PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF THE SUPRAMOLECULAR COMPLEX OF ARTESUNATE WITH SODIUM GLYCYRRHIZINATE AND ITS OPISTHORCHICIDAL ACTIVITY IN VITRO AGAINST THE TREMATODE OPISTHORCHIS FELINEUS

Using the mechanochemical method, supramolecular compositions of a potential anthelmintic, artesunate (ARS) with sodium glycyrrhizinate (Na2GA), were obtained in different mass ratios of the components included in ARS-Na2GA complex (1 : 5, 1 : 10, and 1 : 20). The formation of an inclusion complex of ARS with Na2GA micelles was confirmed by NMR relaxation and the nuclear Overhauser effect (NOESY). It has been established that the ARS-Na2GA complex (1 : 10) has optimal physicochemical properties for further biological studies on the helminths Opisthorchis felineus, which cause opisthorchiasis in humans and animals. Experiments in vitro showed that ARS-Na2GA complex (1 : 10) had a more pronounced inhibition of motility both in invasive individuals of O. felineus (metacercariae) and in adult trematodes (maritae), compared with pure ARS, and even at low concentrations (0.1-10 μg/mL) for maritae. Despite the fact that the dose of ARS in the composition of ARS-Na2GA (1:10) was 11 times lower, the efficiency coefficient (IC50) declined 2.4-fold (for metacercariae) and 1.45-fold (for maritae) with respect to pure ARS. The results obtained indicate the availability of using the new complex for further studies on O. felineus-infected animals