Fig. 1

Infection index of macrophages infected with Leishmania amazonensis. Graph showing the levels of infection index obtained after study and descriptive table of mean values for infection percentage, number of amastigotes per macrophage and infection index (A). Fluorescence labeling of infected macrophages, untreated (negative control); after 24 h of incubation (B). Fluorescence labeling of infected macrophages treated with AgNP-PVP-MA nanocomposite (AgNP to 1 %, 0.1 g of PVP and 50 µg/mL of MA) incubated for 24 h. (C). Fluorescence labeling of infected macrophages treated with AMB (positive control) at a concentration of 0.5 µg/mL incubated for 24 h. Actin filaments - phalloidin in red (1:200) and DAPI in blue (1:100) was used (D). White arrow: amastigote forms. Control group: macrophages infected but untreated. AgNP-PVP-MA group: macrophages infected and treated with the nanocomposite. AMB group: macrophages infected and treated with amphotericin B. Analysis of variance, Student’s t-test: *p ≤ 0.05; **** p ≤ 0.0001