Silver-N-Heterocyclic Complexes Against Leishmania major: In Vitro, In Vivo and In Silico Therapeutic Activities

<b>Background</b>/<b>Objectives</b>: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a prevalent vector-borne disease characterized by a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations resulting from protozoan parasites belonging to the genus <i>Leishmania</i>. The challenges associated with the treatment of CL are attributable to various factors, including but not limited to: drug resistance, the adverse effects of conventional therapeutic interventions and the imperative for novel therapeutic alternatives to address the global health burden posed by this neglected tropical disease. <b>Methods</b>: In this study, The therapeutic efficacy of two silver(I)-<i>N</i>-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes, namely chloro[1-methallyl-3-(2,4,6-trimethylbenzyl)-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole-2-ylidene]silver(I) (<b>2a</b>) and chloro[1-methallyl-3-(4-chlorobenzyl)-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole-2-ylidene]silver(I) (<b>2b</b>), was evaluated against promastigotes in vitro and in vivo in an experimentally induced CL model in Balb/c mice. <b>Results</b>: The findings of this study indicated that these compounds possess the potential to function as effective therapeutic agents, particularly in the treatment of CL. Subsequently, the silver(I) complexes were analyzed by means of molecular docking against LaGP63, LaARG, <i>N</i>-myristoyltransferase and farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase. <b>Conclusions</b>: According to the docking evaluations, complex <b>2a</b> emerged as the most notable molecule in terms of its potential antileishmanial activity.