Zoology Dep, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
Zoology Dep, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2022 Jun 28;292:115174. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115174. Epub 2022 Mar 6.
For thousands of years, garlic (Allium sativum Linnaeus) has been consumed in food and health by numerous civilizations. Cryptosporidium (C.) parvum is an apicomplexan parasite that causes a gastrointestinal disease, with the most common symptoms being watery diarrhea. Although several substances have been tried for its anti-cryptosporidial action, there is no effective treatment for Cryptosporidium disease, especially in immunocompromised individuals. The present study aimed firstly to characterize the bio-active compounds in Allium sativum L. and secondly to evaluate its efficacy as a therapy for cryptosporidiosis especially in immunocompromised mice.
This was accomplished by evaluating the parasitological and histopathological parameters in the experimentally infected immunocompetent and immunocompromised mice. Also, the cytokine profile during the experimental time was recorded through the measuring of T helper (h)1, Th2 and Th17 cells cytokines. Immunosuppressed mice were given 0.25 μg/g per day of dexamethasone orally, before infection with Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, for fourteen consecutive days. Starting 10 days post infection (PI), nitazoxanide (100 mg/kg per day) or Allium sativum (50 mg/kg per day) was given orally for fourteen consecutive days.
Our results showed that oocyst shedding, on the 32nd day PI, in immunocompromised infected group treated with Allium sativum (354.11, 99.35% PR) showed a significant decrease when compared to its corresponding group treated with nitazoxanide (4369.14, 92.05% PR). On the 32nd day PI, all cytokines levels have been decreased to levels that were similar to those of their uninfected corresponding control groups; also, the histopathological changes and the loss in animals' body weight had been improved. Treatment with nitazoxanide did not result in infection clearance or a reduction in the increased cytokines' levels.
Allium sativum L. displayed high efficacy as a potential therapeutic agent against Cryptosporidium, which supports its traditional usage in parasite diseases.
几千年来，大蒜（Allium sativum Linnaeus）一直被众多文明用于食品和健康。隐孢子虫（C.） parvum 是一种顶复门寄生虫，会引起胃肠道疾病，最常见的症状是水样腹泻。虽然已经尝试了几种物质来对抗隐孢子虫，但目前还没有针对隐孢子虫病的有效治疗方法，尤其是在免疫功能低下的个体中。本研究旨在首先对大蒜中的生物活性化合物进行表征，其次评估其作为免疫功能低下小鼠隐孢子虫病治疗方法的疗效。
通过评估实验感染免疫功能正常和免疫功能低下的小鼠的寄生虫学和组织病理学参数来实现。此外，通过测量辅助性 T（h）1、Th2 和 Th17 细胞细胞因子，记录实验期间的细胞因子谱。在感染隐孢子虫卵囊之前，免疫抑制小鼠连续 14 天每天口服 0.25μg/g 地塞米松。感染后 10 天（PI）开始，连续 14 天每天口服硝唑尼特（100mg/kg）或大蒜（50mg/kg）。
我们的结果表明，与硝唑尼特治疗组（4369.14，92.05% PR）相比，免疫抑制感染组用大蒜治疗（354.11，99.35% PR）在第 32 天 PI 时卵囊脱落显著减少。在第 32 天 PI 时，所有细胞因子水平均降低至与未感染相应对照组相似的水平；此外，组织病理学变化和动物体重减轻得到改善。硝唑尼特治疗并未导致清除感染或降低增加的细胞因子水平。
大蒜作为一种对抗隐孢子虫的潜在治疗药物具有很高的疗效，这支持了其在寄生虫病中的传统应用。
