Mannose-conjugated curcumin-chitosan nanoparticles: Efficacy and toxicity assessments against Leishmania donovani.

Aim was to fabricate and optimize CUR-loaded mannose-functionalized chitosan nanoparticles (Cur-MCN) which overcome the limitations of drugs to reach the intracellular locations and to establish its therapeutic potential in visceral leishmaniasis by targeting of CUR to macrophages. Cur-MCN were developed by mannose-conjugated chitosan and have been tested for their efficacy and toxicit. In vivo antileishmanial activity in hamsters has shown significantly greater suppression of parasite replication in the spleen with Cur-MCN than unconjugated chitosan nanoparticles. The in vitro cytotoxicity study against the J774A.1 cell line demonstrated its comparative non-toxicity towards the macrophage cells. The potential of Cur-MCN was also confirmed by minimal observed cytotoxicity in our in vivo studies.