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Memariani H, Memariani M, Ghasemian A. Quercetin as a Promising Antiprotozoan Phytochemical: Current Knowledge and Future Research Avenues. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 2024:7632408. [PMID: 38456097 PMCID: PMC10919984 DOI: 10.1155/2024/7632408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Despite tremendous advances in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, only few antiparasitic drugs have been developed to date. Protozoan infections such as malaria, leishmaniasis, and trypanosomiasis continue to exact an enormous toll on public health worldwide, underscoring the need to discover novel antiprotozoan drugs. Recently, there has been an explosion of research into the antiprotozoan properties of quercetin, one of the most abundant flavonoids in the human diet. In this review, we tried to consolidate the current knowledge on the antiprotozoal effects of quercetin and to provide the most fruitful avenues for future research. Quercetin exerts potent antiprotozoan activity against a broad spectrum of pathogens such as Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma spp., Plasmodium spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Trichomonas spp., and Toxoplasma gondii. In addition to its immunomodulatory roles, quercetin disrupts mitochondrial function, induces apoptotic/necrotic cell death, impairs iron uptake, inhibits multiple enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis and the glycolytic pathways, suppresses the activity of DNA topoisomerases, and downregulates the expression of various heat shock proteins in these pathogens. In vivo studies also show that quercetin is effective in reducing parasitic loads, histopathological damage, and mortality in animals. Future research should focus on designing effective drug delivery systems to increase the oral bioavailability of quercetin. Incorporating quercetin into various nanocarrier systems would be a promising approach to manage localized cutaneous infections. Nevertheless, clinical trials are needed to validate the efficacy of quercetin in treating various protozoan infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Memariani
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Memariani
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abdolmajid Ghasemian
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
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Liang S, Zhao Q, Ye Y, Zhu S, Dong H, Yu Y, Huang B, Han H. Characteristics analyses of Eimeria tenella 14-3-3 protein and verification of its interaction with calcium-dependent protein kinase 4. Eur J Protistol 2022; 85:125895. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2022.125895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Yu Z, Chen S, Huang J, Ding W, Chen Y, Su J, Yan R, Xu L, Song X, Li X. A multiepitope vaccine encoding four Eimeria epitopes with PLGA nanospheres: a novel vaccine candidate against coccidiosis in laying chickens. Vet Res 2022; 53:27. [PMID: 35365221 PMCID: PMC9350682 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-022-01045-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
With a worldwide distribution, Eimeria spp. could result in serious economic losses to the poultry industry. Due to drug resistance and residues, there are no ideal drugs and vaccines against Eimeria spp. in food animals. In the current study, a bioinformatics approach was employed to design a multiepitope antigen, named NSLC protein, encoding antigenic epitopes of E. necatrix NA4, E. tenella SAG1, E. acervulina LDH, and E. maxima CDPK. Thereafter, the protective immunity of NSLC protein along with five adjuvants and two nanospheres in laying chickens was evaluated. Based on the humoral immunity, cellular immunity, oocyst burden, and the coefficient of growth, the optimum adjuvant was evaluated. Furthermore, the optimum immune route and dosage were also investigated according to the oocyst burden and coefficient of growth. Accompanied by promoted secretion of antibodies and enhanced CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte proportions, NSLC proteins entrapped in PLGA nanospheres were more effective in stimulating protective immunity than other adjuvants or nanospheres, indicating that PLGA nanospheres were the optimum adjuvant for NSLC protein. In addition, a significantly inhibited oocyst burden and growth coefficient promotion were also observed in animals vaccinated with NSLC proteins entrapped in PLGA nanospheres, indicating that the optimum adjuvant for NSLC proteins was PLGA nanospheres. The results also suggested that the intramucosal route with PLGA nanospheres containing 300 μg of NSLC protein was the most efficient approach to induce protective immunity against the four Eimeria species. Collectively, PLGA nanospheres loaded with NSLC antigens are potential vaccine candidates against avian coccidiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- ZhengQing Yu
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - SiYing Chen
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - JianMei Huang
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - WenXi Ding
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - YuFeng Chen
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - JunZhi Su
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - RuoFeng Yan
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - LiXin Xu
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - XiaoKai Song
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - XiangRui Li
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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