The macrophage-expressed CD40 regulates immune responses to Leishmania major infection by reciprocal signaling through p38 MAPK and ERK1/2. CD40-induced IL-10 or IL-12 plays crucial roles in the promotion or protection from L. major infection, respectively. Because p38 MAPK and ERK1/2 are dephosphorylated by dual-specificity MAPK phosphatases (MKPs), we tested the role of CD40 in the regulation...

Bornyl caffeate (1) was previously isolated by us from Valeriana (V.) wallichii rhizomes and identified as an anti-leishmanial substance. Here, we screened a small compound library of synthesized derivatives 1-30 for activity against schistosomula of Schistosoma (S.) mansoni. Compound 1 did not show any anti-schistosomal activity. However, strong phenotypic changes, including the formation of v...

BACKGROUND Plants used for traditional medicine produce diverse and complex secondary metabolites exhibiting various medicinal properties. The medicinal plant Haplophyllum tuberculatum is used by native people against malaria and parasitic infections. METHODS In this study and in order to contribute for the search of new natural drugs for leishmaniasis, the essential oils of H. tuberculatum l...

Transgenic Leishmania expressing fluorescent reporter proteins such as green fluorescent protein (GFP) have opened the way for a flow cytometry (FACS)-based method to assess the killing of Leishmania parasites inside their macrophage host. Compared with counting parasites in microscopic preparations, the assessment of anti-leishmanial effects by FACS analysis promises both strict objectivity an...

Chromatographic separation of the leaves of Teclea trichocarpa (Engl.) Engl. (Rutaceae) used traditionally by Akamba tribe in Kenya yielded three acridone alkaloids, a furoquinoline alkaloid and two triterpenoids. The total extract (methanol) of the leaves of this plant and the isolated compounds were screened for in vitro for cytotoxicity and against parasitic protozoa, Plasmodium falciparum, ...

Fractions obtained from partitioning of aerial methanolic extract of Euphorbia Aellenii with chloroform (E2), ethyl acetate (E3), n-butanol (E4) and water (E5) were investigated in vitro for their phytotoxicity, insecticidal, anti-leishmanial, cytotoxicity, antibacterial and antifungal activities. Sample E2 appeared to have significant phytotoxic activity. In the insecticidal screening study o...