Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE) Inhibits Arginase Activity and Growth of Leishmania amazonensis Promastigotes and Intracellular Amastigotes
Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a polyphenol produced by many plants and is found in red and green propolis. Here, we evaluated the antileishmanial activity of this natural product against <i>Leishmania amazonensis</i>. CAPE exhibited IC<sub>50</sub> values of 8.07 µM (95% CI, 6.79-9.62 µM) and 13.51 µM (95% CI, 10.71-17.16 µM) against <i>L. amazonensis</i> promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes, respectively. Additionally, CAPE inhibited <i>L. amazonensis</i> arginase in a non-competitive manner with a K<sub>i</sub> value of 1.51 ± 0.04 µM. These results highlight the potential of CAPE as a promising lead compound for developing new therapies against leishmaniasis.
Authors
- Claudia do Carmo Maquiaveli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5492-4290)
- Edson Roberto da Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6246-4404)
- André Luiz Amarante Mesquita (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5559-5580)
Institutions
- Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Pathogens
- Published
- 2025-04-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14040384
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.67
Funders
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico