Anti-Cryptosporidium efficacy of Citrus sinensis peel extract: Histopathological and ultrastructural experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Cryptosporidiosis is a crucial zoonotic global health concern which can be treated by alternative medicinal plants extracts. AIM OF THE STUDY: The study was carried out to assess the therapeutic efficacy of Citrus sinensis peel ethanolic extract on Cryptosporidium-infected mice. METHODS: Two doses of Citrus sinensis extract; high dose (30 mg/kg) and low dose (15 mg/kg) were investigated compared to the common commercial drug nitazoxanide (NTZ). Assessment of the extract was carried out by calculating oocysts count in fecal samples, in addition to histopathological and electron microscopic examination of intestinal mucosa.. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant reduction in the percentage of oocyst shedding more in high dose than low dose Citrus-treated mice group till negligible numbers of oocysts were found at day 22nd post infection. Histopathologically, the intestinal tissues from high dose Citrus-treated group showed improvement of the pathological changes, the villi retained their normal appearance with minimal inflammatory cells in comparison to infected control mice groups. Also, ultra-structurally, the high dose Citrus-treated mice showed few Cryptosporidium trophozoites, while moderate number of parasitic stages and mucous in the low dose Citrus-treated mice, and large numbers of parasitic stages with sever mucous in the control infected non-treated mice epithelium. CONCLUSION: Our study established for the first time that Citrus sinensis is a promising natural candidate that could be efficiently used for developing of new anti-cryptospordial drugs.