The effect of Satureja khuzestanica essential oil on the lesions induced by Leishmania major in BALB/c mice

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is the most common form of leishmaniasis that is still treated with expensive drugs, which present side effects. Conventional healers usually are cheap and sometimes more effective than chemical drugs. Satureja khuzestanica is an endemic plant in the west of Lorestan Province, Iran. This plant has therapeutic value. This study was carried out for the first time to assess the in vivo efficacy of S. khuzestanica in animal model of leishmaniasis. Mice were inoculated with Leishmania major poromastigotes and then when a lesion developed, the mice were divided randomly into treatment and control groups. The mice were treated with different concentrations of S. khuzestanica essential oil (SKEO). The results showed that the lesions' size in SKEO treated groups was restrained but not significantly different from the control group which might be due to the low sample size or concentration of SKEO. The mortality rate in treated groups was clearly less than the control. The results indicated that SKEO has an effect on preventing death in infected mice. Also the survival rate in the treated groups compared with the control groups was more. According to the results, it seems that not only SKEO is antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial but also antiparasitical.