Effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Echinacea purpurea in combination with meglumine antimoniate on treatment of Leishmania major-induced cutaneous leishmaniasis in BALB/c mice

CONTEXT: Progressive resistance of Leishmania parasite to available drugs including, meglumine antimoniate, has been reported from various regions of the world, especially Iran. AIMS: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Echinacea purpurea in a combination therapy with glucantime in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hydroalcoholic extract of E. purpurea was prepared from the plant. Amastigote form of L. major was inoculated to the tail base of thirty mice. After their tails became wounded, mice were divided into six groups. The first group was used as control and the second group received 100 mg/kg of Echinacea extract (orally). The third group was treated by meglumine antimoniate with dose of 20 mg/kg. Combination therapy was used for group four, five, and six where the mice received a different concentration of extract (100–200 mg/kg) and glucantime (10–20 mg/kg). The size of the cutaneous lesion on tail base was measured regularly. Findings were analyzed by SPSS software and using Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: The sizes of the lesion were increased in all mice of control group by the time. The mean size of lesions in mice receiving the extract and/or receiving the extract along with meglumine antimoniate was lower than those of control mice, but the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). On the other hand, the differences between the group of mice which received meglumine antimoniate alone, and the rest of groups were statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: E. purpurea extract in doses which have been used in this study and combination with meglumine antimoniate was not much effective against L. major in BALB/C mice.