Kayser O, Kiderlen AF, Laatsch H, Croft SL (2000): In vitro leishmanicidal activity of monomeric and dimeric naphthoquinones.
Acta Trop. 77 (3): 307-314.

A series of monomeric and dimeric naphthoquinones with potential for treatment of Leishmania infections was identified in vitro using both a direct cytotoxicity assay against extracellular promastigotes of Leishmania donovani, L. infantum, L. enriettii, and L. major, and a test against intracellular amastigote L. donovani residing within murine macrophages. Several naphthoquinones proved to be active at concentrations in the microgram range (EC₅₀ 0.9 - 17.0 mg/ ml). When tested against a panel of human cancer cell lines (KB, SKMel, A549, MDA) and murine bone marrow culture-derived macrophages as mammalian host cell controls, compounds with anti-Leishmania-activity showed moderate (EC₅₀ > 25 mg/ml) to pronounced (EC₅₀ < 10 mg/ml) toxic effects.