Molecules 2014, 19, 8488-8502; doi:10.3390/molecules19068488 OPEN ACCESS molecules ISSN 1420-3049 www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules Article In Vivo Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi Activity of Hydro-Ethanolic Extract and Isolated Active Principles from Aristeguietia glutinosa and Mechanism of Action Studies Javier Varela 1, Elva Serna 2, Susana Torres 2, Gloria Yaluff 2, Ninfa I. Vera de Bilbao 2, Patricio Miño 3, Ximena Chiriboga 3, Hugo Cerecetto 1,* and Mercedes González 1,* 1 Grupo de Química Medicinal-Laboratorio de Química Orgánica-Facultad de Ciencias-Facultad de Química—UdelaR, Iguá 4225, Montevideo, C.P. 11400, Uruguay; E-Mail:
[email protected] 2 Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Asunción, 1120, Paraguay; E-Mails:
[email protected] (E.S.);
[email protected] (S.T.);
[email protected] (G.Y.);
[email protected] (N.I.V.B.) 3 Carrera Química Farmacéutica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Central de Ecuador, Quito, C.P. 170150, Ecuador; E-Mails:
[email protected] (P.M.);
[email protected] (X.C.) * Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mails:
[email protected] or
[email protected] (H.C.);
[email protected] or
[email protected] (M.G.); Tel.: +598-2525-8618 (H.C. & M.G.); Fax: +598-2525-0749 (H.C. & M.G.). Received: 16 March 2014; in revised form: 20 May 2014 / Accepted: 5 June 2014 / Published: 23 June 2014 Abstract: The currently available treatments for Chagas disease show limited therapeutic potential and are associated with serious side effects. Attempting to find alternative drugs isolated from Nature as agents against Trypanosoma cruzi has been our goal.