In vitro evaluation of anthelmintic property of ethno-veterinary plant extracts against the liver fluke Fasciola gigantica

Effect of a garlic drench on Galectin gene expression in ovine whole blood

Garlic, known for its immune-modulating and antibiotic properties, contains lectins that possess antimicrobial and immunomodulatory effects. Galectins (Gals), which bind β-galactosides, play a role in modulating immunity and pathological processes. It is hypothesized that garlic's lectin components interfere with animal lectins. St. Croix sheep, known for their resistance to parasites and adaptability, are influenced by dietary supplements for innate immunity. This study evaluated the impact of garlic drench on Galectin gene expression in St. Croix sheep. Adult non-lactating ewes received either garlic juice concentrate or sterile distilled water for four weeks. Blood samples were collected, and plasma and whole blood cells were separated. Galectin secretion was assessed using a Sheep-specific ELISA, while Galectin gene transcription was analyzed through real-time PCR. Garlic administration upregulated LGALS-3 gene expression and significantly increased total plasma protein concentration. Garlic supplementation also affected Galectin secretion, with Gal-1, Gal-3, and Gal-9 showing differential effects.

Efficacy of flukicides on Fasciola gigantica, a food-borne zoonotic helminth affecting livestock in Bangladesh

Fasciola gigantica, the causative agent of tropical fasciolosis, is a food-borne zoonotic trematode that affects around 80% livestock of Bangladesh. Triclabendazole (TCBZ), nitroxynil (NTON) and oxyclozanide (OCZN) are frequently used against fascioliasis; however, the current status of potency of these flukicides was unknown. In this study, in vitro efficacy of TCBZ, NTON and OCZN at various concentrations on F. gigantica has been evaluated by relative motility (RM), morphological distortions of apical cone through an inverted microscope, architectural and ultra-structural changes through histopathological and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It is observed that TCBZ, NTON and OCZN at higher concentrations significantly (P < 0.05) reduced RM of the flukes compared to untreated control. NTON at 150 μg mL−1 was the most potent to reduce the motility within 4 h whereas TCBZ and OCZN were much delayed. Histopathological changes showed swollen, extensive cracking, numerous vacuoles and splitting of the tegument surrounding the spines; spine dislodged from its socket in treated flukes compared to untreated worms. Histopathological changes were more conspicuous at higher doses of TCBZ, NTON and OCZN. SEM has shown the disruption of the apical cone, apart from swelling of the tegument on the ventral surface corrugation and disruption of the ventral apical cone. All these changes indicate that NTON is the most potent in killing flukes in vitro among the tested flukicides and suggest the presence of TCBZ-resistant fluke populations in Bangladesh. It is imperative to explore the in vivo effects of these flukicides and subsequently their molecular mechanisms.

Whole-organism phenotypic screening methods used in early-phase anthelmintic drug discovery

Diseases caused by parasitic helminths (worms) represent a major global health burden in both humans and animals. As vaccines against helminths have yet to achieve a prominent role in worm control, anthelmintics are the primary tool to limit production losses and disease due to helminth infections in both human and veterinary medicine. However, the excessive and often uncontrolled use of these drugs has led to widespread anthelmintic resistance in these worms - particularly of animals - to almost all commercially available anthelmintics, severely compromising control. Thus, there is a major demand for the discovery and development of new classes of anthelmintics. A key component of the discovery process is screening libraries of compounds for anthelmintic activity. Given the need for, and major interest by the pharmaceutical industry in, novel anthelmintics, we considered it both timely and appropriate to re-examine screening methods used for anthelmintic discovery. Thus, we reviewed current literature (1977-2021) on whole-worm phenotypic screening assays developed and used in academic laboratories, with a particular focus on those employed to discover nematocides. This review reveals that at least 50 distinct phenotypic assays with low-, medium- or high-throughput capacity were developed over this period, with more recently developed methods being quantitative, semi-automated and higher throughput. The main features assessed or measured in these assays include worm motility, growth/development, morphological changes, viability/lethality, pharyngeal pumping, egg hatching, larval migration, CO₂- or ATP-production and/or enzyme activity. Recent progress in assay development has led to the routine application of practical, cost-effective, medium- to high-throughput whole-worm screening assays in academic or public-private partnership (PPP) contexts, and major potential for novel high-content, high-throughput platforms in the near future. Complementing this progress are major advances in the molecular data sciences, computational biology and informatics, which are likely to further enable and accelerate anthelmintic drug discovery and development.

