Author: Jaspreet Kaur and Monika
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In the present investigation, the leishmanicidal efficacy of ethanolic extracts of leaves of Alstonia scholaris and bark of Solanum nigrum were investigated against murine Leishmania donovani infection. The in vitro investigations showed effective suppression of parasites. The results showed that the IC50 values obtained for S. nigrum were comparatively lower than A. scholaris, leading to the selection of this particular plant for subsequent in vivo investigations. The leishmanicidal efficacy of the S. nigrum leaf extract was evaluated by analyzing the parasite count and humoral immune responses. After a week of administration of plant extracts to all the infected and treated BALB/c mice, the parasite load decreased significantly compared to the only infected animals. The administration of plant extracts at concentrations 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg b.wt resulted in higher IgG2a and lower IgG1 levels in treated animals compared to infected controls. The SSG-treated animals demonstrated a decrease in IgG2a and an increase in IgG1 levels and higher DTH Responses. This finding indicates that the examined plant extracts possess the potential to counteract the immunosuppressive effects of the parasitic infection. The administration of a larger dose of the plant extract derived from S. nigrum has been observed to provide protection against experimental murine visceral leishmaniasis.
Solanum nigrum, Alstonias cholaris, leishmanicidal activity, Leishmania donovani, in-vivo studies, in-vitro studies, immune response, and plant extracts
The result of this investigation indicates that the plant extract is effective in vitro against both SAG-resistant and susceptible strains of Leishmania donovani. A higher dose of S. nigrum plant extract provides protection contrary to experimental murine visceral leishmaniasis, as evidenced by a reduction in parasite burden and the production of humoral immunity. Even though the lessening in parasite load following herbal treatment was less than that observed with the standard drug SSG, hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity were not observed. DTH assessments affirm the potential of Solanum nigrum and Alstonia scholaris in leishmaniasis treatment, advocating for their consideration in therapeutic strategies. More research is required on animal models such as hamsters to determine their antileishmanial efficacy.
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