Reactive Oxygen Species Production by Quercetin Causes the Death of Leishmania amazonensis Intracellular Amastigotes

The present study reports the mechanism of the antileishmanial activity of quercetin (1) against the intracellular amastigote form of Leishmania amazonensis. Treatment with 1 reduced the infection index in L. amazonensis-infected macrophages in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 value of 3.4 mu M and a selectivity index of 16.8, and additionally increased ROS generation also in a dose-dependent manner. Quercetin (1) has been described as a pro-oxidant that induces the production of reactive oxygen species, which can cause cell death. Taken together, these results suggest that ROS production plays a role in the mechanism of action of 1 in the control of intracellular amastigotes of L. amazonensis.