Phytochemical profile and anti-Leishmania amazonensis activity of Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberacea).

Leishmaniasis treatment relies on toxic chemotherapy [1]. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is commonly used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. Indeed, there are many studies demonstrating the pharmacological potential of this species [2]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-Leishmania activity of the hydroethanolic extract of Z. officinale and its fractions against L. amazonensis. The phytochemical profile of extracts and fractions was performed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The anti-promastigote activity was evaluated by MTT assay. The hemolytic activity (HA) was evaluated by spectrophotometry (540 nm). The IC50 values for the extract and fractions ranged from 35.9 to 74.6 μg/mL. The HA50 values ranged from 33.1 to 455.9 μg/mL. The phytochemical analysis showed phenolics and terpenes as main chemical classes. The results presented herein pave the way for further pharmacological evaluations of Z. Officinale as a source of anti-Leishmania substances.