1. Molecules. 2017 Jun 27;22(7). pii: E1071. doi: 10.3390/molecules22071071.

In Vitro Anti-Leishmanial Activity of Essential Oils Extracted from Vietnamese
Plants.

Le TB(1)(2), Beaufay C(3), Nghiem DT(4), Mingeot-Leclercq MP(5), Quetin-Leclercq 
J(6).

Author information: 
(1)GNOS Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institue, Université Catholique de 
Louvain, Bruxelles 1200, Belgium. thanh.le@student.uclouvain.be.
(2)Department of Pharmacognosy, Hanoi University of Pharmacy, 13-15 Le Thanh
Tong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam. thanh.le@student.uclouvain.be.
(3)GNOS Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institue, Université Catholique de 
Louvain, Bruxelles 1200, Belgium. claire.beaufay@uclouvain.be.
(4)Department of Botany, Hanoi University of Pharmacy, 13-15 Le Thanh Tong, Hoan 
Kiem, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam. ductrongeb@hup.edu.vn.
(5)TFAR Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institue, Université Catholique de 
Louvain, Bruxelles 1200, Belgium. marie-paule.mingeot@uclouvain.be.
(6)GNOS Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institue, Université Catholique de 
Louvain, Bruxelles 1200, Belgium. joelle.leclercq@uclouvain.be.

Leishmania mexicana is one of the pathogens causing cutaneous leishmaniasis which
is associated with patient morbidity. In our researches for new safe and
effective treatments, thirty-seven essential oils (EOs) extracted from Vietnamese
plants were screened in vitro for the first time on Leishmania mexicana
mexicana(Lmm) promastigotes at the maximum concentration of 50 nL/mL. Active EOs 
were also analyzed for cytotoxicity on mammalian cell lines (WI38, J774) and
their selectivity indices (SI) were calculated. Their composition was determined 
by GC-MS and GC-FID. Our results indicated that EOs extracted from Cinnamomum
cassia, Zingiber zerumbet, Elsholtzia ciliata and Amomum aromaticum, possessed a 
moderate anti-leishmanial activity, with IC50 values of 2.92 ± 0.08, 3.34 ± 0.34,
8.49 ± 0.32 and 9.25 ± 0.64 nL/mL respectively. However, they also showed
cytotoxicity with SI < 10. The most promising EO was extracted from Ocimum
gratissimum, displaying an IC50 of 4.85 ± 1.65 nL/mL and SI > 10. It contained
86.5% eugenol, which was demonstrated to be effective on Lmm with IC50 of 2.57 ± 
0.57 nL/mL and not toxic on mammalian cells, explaining the observed activity.

DOI: 10.3390/molecules22071071 
PMID: 28654013 

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.