The latex ofinhibits staphyloxanthin production and protectslarvae againstinfection.

Abstract

The latex ofL. (LET) has great etnopharmacological relevance for several traditional communities. In this study, theand(usinglarvae) antimicrobial effects of LET were evaluated. LET did not inhibit the growth of, however, a reduction on staphyloxanthin production (an important virulence factor of) was observed. LET (at 10 μL/kg) was also able to enhance the survival of larvae infected with a lethal dose of, an effect associated with reduction in the numbers of haemocytes. Furthermore, haemocytes from LET-treated larvae exhibited dysfunctional lysosome activity. These results indicate the effectiveness of LET as an anti-infective agent which could be useful as source of lead molecules for the development of new therapies against-induced infections.