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Abi Sleiman M, Younes M, Hajj R, Salameh T, Abi Rached S, Abi Younes R, Daoud L, Doumiati JL, Frem F, Ishak R, Medawar C, Naim HY, Rizk S. Urtica dioica: Anticancer Properties and Other Systemic Health Benefits from In Vitro to Clinical Trials. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7501. [PMID: 39000608 PMCID: PMC11242153 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
While conventional medicine has advanced in recent years, there are still concerns about its potential adverse reactions. The ethnopharmacological knowledge established over many centuries and the existence of a variety of metabolites have made medicinal plants, such as the stinging nettle plant, an invaluable resource for treating a wide range of health conditions, considering its minimal adverse effects on human health. The aim of this review is to highlight the therapeutic benefits and biological activities of the edible Urtica dioica (UD) plant with an emphasis on its selective chemo-preventive properties against various types of cancer, whereby we decipher the mechanism of action of UD on various cancers including prostate, breast, leukemia, and colon in addition to evaluating its antidiabetic, microbial, and inflammatory properties. We further highlight the systemic protective effects of UD on the liver, reproductive, excretory, cardiovascular, nervous, and digestive systems. We present a critical assessment of the results obtained from in vitro and in vivo studies as well as clinical trials to highlight the gaps that require further exploration for future prospective studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Abi Sleiman
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Maria Younes
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Roy Hajj
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Tommy Salameh
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Samir Abi Rached
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Rimane Abi Younes
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Lynn Daoud
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Jean Louis Doumiati
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Francesca Frem
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Ramza Ishak
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Christopher Medawar
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Hassan Y Naim
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Sandra Rizk
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Byblos P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
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Azarkar S, Abedi M, Lavasani ASO, Ammameh AH, Goharipanah F, Baloochi K, Bakhshi H, Jafari A. Curcumin as a natural potential drug candidate against important zoonotic viruses and prions: A narrative review. Phytother Res 2024; 38:3080-3121. [PMID: 38613154 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.8119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Zoonotic diseases are major public health concerns and undeniable threats to human health. Among Zoonotic diseases, zoonotic viruses and prions are much more difficult to eradicate, as they result in higher infections and mortality rates. Several investigations have shown curcumin, the active ingredient of turmeric, to have wide spectrum properties such as anti-microbial, anti-vascular, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-neoplastic, anti-oxidant, and immune system modulator properties. In the present study, we performed a comprehensive review of existing in silico, in vitro, and in vivo evidence on the antiviral (54 important zoonotic viruses) and anti-prion properties of curcumin and curcuminoids in PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Database searches yielded 13,380 results, out of which 216 studies were eligible according to inclusion criteria. Of 216 studies, 135 (62.5%), 24 (11.1%), and 19 (8.8%) were conducted on the effect of curcumin and curcuminoids against SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A virus, and dengue virus, respectively. This review suggests curcumin and curcuminoids as promising therapeutic agents against a wide range of viral zoonoses by targeting different proteins and signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Setareh Azarkar
- Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Masoud Abedi
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | | | | | - Fatemeh Goharipanah
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Kimiya Baloochi
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Hasan Bakhshi
- Vector-Borne Diseases Research Center, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
| | - Amirsajad Jafari
- Department of Basic Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
- Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Peer GDG, Priyadarshini A, Gupta A, Vibhuti A, Raj VS, Chang CM, Pandey RP. Exploration of Antileishmanial Compounds Derived from Natural Sources. Antiinflamm Antiallergy Agents Med Chem 2024; 23:1-13. [PMID: 38279725 DOI: 10.2174/0118715230270724231214112636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Leishmaniasis is a deadly tropical disease that is neglected in many countries. World Health Organization, along with a few other countries, has been working together to protect against these parasites. Many novel drugs from the past few years have been discovered and subjected against leishmaniasis, which have been effective but they are quite expensive for lower-class people. Some drugs showed no effect on the patients, and the longer use of these medicines has made resistance against these deadly parasites. Researchers have been working for better medication by using natural products from medicinal plants (oils, secondary metabolites, plant extracts) and other alternatives to find active compounds as an alternative to the current synthetic drugs. MATERIALS AND METHODS To find more potential natural products to treat Leishmania spp, a study has been conducted and reported many plant metabolites and other natural alternatives from plants and their extracts. Selected research papers with few term words such as natural products, plant metabolites, Leishmaniasis, in vivo, in vitro, and treatment against leishmaniasis; in the Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct databases with selected research papers published between 2015 and 2021 have been chosen for further analysis has been included in this report which has examined either in vivo or in vitro analysis. RESULTS This paper reported more than 20 novel natural compounds in 20 research papers that have been identified which report a leishmanicidal activity and shows an action against promastigote, axenic, and intracellular amastigote forms. CONCLUSION Medicinal plants, along with a few plant parts and extracts, have been reported as a possible novel anti-leishmanial medication. These medicinal plants are considered nontoxic to Host cells. Leishmaniasis treatments will draw on the isolated compounds as a source further and these compounds compete with those already offered in clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gajala Deethamvali Ghouse Peer
- Centre for Drug Design Discovery and Development (C4D), SRM University, Delhi-NCR, Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Sonepat, 131 029, Haryana, India
| | - Anjali Priyadarshini
- Centre for Drug Design Discovery and Development (C4D), SRM University, Delhi-NCR, Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Sonepat, 131 029, Haryana, India
| | - Archana Gupta
- Centre for Drug Design Discovery and Development (C4D), SRM University, Delhi-NCR, Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Sonepat, 131 029, Haryana, India
| | - Arpana Vibhuti
- Centre for Drug Design Discovery and Development (C4D), SRM University, Delhi-NCR, Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Sonepat, 131 029, Haryana, India
| | - Vethakkani Samuel Raj
- Centre for Drug Design Discovery and Development (C4D), SRM University, Delhi-NCR, Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Sonepat, 131 029, Haryana, India
| | - Chung-Ming Chang
- Master & Ph.D. program in Biotechnology Industry, Chang Gung University, No.259, Wenhua 1st Rd., Guishan Dist. Taoyuan City, 33302, Taiwan
| | - Ramendra Pati Pandey
- Centre for Drug Design Discovery and Development (C4D), SRM University, Delhi-NCR, Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Sonepat, 131 029, Haryana, India
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Peyvandi A, Gorgani-Firouzjaee T, Najafzadehvarzi H, Jafarzadeh J. Urtica dioica Extract Leads to Cyst Reduction, Enhanced Cell-Mediated Immune Response, and Antioxidant Activity in Experimental Toxoplasmosis. Acta Parasitol 2023; 68:880-890. [PMID: 37924457 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-023-00727-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Toxoplasmosis is a cosmopolitan parasitic infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii which is commonly treated by pyrimethamine (PYR) plus sulfadiazine (SDZ) with several adverse side effects. The present study evaluated the therapeutic effects of Urtica dioica L. aqueous extract (UDE) on acute and chronic toxoplasmosis in mice. METHODS For this purpose, mice were infected with 20 cysts (acute infection) or 10 cysts (chronic infection) of T. gondii (Me49 strain). The mice were treated with 200 mg/kg of UDE intraperitoneally (IP) and intragastric route (IG). The UDE-treated mice were compared with the PYR + SDZ treatment. The histopathological changes, cyst count, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA) assay, and serum INF-γ were also evaluated. RESULTS In the acute toxoplasmosis, UDE by IP and IG administration significantly reduced the number of brain cysts by 93.74 and 92.55%, respectively, and increased the survival rate to 80% compared with 60% in untreated controls. In the chronic infection, cyst burden decreased at 88.2 and 83.4%, respectively, for IP and IG treatments. Moreover, UDE significantly increased INF- γ levels in acute and chronic toxoplasmosis. Tissue inflammatory lesions were reduced in the UDE-treated subgroups compared to the untreated group. UDE treatment significantly reduced MDA levels and elevated TAC in both acute and chronic infections. CONCLUSION The results show that U. dioica possesses significant immunostimulant and antioxidant activity with a higher cyst reduction in the brain during acute toxoplasmosis. Further studies are required to investigate the fractionations of UDE against T. gondii and its combination with other standard drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Peyvandi
- Student Research Committee, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Tahmineh Gorgani-Firouzjaee
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Ganj-Afroz Ave., Babol, Iran.
