Antileishmanial activity of essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides and its main components against experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice.
Chenopodium ambrosioides have been used during centuries by native people to treat parasitic diseases.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the in vivo anti-leishmanial activity of the essential oil (EO) from C. ambrosioides and its major components (ascaridole, carvacrol and caryophyllene oxide).


METHODS
Anti-leishmanial effect was evaluated in BALB/c mice infected with Leishmania amazonensis and treated with the EO, main compounds and artificial mix of pure components by intralesional route at 30 mg/kg every 4 days during 14 days. Diseases progression and parasite burden in infected tissues were determined.


RESULTS
EO prevented lesion development compared (p<0.05) with untreated animals and treated with vehicle. In addition, the efficacy of EO was also statistically superior (p<0.05) compared with the glucantime-treated animals. No potential effects were observed with pure components treatment. Mix of pure compounds cause death of animals after 3 days of treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrate the superiority of EO against experimental cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by L. amazonensis.
Parasitology Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine "Pedro Kouri", Havana, Cuba. Electronic address: monzote@ipk.sld.cu.
L
L
Monzote
Parasitology Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine "Pedro Kouri", Havana, Cuba.
J
J
Pastor
Department of Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Food, Havana University, Cuba.
R
R
Scull
Biochemical Pharmacology and Toxicology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
L
L
Gille
D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D027464:Chenopodium ambrosioides / Q000737:chemistry*; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D000081007:Cymenes; D005260:Female; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D007891:Leishmania / Q000187:drug effects*; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008536:Meglumine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D010545:Peroxides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000081223:Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology
D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D000081007:Cymenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010545:Peroxides; D010938:Plant Oils; D000081223:Polycyclic Sesquiterpenes; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C043372:ascaridole; D008536:Meglumine; D000077485:Meglumine Antimoniate; C073316:carvacrol; C515179:caryophyllene oxide
Ascaridole; Carvacrol; Caryophyllene oxide; Chenopodium ambrosioides; Cutaneous leishmanasis