vitro study on cytotoxic effects of zno nanoparticles on promastigote and amastigote forms of leishmanta major

ABSTRACT

Although pentavalent antimony compounds are used as antileish-manial drugs but they are associated with limitations and several adverse complications. Therefore, always effort to find a new and effective treatment is desired. In this study, the effect of ZnO nanoparticles with mean particle size of 20 nanometers [nm] on Leishmania major promastigotes and amastigotes was evaluated. Viability percentage of promastigotes after adding different concentrations of ZnO nanoparticles [30, 60, 90 and 120 microg/ml] to the parasite culture was evaluated by MTT assay. In the flow cytometry study, Annexin V-FITC Apoptosis detection Kit was used to study the induced apoptosis and necrotic effects. IC50 after 24 hours of incubation was 37.8 microg/ml. ZnO nanoparticles exert cytotoxic effects on promastigotes of L major through the induction of apoptosis. A concentration of 120 microg/ml of ZnO nanoparticles induced 93.76% apoptosis in L major after 72 hours. ZnO NPs can induce apoptosis in L major by dose and time-depended manner in vitro condition