| | - Hossein Najafzadehvarzi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Jalal Jafarzadeh
- Department of Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
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Mahmoudi M, Mehravi B, Shabani M, Hadighi R, Badirzadeh A, Dehdast A, Chizari-Fard G, Pirhajati-Mahabadi V, Akbari S, Tabatabaie F, Mohebali M. Anti-Leishmanial Effects of a Novel Biocompatible Non-Invasive Nanofibers Containing Royal Jelly and Propolis against Iranian Strain of Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER): an In-Vitro Study. J Arthropod Borne Dis 2023; 17:299-320. [PMID: 38868671 PMCID: PMC11164616 DOI: 10.18502/jad.v17i4.15294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Current medications especially the pentavalent antimonial compounds have been used as the first line treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), but they have limitations due to serious side effects such as drug resistance, cardio and nephrotoxicity, and high costs. Hence, the demand to find more usable drugs is evident. Synthesis and development of natural, effective, biocompatible, and harmless compounds against Leishmania major is the principal priority of this study. Methods By electrospinning method, a new type of nanofiber were synthesized from royal jelly and propolis with different ratios. Nanofibers were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Contact angle, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The Half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50), Half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) and the 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50) for different concentrations of nanofibers were determined using quantitative calorimetric methods. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and flow cytometry were performed as complementary tests. Results The results showed that the proposed formulas provide a new achievement that, despite the significant killing activity on L. major, has negligible cytotoxicity on the host cells. Royal jelly nanofibers have significantly shown the best 72 hours results (IC50= 35 μg/ml and EC50=16.4 μg/ml) and the least cytotoxicity. Conclusion This study presents a great challenge to introduce a new low-cost treatment method for CL, accelerate wound healing, and reduce scarring with minimal side effects and biocompatible materials. Royal jelly and propolis nanofibers significantly inhibit the growth of L. major in-vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Mahmoudi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bita Mehravi
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ramtin Hadighi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Badirzadeh
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad Dehdast
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ghazale Chizari-Fard
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Pirhajati-Mahabadi
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sekineh Akbari
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Tabatabaie
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mohebali
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Jing S, Zhang Q, Li Y, Chang H, Xiang C, Han S, Yuan G, Fan J, He H. Identification of new drug candidates against Trichomonas gallinae using high-throughput screening. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2023; 23:19-27. [PMID: 37562241 PMCID: PMC10424085 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2023.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Trichomonas gallinae is a protozoan parasite that is the causative agent of trichomoniasis, and infects captive and wild bird species throughout the world. Although metronidazole has been the drug of choice against trichomoniasis for decades, most Trichomonas gallinae strains have developed resistance. Therefore, drugs with new modes of action or targets are urgently needed. Here, we report the development and application of a cell-based CCK-8 method for the high-throughput screening and identification of new inhibitors of Trichomonas gallinae as a beginning point for the development of new treatments for trichomoniasis. We performed the high-throughput screening of 173 anti-parasitic compounds, and found 16 compounds that were potentially effective against Trichomonas gallinae. By measuring the median inhibitory concentration (IC50) and median cytotoxic concentration (CC50), we identified 3 potentially safe and effective compounds against Trichomonas gallinae: anisomycin, fumagillin, and MG132. In conclusion, this research successfully established a high-throughput screening method for compounds and identified 3 new safe and effective compounds against Trichomonas gallinae, providing a new treatment scheme for trichomoniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengfan Jing
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071000, China; National Research Center for Wildlife Borne Diseases, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qingxun Zhang
- Beijing Milu Ecological Research Center, Beijing, 100076, China
| | - Yi Li
- National Research Center for Wildlife Borne Diseases, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Han Chang
- National Research Center for Wildlife Borne Diseases, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China; College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Chen Xiang
- National Research Center for Wildlife Borne Diseases, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China; College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Shuyi Han
- National Research Center for Wildlife Borne Diseases, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China; College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Guohui Yuan
- National Research Center for Wildlife Borne Diseases, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jinghui Fan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071000, China.
| | - Hongxuan He
- National Research Center for Wildlife Borne Diseases, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China.
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Yıldırım A, Özbilgin A, Yereli K. Antiprotozoal activity of auranofin on Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania tropica and Toxoplasma gondii: in vitro and ex vivo study. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2023; 117:733-740. [PMID: 37377375 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trad040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Three obligate intracellular protozoan parasite species, which are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality and settle in macrophage cells, affect more than one-half of the world's population, namely, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania tropica and Toxoplasma gondii, which are causative agents of Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and toxoplasmosis, respectively. In the current study, it was aimed to investigate the in vitro and ex vivo antiprotozoal activity of auranofin on T. cruzi, L. tropica and T. gondii. METHODS The in vitro drug efficacy (IC50) of auranofin was investigated by haemocytometry and the CellTiter-Glo assay methods and the ex vivo drug efficacy (IC50) by light microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained slides. Also, the cytotoxic activity (CC50) of auranofin was examined by the CellTiter-Glo assay. The selectivity index (SI) was calculated for auranofin. RESULTS According to IC50, CC50 and SI data, auranofin did not exhibit cytotoxic activity on Vero cells, but exhibited antiprotozoal activity on epimastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of T. cruzi, promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of L. tropica and intracellular tachyzoites of T. gondii (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The detection antiprotozoal activity of auranofin on T. cruzi, L. tropica and T. gondii according to the IC50, CC50 and SI values is considered an important and promising development. This is significant because auranofin may be an effective alternative treatment for Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and toxoplasmosis in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmet Yıldırım
- Manisa Celal Bayar University, Medical Faculty, Department of Parasitology, Uncubozköy, 45030 Manisa, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Özbilgin
- Manisa Celal Bayar University, Medical Faculty, Department of Parasitology, Uncubozköy, 45030 Manisa, Turkey
| | - Kor Yereli
- Manisa Celal Bayar University, Medical Faculty, Department of Parasitology, Uncubozköy, 45030 Manisa, Turkey
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Wang X, Terrie L, Wu G, Van Damme EJM, Thorrez L, Fooks AR, Banyard AC, Jochmans D, Neyts J. Urtica dioica Agglutinin Prevents Rabies Virus Infection in a Muscle Explant Model. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15051353. [PMID: 37242595 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15051353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Infection with the rabies virus (RABV) results in a 100% lethal neurological disease once symptoms develop. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) consists of a combination of vaccination and anti-rabies immunoglobulins (RIGs); it is 100% effective if administered early after exposure. Because of its limited availability, alternatives for RIGs are needed. To that end, we evaluated a panel of 33 different lectins for their effect on RABV infection in cell culture. Several lectins, with either mannose or GlcNAc specificity, elicited anti-RABV activity, of which the GlcNAc-specific Urtica dioica agglutinin (UDA) was selected for further studies. UDA was found to prevent the entry of the virus into the host cell. To further assess the potential of UDA, a physiologically relevant RABV infection muscle explant model was developed. Strips of dissected swine skeletal muscle that were kept in a culture medium could be productively infected with the RABV. When the infection of the muscle strips was carried out in the presence of UDA, RABV replication was completely prevented. Thus, we developed a physiologically relevant RABV muscle infection model. UDA (i) may serve as a reference for further studies and (ii) holds promise as a cheap and simple-to-produce alternative for RIGs in PEP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Lisanne Terrie
- Tissue Engineering Lab, Department of Development and Regeneration, Campus Kulak, KU Leuven, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Guanghui Wu
- Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Weybridge KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Els J M Van Damme
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Lieven Thorrez
- Tissue Engineering Lab, Department of Development and Regeneration, Campus Kulak, KU Leuven, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Anthony R Fooks
- Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Weybridge KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Ashley C Banyard
- Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Weybridge KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Dirk Jochmans
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Johan Neyts
