GLYCOSIDE-BEARING LIPOSOMAL DELIVERY SYSTEMS AGAINST MACROPHAGE-ASSOCIATED DISORDERS INVOLVING MYCOBACTERIUM-LEPRAE AND MYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS

Asiaticoside, a plant glycoside with rhamnose as end sugar and having microbicidal properties was tested against Mycobacterium leprae and My cobacterium tuberculosis both in vivo and in vitro. As rhamnose is rep orted to have no tissue specificity, corchorusin D having glucose as e nd sugar was used for targeting with an equimolar proportion of asiati coside in liposomal form for testing the drug value. Results showed th at liposomal asiaticoside had better microbicidal property against M. leprae and M. tuberculosis when compared to that of free asiaticoside whereas liposomes containing asiaticoside and corchorusin D were found to be equally or more active in comparison to liposomal asiaticoside alone. It is inferred that appropriate glycosides, if used in liposoma l form (incorporated or covalently grafted) have enhanced drug efficac y and such glycoside bearing liposomes as targeted delivery systems co uld be used for chemotherapeutic control of several other diseases.