in vitro anti-leishmanial activity of boswellia sacra gum resin extract on leishmania major promastigotes

Background: the adverse effects of traditional chemical treatments have driven interest in herbal compounds for leishmaniasis therapy. objective: this study aimed to investigate the anti-leishmanial effect of boswellia sacra gum resin extract on the survival of leishmania major promastigotes. methods: leishmania major strain (mhom/ir/75/er) was adjusted to 2 × 105 parasites per well. promastigotes were exposed to a range of b. sacra gum resin extract concentrations (15, 25, 50, 70, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and 3200 µg/ml) for 24 hours. viability and cytotoxic effects were assessed using the mtt assay (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) with absorbance measured at 450 nm. result: the b. sacra gum resin extract reduced promastigotes viability at various concentrations, with statistically significant effects observed at 800, 1600, and 3200 µg/ml (p ≤ 0.05). cytotoxic effects at 1600 and 3200 µg/ml were significantly greater than those at 15, 25, and 50 µg/ml (p ≤ 0.01). conclusion: based on the in vitro anti-leishmanial activity observed, boswellia sacra resin extract warrants further investigation as a potential agent against cutaneous leishmaniasis. future in vivo studies are recommended to evaluate efficacy and safety.