Atividade Antileishmania do Óleo Essencial de Levisticum officinale

Abstract

Leishmaniases are considered neglected diseases by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). It is endemic and highly prevalent in Brazil and is transmitted to humans and some species of animals, especially dogs, through the hematophagy of infected female phlebotomines. In addition to having few pharmacotherapeutic treatment options, the drugs are expensive and have various adverse and toxic effects. The plant Levisticum officinale is aromatic and widely used in culinary products, by the food industry and in traditional medicine, but few studies have been published on its biological activity. Its essential oil is characterized by the presence of volatile compounds such as monoterpenes and phthalides, compounds involved in various biological activities, demonstrating antimicrobial activity in some studies. In addition, seven phenolic compounds have been identified in the decoctions and hydroethanolic extracts, showing antioxidant and bacteriostatic activity. Nanoemulsions are colloidal systems widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries to encapsulate, protect and release lipophilic bioactive compounds. Their particle size of less than 100 nm has several advantages: greater long-term stability, high optical clarity and greater bioavailability. This study evaluated the effect of Levisticum officinale essential oil in its pure and nanoemulsified forms on the viability of promastigote forms, as well as its cytotoxicity in mouse cells and in mouse macrophages infected in vitro with intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis, using amphotericin B as a reference drug. The pure essential oil of L. officinale showed good activity against parasite cells but low selectivity towards mammalian cells, while its nanoemulsified form was not very toxic to mouse fibroblasts and macrophages infected with L. amazonensis, but with low antileishmanial activity. Further studies are needed to improve its selectivity and safety, thus expanding its clinical use and therapeutic efficacy.