Screening of medicinal plants against Leishmania amazonensis

Figures & data

Table 1.  Alphabetical list of 21 plants growing in Cuba screened in the study and antiparasitic studies reported.

Plant species (Family)	Voucher No.	Local name/English common name	Antiparasitic studies reported (references)
Annona glabra L. (Annonaceae)	8300098	bagá/pond apple	Against Trypanosoma cruzi (Gonzalez-Coloma et al., 2002)
Artemisia absinthium L. (Asteraceae)	9700169	incienso/absinthe	Antimalarial and antileishmanial activity (Rodríguez et al., 2006) Against intestinal parasite (Quinlan et al., 2002)
Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. Ex J.C.Wendl. (Poaceae)	9500087	caña brava/ sinocalamus	Antimalarial activity (Rodríguez et al., 2006) Antiparasitic activity (Lans et al., 2000)
Bidens pilosa L. (Asteraceae)	9700160	romerillo/beggar ticks	Antimalarial activity (Andrade-Neto et al., 2004)
Bixa orellana L. (Bixaceae)	9600288	bija /annatto	Antileishmanial activity (Irobi et al., 1996)
Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg. (Burseraceae)	8603305	almácigo /gumbolimbo	Used to treat intestinal parasites (Quinlan et al., 2002)
Cassia grandis L.f. (Caesalpiniaceae)	8300069	cañandonga /pink shower	No references found
Cecropia peltata L. (Cecropiaceae)	8603239	yagruma /trumpet tree	Antiparasitic activity (Lans et al., 2001)
Cupressus sempervirens L. (Cupressaceae)	8603788	cipres /mediterranean cypress	No references found
Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae)	9700178	yuquilla /turmeric	Antiparasitic activity (Lans & Brown, 1998)
Indigofera suffruticosa Mill. (Fabaceae)	0100079	añil cimarrón /west indian indigo	Antimalarial activity (Rodríguez et al., 2006)
Lepidium virginicum L. (Brassicaceae)	8700259	mastuerzo /peppergrass	Antiamoebic activity (Calzada et al., 2003)
Luffa aegyptiaca Mill. (Cucurbitaceae)	0600366	estropajo /luffa	Antimalarial and antitrypanosoma activity (Mesia et al., 2008)
Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae)	9700183	mango/mango tree	Antimalarial and antileishmanial activity (Kvist et al., 2006)
Melia azedarach L. (Meliaceae)	8402273	paraíso/chinaberry tree	Against gastrointestinal trichostrongylids (Hordegen et al., 2003)
Ocimum sanctum L. (Lamiaceae)	9200485	albahaca morada/holy basil	Anthelmintic activity (Asha et al., 2001)
Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae)	9700175	escoba amarga/american feverfew	Antimalarial activity (Rodríguez et al., 2006) Activity against Trypanosoma evansi (Talakal et al., 1995)
Pluchea carolinensis (Jacq.) G. Don (Asteraceae)	9700158	salvia/cattletongue	No references found
Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae)	8300050	granado/pomegranate	Activity against Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia (Calzada et al., 2006)
Tamarindus indica L. (Caesalpiniaceae)	8300068	tamarindo/Tamarind	Antitrypanosomal activity (Wurochekke & Nok, 2004)
Turnera ulmifolia L. (Turneraceae)	8602024	marilope/Buttercup Flower	Antimalarial activity (Antoun et al., 2001)

Table 2.  Inhibition growth of promastigotes of L. amazonensis incubated with plant extracts and reference drug (pentamidine).

Plant species	Inhibition growth (%)
	50 µg/mL	100 µg/mL
Annona glabra	14.8 ± 2.6	39.1 ± 1.2
Artemisia absinthium	20.2 ± 1.3	40.1 ± 2.5
Bambusa vulgaris	10.1 ± 1.1	21.0 ± 1.3
Bidens pilosa	55.0 ± 3.2	85.0 ± 2.8
Bixa orellana	58.9 ± 3.6	100
Bursera simaruba	14.6 ± 1.2	24.7 ± 3.1
Cassia grandis	8.5 ± 0.8	35.8 ± 3.4
Cecropia peltata	0	26.2 ± 2.6
Cupressus sempervirens	16.8 ± 1.3	25.0 ± 1.3
Curcuma longa	15.0 ± 1.6	30.2 ± 2.5
Indigofera suffruticosa	15.4 ± 1.5	29.1 ± 2.8
Lepidium virginicum	13.4 ± 1.6	26.0 ± 1.6
Luffa aegyptiaca	5.1 ± 1.0	27.9 ± 2.5
Mangifera indica	0	27.7 ± 3.2
Melia azedarach	49.8 ± 2.5	59.8 ± 3.6
Ocimum sanctum	8.8 ± 1.2	10.3 ± 1.3
Parthenium hysterophorus	68.6 ± 3.4	84.6 ± 3.2
Pluchea carolinensis	13.5 ± 1.2	12.7 ± 1.6
Punica granatum	29.0 ± 1.6	49.1 ± 2.3
Tamarindus indica	29.0 ± 2.7	31.2 ± 2.5
Turnera ulmifolia	0	17.8 ± 1.6
Pentamidine	96.9 ± 0.2	99.2 ± 0.3

Table 3.  Antileishmanial activity (IC₅₀), cytotoxicity (IC₅₀) and selectivity (SI) of plant extracts and reference drug (pentamidine).

Plants species	IC50* ± SD Amastigotes (µg/mL)	IC50** ± SD Macrophages µg/mL	SI^§
Bidens pilosa	42.6 ± 0.6	153.1 ± 3.1	4
Bixa orellana	26.8 ± 1.5	60.6 ± 3.3	2
Melia azedarach	52.2 ± 0.6	20.7 ± 1.9	0
Parthenium hysterophorus	20.2 ± 1.8	37.8 ± 3.8	2
Punica granatum	69.6 ± 1.9	289.3 ± 3.7	4
Pentamidine	1.3 ± 0.1	11.7 ± 1.7	9

*IC₅₀, concentration of extract that caused 50% of mortality of intracellular amastigote of L. amazonensis; SD, Standard deviation; **IC₅₀, concentration of extract that caused 50 % of mortality of peritoneal macrophage from BALB/c mice, ^§Selectivity Index: IC₅₀ for macrophage / IC₅₀ for amastigotes.

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