title: Valeriana wallichii root extracts and fractions with activity against Leishmania spp.
abstract: Leishmanial diseases, posing a public health problem worldwide, are caused by Leishmania parasites with a dimorphic life cycle alternating between the promastigote and amastigote forms. Promastigotes transmitted by the vector are transformed into amastigotes residing in the host tissue macrophages. Presently, new antiparasitic agents are needed against Leishmania donovani and Leishmania major, the respective organisms causing visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis, since the available treatments are unsatisfactory due to toxicity, high cost, and emerging drug resistance. Over the years, traditional medicinal flora throughout the world enriched the modern pharmacopeia. Hence, roots of 'Indian Valerian' (Valeriana wallichii DC) were studied for its antileishmanial activity for the first time. The methanol and chloroform extracts showed activity against L. donovani promastigotes and both promastigotes and amastigotes of L. major. The most active fraction, F3, obtained from the chloroform extract, showed IC(50) at ∼ 3-7 μg/ml against both the promastigotes and 0.3 μg/ml against L. major amastigotes. On investigation of the mechanism of cytotoxicity in L. donovani promastigotes, the 'hall-mark' events of morphological degeneration, DNA fragmentation, externalization of phosphatidyl serine, and mitochondrial membrane depolarization indicated that F3 could induce apoptotic death in leishmanial cells. Therefore, the present study revealed a novel and unconventional property of V. wallichii root as a prospective source of effective antileishmanial agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, India.
authors.forename: Subhalakshmi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Sukalyani
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Debnath
authors.forename: Sudipta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hazra
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hartung
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thomale
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schultheis
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kapkova
authors.forename: Uta
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schurigt
authors.forename: Heidrun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moll
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Holzgrabe
authors.forename: Banasri
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hazra
mesh_terms: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000187:drug effects*; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000187:drug effects*; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D014632:Valerian / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts