INVITRO ANTILEISHMANIAL ACTIVITY OF METHANOLIC BLACK SEED EXTRACT

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a disease that is caused by obligate intramacrophage protozoa belonging to the genera Leishmania. The major Leishmania species responsible for the condition are L.major, L.infantum, L.chagasi, and L.donovani, including 20 other Leishmania species. The disease is endemic in 60 countries worldwide. This study aims to evaluate the antileishmanial activity of black seed extract of Nigella sativa collected from Kashmir. The extract was prepared by maceration along with the methanol. The antileishmanial

activity was evaluated against Leishmania major using MTT (3-(4.5-dimethylthiazol- 2yl)-2.5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. The black seed extract shows a reduction in

cell promastigotes viability with different concentrations of doses (0- 2000 ug/ml). The extract showed the highest antileishmanial activity at 2000 ug /ml concentration. The methanolic extract of Nigella sativa showed potential antileishmanial activity at an inhibition% value of 80.29% ± 0.65%. IC 50 was calculated after 48hrs to be 964.3 μg/ml. Considering these results, these medicinal plants from Kashmir could serve as potential drug sources for antileishmanial compounds.