In Vivo Assessment of Antileishmanial Property of 4-(4,4,8-Trimethyl-7- oxo-3-oxabicyclo[3.3.1]non-2-yl)-benzoic Acid Methyl Ester, an Oxabicyclo[ 3.3.1]nonanones

The high toxicity and the growing resistance are the major drawbacks of available antileishmanials. Our previous in vitro studies have identified oxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanones as antileishmanial agents that act on the redox enzymes of the parasite. In the current study, antileishmanial activity of 4-(4,4,8-trimethyl-7-oxo-3-oxabicyclo[3.3.1]non-2-yl)- benzoic acid methyl ester (PS 203) the most potent oxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanone identified in our previous study is evaluated using the hamster model. There was 77.29 ± 3.0 % inhibition of parasite growth observed after a 5-day treatment of 5 mg/kg body weight dose. Further, the in vivo toxicity study of the compound in Swiss albino mice revealed no hepatic or renal toxicity.