Lawsone derived Zn(ii) and Fe(iii) metal organic frameworks with pH dependent emission for controlled drug delivery

Fluorescent biocompatible porous carriers have been investigated as suitable probes for drug delivery and sensing applications owing to their intrinsic fluorescence and high surface area originating from their porous structure complemented with tunable pore size/surface properties.

Inhibitory Activities of Ethanolic Extracts of Two Macrofungi Against Eggs and Miracidia of Fasciola Spp

Fascioliasis is a disease of livestock which is now recognized as an emerging disease in humans. Cantharellus cibarius and Ganoderma applanatum are known for their medicinal properties. The use of ethanolic extracts of these macrofungi against the eggs and miracidia of Fasciola spp. is a promising method to break the parasite transmission cycle. The aim of the study is to evaluate the inhibitory effects of ethanolic extracts of the mushrooms on eggs and miracidia of Fasciola spp. Concentrated eggs and miracidia of Fasciola spp. were exposed to different concentrations (1-8 mg/ml) of extracts of Ganoderma applanatum (GEE) and Cantharellus cibarius (CEE) at different time intervals. GEE showed superior antiparasitic activities when compared to CEE at all concentrations tested. Significant positive correlations were observed between the concentration of GEE and mortality in miracidia (r=0.980, P <0.05) and CEE and mortality in miracidia (r= 0.968, P <0.05). The study showed that ethanolic extracts of G. applanatum and C. cibarius have ovicidal and miracicidal activities. While G. applanatum showed excellent activities, activities in C. cibarius were moderate. Therefore, these mushroom extracts can be regarded as promising sources of bioactive compounds that could be developed into ovicides and miracicides.

Comparison between the effect of Lawsonia inermis and flubendazole on Strongyloides species using scanning electron microscopy

Strongyloides species is a helminth of worldwide distribution primarily in tropical and subtropical regions. It is the only soil-transmitted helminth with the ability for autoinfection so; it may lead to severe systemic manifestations especially in immunosuppressed patients. Chemotherapy is currently considered the best therapeutic option for strongyloidiasis but some drugs are expensive and others have side effects as nausea, diarrhea and headache. Strongyloides larva is resistant to most chemical agents so, search for plant extracts may provide other effective but less expensive treatment. Lawsonia inermis Linn, popularly known as Henna, has been proven to have antihelminthic, antibacterial and antifungal properties. The current study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of Lawsonia inermis on Strongyloides spp. In vitro using scanning electron microscopy. Fifty Strongyloides species. larvae and free living females were incubated with different concentrations of Lawsonia (1, 10, 100 mg/ml), for different incubation periods (24, 48, 72 and 96 h) in comparison to the same concentrations of flubendazole at the same different time points. The results showed that Lawsonia inermis in a concentration of 10 mg/ml incubated with Strongyloides spp. female for 24 h affected the parasite cuticular surface in the form of transverse and longitudinal fissures and transverse depression in comparison to no cuticular change with flubendazole (100 mg/ml). This suggests that Lawsonia inermis may be a promising phytotherapeutic agent for strongyloidiasis.

Assessment of in vitro and in vivo anthelminthic potential of extracts of Allium sativum bulb against naturally occurring ovine gastrointestinal nematodiosis

BACKGROUND

The rapid development of anthelminthic resistance has limited the success of traditional control programmes, thereby forcing researchers to search for ethno-veterinary alternatives.

