Leishmania polysaccharides

Pretreatment with a polysaccharide E. purpurea extract was found to decrease morbidity and mortality in mice infected by C. albicans immunosuppresed with cyclophosphamide and cyclosporine A. They found that macrophages in the Echinacea group produced an increased amount of TNF-cx. The authors state that this led to an increased resistance toward Listeria monocytogenes, C. albicans, and the intracellular parasite Leishmania enrietti (17). 

Dwyer DM, Langreth SG, Dwyer NK. Evidence for a polysaccharide surfiice coat in the developmental stages of Leishmania donovani A fine structure-cytochemical study. Z Parasitenkd 1974 43(4) 227-249. 

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