apoptosis-like cell death in leishmania major treated with hesa-a: an herbal marine compound

Background: the first drug for the treatment of leishmaniasis is pentavalent antimony compounds which have great side effects. objectives: this study aimed to assess apoptosis induction by hesa-a, an herbal marine compound in leishmania major promastigotes. methods: leishmania major promastigotes were treated with hesa-a in different increasing concentrations ranged 1.625 - 120 µg/ml, and amphotericin b and the phenomenon of apoptosis in the parasite were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (mtt), flow cytometry, and dna fragmentation tests. results: the ic50 value of the compound and amphotericin b at 72 h were estimated at 2.81 µg/ml and 40 µg/ml, respectively. after 72 h of the adjacency of leishmania major promastigotes with ic50 dose (2.81 µg/ml), the percentage of promastigotes in early and late apoptosis phases in the treated group was 5.4% and 60.4%, respectively. dna fragmentation of leishmania major promastigotes treated with 2.81 µg/ml for 72 h was observed. conclusions: hesa-a, with significant induction of apoptosis in leishmania major promastigotes, can be plausible in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis