Abstract
Background:
Leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania parasite, is one of the most important tropical neglected diseases. The urgent search for effective, inexpensive, and preferably herbal anti-leishmanial agents, is needed.
Objective:
Curcumin is a natural polyphenolic compound derived from turmeric that is well known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and anti-cancer activity.
Methods:
The present work evaluates the anti-leishmanial [Leishmania major] activity of curcumin. The infected PBMCs were treated with curcumin. The ROS level at 6, 12, 24 h and genes expression level at 24, 48 and 72 h of PBMCs after treatment with curcumin were determined.
Results:
Based on the results, the curcumin concentrations of 268 µM [24 h] and 181.2 µM [72 h] were defined as IC50 against L. major promastigotes. Treatment of L. major infected-Peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs] with IC50 concentrations of curcumin, depending on exposure time, significantly induced the reactive oxygen species [ROS] generation and increased the expression levels of interferon-gamma [IFN-γ], tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], and nitric oxide synthase [iNOS] genes.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest the potential of curcumin against Leishmaniasis Keywords: Curcumin, Gene expression, Leishmania major, PBMCs, Tumor necrosis factor,Interferon gamma.
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