Impregnated Nanofibrous Mat with Nanogel of Citrus sinensis Essential Oil as a New Type of Dressing in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniases are a group of diseases caused by the Leishmania genus. Essential oils (EO)s have recently received more attention for the development of new green drugs. In this study, Citrus sinensis EO was used as an antileishmanial agent; its half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) against promastigotes of Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major was observed at 151.13 and 108.31 µg/mL. After that, the nanoemulsion-based nanogel of C. sinensis was prepared to improve its stability, potency, and facilitated topical usage. By adding carbomer 940 (2% w/v) to the prepared nanoemulsion with a 225 ± 7 nm droplet size, the nanogel was prepared. The nanogel was then impregnated on the electrospun nanofibers of chitosan-polycaprolactone, diameter = ~ 200 nm. The prototype's leishmanicidal effect was substantially better than the non-formulated EO; both species' viabilities were reduced to ~ 0%. The prepared sample could be used as a new type of dressing for cutaneous leishmaniasis; moreover, it could be considered an excellent candidate for in-vivo studies.