The controverted therapeutic efficacy of Allium sativum and Artemisia herba-alba extracts on Cryptosporidium-infected mice.

INTRODUCTION: Cryptosporidiosis has become an issue of great interest being life-threatening among immunocompromised hosts worldwide. This study explored the curative effect of Allium sativum (garlic) and Artemisia herba-alba ethanolic extract versus Nitazoxanide drug on both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed-Cryptosporidium experimentally-infected mice. METHODOLOGY: One hundred male Swiss albino mice were divided into the following groups: (GI) non-infected non-treated group, (GII) infected non-treated group, (GIII) garlic treated group, (GIV) A. herba-alba treated group, (GV) Nitazoxanide treated group, each group subdivided into two subgroups (a) Immunocompetent, (b) immunosuppressed. The assessment was performed by parasitological counting of fecal oocysts, histological examination of intestinal tissue, immunological detection of interferon-gamma levels in mice sera, and ultrastructural study by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: Garlic and A. herbal-alba extracts showed a decrease in the mean oocyst counts through all days of follow-up. This was associated with significant up-regulation of interferon-gamma cytokine levels in serum and histological improvement in intestinal tissues of mice compared to control groups and the results were confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The highest efficacy was obtained by garlic, then by A. herbal-alba extracts followed by Nitazoxanide treated group; where the immunocompetent groups showed better improvement than immunosuppressed ones. CONCLUSIONS: Garlic has a perfect effect as a promising therapeutic agent against Cryptosporidiosis and therefore validates their traditional use in parasitic infections. Accordingly, it may offer a good option for cryptosporidium treatment in immunocompromised patients. They could be used as a natural safe product for the preparation of a new therapeutic agent.

The potential therapeutic effect of Nigella sativa and Zingiber officinale extracts versus Nitazoxanide drug against experimentally induced cryptosporidiosis in laboratory mice.

In this study, the potential anti-cryptosporidial effect of Nigella sativa (black seeds) and Zingiber officinale (ginger) alcoholic extracts versus Nitazoxanide (NTZ) medication was investigated in immunosuppressed (IS) laboratory mice. Parasitological, histopathological studies were used to assess their therapeutic efficacy. Serum level and tissue expression percentage of IFN-γ was also used. Nigella extract succeeded to reduce the mean oocyst counts in the feces of immunosuppressed mice followed by NTZ. Ginger-treated ones showed the lowest reduction percentage. Nigella sativa showed the best results in terms of restoring the normal architecture of ileal epithelium in histopathological sections stained with H&E. NTZ treatment sub-groups showed mild improvement, followed by ginger-treated mice, which showed a slight improvement in small intestine microenvironment. A significant substantial rise in serum and intestinal tissue IFN-γ cytokine levels were recorded in Nigella subgroups compared to those of NTZ and ginger respectively. According to our findings Nigella sativa outperformed Nitazoxanide in terms of anti-cryptosporidial effectiveness and regeneration characteristics revealing a promising medication. When compared to the commonly used Nitazoxanide medication or Nigella extracts, the outcomes of ginger extract were suboptimal.