Antigiardial Activity of Isoflavones from Dalbergia frutescens Bark

• Published in: Journal of natural products (Washington, D.C.) Vol. 63; no. 10; pp. 1414 - 1416
• Main Authors: Khan, I. A, Avery, M. A, Burandt, C. L, Goins, D. K, Mikell, J. R, Nash, T. E, Azadegan, A, Walker, L. A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01-10-2000; Glendale, AZ American Society of Pharmacognosy
• Subjects: Animals; Antiprotozoal Agents - chemistry; Antiprotozoal Agents - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; castanin; Dalbergia frutescens; Disease Models, Animal; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - chemistry; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Fabaceae - chemistry; Female; formononetin; General pharmacology; Giardia intestinalis; Giardia lamblia - drug effects; glycitein; isoflavones; Isoflavones - chemistry; Isoflavones - pharmacology; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Medical sciences; Mice; odoratin; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plants, Medicinal; Protozoal disease; Bark; Diplomonadida; Oxygen heterocycle; Flavonoid; Isoflavone derivatives; Medicinal plant; Antiprotozoal agent; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Bicyclic compound; Intestinal disease; Aromatic compound; Protozoa; Pharmacognosy; Rodentia; Oral administration; Parasitosis; In vitro; Biological activity; Infection; In vivo; Vertebrata; Chemotherapy; Giardia lamblia; Mammalia; Treatment; Leguminosae; Mouse; Animal; Giardiasis; Plant origin; Phenols; Digestive diseases; Isolation; Spermatophyta; Structural analysis
• ISSN: 0163-3864; 1520-6025
• DOI: 10.1021/np000010d

Several isoflavones [formononetin (1), castanin (5), odoratin (6), glycitein (7), pseudobaptogenin (8), fujikinetin (9), and cuneatin (10)] were isolated from Dalbergia frutescens, and their antiprotozoal activities were determined against Giardia intestinalis. Among these compounds, formononetin (1) was the most potent antigiardial agent, with an IC50 value of 30 ng/mL (approximately 0.1 μM), as compared to the value for metronidazole, the current drug of choice, of 100 ng/mL (approximately 0.6 μM). Three isoflavones closely related to formononetin [daidzein (2), biochanin A (3) and genistein (4)] were also evaluated, but they were at least 100 times less active than 1. Formononetin (1) may thus be an interesting lead for development of new antigiardial agents or as a probe for a new mechanistic target.