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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Barbosa DCDS, Holanda VN, Ghosh A, Maia RT, da Silva WV, Lima VLDM, da Silva MV, Dos Santos Correia MT, de Figueiredo RCBQ. Leishmanicidal and cytotoxic activity of essential oil from the fruit peel of Myrciaria floribunda (H. West ex Willd.) O. Berg: Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations of its major constituent onto Leishmania enzyme targets. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:13001-13016. [PMID: 34632943 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1978320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected disease characterized by highest morbidity rates worldwide. The available treatment for CL has several limitations including serious side effects and resistance to the treatment. Herein we aimed to evaluate the activity of essential oil from the peel of Myrciaria floribunda fruits (MfEO) on Leishmania amazonensis. The cytotoxic potential of MfEO on host mammalian cells was evaluated by MTT. The in vitro leishmanicidal effects of MfEO were investigated on the promastigote and intracellular amastigote forms. The ultrastructural changes induced by MfEO were evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The molecular docking of the major compounds δ-Cadinene, γ-Cadinene, γ-Muurolene, α-Selinene, α-Muurolene and (E)-Caryophyllene onto the enzymes trypanothione reductase (TreR) and sterol 14-alpha demethylase (C14DM) were performed. Our results showed that MfEO presented moderate cytotoxicity for Vero cells and macrophages. The MfEO inhibited the growth of promastigote and the survival of intracellular amastigotes, in a dose- and time- dependent way. The MfEO presented high selectivity towards amastigote forms, being 44.1 times more toxic for this form than to macrophages. Molecular docking analysis showed that the major compounds of MfEO interact with Leishmania enzymes and that δ-Cadinene (δ-CAD) presented favorable affinity energy values over TreR and C14DM enzymes, when compared with the other major constituents. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies revealed a stable binding of δ-CAD with lowest binding free energy values in MMGBSA assay. Our results suggested that δ-CAD may be a potent inhibitor of TreR and C14DM enzymes. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vanderlan Nogueira Holanda
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Arabinda Ghosh
- Microbiology Division, Department of Botany, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, India
| | - Rafael Trindade Maia
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Sustentável do Semiárido, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Sumé, Paraíba, Brazil
| | | | - Vera Lúcia de Menezes Lima
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Márcia Vanusa da Silva
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
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Zafar R, Shahid K, Wilson LD, Fahid M, Sartaj M, Waseem W, Saeed Jan M, Zubair M, Irfan A, Ullah S, Sadiq A. Organotin (IV) complexes with sulphonyl hydrazide moiety. Design, synthesis, characterization, docking studies, cytotoxic and anti-leishmanial activity. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:12336-12346. [PMID: 34459711 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1970625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Due to a lack of therapeutic options for the pathological condition of leishmaniasis, which is characterized by polymorphic lesions and skin surface infections, Leishmania genus parasites damaged dermis and mucosa. There was a need to synthesize and characterize some new complexes. This study evaluated the biological activities preferably anti-Leishmanial activity of organotin (IV) containing sulphonyl hydrazide derivatives. A series of six new organotin (IV) complexes 1-6 labeled as R2SnL2; R = Methyl (1), Butyl (2), Phenyl (3) and R3SnL; R = Methyl (4), Butyl (5), Phenyl (6) has been synthesized as reflux method derived from N'- (2,4-dinitrophenyl)-4-methylphenylsulfonylhydrazide (L). All compounds were characterized through FT-IR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, and elemental analysis. Structural analysis confirms the formation of six complexes (1-6). All derivatives have been screened for their pharmacological activities. Interestingly, compound 1 showed promising activity against leishmania promastigotes with low cytotoxicity. All results were further elaborated through docking studies performed on leishmania donovoni synthetase PDB: ID 3QW3 that acts as an essential building block for the viability of Leishmania promastigotes. This research effectively synthesized sulphonyl hydrazide ligand and its six new organotin (IV) derivatives, which were tested for biological properties such as antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-oxidant, and ideally anti-leishmanial activity and cytotoxicity. Studies have confirmed that these compounds have the potency to be a good candidate against leishmaniasis. Computational studies were carried out to recognize the binding affinities for leishmania donovoni synthetase.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rehman Zafar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Khadija Shahid
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Lee D Wilson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Muhammad Fahid
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Majid Sartaj
- Department of Civil Engineering, Colonel by Hall (CBY), University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Wajeeha Waseem
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Saeed Jan
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Swabi, Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Zubair
- Department of Chemistry, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Ali Irfan
- Department of Chemistry, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Sami Ullah
- Department of Chemistry, University of Lahore, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Sadiq
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Malakand, Chakdara, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
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Cheremnykh EG, Osipov AV, Starkov VG, Trang NTT, Khoa NC, Anh HN, Dung LT, Tsetlin VI, Utkin YN. New Plant Species Showing Antiprotozoian Activity. DOKL BIOCHEM BIOPHYS 2022; 507:334-339. [PMID: 36786997 DOI: 10.1134/s160767292234004x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
The effects of extracts of ten plant species from Russia and five species from Vietnam on the growth and survival of ciliates Tetrahymena pyriformis were studied. T. pyriformis belongs to the subkingdom Protozoa, which also includes pathogens of protozoan infections. Extraction of dried plants was carried out with acidic and alkaline aqueous solutions, as well as with an aqueous ethanol. Various amounts of extracts were added to the ciliate cells, and the number of cells survived after incubation for 1 and 24 h was recorded. We found that our samples of several plants, including wormwood, harmala, and licorice, similarly to those studied earlier, exhibit antiprotozoal activity, which may indicate that the secondary metabolites are the same in plants from different regions. Using the ciliate T. pyriformis as a model organism, the presence of antiprotozoal activity in extracts of lilac, chondrilla, cinquefoil, hop, and elm was shown for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A V Osipov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - V G Starkov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Nguyen Cuu Khoa
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
| | - Hoang Ngoc Anh
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
| | - Le Tien Dung
- Institute of Applied Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
| | - V I Tsetlin
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yu N Utkin
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
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12
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Antileishmanial Activities of Medicinal Herbs and Phytochemicals In Vitro and In Vivo: An Update for the Years 2015 to 2021. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27217579. [PMID: 36364404 PMCID: PMC9656935 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27217579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is one of the most neglected tropical diseases that present areal public health problems worldwide. Chemotherapy has several limitations such as toxic side effects, high costs, frequent relapses, the development of resistance, and the requirement for long-term treatment. Effective vaccines or drugs to prevent or cure the disease are not available yet. Therefore, it is important to dissect antileishmanial molecules that present selective efficacy and tolerable safety. Several studies revealed the antileishmanial activity of medicinal plants. Several organic extracts/essential oils and isolated natural compounds have been tested for their antileishmanial activities. Therefore, the aim of this review is to update and summarize the investigations that have been undertaken on the antileishmanial activity of medicinal plants and natural compounds derived, rom plants from January 2015 to December 2021. In this review, 94 plant species distributed in 39 families have been identified with antileishmanial activities. The leaves were the most commonly used plant part (49.5%) followed by stem bark, root, and whole plant (21.9%, 6.6%, and 5.4%, respectively). Other plant parts contributed less (<5%). The activity was reported against amastigotes and/or promastigotes of different species (L. infantum, L. tropica, L. major, L. amazonensis, L. aethiopica, L. donovani, L. braziliensis, L. panamensis, L. guyanensis, and L. mexicana). Most studies (84.2%) were carried out in vitro, and the others (15.8%) were performed in vivo. The IC50 values of 103 plant extracts determined in vitro were in a range of 0.88 µg/mL (polar fraction of dichloromethane extract of Boswellia serrata) to 98 µg/mL (petroleum ether extract of Murraya koenigii). Among the 15 plant extracts studied in vivo, the hydroalcoholic leaf extract of Solanum havanense reduced parasites by 93.6% in cutaneous leishmaniasis. Voacamine extracted from Tabernaemontana divaricata reduced hepatic parasitism by ≈30 times and splenic parasitism by ≈15 times in visceral leishmaniasis. Regarding cytotoxicity, 32.4% of the tested plant extracts against various Leishmania species have a selectivity index higher than 10. For isolated compounds, 49 natural compounds have been reported with anti-Leishmania activities against amastigotes and/or promastigotes of different species (L. infantum, L. major, L. amazonensis, L. donovani and L. braziliensis). The IC50 values were in a range of 0.2 µg/mL (colchicoside against promastigotes of L. major) to 42.4 µg/mL (dehydrodieuginol against promastigotes of L. amazonensis). In conclusion, there are numerous medicinal plants and natural compounds with strong effects (IC50 < 100 µg/mL) against different Leishmania species under in vitro and in vivo conditions with good selectivity indices (SI > 10). These plants and compounds may be promising sources for the development of new drugs against leishmaniasis and should be investigated in randomized clinical trials.
