Evaluation of Nanonanoliposomal Curcumin on Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Skin Lesions Caused by Leishmania major in BALB/c Mice

Sedigheh  Shirmohammad; Mahdi  Mohebali; Fatemeh  Arabkhazaeli; Jalal  Hassan; David  Shayan; Narges  Amininia; Parviz  Shayan

doi:10.18502/ijpa.v19i2.15859

Sedigheh Shirmohammad Iranian Research Center of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Iran
Mahdi Mohebali Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Fatemeh Arabkhazaeli Iranian Research Center of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Iran
Jalal Hassan Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
David Shayan Institute Molecular Biological System Transfer (MBST), Tehran, Iran
Narges Amininia Iranian Research Center of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Iran
Parviz Shayan Iranian Research Center of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v19i2.15859

Keywords: Nanoliposomal curcumin; Cutaneous leishmaniasis; Leishmania major; BALB/c mice; Semi quantitative PCR

Abstract

Background: Curcumin is an extract of rhizome turmeric (diferuloylmethane), with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-parasitic properties, which making it a potential candidate for the treatment of leishmaniasis. The aim of the presented study was to evaluate curcumin as possible candidate for treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Methods: We investigated the physicochemical properties and anti-leishmanial effects of nanoliposomal curcumin (40, 80, and 120 μM) in Leishmania major (MRHO/IR/75/ER) infected BALB/c mice at the faculty of Veterinary Medicinem University of Tehran, Iran. For this aim, L. major promastigotes (MHROM/IR/75/ER) at stationary phase (2×10⁶) were inoculated sub-cutaneously into the upper area of the tail in BALB/c mice (six groups, n= 10 per group). For evaluation of nanoliposomal curcumin, the zeta potential, particle size and stability of nanoliposomal curcumin was determined. Furthermore, the anti-leishmanial effects of nanoliposomal curcumin formulation on the lesion sizes was determined and the parasite burden in the leishmania induced lesion was performed using semi quantitative PCR.

Results: Treatment of L. major infected BALB/c mice with nanoliposomal curcumin led to a reduction in the kinetic of the skin lesion size development. The semi quantitative PCR analysis of DNA extracted from the lesions showed reduction of parasite burden. The most effective treatment could be found in 80 μM nanoliposomal curcumin. Treatment with Glucantime, as a positive control, also showed a nearly similar effect compared to the effect of 80 μM nanoliposomal curcumin.