Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a pestilent form of leishmaniasis that chiefly impinges the poorest sections of the society. The prototypical therapeutic interventions in vogue are handicapped due to toxicity and alarming increase in drug resistance. In the absence of vaccines, progressive emergence of HIV-VL co-infection and relapse in the form of post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis, have fuelled the quest for alternative therapies. Herein, we report antileishmanial activity of Piper nigrum, which is endowed with multifarous medicinal properties. Hexane (PNH) and ethanolic (PNE) extracts of P. nigrum substantially inhibited the growth of Leishmania donovani promastigotes with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 31.6 and 37.8 μg·ml-1, respectively. Growth reversibility analysis revealed the leishmanicidal effect of PNH which caused cell shrinkage and flagellar disruption. In contrast, PNE treated promastigotes showed partial effect. PNH and PNE also abrogated the growth of intra-macrophagic Leishmania amastigotes with IC50 of 14.6 and 18.3 μg·ml-1, respectively. Anti-amastigote efficacy of PNH was accompanied by higher selectivity over host macrophages than PNE. Gas-Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry showed the presence of several secondary metabolites such as trans-β-caryophyllene, piperine, β-bisabolene and other sesquiterpenes in PNH and piperine, δ-(sup 9)-cis oleic acid and piperyline in PNE. Conclusively, our work revealed discernible antileishmanial activity of P. nigrum extracts.
Highlights
Leishmaniasis is a neglected, usually poverty associated complex vector-borne disease that causes huge morbidity and economic losses all over the world
This prompted us to evaluate the antileishmanial efficacy of P. nigrum seed extracts against L. donovani and to check the presence of plant secondary metabolites other than piperine, which could be responsible for the leishmanicidal effect
Identification of the chemical constituents was based on correlation of the recorded mass spectra with those obtained from WILEY8.LIB and NIST08.LIB library spectra provided with the software of the Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) system [8]
Summary
Leishmaniasis is a neglected, usually poverty associated complex vector-borne disease that causes huge morbidity and economic losses all over the world. Piper nigrum is a well-known medicinal plant that possesses secondary metabolites with antibacterial, immunomodulatory, cytotoxic, and antimalarial activities [2]. Plant extracts from various species of the genus Piper have demonstrated potent antileishmanial efficacy and leishmanicidal molecules apart from piperine have been identified [3]-[6]. This prompted us to evaluate the antileishmanial efficacy of P. nigrum seed extracts against L. donovani and to check the presence of plant secondary metabolites other than piperine, which could be responsible for the leishmanicidal effect
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