Anti-trypanosoma activity of some natural stilbenoids and synthetic related heterocyclic compounds

We report the anti-Chagasic activity of the natural dihydrostilbenoid isono tholaenic acid and several simple derivatives, as well as that of some repr esentative compounds of related synthetic series, with basic structures of benzalphthalides, dihydrostilbamides, isoindoles, phthalazin-1-ones, imidaz o[2,1-a]isoindoles and pyrimido[2,1-a]isoindoles. The evaluation was perfor med in vitro on cultures of epimastigote and trypomastigote forms of Trypan osoma cruzi. Some of the tested compounds resulted to be as potent as benzn idazole (epimastigotes), and others were shown to be more active than genti an violet (trypomastigotes), used as reference drugs. (C) 2001 Elsevier Sci ence Ltd. All rights reserved.