The Dichloromethane Fraction of , A Plant Used in Sonoran Traditional Medicine, Affect Erythrophagocytosis and Gene Expression.

Intestinal parasites are a global problem, mainly in developing countries. Obtaining information about plants and compounds that can combat gastrointestinal disorders and gastrointestinal symptoms is a fundamental first step in designing new treatment strategies. In this study, we analyzed the antiamoebic activity of the aerial part of . The dichloromethane fraction of (CsDCMfx) contained flavonoids, terpenes, alkaloids, and glycosides. The ultrastructural morphology of the amoebae treated for 72 h with CsDCMfx was completely abnormal. CsDCMfx reduced erythrophagocytosis of trophozoites and the expression of genes involved in erythrocyte adhesion () and actin cytoskeleton rearrangement in the phagocytosis pathway ( and ). Interestingly, CsDCMfx decreased the expression of genes involved in trophozoite pathogenesis, such as cysteine proteases (, , and ), , , and These results showed that is a potential source of antiamoebic compounds.