In vitro and in vivo efficacy of a new herbaceous Indian plant-Abutilon indicum against Leishmania donovani infection

Abstract

The control of visceral leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania donovani still remains a challenging problem. Due to limitations of available therapies, search for new antileishmanial agents becomes necessary. India, being rich in traditional medicinal plant species, provides good opportunity for exploration of new, effective and safe antileishmanials. The seeds of Abutilon indicum, a herbaceous plant commonly known as Thuthi and used as a remedy for jaundice, piles, ulcer and leprosy, were evaluated for the first time for its antileishmanial activity. The crude methanolic extract and two of its four fractions -n-hexane and n-butanol were found to be highly active against Leishmania promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes. When administered orally to L. donovani infected hamsters the extract and its two fractions at a dose of 500 mg/kg x5 days exhibited ~75% efficacy. The results suggested towards the potentiality of this plant's seeds as a source of new antileishmanial leads for further investigations.