Investigation the Activity of Iraqi Agave attenuata on In Vitro Growth of Cutaneous Leishmania Promastigotes
Author(s): Sherine Majeed Shah* and Thukaa Z Abdul Jalil
Abstract
In this research we concentrate on the study of the activity of Iraqi Agave attenuata root and leaves as antileishmania (cutaneous leishmania). Focusing on the phenolic content of the plant that detected in high concentration in ethyl acetate fraction obtained by extraction method using soxhlet apparatus. Also depending on the saponin content that Agave species rich with these constituents, in addition because of the previously studied effect of saponin as anti-parasite encourage us to extract steroidal saponin by a particular way. The result was the phenolic constituents in root have a great antileishmanial activity. As well as steroidal saponin root and leaves showed a considerable effect that is identical and also better than the drug used (pentostam) as a control. This study is the first to describe the antileishmanial activity especially on cutaneous leishmania and the result showed that the concentration that gave us perfect effect in ethyl acetate root fraction was at 1 mg/ml with IC50 (0.768 mg/ml), for steroidal saponin leaves and root fractions the maximum effect were at 1 mg/ml and 0.125 mg/ml respectively with IC50 (0.48 mg/ml) for leaves and (0.6 mg/ml) for root.