Activity of the Essential Oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides Grown in Cuba against Leishmania amazonensis

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Current therapy against leishmaniasis is unsatisfactory. Efficacious and safe new drugs are needed. In this study, we show the leishmanicidal effect of an essential oil from Chenopodium ambrosioides against Leishmania amazonensis. RESULTS: The tested product had a potent inhibitory action against promastigote and amastigote forms, with 50% effective dose values of 3.7 and 4.6 microg/ml, respectively. The essential oil showed a moderate toxicity on macrophages from BALB/c mice. An optimal dose of 30 mg/kg/day was effective when administered during 15 days by intraperitoneal route to BALB/c mice infected experimentally. CONCLUSION: These studies revealed a potential source for the discovery of novel drugs to combat the leishmaniasis based on the traditional medicine.