OBJECTIVE

The objective is to assess the anthelminthic potential of various extracts of the bulb of Allium sativum in naturally infected sheep.

ANIMALS AND METHODS

In vitro anthelminthic activities of crude aqueous and methanolic extracts of the bulb of A. sativum were investigated against the egg (500 eggs/ml) and larvae of naturally infected sheep. The aqueous extract of A. sativum was also investigated for in vivo anthelminthic activity in three groups (n = 15 each) of naturally infected Chokla sheep with a negative control group receiving no treatment, a positive control group was given a single oral dose of albendazole at 7.5 mg/kg bodyweight, and a group administered a single oral dose of an aqueous extract at 5 g/animal. Data were analysed using the general linear model.

RESULTS

Aqueous extract showed better efficacy in egg hatch assay and larval development test. However, in larval paralysis test, reverse trend was seen as methanolic extract was more potent than the aqueous counterpart. A significant amount of 57% faecal egg count reduction was observed in in vivo trail using the aqueous extract on day 21 post-treatment, although in initial stages it showed 30% and 83% effectiveness on days 7 and 14 post-treatment, respectively. No deleterious ill effect was found in any of the haematological and biochemical parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

Bulb of A. sativum possesses good anthelminthic efficacy and further research is thereby warranted before recommending it for nematode control programme in ovines.

Plants Consumption and Liver Health

The liver is a very important organ with a lot of functions for the host to survive. Dietary components are essential for and can be beneficial or detrimental to the healthy or diseased liver. Plants food is an essential part of the human diet and comprises various compounds which are closely related to liver health. Selected food plants can provide nutritional and medicinal support for liver disease. At the present, the knowledge of the effects of plants on the liver is still incomplete. The most urgent task at the present time is to find the best dietary and medicinal plants for liver health in an endless list of candidates. This review article updates the knowledge about the effects of plants consumption on the health of the liver, putting particular emphasis on the potential beneficial and harmful impact of dietary and medicinal plants on liver function.

In vitro antihelmintic effect of fifteen tropical plant extracts on excysted flukes of Fasciola hepatica

BACKGROUND

Fasciolosis due to Fasciola hepatica is the most important hepatic disease in veterinary medicine. Its relevance is important because of the major economical losses to the cattle industry such as: reduction in milk, meat and wool production; miscarriages, anemia, liver condemnation and occasionally deaths, are estimated in billons of dollars. The emergence of fluke resistance due to over or under dosing of fasciolides as well as environmental damage produced by the chemicals eliminated in field have stimulated the need for alternative methods to control Fasciola hepatica. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro anthelmintic effect of fifteen tropical plant extracts used in tradicional Mexican medicine, on newly excysted flukes of Fasciola hepatica.

RESULTS

The flukes were exposed in triplicate at 500, 250 and 125 mg/L to each extract. The efficacy was assessed as the mortality rate based on the number of live and dead flukes after 24, 48 and 72 h post-exposure. The plants with anthelmintic effect were evaluated once again with a concentration of 375 mg/L in order to confirm the results and to calculate lethal concentrations at 50%, 90% and 99% (LC(50), LC(90), and LC(99)). Plant extracts of Lantana camara, Bocconia frutescens, Piper auritum, Artemisia mexicana and Cajanus cajan had an in vitro anthelmintic effect (P <0.05). The LC(50), LC(90) and LC(99) to A. mexicana, C. cajan and B. frutescens were 92.85, 210.44 and 410.04 mg/L, 382.73, 570.09 and 788.9 mg/L and 369.96, 529.94 and 710.34 mg/L, respectively.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that five tropical plant extracts had promising anthelmintic effects against F. hepatica. Further studies on toxicity and in vivo biological evaluation in ruminant models might help to determine the anthelmintic potential of these plant extracts.

