Effect of synthesized organic compounds against the parasite Leishmania major

Leishmaniasis is a collection of diseases that arise from the protozoan parasite Leishmania. The parasite is transmitted to humans from the bite of a sand fly, the initial host of the parasite. Leishmaniasis has three clinical forms: cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral. In the lab, we work with Leishmania major, which causes the cutaneous form of leishmaniasis and results in ulcers at the site of the sand fly bite. Over 350 million people are at risk of being infected with leishmaniasis in southern Europe, Africa, Central and South America, the Middle East, and India. However, with changes in climate and the environment it is possible that sand fly vectors and Leishmania parasites could spread to other parts of the world. An estimated 12 million people are currently infected. Drugs currently used to treat leishmaniasis are toxic, which demonstrates the need for developing a safer treatment for leishmaniasis. Organic compounds were tested for anti-Leishmania properties to determine their potential as a drug treatment for leishmaniasis. In vitro assays were performed to evaluate the effect of the compounds on the Leishmania parasites. 1% DMSO was used as the negative control as it is used to dissolve the compounds being tested, and Amphotericin B was used as the positive control because of its current use for treating leishmaniasis. The activity of the compounds was assessed by using Alamar Blue dye, which turns red and increases in fluorescence in the presence of live cells, allowing the optical density to be measured from spectrophotometer readings