Effect of Aqueous Extract of Artemisia Aucheri Seed on Promastigote and Amastigote of leishmania Major in Vitro

Abstract

Introduction: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an endemic infectious disease in Iran. Failure to treat the disease requires the use of effective medicinal plants. Different species of Artemisia have anti leishmania activity. The aim of this study was to study effect of aqueous extract of Artemisia aucheri seed on Promastigote and Amastigote of leishmania major in vitro.

Methods: In this study, the aqueous extract of Artemisia aucheri was prepared. The concentration of Artemisia aucheri was 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 µg/ml to investigate on promastigote and amastigote of Leishmania major. The effects of concentrations on leishmania promastigotes, non-infected macrophages and amastigote-infected macrophages were investigated by MTT and flow cytometry tests. The effect of the extract on apoptosis in promastigotes was investigated by flow cytometry.

Results: In this study, the aqueous extract of Artemisia aucheri was prepared. The concentration of Artemisia aucheri was 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 µg/ml to investigate on promastigote and amastigote of Leishmania major. The effects of concentrations on leishmania promastigotes, non-infected macrophages and amastigote-infected macrophages were investigated by MTT and flow cytometry tests. The effect of the extract on apoptosis in promastigotes was investigated by flow cytometry. IC50 of extract was 37.5 µg /ml for promastigotes. At this concentration there was a 50% inhibition of growth.

Conclusion: Aqueous extract of Artemisia aucheri seed had good activity in destroying Leishmania major promastigotes in culture and Leishmania major amastigotes in macrophages and the extract was able to induce apoptosis in 9.28% of promastigotes.