Effect of Aqueous Allium cepa and Ixora brachiata Root Extract on Leishmania major Promastigotes

Background: Leishmaniasis is a major worldwide public health problem with about two to three million humans threatened by this disease annually. Allium cepa (onion) is an important dietary vegetable and was used as a herbal medicine for centuries. The root of Ixora brachiata is medicinally important. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-Leishmania effect of the ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Ixora brachiata root and aqueous onion extracts on Leishmania major promastigotes. Patients and Methods: The parasites isolated from cutaneous leishmaniasis were exposed with different concentrations of selected plant extracts and their inhibitory effects on the promastigotes were evaluated after 24 and 48 hours. Results: Among tested plant extracts, Ixora brachiata root extracts revealed the best activity against Leishmania major promastigotes with IC100 value of 2.5 mg/mL and IC50 value of 0.078 mg/mL. Conclusions: This study showed that aqueous Allium cepa and Ixora brachiata root extracts as natural products could be used as alternative drugs in treatment of leishmaniasis.