Evaluation of the Leishmanicidal Activity of Ocotea quixos

This project focuses on investigating the antimicrobial properties of extracts derived from the Ecuadorian plant Ocotea quixos, leveraging the vast botanical biodiversity of the Andean region. The primary goal is to determine the extract's efficacy against clinically important pathogens, including Leishmania sp, two bacterial genera, and one yeast. The methodology involves extracting secondary metabolites using techniques such as maceration or percolation, employing water or other organic solvents. To assess antimicrobial activity against fungi and bacteria, standardized methods like the agar diffusion assay will be utilized, measuring the inhibition zone diameter to correlate with the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). Regarding antiparasitic activity against Leishmania sp, native strains (promastigotes and amastigotes in mouse macrophages) will be cultured and challenged with decreasing concentrations of the extract to calculate the IC50 dose, using controls such as meglumine antimoniate and amphotericin B. Parasite viability will be assessed via the MTT photometric assay. The resulting data will be statistically analyzed using SPSS software, aiming to substantiate the use of this natural resource in developing pharmaceutical technology.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>To evaluate the antimicrobial effect of Ocotea quixos extract against Leishmania sp, two bacterial genera, and a clinically relevant yeast.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>biological activity