Background: Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that occurs in subtropical and tropical regions with approximately 350 million people worldwide and 2 million new cases annually. The annual increase in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is observed, especially in endemic areas such as Iran. Since there is no effective vaccine, the detection of natural anti-leishmanial products is essential. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro anti-leishmanial activity of two herbal medicine including Artemisia dracunculus L. and Heracleum persicum Desf. (Golpar). Materials and Methods: The extracts of selected plants were obtained by maceration, and in vitro anti-leishmanial activity was assayed on Leishmania major and Leishmania infantum promastigotes using colorimetric MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay in comparison with glucantime as a reference. Results: Based on the results, 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of selected plants and glucantime solutions were determined at 24, 48, and 72 hours incubation. Further, the anti-leishmanial activity of the leaf extract of A. dracunculus with IC50 values of 1.85 and 3.5 µg/mL and the fruit extract of H. persicum with values of 31.32 and 11.7 µg/mL were evaluated against L. major and L. infantum promastigotes, respectively. Conclusion: These results revealed anti-leishmania properties of the above-mentioned plants and the need to study the effects of these extracts on the Leishmania genus in animal models and in vivo assay in the future.

Background: Candida albicans is an organism most often associated with serious fungal infection, which has recently shown an increased resistance to commercial antifungal agents. As a result, using medicinal plants as an alternative method to address health problems has received a particular attention in developing countries. Objective: This study aimed to examine the anti-Candidial potential of the extracts from Zataria multiflora Boiss (ZMB), Stachys acerosa Boiss (SAB), Prangos ferulacea (L.) Lindl (PFL), Tanacetum parthenium L. (TAPL), Teucrium polium L. (TEPL), and Cinnamomum zeylanicum L. (CZL) against three strains of Candida, including C. albicans, C. glabrata, and C. tropicalis. Materials and Methods: To this end, several tests were performed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) against Candida species, using the agar well diffusion method (AWDM). Results: According to our study results, the hydroethanolic extracts of six medicinal plants exhibited anti-Candidial activities. The extracts of ZMB, SAB, and CZL demonstrated strong anti-Candidial activities, while the hydroethanolic extracts of PFL, TAPL, and TEPL revealed moderate anti-Candidial activities at any of the tested concentrations. The highest inhibitory activity (ZOI: 38 mm) was recorded for the effect of CZL on C. albicans with MIC=1.56 mg/mL, and the lowest anti-Candidial one (ZOI: 8 mm) was documented for the effect of T. parthenium on C. albicans with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)=50 mg/mL. Conclusion: The ascending sequence of fungicidal growth inhibition zones was as follows: C. zeylanicum>Z. multiflora>S. acerosa>T. polium>T. parthenium and P. ferulacea.