In vivo antiprotozoan effects of garlic (Allium sativum) and ginger (Zingiber officinale) extracts on experimentally infected mice with Blastocystis spp.
Abstract
Controversy surrounding the pathogenic role of Blastocystis spp. in humans and lack of well-established diagnostic criteria led to debates concerning the treatment for that organism. Furthermore, some strains develop resistance against the recommended drugs. Thus, using natural medicine has many positive aspects to address these points. In an earlier study, we addressed in vitro effect of garlic and ginger on Blastocystis spp. isolates as an alternative treatment. Accordingly, this study was conducted to evaluate in vivo activities of these two herbs on mice infected with Blastocystis spp. Antiprotozoan activities were determined by monitoring Blastocystis shedding in stools and histopathological changes of the intestine of infected mice. Additionally, assessment of the antioxidant effect (via measuring the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) production) of these herbs on the treated groups of mice was done. Also, their effects on nitric oxide (NO) production were assessed. In this work, treatment of infected mice with garlic, ginger, and nitazoxanide (NTZ) reduced the shedding of cysts significantly compared to the infected untreated group, P value ≤0.001, 0.0001, and 0.0003, respectively. As well, histopathological examination revealed that Blastocystis was frequently observed within the lumen, at the tip of the epithelium, and/ or infiltrated in an enterocyte in the infected group without treatment compared to that of the infected treated ones. Furthermore, mice infected with Blastocystis exhibited increased levels of NO (440.09 ± 3.7 vs. 276.66 ± 0.8, P ≤ 0.001) and MDA production (106.19 ± 0.43 vs. 63.06 ± 0.45, P ≤ 0.0004) compared to that of the uninfected controls. Treatment of infected mice with garlic, ginger, and NTZ reduced NO levels to 54.41 ± 1.2, 47.70 ± 1.2, and 37.43 ± 0.98 and MDA levels to 22.38 ± 0.17, 63.34 ± 3.89, and 66.76 ± 9.1, respectively. We conclude that using ginger and garlic for treatment of blastocystosis is beneficial.
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Garlic extract inhibited the growth of Blastocystis spp. in vivo, and this activity is attributed to garlic extracts containing several phytochemicals, e.g., thiosulfinates, which possess antibacterial activity related to thiol enzyme inhibition present in several microorganisms.
“Abdel-Hafeez et al. [60] showed that garlic extract inhibited the growth of Blastocystis spp. in vivo and this activity attributed to that garlic extracts contains several phytochemicals e.g., thiosulfinates are one of the bioactive compounds that possess antibacterial activity that is related to thiol enzymes inhibition which presents in several microorganisms.”
From Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Activities of Garlic (Allium sativum L.): A Review (2020) · cites this paper as [60]
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Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Activities of Garlic (Allium sativum L.): A Review
El-Saber Batiha, G., Magdy Beshbishy, A., G. Wasef, L., Elewa, Y. H. A., A. Al-Sagan, A., Abd El-Hack, M. E., Taha, A. E., M. Abd-Elhakim, Y., & Prasad Devkota, H. (2020) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu12030872 · Cited by 931 · see citing works
- Authors
- Abdel-Hafeez, E. H., Ahmad, A. K., Kamal, A. M., Abdellatif, M. Z. M., & Abdelgelil, N. H.
- Affiliations
- Minia University (EG)
- Corresponding author
- Abdel-Hafeez, Ekhlas H.
- ORCID
- Kamal, Amany M.
- Venue
- Parasitology Research
- Published
- 2015-06-18
- Volume
- 114
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 3439-3444
- ISSN
- 0044-3255 (ISSN-L)
- 0932-0113
- 1432-1955
- OpenAlex
- W615018268
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 1.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Parasitology Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Garlic and Onion Studies
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Toxoplasma gondii Research Studies
- Keywords
- Blastocystis, garlic, ginger, antiprotozoal activity, herbal medicine, nitazoxanide, cyst shedding, intestinal histopathology, oxidative stress, malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, natural product therapy, experimental infection in mice, drug resistance, intestinal protozoa, antioxidant activity
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Antiprotozoal Agents, Garlic, Malondialdehyde, Oils, Volatile, Plant Extracts, Blastocystis Infections, Blastocystis, Zingiber officinale, Mice
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