Cytotoxic Screening and In Vitro Evaluation of Pentadecane Against Leishmania infantum Promastigotes and Amastigotes

J Parasitol. 2015 Dec;101(6):701-5. doi: 10.1645/15-736. Epub 2015 Aug 31.

Abstract

Pentadecane is an organic compound that is made up of primarily carbon and hydrogen atoms. Pentadecane is a floral volatile found in many different plants and essential oils and also in crude extracts of some plants, and it shows antimicrobial activity. This study investigated in vitro effects of pentadecane in Leishmania infantum parasites and found that it decreases growth by 86 ± 2% both in promastigotes (half maximal inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 65.3 μM) and in amastigotes (IC50 = 60.5 μM), resulting in a reduction of macrophage infection; growth inhibition was 77% at 300 μM. Analysis of propidium iodide incorporation in L. infantum , treated with pentadecane at 48 hr, suggested that cells were arresting in the sub-G0/G1 and G1 phases of the cell cycle, whereas cytotoxicity assay of pentadecane in immortalized cells lines DH82 and U937 and in primary epithelial cells of Cercopiteco showed that it caused negligible cytotoxic effect. This study shows that pentadecane has antimicrobial activity against L. infantum parasites in in vitro culture.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alkanes / pharmacology*
  • Alkanes / toxicity
  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Cercopithecus
  • Epithelial Cells / drug effects
  • Flowers / chemistry
  • G1 Phase / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Leishmania infantum / cytology
  • Leishmania infantum / drug effects*
  • Leishmania infantum / growth & development
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Macrophages / parasitology
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology*
  • Plant Extracts / toxicity
  • Resting Phase, Cell Cycle / drug effects
  • U937 Cells

Substances

  • Alkanes
  • Plant Extracts
  • pentadecane