Leishmanicidal Activity and Immunomodulatory Effect of a Mixture of Lupenone and β-Caryophyllene Oxide

Evaluation of the leishmanicidal activity of different mixtures of β-caryophyllene oxide and lupenone against Old and New World Leishmania spp. showed that both the pure β-caryophyllene oxide and the 1:4 mixture of lupenone and β-caryophyllene oxide are similarly active against promastigotes of L. amazonensis, L. braziliensis, L. mexicana, L. tropica, and L. aethiopica, with IC50 values ranging from 14 to 39.3 μg/ml, and reduce the infectivity of macrophages by L. mexicana and L. tropica. However, the 1:4 mixture of lupenone and β-caryophyllene oxide showed a better selectivity index than the pure sesquiterpene and increased production of NO, H2O2, and cytokines; these results suggest that the 1:4 mixture of terpenoids has both leishmanicidal activity and an immunomodulator effect, without affecting cell viability.