Login / Signup

Antileishmanial Screening, Cytotoxicity, and Chemical Composition of Essential Oils: A Special Focus on Piper callosum Essential Oil.

Andreza R GarciaAna Claudia F AmaralAna Clara B MariaMariana M PazMariana M B AmorimFrancisco C M ChavesAlane Beatriz VermelhoDirlei NicoIgor Almeida Rodrigues
Published in: Chemistry & biodiversity (2023)
Leishmania amazonensis is the etiological agent of tegumentary leishmaniasis, a disease characterized by the emergence of cutaneous and mucocutaneous ulcerated lesions that can evolve into severe destruction of skin tissue. Treatment of the disease is often accompanied by high toxicity and variable efficacy. Essential oils stand out for having diverse pharmacological properties. Here, we screened a panel of fourteen essential oils for their anti-L. amazonensis activity, cytotoxicity, and chemical profile. Lippia sidoides (LSEO) and Piper callosum (PCEO) oils displayed the best anti-promastigote and anti-amastigote activities with IC 50 of 31 and 21 μg/ml, respectively. PCEO was the safest oil with a desirable selectivity index >10. In addition, PCEO showed no cytotoxicity against the VERO line and erythrocytes. PCEO-treated amastigotes displayed mitochondrial membrane depolarization and high levels of intracellular ROS. Safrole (54.72 %) was the main component of PCEO. The results described here highlight the use of essential oils to combat tegumentary leishmaniasis.
Keyphrases
  • essential oil
  • oxidative stress
  • reactive oxygen species
  • dna damage
  • cell death
  • early onset
  • fatty acid
  • combination therapy