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Effects of negative air ions (NAIs) on Leishmania major: A novel tool for treatment of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274124. [PMID: 36074764 PMCID: PMC9455840 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) that causes high morbidity in the tropics and sub-tropics. Despite the remarkable advancements in the treatment of CL, the available therapeutics are far from ideal and also cause serious adverse side effects. Negative air ions (NAIs) generators are widely available for domestic and industrial uses. Several studies have reported on positive effects of NAIs therapy on human health as a non-pharmaceutical treatment for respiratory disease, allergy, or stress-related health conditions, including infectious diseases. To our knowledge, no studies have examined the effectiveness of the NAIs therapy against Leishmania parasites. The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of NAIs therapy on Leishmania major (L. major) the causative agent of CL in in vitro and in a murine model. Methodology/Principal findings In vitro anti-leishmanial effects of NAIs therapy were measured by parasitological methods. NAIs therapy was assessed in vivo in L. major infected BALB/c mice by measuring the footpad (FP) lesion size and parasite load using metric caliper tool and qPCR, respectively. Immune responses in treated and non-treated mice were assessed by measuring the levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, NO and arginase activity. In vitro NAIs therapy significantly decreased the viability of Leishmania promastigotes and of amastigotes cultured in macrophages, but did not affect the host cells. NAIs therapy of L. major infected BALB/c mice resulted in reduced FP lesion size, diminished parasite burden, and importantly decreased induction of IL-4 and arginase activity in the presence of NAIs. In contrast IFN-γ and NO levels were significantly enhanced. NAIs therapy significantly diminished the progression of disease compared to the control group, but was less effective than amphotericin B treatment. Conclusions Our study shows that NAIs treatment was effective in vitro and in Leishmania-infected mice, elicited a T-helper 1 (Th1) response and increased efficient cellular immunity, resulting in a diminished parasite load. Therefore, NAIs therapy can be considered as a useful and safe tool that can contribute to clearing L. major infections without inducing toxicity in host cells. The applications and mechanisms of NAIs therapy warrant further investigation especially in humans suffering from CL.
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Brioschi MBC, Coser EM, Coelho AC, Gadelha FR, Miguel DC. Models for cytotoxicity screening of antileishmanial drugs: what has been done so far? Int J Antimicrob Agents 2022; 60:106612. [PMID: 35691601 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2022.106612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A growing number of studies have demonstrated the in vitro potential of an impressive number of antileishmanial candidates in the past years. However, the lack of uniformity regarding the choice of cell types for cytotoxicity assays may lead to uncomparable and inconclusive data. In vitro assays relying solely on non-phagocytic cell models may not represent a realistic result as the effect of an antileishmanial agent should ideally be presented based on its cytotoxicity profile against reticuloendothelial system cells. In the present review, we have assembled studies published in the scientific literature from 2015 to 2021 that explored leishmanicidal candidates, emphasising the main host cell models used for cytotoxicity assays. The pros and cons of different host cell types as well as primary cells and cell lines are discussed in order to draw attention to the need to establish standardised protocols for preclinical testing when assessing new antileishmanial candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana B C Brioschi
- Department of Animal Biology-Parasitology Section, Biology Institute, State University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Elizabeth M Coser
- Department of Animal Biology-Parasitology Section, Biology Institute, State University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adriano C Coelho
- Department of Animal Biology-Parasitology Section, Biology Institute, State University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda R Gadelha
- Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Biology Institute, State University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Danilo C Miguel
- Department of Animal Biology-Parasitology Section, Biology Institute, State University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
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15
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Rezaei AR, Saberi S, Sepehri S. Synthesis, Antileishmanial Activity and Molecular Docking Study of a Series of Dihydropyridine Derivatives. Polycycl Aromat Compd 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10406638.2022.2092877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ali-Reza Rezaei
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Sedigheh Saberi
- Department of Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, I.R. Iran
| | - Saghi Sepehri
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
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16
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Anti-parasitic activity of the Olea europaea and Ficus carica on Leishmania major: new insight into the anti-leishmanial agents. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01066-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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17
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Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Tetrahydropyrimidine and Dihydropyridine Derivatives Against Leishmania Major. Acta Parasitol 2022; 67:255-266. [PMID: 34279776 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-021-00457-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE A number of tetrahydropyrimidines and their bioisosteric dihydropyridines bearing chloro substituent at various positions of phenyl ring in C4 of main scaffolds were designed, synthesized and evaluated for antileishmanial activity. METHODS The antileishmanial activity of the synthesized compounds was evaluated against promastigote and amastigote forms. Moreover, molecular docking studies of the compounds in pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) pocket were carried out to describe the results of biological experiments. RESULTS The compounds exhibited moderate to good antileishmanial activity against promastigote and amastigote forms. Among the screened compounds, 1d and 2c were found as the most potent compounds against promastigote form with EC50 values of 15.5 and 10.5 µM, respectively. Compounds 2a and 2c were the most potent compounds against amastigote form with EC50 values of 5.4 and 2.2 µM, respectively. CONCLUSION According to structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies, the chloro substituent in different positions of phenyl ring at C4 of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine (THPM) and 1,4-dihydropyridine (DHP) rings and also the length of the chain belonging to the ester groups could be important for antileishmanial activity of these compounds. Most of these compounds exhibited low cytotoxicity against macrophages. Compounds 1 h, 2a, 2b and 2c revealed higher activity than glucantime while all compounds showed lower activity toward amphotericine B. Docking studies showed that the synthesized compounds were fit well in the PTR1 pocket. Compounds 1 h and 2c indicated the highest score docking among screened compounds in PTR1 enzyme.
