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Antiproliferative and leishmanicidal effect of ajoene on various Leishmania species: ultrastructural study

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Abstract.

Ajoene [(E,Z)-4,5,9 trithiadodeca 1,6,11 triene 9-oxide], the major bioactive compound derived from garlic, shows a potent trypanolytic and antimicotic activity. In this paper we evaluate its effect on Leishmania mexicana (Lm:MHOM/VE/80/NR), L eishmania mexicana venezuelensis (Lmv: MHOM/VE/80/H16), L eishmania mexicana amazonensis (Lma: M112, IFLA/BR/67/PH8) and L eishmania donovani chagasi (Ldch: MHOM/BR/74/PP75). Ajoene showed a potent leishmanicidal activity in vitro against all species studied. Concentrations higher than 0.3 µM led to total inhibition of growth, and 10 µM induced 100% lysis of Leishmania after 96 h of incubation in a chemically defined culture medium. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) for lysis, for all species, was about to 2 µM. The effect was dose-dependent and a threefold increase in concentration (30 µM) produced 100% lysis of cultured forms after 72 h. Ultrastructural studies showed a time- and dose-dependent morphological alteration of the mitochondrial membrane and nuclear envelope, as well as the formation of large autophagic vacuoles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad de Oriente, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (CICS), Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo Anzoategui, Escuela de Medicina, Núcleo Anzoategui, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, , , , ,

    Eliades Ledezma & Alicia Jorquera

  2. Universidad de los Andes, Núcleo Universitario "Rafael Rangel", Centro de Investigaciones "José Witremundo Torrealba". Trujillo – Estado Trujillo. Venezuela, , , , ,

    Herminia Bendezú

  3. Universidad Central de Venezuela, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Biología Experimental, Laboratorio de Fisicoquímica de Parásitos, , , , ,

    Julio Vivas & Gladinex Pérez

Authors
  1. Eliades Ledezma
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  2. Alicia Jorquera
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  3. Herminia Bendezú
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  4. Julio Vivas
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  5. Gladinex Pérez
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Ledezma, E., Jorquera, A., Bendezú, H. et al. Antiproliferative and leishmanicidal effect of ajoene on various Leishmania species: ultrastructural study. Parasitol Res 88, 748–753 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-002-0649-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-002-0649-9

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