Green Approach: ‘‘A Forwarding Step for Curing Leishmaniasis—A Neglected Tropical Disease’’

Abstract

The present review focuses on a dreaded vector-mediated leishmaniasis, with the existing therapeutic approaches including a variety of drugs along with their limitations, the treatment with natural compounds, and different types of metal/metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs). As evidenced, various metallic NPs, comprising silver, silver oxide, gold, zinc oxide, titanium, lead oxide, etc., played a curative role to treat leishmaniasis, are also presented. Keeping in view the advance success of vaccines against the prevalent dreaded diseases in the past and the present scenario, efforts are also being made to develop vaccines based on these NP formulations.

Amphotericin B Nano-Assemblies Circumvent Intrinsic Toxicity and Ensure Superior Protection in Experimental Visceral Leishmaniasis with Feeble Toxic Manifestation

“…Interestingly, because of parasite clearance and cures, the upregulated IFN-γ and TNF-α concentrations and downregulated IL-10 levels were demonstrated in mice splenocytes ( Figure 9 ). A similar result validating the inherent immunomodulatory activity of AmB [ 95 , 96 ] and Mangifera indica nano-particles induced anti-inflammatory, anti-trypanosoma, and immunomodulatory anti-leishmanial activity was reported earlier [ 35 , 36 , 37 ] AmB-NA single-dose and double-dose-administered mice exhibited 2.3 and 3.1-fold enhanced concentrations of IFN-gamma in splenocytes of treated mice. Although the course of disease progression ensuing L. donovani infection is still restrained by the cytokine network and an array of T cell responses [ 93 , 97 ], it is well established that the major performer in the disease pathology of VL is IL-10, which inactivates macrophages to initiate protective signals and nitric oxide production, leads to the obstruction amastigotes killing [ 98 ].…”

“…Noticeably, recent studies advocated the potent anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-trypanosoma, anti-plasmodium, and anti-leishmanial activity of various parts of the Mangifera indica plant [ 34 , 35 ]. Previously held investigational verdict strongly advocated that plant extract fabricated nanoparticles are substantially active in arresting the development of promastigote and/or amastigote forms of Leishmania donovani [ 36 , 37 ] and Leishmania tropica [ 38 , 39 , 40 ]. The presence of bioactive substances such as polyphenols, vitamin C, carotenoids, anthocyanin, and flavonoids [ 41 ] in the employed plant extracts could be considered as the potent reason underneath that not only facilitate particle fabrication, but manifests antiparasiticidal activity as well.…”

Mechanistic insight into the role of mevalonate kinase by a natural fatty acid-mediated killing of Leishmania donovani

“…The development of novel and low-cost potential antileishmanial agents from natural resources may help in the management of a NTD like VL 6 . Different plant extracts, phytochemicals, and purified natural products were tested against leishmaniasis either by using directly or in different nanoformulations with antileishmanial efficacy 7 – 9 . The obvious advantage is the low cost in development and reduced toxicity compared to currently used chemotherapeutics.…”