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Mousavi P, Rahimi Esboei B, Pourhajibagher M, Fakhar M, Shahmoradi Z, Hejazi SH, Hassannia H, Nasrollahi Omran A, Hasanpour H. Anti-leishmanial effects of resveratrol and resveratrol nanoemulsion on Leishmania major. BMC Microbiol 2022; 22:56. [PMID: 35168553 PMCID: PMC8845381 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-022-02455-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease that is endemic in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world. Low efficacy and high cytotoxicity of the current treatment regimens for leishmaniasis is one of the most important health problems. In this experimental study, anti-leishmanial effects of different concentrations of resveratrol and resveratrol nano-emulsion (RNE) were assessed. Methods RNE was prepared using the probe ultra-sonication method. The cytotoxicity was evaluated using the MTT technique on the L929 cell line. The anti-leishmanial activities on promastigotes of leishmania were assessed using vital staining and infected BALB/c mice were used to assess the in vivo anti-leishmanial effects. Results In vitro and in vivo assays revealed that all concentrations of resveratrol and RNE had valuable inhibitory effects against Leishmania major in comparison to the control group (P < 0.05). The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were calculated as 16.23 and 35.71 µg/mL for resveratrol and RNE, respectively. Resveratrol and RNE showed no cytotoxicity against the L929 cell line. Conclusions According to the potent in vitro and in vivo anti-leishmanial activity of RNE at low concentration against L. major, we suggest that it could be a promising anti-leishmanial therapeutic against L. major in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Mousavi
- Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Bahman Rahimi Esboei
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Tonekabon Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon, Iran.
| | - Maryam Pourhajibagher
- Dental Research Center, Dentistry Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mahdi Fakhar
- Toxoplasma Research Center, Department of Parasitology, Iranian National Registry Center for Toxoplasmosis (INRCT), School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Zabihollah Shahmoradi
- Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Seyed Hossein Hejazi
- Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center, Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medial Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hadi Hassannia
- Immunogenetic Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Amol Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Ayatollah Nasrollahi Omran
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Tonekabon Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon, Iran
| | - Hamid Hasanpour
- Department of Parasitology, School of Paramedical, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
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Intakhan N, Siriyasatien P, Chanmol W. Anti-Leishmania activity of artesunate and combination effects with amphotericin B against Leishmania (Mundinia) martiniquensis in vitro. Acta Trop 2022; 226:106260. [PMID: 34848183 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is an emerging disease in several countries over the world, especially in tropical regions. In Thailand, Leishmania (Mundinia) martiniquensis is the most frequent cause of visceral leishmaniasis and disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis among HIV/AIDs patients. Amphotericin B (AmB) is the only drug currently available for the treatment of leishmaniasis in Thailand, but has some limitations like high renal toxicity and the prolonged hospitalization required for the treatment. Moreover, recurrence of the disease has been reported in several cases, indicating that new drugs or treatment strategies should be improved. In this study, Artesunate (ARS) was determined for anti-Leishmania activity against L. martiniquensis in promastigotes and amastigotes. In addition, the combination effects of ARS and AmB against intracellular amastigotes on THP-1 derived macrophages were also investigated for the first time. The result showed that L. martiniquensis was susceptible to ARS in both stages of the parasite. ARS was effective against intracellular amastigotes and safe to macrophage host cells, showing a SI value of 1,065. Furthermore, combination effects of ARS and AmB showed five synergistic combinations with a combination index (CI) value less than 1.0 (0.28-0.92) for intracellular amastigotes ranging from slight synergism to strong synergism. The strong synergistic combination had the highest dose reduction index (DRI), approximately a 9.7-fold reduction in AmB used. None of the treatments in combination had noticeable toxicity to THP-1 derived macrophages in the concentration range examined. The data provided in this study lead to further study in vivo and to develop a novel formulation of drug combinations to improve the outcome of leishmaniasis treatment.
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Ayrom F, Rasouli S, Shemshadi B. In Vitro Antileishmanial Activity of Achillea santolina Essential Oil against Leishmania infantum Promastigote by Methylthiazole Tetrazolium (MTT) and Trypan Blue Colorimetric Methods. ARCHIVES OF RAZI INSTITUTE 2021; 76:529-536. [PMID: 34824746 DOI: 10.22092/ari.2020.352245.1555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis causes parasitic infections, especially in developing countries. The disease has not yet been controlled because of the absence of an effective vaccine and low-cost treatment. Achillea santolina essential oil (ASEO) might control the disease as it has antimicrobial properties. This study investigated the in vitro antileishmanial activity of ASEO against Leishmania infantum promastigote using the methylthiazole tetrazolium (MTT) and trypan blue colorimetric methods. The standard strain of L. infantum (MCAN/IR/96/LON49) promastigotes was prepared and cultured in a 96-well Novy-MacNeal-Nicolle (NNN) medium. The effects of different concentrations of saline, ASEO, and glucantime (10, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 mg/mL) were examined in 24-, 48-, and 72-hour intervals using the MTT and trypan blue test methods.The use of ASEO reduced viability in all concentrations compared to the control group in times of 48 (p<0.05) and 72 h (p<0.05). Treatment with glucantime and ASEO had similar efficiency with the concentration of 1000 mL/mg in both methods after 72 h. The results showed that viability was significantly lower in the ASEO group with increases in time using both methods (p<0.05). Cohen's Kappa coefficient showed a significant agreement between the obtained results for the two methods (Kappa=0.856; p<0.001).In sum, the results showed in vitro antileishmanial activity of ASEO, but more clinical studies are needed to confirm the efficiency. ASEO can be used as an agent and/or in combination with synthetic agents for the treatment of leishmaniasis disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Ayrom
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - S Rasouli
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran
| | - B Shemshadi
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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Behniafar H, Vaziri VM, Tabaei SJS, Taghipour N. Comparison of Three Commonly Used Genetic Markers for Detection of Leishmania Major: An Experimental Study. Ethiop J Health Sci 2021; 31:725-730. [PMID: 34703171 PMCID: PMC8512936 DOI: 10.4314/ejhs.v31i4.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by an intracellular protozoan parasite called Leishmania spp. Different species produce different clinical outcomes; the majority of cases are cutaneous forms. Leishmania major is one of the main causative agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Various methods are being using to diagnose CL, including microscopic examination, culture, and molecular detection of the parasite genome. Method In the current study, we tried to compare three common molecular markers, including Kinetoplast DNA (kDNA), Cytochrome b (Cyt b), and Internal transcribed space 1 (ITS1), for the detection of Leishmania major. After cultivation of standard strain of L. major MHOM/IR/75/ER in RPMI 1640, certain number of promastigotes was subjected to DNA extraction and different PCR reactions. Results The lowest number of the parasite (5 promastigotes) can be detected by kDNA-PCR, followed by Cyt b-PCR (10 promastigotes), and ITS1-PCR (50 promastigotes). Conclusion In conclusion, kDNA-PCR was the most sensitive marker and may provide more reliable data in the initial screening, especially in false-negative results provided by parasitological methods due to the low number of parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Behniafar
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Sarab Faculty of Medical Sciences, Sarab, Iran
| | - Vahideh Moin Vaziri
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyyed Javad Seyyed Tabaei
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Niloofar Taghipour
- Department of Tissue engineering and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Ali R, Islamuddin M, Tabrez S, Alsaweed M, Alaidarous MA, Alshehri BM, Banawas S, Bin Dukhyil AA, Rub A. Embilica officinalis L. inhibits the growth and proliferation of Leishmania donovani through the induction of ultrastructural changes, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and apoptosis-like cell death. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 143:112156. [PMID: 34649333 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by a protozoan parasite, Leishmania donovani (L. donovani). It affects around 1-2 million people around the world annually. There is an urgent need to investigate new medicament of it due to difficult method of drug administration, long period of treatment, high cost of the drug, adverse side-effects, low efficacy and development of parasite resistance to the available drugs. Medicinal plants have also been used for the treatment of different diseases in traditional system of medicines due to their holistic effects. The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), Geneva, Switzerland has already started the program for identification of potential medicinal plant and plant products having antileishmanial potential. Keeping all these in consideration, we planned to study the antileishmanial activity of one of the medicinal plant, Embilica officinalis L. (EO) fruit extract. EO fruit extract inhibited the growth and proliferation of promastigotes as well as intra-macrophagic amastigotes in dose-dependent manner. EO fruit extract induced morphological and ultrastructural changes in parasites as observed under Electron Microscope. It also induced the oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, DNA laddering and apotosis-like cell death in parasites. Here, we for the first time reported such a detailed mechanism of action of antileishmanial activity of EO fruit extract. Our results suggested that EO fruit extract could be used for the development of new phytomedicine against leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahat Ali
- Infection and Immunity Lab (414), Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Mohammad Islamuddin
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Shams Tabrez
- Infection and Immunity Lab (414), Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Mohammed Alsaweed
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed A Alaidarous
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bader Mohammed Alshehri
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saeed Banawas
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdul Aziz Bin Dukhyil
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdur Rub
- Infection and Immunity Lab (414), Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi 110025, India.
