The therapeutic effect of ozonated olive oil plus glucantime on human cutaneous leishmaniasis

OBJECTIVE(S): Leishmaniasis is one of the main health problems in developing countries, caused by intracellular protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus. Although research has been successful in discovering vaccines and anti-parasitic drugs like antimony compounds, their side effects like high toxicity, prolonged regeneration, etc., have raised the replacement importance of natural products with antioxidant and antibacterial properties. It can be said that an appropriate alternative to this is the ozonated olive oil. Ozone by introducing O(2) in involved tissues and bloodstream could degrade parasite amastigotes and lead to cleared leishmaniasis infections. So, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of ozonated olive oil in Iranian leishmaniasis patients compared to glucantime, a choice drug for the treatment of Leishmaniasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients with confirmed leishmaniasis lesions were included and divided into two groups, 15 cases as control and 15 cases as test with lesions of 30–50 mm2 in diameter. The control group received glucantime intralesionally and the test group ozonated olive oil plus glucantime, 2 times daily. RESULTS: The mean of lesion size was (50.94±33.20) before and (15±14.34) after treatment in control (P<0.00) and (50.88±31.74) before and (9.93±14.18) after treatment in the test group (P<0.00). Moreover, the mean course of therapy was 10.4(±1.84) weeks and 8.93(±2.15) weeks in control and test groups, respectively (P=0.636). Significant differences were reported in lesion size after treatment between the two groups (P<0.00). CONCLUSION: Data suggested ozonated olive oil can have synergistic effects with glucantime in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.