Investigation of the in vitro time-dependent effects of artesunate and benznidazole on Leishmania tropica

Yener Özel; Gamze Doğan; İbrahim Çavuş

doi:10.55971/EJLS.1898193

Investigation of the in vitro time-dependent effects of artesunate and benznidazole on Leishmania tropica

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania. This study evaluated the in vitro time-dependent effects of artesunate, an artemisinin derivative, and benznidazole, a nitroimidazole compound, on Leishmania tropica promastigotes. We performed antileishmanial activity tests using the L. tropica isolate coded MHOM/TR/2012/CBCL-LT. We thawed the isolate after removing it from the liquid nitrogen tank, cultured it in NNN medium, and then transferred it to RPMI-1640 medium containing fetal bovine serum. Viability was assessed using the colorimetric test of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) at concentration ranges of 2500–19.53 µg/mL for artesunate and 310–2.42 µg/mL for benznidazole. We determined the minimum parasiticidal concentration (MPC) by microscopic evaluation. We used two-way ANOVA and a Tukey multiple comparison test for statistical analysis. IC50 values for artesunate were determined as 280 µg/mL, 85.35 µg/mL, and 71.18 µg/mL at 24, 48, and 72 hours, respectively; and for benznidazole, as 43.75 µg/mL, 24.76 µg/mL, and 23.87 µg/mL. For both drugs, concentration and incubation time significantly affected promastigote viability (p<0.05). The antileishmanial effects of both drugs varied over time. Benznidazole showed antileishmanial effects earlier, while artesunate efficacy increased with longer incubation periods. These findings suggest that both drugs require more comprehensive evaluation.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Parasitology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Yener Özel
0000-0001-6618-8251
Türkiye

Gamze Doğan
0000-0001-8447-274X
Türkiye

İbrahim Çavuş ^*
0000-0002-3860-0146
Türkiye

Publication Date

August 31, 2026

Submission Date

February 26, 2026

Acceptance Date

June 29, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 5 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.55971/EJLS.1898193

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA93ZE87LK

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Özel, Y., Doğan, G., & Çavuş, İ. (2026). Investigation of the in vitro time-dependent effects of artesunate and benznidazole on Leishmania tropica. European Journal of Life Sciences, 5(2), 103-111. https://doi.org/10.55971/EJLS.1898193

AMA

1.Özel Y, Doğan G, Çavuş İ. Investigation of the in vitro time-dependent effects of artesunate and benznidazole on Leishmania tropica. Eur J Life Sci. 2026;5(2):103-111. doi:10.55971/EJLS.1898193

Chicago

Özel, Yener, Gamze Doğan, and İbrahim Çavuş. 2026. “Investigation of the in Vitro Time-Dependent Effects of Artesunate and Benznidazole on Leishmania Tropica”. European Journal of Life Sciences 5 (2): 103-11. https://doi.org/10.55971/EJLS.1898193.

EndNote

Özel Y, Doğan G, Çavuş İ (August 1, 2026) Investigation of the in vitro time-dependent effects of artesunate and benznidazole on Leishmania tropica. European Journal of Life Sciences 5 2 103–111.

IEEE

[1]Y. Özel, G. Doğan, and İ. Çavuş, “Investigation of the in vitro time-dependent effects of artesunate and benznidazole on Leishmania tropica”, Eur J Life Sci, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 103–111, Aug. 2026, doi: 10.55971/EJLS.1898193.

ISNAD

Özel, Yener - Doğan, Gamze - Çavuş, İbrahim. “Investigation of the in Vitro Time-Dependent Effects of Artesunate and Benznidazole on Leishmania Tropica”. European Journal of Life Sciences 5/2 (August 1, 2026): 103-111. https://doi.org/10.55971/EJLS.1898193.

JAMA

1.Özel Y, Doğan G, Çavuş İ. Investigation of the in vitro time-dependent effects of artesunate and benznidazole on Leishmania tropica. Eur J Life Sci. 2026;5:103–111.

MLA

Özel, Yener, et al. “Investigation of the in Vitro Time-Dependent Effects of Artesunate and Benznidazole on Leishmania Tropica”. European Journal of Life Sciences, vol. 5, no. 2, Aug. 2026, pp. 103-11, doi:10.55971/EJLS.1898193.

Vancouver

1.Yener Özel, Gamze Doğan, İbrahim Çavuş. Investigation of the in vitro time-dependent effects of artesunate and benznidazole on Leishmania tropica. Eur J Life Sci. 2026 Aug. 1;5(2):103-11. doi:10.55971/EJLS.1898193