title: Brazilian brown propolis elicits antileishmanial effect against promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis.
abstract: Propolis is a complex matrix of chemical constituents extracted from plants and produced by bees which is used in folk medicine due to its several pharmacological properties. Its chemical composition varies according to the region where it is produced. This work has studied the antileishmanial activity and cytotoxicity of brown propolis (BP) originating from the semi-arid region of Piauí, Brazil. The BP showed significant inhibition of the Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes growth as well as being effective in reducing infection of murine macrophages and the number of internalised amastigotes in these cells. The dichloromethane fraction was the most active and showed the best selectivity index. The studied samples presented good activity and the fractioning improved the antileishmanial activity without an increase in the cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. Therefore, BP is a potential source for development of apitherapeutic products for the treatment of leishmaniasis.
authors.affiliation: a Medicinal Plants Research Center, Federal University of Piauí , Teresina , PI , Brazil.
authors.forename: Lorena C L R
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Santana
authors.forename: Sabrina Maria P
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.forename: Laurentino B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Caland-Neto
authors.forename: Daniel D R
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Arcanjo
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Moita-Neto
authors.forename: Antônia M G L
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Citó
authors.forename: Fernando Aécio A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001938:Brazil; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D007891:Leishmania / Q000187:drug effects*; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects; D011429:Propolis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D011429:Propolis