Leishmanicidal activity of green tea leaves and pomegranate peel extracts on .

is responsible for the cutaneous and visceral form of this zoonotic disease, which is potentially lethal for humans and has dogs as natural reservoir. In the light of the antiparasitic properties displayed by several natural products, promastigotes were exposed to green tea () leaves extract (GTE) and pomegranate () peel extract (PPE). Both extracts, characterized by NMR and HPLC analysis, inhibited parasite proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, as proved by IC evaluation determined by MTT assay.Moreover, the reversibility assay showed that GTE and PPE have an aptotosis-mediated leishmanicidal effect, as evidenced by DNA degradation and confirmed by DNA fragmentation and real-time PCR analyses. Finally, for the first time morphological and ultrastructural alterations induced by a extract on were shown by the use of light, transmission and scanning electron microscopy.