Reactive oxygen species production by quercetin causes the death of Leishmania amazonensis intracellular amastigotes

  • J Nat Prod. 2013 Aug 23;76(8):1505-8. doi: 10.1021/np400193m.
Fernanda Fonseca-Silva  1 ,  Job D F Inacio ,  Marilene M Canto-Cavalheiro ,  Elmo E Almeida-Amaral
Affiliations
  • 1. Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanosomatideos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Pavilhão Leônidas Deane, Manguinhos, 21045-900 Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
PMID: 23876028 DOI: 10.1021/np400193m
Abstract

The present study reports the mechanism of the antileishmanial activity of quercetin against the intracellular amastigote form of Leishmania amazonensis. Treatment with 1 reduced the Infection index in L. amazonensis-infected macrophages in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC₅₀ value of 3.4 μM and a selectivity index of 16.8, and additionally increased ROS generation also in a dose-dependent manner. Quercetin has been described as a pro-oxidant that induces the production of Reactive Oxygen Species, which can cause cell death. Taken together, these results suggest that ROS production plays a role in the mechanism of action of 1 in the control of intracellular amastigotes of L. amazonensis.