A Novel Antiprotozoal Aminosteroid from Saracha punctata

Abstract
A new aminosteroid, 3β-amino-22,26-epiminocholest-5-ene named sarachine (1), and two known flavonoids, eriodictyol (2) and 7-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-eriodictyol (3), were isolated from the leaves of Saracha punctata. The alkaloid was found to inhibit the growth of Leishmaniabraziliensis promastigotes (100% at 25 μM) and of Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes in culture (50% at 25 μM) and showed a strong in vitro antiplasmodial activity with an IC50 of 25 nM.