Anti Leishmanial Activities of Some Antidepressant Drugs

Leishmaniasis is one of the most diverse and complex vector-borne metazoonosis diseases[1]. The causing agent is at least 17 species[2] of obligate intracellular protozoan parasites that belong to the genus Leishmania[3]. It is transmitted to human by the bite of phlebotomine female sand flies of the genera Phlebotomus and Lutzomyia in the old and new worlds respectively[4]. The species are in widespread tropical and subtropical continents except Antarctica[5]. The disease is endemic in 88 countries of Indian subcontinent, Southern Europe and Western Asia to America including rural and peri urban areas[6]. Leishmaniasis shows a disease burden of 12 million affected people with an annual estimation of 2-4 million new cases globally of which 60% cases occur in India alone[7].