phytochemical screening, in vitro antileishmanial activity of conyza canadensis extract by neopterin

Aims: leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by the leishmania parasite, transmitted through the bite of an infected sandfly. the disease presents in four primary clinical forms: visceral, cutaneous, diffuse cutaneous, and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis. the clinical manifestations vary depending on the leishmania species and the host’s immune response. current treatments include antileishmanial drugs such as amphotericin b, antimonials, sitamaquine, pentamidine, paromomycin, and miltefosine. however, these drugs present challenges, including resistance to pentavalent antimonials and nephrotoxicity. the world health organization recommends exploring plants as therapeutic agents due to their efficacy and affordability. conyza canadensis, a biennial plant, has been utilized for wound healing and has shown efficacy against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. this study aimed to investigate the anti-leishmanial effect of extracts from c. canadensis on the iraqi strain of leishmania tropica.materials & methods: in this experimental study, the extracts were prepared as stock solutions and sub-cultured in rpmi-1640 medium. the cells were incubated in tissue culture flasks and treated with various concentrations of ssg and aqueous/alcoholic extracts. the anti-leishmanial activity of these extracts was evaluated using the sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) technique. the findings indicated that the extracts possessed anti-leishmanial activity.findings: the iraqi c. canadensis plant extract contained alkaloids, gallic acid, apigenin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin, p-coumaric acid, and glutathione. these compounds are known to reduce neopterin levels and enhance the immune response against l. tropica.conclusion: the extracts of c. canadensis demonstrate anti-leishmanial activity, correlated with neopterin levels, showing promise as an alternative therapy for leishmaniasis. further research is necessary to establish their effectiveness.