title: Efficacy of Desmodium gangeticum extract and its fractions against experimental visceral leishmaniasis.
abstract: Crude ethanolic extract of Indian medicinal plant, Desmodium gangeticum (A001) and its three fractions-hexane (F002), n-butanol (F003) and aqueous (F004) were evaluated chemoprophylactically and chemotherapeutically against experimental visceral leishmaniasis in hamsters. Ethanolic extract showed 41.2+/-5.3% inhibition of parasite multiplication when administered at a dose of 250 mg/kgx2 on day -7 and +7 of Leishmania donovani challenge. Its n-butanol fraction exhibited better efficacy than the ethanolic extract to the tune of 66.7+/-6.1% inhibition when administered at similar dose schedule. But the other two fractions failed to exert any action prophylactically. F003 also imparted significant (P<0.001) non-specific resistance to peritoneal macrophages against Leishmania infection. F003 also showed moderate antileishmanial activity when tested against established infection of Leishmania donovani in hamsters but the rest three fractions failed to show any significant inhibition of parasite multiplication. These findings revealed that this plant has potential prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy against Leishmania infection and warrants detailed investigations on its possible immunopotentiatory actions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology, Central Drug Research Institute, MG Road, Post Box No. 173, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 001, India.
authors.forename: Nasib
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Pushpesh Kumar
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: Aruna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kapil
authors.forename: Kamal Ram
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Arya
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maurya
authors.forename: Anuradha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dube
mesh_terms: D020001:1-Butanol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D002725:Chloroform; D006224:Cricetinae; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D000431:Ethanol; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D010767:Phosphorylcholine; D000431:Ethanol; C039128:miltefosine; D002725:Chloroform; D020001:1-Butanol