Correlation between secondary metabolites of Iris confusa Sealy and Iris pseudacorus L. and their newly explored antiprotozoal potentials

Passent M Abdel-Baki; Moshera M El-Sherei; Amal E Khaleel; Essam Abdel-Sattar; Mohamed A Salem; Mona M Okba

doi:10.1186/s12906-023-04294-0

Correlation between secondary metabolites of Iris confusa Sealy and Iris pseudacorus L. and their newly explored antiprotozoal potentials

BMC Complement Med Ther. 2023 Dec 16;23(1):465. doi: 10.1186/s12906-023-04294-0.

Authors

Passent M Abdel-Baki¹, Moshera M El-Sherei², Amal E Khaleel², Essam Abdel-Sattar², Mohamed A Salem³, Mona M Okba²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr-El-Ainy Street, Cairo, 11562, Egypt. passent.mohamed@pharma.cu.edu.eg.
² Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr-El-Ainy Street, Cairo, 11562, Egypt.
³ Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Menoufia University, Gamal Abd El Nasr St., Shibin Elkom, 32511, Menoufia, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: In the last few decades, the use of plant extracts and their phytochemicals as candidates for the management of parasitic diseases has increased tremendously. Irises are aromatic and medicinal plants that have long been employed in the treatment of different infectious diseases by traditional healers in many cultures. This study aims to explore the potential of three common Iris species (I. confusa Sealy, I. pseudacorus L. and I. germanica L.) against infectious diseases. Their in vitro antiprotozoal potency against Plasmodium falciparum, Trypanosoma brucei brucei, T. b. rhodesiense, T. cruzi and Leishmania infantum beside their cytotoxicity on MRC-5 fibroblasts and primary peritoneal murine macrophages were examined.

Methods: The secondary metabolites of the tested extracts were characterized by UPLC-HRMS/MS and Pearsons correlation was used to correlate them with the antiprotozoal activity.

Results: Overall, the non-polar fractions (NPF) showed a significant antiprotozoal activity (score: sc 2 to 5) in contrast to the polar fractions (PF). I. confusa NPF was the most active extract against P. falciparum [IC₅₀ of 1.08 μg/mL, selectivity index (S.I. 26.11) and sc 5] and L. infantum (IC₅₀ of 12.7 μg/mL, S.I. 2.22 and sc 2). I. pseudacorus NPF was the most potent fraction against T. b. rhodesiense (IC₅₀ of 8.17 μg/mL, S.I. 3.67 and sc 3). Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol glycolipid (18:3/18:3), triaceylglycerol (18:2/18:2/18:3), oleic acid, and triterpenoid irridals (spirioiridoconfal C and iso-iridobelamal A) were the top positively correlated metabolites with antiplasmodium and antileishmanial activities of I. confusa NPF. Tumulosic acid, ceramide sphingolipids, corosolic, maslinic, moreollic acids, pheophytin a, triaceylglycerols, mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerols, phosphatidylglycerol (22:6/18:3), phosphatidylcholines (18:1/18:2), and triterpenoid irridal iso-iridobelamal A, were highly correlated to I. pseudacorus NPF anti- T. b. rhodesiense activity. The ADME study revealed proper drug likeness properties for certain highly corelated secondary metabolites.

Conclusion: This study is the sole map correlating I. confusa and I. pseudacorus secondary metabolites to their newly explored antiprotozoal activity.

Keywords: Antileishmanial; Antiplasmodial; Antiprotozoal; Antitrypanosomal; Iris confusa; UPLC-HRMS/MS.

MeSH terms

Animals
Antiprotozoal Agents* / chemistry
Antiprotozoal Agents* / pharmacology
Cell Line
Communicable Diseases*
Iris Plant*
Mice
Triterpenes*

Substances

iridobelamal A
Antiprotozoal Agents
Triterpenes