<p>Minimal data set.</p>

African trypanosomiasis is a deadly disease that affects humans and animals, with treatment hindered by drug toxicity and resistance, highlighting the need for alternative therapies. Alkyl gallates, which are plant-derived phenolipids used in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries, have been shown to have potent anti-microbial activity; however, their mechanism of action is still unclear. This study investigated the effects of selected alkyl gallates on Trypanosoma brucei. The in vitro anti-trypanosomal and cytotoxicity of the alkyl gallates were determined using the alamarBlue assay. The effects of the alkyl gallates on lipid droplet dynamics were studied using BODIPY493/503 dye and an endogenously tagged lipid droplet kinase cell line which served as a protein marker of lipid droplets. In vitro treatment with octyl and lauryl gallates resulted in rapid cell death with low IC50 of 0.7 µM and 0.04 µM respectively. Octyl gallate treatment significantly reduced lipid droplet number within 30 minutes and by 2 hours most cells lacked lipid droplets; however, lipid droplets rebounded once the drug pressure was removed. These results show that alkyl gallates rapidly disrupt lipid droplet homeostasis in Trypanosoma brucei. Thus, these gallates could serve as a useful cell biology tool to dissect lipid droplet biogenesis and function in trypanosomes.非洲锥虫病是一种可感染人类与动物的致死性疾病，当前治疗受限于药物毒性与耐药性问题，凸显了开发替代疗法的迫切需求。烷基没食子酸酯（alkyl gallates）是一类源自植物的酚脂（phenolipids），已被应用于食品、化妆品与制药工业，且被证实具有强效抗菌活性，但其具体作用机制仍不明确。本研究针对数种筛选出的烷基没食子酸酯对布氏锥虫（Trypanosoma brucei）的作用展开了探究。研究采用alamarBlue检测法，测定了烷基没食子酸酯的体外抗锥虫活性与细胞毒性；借助BODIPY493/503染料及一株经内源标记的脂滴激酶细胞系（作为脂滴蛋白标志物），探究了烷基没食子酸酯对脂滴动态变化的影响。体外实验显示，经没食子酸辛酯（octyl gallate）与没食子酸月桂酯（lauryl gallate）处理后，布氏锥虫可快速死亡，二者的半数抑制浓度（IC50）分别低至0.7 μM与0.04 μM。经没食子酸辛酯处理后，脂滴数量在30分钟内即显著减少，至2小时时多数细胞已无脂滴；但当撤除药物处理后，脂滴可重新出现。上述结果表明，烷基没食子酸酯可快速破坏布氏锥虫的脂滴稳态。因此，这类没食子酸酯可作为一项实用的细胞生物学工具，用于解析锥虫体内脂滴的生物发生过程与功能。