In Vitro Study of Ag2O, MgO Nanoparticles and Sb Drug Cytotoxic Effects on Leishmania donovani

Abstract

Background: Leishmania is a parasitic protozoan that causes severe illness in humans. While pentavalent antimony compounds (Sb Drug) are used as antileishmanic drugs but are linked to limitations and many adverse complications.

Objective: Therefore, commitment is still needed to find a new and successful treatment.

Material & methods: In this study, the effect of Ag₂O, MgO nanoparticles with mean particles size of (12-28)nm and(7-12)nm respectively on Leishmania was evaluated. Viability percentage of promastigotes following the addition of different concentrations of Ag₂O, MgO nanoparticles and Sb drugs (25, 50, 100, 200  and 300 μg / ml ) to the parasite culture, assessed using colorimetric ALAMAR stain in (24,48 72)hours.

Results: The concentration that the number of parasite by half (IC50) value was measured after 24, 48 and 72 hours for Sb, Ag₂O NPs and MgO NPs. For Ag₂O NPs   the IC50 was 2.404 after 72 hours only, and doesn’t reveal any value in 24 hour, 48 hour, in comparison to Sb drug and MgO NPs which doesn't reveal IC50 value in all used concentration and periods.

Conclusion: Our data determine the superiority of Ag₂O NPs and MgO NPs over standard in vitro pentostam that's it. Provides the possibility of using these Ag₂O NPs and MgO NPs as a drug target for candidates with better antileishmanial efficacy.