Chamomile Methanolic Extract Mitigates Small Bowel Inflammation and ROS Overload Related to the Intestinal Nematodes Infection in Mice.

BACKGROUND: Chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) is a plant which has been reported to be effective in treating several parasitic and digestive diseases. The present study was conducted to evaluate the anthelmintic activity of chamomile methanolic extract (CME). METHODS: In vitro, the anthelmintic activities of CME were investigated on the L3 larvae of Heligmosomoides polygyrus in comparison to albendazole. In vivo, Swiss albino mice were infected with infective third (L3) larval stage of H. polygyrus by intragastric administration. Moreover, the effect of CME and albendazole on worm eggs, adult worms, serum cytokine production, and oxidative stress was studied. RESULTS: All used doses of CME showed a potent anthelmintic activity both in vitro and in vivo and the effect being similar to treatment with albendazole. Moreover, H. polygyrus infestation was accompanied by an intestinal oxidative stress status characterized by an increased lipoperoxidation, a depletion of antioxidant enzyme activity, as well as an overload of hydrogen peroxide. We have also recorded an increase of pro-inflammatory mediator (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß) levels after treatment with CME (14 ± 0.8; 41 ± 2; 58 ± 4 pg/mg protein, respectively, with the concentration 800 mg/kg, body weight) when compared with infected control mice (20 ± 1; 59 ± 2, and 83 ± 4 pg/mg protein, respectively). However, extract treatment alleviated all the deleterious effects associated with H. polygyrus infection. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that CME can be used in the control of gastrointestinal helminthiasis and associated oxidative stress.

Chemical analyses and anthelmintic effects of Artemisia campestris essential oil.

The present study aimed at analyzing the chemical composition and evaluating the in vitro and in vivo anthelmintic activity of Artemisia campestris essential oil aerial parts. The chemical composition was analysed by gaz chromatography/mass chromatography (GC/MS). Fifty compounds were identified representing 99.98% of the total oil. A. campestris essential oil was dominated by beta-pinene (36.40%) and 2-undecanone (14.7%). The in vitro anthelmintic activity tests of A. campestris essential oil were performed on Haemonchus contortus using egg hatch assay (EHA) and adult worm's motility assay (AWMA) compared with a reference drug albendazole. In the EHA 100% inhibition was observed at 2 mg/ml after 48 h incubation (IC50 = 0.93 mg/ml). In the AWMA, essential oil induced 66.6% inhibition at 0.5 mg/ml after 8 h post exposure. The nematicidal effect of essential oil was evaluated on Heligmosomoides polygyrus. It was monitored through faecal egg count reduction (FECR) and total worm count reduction (TWCR). Three doses (2000, 4000 and 5000 mg/kg) were studied using a bioassay. The dose of 5000 mg/kg showed a high nematicidal activity (72.1% FECR and 72% TWCR), 7 days post-treatment. The results of the present study suggest that A. campestris essential oil has a potential anthelmintic activity and further studies are required in order to establish its mechanisms of action.

Correlation of polyphenolic content with radical-scavenging capacity and anthelmintic effects of Rubus ulmifolius (Rosaceae) against Haemonchus contortus.

Phenolic content, antioxidant and anthelmintic activities of herbal extracts are of particular interest to drug industry; plant extracts with significant anthelmintic activity have the potential to be used as alternatives to conventional chemical drugs. In the present study, Rubus ulmifolius fruit extracts obtained using solvents of increasing polarity (water, methanol, chloroform and hexane) were examined for their antioxidant and anthelmintic activities in correlation with their polyphenolic content. In vitro antioxidant activity of all extracts was carried out using free radical-scavenging activity by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethilenebenzotiazolin)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical cation. In vitro anthelmintic activities were investigated on the egg and adult worms of Haemonchus contortus from sheep in comparison to albendazole. Total polyphenol content of R. ulmifolius was higher in more polar extract, ranging from 64.5 in aqueous extract to 1.57 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram of dry weight (GAE/g DW) in hexanic extract. Likewise, highest amounts of flavonoids and condensed tannins were found in aqueous extract (28.06 mg QE/g and 7.42 mg CE/g DW, respectively) compared to hexanic extract (0.71 mg QE/g and 0.29 mg CE/g DW, respectively) (p<0.05). Both DPPH and ABTS antioxidant assays showed that all tested extracts possess free radical scavenging activity, while the inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) range values were similar for both assays (2.13-45.54 µg/mL and 1.2-43.82 µg/mL, respectively). All plant extracts showed ovicidal activity at all tested concentrations. Fruit methanolic (IC50=2.76mg/mL) and aqueous (IC50=2.08 mg/mL) extracts showed higher inhibitory effects than chloroformic (IC50=7.62 mg/mL) and hexanic (IC50=12.93 mg/mL) extracts on egg hatching (p<0.05). There was a significant correlation of total polyphenol, flavonoids and tannins content with scavenging of either DPPH (r=0.722, 0.764 and 0.752, p<0.01, respectively) or ABTS radicals (r=0.893, 0.765 and 0.722, p<0.01, respectively) and with inhibition of egg hatching (r=0.874, 0.883 and 0.862, p<0.01, respectively). Highest inhibition of motility (100%) of worms was observed 8h post-exposure in aqueous and methanolic extract at 8 mg/mL. To our knowledge, these results depict for the first time that R. ulmifolius possesses in vitro anthelmintic properties.

In vitro evidence that the pastoral Artemisia campestris species exerts an anthelmintic effect on Haemonchus contortus from sheep.

Occurrence of anthelmintic resistant strains of helminths is increasing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro anthelmintic activity of Artemisia campestris in comparison to albendazole against Haemonchus contortus of sheep. In this respect, in vitro anthelmintic activities of crude aqueous and crude ethanolic extracts of aerial parts of A. campestris were investigated on eggs and adults of Haemonchus contortus. Chemical analyses revealed that overall profile of both extracts samples were dominated by flavonoids among them quercetin and apigenin derivatives were the most abundant phenolics constituents. Both extract types completely inhibited egg hatching at a concentration close to 2 mg/ml. Lethal concentration 50% of A. campestris ethanolic and aqueous extracts were 0.83 and 1.00 mg/ml respectively (p < 0.05). The ethanolic extract showed better in vitro activity against adult parasites than the aqueous extract in terms of the paralysis and/or death of the worms at different hours post-treatment. Dose dependent activity was also observed for both extract. After 8 and 24 h of exposure, the ethanolic extract induced 91.3 and 100% mortality at the highest tested concentration respectively, while the aqueous extract induced 3.22 and 70.96% at the same concentration respectively.To our knowledge, these results depict for the first time that A. campestris possesses in vitro anti-Haemonchus contortus properties.