title: In vitro activity of Alkanna frigida extracts in comparison with glucantime against Leishmania major.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Current chemotherapies of cutaneous leihmaniasis have faced to some problems and limitations; Development of new leishmanicidal drugs from different sources like herbal plants, are crucially important. The objective of the present study was evaluation of in vitro activity of Alkanna frigida extracts in comparison with glucantime against Leishmania major.
  
  
  METHODS
  L. major promastigotes were exposed to different concentrations of the A. frigida extracts, processed by ethyl acetate, ethanol, hexane and chloroform. The inhibitory effect, as the IC50, were calculated after 24, 48 and 72 hours by linear regression analysis values of the concentrations employed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The significant inhibition was observed after 24 and 48 hours with different concentrations of compounds (p < 0.05 in all tests). All extracts had potent activity against proliferation of the promastigotes, comparing to the untreated negative control. It could compete with the glucantime efficacy in some concentrations. Ethyl acetate and ethanol extractions showed potent IC50 value, 106 µg/ml and 86 µg/ml, respectively. Hexane and chloroform extractions had poor efficacy after 24 hours; however, the efficacy increased after 48 and 72 hours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicated that the A. frigida has appropriate inhibitory effects on the growth of L. major promastigotes in vitro and can be of herbal targets for further investigation in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitoloy and Mycology, Medical School, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services.
authors.forename: Fariba
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jafari
authors.forename: Abbasali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nourian
authors.forename: Asghar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fazaeli
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yazdinezhad
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haniloo
keywords: Alkanna frigida; In vitro activity; Leishmania major; cutaneous leishmaniasis