Title: | In vitro evaluation of antileishmanial activity and toxicity of essential oils of Artemisia absinthium and Echinops kebericho |
Author(s): | Tariku Y; Hymete A; Hailu A; Rohloff J; |
Address: | "Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Science, Jimma University, P.O. Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1612-1880 (Electronic) 1612-1872 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Potential toxicity, costs, and drug-resistant pathogens necessitate the development of new antileishmanial agents. Medicinal and aromatic plants constitute a major source of natural organic compounds. In this study, essential oils of Artemisia absinthium L. and Echinops kebericho Mesfin were investigated by GC and GC/MS analyses. Isolated oils were screened for antileishmanial activity against two Leishmania strains (L. aethiopica and L. donovani), and toxicity on the human monocytic leukemia (THP-1) cell line and red blood cells in vitro. GC/MS Analysis revealed 65 compounds (93.74%) for Artemisia absinthium and 43 compounds (92.85%) for Echinops kebericho oil. The oils contained the oxygenated monoterpene camphor (27.40%) and the sesquiterpene lactone dehydrocostus lactone (41.83%) as major constituents, respectively. Both oils showed activity against promastigote (MIC 0.0097-0.1565 mul/ml) and axenic amastigote forms (EC(50) 0.24-42.00 nl/ml) of both leishmania species. Weak hemolytic effect was observed for both oils, showing a slightly decreased selectivity index (SI 0.8-19.2) against the THP-1 cell line. Among the two oils tested, E. kebericho exerted strong antileishmanial activity that was even higher than that of amphotericin B with significant cytotoxicity. This study, therefore, demonstrated the potential use of both oils as source of novel agents for the treatment of leishmaniasis" |
Keywords: | Antiprotozoal Agents/adverse effects/chemistry/isolation & purification/*pharmacology Artemisia absinthium/*chemistry Cell Line Cell Survival/drug effects Echinops Plant/*chemistry Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Hemolysis/drug effects Humans Leishma; |
Notes: | "MedlineTariku, Yinebeb Hymete, Ariaya Hailu, Asrat Rohloff, Jens eng Switzerland 2011/04/12 Chem Biodivers. 2011 Apr; 8(4):614-23. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.201000331" |