Cytotoxic Screening and In Vitro Evaluation of Pentadecane Against Leishmania infantum Promastigotes and Amastigotes.

Pentadecane is an organic compound that is made up of primarily carbon and hydrogen atoms. Pentadecane is a floral volatile found in many different plants and essential oils and also in crude extracts of some plants, and it shows antimicrobial activity. This study investigated in vitro effects of pentadecane in Leishmania infantum parasites and found that it decreases growth by 86 ± 2% both in promastigotes (half maximal inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 65.

Fluorescence-based detection of Leishmania infantum DNA in phlebotomus vectors.

The geographical diffusion of leishmaniasis can depend on the factors limiting the distribution of sandfly vectors. In Sicily, as in all Mediterranean areas, sandflies are present almost all year round because the climate permits perpetuation of this vector's life cycle. Transmission can occurs in rural and domestic habitats through the bite of infected female phlebotomine sandflies.