Dieugenol is a neolignan that has been found in N. leucantha and has antioxidative and antiprotozoal activities.1,2 It inhibits the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and scavenges superoxide anions, but not hydroxyl radicals, in cell-free assays.1 It has anti-trypanosomal activity against T. cruzi amastigotes and trypomastigotes (IC50s = 15.1 and 11.5 μM, respectively) but is cytotoxic to NCTC L-929 fibroblasts with a 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) value of 58.2 μM.2 Dieugenol (15 μM) disrupts the integrity of the T. cruzi trypomastigote plasma membrane but does not induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in trypomastigotes or LPS-stimulated and unstimulated isolated mouse peritoneal macrophages.

|1. Ogata, M., Hoshi, M., Urano, S., et al. Antioxidant activity of eugenol and related monomeric and dimeric compounds. Chem. Pharm. Bull. (Tokyo) 48(10), 1467-1469 (2000).|2. Grecco, S.S., Costa-Silva, T.A., Jerz, G., et al. Antitrypanosomal activity and evaluation of the mechanism of action of dehydrodieugenol isolated from Nectandra leucantha (Lauraceae) and its methylated derivative against Trypanosoma cruzi. Phytomedicine 24, 62-67 (2017).