Avaliação da atividade nematicida da α-tujona em Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

Parasitic infections affect approximately 2 billion people globally, presenting clinical symptoms such as malnutrition, anemia, and diarrhea, while compromising the immune system and rendering individuals more susceptible to secondary infections. The resistance of parasites to current drugs necessitates the exploration of new therapeutics, such as the promising α-thujone. α-thujone is found in plants like Artemisia absinthium and Salvia officinalis, exhibiting neurotoxic effects and emerging as a potential candidate for anti-helminthic treatment. However, developing new medications faces challenges, including accessing relevant stages of the parasite's life cycle. Therefore, utilizing Caenorhabditis elegans as an alternative model offers advantages in studying anti-helminthic effects, given its similarity to parasitic nematodes and conservation within the Nematoda phylum. In this study, we explore the anti-helminthic potential of α-thujone using the C. elegans model. Worms were exposed to chronic α-thujone treatment (0.5, 0.75, 1, and 1.5 mM), and 48 hours later, were subjected to analyses to assess nematicide potential. α-thujone was capable of reducing survival, egg production, and brood size in N2 strains at concentrations of 1.0 mM and 1.5 mM, as well as decreasing worm motility at a concentration of 1.5 mM. In strains resistant to commercial anti-helminthics, α-thujone exhibited varied effects: the ivermectin-resistant strain showed susceptibility to α-thujone effects, while levamisole and monepantel-resistant strains demonstrated some resistance, exhibiting only reduced nematode motility. Through our analyses, we observed nematicide potential in α-thujone, suggesting it could be an alternative for ivermectin-resistant strains, implying that α-thujone requires the cholinergic system to act.