In Vitro Trypanocidal Activity of Ergosterol and Cholesterol Derivative Compounds

Chagas' disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects 9-12 million of people in Latin America and it is an important cause of heart disease. Due to the magnitude of the problem, finding a cure for this disease remains a major challenge. In the present study we report the trypanocidal activity of ergosterol peroxide acetate as well as of dehydrocholesterol peroxide. The results demonstrated that ergosterol peroxide acetate and dehydrocholesterol peroxide have IC50 values of 41.57 and 17.57 mu g/mL respectively, and show acceptable values of citotoxicity. These compounds emerges as promising candidates for further testing as anti-T, cruzi agents due to their selectivity for the parasite plasma membrane.