Exploring the antifilarial potential of an important medicinal plant Typhonium trilobatum (L. Schoot): Isolation, characterization, and structural elucidation of bioactive compounds against Brugia malayi.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE: The plant Typhonium trilobatum has been utilized in traditional medicine for the treatment of many ailments, including parasitic infections. Recent examinations indicate that the bioactive substances from this plant may have antiparasitic activities against Brugia malayi, which have not been determined.

PURPOSE: The parasitic nematodes Brugia malayi, Brugia timori, and Wuchereria bancrofti causing lymphatic filariasis, remain a significant challenge to global public health. Given the ongoing nature of this enduring menace, the current research endeavours to examine the efficacy of an important medicinal plant, Typhonium trilobatum.

METHODS: Different extracts of the T. trilobatum tubers were evaluated for their antiparasitic activity. The most prominent extract was subjected to Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) followed by Column Chromatography for isolating bioactive molecules. The major compounds were isolated and characterized based on different spectroscopic techniques (FTIR, NMR and HRMS). Further, the antiparasitic activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated against B. malayi and compared with clinically used antifilarial drugs like Diethyl Carbamazine Citrate and Ivermectin.

RESULTS: The methanolic extract of the tuber exhibited significant antiparasitic activity compared to the other extracts. The bioactive molecules isolated from the crude extract were identified as Linoleic acid and Palmitic acid. Antiparasitic activity of both the compounds has been performed against B. malayi and compared with clinically used antifilarial drugs, Ivermectin and DEC. The IC50 value of Linoleic acid was found to be 6.09 ± 0.78 μg/ml after 24 hours and 4.27 ± 0.63 μg/ml after 48 hours, whereas for Palmitic acid the value was 12.35 ± 1.09 μg/ml after 24 hours and 8.79 ± 0.94 μg/ml after 48 hours. The IC50 values of both the molecules were found to be similar to the standard drug Ivermectin (IC50 value of 11.88 ± 1.07 μg/ml in 24 hours and 2.74 ± 0.43 μg/ml in 48 hours), and much better compared to the DEC (IC50 values of 194.2 ± 2.28 μg/ml in 24 hours and 101.8 ± 2.06 μg/ml in 48 hours). Furthermore, it has been observed that both the crude extracts and the isolated compounds do not exhibit any detrimental effects on the J774.A.1 macrophage cell line.

CONCLUSION: The isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds present in the methanolic tuber extract of Typhonium trilobatum were explored. Moreover, the antimicrofilarial activity of the crude extracts and its two major compounds were determined using Brugia malayi microfilarial parasites without any significant side effects.