An ethnopharmacological survey and in vitro confirmation of the ethnopharmacological use of medicinal plants as anthelmintic remedies in the Ashanti region, in the central part of Ghana

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Infections with helminths are still a big problem in many parts of the world. The majority of the people in West Africa treat such infections with medicinal plants related to the local traditional medicine. The present study aims at identifying medicinal plants traditionally used for worm infections in the Ashanti region, Ghana. In vitro screening of selected extracts from plants on which scientific knowledge is limited was to be performed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Validated questionnaires were administered to 50 traditional healers in the Ashanti region, Ghana. Interviews and structured conversations were used to obtain relevant information. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation was performed additionally to structured cross-referencing of the data using SciFinder(®) data base. Selected plant species were used for in vitro testing on anthelmintic activity against the free-living model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

RESULTS

35 plant species were recorded for the use in humans and 6 for the use in animals. Plant material most frequently used were the seeds from Carica papaya, mentioned by nearly all healers. The plausibility of most plants used for treatment of infections with helminths was given in most cases by documentation of potential anthelmintic activity in recent scientific literature. 9 species from plants not or scarcely described in literature for this indication were investigated on in vitro activity. A hydroethanolic (1:1) extract of Combretum mucronatum was most active with a survival rate of nematodes of 89% at 0.1mg/mL and 58% at 1mg/mL respectively (levamisole 16%). Extracts of Paullinia pinnata and Phyllanthus urinaria were also assessed to exhibit a minor (85% and 89% respectively at 1mg/mL), but still significant activity.

CONCLUSION

Traditional use of anthelmintic plants from Ghana can be well rationalized by cross-referencing with published literature and phytochemical/pharmacological plausibility.The in vitro investigations of extracts from Combretum mucronatum, Paullinia pinnata and Phyllanthus urinaria exhibited significant effects against nematodes. The anthelmintic activity of these plants should be investigated in detail for pinpointing the respective lead structures responsible for the activity.

Lawsonia inermis L. (henna): ethnobotanical, phytochemical and pharmacological aspects

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The use of Lawsonia inermis L. (henna) for medicinal and cosmetic purposes is inextricably linked to ancient and modern cultures of North Africa and Asia. Literature and artwork indicates that Lawsonia inermis played an important holistic role in the daily lives of some ancient cultures, providing psychological and medicinal benefits, as well as being used for personal adornment. Although henna was historically applied to the hands and feet to protect against fungal pathogens and to hair to combat lice and dandruff, other traditional uses include the treatment of liver and digestive disorders, reduction of tissue loss in leprosy, diabetic foot disorders and ulcers.

PHYTOCHEMISTRY

Almost 70 phenolic compounds have been isolated from various parts of the plant. Naphthaquinones, which include the dyeing principle lawsone, have been linked to many of the pharmacological activities. The terpene, β-ionone is largely responsible for the pungent odour of the essential oil isolated from the flowers. In addition to other volatile terpenes, some non-volatile terpenoids, a single sterol, two alkaloids and two dioxin derivatives have also been isolated from the plant.

BIOACTIVITY

Henna is a pharmacologically important plant with significant in vitro and in vivo biological activities. Although a myriad of pharmacological activities have been documented, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities are the most thoroughly investigated. Some incidents of adverse reactions following application to the skin have been reported, but these are mainly confined to cases involving individuals with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency and reactions to adulterants added to henna products.

CONCLUSIONS

Adulteration of henna is very common and may have resulted in unwarranted scientific findings. Phytochemical profiling studies of the plant, which are crucial for the establishment of proper quality control protocols, are lacking and hamper the development of medicinal products. Although many in vitro studies have been conducted to evaluate the pharmacological activities and many in vivo studies have focussed on the toxicity of extracts, more in vivo studies to validate pharmacological activities are needed. The roles of specific compounds and their synergies have not been comprehensively investigated.