Screening of medicinal plants against Leishmania amazonensis.
BACKGROUND
Leishmaniasis is a widespread tropical infection caused by different species of Leishmania protozoa. There is no immunoprophylaxis (vaccination) available for Leishmania infections and conventional treatments are unsatisfactory; therefore antileishmanial drugs are urgently needed. Natural products are attractive due to their structural diversity.


OBJECTIVE
The present work investigated the antileishmanial action of 21 species of plants.


METHODS
Plants were collected and their hydroalcoholic extracts were screened against promastigotes and amastigotes of L. amazonensis. Their toxicity was also assayed against peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c mice.


RESULTS
Five extracts showed significant growth inhibitory activity against promastigote form. Only the extracts from Bidens pilosa L. (Asteraceae) and Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae) inhibited the growth of intracellular amastigotes, with IC(50) values of 42.6 and 69.6 microg/mL, respectively. In addition, a low toxicity on macrophage from BALB/c mice was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The antiparasitic activities of B. pilosa and P. granatum have been reported against other parasitic agents and their actions can be the results of flavonoids present in the extracts.


CONCLUSIONS
This study supports the importance of natural products as potential sources in the search for new antileishmanial drugs.
García
Marley
M
Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine "Pedro Kourí", Havana City, Cuba. marley@ipk.sld.cu
Monzote
Lianet
L
Montalvo
Ana Margarita
AM
Scull
Ramón
R
D000818:Animals; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D031176:Bidens / Q000737:chemistry; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003462:Cuba; D055808:Drug Discovery; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D007894:Leishmania mexicana / Q000187:drug effects*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000188:drug therapy; D029561:Lythraceae / Q000737:chemistry; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts