The in vitro activity of Vernonia amygdalina on Leishmania aethiopica.
Anti-leishmanial activity of chloroform and methanol extracts of Vernonia amygdalina, a plant widely used in Ethiopia for the treatment of parasitic infections, has been assessed in vitro on Leishmania aethiopica. Amastigotes were more sensitive to V. amygdalina than promastigotes. The chloroform extract had a stronger parasiticidal activity, with median effective doses (ED50) of 18.5 micrograms/ml and 13.3 micrograms/ml for promastigotes and amastigotes, than the methanol extract with ED50 of 74.4 micrograms/ml and 45.8 micrograms/ml respectively. Cytotoxicity caused by V. amygdalina to host cells, the human leukaemia monocyte THP-1 cell line, as determined by the methyl tetrazolium assay, resulted in a median lethal dose (LD50) of 19.6 micrograms/ml for the chloroform extract and 243.4 micrograms/ml for the methanol extract. In comparison, the ED50 and LD50 of pentamidine, a standard anti-leishmanial drug, were 0.5 micrograms/ml and 1.4 micrograms/ml respectively. These results indicate that V. amygdalina displays potent anti-leishmanial activities and warrants further investigation.
Tadesse
A
A
Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Addis Abeba University, Ethiopia.
Gebre-Hiwot
A
A
Asres
K
K
Djote
M
M
Frommel
D
D
D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D002460:Cell Line; D002725:Chloroform / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003124:Colorimetry; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005002:Ethiopia; D006801:Humans; D007891:Leishmania / Q000187:drug effects*; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D007938:Leukemia; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D000432:Methanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009000:Monocytes; D010419:Pentamidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology
D010936:Plant Extracts; D010419:Pentamidine; D002725:Chloroform; D000432:Methanol