IN VITRO EVALUATION OF THE ANTI-LEISHMANIAL ROLE OF MILTEFOSINE-LOADED MESOPORUSZNO NANOPARTICLES IN RAW 264.7 MACROPHAGES

Objective: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a deadly parasitic disease lacking safe and effective treatments. This study investigated the anti-leishmanial efficacy of a novel compound, MF-MZONPs, in vitro using the murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cell line. Method: RAW 264.7 cells were cultivated and exposed to Leishmania donovani promastigotes with or without MF-MZONPs treatment, and a battery of assays was performed. Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay, parasite growth by microscopy and trypan blue exclusion, and cellular effects by nuclear staining (DAPI) and ethidium bromide–acridine orange (EtBr-AO) dual staining. A scratch wound assay evaluated the impact on cell migration, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in promastigotes was measured. Results: MF-MZONPs was non-toxic to macrophages at concentrations up to 10%, while significantly impairing L. donovani promastigote viability. Treated macrophages showed preserved nuclear integrity and reduced apoptosis/necrosis compared to infected cells without treatment. MF-MZONPS also mitigated parasite-induced inhibition of wound healing in macrophages and induced a marked increase in ROS within promastigotes. Conclusions: The compound MF-MZONPS demonstrated potent anti leishmanial activity in vitro, killing parasites and protecting host macrophages. These findings suggest MF-MZONPS as a promising candidate for VL therapy, warranting further evaluation in animal models to confirm efficacy and safety in vivo.