Novel Flavonoid Dimers against Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmaniasis
. Potent Anti-promastigote and Anti-amastigote Activities in vitro and in vivo .
Leishmaniasis is a serious parasitic disease that threatens about 350 million people in the world. Treatment of leishmaniasis by chemotherapy remains a challenge because of limited efficacy, toxic side effects and drug resistance. Plant-derived natural products such as flavonoids have been a good source for discovering antiparasitic compounds. Previously, we demonstrated that synthetic flavonoid dimers can inhibit the pumping activity of ATP- binding Cassette (ABC) transporters, resulting in an increase in intracellular drug accumulation and thereby reversing drug resistance in both cancer and Leishmania. In this study, some of the flavonoid dimers were found to have potent anti-promastigote and anti-amastigote activity towards cutaneous strain and visceral strain of Leishmania in vitro and in vivo.