids (14.442 mg/g) were determined as the major phenolic acids of P. longibracteolatum. Gallic and P-hydroxybenzoic acids found in P. longibracteolatum could not be determined in other extracts. Therefore, high activity potential of this plant could probably be attributed to the presence of these phytochemicals. CONCLUSION P. longibracteolatum can be further evaluated as potential therapeutic drugs for the treatment of Entamoeba infections.