Table 2.

Methods employed for analysis and characterization of Leishmania Sias.

Methods	Leishmania species/strain	Main objectives/findings	References
Fluorimetric quantification by acetyl acetone method	L.tropica K27, L. major JISH118, L. mexicana LV4, L. braziliensis L280, L. amazonensis LV81, L. infantum MON29	Quantity of total Sias is proportional to virulence	(Ghoshal et al., 2010)
HPLC	K27, LV4, LV81	Different proportions of Neu5Gc, Neu5Ac, Neu5,7Ac2 and other derivatives	(Chatterjee et al., 2003; Chava et al., 2004; Ghoshal et al., 2010; Karmakar et al., 2012)
ELISA	K27, JISH118, L280, MON29, LV4, LV81, and L. donovani AG83	Sias correlation with host responses	(Chatterjee et al., 2003; Ghoshal et al., 2010)
Lectin blot (Western blot)-employing labeled achatinin	MHOM/IN/83/AG83	Identification of Sias on amastigotes and adsorbed serum sialoglycans on promastigotes	(Chatterjee et al., 2003; Chava et al., 2004)
Lectin blot (Western blot)- MAA e SNA labeled lectins	K27, JISH118, L280, MON29, LV4, LV81, AG83	The role of Sias in Leishmania infection	(Chatterjee et al., 2003; Chava et al., 2004; Ghoshal et al., 2010; Karmakar et al., 2012)
Flow cytometry employing lectins conjugated with fluorophores	K27, JISH118, L280, MON29, LV4, LV81, AG83	Sias and the host susceptibility response	(Chava et al., 2004; Ghoshal et al., 2010; Karmakar et al., 2012)