Objective: To evaluate the antileishmanial activity of asafoetida topical ointment (Ferula assa-foetida oleo-gum-resin) against Leishmania major.
Materials and Methods: Aqueous extract from asafoetida was achieved and two concentrations of 20 and 40% in eucerin base were prepared. BALB/c mice were divided into two set of animals with lesions ≤5 mm or lesions >5 mm. In one set four groups of asafoetida extract ointment (AEO) 40% (twice a day), eucerin, glucantime (20 mg/kg, sub cutaneous daily) and control were included for 8 weeks. In the other set, AEO 20% was used instead.
Results: In mice with lesions > 5 mm, a significant reduction in the lesions size was observed in the glucantime group compared to others (p<0.05). In terms of parasite load, a significant decrease was found between the AEO 40% and glucantime group compared to the eucerin and control groups (p<0.001). Parasite count in the spleen tissue revealed a significant difference in AEO 40% and glucantime group compared to the other groups (p=0.002). In the AEO 40% group, no amastigotes were observed in the spleen of any mice compared to the glucantime group (40% loss of amastigotes).
In mice with lesions ≤5 mm, no reduction in the lesions size was observed in the AEO 20% group. However, a higher decrease in parasite load was observed in the lesions of all mice in the AEO 20% group and glucantime group (p<0.001). Amastigotes decreases in spleen in the glucantime and AEO 20% group compared to eucerin and control groups were significant (p<0.002).
Conclusion: Asafoetida may be recommended as an efficient topical treatment for improving the L. major -induced ulcers besides standard treatment.