The present study describes the leishmanicidal and trypanocidal activities of two quinonemethide triterpenes, maytenin (1) and pristimerin (2), isolated from Maytenus ilicifolia root barks (Celastraceae). The compounds were effective against the Trypanosomatidae Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania chagasi and Trypanosoma cruzi, etiologic agents of leishmaniasis and Chagas' disease, respective...

The aim of the present study was to explore the aerial parts of the Polygonatum verticillatum for various biological activities such as phytotoxic, insecticidal and leishmanicidal properties. Outstanding phytotoxicity was observed for the crude extract and its subsequent solvent fractions against Lemna acquinoctialis Welv at tested doses of 5, 50 and 500 μg/ml. Complete growth inhibition (100%)...

Isolation of a number of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants such as acetylcholinesterase inhibiting steroidal alkaloids, homomoenjodaramine and moenjodaramine from Buxus hyrcana, anti-epileptic terpenoids delphadienones I and II from Delphinium denudatum, and potent leishmanicidal compound ajoene from Allium sativum have been achieved through bioactivity-guided isolation.

This review addresses the search for activity enhancement of leishmanicidal organic compounds through their coordination chemistry with ruthenium. In an introduction to leishmaniasis, its clinical manifestations, geographical distribution, available forms treatment, and challenges disease management are presented. Ruthenium complexes, owing physico-chemical biological properties, introduced as ...

BACKGROUND Leishmaniasis includes a wide complex of diseases that affect humans and other mammals, and can range from a mild cutaneous form to a severe visceral type. The safety of the standard treatment using pentavalent antimony is a concern due to its toxic effects. The search for alternative, effective and less toxic treatments has led to the testing of natural products. The present study a...

Leishmaniasis is the protozoan disease second in importance for human health, superseded only by malaria; however, the options for chemotherapeutic treatment are increasingly limited due to drug resistance and toxicity. Under this perspective, a quest for new chemical compounds is urgently needed. An N-substituted 2-aminoalkan-1-ol scaffold has been shown to be a versatile scaffold for antipara...

BACKGROUND Stilbene-based compounds show antitumoral, antioxidant, antihistaminic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Here, we evaluated the effect of the trans-resveratrol analogs, pterostilbene, piceatannol, polydatin and oxyresveratrol, against Leishmania amazonensis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Our results demonstrated a low murine macrophage cytotoxicity of all four analo...