Document Type : Research Paper
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Abstract
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an endemic infectious disease known as a major health problem in many countries including Iran. Due to the lack of an effective vaccine, the disease is increasing in most parts of the world. Pentavalent antimony compounds as the first line drug against leishmaniasis has numerous side effects. Consequently, the need to introduce new, inexpensive and available drugs with fewer side effects to replace existing chemical compounds is fully felt. Herbal drugs could be a good alternative. In the present work, the effects of two native plants namely Artemisia sieberi Besser and Scrophularia striata Boiss. against Leishmania major were investigated under in vitro conditions. For this purpose, different concentrations of aqueous extracts of Artemisia and Scrophularia were investigated on the growth of promastigotes of Leishmania under in vitro conditions as well as growth of amastigote of Leishmania in mice macrophages. The results indicated that promastigotes in RPMI culture were killed completely under concentrations of 20% and 25% of Artemisia in the first day of the experiment; while the parasites were killed by Scrophularia at the concentration of 25% within three days. Reduction of the parasite growth in RPMI culture under three concentrations of Artemisia was significantly higher than that of Scrophularia. Concentrations of 20% of Artemisia in the second day and 25% of Scrophularia in the third day led to the complete elimination of amastigote of L. major in macrophages.
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