Essential Oil Extract: Potential Antileishmanial Activity Induced by an Apoptotic-like Death.

Chemotherapy continues to be the cornerstone for the management of leishmaniasis. The preferred medications are pricey and have a number of unfavorable side effects. These restrictions make it necessary to produce novel antileishmanial chemicals, and plants have opportunities in this respect. This study aimed to evaluate the antileishmanial properties of essential oil and its mechanisms of action. Our findings demonstrated that essential oil, rich in thymol, exhibited potent antileishmanial activity, with an IC50 value of approximately 1 µg/mL against promastigotes. Furthermore, the cell cycle arrest at the sub-G0-G1 phase supported the theory that the leishmanicidal effect was mediated by apoptosis. The essential oil was characterized using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Antileishmanial activity against promastigotes was assessed, with mechanisms confirmed via flow cytometry. These results confirm the potential of essential oil as a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of leishmaniasis.