Evaluation of nanoliposomal quercetin - paromomycin and clindamycin on cutaneous leishmaniasis skin lesions in BALB/c mice.

The current treatments for leishmaniasis come with various side effects and the risk of drug resistance. Nanoliposomal quercetin - paromomycin and clindamycin - is being explored as a new therapeutic approach to replace existing treatments. In this research, nanoliposomal was created using the ultrasonic thin-layer dispersion method and evaluated for its encapsulation efficiency, size and zeta potential. The average particle size in the nanoliposome containing quercetin - paromomycin and clindamycin - was 74.8 nm. The dispersibility indices were equal to 0.61. The zeta potential of the nanoliposome was 24.2 mV. EC50 levels of nanoliposomal quercetin (QN), nanoliposomal quercetin-paromomycin (QPN), quercetin-paromomycin and clindamycin (QPC), nanoliposomal quercetin-clindamycin and paromomycin (QCPN), paromomycin (P) against L. major promastigotes were 70 ± 2, 57 ± 2, 51 ± 9, 43 ± 8 and 41 ± 8  micromolar, respectively. There was no significant difference in the activity of liposomal formulations against L. major promastigotes. The topical application of all treatment groups compared to PBS and the untreated group caused significant reductions in the lesion sizes. The nanoliposomal quercetin - paromomycin and clindamycin - displayed a significant anti-leishmanial effect, showing promise as a potential candidate for treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.