LEISHMANIA-DONOVANI - METABOLITE MAPPING OF PROMASTIGOTES USING PROTON NUCLEAR-MAGNETIC-RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used for studying t he intracellular metabolite profile of promastigotes of Leishmania don ovani. The major intracellular metabolites observed in the promastigot es were acetate, alanine, succinate, glycine, alpha-glycerophosphorylc holine, acetoacetate, arginine and ethanol. A comparative study of the intracellular metabolite profile of promastigotes of different strain s of L. donovani showed that, all the major intracellular metabolites were present in promastigotes of different strains. A quantitative est imation of metabolites showed a strain specific (Finger print) metabol ite profile which can be used for strain/species identification/differ entiation.