In vitro Antileishmanial Activity of Lavandula angustifolia Essential Oil on Leishmania infantum Parasites

Abstract

Objective: Leishmaniasis is an endemic tropical disease that is disseminated through the bite of a sandfly infected with Leishmania parasites. Conventional antileishmanial drugs are mainly toxic and can be ineffective; therefore, there is a need for new natural drug candidates. This study investigated the antileishmanial effects of Lavandula angustifolia (LA) essential oil on Leishmania infantum (L. infantum) parasites, and the safety features were tested on RAW264.7 murine macrophages. Materials and Methods: LA essential oil was produced through the process of hydro-distillation, and its phytochemical content was determined using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The antileishmanial effects of LA (0.063 to1 µL/mL) on L. infantum parasites as well as their safety features were assessed on RAW264.7 murine macrophages. Results: The composition of LA essential oil was detected using GC-MS analysis, including linalool, pinene, 1, 8-cineole, linalyl acetate, and lavandulol. Concentrations at and above 0.5 µL/mL LA indicated a significant reduction (71% decrease) in the parasite proliferation, and caused a slight reduction in macrophage viability to 70% at 72 h. Conclusions: The findings revealed the antileishmanial effect of LA on L. infantum parasites with relatively less toxicity on macrophages. The promising antileishmanial efficacy highlights the potential for further in vivo studies.

Keywords

• Antileishmanial therapy
• Lavandula angustifolia
• Leishmania infantum
• macrophages

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