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Antibacterial, Antihemolytic, Cytotoxic, Anticancer, and Antileishmanial Effects of Ajuga bracteosa Transgenic Plants. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10091894. [PMID: 34579426 PMCID: PMC8473257 DOI: 10.3390/plants10091894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Herbal and traditional medicines can play a pivotal role in combating cancer and neglected tropical diseases. Ajuga bracteosa, family Lamiaceae, is an important medicinal plant. The genetic transformation of A. bracteosa with rol genes of Agrobacterium rhizogenes further enhances its metabolic content. This study aimed at undertaking the molecular, phytochemical, and in vitro biological analysis of A. bracteosa extracts. We transformed the A. bracteosa plant with rol genes and raised the regenerants from the hairy roots. Transgenic integration and expression of rolB were confirmed by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and qPCR analysis. The methanol: chloroform crude extracts of wild-type plants and transgenic regenerants were screened for in vitro antibacterial, antihemolytic, cytotoxic, anticancer, and leishmanial activity. Among all plants, transgenic line 3 (ABRL3) showed the highest expression of the rolB gene. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) analysis confirmed the enhanced number of functional groups of active compounds in all transgenic lines. Moreover, ABRL3 exhibited the highest antibacterial activity, minimum hemolytic activity (CC50 = 7293.05 ± 7 μg/mL) and maximum antileishmanial activity (IC50 of 56.16 ± 2 μg/mL). ABRL1 demonstrated the most prominent brine shrimp cytotoxicity (LD5039.6 ± 4 μg/mL). ABRL3 was most effective against various human cancer cell lines with an IC50 of 57.1 ± 2.2 μg/mL, 46.2 ± 1.1 μg/mL, 72.4 ± 1.3 μg/mL, 73.3 ± 2.1 μg/mL, 98.7 ± 1.6 μg/mL, and 97.1 ± 2.5 μg/mL against HepG2, LM3, A549, HT29, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231, respectively. Overall, these transgenic extracts may offer a cheaper therapeutic source than the more expensive synthetic drugs.
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Bionomics and phylo-molecular analysis of Leishmania species isolated from human lesions using ITS1 genes in north-east of Iran. J Parasit Dis 2021; 45:754-761. [PMID: 34475657 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-021-01360-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by Leishmania species. The identification of parasite species and the type of disease is beneficial for treatment and preventive modalities. Leishmania tropica and L. major have been reported as the main etiological agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Iran. The incidence of zoonotic CL has increased and different in distinct loci of Iran. Hence, we perused the Leishmania species and its genetic traits in the North East of Iran. The investigation was conducted on 200 positive smears prepared from patients' lesions suffering from CL referred to the health care centers of northeastern provinces in Iran from 2013 to 2019. The obtained positive microscopy samples were divided to score the ranges from + 1 to + 6, of them 40 smears exhibited low-parasitemia. Leishmania species analyzed using PCR-RFLP, genetic diversity indices evaluation, phylogenetic analysis, and sequencing comparison with other species in the GeneBank based on ITS1 gene. The isolated L. major strains were similar to other Iranian isolates in this region. Pairwise fixation index (FST) index was statistically significant in different L. major populations and showed the genetic differences in pairwise population of different geographical locations of Iran. The current study confirmed an old pattern endemicity of zoonotic CL in North-east of Iran. Therefore, in order to assess the hybrid formation, more epidemiological, ecological, and gene polymorphism studies are needed to understand the pathogenic role of Leishmania species in Iran.
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Dia A, Cheeseman IH. Single-cell genome sequencing of protozoan parasites. Trends Parasitol 2021; 37:803-814. [PMID: 34172399 PMCID: PMC8364489 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Despite considerable genetic variation within hosts, most parasite genome sequencing studies focus on bulk samples composed of millions of cells. Analysis of bulk samples is biased toward the dominant genotype, concealing cell-to-cell variation and rare variants. To tackle this, single-cell sequencing approaches have been developed and tailored to specific host-parasite systems. These are allowing the genetic diversity and kinship in complex parasite populations to be deciphered and for de novo genetic variation to be captured. Here, we outline the methodologies being used for single-cell sequencing of parasitic protozoans, such as Plasmodium and Leishmania spp., and how these tools are being applied to understand parasite biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliou Dia
- Host-Pathogen Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Ian H Cheeseman
- Host-Pathogen Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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Alamzeb M, Ali S, Mamoon-Ur-Rashid, Khan B, Ihsanullah, Adnan, Omer M, Ullah A, Ali J, Setzer WN, Salman SM, Khan A, Shah A. Antileishmanial Potential of Berberine Alkaloids From Berberis glaucocarpa Roots: Molecular Docking Suggests Relevant Leishmania Protein Targets. Nat Prod Commun 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/1934578x211031148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniases are a spectrum of poverty-linked neglected parasitic diseases that are endemic in 88 countries around the globe and affect millions of people every year. Currently available chemotherapeutic options are inadequate due to side effects, high cost, prolonged treatment, and parasite resistance. Thus, there is an existing need to develop new potent and safer leishmanicidal drugs. Considering the folkloric antiulcer and leishmanicidal use of the genus Berberis and its alkaloids, 5 reported alkaloids, namely berberine (1), palmatine (2), columbamine (3), 8-trichloromethyldihydroberberine (4), and jatrorrhizine (5), were isolated from the roots of Berberis glaucocarpa using classical (column and preparative chromatography) and modern isolation techniques (Sephadex LH-20). Their structures were elucidated and established from 1D and 2D spectroscopic data. The isolated alkaloids displayed excellent antileishmanial potential with IC50 values ranging from 1.50 to 2.56 µM: 1 (1.50 ± 0.53 µM), 2 (2.31 ± 0.37 µM), 3 (2.56 ± 0.48 µM), 4 (1.40 ± 0.90 µM), 5 (2.44 ± 1.34 µM). While the IC50 value for the standard drug (Amphotericin-B) was found to be 1.08 ± 0.95 µM. All of the isolated alkaloids displayed excellent antileishmanial potential as well as minimal cytotoxicity against THP-1 monocytic cells. Molecular docking analysis has revealed Leishmania N-myristoyl transferase, methionyl-tRNA synthetase, pteridine reductase 1, oligopeptidase B, tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase, and/or glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase to be potential protein targets for the alkaloids.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saqib Ali
- University of Kotli, Kotli, Pakistan
| | - Mamoon-Ur-Rashid
- Baluchistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Quetta, Pakistan
| | | | - Ihsanullah
- Institute of Chemical Sciences, University of Swat, Swat, Pakistan
| | - Adnan
- Institute of Chemical Sciences, University of Swat, Swat, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Omer
- Institute of Chemical Sciences, University of Swat, Swat, Pakistan
| | - Asad Ullah
- Islamia College University, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Javed Ali
- Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat, Pakistan
| | | | | | - Ajmal Khan
- Leishmania Diagnostic & Drug Delivery Research Laboratory, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Akram Shah
- Leishmania Diagnostic & Drug Delivery Research Laboratory, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
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Aqeele G, Shayan P, Ebrahimzade Abkooh E, Mohebali M. Evaluation of curcumin and CM11 peptide alone and in combination against amastigote form of Iranian strain of L. major (MRHO/IR75/ER) in vitro. Exp Parasitol 2021; 229:108151. [PMID: 34419412 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2021.108151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is the main phytochemical of Curcuma longa Linn, an extract of the rhizome turmeric. For thousands of years, turmeric among other natural products has been used as a dietary spice and as a medicinal plant in Asian countries. The present study reports the leishmanicidal activity of curcumin in different concentrations (10 μM, 20 μM, 40 μM). It is also showing the effect of CM11 peptide (8 μM) alone and in combination with curcumin (10 and 20 μM) as a leishmanicidal drug. The experiments were performed with the amastigote form of Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER) in vitro and the leishmanicidal activity was analyzed after 12 and 24 h of incubation by Giemsa and DAPI staining. Further investigation was done by using semi-quantitative PCR with new designed common primer pair derived from an 18S rRNA gene belonging to the L. major and mouse, which amplified the above-mentioned gene segments simultaneously with different PCR product size. Our findings showed that curcumin had leishmanicidal activity in a dose and time-dependent manner and its lowest effective dose was at concentrations of 40 μM afetr12 h and 10 μM after 24 h. The IC50 value of curcumin against amastigote forms of L. major was 21.12 μM and 11.77 μM after 12 and 24 h, respectively. Treatment of amastigote form with CM11 (8 μM) alone and in combination with curcumin (10 μM and 20 μM) showed less leishmanicidal activity. Interestingly, CM11 in combination with curcumin (10 μM and 20 μM) had even less leishmanicidal effect compared to curcumin alone in the same concentrations (10 μM and 20 μM). The semi-quantitative PCR analysis confirmed the data achieved by Giemsa and DAPI staining and showed that curcumin reduced the PCR product derived from amastigote form in concentration and time-dependent manner compared to the genome of the host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Aqeele
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Wasit, Iraq
| | - P Shayan
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran; Institute Molecular Biological System Transfer (MBST), Tehran, Iran.
