lactoferrin and miltefosine

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani, is a potentially fatal disease. The only orally bioavailable drug miltefosine is toxic and the effective liposomal Amphotericin B (AmBisome) is limited by its prohibitive cost and requirement for parenteral administration. Therefore, finding a new potential drug candidate and an alternative delivery system is imperative. We report that Betulinic acid (BA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid from Betula alba bark, was loaded onto uniformly spherical PLGA nanoparticles (BANPs; diameter 187.5 ± 5.60 nm) coated with Lactoferrin (Lf-BANPs). The amastigotes count in macrophages was more effectively reduced by Lf-BANP than BA and BANP. Lf-BANPs reduced the pro-parasitic, anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, but increased nitric oxide (NO), production in L. donovani-infected macrophages indicating that Lf-BANP possesses a significant anti-leishmanial activity.

Topics: Amphotericin B; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antiparasitic Agents; Betulinic Acid; Cytokines; Lactoferrin; Leishmania donovani; Leishmaniasis, Visceral; Macrophages; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Nanoparticles; Pentacyclic Triterpenes; Phosphorylcholine; Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer; Triterpenes