In Vitro Antileishmanial Activity of Sterols from Trametes versicolor (Bres. Rivarden)

Two ergostanes, 5 alpha,8 alpha -epidioxy-22E-ergosta-6,22-dien-3 beta-ol (1) and 5 alpha-ergost-7,22-dien-3 beta-ol (2), and a lanostane, 3 beta-hydroxylanostan-8,24-diene-21-oic acid (trametenolic acid) (3), were isolated from an n-hexane extract prepared from the fruiting body of Trametes versicolor (Bres. Rivarden). The activity of the isolated sterols was evaluated against promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis Lainson and Shaw, 1972. The lanostane, compound (3), showed the best inhibitory response (IC50 promastigotes 2.9 +/- 0.1 mu M and IC50 amastigotes 1.6 +/- 0.1 mu M). This effect was 25-fold higher compared with its cytotoxic effect on peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice. Therefore, trametenolic acid could be regarded as a promising lead for the synthesis of compounds with antileishmanial activity.