| | - E Ebrahimzade Abkooh
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - M Mohebali
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Keshav P, Goyal DK, Kaur S. Antileishmanial potential of immunomodulator gallic acid against experimental murine visceral leishmaniasis. Parasite Immunol 2021; 43:e12875. [PMID: 34347892 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The menace of the enfeebling disease leishmaniasis prevails due to the inaccessibility of effective vaccine and chemotherapy. Hence in the pursuit of finding novel alternative options with reasonable efficacy, immunomodulation, leishmanicidal activity and fewer side effects, screening of compounds from natural sources is needed. This study was focused on in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial screening of gallic acid (GA) against Leishmania donovani infection in BALB/c mice. GA showed in vitro parasiticidal activity and IC50 value of 19.59 ± 0.74 µg/ml and is able to arrest cell cycle at the sub-G0/G1 phase. The therapeutic potential of gallic acid was assessed in the L. donovani-infected BALB/c mice. GA reported a reduction in parasite burden and augmentation of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Also, the polarization of mouse immune status to protective Th1 response was evidenced by increased delayed-type hypersensitivity response and levels of IgG2a, reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide. GA was reported to be safe and non-toxic to human cell line THP-1 and also to the liver and kidney of mice. Hence, the findings of the present study indicate the possible role of GA in the strengthening of host immune system and thus facilitating the clearance of leishmanial infection and conferring protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam Keshav
- Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology (UGC-CAS), Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Deepak Kumar Goyal
- Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology (UGC-CAS), Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Sukhbir Kaur
- Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology (UGC-CAS), Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
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29
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Passero LFD, Brunelli EDS, Sauini T, Amorim Pavani TF, Jesus JA, Rodrigues E. The Potential of Traditional Knowledge to Develop Effective Medicines for the Treatment of Leishmaniasis. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:690432. [PMID: 34220515 PMCID: PMC8248671 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.690432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects people living in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. There are few therapeutic options for treating this infectious disease, and available drugs induce severe side effects in patients. Different communities have limited access to hospital facilities, as well as classical treatment of leishmaniasis; therefore, they use local natural products as alternative medicines to treat this infectious disease. The present work performed a bibliographic survey worldwide to record plants used by traditional communities to treat leishmaniasis, as well as the uses and peculiarities associated with each plant, which can guide future studies regarding the characterization of new drugs to treat leishmaniasis. A bibliographic survey performed in the PubMed and Scopus databases retrieved 294 articles related to traditional knowledge, medicinal plants and leishmaniasis; however, only 20 were selected based on the traditional use of plants to treat leishmaniasis. Considering such studies, 378 quotes referring to 292 plants (216 species and 76 genera) that have been used to treat leishmaniasis were recorded, which could be grouped into 89 different families. A broad discussion has been presented regarding the most frequent families, including Fabaceae (27 quotes), Araceae (23), Solanaceae and Asteraceae (22 each). Among the available data in the 378 quotes, it was observed that the parts of the plants most frequently used in local medicine were leaves (42.3% of recipes), applied topically (74.6%) and fresh poultices (17.2%). The contribution of Latin America to studies enrolling ethnopharmacological indications to treat leishmaniasis was evident. Of the 292 plants registered, 79 were tested against Leishmania sp. Future studies on leishmanicidal activity could be guided by the 292 plants presented in this study, mainly the five species Carica papaya L. (Caricaceae), Cedrela odorata L. (Meliaceae), Copaifera paupera (Herzog) Dwyer (Fabaceae), Musa × paradisiaca L. (Musaceae), and Nicotiana tabacum L. (Solanaceae), since they are the most frequently cited in articles and by traditional communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Felipe D Passero
- Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Paulo, Brazil.,Institute for Advanced Studies of Ocean, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Erika Dos Santos Brunelli
- Center for Ethnobotanical and Ethnopharmacological Studies (CEE), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thamara Sauini
- Center for Ethnobotanical and Ethnopharmacological Studies (CEE), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thais Fernanda Amorim Pavani
- Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research Group (GPQFfesp), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Environmental, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jéssica Adriana Jesus
- Laboratório de Patologia de Moléstias Infecciosas (LIM50), Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eliana Rodrigues
- Center for Ethnobotanical and Ethnopharmacological Studies (CEE), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
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Sharma L, Dhiman M, Singh A, Sharma MM. Green Approach: ''A Forwarding Step for Curing Leishmaniasis-A Neglected Tropical Disease''. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:655584. [PMID: 34124148 PMCID: PMC8193676 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.655584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The present review focuses on a dreaded vector-mediated leishmaniasis, with the existing therapeutic approaches including a variety of drugs along with their limitations, the treatment with natural compounds, and different types of metal/metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs). As evidenced, various metallic NPs, comprising silver, silver oxide, gold, zinc oxide, titanium, lead oxide, etc., played a curative role to treat leishmaniasis, are also presented. Keeping in view the advance success of vaccines against the prevalent dreaded diseases in the past and the present scenario, efforts are also being made to develop vaccines based on these NP formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshika Sharma
- Department of Biosciences, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, India
| | - Mamta Dhiman
- Department of Biosciences, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, India
| | - Abhijeet Singh
- Department of Biosciences, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, India
| | - M M Sharma
- Department of Biosciences, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, India
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Garza-Tovar TF, Sacriste-Hernández MI, Juárez-Durán ER, Arenas R. An overview of the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Fac Rev 2021; 9:28. [PMID: 33659960 PMCID: PMC7886081 DOI: 10.12703/r/9-28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by species of Leishmania, with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, such as cutaneous, visceral, and mucocutaneous presentations. Many drugs are used for its treatment, and a current effective one is a pentavalent antimonial, especially in developing countries. In this review, we discuss recent proposed therapies as well as their side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eder R Juárez-Durán
- Mycology Section, "Dr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez" General Hospital, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Roberto Arenas
- Mycology Section, "Dr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez" General Hospital, Mexico City, Mexico
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Natural Products That Target the Arginase in Leishmania Parasites Hold Therapeutic Promise. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9020267. [PMID: 33525448 PMCID: PMC7911663 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasites of the genus Leishmania cause a variety of devastating and often fatal diseases in humans worldwide. Because a vaccine is not available and the currently small number of existing drugs are less than ideal due to lack of specificity and emerging drug resistance, the need for new therapeutic strategies is urgent. Natural products and their derivatives are being used and explored as therapeutics and interest in developing such products as antileishmanials is high. The enzyme arginase, the first enzyme of the polyamine biosynthetic pathway in Leishmania, has emerged as a potential therapeutic target. The flavonols quercetin and fisetin, green tea flavanols such as catechin (C), epicatechin (EC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), and cinnamic acid derivates such as caffeic acid inhibit the leishmanial enzyme and modulate the host’s immune response toward parasite defense while showing little toxicity to the host. Quercetin, EGCG, gallic acid, caffeic acid, and rosmarinic acid have proven to be effective against Leishmania in rodent infectivity studies. Here, we review research on these natural products with a focus on their promise for the development of treatment strategies as well as unique structural and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic features of the most promising agents.
