Evaluación del extracto hexánico de Ocotea tessmannii en epimastigotes de Trypanosoma cruzi

Introduction. Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, continues to be one of the main neglected tropical diseases in Latin America. The available drugs have significant limitations. In this context, medicinal plants represent a valuable source of bioactive compounds capable of inspiring new, safer, and more effective therapeutic alternatives. Objectives. To chemically characterize the hexane fraction of Ocotea tessmannii, to evaluate the cell viability of T. cruzi epimastigotes, and to perform in silico analyses to identify potential molecular targets and mechanisms of action.Materials and methods. The compounds present in O. tessmannii were extracted and characterized by GC–MS analysis. The hexane extract was evaluated in vitro against T. cruzi epimastigotes using the trypan blue exclusion assay. In addition, computational approaches were employed to predict the interaction of the major constituents with essential parasite proteins. Results. GC–MS analysis of the O. tessmannii hexane extract revealed a diverse profile of lipophilic metabolites, including β-caryophyllene, (E)-α-santalic acid, and santalol-derived compounds. The hexane extract exhibited significant inhibition of epimastigote growth, with an IC₅₀ of 6,25 μg/mL. In silico analyses revealed a strong affinity of β-caryophyllene for trypanothione reductase, a key target in the parasite’s antioxidant defense.Conclusions. This study represents the first report on the phytochemical characterization and antitrypanosomal evaluation of the hexane extract from Ocotea tessmannii. The findings demonstrate that the extract exhibits promising activity against Trypanosoma cruzi while displaying low cytotoxicity toward Vero cells. Computational analyses suggest that β-caryophyllene may partially contribute to this activity through interactions with essential parasite proteins, particularly trypanothione reductase. However, this hypothesis requires experimental validation using isolated compounds.