Abstract

The effect of an alcoholic extract of Nigella sativa seeds was surveyed on cutaneous leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice. A subcutaneous inoculation of Leishmania(L) major at the dorsal base of the tail produced swelling, inflammation, stiffness, redness and sore. As soon as symptoms appeared, the ointment was used on the wound of mice as a treatment (the seeds were dried and crushed into coarse powder. Five hundred grams of the powder were extracted with ethanol 95% v/v. The extract was concentrated under reduced pressure of 22 to 26 mmHg at 45°C, then 40, 60 and 80% of Nigella sativa seed extract were prepared in ointment base). As the animals were weighed by the scales, lesion development was monitored every other day with a direct-reading vernier caliper gauge. This monitoring continued to the death of the last mice in the control group. Then the spleens of mice in each group were measured and controlled. Weight loss or stoppage was not observed in any of the case group mice. But the wound diameter in all case groups was smaller, compared to the control group. Swelling, inflammation, stiffness, redness, necrosis and secondary infection were less in the case group mice compared to the control group mice. So, these results indicate that the alcoholic extract of Nigella sativa, showed a significant anti-cutaneous leishmanial activity and this validates the traditional use of the plant in fungal infections.

Key words: Leishmania (L) major, alcoholic extract, antileishmania, BALB/c mice.