Abstract
Leishmania mexicana is one of the pathogens causing cutaneous leishmaniasis which is associated with patient morbidity. In our researches for new safe and effective treatments, thirty-seven essential oils (EOs) extracted from Vietnamese plants were screened in vitro for the first time on Leishmania mexicana mexicana (Lmm) promastigotes at the maximum concentration of 50 nL/mL. Active EOs were also analyzed for cytotoxicity on mammalian cell lines (WI38, J774) and their selectivity indices (SI) were calculated. Their composition was determined by GC-MS and GC-FID. Our results indicated that EOs extracted from Cinnamomum cassia, Zingiber zerumbet, Elsholtzia ciliata and Amomum aromaticum, possessed a moderate anti-leishmanial activity, with IC50 values of 2.92 ± 0.08, 3.34 ± 0.34, 8.49 ± 0.32 and 9.25 ± 0.64 nL/mL respectively. However, they also showed cytotoxicity with SI < 10. The most promising EO was extracted from Ocimum gratissimum, displaying an IC50 of 4.85 ± 1.65 nL/mL and SI > 10. It contained 86.5% eugenol, which was demonstrated to be effective on Lmm with IC50 of 2.57 ± 0.57 nL/mL and not toxic on mammalian cells, explaining the observed activity.
Highlights
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), the most common form of leishmaniasis, largely affects poor and developing countries in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East, central Asia and South America
The results showed that among them five essential oils (EOs), extracted from Amomum aromaticum, Cinnamomum cassia, Elsholtzia ciliata, Ocimum gratissimum, and Zingiber zerumbet, displayed a promising effect against
Regarding the EO extracted from fresh rhizomes of Z. zerumbet, its activity against L. donovani was in the same range than what we found against Leishmania mexicana mexicana (Lmm) promastigotes (IC50 = 3.34 ± 0.34 nL/mL)
Summary
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), the most common form of leishmaniasis, largely affects poor and developing countries in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East, central Asia (the Old World) and South America (the New World). The estimated number of new CL cases worldwide ranges from. CL is caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania (L.) genus. Infected female phlebotomine sand flies inject these parasites from their proboscis to human when they take their blood meals. The clinical signs of CL, develop within several weeks or months after exposure. These lesions are sometimes self-healing without treatment, or become chronic. In cases of ulcers healing, they leave permanent deep scars, which often cause a serious social prejudice. If the disease becomes chronic, there is a high risk of severe bacterial infection. CL in the New World, mainly caused by
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