First Insights into the Biological Activity and Molecular Docking of Citral (3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-Octadienal) Against Trichomonas vaginalis.

The increasing resistance of Trichomonas vaginalis to the only approved chemical family of drugs for treatment, the 5-nitroimidazoles, has prompted the exploration of new therapeutic agents against this prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted infection. Natural products have emerged as a significan...

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Authors: Ibáñez Escribano, Alexandra; Mello, A.B.; Fenalti, J.M.; Baccega, B; Wahast Islabão, Y.; Martins, F. O.; Birmann, P. T.; Casaril, A. M.; Barbosa, T. N.; Sena-Lopes, A.; Monteiro, F. L.; Savegnago, L.; Borsuk, S.; Hubner, S. d. O.; Farias, N. d. A. d. R; Ibáñez-Escribano, Alexandra; Oliveira, C. B.
Format: Article
Publication date:2025
Country:España
Institution:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repository:Docta Complutense
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/122254
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/122254
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:579.66
615.28
615.9
natural products
sexually transmitted infection
trichomoniasis
nitric oxide
lemongrass
Microbiología (Farmacia)
Toxicología (Farmacia)
Medicamentos
3207.12 Parasitología
Summary:The increasing resistance of Trichomonas vaginalis to the only approved chemical family of drugs for treatment, the 5-nitroimidazoles, has prompted the exploration of new therapeutic agents against this prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted infection. Natural products have emerged as a significant source of novel treatments for trichomoniasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-T. vaginalis activity of citral (3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal), the main constituent of the essential oil of Cymbopogon species, commonly known as lemongrass. Our findings indicate that citral exhibits a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 100 μM, effectively inhibiting the growth of T. vaginalis trophozoites within 12 h of exposure, and a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of approximately 40 μM after 24 h. Furthermore, the evaluation of nitric oxide (NO) levels suggests that citral possesses antioxidant properties. Molecular docking studies reveal a weak interaction with three parasite proteins: thioredoxin reductase (TvTrxR), purine nucleoside phosphorylase (TvPNP), and methionine gamma lyase (TvMGL). The present study highlights the potential of citral as a candidate for the development of no-nitroimidazole drugs, offering new avenues for trichomoniasis treatment and underscoring the importance of further investigation into citral’s mechanism of action.

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