Leishmanicidal Activity of Betulin Derivatives in Effect on Plasma and Mitochondrial Membrane Potential, and Macrophage Nitric Oxide and Superoxide Production.

Unlabelled: Herein, we evaluated in vitro the anti-leishmanial activity of betulin derivatives in Venezuelan isolates of , isolated from patients with therapeutic failure.

Methods: We analyzed promastigote in vitro susceptibility as well as the cytotoxicity and selectivity of the evaluated compounds. Additionally, the activity of selected compounds was determined in intracellular amastigotes.

Betulin derivatives impair Leishmania braziliensis viability and host-parasite interaction.

Leishmaniasis is a public health problem in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, including Venezuela. The incidence of treatment failure and the number of cases with Leishmania-HIV co-infection underscore the importance of developing alternative, economical and effective therapies against this disease. The work presented here analyzed whether terpenoids derived from betulin are active against New World Leishmania parasites.