Brazilian Green Propolis: Effects In Vitro and In Vivo on Trypanosoma cruzi

Figure 2

Transmission electron microscopy of T. cruzi epimastigotes treated with Et-Bra for 24 h. (a) Control parasite showing the typical elongated body and normal morphology of mitochondrion (M), Golgi complex (GC), nucleus (N) reservosomes (R), and kinetoplast (k); (b) 50 μg mL⁻¹ and (c) 100 μg mL⁻¹ induced alterations in the morphology of reservosomes (asterisks), with increase of the organelle volume and the number of lipid inclusions and decrease of proteic matrix and vacuolization; (d) 100 μg mL⁻¹ induced dilatation of the Golgi complex cisternae (arrow); (e) 100 μg mL⁻¹, (f) 250 μg mL⁻¹ and (g, h) 300 μg mL⁻¹ caused swelling of the mitochondrion with scarcity of the matrix and mitochondrial cristae (arrowheads), with formation of membrane structures inside the organelle (arrow). Bars: 0.5 μm.