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Nigatu H, Belay A, Ayalew H, Abebe B, Tadesse A, Tewabe Y, Degu A. In vitro Antileishmanial Activity of Some Ethiopian Medicinal Plants. J Exp Pharmacol 2021; 13:15-22. [PMID: 33488126 PMCID: PMC7815069 DOI: 10.2147/jep.s285079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Leishmaniasis is a group of diseases caused by protozoan parasites, which remains a burden for developing countries. The lack of a vaccine as well as the emergence of resistance toward the recommended drugs pose a challenge for the control of the disease. This urges the demand for new antileishmanial agents to prevent and treat this disease. Consequently, four Ethiopian plants were selected and tested for their antileishmanial activity against two Leishmanial parasites. Methods Methanol (80%) was used to macerate the plant materials. In vitro antipromastigote activity of the crude extracts was then tested against promastigotes and axenically cultured amastigotes of Leishmania aethiopica and Leishmania donovani clinical isolates using Alamar Blue assay, and cell viability was measured fluorometrically. 1% DMSO and the media were used as a negative control while amphotericin B was used as a positive control. Furthermore, preliminary phytochemical analysis of the extracts was performed. Results From the four plants’ extracts, Ferula communis and Otostegia integrifolia showed better activity with IC50 value of 11.38±0.55 and 13.03±0.87 µg/mL against L. aethiopica, respectively. However, the same plant extracts exhibited lower activity against L. donovani with IC50 values of 23.41±2.32 and 17.24±1.29 µg/mL, respectively. O. integrifolia exhibited highest effect against amastigotes of L. aethiopica (IC50: 16.84±0.65) and L. donovani (IC50:14.55±0.38). F. communis resulted second highest in growth inhibition against amastigotes of L. aethiopica and L. donovani with IC50 value of 14.32±0.54 and 31.12±0.19, respectively. The phytochemical analysis of the extracts indicated the presence of phenol, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, and alkaloids. Conclusion The findings from this study demonstrate that crude extracts of F. communis and O. integrifolia showed promising antileishmanial activity against L. aethiopica and L. donovani that may be attributed to the presence of different secondary metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hulubanchi Nigatu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Alemnesh Belay
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Hiwot Ayalew
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Besufekad Abebe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Alemu Tadesse
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Yitagesu Tewabe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abel Degu
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Scolicidal effects of Cassia fistula and Urtica dioica extracts on protoscoleces of hydatid cysts. J Parasit Dis 2020; 45:59-64. [PMID: 33746387 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-020-01273-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Echinococcosis is among the most underestimated parasitic diseases that have universal distribution. The primary treatment is surgery. Hence, the development of new and more effective scolicidal agents with lower side effects is crucial. This study evaluated the therapeutic effects of Urtica dioica and Cassia fistula extracts as a scolicidal herbal drug in vitro. Suspension of protoscoleces was obtained from the infected livers of sheep in Khorramabad, Iran. Hydro-alcoholic solution was extracted from the leaves and stems of Urtica dioica and the fruit of Cassia fistula. Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces were treated with the essential oils at concentrations of 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg/mL for 10, 20, 30, and 60 min and their viability was evaluated by the eosin staining test. The extract of Urtica dioica at a concentration of 100 mg/mL killed 90.51% of protoscoleces after 60 min. Cassia fistula also killed 67.74% of protoscoleces after 60 min. This study obtained satisfactory results. Urtica dioica and Cassia fistula extracts are promising protoscolicides and can be used in the treatment of hydatid cysts and pre-surgically to prevent secondary infections.
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Aghamolaei S, Behniafar H, Behravan M, Hajjaran H, Moin Vaziri V. Probability of false-negative results in microscopical detection of cutaneous leishmaniasis: more accurate screening by kDNA-PCR during epidemiological survey. J Parasit Dis 2020; 44:781-784. [PMID: 33184545 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-020-01246-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis has an important impact on global public health, and the common form of the disease is cutaneous form as well in Iran. Different species of Leishmania parasite make variable clinical manifestations, so prompt diagnosis and recognition at the species level are important due to their impact on the treatment and outcome of the disease. We aimed to examine the potential existence of the Leishmania parasite genome in the exudate materials derived from lesions of the cutaneous leishmaniasis suspected patients referred to Varamin Health Center Laboratory, that were reported negative microscopically. Regarding the object of the study, kDNA-Nested-PCR was used. A 570 bp band equal to what expected for Leishmania major was amplified in 18 out of 29 tested samples (62%). Findings indicate the effectivness of kDNA as a high copy number gene to avoid false-negative results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somayeh Aghamolaei
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Behniafar
- Department of Basic Sciences, Medical Faculty of Sarab, Sarab, Iran
| | - Mahmoodreza Behravan
- Infectious Diseases Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Homa Hajjaran
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahideh Moin Vaziri
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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BARANI S, TURKI H, SHAFIEI R, JAFARZADEH F, HOSSEINZADEH MALEKI H, RAEGHI S. Clinico-Hematological Findings of Acute Pediatric Visceral Leishmaniasis Referred to the Northeast of Iran during 2005-2015. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2020; 15:214-222. [PMID: 32595711 PMCID: PMC7311815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To characterize the epidemiological, clinical, hematological and biochemical features of 33 cases hospitalized with pediatric visceral leishmaniasis (PVL) in North Khorasan Province of Iran from 2005 to 2015. METHODS The serological, hematological and biochemical tests were employed in 33 children between 8 months to 6 yr with a final diagnosis of acute visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The diagnosis of VL was established by microscopic demonstration of Leishmania spp. amastigotes inactive bone marrow aspiration (BMA). RESULTS The most common presenting features were anemia (82.5%), fever (75%), and hepatosplenomegaly (45.4%). Various hematological parameters showed that most patients were suffering from moderate to severe microcytic hypochromic anemia (78.8% had RBC count less than 4 million cells/ul, 67.7% Hb less than 8 fl). 66.7% of them were leukopenic (WBC: less than 5× 10 3 /μL) and 24.2% had decreased platelet counts. Pancytopenia was observed in 18.2% of cases. MCV, MCH, and MCHC levels were below the reference range in 88%, 90% and 85.1% of the patients respectively. Moreover, aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels were increased in 53.33% and 6.66% of the patients respectively. 92.9% of cases were C-reactive protein (CRP) positive. Bone marrow was found hyper-cellular in all of them, and myeloid to erythroid ratio (M/E) was more than 4 in 39.1% of cases. Plasma cells slightly were increased in 60% of patients and megakaryocytes were decreased in thrombocytopenic patients. CONCLUSION Bone marrow/splenic aspiration still remains the gold standard test despite its risk and pain for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaghik BARANI
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Habibollah TURKI
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Reza SHAFIEI
- Vector-Borne Diseases Research Center, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran,Correspondence
| | - Fatemeh JAFARZADEH
- Department of Parasitology, Shahid Beheshti Universtiy of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Saber RAEGHI
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, Maragheh University of Medical Sciences, Maragheh, Iran
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