RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis poses a significant health risk. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Boswellia serrata (B. serrata) essential oil nanoliposomes on Leishmania tropica (L. tropica) in vitro. METHODS: A mixture of B. serrata essential oil, phosphatidylcholine and Tween 80 were used to prepare B. serrata essential oil nanoliposomes, followed by drying, hydration and size characterisation. The promastigotes of L. tropica were cultured in Roswell Park Memorial Institute medium (RPMI-1640) containing streptomycin, penicillin and fetal bovine serum. Different concentrations of B. serrata essential and nanoliposomes were tested for their antileishmanial properties by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium Bromide tests (MTT). RESULTS: Results of Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) for B. serrata nanoliposomes indicate that they are successful at producing nanoliposomes with dimensions of 74.8 nm. At 1 µg/mL dose, B. serrata essence caused 17 ± 1.73% mortality, while B. serrata nanoliposomes induced 26 ± 1.15% mortality. B. serrata essence achieved a mortality of 55 ± 2.88% at 10 µg/mL, whereas B. serrata nanoliposomes demonstrated a mortality of 63.66±0.88% at 10 µg/mL. Furthermore, there was a significant difference between similar concentrations of B. serrata and B. serrata nanoliposomes. The LC50 of B. serrata essential oil is 7.26 µg/mL in the 95% confidence interval (12.13-5.25). The LC90 value of B. serrata essential oil is 129.37 µg/mL in the 95% confidence interval (50.07-852.58). The LC50 value of B. serrata nanoliposome is 4.20 µg/mL in the 95% confidence interval (6.13-3.10). LC90 value for B. serrata nanoliposome is calculated as 91.89 µg/mL in the 95% confidence interval (37.09-583.29). CONCLUSIONS: In vitro experiments have shown that B. serrata oil and the nanoliposome suppress the proliferation of L. tropica promastigotes, which suggests it may be a promising option for treating leishmaniasis.
