Phytochemical analysis and in vitro antileishmanial activity of Basella alba extract cultivated in Iraq

Basella alba, widely known as Malabar spinach, is a fast-growing perennial native to tropical regions Worldwide. B. alba has been widely utilized in traditional medicine because of anti-inflammatory properties, laxative, diuretic and antioxidant properties. The current research focuses on determining the chemical composition of B. alba and evaluating its antileishmanial efficacy against the promastigote of Leishmania tropica in vitro. This study is the first to examine the potential of B. alba as a natural remedy for leishmaniasis, as its antileishmanial properties have not been previously investigated. A Soxhlet apparatus was used to obtain whole-plant extracts of B. alba. The MTT proliferation assay was employed to evaluate the in vitro antileishmanial efficacy of L. tropica promastigotes. Reverse phase-high -performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was utilized to identify and isolate lupeol and β-sitosterol in the petroleum ether fraction. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to perform a comprehensive chemical profile of the fraction. To confirm the isolated compounds' molecular structure and fragmentation patterns, structural characterization was performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). To determine whether characteristic groups were found, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed. The petroleum ether extract demonstrated dose-dependent anti-promastigote activity with a notable inhibition rate of 72 %, indicating its potential antileishmanial activity. The presence of bioactive components with established antileishmanial properties highlights the potential of B. alba as a natural antileishmanial agent. Further in vivo studies are needed to support these in vitro findings and confirm their therapeutic potential.