title: Effect of hydroalcoholic extract ofEchinacea purpureain combination with meglumine antimoniate on treatment ofLeishmania major-induced cutaneous leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Progressive resistance ofLeishmaniaparasite to available drugs including, meglumine antimoniate, has been reported from various regions of the world, especially Iran.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract ofEchinacea purpureain a combination therapy with glucantime in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused byLeishmania major.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hydroalcoholic extract ofE. purpureawas prepared from the plant. Amastigote form ofL. majorwas inoculated to the tail base of thirty mice. After their tails became wounded, mice were divided into six groups. The first group was used as control and the second group received 100 mg/kg of Echinacea extract (orally). The third group was treated by meglumine antimoniate with dose of 20 mg/kg. Combination therapy was used for group four, five, and six where the mice received a different concentration of extract (100-200 mg/kg) and glucantime (10-20 mg/kg). The size of the cutaneous lesion on tail base was measured regularly. Findings were analyzed by SPSS software and using Kruskal-Wallis test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sizes of the lesion were increased in all mice of control group by the time. The mean size of lesions in mice receiving the extract and/or receiving the extract along with meglumine antimoniate was lower than those of control mice, but the differences were not statistically significant (P> 0.05). On the other hand, the differences between the group of mice which received meglumine antimoniate alone, and the rest of groups were statistically significant (P< 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  E. purpureaextract in doses which have been used in this study and combination with meglumine antimoniate was not much effective againstL. majorin BALB/C mice.
authors.affiliation: Basic Sciences in Infectious Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Bahador
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sarkari
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mobin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohseni
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants Processing Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Moein
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shahriarirad
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Qasem
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Asgari
keywords: Cutaneous leishmaniasis; Echinacea purpurea; meglumine antimoniate combination therapy