Avaliação do extrato metanólico bruto de Ageratum conyzoides L., pertencente à família Asteraceae, em células infectadas com Ehrlichia canis

Abstract

Ehrlichia canis is a pathogen of great importance in Latin America, with high prevalence in Brazil, the treatment of the disease is done only with an antibiotic of the tetracycline group, doxycycline, because there are no effective alternatives. The aim of this work was to verify the action of the crude methanolic extract of Ageratum conyzoides L. (family Asteraceae) on DH82 cells infected with Ehrlichia canis. The method used for the preparation of the extract was percolation and chromatographic analysis was performed by means of HPLC to identify the secondary metabolites present in the extract. The yield of the extract was 9.08%. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of three classes of compounds: phenolic acids, flavonoids (aglycones and glycosides) and terpenes. The concentration which significantly reduced the rate of E. canis infected cells was 500 ȝg/ml. Therefore, raw methanolic extract of A. conyzoides L. may be a promising matrix of compounds in the fight against canine ehrlichiosis.